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Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool’s squad requires improvement, but does not know if he will have the funds to add to his ranks.

The Reds mounted a disappointing defence of their Premier League title, but a late-season rally has put them within touching distance of Champions League qualification.

Beating Crystal Palace on Sunday and stamping their ticket into Europe may result in Klopp being handed some funds to swell his ranks in the summer, but the German will work with whatever hand he is dealt.

What has been said?

“Whatever we do or not do in the next transfer window, for sure we will not use it as any kind of excuse,” Klopp told the club’s official website. “We did what we did in the past with the way we did it; when there was money we spent it, when there was no money we didn’t spend it, and here we are. That’s how it is. 

“Yes, I’m very happy with my squad – very, very happy. Could this squad improve? Yes, like each squad could. Is that affordable? I don’t know. Is it necessary? I don’t know. 

“Whatever happens, we will see, I don’t know in this moment, to be honest. We have to make decisions in and out, all these kind of things, it’s normal in a summer.”

The return of injured stars

It is a cliche, but the return of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will be the equivalent of new signings.

Van Dijk and Gomez have been sidelined since October and November respectively on account of injury, and their absence in the heart of defence has been keenly felt.

Liverpool never recovered from having their defence decimated by injuries, and Klopp will welcome the pair - and Joel Matip  - back with open arms.

Klopp seeking improvement

While the former Borussia Dortmund man would love to add to his ranks, he feels he can eke out improvement from the players at his disposal.

“We might not be the best team in the world at the start of the season, but we want to be again the team who nobody wants to play against because we are that good,” Klopp said. “And I think that’s possible. 

“I really think my responsibility is to improve the team without signings as well, honestly.”

Further reading

Omar Colley was among the goalscorers as Sampdoria defeated Parma 3-0 in Saturday’s Serie A encounter.

The Gambia international found the net in the first half as Claudio Ranieri’s men silenced the visiting Yellow and Blues to end their 2020-21 campaign on a high.

After overcoming Udinese 1-0 their last time out courtesy of Fabio Quagliarella’s 88th-minute strike, the Blue-circled welcomed already-relegated visitors to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to continue their winning streak.

In the stirring encounter, Quagliarella put the hosts ahead in the 20th minute thanks to an assist from Antonio Candreva.

Capitalising on a moment of carelessness from Roberto D'Aversa’s team, Candreva set up the Italian forward who fired past goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.

A minute before the half-time break, Colley doubled his side’s advantage from close range. A well-taken freekick by Manolo Gabbiadini fell the way of the African star after the ball hit Brazilian midfielder Hernani.

The 28-year-old who was unmarked then rifled an unstoppable shot past Sepe. That effort was his second ever in the Italian elite division since joining from Genk.

Parma’s ambition of launching a comeback vanished into thin air after Manolo Gabbiadini extended the lead for Ranieri’s men in the 64th minute.

While Colley was in action from start to finish for the hosts, Senegal’s Keita Balde was an unused substitute.

For Parma, Gervinho was handed a starter’s role, albeit, he was substituted for Graziano Pelle in the 61st minute. Whereas, his compatriot Drissa Camara was an unused substitute.

At the Stadio Ezio Scida, Simeon Nwankwo could not add to his goal tally as Crotone settled for a 0-0 draw with Fiorentina.

Coming into the encounter, the Nigeria international joined Lorenzo Bettini, David Trezeguet and Igor Protti as players in Serie A history to score at least 20 goals for a relegated side in a single season.

Against the Purple One, he featured for all 90 minutes yet was unable to beat goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano who put up an awe-inspiring performance.

Alongside Nwankwo, Algeria's Adam Ounas, Libya's Ahmad Benali and Cote d'Ivoire's Koffi Djidji were in action from start to finish.

For Fiorentina, Cote d'Ivoire's Christian Kouame and Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat were unused substitutes by manager Giuseppe Iachini.

Zinedine Zidane says that he is "gutted" after Real Madrid fell short of a successful defence of their title in La Liga after a last-day race with Atletico Madrid.

Late finishes from Karim Benzema and Luka Modric ensured that Los Blancos emerged with a late victory over Villarreal - but the Rojiblancos' own comeback win against Real Valladolid was more than enough to take the title from Santiago Bernabeu to Wanda Metropolitano.

It means that Madrid end the campaign without silverware, the first such instance for over a decade - but the Frenchman says that he is nevertheless proud of his side's efforts throughout what has been a challenging campaign, while continuing to avoid questions.

What has been said?

"My mood is gutted," Zidane told his post-match press conference. "We didn't win La Liga. If you ask me that, that's the answer.

"We have to congratulate Atletico, who deserve [to be champions], because whoever is at the top deserves it.

"But the most important thing is what the [Real Madrid] players have done.I have to thank our fans because they have always supported the team from the outside. I think everyone can be proud of the players, because they have given everything.

Zidane remains coy on future

Speculation has continued to mount in recent weeks that the World Cup winner is poised for a second exit from the club, having previously left three years ago on the back of a hat-trick of Champions League triumphs.

Zidane however refused to be drawn on whether he would continue at Santiago Bernabeu or not, adding: "With time and with calmness, I will talk to the club [about my future] later."

Further reading

Former Portuguese champions Belenenses have made a contract offer to Gianluigi Buffon that includes sweets, a museum pass and free lodging.

Buffon said earlier this week that he is evaluating his options after confirming his departure from Juventus.

“If there is someone even crazier than me who contacts me and imagines something even more marvellous, I will follow that person, because that’s what life is all about,” the Italian great said.

What has been said?

Belenenses have taken up the challenge by writing a letter to Buffon setting out why he should take up their offer of a move to Portugal.

The letter said: “We heard that you are looking for a new challenge and receptive to listening to a “crazy and stimulating” proposal.

“Therefore, we decided to present you with something irresistible: how about moving to Lisbon and helping us to quickly return to our place in Portuguese football, the I Liga?

“We have a home for our athletes. It is a humble space, but everyone there is available to give you their own bed.

“Of course, you can always choose a house overlooking the Tagus River, but that is up to you.

“In the contract we will not fail to include one annual pass for the MAAT (do you already know this work of art in architecture?). And one family ticket, per week, for visits to the Coach Museum, to the Monument to the Discoveries, to the Tower of Belem, and to the Jeronimos Monastery these last two UNESCO world heritage sites.

“The contract will also include a pack of six Pasteis de Belem a week, one of the most popular specialties of Portuguese sweets, which you will certainly enjoy without tweaking your diet.”

Belenenses looking to bounce back

The club have won the Portuguese league on four occasions, but were declared bankrupt in 2018 and forced down to the seventh tier.

They have risen two divisions and are now in the fifth tier of Portuguese football, with the aim being to climb back up the ladder.

The offer matches Buffon’s desire for something crazy, and the ball is now in the 43-year-old’s court.

Further reading

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his tactical decisions surrounding Lionel Messi are what cost his side the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final against Barcelona.

The Red Devils, competing in what was their third European showpiece finale in four seasons, were beaten 3-1 at Wembley Stadium by Pep Guardiola's Blaugrana, in no small part thanks to an inspired match-winning turn from the Argentine.

Speaking a decade on from the defeat, the veteran Scotsman has now opened up on where he feels the game was won and lost, adding that he feels that United could have won had he tailed Messi with Park Ji-sung throughout the contest.

What has been said?

"That's where I lost the final against Barcelona at Wembley," Ferguson stated in a video Q&A session with former player Gary Neville for SPORTbible.

"I should have changed at half-time and put Park Ji-sung on Messi. That was a mistake... I was going to do it at half-time, then I said: 'Well, we just equalised before half-time, they may see the game differently, we may grow into the game better'.

"We were actually quite good in the last 10 minutes of that half. We came into it and we could have been in front. But if I'd played Park against Messi, I think we'd have beat them. I really do."

Park 'underrated' figure for Man Utd

Ferguson further called the former Korea Republic international one of the three most underrated players he coached during his time at Old Trafford, with the midfielder often flying under the radar next to his big-personality team-mates.

A Champions League title winner in 2008 with the club - albeit excluded from the final squad to face Chelsea, in what Ferguson later called one of the hardest decisions of his career - Park has remained a highly considered figure in the eyes of his former clubmates.

Only last year, Paul Scholes described him as a "nightmare" to play against in training due to his man-marking skills, evidence that only points to Ferguson's belief that he would have been able to tame Messi.

Further Reading

Ghana attacker Andre Ayew and Swansea City are through to the final of the Championship play-off after a 1-1 draw with Barnsley on Saturday.

Matt Grimes put the Jack Army in front in the first half but Cauley Woodrow restored parity for visiting Barnsley at Liberty Stadium.

With a crucial 1-0 away victory in the first leg at Oakwell, Steve Cooper’s side progressed to the next round on a 2-1 aggregate.

In the final at Wembley, Swansea will come face to face against Brentford who beat Bournemouth 3-2 on aggregate in the second semi-final tie after a 3-1 second-leg home win on Saturday.

At the turn of events, a Ghana international is confirmed to seal qualification for the Premier League after the final as Brentford have winger Tariqe Fosu on their books.

It is Swansea’s second straight appearance in the play-offs following relegation from the elite division in 2018.

Last season, interestingly, the Jack Army clashed with none other than Brentford in the semi-finals, the former winning to make their way to the grand finale where they lost to Fulham.

Swansea opened the scoring in the 39th minute on Saturday as Grimes who sent a curling effort from the edge of the box into the top left corner after taking control of a Jay Fulton header.

In the 71st minute, Woodrow leveled things for Barnsley, side-stepping the ball from just inside the box and into the net after a marauding counter run by Jordan Williams.

“It [ultimate promotion] would be among the tops for me. I have grown to love the club and the fans. It’s very special for me. It would be a big achievement for me because it would prove I can do it at any level,” Ayew told his club’s official website ahead of the game.

“I’ve followed a lot of players who have played at a really high level, come down to the Championship, and not succeeded.

“For me, this has been a test to prove I can do it at any level. I have done it at every level and I’ve never doubted myself. I need to keep going. If you work hard, you get rewarded and I want to make Swansea happy.

“In terms of me personally, this [promotion] would be very big. That’s the reason why I stayed with this team. If there was no ambition to try and go up, then there would have been no point.”

Ayew, Swansea’s top scorer so far this season with 17 goals in 45 league appearances, will be expected to rise to the occasion once again in the final showdown against Brentford.

Destiny Chukunyere, daughter of former Nigeria forward ‘Wowo’, won many admirers on Saturday with her performance of ‘Je Me Casse’ as she represented Malta at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.

For readers unfamiliar with the show, the Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international song that pits performers from a variety of countries against one another before viewers across Europe can vote for their favourites.

This year’s event featured a performance of particular interest to African viewers, with Malta’s representative—Destiny Chukunyere—having a strong connection with the Super Eagles.

The 18-year-old phenomenon’s father represented the Nigeria national side once during his career, and has gone on to enjoy a coaching career in Malta, where he was previously a player.

Destiny’s mother is Maltese, but according to her father—in an exclusive interview with Goal—she still remains close to her Nigerian roots.

“She has the Ajegunle spirit – never afraid of anything,” Chukunyere senior told Goal, referencing a district in Lagos. “She gets stronger with pressure, [and] the bigger the pressure, the more she would excel.”

Although Destiny has never visited Nigeria, her father revealed that a couple of the African nation’s musical greats have had an influence on his daughter, who is adept in performing pop, R&B and soul music.

“She loves Daddy Showkey so well,” he added. “I remember in those days; she would join me in singing Showkey’s songs. I also taught her the ‘Galala’ dance steps which she is very good at.

“She is a good fan of Psquare and Davido. She listens more to Nigerian music than the one in Europe and I think this reflects in her style of music.

“I'm currently working on her collaborating with some Nigerian musicians. She is ready to work with any African musician.”

Destiny took her place at the event after starring in the semi-final 1 that took place at the Ahoy Arena in Roterdam, where she was the 16th performer to take to the stage.

After progressing, she returned to the Final on Saturday, where she was the ninth performer to step up in front of the 3,500-strong crowd, duly dazzling attendees with her English-language performance.

Victor Wanyama’s Montreal recorded a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati in Saturday’s Major League Soccer outing.

The hosts were the first to score, however, they surrendered their lead to suffer their third defeat of the 2021 campaign.

Following a 1-0 defeat at Atlanta United last time out – where Marcelino Moreno’s last-gasp effort settled the encounter – Montreal were hoping to bounce back against the Orange and Blue.

Nonetheless, they were stunned by the visitors – who came into the game having failed to win any of their last four outings in all competitions.

In the keenly contested encounter at the Saputo Stadium, Montreal dominated all departments of the game, albeit, they were unable to get the goals against Jaap Stam’s side.

Cincinnati were satisfied with their defensive approach while relying on counter-attacks when going upfront.

At the end of the first half, the result stood at 0-0 as Nancy’s men paid for their wastefulness in front of goal.

United States of America midfielder Djordje Mihailovic gave Montreal a 56th-minute lead thanks to an assist from Romell Quioto.

Receiving a pass from Honduras international Quioto, Mihailovic tapped the ball past goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.

Twenty minutes before full time, Stam’s men leveled matters through substitute Jurgen Locadia with 20 minutes left to play. The Dutch star who is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion headed past goalkeeper Clement Diop with a well-taken corner kick by Geoff Cameron.

Four minutes before full time, Gustavo Vallecilla sealed the win for the visitors – with the assist credited to Ronald Matarrita.

Alongside goalkeeper Diop, Kenyan star Wanyama was in action but could do little in helping his team avoid defeat. He was cautioned by referee Fotis Bazakos in the 89th minute, while Nigerian star Sunusi Ibrahim was brought in for Joel Waterman in the 78th minute.

Elsewhere, Ugandan defender Mustafa Kizza was an unused substitute by manager Nancy.

For Cincinnati, South Africa international Kamohelo Mokotjo and Ghana’s Isaac Atanga were missing in action.

With this defeat, Montreal dropped to fifth in the MLS Eastern log having accrued eight points from seven games. Whereas, Cincinnati moved from the base to 13th position with four points from just five games.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt refused to take credit after he guided the Soweto giants to the Caf Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club's history. 

The Glamour Boys succumbed to a 3-0 loss to Tanzanian champions Simba SC in the quarter-final second-leg encounter at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday evening.

However, Hunt's side won the tie 4-3 on aggregate and they are now set to take on Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in the two-legged semi-final tie next month. 

Before the accomplished local tactician was appointed Chiefs coach in September 2020, Amakhosi had never reached the Champions League group stages, but he changed that and he led the Soweto giants to a second-place finish in Group C which saw the team reach the knockout phase. 

Hunt has now made further history by guiding the Glamour Boys to the last four of Africa's premier football club tournament and he insisted that the achievement is for the club.

"Well, it was history just to get into the group, and then... but obviously, yeah... it's not for me, it's for the club. It has nothing to do with me, it's only the club," Hunt told Chiefs' media.

"It was obviously very difficult today but I mean, we got through and that's the most important thing."

Chiefs came into the clash having secured a 4-0 win at home in the first-leg clash last weekend and they conceded three goals against Simba in Tanzania with John Bocco (brace) and Clatous Chama scoring for the hosts. 

"There was no danger for 25-26 minutes, we got a corner and then they scored from that corner, which put us a little bit back and turned the first half [in their favour]," Hunt continued. 

"They got a second and third [goal] and obviously made it a little difficult, and then we defended for the last bit of time."

The former SuperSport United head coach said they expected Simba to attack in numbers and he was pleased to see his side weather the storm on the day. 

"They're the home team, they obviously were going to throw numbers forward – they left four [strikers] up, and they just played it long in there," he added. 

"If you don't win the first and second ball, you've got problems and that was the problem. We couldn't get [the ball] down for various reasons; we kept giving it away.

"But yeah, the most important thing is that we're through - it's a knockout game and we're through."

Football enthusiasts across the continent have taken to social media to celebrate Atletico Madrid after their dramatic 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid sealed their La Liga triumph on Saturday.

After going down 1-0 at the break, Angel Correa and Luis Suarez's goals in the 57th and 67th minutes respectively turned the game around and sealed the crucial three points for the visitors.

The victory might come as joy for Arsenal’s Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey who played three league matches for Diego Simeone's side before his switch to the Premier League.

Partey might get a winners' medal in Spain but his Arsenal team is struggling to qualify for European competition next season as they sit ninth on the English top-flight standings.

Simba SC spokesman Haji Manara has praised the team for keeping an unbeaten record at home throughout the Caf Champions League campaign.

The Msimbazi giants failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition on Saturday despite beating Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in their return leg quarter-final fixture at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The win was not enough to give them a last-four ticket as they had lost 4-0 in the first leg played at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg a week ago.

Despite bowing out of the competition, Manara has now said he is very happy they have maintained the country’s respect.

“It is our happiness to continue to protect the respect of our country and for the entire competition the biggest achievement is for a club to protect being beaten at home, and we managed that in this campaign,” Manara wrote on his social media pages.

“Adding to that we have been eliminated, but that was a big study case for us, for the coming matches in the new season, and what we have achieved will give us the fight to go even far in the competition and now our focus shifts to the league and winning the domestic cup.”

Manara has called on Simba fans not to be disturbed by the team’s exit insisting they had not lost anything and that luck was not on their side.

“I want to ask our fans not to be worried very much after the exit, we did our best but luck was not on our side, and for those rivals taunting you, just know they are very happy with what Simba have achieved in this campaign in their hearts but cannot show it.

“Our dream is to make sure the country is well represented in terms of football but for them, they want to keep talking bad about us whereas they [our rivals] have never even reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.”

A double from captain John Bocco and Chama’s late strike pushed Chiefs to the end but also ensured Simba had not lost a match at Mkapa Stadium in the campaign this season.

In the group stage, Simba managed three straight wins at Mkapa, beating African giants Al Ahly 1-0, AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 4-1, and also mauling Al Merrikh of Sudan 3-0.

Luis Suarez has helped to fire Atletico Madrid to title glory, with the Uruguayan striker delighted to have offered the perfect response to those that "underestimated" him at Barcelona.

The Uruguayan striker was surprisingly allowed to head for the exits at Camp Nou in the summer of 2020, with Ronald Koeman and the Blaugrana deemingly him surplus to requirements.

Doors were thrown open at Wanda Metropolitano, with Suarez hitting 21 goals - including a crucial match-winner on the final day - to land an emotional La Liga crown for the Rojiblancos.

What has been said?

A tearful Suarez told Movistar at the final whistle of a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid that confirmed Atletico's coronation: "The situation I experienced last summer was difficult, the way I was underestimated.

"Atletico Madrid opened up their doors to me to keep on showing the player I am."

Suarez the talisman

While his value was questioned in Catalunya, those in Madrid were only too happy to present the 34-year-old with another prominent stage on which to showcase his talent.

That faith has been richly rewarded by a proven marksman that had hit 198 goals across six years at Camp Nou.

All of his efforts this season came in La Liga and contributed towards Atletico collecting 21 points, with no player in the Spanish top-flight proving to be as valuable to any given cause.

The bigger picture

Diego Simeone has returned Atletico to the top of La Liga after a seven-year wait for title glory, with the Argentine continuing to bring the best out of a team punching above its weight in battles with Clasico rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.

They have given everything to the collective cause again this season, with Marcos Llorente admitting that there is nothing left in the tank.

He said: "We're knackered. It’s been a really tight season with a lot of games. It's been tough physically, but in the end we’ve got this crucial win and we’ve managed to win the title. 

"The togetherness we have has been crucial to achieving this."

He added on edging out Valladolid, who took a first-half lead before Angel Correa and Suarez hit back: "We felt the nerves a bit today given it was such a key game, but we just wanted to win so as not to have to think about the result of the other game. 

"At the break we managed to calm ourselves down and we went out there and turned the match around.

"I’d like to thank the fans. They haven’t been able to be in the stands but we’ve felt their support in a really tough year."

Further reading

Atletico Madrid’s title-clinching win at Valladolid on Saturday consigned city rivals Real Madrid to a first trophy-less season in over a decade.

Diego Simeone’s side had been in command of the Liga title race for the majority of the season, but they faltered late on to leave the door ajar for Real and Barcelona.

Barcelona fell out of the race on the penultimate weekend, but Real had the chance to snatch the trophy on the final day of the season.

How the final day played out

Atletico went into the final day with a two-point lead, so knew that if they secured the same result as Real they would be champions.

A draw and a Real win would not have been enough as Los Blancos had a better head-to-head record.

The added spice was Valladolid were fighting for their Liga survival, so had plenty to play for.

On a day of drama, both Madrid sides fell behind in the first half. 

Atletico rallied and goals from Angel Correa and Luis Suarez in a 10-minute spell around the hour mark set them on their way to a 2-1 win at Valladolid and the title.

Real rallied in the second half to beat Villarreal 2-1 to set up a tense finish, but Atletico held on for their first Liga title since 2014.

Real draw a blank

Zinedine Zidane’s side have plundered a host of trophies in recent seasons, including four Champions Leagues and two Liga crowns.

They have been used to winning silverware, but will have to embark on a new run next term as this is the first campaign since 2009-10 that they have finished a season empty handed.

Zidane future in doubt

Questions will now turn to the future of Zidane, who has been widely linked with the exit door.

He said recently that he would make things easy for Real, suggesting he was ready to walk away, and with the season now concluded talks can take place between coach and club

Further reading

Asante Kotoko gave up their lead to settle for a 1-1 draw with Wafa in the Ghana Premier League on Saturday.

Ismail Abdul Ganiyu gave the Porcupine Warriors an early lead but Justus Torsutsey’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time leveled the scores in the matchday 26 fixture at Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.

The one point gained has moved Kotoko on par with archrivals Hearts of Oak on 46 points but a lower goal difference sees the Porcupine Warriors sit among the two sides in second position.

Kotoko sat two points clear atop the table heading into the matchday but the Phobians’ 1-0 win over Eleven Wonders on Saturday moved the Accra-based side one point above the Porcupine Warriors before Kotoko could have their turn of matchweek 26 action.

Wafa, on the other hand, have moved to sixth on the table, now tied on points with Aduana Stars and just behind Karela United, Medeama and Great Olympics, who sit third to fifth in that order.

The biggest Koroko team news heading into the match was the omission of No.1 goalkeeper Razak Abalora from the matchday squad amid media speculation head coach Mariano Barreto has become unhappy by the 24-year-old's chain of costly mistakes in recent times.

In Abalora’s absence, Kotoko captain Felix Annan, who has been linked to Hearts and Medeama in recent times for being frustrated by his relegation to the bench, was restored to the first XI, his first starting role in the top-flight since November last year.

Annan, one of three new faces in the line-up, was joined by Emmanuel Keyekeh, who was back for the first time since December, and winger Emmanuel Gyamfi.

Wafa were led by regular faces such as Konadu Yiadom, Augustine Boakye and captain Ibrahim Abubakar.

Kotoko stung the Academy Boys in just the second minute of the game when they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Ganiyu.

Two minutes into first-half injury time, the Sogakope-based outfit hit back through Torsutsey who headed past Annan unmarked. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has seen a return to Sporting mooted, as questions are asked of his future at Juventus, and Frederico Varandas claims a homecoming will happen "one day".

A retracing of steps by a five-time Ballon d'Or winner is not expected to happen this summer, with Jorge Mendes suggesting that no deal will be done at this point.

Ronaldo is, however, approaching the final year of his contract at Juventus and, having passed a 36th birthday, is seeing new challenges speculated on.

What has been said?

Quizzed on whether Ronaldo will head back to Lisbon at some stage, Sporting president Varandas told Sic Noticias: "I think he will play here one day. 

"Cristiano was among the first to send me a message to congratulate us for the championship victory. 

"Now, however, he has another year on his contract with Juve and I know he wants to continue competing to win the Champions League. 

"Obviously his return here depends on him: in addition to being a great player, Cristiano is a great fan of Sporting."

When did Ronaldo leave Sporting?

An all-time great burst onto the scene in his homeland as a tricky winger, with legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson quickly noting his potential.

Arsenal were also interested at that stage, but a move to Old Trafford was made in the summer of 2003.

Six years were spent with the Red Devils, with Ronaldo claiming three Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and his first Golden Ball.

A record-breaking transfer took him to Real Madrid in 2009, with even greater heights hit in Spain.

A remarkable haul of 450 goals were recorded for the Blancos in 438 games, with many more domestic, continental and individual prizes coming his way.

Juve lured Ronaldo to Italy in 2018 and have seen him become the fastest man to reach 100 goals for the club, but European glory has proved elusive and sparked talk of another transfer being made.

Further reading

Nigerian centre-forward Taiwo Awoniyi was on parade for Union Berlin in their 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the last game of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season on Saturday. 

The 23-year-old was handed his 21st league appearance of the campaign and helped his side end the season on a winning note.

The forward was brought on for Petar Musa in the 58th minute and gave a good account of himself in the encounter.

Max Kruse scored the match-winning goal for Union Berlin after Justin Kluivert's opener had been canceled out by Marvin Friedrich’s effort.

With the victory, the Iron Ones finished in seventh spot on the league table after accruing 50 points from 34 games.

Awoniyi is on a season-long loan from Premier League side Liverpool and recently secured a work permit to play in England.

The attacker will be expected to team up with the Reds when pre-season starts and will hope to break into Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

On the other hand, Togo international Ihlas Bebou provided an assist as Hoffenheim ended the 2020-21 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin.

The forward was handed his 23rd league start and delivered an impressive performance, helping Sebastian Hoeneb’s men to end the season on a high.

Hoffenheim started the game on the back foot, allowing Hertha Berlin to open the scoring through Vladimir Darida.

Sargis Adamyan leveled proceedings before Bebou set up Andrej Kramaric, moments before the end of the game to seal the victory.

The result ensured Hoffenheim ended their campaign in 11th spot after gathering 43 points from 34 games.

Elsewhere, Cameroon international Eric Choupo-Moting featured as Bayern Munich secured a 5-2 victory over Augsburg.

The forward made a second-half appearance in the encounter and gave a good account of himself after replacing Thomas Muller.

Choupo-Moting had 17 touches on the ball and struck one shot on target to help Bayern end the campaign with 78 points from 34 games.

Before the encounter, Hans-Dieter Flick’s men had already clinched the Bundesliga title a record 31 times in their history.

Choupo-Moting scored nine goals in 32 appearances for the Bavarians across all competitions this season, including four in the German top-flight.

Inter Milan full-back Achraf Hakimi has questioned Electronic Arts (EA) Sports following his omission from the Serie A Team of the Season.

The selection of best players for the 2020-21 campaign was released on Friday with Juventus' Juan Cuadrado getting the nod in the right-back spot ahead of the former Real Madrid star.

This season, Hakimi has been one of the standout players in Antonio Conte's title-winning squad with his defensive and attacking contributions.

The Morocco defender has contributed seven goals and eight assists after 36 Serie A matches in his debut campaign.

The 22-year-old was dropped to the reserves and he did not hide his disappointment after the announcement which he described as "a joke".

"What a joke!  if you have something against me tell me !!  This is bull... thanks EA Sports #TOTS," Hakimi tweeted.

Ivory Coast's Franck Kessie was the only African star who made the selection after his marshalling role in the AC Milan midfield this term.

Inter Milan trio Romelu Lukaku, Milan Skriniar and Nicolo Barella made the best XI while Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo is joined by Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne, Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi and Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Elsewhere in Morocco, Hakimi has been nominated as the Unicef champion for the rights of the child in the North African nation as part of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Children's Fund.

“I am very proud to be involved with Unicef and to support efforts to promote children's rights. With the Coronavirus crisis, humanity is going through difficult times," he said.

"Children are the most affected by the effects of this pandemic and particularly the most vulnerable among them. 

"It is everyone's duty to support their cause, to add I will be mobilized and I will support with my efforts the promotion of children's rights in Morocco."

Marcus Rashford has refused to rule out making a move away from Manchester United at some stage, with the 23-year-old forward open to the idea of taking on a new challenge outside of England.

The versatile frontman is a product of the famed academy system at Old Trafford and has taken in 270 appearances for his home-town club since bursting onto the scene as a promising teenager.

He is tied to a contract through to 2023 and is not looking to spread his wings any time soon, but the option of playing abroad in the future is something that appeals to an ambitious character.

What has been said?

Quizzed on whether he can see himself playing in another country, Rashford told The Guardian: "I would never say no."

Asked to identify his ideal club, the England international added: "Other than United? I’m a big fan of Real Madrid and Barcelona, because they’ve always had great players and played attractive football. 

"Everybody watches Real Madrid and Barcelona."

The bigger picture

While there is no suggestion of Rashford leaving United in the near future, he is eager to further himself as an individual and put himself in the best possible position to take on any challenge.

He is looking to learn Spanish and Italian, with a man who has landed an MBE for his political efforts off the field looking to make the most of every opportunity put in front of him.

Rashford added: "When I was growing up, learning a language wasn’t deemed important in school. There wasn’t that expectation on you.

"Football has given me the opportunity to travel to different countries, and you have certain countries you like and want to learn more about, and learning a language is definitely a part of that."

For now, Rashford's focus is locked on enjoying a positive finish to the 2020-21 campaign, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side looking to end a four-year wait for major silverware when facing Villarreal in the Europa League final on May 26.

Further reading