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Goal readers believe Inter Milan defender Achraf Hakimi should join Premier League side Chelsea in the summer.

The 22-year-old has only spent a season with the Black and Blues, after arriving the side from Real Madrid last summer.

Hakimi signed a five-year contract with Inter but has been linked away from the club following the departure of manager Antonio Conte, who brought the versatile defender to San Siro.  

The Morocco international delivered consistent performances during his debut campaign, making  45 appearances across all competitions.

He also found the back of the net seven times and provided 11 assists to help the Black and Blues win the Serie A title after a 10-year wait.

Hakimi has been linked to a number of clubs recently following his impressive showings for Inter, including the Blues, Arsenal and French side Paris Saint -Germain.

In a poll set up by Goal, readers revealed their opinions on the future of the defender. 302 votes were cast, 32.2 percent of the readers want the wing-back to join Chelsea.

The Blues have experienced a complete turnaround since the arrival of manager Thomas Tuchel to the club after replacing Frank Lampard in January.

The German tactician led the side to win the Champions League for the second time in their history after beating rivals Manchester City in the final.

He also guided them to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and ahead of the 2021-22 season, it is believed he will make effort to bolster his side with new players and Hakimi has been suggested to to the German tactician.

24.5 percent of the readers also believed Hakimi will develop better if he should join PSG while 21.5 percent feel the defender’s potentials will be well earnest if he team up with Arsenal or remain with Inter.

Hakimi broke into Real Madrid first team in 2016 but struggled for game time and had to leave for Borussia Dortmund in 2018 on a two-year loan to brighten his chances of playing regularly.

The Morocco international delivered impressive performances during his temporary departure from Santiago Bernabeu, featuring week-in-week-out for the club and helping them to win the DFL-Super Cup before his permanent move to Inter.

Chelsea star Kai Havertz paid tribute to N'Golo Kante following Chelsea's recent Champions League win and admitted that he would rather not meet him at Euro 2020. However, Havertz did say he was pleased to get to compete alongside fellow Blues player Antonio Rudiger this summer with Germany.

Havertz said Kante makes everyone smile in the dressing room, changing the dynamic off the pitch just as he influences things on it.

The former Leicester City star enjoyed a fantastic 2020-21 season, capped with his first Champions League title after the Blues got the better of Manchester City in Saturday's final. Rudiger, meanwhile, endeared himself to Chelsea fans with a rugged series of performances down the stretch of the campaign.

What was said? 

"When you see [Kante], you have to smile. He is a great personality and a great person," Havertz told reporters on Friday. 

"And a great football player. As an attacking player, I'm always happy when he is on the pitch. You can make a lot of mistakes because he always wins the ball back. He's fast, agile and always gets his leg in.

"That's why it's not so nice to have to play against him in the first match of the European Championship, of course."

"A warrior on the pitch" 

Havertz and Kante will indeed soon be on opposite sides of the pitch, as France and Germany meet in their Euro 2020 Group F curtain-raiser on June 15.

The 21-year-old is nevertheless delighted to see Rudiger make the cut for Joachim Low's squad, with the defender also playing a big part in Chelsea's second Champions League triumph.

"[Rudiger] has given us so much stability over the last few months.," the ex-Leverkusen ace said. "After Tuchel's arrival, he played outstandingly.

"As a mentality player, he's also important. On the pitch, he's a warrior. A bit like Kante - you want him in your team.

"Playing against him in training isn't as much fun either. The last few months have been top. It was very hard for him at first and now he's fought his way out of it."

Further reading 

Paris Saint-Germain were left celebrating on Friday as they sealed the win which assured them the club's first-ever Division 1 Femenine title. 

In May, Mauricio Pochettino's charges relinquished their hold over the Ligue 1 crown after being pipped by Lille. 

But there was more positive news on the women's side with the team coached by Olivier Echouafni, who beat out powerhouses Lyon by a single point to end their rivals' dominance atop the league.

A nail-biting finish

PSG went into the final game at home to Dijon on Friday one point ahead of Lyon, who were also in action against Fleury 91. 

L'OL, winners of the last 14 top-flight titles, put the pressure on with a convincing 8-0 win, piling the pressure on their rivals. 

But the Parisians proved up to the task, winning their game 3-0 to end Lyon's incredible run of domestic dominance. 

Sara Dabritz, Irene Paredes and Jordyn Huitema were all on target for the hosts as they finished a memorable season a single point clear of the previous champions. 

The bigger picture

While PSG have played in the top-level Division 1 since 2001, they had never previously managed to topple Lyon and take the crown. 

Their previous best finish is as runner-up, which they have achieved on seven occasions.  

They have also won through to the final of the Champions League twice in 2014-15 and 2016-17, losing out to Frankfurt and Lyon respectively. 

This season Echouafni's charges made the last four, where they fell 3-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Barcelona.

Further reading

Football enthusiasts have slammed Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi for his performance in Nigeria’s 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in Friday’s international friendly in Austria.

Cameroon claimed  the victory after Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa scored the only goal of the encounter in the 37th minute.  

Iwobi was handed a starting role in the encounter but struggled to make much of an impact before he was replaced by Abraham Marcusin the 86th minute.

Fans have taken to social media to lambast the 25-year-olf for his uninspiring showing in the game.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa scored the only goal as Cameroon defeated Nigeria 1-0 in an international friendly match on Friday. 

Gernot Rohr's side started the encounter on the front foot with on the front foot with Paul Onuachu close to breaking the deadlock in the third minute. 

His header was parried by goalkeeper Simon Omossola, some moments later he tried another attempt but it was wide off target. 

Despite Nigeria's constant push for an opener, Cameroon opened the scoring through Zambo Anguissa's strike in the 37th minute.

Nigeria struggled to grab an equaliser but the goal separated separated both teams in the entire duration.

Despite the injury crisis that struck his initial 28-man squad, Rohr fielded a strong starting XI with William Troost-Ekong wearing the captain's armband.

Later in the second half, Abraham Marcus, Terem Moffi and Valentine Ozornwafor were handed their international debuts after replacing Alex Iwobi, Paul Onuachu and Troost-Ekong respectively. 

It was the first time Gernot Rohr's men suffered defeat against the Indomitable Lions after going unbeaten in their last three matches.

They stopped them from qualifying from the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia with a  4-0 win at home before a 1-1 draw at the Yaounde.

The Super Eagles followed it up with a 3-2 victory at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt that knocked Cameroon out of the competition. 

Nigeria have an opportunity to make up for Friday's defeat when they tackle Antonio Conceicao's men again in another friendly match on Tuesday. 

Liverpool-linked attacker Abdul Fatawu Issahaku has joined Ghana's camp ahead of their upcoming international friendly matches against Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire.

The 17-year-old uncapped forward, who plays for Ghanaian second tier side Steadfast, has linked up with the Black Stars at their camp base in Cape Coast, shortly after touching down from Europe where an attempted transfer to Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen fell through amid links to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.

It is his second time of joining the senior Ghana squad having received a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in March.

Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew, Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku, Saudi Arabia-based winger Samuel Owusu and Chelsea left-back Abdul Rahman Baba have also joined camp, taking the number of players to 23.

"Jordan Ayew is one of the latest arrivals in the camp of the Black Stars in Cape Coast ahead of next week’s International friendly matches against Morocco and Ivory Coast," the Ghana Football Association announced on their official website on Friday.

"The Crystal Palace forward trained with the rest of the squad at the Cape Coast stadium on Friday, June 4.

"Also joining the camp are defender Alexander Djiku and winger Samuel Owusu, left-back Baba Abdul Rahman and youngster Abdul Fatawu Issahaku.

"The quintet brings to 23 – the number of players currently in the camp of the Black Stars."

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, captain Andre Ayew and Ajax, Liverpool and Manchester United-linked winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, all part of Akonnor’s expected squad, are yet to join camp.

“Coach C.K Akonnor’s side continued preparation at the Cape Coast Stadium for the two games scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 and Saturday June 12 respectively," the GFA publication added.

“The Black Stars will play the Atlas Lions of Morocco in Rabat on June 8 before hosting the Elephants of Ivory Coast in Cape Coast on Saturday, June 12, 2021.

“The team has been training at Cape Coast stadium ahead of the two matches.

“Meanwhile Rashid Awako (Medeama SC), Ismail Ganiyu (Asante Kotoko) and Gladson Awako (Great Olympics) have been released to join their clubs for this weekend’s Ghana Premier League games.”

The upcoming games are part of Ghana’s preparations for commencement of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September, where they play Ethiopia and South Africa.

Premier League side Everton have announced the release of Yannick Bolasie and Dennis Adeniran from the club. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international has been with the Toffees since the summer of 2016 when he teamed up with the club from Crystal Palace.

The forward made only 29 Premier League appearances for Everton during his stay at Goodison Park and also spent time on loan with Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting CP and Middlesbrough.

Adeniran has been with the Toffees since 2017 but spent last season on loan with Wycombe Wanderers, where he made 21 league appearances.

Everton announced their decision on the release of the 13 players on Friday as their contracts will not be renewed.

“Everton can confirm Joshua King, Theo Walcott, Yannick Bolasie and Muhamed Besic will leave the club when their current contracts expire at the end of the month, while on-loan goalkeeper Robin Olsen will return to his parent club Roma,” read a statement from the club website.

“In the Under-23s squad, Josh Bowler, Dennis Adeniran, Matthew Pennington, Con Ouzounidis, Callum Connolly and Bobby Carroll will be released at the end of this month.”

Bolasie also reflected on his time at Goodison Park and how he managed to get back to his feet after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament which sidelined from action for more than a year.

“If you don’t play for a considerable amount of time, it’s definitely harder. Where I’ve played games and shown that I’m alive and kicking, it’s put me in a better situation,” Bolasie told the Express.

"It might get a bit tense if I’m in September and I haven’t found a club though. That might be when it gets a bit different.

“When I left Bristol City for Palace, I just wanted to be playing football. I didn’t care about the money I was getting or anything. I just wanted to play because I’ve always been like that, that’s just my character.

“Hence why I’ve probably killed myself going out on all of these loans from Everton, when other players might have said: ‘Actually, I’m coming back from my injury and I’ve got a five-year contract. I can sit here while I build myself up slowly’.

“But me, I’ve always wanted to play and going on loan has given me some good experiences. Obviously, no-one’s going to watch Belgian football. Nobody is going to watch Portuguese football. But I’ve played with some players who right now are killing it in the Premier League.

“I've managed to play and I feel good, because obviously I felt like I lost two and a half years of my career just on the injury.”

Thabo Nodada may play his last game for Cape Town City when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday in the Premier Soccer League's final day of the season.

The Cape Town side will finish their campaign with a trip to Pretoria but have little to play for, having secured their spot in the top-eight already.

One of the side's leaders and longest-serving members, Nodada, may line up in City colours for the last time as he has once again reiterated his desire to seek newer challenges.

The Capetonians' boss John Comitis previously invited interested suitors to pay the clubs asking price for the 26-year-old midfielder who - despite confessing his desire to represent childhood favourite club Kaizer Chiefs, has reiterated that his first choice destination would be a move to Europe.

''I think now with coach Eric [Tinkler] coming back, it paints a little bit of a different perspective, Nodada told Goal.

''I think before coming to the realisation, that the past two seasons we finished seventh. It didn't feel like quite home anymore, it didn't feel like the club I joined, the club I started my career at, the club I won my trophies at.

''And that comes at a point where both me and the club are feeling that it’s time for me to fly my wings at a different market, it’s time to show the world your talent.

''So, I think at this time, irrespective of where the club is headed, I think the club knows where my ambitions lie and what I want for myself.

"And in them bringing Eric back, they are trying to re-establish, I think, that part of themselves that no, no, we are a competitive club and we compete for everything.

''But at this point in time, it’s my dreams and ambitions that matter, and I think the clubs knows that and that's what we are going for.

''And yeah, I think the club can still go on and win, the players don’t change, there is amazing talent here. you are going to see it, you've seen it. there are a few things that may be changed the narrative and didn't make us the golden boys we thought we were.''

When pressed on whether or not he would be playing his football in the Mother City next season, Nodada responded:

''I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know because we've reached the point where it’s not just about the football," he continued.

''it is also about my development as a human being, my development as a player.

''I’ve been here five-six years and before I reach the ceiling, I [should] fly my wings and have a new set of problems. Which is obviously something that the club is trying to make happen for me as well.

''With the plan being, giving me the chance to Europe. if you are to talk locally then, then you start putting conversations and Ideas in my head but right now that hasn’t been the talk.

''So, I haven't really paid attention to anything South Africa, with that, anything Cape Town City."

Nodada has played 29 times in all competitions for City this season, scoring four goals and registering three assists.

Overall, he's made 121 appearances for the club, scoring 13 times, and assisting nine.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman admitting to feeling a sense of relief after being confirmed in his post for another season. 

The Dutchman had to wait until Thursday to receive the final approval of new Barcelona president Joan Laporta, amid reports suggesting the chief could look elsewhere on the bench. 

But his future now appears clearer and Koeman is looking forward to getting back to work once preparations for 2021-22 begin. 

What was said?

“I’m relieved to say that my players and staff can fully focus on the new season now,” Koeman explained on his official Twitter account.

“The last few weeks have been intense, but I’m glad that President Joan Laporta gave his support to me and calm has been restored.

"The focus of everyone at the club is the same; building a winning Barcelona and achieving success.”

What did Laporta say? 

"We will give continuity to the current contract that Ronald Koeman has," Laporta said in a statement on Thursday.

"We are very satisfied because the talks have resulted in a unity of criteria for what has to be done during the season."

Could Koeman stay beyond next season?

Goal has learned that Koeman could even earn a one-year extension if he oversees strong results next season while ensuring that the team plays fluid, attack-minded football to entertain the returning fans after the coronavirus pandemic.

However, if the campaign does not go to plan, Barca have the option to terminate his contract without having to pay a compensation fee.

A new-look Barca

Koeman will have the chance to take a host of new faces under his wing after the summer break. 

Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero have already joined on free transfers from Manchester City, while Dutch duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay are likely to do the same as they prepare to leave Liverpool and Lyon respectively. 

Further reading

Thomas Partey's debut season at the Premier League heavyweights has been about average, according to the majority of Goal readers.

The Gunners completed the signing of the Ghanaian from Atletico Madrid on October 5, 2020, with Lucas Torreira heading in the other direction on a one-year loan. 

The Black Stars midfielder came to London after the English side were able to complete a £45 million (€50m/$58m), four-year deal with the option of an additional season. 

In his debut season, the 27-year-old struggled for consistent form, partly occasioned by injuries.

It is for this reason 54.7% of Goal readers believe it has been an average debut campaign for the West African.

However, 13.1% of the readers believe Partey has been a success at the North London-based team.

The remaining 32.2% have not been impressed with the Ghana international and believe he has flopped.

In the 2020/21 season, the Gunners finished eighth with 61 points from the 38 matches they played. They managed 18 wins, seven draws, and 13 losses, and went on to score 55 goals and concede 39.

The Mikel Arteta-led charges went on to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League where they were eliminated 2-1 on aggregate by eventual winners Villareal of Spain.

In the Premier League, Partey featured in 24 matches and created two goals. In Europe's second-tier club competition, the Ghana international made eight appearances.

"[Missing out on Europe] is disappointing, but now we have the opportunity to come back next season and fight for everything we can," Partey said after seeing the club missing out in European competition for the first time in 25 years.

The club has promised to make some quality signings to ensure the team compete for major trophies next season.

The team is aiming at qualifying for the Uefa Champions League in the 2022/23 season after staying in the cold for the last three seasons.

Prominent Orlando Pirates supporter Joyce Chauke has backed under-fire coach Josef Zinnbauer ahead of the team's clash with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) on Saturday.

A victory for the Buccaneers will see them finish the current campaign on position three on the PSL standings and qualify for next season's Caf Confederation Cup.

Zinnbauer has been under heavy scrutiny in recent months with some Pirates fans calling for his dismissal, but Chauke has pledged her support for the German tactician, who guided Bucs to their first major trophy since 2014 when he led the team to the 2020 MTN8 triumph.

“I think the team has done well. And to finish the league in the top four plus winning the MTN8 Cup is very good. I wish them the best for their last game of the season against TTM," Chauke told City Press. 

Some Pirates supporters are expected to march to the club's home ground, Orlando Stadium, as they display their unhappiness with the team and also calling for Zinnbauer's dismissal. 

However, Chauke, who traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to rally behind South Africa's under-23 national team at the 2016 Olympic Games, distanced herself from the planned march arranged by her fellow Pirates fans. 

“I’ve been hearing a lot of things about this strike. A lot of people I know aren’t going there just like me. I really don’t understand why people are going there," she continued. 

"It's game day and the team will be focusing on the match. Who are they going to there? If there are Pirates fans who are not happy with the management or anything they should go to the team’s offices."

Popularly known as Mama Joy, Chauke feels that it doesn't make sense for the fans to urge the club's management to fire Zinnbauer. 

"I mean, it’s not up to the fans to get the coach fired, it’s all up to the chairman and the management. If they don’t want to fire him then he will continue as Pirates coach," she added. 

“Another thing I’m asking myself is if it will be safe and there won’t be people who end up getting hurt. Then comes Covid-19, we are facing the third wave now.

"And personally as someone who survived it [Coronavirus]], I don’t think it’s wise to go out there. I will be sitting here at home supporting the club.”

Last month, Kaizer Chiefs fans marched to the club's headquarters in Naturena to hand a memorandum to the management expressing their dissatisfaction with the team's poor performance in the PSL this term.

Argentina's Copa Liga Profesional comes to an end on Friday with the final between Colon and Racing Club.

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

Boca was crowned 2019-20 league champions in March after coming out on top during the 23-game season, and also triumphed in the following Copa Diego Armando Maradona, which ended in January. 

In lieu of beginning a new league season, the Argentine footballing authorities instead sanctioned another cup competition, which was scheduled to run from February to May.

The 26 Primera Division clubs were split into two groups, with four teams from each qualifying for the quarter-finals of the play-offs. 

And the last eight brought together Boca and River, with the Xeneize getting the better of their Superclasico rivals to advance to the semis.

The penultimate round was then postponed for a week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Argentina, leaving the semis and Friday's final to be played as South America geared up for the latest round of World Cup qualifiers.

Fanatiz has the rights to the Copa de la Liga Profesional worldwide, excluding Argentina and Brazil.

How to watch Colon vs Racing

Colon, were among the most impressive sides in the group stage, winning seven and losing just two of their games - although they also needed penalties to dispose of Talleres in the quarters after being held 1-1. 

The Santa Fe side then breezed past Independiente with a 2-0 win in the last four, with Sabalero star Luis Rodriguez netting from the penalty spot and also having a hand in Santiago Pierotti's strike late on.

Racing are on a roll after a difficult start to life under former Chile coach and Barcelona forward Juan Antonio Pizzi.

La Academia prevailed on penalties in both the quarter and semi-final, beating Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors to make the decider, and finished top of their Copa Libertadores group with three consecutive wins to end the first round of the competition. 

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Colon vs Racing team news

Colon go into the final without striker Facundo Farias, who tested positive for Covid-19, and injured defender Bruno Bianchi, while Rafael Delgado also misses out due to suspension.

Racing once more miss Chile international pair Gabriel Arias and Eugenio Mena, although their compatriot Marcelo Diaz made the bench against Boca and could feature after a long injury lay-off. 

They also welcome back Mauricio Martinez from suspension, with the midfielder set to start instead of Anibal Moreno.

Probable Colon XI:  Burián; Mura, Garcés, Piovi, Escobar; Castro, Lértora, Aliendro; Bernardi; Rodríguez, Leguizamón.

Probable Racing XI:  Gómez; Caceres, Sigali, Domínguez, Orban; Miranda, Martinez, Piatti; Chancalay, Cvitanich, Copetti.

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has assured of his side’s desire to deliver a good performance against Cameroon on Friday.

The three-time African champions will square off against the Indomitable Lions in a double-header in Austria with the second game slated for June 8.

The matches have been arranged as part of the Super Eagles' preparation for the World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde Islands, in August and September, respectively.

Rohr is pleased with the atmospheric conditions in Austria and has revealed his side’s target against the Indomitable Lions.

"We are faraway from Nigeria, a lot of players were already in Nigeria, had to come back to Europe for this game and so we could not play in Nigeria unfortunately but we have good conditions here and yes the players want to do well,” Rohr told the Super Eagles media team.

"They want to do a good match to test themselves, the season is finished. It was a long year with the pandemic, not easy with a lot of restrictions and so we are happy to have a game here in good conditions."

The German tactician also expressed his satisfaction with the Super Eagles training sessions and revealed his side are well-motivated against Cameroon.

"We have Cameroon, it's one of the best teams in Africa. The three last games against Cameroon we put them out of the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations so they want to take revenge but we want also to win the game - to test some players,” he continued.

"A lot of players are not here, you know them, more than eleven players could not come but it's opportunity to see other players, to give them chance to play and to get the result I hope.

"It will be two games, this is the first leg so that's why we have to do well with good organization. We have now two possibilities, 4-4-3, 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

"The players are motivated, they want to do well. They did two training sessions, they are already happy to come together again, the last time was end of March when we had two victories against Benin and Lesotho.

"Now June we have the last preparation , end of June the draw for the AFCON, then September, October, November the World Cup qualifiers so this is the last preparatory game for the World Cup. Very, very important.

"All the players who are here want to do well and to show the best, to be in the 23-man team for the World Cup."

Swansea City’s announcement of Andre Ayew’s departure on Friday has generated a lot of discussion about his next possible destination.

The Ghana international left the Jack Army as a free agent following the expiration of his contract this summer and the club’s failure to successfully secure a return to the Premier League after losing to Brentford in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.

He scored a total of 35 goals in the last two seasons, each time finishing the term as the club’s top scorer.

It is unclear where the 31-year-old’s next destination will be but with such fine scoring form in recent times, transfer speculation have been heightened by Friday’s announcement, with Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal mooted by a section of fans as options.

Interestingly, Ghana Premier League sides Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, and lower division outfit Real Tamale United have also been mentioned, although they are admittedly, very unlikely destinations.

Below are the best reactions from Ghanaians after the exit announcement:

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has once more defended his side's participation in the aborted Super League, arguing that football still needs a radical overhaul despite the project's failure.

The Italian giants are one of just three clubs, along with Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are yet to withdraw from the Super League. 

The plan, which emerged in late April, caused huge uproar across the football world and may yet lead to sanctions from UEFA for the clubs involved.

What was said? 

"I remember a proposal from 2019 between the ECA [European Clubs Association] and UEFA, which I thought was excellent, and in fact was supported by clubs in the second, third and fourth division," Agnelli said in a press conference on Friday.

“You cannot help but recognise European football is concentrated into a monopoly of executive, economic and juridical power, reserving UEFA the almost arbitrary responsibility of assigning licences.

“The system is nowadays inefficient. The Super League was not a coup d’etat, but a desperate warning cry for a system that was already on the verge of collapse before the pandemic, and is heading towards a state of insolvency."

"The legal basis is solid"

While UEFA considers what action to take against Juventus and their peers, Agnelli insists that there is no legal grounds for punishment.

“The clubs always asked for communication with UEFA, who reacted by slamming the door shut and making grave, arrogant threats towards the three clubs who remain in the Super League, totally ignoring the verdict of the tribunal in Madrid and awaiting the verdict of the European tribunal. We can assure that the legal basis for the project is solid," he added.

“This sort of attitude from UEFA is not how you reform football. Our desire for dialogue with UEFA and FIFA is unchanged. Other sports modified their format over the years, such as the basketball Euroleague, bringing great benefits to fans, clubs and players.

“Almost all stakeholders maintain football has to be reformed, yet those who do make proposals are demonised. Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona intend to continue with our proposals, also in solidarity with those who were too afraid to stick to them.”

Further reading

Manchester United have confirmed that eight players will leave the club this summer, including goalkeepers Sergio Romero and Joel Pereira. 

Each year clubs announce a list of retained players, and this year the two biggest names are first team goalkeepers Romero and Pereira. The other six players are all from the club’s youth team.

The news also signifies that Juan Mata may not leave the club despite his contract coming to an end this summer, as negotiations continue over a new deal. 

Who has been released? 

Romero has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford following Dean Henderson’s return, and his camp tried to get him a move away in the last two transfer windows. The Argentine has not been involved all season after making 61 appearances for the club since signing in 2015. 

Pereira has made one senior appearance and has had six loan spells away from the club, with his most recent being at Huddersfield Town. 

The other players on the released list are goalkeeper Jacob Carney, midfielder Mark Helm, defender Lestyn Hughes, midfielder Arnau Puigmal, defender Max Taylor and midfielder Aliou Traore.

What about Juan Mata? 

Mata’s contract expires this summer with the club having an option to trigger it for another year. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the club are in talks with the 33-year-old over a new deal. 

United also confirmed they are also in discussions with goalkeeping duo Lee Grant and Paul Woolston over new deals, with both of their current contracts expiring this summer. 

What about incomings? 

The Glazer family have promised to back Solskjaer again in the window and the United manager is hoping for two or three new faces to arrive this summer. Jadon Sancho remains a priority and they are also looking into signing a centre-back, a right-back and a defensive midfielder. 

Further reading

Gareth Bale says he will be happy to sit down with new Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after Euro 2020 and decide whether he has a future at the club. 

Ancelotti was at the Madrid helm during Bale's first season at the club in 2013-14, which ended in glory as they claimed their 10th Champions League title. 

The pair enjoyed a warm relationship prior to the Italian's exit in 2015, and his second spell at Santiago Bernabeu could prompt Bale into staying put following a year on loan at Tottenham.

What was said? 

“I know Carlo Ancelotti, he’s a great manager. I get on with him really well,” Bale explained to Sky Sports from the Wales camp as the nation gears up for the European Championship.

“We had some great times in the past, but I haven’t spoken to anybody, I’m not thinking about my future. As soon as the Euros finishes I’m sure I’ll have a conversation and go from there.”

Ancelotti's opinion

The ex-Everton coach also has a high opinion of Bale, who was left out in the cold during the last years of Zinedine Zidane's tenure in Madrid before leaving for Spurs. 

"Gareth hasn't played much in the Premier League, but he did score goals," Ancelotti told reporters during his introductory press conference. "He was effective in the final games of the season when he played consistently.

"He is coming back, I know him well. If he is motivated to play, he can have a great season. I have no doubt. I have a lot of love still for Gareth, Isco, Marcelo, they will have the motivation to show they can still play for Real Madrid."

Further reading