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Italy are all set to take on England in the final of Euro 2020 in a bid to win their second European Championship title at the Wembley Stadium, London on Sunday night.

The last time Italy had won the title was back in 1968. In the last two decades, the Azzurri have reached the final twice, 2000 and 2012 but lost to France and Spain respectively.

A new-look Italian side under the tutelage of Roberto Mancini are in fine form at present. The Italians have not lost a single international match since 2018 and are unbeaten in 33 matches. Mancini's side have won all their matches (6) in the ongoing Euro 2020 scoring 12 goals (they had to rely on a penalty shootout to beat Spain in the semifinals though).

Being a four-time World Cup winner and a traditional powerhouse in world football, the Italian national side garners a fair amount of support in India. Several Italian players and coaches have also come to India the past to play for or manage clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.

From Alessandro Nesta to Gianluca Zambrotta we take a look at the Italians with a connection to Indian football. Marco Materazzi is the only Italian to work in India both as a player and as a manager. He had also won the ISL title as a coach of Chennaiyin FC in 2015.

Italian players who have played in India

Italian coaches who have worked in India

FC Pune City link in current Italy team

Former FC Pune City goalkeeping coach Massimo Battara is currently a part of Roberto Mancini's coaching staff in the Italian national side who have reached the final of Euro 2020.

In 2018, when Italy appointed Roberto Mancini as their head coach, Battara reunited with his former boss and joined the national team as their goalkeeping coach.

Battara had worked with English coach David Platt at ISL side FC Pune City in the second season of the league in 2015.

The 58-year-old had earlier worked with Roberto Mancini as goalkeeping coach at Premier League giants Manchester City from 2009 to 2013 and before that at Inter Milan in 2008.

Zambia coach Milutin Sredojevic has described Enoch Mwepu’s transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion as a path to a bright future for him and Zambian football.

The 23-year-old joined the Potters on a four-year deal from Red Bull Salzburg earlier this week, which made him the club's first signing before the 2021-22 season.

The move also made Mwepu the second Zambia international to move to the Premier League this summer after his former teammate at Salzburg Patson Daka moved to Leicester City on a permanent deal.

Micho who is on Cosafa Cup duty with Chipolopolo in South Africa, reacted to the transfers and he described Mwepu as one of the best young midfielders in Europe.

During his time in Austria, Mwepu was nicknamed ‘the Computer’ because of his ability to read the game at the middle of the park.

“In looking forward to see that his game is rising up he's one of the five most respected young upcoming midfielders in European football and this will be a new transit step to the bright future of his and bright future of Zambian football," Micho told the Zambia FA.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter lauded the arrival of Mwepu as a midfield boost that would provide more competition for playing time.

The 23-year-old will link up Mali’s Yves Bissouma who has made a name for himself as one of the top tacklers in the Premier League.

“He has a great deal of experience for somebody of his age, including Champions League and international football,” Potter said.

"He's primarily a central midfielder, although he is capable of playing in numerous positions, is open-minded, adaptable and very keen to learn and develop.

"He will add competition to our existing options in that area of the squad going into the new season."

During his four-year stay in Austria, Mwepu played in the Uefa Champions League and he won the Bundesliga titles four times with the Austrian Cup three times in a row.

Jose Mourinho says Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has no reason to fear his presence in Italy.

Mourinho has returned to Serie A to take charge of Roma, meaning he will come up against his former Real Madrid player next season.

The Portuguese coach was asked if his compatriot should be worried about facing him again, but he joked that the 36-year-old is lucky he will be in the dugout and not lining up in defence.

What has been said?

"No, because I'm not playing at centre-back," he said.

"Had I played centre-back, I'd have hit him, but unfortunately I'm not good enough and I'm too old to play against him."

Mourinho dismisses Conte comparisons

Mourinho enjoyed a successul first spell in Serie A, having coached Inter between 2008 and 2010.

He guided the club to two domestic league titles as well as Champions League success.

Inter had not won a single trophy since Mourinho's exit until Antonio Conte took charge and guided them to another Serie A crown last season.

Mourinho has insisted there is no point in comparing the two managers, however, saying: "There are some coaches in the club's history that you should never compare to others.

"At Roma, for example, don't compare Fabio Capello or Nils Liedholm to other coaches. For Inter, never compare others to Helenio Herrera or me, because you can't do that."

Further reading

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali says the club are in advanced negotiations with a club over a potential deal for Manuel Locatelli.

The midfielder is rumoured to be a target for Arsenal and Juventus following his starring role for Sassuolo in Serie A and Italy at Euro 2020.

Carnevali says his side will wait until Locatelli returns from the European Championship before discussing his future, but they have already received offers for him.

What has been said?

"We have received offers for Locatelli, but also Domenico Berardi, Giacomo Raspadori and Jeremie Boga have requests," the chief executive told Sky Sport.

"We will talk about Locatelli when Euro 2020 ends, we want to leave him calm until Sunday. We have received important offers for him, talks with one of which are very well underway.

"We met with Juve and we made an appointment next week but it is all to be evaluated.

"Today the Italian market has great difficulties, offers come from abroad, and it is clear that we have players who are hungry to play for big clubs."

Sassuolo in no need to sell

Sassuolo have already sold Brazilian defender Marlon to Shakhtar Donetsk this summer, whil eFederico Di Francesco went to SPAL and Hellas Verona bought Giangiacomo Magnani.

Carnevali says the Italian side have raised enough money to hold on to their key players for the 2021-22 campaign.

"It is a source of pride and tranquility because it means that as a club we have the opportunity to think about a future that can give us guarantees from the point of view. from an economic point of view.

"Our policy is to try not to sell many players. We have already sold Marlon, we do not need to have to sell another one.

"If the right conditions are there we will all be happy and content. If we do not find them. we'll go on like this because we don't need to sell players "

Further reading

Sivasspor have announced the signing of Olarenwaju Kayode for another season-long loan from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The move would be Kayode's second stint with the Yigidos after he spent last season on loan with them in the Turkish Super Lig.

During the 2020-21 campaign, the former Manchester City and Girona striker contributed 11 goals and two assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for Sivasspor.

He has spent the last two seasons in the Turkish top-flight in Sivas and Gaziantep from Ukraine. The 28-year-old joined Shakhtar permanently in 2018 after impressing on an initial loan deal.

After completing the move and his medicals, Kayode has joined the rest of Riza Calimbay's team at their training camp in Gerede where they are preparing for the 2021-22 season.

“Our Demir Group Sivasspor has tied Olarenwaju Kayode back to their colours,” read a statement on the club’s website.

“An agreement has been reached with Shakhtar Donetsk for the loan of our football player Olarenwaju Kayode, whose contract has expired at the end of the season, until the end of the 2021-2022 season.

“Olarenwaju Kayode joined our camp in Gerede district of Bolu. Kayode, who played for us 40 times in Super League, Turkish Cup and UEFA Europa League last season, had 11 goals and made 2 assists.

“We state that we are happy to see Olarenwaju Kayode among us again, and we wish success under our red-white jersey.”

Kayode has enjoyed a nomadic career, starting from his brief stint with Red Bull Ghana before he moved to the Ivory Coast's ASEC Mimosas in 2010.

Two years later, the Nigeria international switched to Europe and he teamed up with Swiss club Luzern followed by another spell in Israel with Maccabi Netanya and Austrian Bundesliga giants Austria Wien.

From Vienna, Kayode joined Manchester City in 2017 but he failed to make any competitive appearance for Pep Guardiola's side as he was sent out on loan to Girona and Shakhtar Donetsk.

On the international scene, the has made four appearances for the Super Eagles with no goal and he is yet to play for the three-time African champions since 2018.

La Liga president Javier Tebas says it would be "impossible" for Barcelona to offer Lionel Messi the same salary he was on last season as they look to commit him to a new contract.

The Argentina star's contract at the Catalan side expired at the end of June, but they have not given up on giving him a two-year deal.

The Camp Nou team are unable to register any of the players they have signed this summer because of the salary limit imposed on the club, however, which is stopping them from confirming a deal for Messi.

What did Tebas say?

While Tebas acknowledged that Ronald Koeman's side will find it hard to persuade the six-time Ballon d'Or winner to sign again, he insists no team in the continent can match the salary he was already on.

"He won’t be able to sign with the same conditions of the former contract. That would be impossible but I also don’t think any European club can pay that amount in his former contract, not just Barcelona," Tebas said.

"The decision of whether Messi stays or goes is not up to me but Barcelona. We would like and hope that Barcelona solve the problem so Messi can stay here in Spain.

"We always want the best players in La Liga but Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo left and we are still here and growing. We continue to work and Serie A and Ligue 1 haven’t grown as much as they like [with these stars].

"The Premier League players don’t win the Ballon d’Or but it is the best competition on a sporting and financial level. We shouldn’t be obsessed with players. I would love Messi to stay but it isn’t essential."

Tebas defends salary limit

As a result of the pandemic, Barcelona's salary limit was set at €348m (£299m/$413m), but the club ended up exceeding that figure.

Tebas insists La Liga will not relax the limit on how much the club can spend and has defended the organisation's rules.

"Our regulations are sufficient. It is just a real situation with the pandemic that there’s less income and more losses," he added.

"To open up the situation would just cause more debt. We studied it a lot and think the regulation is acceptable and all clubs should abide by it. All clubs approved this regulation themselves.

"It’s not the first time in recent years that this has happened where a club signs players but can’t register the player. I am sure Barcelona will sort it out but if they don’t they won’t be able to register the players.

"The big difference between Barcelona and the pandemic is that they have always been at the limit of the wages. When the pandemic came along then they didn’t have that buffer so they wouldn’t be affected by this squad limit issue.

"No other clubs have pushed to that absolute limit. They have lost €350 million (£300m/$415m) in revenue since the pandemic, so it is not normal really, especially in our league, to push right to that last Euro in the salary limit.

"Real Madrid, their accounts say this, they had limits but they have been less affected by the pandemic because they have been able to not lose as much. They spent less on players since then, they also sent out players on loan who were on high salaries which was not the case with Barcelona. That’s the difference between the two big clubs.

"It has happened to other clubs like Manchester City who have made a €270m (£232m/$320m) loss in revenue so aren’t economically doing as well. PSG have lost €250m (£215m/$296m). All the big clubs have lost money during the pandemic and the management of Real Madrid have done fantastic during this time.

"If they have to cancel contracts, maybe it is cheaper than the money they are paying for their wage bill. I think they are on the right path. I have spoken to some of their players who know they are not taken into account for next year and want to leave. Sometimes to be released from a contract means a financially penalty."

What about Barca's other signings?

Barca have confirmed the signings of Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay and Emerson Royal this summer.

But the club will not be able to field any of them in the new season unless they drastically reduce their current wage expenses.

In order to make it easier, they have already convinced Depay to accept a 30 percent decrease to the €7m (£6m/$8m) per season they initially agreed to pay him when he joined in a free transfer.

Garcia, who agreed to join the club from Manchester City in January, has also agreed to reduce his wages under new president Joan Laporta.

Further reading

Alanyaspor have confirmed Khouma Babacar suffered heart spam in their pre-season camp in Burdur on Thursday.

It was claimed that the Senegal striker crumbled to the ground in training and he was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Babacar is currently on a two-year loan with the Turkish Super Lig club from Sassuolo and the deal is expected to expire at the end of 2021-22 season with Cagdas Atan's side holding the option to make his stay permanent.

Last season, the 28-year-old powered Alanyaspor to seventh in the Turkish top-flight standings with his contribution of eight goals in 25 games.

Following Thursday’s tragic event, the Turkish club said the former Fiorentina star has been put under close supervision of their club doctor.

“Our football player Khouma Babacar, who became ill this morning in the Burdur camp, was found to have had a heart spasm as a result of the first examinations made at the Burdur State Hospital,” the club statement read.

“Further examinations and treatment of our football player will be carried out at Private Alanya Anadolu Hospital under the supervision of our Club Doctor Ismail Yetkin. We convey our best wishes to our football player and wish him a speedy recovery.”

The Thies-born attacker started his professional career at Fiorentina and he made his goalscoring debut for the Violets as a 16-year-old in a Coppa Italia match against Chievo Verona in January 2010.

Meanwhile, Babacar has also taken a step to assure his friends and fans that he is in a good state with a post on Instagram.

“I'm fine. Thanks, everyone,” he wrote with a picture of himself on the hospital bed.

His colleagues including Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly replied to his medical update with some encouraging words.

Babacar made his international debut for the Teranga Lions in March 2017 during a friendly draw with the Ivory Coast in France. He has two appearances under his belt so far for Aliou Cisse’s side.

Kaizer Chiefs attacker Khama Billiat is likely to take part in the July 17 Caf Champions League final against Al Ahly after the club announced that “everybody is available” for the showdown at Stade Mohamed V Stadium.

Billiat returns after enduring an injury-blighted season which saw him miss action between January and early April with a fractured leg.

He then aggravated his injury at the end of April which saw him miss the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals as well as the remainder of the Premier Soccer League season. 

Kaizer Chiefs corporate communications manager Vina Maphosa confirmed the availability of all players ahead of the Al Ahly encounter, including those whose contracts expired at the end of June.

“Everybody is available for the final.  It means they have worked out something. What I have on my notes is that everyone is available for the final – that’s all that I have‚” said Maphosa as per Sowetan Live.

The likes of Billiat, his Zimbabwean compatriot Willard Katsande, goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, Lebogang Manyama, Kgotso Moleko, Bernard Parker and Bruce Bvuma all had contracts which expired at the end of June.

The availability of all players also means the return of Dumisani Zuma, who has been on the sidelines for a lengthy period due to injury. 

That leaves coach Stuart Baxter spoilt for choice in terms of team selection.

Chiefs midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo is already relishing facing the Cairo giants.

“I am really excited that we have come this far in the Caf [Champions League] and we are now set for the final. I think it was our hard work as a team that brought us to this level of the competition,” Ngcobo told Chiefs’ media as per Phakaaathi.

“We now have to make sure that when we play in the final, we continue with the hard work and right attitude. There are a lot of players who wish for such a chance. Now that I have got this chance, I have to use it wisely and to the best of my ability.

“I am sure the entire Kaizer Chiefs family is very happy… we are not only representing Kaizer Chiefs but the whole of South Africa. That is why I think this is a seriously big job.”

Chiefs are bidding to be the third South African club to win the Champions League after Orlando Pirates (1995) and Mamelodi Sundowns (2016).

Dani Alves "would be a good addition to Egyptian League", according to Pharco FC head coach Magdy Abdelaty, who hopes the Sao Paulo star join his team.

Having earned automatic promotion to Egypt’s elite division after winning their 16-team group, the Alexandria-based outfit are keen on signing the Brazil legend.

Weighing in on the transfer rumour, the tactician stated that the player’s personal relationship with the club’s owner could make that a reality.

He also disclosed that the 38-year-old’s presence would be a major boost for the North Africa nation’s league.

“Dani Alves has a personal relationship with the company’s president and officials since collaborating with them years ago in promoting the Hepatitis C vaccine,” Abdelaty told OnTime Sport TV per Kingfut.

“Alves promised Pharco officials since last year that if the team got promoted to the Egyptian Premier League, he would not mind joining them, but we don’t his current desire or his contract with the Brazilian club Sao Paulo.

“Of course, Dani Alves will be a very big addition to the Egyptian league, given his achievements with Barcelona and the Brazilian national team.”

Pharco owner Shreen Helmy had revealed that he would like to bring the former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain star to the club, while expressing his hopes of working alongside Lionel Messi on a charity enterprise.

"I am working on bringing Dani Alves from Sao Paulo because we can benefit from his experience," he told ElHadath AlYoum.

"I have met Alves and he told me he wanted to play with Sao Paulo since he was 8 years old, and I think I can bring him to the Egyptian Premier League.

"We negotiated with Messi "not to join our club but to strengthen relations with the player after his contribution to the treatment of Hepatitis C."

Presently with his boyhood club Sao Paulo - having joined in 2019 from the Parisians - the veteran full-back is part of Brazil’s squad to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The South Americans would be hoping to retain the gold medal in the men’s football event. However, they must first negotiate their way past Germany, Cote d'Ivoire and Saudi Arabia in Group D.

Diego Simeone has signed a new contract with Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine coach is now tied to the Spanish champions until 2024.

As well as Simeone, members of his coaching staff Oscar Ortega, Pablo Vercellone, Nelson Vivas and Hernan Bonvinvini have all been tied to three-year deals.

How have Atletico performed under Simeone?

The former Atletico took over as coach in 2011.

The eight trophies he has guided the club to is more than any coach in the Rojiblancos' history has ever won.

During his spell in charge, Atletico have won La Liga, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup twice each as well as one Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de Espana.

They have also reached the Champions League final on two occasions.

What next for Atletico?

Atletico head into the 2021-22 campaign looking to defend their La Liga title.

The capital club claimed the title on the last day of last season with a 2-1 win against Real Valladolid, finishing the campaign two points clear of local rivals Real Madrid.

Atletico kick off the new season on August 15 with an away game against Celta Vigo. They will then welcome Elche to the Wanda Metropolitano in their first home game of the season.

Further reading

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt believes “the most important thing” of his tenure at Chloorkop was leaving them in "a better place" than when he arrived at the club.

Hunt was fired as Amakhosi coach at the end of May after eight months in charge.

It was a spell of mixed fortunes which saw Chiefs struggle on the domestic front but participated in the Caf Champions League group stage for the first time ever under Hunt, before he was sacked when he had guided them into the quarter-finals.  

The Soweto giants then went past Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals just after Hunt had left and they now prepare to face Al Ahly in the final after Stuart Baxter was appointed as his successor.

Hunt had inherited a team serving a transfer ban and a squad that was reeling from a near-miss in the Premier Soccer League title race the previous season.  

“Well, I like to always think that when I’ve left the place, you leave it in a better place than when you came here. And that’s the most important thing,” Hunt told iDiski Times.

“I mean, obviously last season, we can talk, we can say all in the Champions League was an unbelievable achievement.

"[But] the less said the better, you know. I mean it’s the biggest club in this country, and it was an opportunity that we just needed to get through this phase. And then, you know, I’m sure it would have been better.   

“As I said, we move on to the new venture. Let me think and move forward. That’s also the good thing, because I’m gonna come with people that will work with [me] and there’s a big opportunity.” 

After nearly two months without a job, Hunt has since found a new home at Chippa United where he was unveiled on Wednesday. 

He has assumed a job in which most coaches do not last long and the championship-winning tactician is aware of what he got himself into. 

“Obviously the chairman Mr Chippa Mpengesi has been talking to me. We all know the history of Chippa, it's been a very chequered history, with coaches coming and going,” said Hunt as per IOL. 

“I saw it as a long-term project and we had a long discussion about things. The first thing and most important is to get the team to be competitive and more stable. People will say you are going to Chippa, but I don't see it like that. I don't have an ego. I am really looking forward to the project.

"It is going to take a lot of work. It is going to take a lot of discussions at all sorts of levels. I am not going to promise you we're going to win. But we can certainly be more competitive and we will have a team that people of this area can be proud of.”

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has revealed what he told Michael Olise before he signed for the Eagles.

The 19-year-old will continue his professional career at Selhurst Park having moved from EFL Championship side Reading on a five-year contract.

The France youth international of Nigerian descent became the sixth African at the South London club after Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal), Jordan Ayew (Ghana), Wilfried Zaha (Cote d'Ivoire), Jeffrey Schlupp (Ghana), and Eberechi Eze (Nigeria).

Meanwhile, Palace manager Vieira has opened up on his discussion with the highly-rated winger.

“I spoke to him about which part of his game he has to keep developing and working on,” the Frenchman told the club website.

“I explained to him that Palace is the right place for him to step into the Premier League: that we have the tools in our football club to make him a better player.

“We’ve known him quite well because he’s a player the football club have been following for a long time.

“There were some big challenges, and to sign him, I think, is a credit to Dougie [Freedman] and his staff.”

Still in the nascent stages of his career, the former Nice boss stated that he is keen on adding Olise’s talent to his squad.

“He’s got the eye for goal,” he continued. “He’s got the talent to create chances for his teammates.

“He can see the pass and he can deliver it. He’s got a really good technical ability to make something happen during a game.

“I think [my role] is to make him do what he’s doing best: enjoying his football on the field, scoring goals, going forwards and playing with personality. He’s got that in his locker.

“I think it’s important to refresh the squad: to bring some new faces, to bring young talent to this football club. This is a really good signing for us. Of course, there will be more signings coming.”

Ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, the youngster will follow in the footsteps of Yohan Cabaye and Darren Ambrose as players to have worn jersey No. 7 for Palace previously.

He could make his debut when Crystal Palace take on Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly on July 16. If that doesn’t happen, he will have another chance a day later versus Walsall.

Ex-Sofapaka coach John Baraza has hinted he was fired after failing to convince the owner Elly Kalekwa that he was capable of guiding the team to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League title.

Batoto ba Mungu had invested in new players ahead of the 2020/21 season hoping to challenge Gor Mahia for the title. But their inconsistent start led to the exit of the former Kenya international.

The 2009 champions started the season with a 1-0 loss to Bandari before defeating Western Stima 3-1. However, they fell 3-0 to AFC Leopards in their third game and Baraza was sacked, with Ken Odhiambo, eventually taking over.

Why was Baraza fired?

"You know teams, especially Sofapaka, the time that I have spent with them there, their goal when I was a player and even after I transitioned into a coach, is always to win the league. Not being second or third, no. To win the league. Or winning cup tournaments like the FKF [Shield] Cup," Baraza said as quoted by KenyanBreaking.

"And I think when we did our signings and started the league, I think [club's president Elly Kalekwa] saw that we had not gotten onto the path to win the league. 

"And in his wisdom, he saw that if I take a break, probably the team would get to the track that he envisioned."

Why did he not go for further studies as Sofapaka announced?

"Yes, there was and that is one of the things that I was told by [Elly Kalekwa]," Baraza continued.

"There was a study plan and honestly there was Norway and Germany. Those are the two countries that they were communicating with through the federation.

"And the answer that I got was hinged on the state of Covid-19 in Europe. The pandemic had grounded almost everything in Europe. 

"So it was upon us to keep waiting but such plans are there."

The now Equity FC coach has stated he would not turn down an offer to coach the club again if an opportunity arises.

"Sofapaka will always remain my home. You know it is hard to stay with a team for over ten years, then say that is not home. It is home. Yeah, it is home," he concluded.

Sergio Ramos rejected offers from Arsenal and Manchester City to sign for Paris Saint-Germain, Goal can confirm.

The centre-back signed a two-year contract with the French side after leaving Real Madrid this summer.

The Spain star had listened to several offers as speculation over his next move circulated for months, but he was convinced that the PSG project was one he could not turn down.

Why did Ramos reject Arsenal?

The Gunners were one such club hoping to land the World Cup-winning defender ahead of next season.

The north London side offered him a contract that would run for two years and worth €17 million (£15m/$20m) per season.

While the 35-year-old's entourage were intrigued by the offer, Ramos rejected the opportunity because Arsenal will not be playing in the Champions League next season.

What about Man City?

Premier League champions City also offered Ramos a deal until 2023.

The defender would then go on to play in MLS for three years with New York City, who are owned by the same group at the helm of the English giants.

While City's offer was also an attractive one for Ramos, he had his head turned by PSG.

So what did PSG offer him?

Ramos was earning €12m (£10m/$14m) per season at Madrid, but the club wanted him to take a pay cut in their offer to extend his stay.

The five-time La Liga champion took time to consider the proposition but by the time he decided to accept, Madrid told him offer had expired.

Days after his departure, PSG called to begin negotiations.

The Ligue 1 side were able to offer him what Madrid would not - a two-year deal worth €12m per season with a bonus that will take his annual salary up to €15m (£13m/$18m).

Ramos made PSG the priority and after several contacts and a trip to the French capital by his brother and agent Rene, it was decided he would team up with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to help PSG in their hunt for the Champions League crown.

Further reading

The signing of Sergio Ramos could give Paris Saint-Germain the edge they need to win the Champions League, says Somali national team manager Said Abdi Haibeh, as he feels the Spaniard’s experience would come in handy.

Ramos joined the Ligue 1 giants on a two-year contract as a free agent, after leaving La Liga side Real Madrid after 16 years.

PSG have won the French top-flight diadem on nine occasions, but they have failed to win the continent's top trophy.

The closest they came was in the 2019-20 season when a Kingsley Coman fired Bayern Munich to a 1-0 final triumph over Thomas Tuchel's side inside Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz.

Still seen as at the top of his game, Ramos has been tipped to help Mauricio Pochettino’s men break the jinx, and the Ocean Stars’ handler fancies their chances after his acquisition.

“It’s a very good move for Sergio Ramos, the 35-year-old Spanish legend who is well decorated in terms of trophies. To be able to attract one of the big footballing giants at that age is a big step for him,” Haibeh told Goal.

“Many players at his age would opt to go to the Middle East or China. Players like him, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic have proven they can still play at the top level.

“Importantly, his experience could give the team a great advantage to achieve what they are looking for – which is winning the Champions League.

“He won four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, so, that tells you he is a good leader and captain. That is what has been missing at PSG.

“Ramos will definitely be a key figure in the club’s back four.

“When you look at PSG defenders [seasons ago], Thiago [Silva] was their most experienced player but he left for Chelsea.

“And since, the club Has missed a leader figure in the defence for the young players to look up to.

“At 35 years, Ramos looks 19 and that is to show he still got that stamina and physique. So, he has got everything to be a leader in the PSG squad and also help them win trophies.”

Since joining Los Blancos from Sevilla in 2005, he played over 670 games for the club in all competitions – winning five Liga titles and the Champions League four times.

As Patrick Vieira continues to settle in at Crystal Palace training ground, the magnitude of the task he’s inherited is perhaps starting to sink in.

Appointed on Sunday after the club’s long-drawn-out search concluded, the Frenchman may still be saying the right things to the media, but there has to be an element of doubt beneath the unperturbed demeanour.

He’s not only taken over a club in transition with several playing personnel set to leave but there’s also an expectation to revamp the Eagles’ on-pitch approach. Premier League clubs submitted the list of players to be retained and released early last month and Palace stuck out like a sore thumb in the latter, with a staggering 22 players presumed to depart.

Of the top flight clubs included, Aston Villa's 12 came closest. Admittedly, the list isn’t definitive and some of the players included may still stay, but it demonstrates the scale of Vieira’s job at Beckenham.

Tasked with playing more front-foot football and reducing the oldest PL squad’s average age (29 and a bit last season), the former Arsenal star believes he’s up to the task.

“It’s a crucial period for the football club,” he told Palace TV after his first training session with the squad. “I think we’re looking forward to a new chapter, and I’m really proud and happy to be a part of it.

“What I really want is to put a philosophy in place that my players understand really well so that when they go on the field, they can express themselves.

“There is talent, and my responsibility will be to make that talent work well together. I want to see a team that is on the front foot. I want the team to score more goals, to have more shots on target than we used to, but at the same time to keep this kind of mental strength that the team has created in the last couple of years.”

Nothing screams talent more than Wilfried Zaha — the club’s talisman for several years — and Eberechi Eze — a gifted youngster signed from Queens Park Rangers last term, but Vieira may have neither next season.

The wantaway Ivory Coast star still wants out of his boyhood club to fulfil ambitions of playing for a top side and his recent, now-customary public declaration surprised few.

Whether a move materialises remains to be seen, but it is an utterly unideal situation to walk into as a new manager with the new season to begin in a month.

For Eze, the unfortunate timing of a serious Achilles injury sustained in training just before his debut season ended rankled. After a bed-in year without fans’ consistent galvanising influence at Selhurst Park, the Anglo-Nigerian was tipped to flourish in year two in the big time with supporters returning to grounds.

However, he’s now expected to miss a huge chunk of next season leaving a huge hole in the team.

Vieira broadly focused on scoring goals and creating a system that enhances the team’s final-third return, an approach that is hoped to get an unproductive Jordan Ayew firing.

The 29-year-old netted only once in the whole of last season, despite starting 23 of his 33 appearances. His only goal came in the 4-1 victory over Leeds United in early November, but the handwriting was on the wall at the backend of last season where the Ghanaian went eight successive games without scoring to end the campaign.

Having equally struggled for the Black Stars, ex-Netherlands midfielder George Boateng preached patience, citing the paucity of quality chances being fashioned out, especially at Palace.

Perhaps, the former Middlesbrough man is on to something…

Interestingly, Palace fashioned out a higher volume of big chances than only two clubs in 20/21.

A dive into the underlying numbers reveals that Roy Hodgson’s men rated lowly for nearly every other positive or attacking metric per 90: bottom for expected assists, third-bottom for key passes and second-bottom for passes into the final third. Furthermore, they ranked fourth-bottom for accurate passes into the box and 16th among all 20 sides for progressive passes.

Unsurprisingly, only two sides — West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United — created fewer open-play shot-creating actions per 90 than the South London side. Both teams have now been relegated from the PL.

Regardless of reservations over the style, Hodgson got a stale side punching above their weight and it remains to be seen how Vieira makes things work.

In his only full season at Nice in 18/19, the Frenchman’s tweaked the style often — moving away from Lucien Favre’s dominant 4-3-3 — as he adapted in his maiden campaign in Ligue 1. Despite eventually settling on the same formation as his predecessor in the campaign’s denouement, he tended to utilise several variations of a back three.

While he finished in seventh — a place and two points higher than Favre’s final year — the variance in goals was striking. Vieira’s team netted 30 league goals — the lowest in the top half and only two more than cellar-dwelling Guingamp. However, their concession of 35 goals was bettered by only Lille.

The Arsenal legend retained his predecessor’s possession-based approach and his team interestingly created a higher volume of clear-cut chances (57-50), but they scored 23 goals fewer than the preceding season’s 53.

This can, by and large, be attributed to Alassane Plea’s departure for Borussia Monchengladbach and a public falling out with Mario Balotelli whose contract was terminated in January.

Having seen Plea and Super Mario contribute 16 and 18 Ligue 1 goals respectively in 17/18, Allan Saint-Maximin and Youcef Atal netted six times each the following year.

Viera’s Nice significantly underperformed their xG and they struggled to progress the ball into advanced areas at times, possibly an upshot of Jean Michael Seri’s departure to Fulham in the summer of 2018.

In only his third managerial job, the 45-year-old faces the daunting task of guiding the Eagles through their transition. Aside from an ageing squad and a desire for a free-flowing style, the new Palace boss has to manage a talismanic presence who wants to leave, a youngster whose form post Achilles injury is uncertain and a forward who seldom scores.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Arsenal legend fuses an imperfect setup and attempts to make it whole again.

Newly-hired RB Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch says that Caden Clark has both the personality and the playing ability to shine in Germany as he said the American teenager has "borderline cockiness" that will help him adjust to the pressures of Europe.

Clark is set to join RB Leipzig this winter after finishing up what would be his first full season with the New York Red Bulls as he becomes the latest American youngster to join one of Europe's top clubs.

In an interview with Goal, Clark detailed his love for attacking, saying that his goal is to be a "killer" once he gets the ball in the final third, and March says that will set him up perfectly for life at Leipzig when he does make the leap

What did Marsch say about Clark?

"I was back home back at the end of May and I went to the New York Red Bulls Training Center and I met him for the first time that day and then I had a follow-up conversation with him a few weeks after that," Marsch said.

"Always the key is trying to get to the personality of who a player is, especially young players, and Caden, you can see has energy and he has confidence and he has self-belief. It's borderline cockiness but it's also rooted in just confidence in who he is and what he's about.

"So that for me is always the best starting point. I can even remember meeting [RB Leipzig and U.S. men's national team midfielder] Tyler Adams when he was 15 years old and being like: 'Okay, we have something here', so that's exciting."

It's not just the mental aspect of Clark's game that's left Marsch impressed, but also his actual ability on the field.

The Red Bulls teenager, who missed out on the USMNT's Gold Cup squad due to an appendectomy, has scored six goals in 12 MLS appearances, with several of those goals being of the spectacular variety.

"Clearly, he has the potential to play football the way that we think," Marsch said. "He can run, he's aggressive, he's talented with the ball, he's creative around the goal. He's clearly shown that he has quality. I think a combination of really aggressive personality with an aggressive way of playing fits really well with the way that we think about football here in Leipzig.

"It's important for him to stay focused and that was my message to him the last time I spoke to him. It's really important for him to stay focused on his development there in New York and committing himself 100 percent into what's going on there in New York and Leipzig should be something that's in the back and not in the forefront right now, but I think he I think he's mature enough to understand that."

An eye on Aaronson

At RB Leipzig, Marsch will not just get to work with Clark when he does head to Germany, but also Tyler Adams, a player he helped bring develop during the duo's time with the New York Red Bulls.

Over the years, Marsch has worked with several top young players, from Adams and Matt Miazga in MLS to players like Erling Haaland, Patson Daka and Takumi Minamino at RB Salzburg.

He's also managed Brenden Aaronson, the USMNT midfielder that made the move to Salzburg last season, immediately shining upon his arrival in the Austrian Bundesliga.

The former Philadelphia Union midfielder scored seven goals in 25 appearances in all competitions and, when asked if he'd like to bring Aaronson to Leipzig, Marsch says he is one of several players he'd love to work with again in an ideal world.

"Brendan was another young man that, when I first talked to him, I could see the energy in his personality," he said, "and so when he came to Salzburg, it was a big adjustment: the speed of play, the level of training, the expectations that we have for players. But he adapted so quickly, and the more information we gave him, the more hungry he was for us to give him even more.

"With his type of personality the team accepted him so well and he became almost immediately a big part of the group. It says two things: it says a lot about who Brendan is and it says a lot about the type of environment that we had there in Salzburg.

"I've said this often: there are like 15 players from Salzburg I'd like to bring here. But it's not so easy and Brendan is a good player and certainly he has big ambitions, and he has a big future in front of him.

"I don't want to put any pressure out in the media or any pressure on any one particular player. I want those guys to enjoy their time together and enjoy what they're doing in Salzburg. But certainly, just from the fact that I've worked there and I have such a good relationship with Brendan I'll certainly keep my eye on what he's doing."

Further reading