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Every Champions League win has its own unique story which distinguishes it from another.

Each triumph carries a level of significance that’ll make supporters of the winning side glorify it above another club's honour.

Olympique de Marseille’s 1993 achievement — the first year under the new branding — against favourites AC Milan is lauded to this day as it remains the only success by a French outfit in the competition, despite Paris Saint-Germain’s recent riches.

Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in 1999 is unforgettable due to the last-gasp turnaround against the distraught Bavarians (just look up Sammy Kuffour’s post-match reaction!).

Liverpool’s 2005 shootout victory over AC Milan in Istanbul can’t be mentioned without recollecting their fightback from 3-0 down, while Barcelona’s treble-winning campaign under Pep Guardiola in 2009, Inter Milan matching the Spanish side’s feat a year later and Real Madrid finally fulfilling their Decima dream in 2014 have all left indelible marks.

Nigerians have had success in the competition, too, with Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi George winning it in 1995 with Ajax while Mikel John Obi’s success came three years short of two decades with Chelsea in 2012.

If the Dutch side’s emphatic triumph needed a perfect antithesis, it had to be the Blues’ victory against all odds. Kanu and Finidi played under Louis van Gaal’s structured but largely attacking set-up which saw them morph from a 3-4-3 (diamond midfield) to a 4-3-3 when they had possession.

George played a more prominent role in that fascinating side that went the entire European campaign unbeaten, with his role on the right flank one of the interesting facets of van Gaal’s system.

Both players’ telling contributions probably came in the same game — a 5-2 second-leg defeat of Bayern in Amsterdam — where the striker assisted two goals while Finidi netted a thunderous 25-yard strike into the top right corner to put the eventual winners 2-1 up on the night and on aggregate.

That team may have been young, but their dominance was unrivalled. Tellingly, their authority was not limited to the continent alone but also evident in the Eredivisie.

Domestically, they scored a staggering 106 goals and allowed only 28, emerging victorious in 27 of their 34 games while drawing the rest. In Europe, no team got the better of de Godenzonen who won their only CL title also going unbeaten.

Only three sides breached their defence all tournament and they kept clean sheets in all but one of their knockout games. They were undoubtedly the best team in the competition and remain, to date, the only side from the Netherlands to win the competition in its revamped format.

Aside from their impeccable domestic form, a truer measure of a team’s consistency, Kanu and Finidi’s return to another final the following year (they were beaten by Juventus on penalties) demonstrated that 1994/95’s success was no fluke.

Chelsea’s triumph, on the other hand, looked to be backed by providence and good fortune. Mention their 2012 triumph anywhere and qualifiers like grit, determination and never say die attitude immediately spring to mind.

Didier Drogba was the poster boy of that team’s unbelievable success, but Mikel’s contribution must not be underestimated.

That team, frankly, weren’t that good and their sixth-place Premier League finish validates that claim.

The key players from the dominant years after Roman Abramovich — Petr Cech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and the Ivory Coast legend — were all in their thirties, on the wane and were likely to be phased out by Andre Villas-Boas, whose sacking galvanised the ageing Blues.

2012’s triumph looked to be the universe rewarding the West London side for their failures on the continent which included four semi-final defeats between 2004 and 2009 and that cruel loss on penalties at the hands of Man United in 2008.

Having said that, if Drogba’s clutch moments helped Chelsea to their Holy Grail, Mikel’s performances typified the backs to the wall nature of their run to European glory.

The anchorman played every minute of the London giants’ games from the quarter-final, culminating in his amazing showing at the Allianz Arena against hugely favoured Bayern.

Drogba may have scored the late equaliser and netted the winning penalty, but Mikel’s ball retention, positional awareness, dominance in one-v-one tussles and interceptions greatly helped an under-pressure Blues team stay in the game for so long.

It was a triumph against all odds and vindication for the setbacks endured in previous campaigns, and the Nigerian played a dominant role in that unexpected achievement.

It’s hard to look beyond Kanu and Finidi’s Ajax’s 1995 triumph as the greater success, owing to their absolute dominance on all fronts, but Chelsea supporters, in making their case, will put forward the narrative of the welterweight surprising several heavyweights in stupefying circumstances to win the club’s only CL title to date.

This may well change in this weekend’s final vs huge favourites Man City, with many followers intermittently claiming the side are due another triumph on the continent.

Many of those fans are Nigerians, and it’ll be apt for those citizens to remember the West London club’s triumph in 2012 and look back at Ajax’s feat affectionately.

While no Nigerian will take part in this year’s final, there’s no harm in being absorbed in all the nostalgia of the nation’s stars’ previous successes to whet the appetite before City face Chelsea under the lights in Portugal on Saturday.   

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is happy with the appreciation he is getting outside South Africa after guiding his team past RS Berkane in the Caf Super Cup.

The 56-year-old was abused by alleged Mamelodi Sundowns supporters after eliminating them from the Caf Champions League 3-1 on aggregate. The tactician concedes it was an emotional week for him and he went on to blame the system for what happened.

"I believe if you focus on winning games, the outcome will sort itself out but I do feel good to be part of contributing to Africa and I feel good to be appreciated, unlike what happened to me in my own country," Mosimane said after his latest victory.

"The last week has been too emotional for me, to be honest. But I don’t blame anybody. I have to blame the system that we come from.

"Some people say if you want to set up a black man to fail, you must use a black man to destroy him."

The former Masandawana coach has further stated the best way to answer his critics is by ensuring he performs well on the pitch and lift trophies.

"For me, it’s not about talking, it’s about… this is how you reply in football – you reply by lifting trophies, not talking about what happened last week," Mosimane continued.

"Let the work speak for yourself. I’m too mature and I move on. The only way is to congratulate everyone associated with Al Ahly, congratulate the team and everyone who is associated with me." 

On Friday, two second-half goals from Mohamed Sherif and Salah Mohsen inspired the Egyptian champions to a well-deserved victory over their Moroccan opponents.

It was Mosimane's third major trophy at the club, having guided the team to last season's Egyptian Cup and the Caf Champions League title.  

Al Ahly were brimming with confidence having booked their place in this season's Caf Champions League semi-finals after defeating South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 on aggregate last weekend.

Al Ahly have now completed the continental double for the 2021 season having won both the Champions League and Super Cup.

They are scheduled to take on Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis in the two-legged semi-final tie next month, but before that, the Red Devils will face ENPPI SC in the Egyptian Cup round of 16 on June 4.

Rowllin Borges was one of the instrumental figures in midfield on that fateful night in Qatar when India held the hosts to a gritty 0-0 draw in the World Cup qualifiers in September 2019. 

The Mumbai City FC midfielder was deployed as a defensive screen in front of the backline and apart from a glitch when he gave away possession in his own half, he hardly put a foot wrong in that match. He was tasked to block attacks from the middle and when Qatar looked to find space for a through ball, Borges would be there to narrow down the angle which would force the opposition to play wide. 

He was a silent warrior who gave his all but without any pomp. As the match progressed and especially in the final quarter when Qatar threw their all in attack, Borges kept his calm and showed nerves of steel. 

"We were motivated to do better. We were frustrated after the match against Oman. We wanted a better result from that match but we did not get it. So the pent-up motivation and frustration showed against Qatar. I think because of that we got a good result. It was a huge result. You could see the celebrations on the pitch. You can see that happiness. We deserved the result," stated the player to Goal. 

But Borges being himself did not drag the celebrations long. Even after achieving one of the milestone results in Indian football history he kind of remained nonchalant. 

"When I came back to the hotel, I did not go out of the room. I was just sitting with Mandar and talked about the game, like how well they played and what things we could learn from them." 

A lot has happened since that result in Doha. Not only Borges has matured as a footballer he also holds the ISL (Indian Super League) League Shield and the winner's medal. A champion forged in many hard-fought battles. He believes that the key behind succeeding against quality sides is to remain positive. 

"You have to be mentally strong. That is the most important thing. When you are facing a team that is higher-ranked or even a team who is lower ranked the mindset is the most important thing," he quipped. 

However, for a player like him who has to cover a lot of ground, apart from the mental side he also has to focus a lot on his physical attributes so that he has enough gas to last him for 10-12 kms. And against a side like Qatar who is likely to enjoy the lion's share of possession, it is understood that you have to run more. 

But the cooling technology in the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium came to his aid in the previous match and he hopes that this time also it will help the players beat the soaring temperatures. 

"The facilities in Qatar are very good. The field and the pitch that we played and trained on were extraordinary. The cooling technology in the stadium is amazing. You know it’s very hot in Qatar. But you will get cold vibes in the stadium. It keeps you refreshed. That was the first time I had seen something of that sort in a stadium. Even at the 85th minute, you will remain fresh when that air blows. You feel that you can keep on running," he explained. 

If India have to contain Qatar, Igor Stimac will need Borges at his best. His match-reading skills coupled with his high work rate make him one of the most sought-after defensive midfielders in India. A lot will depend on how his day goes at the office.

And as far as the millions of fans in India who will be glued to their screens this coming Thursday, might just have a single message for him, 'run Rowllin run!'

Football Kenya Federation has called on clubs in the FKF Premier League “to just persevere for the time being” as they strive to finish the 2020-21 season as per the calendar.

The Kenyan top-flight is currently rocked with a congested list of fixtures after the flow of the league was halted in March following the government’s decision to suspend all sporting activities as a way to help curb the spread of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The move forced the federation to start planning from square one when the league resumed after 56 days in the cold, and teams are now forced to play two to three matches in a week to make sure the league is concluded as per the Caf calendar.

With fatigue starting to take a toll on players and the conditions of the available matches venues especially for Nairobi-based teams also deteriorating, FKF President Nick Mwendwa has told Goal they don’t have any other route to take apart from running the league as a marathon to the end.

What did Mwendwa say?

“It is a marathon now, that is how it is, the league must end,” Mwendwa told Goal on Saturday. “We don’t have options, we have a deadline on when to conclude the league and we have to strive to meet it.

“It is not our [FKF] fault but because of nature, Covid-19 came and disrupted the beautiful game, so we don’t have many options, I just want to appeal to the teams to stay calm, persevere, and understand the situation, they need to know the season must be played to the end and for us to beat the deadline, then a congested list of fixtures is a must.

“We know how tough it is for the players, but that is how it is.”

What did Shimanyula say?

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has supported the decision by the federation to rush the league to a conclusion insisting anything can happen between now and when the league is supposed to end.

 “We don’t know what will happen next, Covid-19 is still with us and they [government] might be forced to put another lockdown if the numbers go up soon, even if we play four to five matches a week I don’t see any problem,” Shimanyula told Goal on Saturday.

Caf ticket for June 30?

The delayed end to the Kenyan league has already forced the federation to declare the team that will be on top of the 18-team table by June 30, will be handed the ticket to represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

This is after Caf set June 30 as the date to submit the names of all inter-club representatives from all the affiliated countries and by the then date, the Kenyan league will still be in recess and without a winner.

Simba SC have suffered a huge blow in their quest to retain the Mainland Premier League title after losing two key players for their rescheduled fixture against Namungo FC on Saturday.

The Msimbazi giants will start their journey of playing four matches in hand with a trip to Ruangwa, where they will face Namungo as they seek to open the gap at the top of the 18-team table.

Simba’s assistant coach Seleman Matola has confirmed to Goal they will, however, miss the services of their players Joash Onyango and Clatous Chama, but remained positive they have enough ammunition to finish the job away.

What did Matola say?

“We have only traveled with a squad of 20 players, and we will miss the services of defender Joash [Onyango] and midfielder Clatous Chama,” Matola told Goal ahead of the match at Majaliwa Stadium.

“Onyango is out because of the injury he picked during our Caf Champions League game against Kaizer Chiefs when he crashed heads with Taddeo [Lwanga] as they went for the aerial ball, while Chama has requested to attend to family matters, and we have given him the permission.

“The rest of the squad is fit and ready, we have arrived safely in Ruangwa and we got a good reception from the fans and the team we traveled with is ready for the task, we know Namungo is a tough team especially when playing at their backyard but we are ready for them.

“Our target for the season is still the same, nothing has changed, we want to retain the title, and that is our key focus against Namungo, for now, I urge the fans to turn out in large numbers and keep supporting us because they will go home a happy lot.”

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are currently sitting at the top of the log with 61 points, the same number as their rivals Yanga SC, though they have played four matches less.

Simba have already made it clear of their intention this season is to retain the title and return to the Champions League, where they saw their fairytale run in this campaign ended in the quarter-finals after losing 4-3 on aggregate to Chiefs.

The same grass, the same competition, and the same fierce opponents. There will be an air of familiarity when India will take on Asian champions Qatar on June 3 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, in their World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 joint qualification fixture. 

It was at this very stadium that India possibly achieved one of their greatest results in recent times in international football when they held Felix Sanchez Bas' men to a gritty 0-0 draw in September 2019. Qatar were in scathing form at that time and had won eight out of eight matches on Asian soil. But it was Igor Stimac's India who halted their juggernaut. In those eight matches, Qatar’s prolific attack had managed to score a staggering 25 goals which further elevates India’s clean sheet to a higher pedestal. 

In fact, it was only South American heavyweights like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, apart from the Men in Blue, who walked away with a clean sheet against Qatar in that year.

"We went into the match with a positive mindset. We knew Qatar are a very good team and we cannot afford to concede early. We wanted to be in the game till the second half and once we had the momentum, we tried creating opportunities. It was a great game for us and we defended really well," recalled Brandon Fernandes to Goal. 

Just 'defended well' is an understatement, as it was more of a defensive masterclass. In the absence of Sunil Chhetri, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was handed the captain's armband. The extra responsibility might have spurred him to do better as it was his sheer brilliance under the sticks that denied the likes of Almoez Ali, Hassan Al Haydos on several occasions. He organised his defence from the back which ensured that the Maroons were hard-pressed to find any space.

The players gave their all, but more importantly, they did so as a team and that made all the difference. Not only Chhetri, but the squad was also missing Ashique Kuruniyan and even Fernandes was used as a substitute by coach Stimac, after an intense match against Oman a few days back in which he had run himself down to the ground. But every player knew their job, had each other's back and ultimately India rejoiced.

This time the challenge will be more difficult. Not only because Qatar will be eager to prove a point, but also the Indian players will be in action for the first time after two months.

The mercury in Qatar is also soaring but fortunately, that would be nullified by the state-of-the-art cooling technology that has been installed in the stadium. 

"The last time we were in Qatar the stadium was pretty cool. There was no humidity. It was pretty well-conditioned. Amazing conditions to play football. In fact, Qatar have great infrastructure and world-class facilities for football. It will be a great feeling to play at Al Saad's home ground. (I'm) looking forward to a good experience to play there," stated Fernandes. 

The foes and the conditions are well known. Now it remains to be seen whether the Blue Tigers can repeat their roar, which had once silenced the cheers of a 15,000 strong crowd. 

Chelsea and Manchester City are all set to renew hostilities at the grandest stage in Europe on Saturday night. 

The Champions League final is here and we are all excited aren't we. 

We've got two master tacticians going up against each other in Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. With Guardiola looking for his third Champions League title, he will be desperate to get one over Tuchel who has already managed to beat him twice this year. 

Tuchel, who lost the Champions League final with PSG last year, will be looking to make amends with Chelsea this time around. 

With two talented squads going up against each other, we've attempted to pick a dream team from the two clubs. 

Watch Goal's panel of experts put together a Chelsea-Manchester City combined XI in a freewheeling chat in the second episode of The Biased Show .

One of the most aniticipated match of the footballing calendar is here with Chelsea set to take on Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday. 

Without doubt, when the two English giants go head-to-head at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, fans around the world will be tuned in with bated breaths.

Pep Guardiola's brilliant side are coming off a brilliant Premier League campaign where they sealed the title at a canter and won the League Cup as well while Chelsea have been a revelation since Thomas Tuchel took over the side earlier this year. 

In fact, Chelsea have already beaten Manchester City twice under Tuchel. They beat City 1-0 in the FA Cup and followed it up with a key 2-1 win over them in the Premier League that was a huge result in the context of the top-four race for the Blues. 

Now, with the European crown on the line, who will triumph? Manchester City or Chelsea. 

Watch Goal's panel of experts discuss the same in a freewheeling chat in the second episode of The Biased Show .

The UEFA Champions League final is set to rumble and this is a match that a football aficionado just cannot miss, even if one is on national duty. In this edition of the final, Manchester City will be making their first-ever appearance in a European Cup final when they take on Chelsea at Porto's Estadio do Dragao Stadium on May 30. 

The Cityzens are looking to complete a treble after winning the Carabao Cup besides becoming the champions of England. The excitement amongst City fans and the management is so high that owner Sheikh Mansour has promised to cover the costs for all of the club's fans travelling over to Porto, with the club also confirming the news in an official statement.

On the other hand, Chelsea will be appearing in their third final with a bid to win their second Champions League trophy in their history. Thomas Tuchel's side have played some brilliant in the continental competition and have beaten the likes of Atletico Madrid, Porto, and Real Madrid to seal a berth in the final. 

The Blues have won two consecutive matches against Pep Guardiola's side and if they win on Saturday, it will be a hat-trick of wins. However, their recent form is a cause of concern and Guardiola's City are considered overwhelming favourites for the final in most quarters. 

Like millions across the globe, Indian national team footballer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will also be keenly following the much-anticipated clash between the two Premier League sides. He will be watching the match from Qatar as he is currently on national duty before the World Cup 2022 qualifiers. 

Which team will Gurpreet Singh Sandhu support? 

The Bengaluru FC keeper did not divulge his affinity towards any side and instead stated that he is looking forward to an intense tactical battle. 

"I think it’s going to be a very tactical affair given the game will see two of the sharpest minds in Pep and Tuchel at war on the touchline. There is so much at stake for Pep and he finally has the chance to do justice on the European stage, to the squad that has been made available to him. Chelsea, on the other hand, have lost two finals in the space of seven days and this game could well define their season. They took a bold decision in letting go of Lampard mid-way through the season and it seems to have worked so far," he stated to Goal. 

Which player is he looking forward to watching? 

Although the India international did not pick his favourite he mentioned two players that he thinks would make a difference in the final, and incidentally, they are both from Manchester City. 

"I think Phil Foden would be my pick. He was phenomenal in the semifinal and showed absolutely no nerves for a boy that young on a stage that massive. I also want to see Aguero do well as this is his last game in a City shirt and he has been wanting to win this title with them for a while now," he said.  

MLS has levied fines on Inter Miami totaling over $2 million after the club was deemed to have violated roster rules.

Inter Miami's signings of Blaise Matuidi and Andres Reyes, as well as the underreporting of salaries for Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Nicolas Figal and Julian Carranza have put the club in hot water with the league.

The decision comes weeks after the league announced it would be investigating the club's 2020 roster compliance, with that investigation producing a historic fine for the second-year club.

What's the punishment and why?

Inter Miami's punishments stem from the signings of Matuidi and Reyes, who were not characterized as Designated Players despite the fact that they should have been under MLS roster rules.

As a result, the club was over the maximum threshold of three DPs, with Gonzalo Higuain, Rodolfo Pizarro and Matias Pellegrini occupying those slots.

Additionally, the club underreported salaries for Gonzalez Pirez, Figal and Carranza, although the league was sure to clarify that none of Inter Miami’s players were the subject of the investigation, committed any violation, nor were aware of the club's violations.

The club has been hit with a $2 million fine, while a $250,000 fine has been handed to Managing Owner Jorge Mas. Additionally, the league imposed a $2,271,250  reduction in allocation dollars for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

MLS determined that there was no wrongdoing on the part of Inter Miami owners Marcelo Claure, Masayoshi Son, Jose Mas, and David Beckham.

Paul McDonough, Inter Miami’s COO and Sporting Director last season, has been suspended through the end of the 2022 MLS season. McDonough had since been hired as vice president of soccer operations at Atlanta United, who announced shortly after the punishment was made public that the two sides had parted ways.

What did Garber have to say?

“The integrity of our rules is sacrosanct, and it is a fundamental principle of our league that our clubs are responsible for adhering to all league regulations,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

“Our rules will not be compromised. These sanctions reflect the severity of Inter Miami’s violations, should encourage complete cooperation by all parties in future investigations, and will serve as a deterrent for clubs from violating roster rules.”

What did Mas have to say?

"Inter Miami CF acknowledges that the Club violated Major League Soccer’s roster rules in our first season," Mas said in a statement.

"We have worked closely with MLS to address these issues and have made significant changes in our management structure. Following our inaugural season, we took a deep look at our soccer operations leadership group and made decisions that not only strengthened our internal roster compliance measures, but also better positioned us to build a sustainable, long-term competition strategy with the hiring of Chris Henderson as Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director in 2021.  

"Inter Miami is an ambitious Club with big aspirations. We believe our fanbase, market and ownership group propel us to be one of North America’s most-followed fútbol teams in the world. We are committed to supporting our team and building a roster we are proud of."

What now?

The club has already redesignated Matuidi as a DP this season, as he officially joins Higuain and Pizarro as one of the club's three marquee players roster-wise.

Pellegrini, meanwhile, was the odd man out, with the club buying out his contract and loaning him to USL side Fort Lauderdale CF with the expectations of moving him on to a European or South American team in the future.

The club has earned eight points through their first seven games, currently sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference.

Inter Miami will face D.C. United on Saturday at home before the club goes on break from June 3 to June 11 during FIFA's international window.

Further reading

Phil Foden has a "different element" as a player like Wayne Rooney did at his peak, according to Joleon Lescott, who says the Manchester City star is driven to be the "best every single day".

Foden has enjoyed a stellar 2020-21 campaign at Etihad Stadium, establishing himself as a mainstay in Pep Guardiola's starting XI while helping City win a Premier League and Carabao Cup double and reach the Champions League final.

Lescott has drawn similarities between the 20-year-old and Manchester United legend Rooney ahead of this Saturday's European showpiece while backing the midfielder to reach even greater heights as his career progresses.

What's been said?

"I have followed [Foden] for a while and you get made aware of him as a special talent. His ability is easy for people to see but having worked with him, I saw how determined he is to be the best every single day," the former City defender said.

"That is not something that every player has. A lot of talent or physical attributes but that element of his game is not equivalent to what you normally see.

"I would only say Wayne Rooney was wired the same way. I came across Wayne and realised he was wired that same way. Him and Phil have that different element.

"That’s why he will be the best he can be. He will have no regrets at the end of it all."

Foden & Rooney compared

Foden graduated to the senior squad at Etihad Stadium as a 16-year-old in 2016, and has since appeared in 123 games across all competitions for City, scoring 31 goals and laying on 22 assists.

The diminutive playmaker has also found the net twice in six appearances for England, but has a long way to go before he can match Rooney's illustrious career for club and country.

The ex-striker hit a grand total of 313 goals in 764 outings across spells with Everton, Manchester United, D.C. United and Derby County. Most of those efforts came while he was at Old Trafford - where he also won five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Rooney left United as their all-time record goalscorer and also achieved the same feat for England, scoring 53 goals while winning 120 caps.

Lescott on Kane to City rumours 

City have been tipped to launch a summer bid for Tottenham striker Harry Kane as they aim to continue their dominance of English football in 2021-22, with the 27-year-old thought to be seeking a new challenge after another trophyless season in north London.

Lescott sees Kane as the ideal replacement for Sergio Aguero, who has just completed his final season in Manchester, with it his belief that Guardiola cannot sustain the club's recent success without the addition of another top forward.

"If Harry Kane is available I don’t think there’s any club that doesn’t need him," he added. "False nine is working at the moment but I don’t think there’s any club that can do without a striker in the long term. Not every game do you create enough opportunities to score that perfect goal.

"Sergio’s goals against Everton were instinctive about reading passes and capitalising on mistakes. I think those instincts that strikers have mean they score goals that others wouldn’t recognise. I think Ferran Torres has that goalscoring mindset."

BT Sport will show Manchester City vs Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final live from 6:00pm on Saturday 29th May. Whoever you watch the final with, watch it together with BT. For more info go to btsport.com/final.

Further reading

Jules Kounde has said he could leave Sevilla this summer.

The defender has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United among other top clubs in recent months.

The 22-year-old, who is rumoured to cost around €70 million (£60m/$85m), hopes to join a team capable of competing for major trophies.

What has been said?

"I may have to change clubs this summer. I have not decided anything," the France international said.

"My goal is, one day, to evolve into a great club to always try to progress, win trophies. To be able to start the season each year by telling yourself that the goal is win a particular trophy. I might have to move, but that’s not relevant today.”

On when he noticed he was becoming a major prospect, Kounde added: "I would say that perhaps when I arrived at Sevilla and started playing more and more, also with the arrival of the Champions League. It has always been something in my head. I have always believed in it, I have always worked for it. To have it.

"That objective in the sights meant that I was able to have the performances I did at Sevilla. Also thanks to this club that helped me a lot and my team-mates who always pushed me."

How has Kounde performed at Sevilla?

Kounde joined the Spanish club from Bordeaux in 2019.

He featured 49 times in all competitions in 2020-21, missing just five matches over the course of the campaign as they finished fourth in La Liga.

The centre-back's team-mate Diego Carlos has backed him to excel at one of Europe's top teams .

Further reading

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has set his sights on winning more trophies with the Red Devils after guiding the team to the 2019/20 Caf Super Cup with a 2-0 win over RS Berkane.

The Egyptian champions won the continental trophy against the Moroccan side in a game played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Friday evening.

It was Mosimane's third major trophy at the club, having guided the team to last season's Egyptian Cup and Caf Champions League title. 

The Red Devils' two goals were netted by attackers Mohamed Sherif and Salah Mohsen in the second half, after Mosimane's side were frustrated by the Oranges in the first half.

“We weren’t good enough in the first-half and the first part of the second half,” Mosimane told the media after masterminding a victory over the Caf Confederation Cup champions.

“I didn’t give them instructions to play long balls, but I asked them to calm down and play on the ground in the second-half. From then the performance improved a lot and we scored the two goals."

Mosimane, who won 11 major trophies with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns between 2012 and 2020, is keen to ensure that the Red Devils retain the Champions League title, Egyptian Premier League trophy and Egyptian Cup this term.

“This is Al Ahly. We are always required to win. Now that we have won the African Super Cup, from the next match the fans will demand us to win the league, the African Champions League and all the tournaments,” he concluded.

Al Ahly have now completed the continental double for the 2021 season having won both Champions League and Super Cup.

They are scheduled to take on Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis in the two-legged semi-final tie next month, but before that, Red Devils will face ENPPI SC in the Egyptian Cup round of 16 on June 4.

Mosimane's side is placed second on the Egyptian Premier League standings - 13 points behind leaders, Zamalek, but Al Ahly have five games in hand.

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy believes Riyad Mahrez will be one of Manchester City’s biggest threats in the final of the Champions League on Saturday.

Mahrez has been one of Africa's most prominent players and was the most influential player during his time at Leicester City, helping them to win the Premier League in 2016 before joining the Citizens in the summer of 2018.

Mendy moved to the Premier League last summer from Rennes, teaming up with the Blues, and has quickly established him with the side.

The Senegal international has made 43 appearances across all competitions since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, including 11 in the Champions League.

Ahead of his side’s encounter with the Citizens, Mendy has praised Mahrez, describing him as one of the best African players.

"I don't think Riyad needs any introduction, he is one of the best African players and he has played at a very high level for several years," Mendy told BBC Sport.

"He's also had a complicated journey and he really didn't give up and he deserves everything that is happening to him.

"He will be one of his side's biggest threats - one of Manchester City's assets.”

Mendy suffered an injury against Aston Villa but he is now fit to play in the Champions League final and revealed his side will do all it takes to win the title.

"This team [Manchester City] deserved this year's league title, they were very good and very consistent throughout the year," he continued.

"They deserve their title and there's no arguing about that but now we are playing a final and it's different. We’ll play for at least 90 minutes. And we will do everything to get this title."

The goalkeeper was unemployed for about a year and recollected his family’s support during the difficult time.

"When I found myself unemployed, it was very difficult," he added.

"It lasted about a year and there were a lot of moments of doubt and a lot of times when you want to stop, but with the support of the family and then the faith in yourself, you manage to push your limits.

"I really took this ordeal in the best possible way to be able to overcome it. A year without a club is a very long time. Training but not being able to play on weekends. That was something very difficult. I couldn't even watch a football match anymore because it was so hard for me.

"And supporting yourself and your family is very complicated. Luckily there was my sister who lives in London, my big brother, my two little brothers, my partner of course, and without forgetting my parents.

"They were a great support to me. My family has always supported me, they were more than important, because I think without them, I would have decided to quit."