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Alessandro Florenzi thinks Roma can win the Serie A title under new manager Jose Mourinho - but is not sure whether he will play under the coach next season.

Mourinho was the surprise choice to succeed Paulo Fonseca at the Serie A club next season, and will have a decision to make over Florenzi, who has spent this season on loan at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Italian full-back is pleased that Mourinho has moved to Rome, and feels that he will be a success, despite the Portuguese manager's most recent spell at Tottenham ending in his sacking with no trophies won.

What did Florenzi say?

The 31-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport : “It’s a breath of fresh air for everyone, Mourinho may be one of the coaches with the most experience and personality. One that will be able to control the Roman environment, I hope he can do well."

Asked whether Mourinho can bring the Scudetto to Roma, Florenzi said: “As a fan, I hope so. So that I can go to the Circo Massimo to celebrate.”

Where will Florenzi play next season?

The Italy international has a contract with Roma until 2023, however, he has spent this campaign in Paris, while he has also been linked with a move to newly-crowned Serie A champions Inter in the summer.

Florenzi himself is not sure where he might end up next, saying he is solely focused on helping PSG retain their Ligue 1 crown before he decides where to play in 2021-22.

He said: “It’s nice to be linked with a top club like Inter, but I do not get distracted by rumours or what the media say.

“I want the football to do the talking. I am living this experience with PSG intensely, without too much talking. I want to repay the trust of President Al Khelaifi, [PSG sporting director] Leonardo and [manager Mauricio] Pochettino, who still believes in me. I want to give my best, then we’ll see."

One disappointment for Florenzi is the Champions League, after PSG were well beaten across the two legs of their semi-final against Manchester City.

“I didn’t take it well, like all my team-mates,” he said. “When we met after the Manchester City game, it seemed we were attending a funeral. It’s a good sign, it means the whole group wanted to reach the target.

“Now we must focus on the league and the French Cup, we have high ambitions for the next season.”

Further Reading

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said Mohammed Salisu’s strength is without the ball and he has the potential to be a big player for the club.

The Ghana defender has played in eight Premier League matches so far since his permanent signing from La Liga club Real Valladolid last August.

Ahead of their league trip to Liverpool on Saturday, Hasenhuttl disclosed the area that Salisu needs to improve on after overcoming his injury challenges.

The Austrian coach also lauded the 22-year-old for his fighting spirit and strength on the pitch during the Ramadan period.

"I think against the ball he has big strength,” Hasenhuttl told Daily Echo.

"With the ball, he can still improve and get better, but I think this is also a part of the game that we are working hard with him on it. Finally, I am sure that for us he will be a big player in the future.

"Absolutely. I must say he has at the moment, like two other guys also, a problem with Ramadan where they have during the day not a lot of things to eat.

"Then you are thinking is it possible for him to fight 90 minutes hard? But on Friday he showed that he is able to do it.

"We had the break for drinking [during the game] after the sun goes down and then he was there. He was unbelievable, fighting for this team and congrats on this performance."

Last Friday against Leicester City, the Saints were forced to introduce Salisu as a 15th-minute substitute for Nathan Tella following the expulsion of Jannik Vestergaard in the 10th minute.

Southampton battled for a point in the game and Hasenhuttl lavished praise on the Black Stars centre-back’s contribution.

"He is fantastic there [at centre-back],” he reflected on Salisu’s performance.

"He heads so many balls out of the box and was absolutely a wall there to defend. But also the other guys did a good job.

"Jack and Jan [Bednarek] and Kyle[Walker-Peters]. Even the strikers were working hard, Che [Adams] was amazing, kept so many balls there.

"Reddy [Nathan Redmond] was working hard, Taki [Minamino] always defending well. So they showed some qualities we haven’t shown in the past.

"We had a good week training and finally put the good performance on the pitch."

South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordaan has defended the appointment of Hugo Broos as the head coach for the national team, Bafana Bafana.

Broos, 69, was appointed to take the place of Molefi Ntseki, who oversaw a failed Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, and Jordaan has revealed why they decided to settle for the former Cameroon head coach as his successor.

Broos’ age has generated intense debate but the Safa boss has pointed the critics to the coach’s experience which made them appoint the former Cameroon boss.

The FA chief gave an example of experienced Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo, 89, who started his managerial career in 1966 and retired in 2002.

“As far as the age of coaches is concerned [Mario] Zagallo, you know how old he was?” Jordaan said according to Sowetan Live.

“[Older] coaches are more experienced. And he’s very experienced. If you can get that kind of coach. And there are many countries that appoint 70-year-old coaches.

“He’s not 70.

“There is a ranking list of coaches in the world – go and see the top 20 coaches on that list and see the ages. Most people would say they are experienced.

“So, I don’t want to engage in these kinds of issues. But we are happy. He is healthy, he is fit, he can run, he can coach, he is fine. And therefore, he is experienced. If he can’t walk any more, he’s short of breath, then he’s old.”

Broos started his coaching career over three decades ago when he was in charge of Club Brugge from 1991 to 1998 and won the championship twice, in 1992 and 1996, and lifted the Belgian Cup in 1991, 1995 and 1996.

The coach first took charge of a national team from 2016 to 2017 while he was appointed by Cameroon and won the Afcon title with the Indomitable Lions.

Broos is the latest foreign coach for Bafana Bafana after Stuart Baxter, who was in charge between 2017 to 2019, Carlos Alberto Parreira who oversaw the former African champions in 2009 and 2010.

Parreira had succeeded his Brazilian compatriot Joel Santana who was in charge from 2008 and 2009.

Other high-profile foreign coaches who have had stints in charge of Bafana are Carlos Queiroz and Philippe Troussier.

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe "defended a lot" during PSG's Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester City, according to Riyad Mahrez.

PSG were well beaten over two legs by the Premier League outfit, with much of the blame falling on their star forwards, with claims that they are too individualistic and do not pull their weight for the Parisian club.

Mahrez, however, does not see it that way, and feels that over the two legs Mbappe - who did not play in the second game due to injury problems - and Neymar showed a willingness to help out at both ends of the pitch.

What did Mahrez say?

Speaking to L'Equipe , the City winger said: "I saw Neymar defend a lot, Mbappe also in the first leg. I think we were a little better than the Parisians overall. We did not qualify simply because two players defended less."

Mahrez says that every Man City player helps out in defence without question, as part of Pep Guardiola's intense tactical set-up, and that the lack of star egos in the squad is a big reason why they have reached the Champions League final for the very first time.

He said: "Pep [Guardiola] really imbued us with this aggressiveness when you lose the ball. To be a very, very high-level player, you have to make that kind of effort. Me, I don't defend very well, but I do. I'm doing it to help my team-mates. At a very, very high level, if you don't defend, you can penalise your team.

"If you are [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, Neymar or Mbappe, and you have such extraordinary qualities, maybe you can ignore certain defensive tasks, but when you look at Paris, we say to ourselves that it is difficult to win the Champions League if everyone is not defending."

What has been the fallout for PSG?

Having lost in the final last season, PSG have once again fallen short in Europe, beaten 4-1 on aggregate by City and having drawn criticism for petulance and over-aggression on their way to defeat.

Idrissa Gueye was sent off for an appalling tackle on Kevin De Bruyne in the first leg while Angel di Maria was dismissed for lashing out at Fernandinho at Etihad Stadium, with Mahrez criticising PSG's temperament in his comments following the second game.

Mahrez said: "It was a very good game. We didn't start well again - we didn't have a good first half but we got the goal and we were more comfortable. We played well second half and we could have scored more. They lost their nerve and started to kick us and after the red card it was more comfortable."

Further Reading

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) FC coach Morley Byekwaso is hopeful Juma Balinya will help solve their striking crisis in the Ugandan Premier League.

The former Gor Mahia attacker came from the bench to score the third goal for the Kasasiro Boys to inspire them to a 3-0 win over Maroons FC in the Uganda Cup. It was his first goal for the 13-time league champions.

The tactician was delighted with the goal and he hopes he stays injury-free to help the team score more goals.

"We are very pleased to see him score his first goal for the club because scoring is what he does best, but he has been on and off the pitch due to injuries," Byekwaso said. 

"He is one of the best players at the club. The coaches and his fellow players are proud of him. It is a joy that he is back. We pray he avoids setbacks as has been the case previously as we head into the final bend of the season.

"When he keeps fit, we are hopeful he is going to help us a lot in the remaining games starting with that against Vipers SC on Sunday. 

"Of late, we have struggled to score because most of our strikers are out injured, let us see what Balinya can offer."

Byekwaso's sentiments imply Balinya is in the plans of the Hippos coach after being sidelined by his predecessor Mike Mutebi.

The striker bagged the Golden Boot in 2018/19 after scoring 19 goals while with Police FC. He later joined 27-time Tanzania Mainland League champions, Yanga SC, but he was unsuccessful at the club.

K'Ogalo then signed him but once again he failed to settle and made a return to Uganda. 

Prior to the game against the Purple Sharks, Balinya had played 258 minutes for the Garbage Collectors with only one start, while the remaining six appearances were from the bench. 

KCCA will be playing reigning champions Vipers SC in their next game on Sunday. The Venoms are second on the log with 46 points from the 21 matches they have played.

KCCA are fourth with 37 points and a win will boost their chances of winning the league.

Carlo Ancelotti has sought to distance Everton from talk of a move for Wojciech Szczesny being made, but Goal has learned that Borussia Dortmund are asking about the Juventus goalkeeper.

The Poland international is seeing questions asked of his future in Turin after four years with the Bianconeri.

A return to England has been speculated on for the former Arsenal keeper, but Ancelotti is happy with his options between the sticks and has no intention of lodging a bid for an experienced 31-year-old with three Serie A titles to his name.

What has been said?

Quizzed on the Szczesny rumours by Corriere dello Sport, Ancelotti said: "I already have a goalkeeper and it is Jordan Pickford. 

"Now I only think about West Ham, if we beat them on Sunday we can qualify for Europe. If we lose we are out, luckily we play in London."

Where could Szczesny end up?

Juventus have their first-choice keeper tied to a contract through to the summer of 2024.

They are, however, seeing a move for Gianluigi Donnarumma mooted as Italy's number one approaches the end of his deal at domestic rivals AC Milan.

If the talented 22-year-old were to link up with Juve, then the path would be cleared for Szczesny to head elsewhere.

With that in mind, Goal and SPOX have learned of discussions taking place with Dortmund representatives, however, the chances of a switch to Germany being made are considered to be slim.

With Dortmund struggling to secure Champions League qualification, Szczesny's lucrative contract is well beyond their means.

The ex-Gunners star is also reluctant to sever ties with Juve after enjoying so much success with them and earning his place as successor to Gianluigi Buffon.

Losing his place to Donnarumma could alter that stance, but for now it appears that possible routes to the Premier League and Bundesliga are being shut off - with Tottenham another side to have been ruled out of the running.

Further reading

Eden Hazard has been branded "unprofessional" by Thibaut Courtois' father, with the Real Madrid forward told it was "not smart" for him to be caught laughing with Chelsea players in the wake of a Champions League semi-final defeat.

The Belgium international took the opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces when returning to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, but chose the wrong time to get involved with some post-match discussion.

Real saw their European dreams ended by a 2-0 defeat against the Blues, with Hazard facing fierce criticism in Spain over an apparent lack of concern for on-field failings endured by Zinedine Zidane's side in west London.

What has been said?

Courtois' father, Thierry, has told the HLN Sportcast podcast of seeing his son's fellow countryman and current club team-mate joking with ex-colleagues on the back of a painful reversal for Real: "Its really not smart for Eden to do that.

"He probably didn't think twice about it, but those images are painful for Real Madrid fans.

"If you see a player laughing two minutes after being eliminated, I'd say it was unprofessional."

What has Hazard had to say?

Aware of the storm that he has created, Hazard has offered an apology for his actions on social media.

The 30-year-old Belgian has posted on Instagram: "I am sorry. I have read a lot of opinions about me today and it wasn't my intention to offend Real Madrid fans.

"It has always been my dream to play for Real Madrid and I came here to win.

"The season is not over and together we must now battle for La Liga. Hala Madrid!"

What next for Hazard?

There have been suggestions in Madrid that Real will look to cut their losses on Hazard at the next opportunity, having seen him fail to live up to a €100 million (£88m/$112m) price tag.

Injury struggles have plagued the former Chelsea star in Spain, while form has proved hard to come by even when fully fit.

Another transfer window will open this summer, with the Blancos already being linked with a number of possible additions, but Hazard is tied to a contract through to 2024.

Courtois' father believes opinion can be changed at Santiago Bernabeu, but admits that some star showings in a tight title race and timely words of wisdom from those around him are going to be required to win back favour.

"He can still give the club the league title in the next four games," a man who has seen his son work with Hazard at Chelsea and Real added on a big-money asset in Madrid.

"Then everything will be forgotten and forgiven, [Sergio] Ramos or someone will have to talk to him about it."

Further reading

Simba SC players have promised to beat their rivals Yanga SC when the two Tanzanian giants meet in a Mainland Premier League derby on Saturday.

The Msimbazi giants will be the home team as they host their Jangwani rivals at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the second meeting of the 2020-21 league campaign, with both sides' focus on winning the title.

Simba players, led by Clatous Chama and Luis Miquissone, have maintained their target is to win the battle and increase their chances of winning the title for the fourth season in a row.

According to the club’s official website, Chama, who has scored 20 goals in 25 matches for Simba and managing 13 assists said: “We need a win to put ourselves in a good position to secure the league title this season as our goal set for the start of the season.

Striker Chriss Mugalu, who has scored four league goals this campaign, said; “We are going to make adequate preparations and those players who will get a chance to represent the team in the match will fight hard enough so that we can get the victory as that is possible.”

On his part, winger Miquissone said the team is full of confidence heading into the derby as they have proved this season they are doing well against big teams.

“It must be a tough game because we are facing a team that we know, and they need three points from us, but with the kind of preparation we will do with our squad I think we will win,” the Mozambican winger explained.

In the group stage of the Caf Champions League, Miquissone was the leading scorer in the team with three goals while in the league he has scored eight goals.

On his part, defender Erasto Nyoni said it will not be an easy match, but they will focus on the three points so that they can open up a gap ahead of their rivals.

Nyoni further said every Simba player realises the importance of the game, and every game they play he believes they will fight to get results in order to continue entertaining the fans.

“The game will be tough but we are prepared, Simba have no small task, we need to keep the honour of winning the championship four times in a row, that's why every match for us we consider it a final," he remarked.

Simba and Yanga settled for a 1-1 draw in the first meeting with Kenya defender Joash Onyango rescuing a point for the Wekundu wa Msimbazi in the 89th minute.

Yanga SC have suffered a huge blow ahead of the Kariakoo derby after it emerged two key players will not be available for the Saturday clash.

The Jangwani giants will face their rivals for the second time this league campaign but the club have confirmed winger Carlos Carlinhos and defender Yassin Mustapha have pulled out of the squad owing to injuries and will thus miss the clash at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Yanga team doctor Shecky Mngazija has confirmed to Goal the two players have already been allowed to leave camp as they start treatment for their various injuries.

“Carlos [Carlinhos] will miss the derby as we have asked him to stay out of action for two weeks after he picked an injury,” Mngazija told Goal.

“The MRI report has indicated he has a swollen leg and his treatment will take a period of two weeks, so he will not be available for the derby.”

On Mustapha, Mngizija said: “He has also shown great improvement since picking his injury but will not be ready to face Simba, we don’t want to rush him into the game, we have given him a few weeks to return fit and stronger.”

This will be a huge blow to Yanga and Carlinhos, who also missed the first meeting between the two sides as they battled to a 1-1 draw.

Despite the absence of the two players, Yanga information officer Hassan Bumbuli has maintained the team is ready to get maximum points against Simba.

“As for the overall preparations are going well so the fans should have no doubt we are ready for our game against our traditional hometown rivals Simba and we are ready to beat them,” Bumbuli told Goal.

“We know it not be an easy match but the players have promised me they will fight to get a win, they will give their all and will battle for the fans, so I want to ask the fans to turn out in large numbers and give the boys the much-needed boost.”

Yanga are currently second on the 18-team table with 61 points from 27 matches, four fewer than Simba, who are topping the log with 61 points from 25 matches.

Caught up in a relegation battle, the Canaries are in dire need of three points in the matchday 36 fixture at Louis Fonteneau to boost their chances of survival.

They head into the home fixture on the back of successive away wins against Strasbourg and Brest in their last two games.

"It will be a very complicated match, like those played in Strasbourg and Brest recently. We must not relax," Appiah said, as reported by Ghana Web.

“Bordeaux has returned to simpler things and they are trying to regroup. They managed to win on Sunday and they come there with a little confidence.

“It is also our case. It will be very close but I hope that we will be better than them and that we will end the match with one more goal on the scoreboard."

With three more rounds of matches to end the season, Nantes find themselves third from bottom on the league table, only above Nimes and Dijon.

“It's good to finally have two consecutive successes. It is never easy outside, but better late than never. It was a good time to continue to live and to hope," he continued.

“We rode the confidence from the last game. We won in Strasbourg when we were down 1-0. We have found the mental resources to come back and impose ourselves on it.

“We have worked confidently all week. And then we have capabilities, they never left.

“We are trying to work. We know we have technical quality and good ballplayers."

So far this season, Appiah has made 19 league appearances for Nantes, making the starting XI on 13 occasions.

Born to Ghanaian parents in the French city of Toulouse, the 28-year-old is eligible to represent Ghana at senior level after playing for his country of birth at youth level.

Orlando Pirates snapped their four-match winless run across all competitions when they thrashed Black Leopards 3-0 in a PSL match on Thursday evening.

Wayde Jooste produced a Man of the Match performance for the Buccaneers, who compounded Leopards' relegation woes as the Limpopo-based side remained 16th on the league standings.

Many fans took to social media to react to the game with some stating that Pirates did their arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs a favour by defeating a relegation-threatened Leopards side.

Chiefs are currently placed ninth on the standings - five points above the relegation zone and they have won just two of their last 14 matches in the league. 

Here is how Twitter reacted to Pirates' emphatic win: 

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies has become the latest football player to participate in the world of digital collectibles bought and sold using cryptocurrency.

The 20-year-old will release three pieces of virtual art in June through the soon-to-be-launched Binance Non-Fungible Token (NFT) marketplace. Their exact designs have yet to be determined, but they will be crafted by illustrator Jack Perkins and are likely to relate to the Canadian left-back's blossoming on-field career in the Bundesliga.

Davies' limited-edition art will be awarded randomly to three individuals via a raffle but can then be sold through the new Binance exchange.

Why it matters

By involving himself in a technology trend that sees billions of dollars exchanged each year, Davies is taking steps to emerge as a businessman in addition to an athlete.

It's a mutually beneficial branding ploy, too, as he adds star power to the Binance NFT marketplace launch while having his persona attached to a hot topic.

What has been said?

“It’s been crazy to see the way crypto has grown over the years to the point where I feel now it’s changing the game through NFTs and providing another opportunity for genuine engagement with fans," Davies said in a news release.

"Away from football I am always looking into new technological changes to help engage with people across the world, and this is just another layer to my digital presence."

What is an NFT?

Experts view digital collectibles - known in the industry as NFTs - as a form of modern investment that is set to become mainstream in the coming years. They could one day be as widespread as the practice of obtaining physical items meant to grow in value over time, such as precious metals, antique furniture or even stamps.

NFTs come in many forms, from virtual trading cards to pieces of online art such as the ones Davies is set to help create, and they are viewed as valuable because of their scarcity and what they represent or symbolise to collectors.

While they certainly carry risk, they also have advantages over old-school collecting. For example, people can buy and sell items instantaneously through marketplaces such as Binance, where Davies' art will be traded, and their quality won't degrade over time.

Who are the other footballers involved in NFTs?

Antoine Griezmann, Gerard Pique and Rio Ferdinand are among the top backers of Sorare, a digital football card marketplace that has grown exponentially over the past year.

Goal spoke exclusively to industry sources for a breakdown on the future of NFTs and football.

Further reading

Eric Bailly has revealed Manchester United are delighted with their qualification to the final of the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Red Devils lost 3-2 in the second leg of the semi-finals of the competition against AS Roma but still managed to reach the final of the tournament on 8-5 aggregate.

The Ivory Coast international featured prominently in the encounter, playing for the duration of the game to ensure his side saw off a tough challenge from the Serie A side.

Bailly has taken to social media to express his opinion about the game, revealing the encounter was frustrating but delighted with their progress.

“Frustrating game but we have to be happy right now for what we've done. Gdansk here we go,” Bailly tweeted.

Before the encounter, Bailly had revealed the Red Devils were fully focused on the second leg and will be aiming for victory at Stadio Olimpico.

"We started not bad, but then there were two goals for them. After that, in the second half, we came back strong, we won the game and it was a good win,” he told the club website.

"Six goals is not easy against Roma, it’s a very important step for the final, but it’s only one step.

"Now, we are focused for the second game in Italy and we want to win and do well and get to the final. We won 6-2 but in Italy, we are not going there just to wait for a draw.

"No, we go to win again, that’s our mentality and what we need to have to be able to get to the final."

Bailly recently put an end to the speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford when he signed a new contract with the club last month insisting he is ‘happy’ with the Red Devils.

“I’m very happy. This decision is something I didn’t have to think about, I love this club and I love playing for Manchester United,” he said.

"I’m happy and so are my family, everything is good. Now the moment with my injury has passed and I’m fit and feel good, and that’s it. A new contract is like a new challenge and I’m ready for this.”

The centre-back has now made 16 appearances across all competitions for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men this season.

He will hope to play a part when the Red Devils square off against Aston Villa in their next Premier League game on Sunday.

Ugochukwu Oduenyi and Shemmy Mayembe were on parade for FC Minai in their 4-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in Thursday’s Ukrainian Premier League game.

Oduenyi was one of the players the Avanhard Stadium outfit acquired in an effort to fortify the side to avoid a quick return to the First League, having only got promoted to the top-flight last season.

The 25-year-old teamed up with Mykola Tsymbal’s men in January as a free agent after his contract with Austrian side SV Reid expired.

The forward was handed his second league start at Stadion NSK Olimpiyskiy while his teammate and Zambia international Mayembe made his 21st league appearance in the encounter but their effort could not save Minai from their fourth consecutive defeat.

Shakhtar Donetsk raced into the lead in the 29th minute when Taras Stepanenko opened the scoring after benefitting from Dodo’s assist.

Manor Solomon doubled the lead in the 53rd minute when he hit his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Andriy Popovic.

Shakhtar Donetsk continued to dominate the encounter when Maycon Barberan scored in the 70th minute after receiving a pass from Dentinho.

With nine minutes left before the end of the game, Stepanenko completed his brace after benefitting from another Dodo’s assist.

Oduenyi made effort to try and reduced the deficit but Luis Castro’s men frustrated the moves to ensure they claimed all three points.

The Nigerian striker featured for the duration of the game along with Mayembe in the encounter as FC Minai suffered their 15th defeat of the campaign.

The defeat further condemned the Avanhard Stadium outfit to the bottom of the league table after only acquiring 18 points from 25 games.

Oduenyi and Mayembe will hope to help Minai return to winning ways when they take on Vorskla in their next league game on May 9.

The centre-forward had previously starred for the Austrian Bundesliga club LASK, NK Sesvete, SV Horn before joining SV Ried.

The forward, who started his career at Emmanuel Amuneke academy, will hope to make a more meaningful impact at the club level to catch the attention of the Nigeria national team handler.

Bernd Leno described Arsenal's dressing room mood as somber after they exited the Europa League through a 0-0 semi-final second leg draw with Villarreal on Thursday.

The goalkeeper called the Gunners' performance "not good enough" and "very hard for all of us" as the hosts failed to overturn their 2-1 deficit from the first leg. They managed just two shots on target despite holding the vast majority of possession.

Arsenal are now almost certainly out of contention for Champions League qualification, as the Europa League had served as the club's last realistic avenue to earn a place in next year's tournament given their subpar domestic campaign.

What has been said?

"It's very hard for all of us," Leno told BT Sport. "Also for the fans. We are all sad. Hopefully we can make next season better than this season but this season isn't over and in our final four games we must fight for this club and show that we love this club."

"I think that the problem was that we didn't take our chances. Overall we were the better side. In the first half in Villarreal we were not on our level and that is what beat us.

"In the first half of the first leg we were not at our best but in that second half and today we put everything in. But it was not enough, not good enough.

"A semi-final experience is very important but this is no excuse. We had enough chances to go through. We needed just one goal. It's too easy to say it's just experience."

Bigger picture

Arsenal's season has fallen short in almost every respect, and they will play out their final four Premier League matches hoping to find positives entering the summer. There is also the chance to damage Chelsea's top-four hopes when they meet Thomas Tuchel's squad on May 12.

But the Europa League was the Gunners' last hope of silverware this campaign, and as Leno articulated, the dull manner they crashed out of the competition will sting.

Further reading

Freddie Ljungberg has called for significant change at Arsenal after their Europa League exit, which he hopes represents "rock bottom" for the north London outfit.

The Gunners missed the chance to set up an all English continental final against Manchester United after losing to Villarreal 2-1 on aggregate in their last-four tie.

Their fate was sealed after they could only manage a 0-0 draw with the La Liga outfit at Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, leaving Ljungberg in no doubt that an overhaul is needed behind the scenes.

What's been said?

The former Arsenal forward and caretaker boss told BT Sport post-match: "I hope that this is the rock bottom and it can change from here.

"It really, really hurts but I think there needs to be a change in how they invest into the club, and change the pattern that we get worse and worse every year."

Arsenal's miserable 2020-21 campaign

Optimism was high before Arsenal's latest season after Arteta was able to deliver and FA Cup and Community Shield double in his first seven months in charge, but the positive mood at the Emirates soon gave way to a familiar feeling of frustration.

The Gunners slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League standings before the festive period while also exiting the Carabao Cup, and inconsistency has continued to plague them since the turn of the year.

An early FA Cup exit followed before any hope of qualifying for the Champions League via the top-flight was dashed completely, leaving Arsenal with only the Europa League left to play for.

Unfortunately, Arteta's predecessor Unai Emery was then able to get one over on the club that sacked him in 2019 by springing an upset with Villarreal, who will compete in their first-ever continental final in Gdansk on May 26.

The Gunners have only four games remaining this season, and they will likely have to pick up maximum points against West Brom, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Brighton in order to avoid failing to finish in the European places for the first time in 25 years.

Arsenal supporters vs Kroenke

As the Gunners' troubles on the pitch have worsened week by week, so too has the tension between supporters and the club's owners, the Kroenke family.

Fans staged a mass protest outside Emirates Stadium before the team's 1-0 defeat to Everton in April to oppose the controversial Super League plans, which the Gunners were originally involved in as one of the 12 founding members.

The Kroenke's issued a public apology to the Arsenal fanbase after the breakaway fell though, but have ruled out selling the club amid talk of a potential takeover from Spotify owner Daniel Ek.

Further reading

Arsenal fans have been trolled by fellow football enthusiasts on social media after they failed to progress to the Uefa Europa League final.

The Gunners played out a goalless draw with Villarreal in the second leg of their semi-final fixture on Thursday but they were eliminated by a 2-1 aggregate loss which they conceded in the first-leg in Spain last Thursday.

Arsenal’s elimination by Villarreal means their former manager Unai Emery has another shot to win the secondary European competition when the Yellow Submarine battle Manchester United at the Stadion Energa Gdansk on May 26.

The Gunners are ninth in the Premier League table and their fans are worried they might not play any European competition next season as they are nine points from the European qualification spot with four matches left.

Harry Maguire has admitted that Manchester United were "edgy" during their second-leg defeat to Roma while likening the contest to a basketball match due to its end-to-end nature.

United went down 3-2 at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night, but still managed to progress to the Europa League final 8-5 on aggregate courtesy of their 6-2 victory at Old Trafford last week.

Maguire was relieved that the Red Devils were able to qualify for the showpiece after an under-par showing in Rome, and singled out Edinson Cavani for special praise for his two-goal showing.

What's been said?

"It's a great achievement to get to the final," the United captain told BT Sport. "We didn't win the game and that's disappointing but we did the hard work in the first leg.

"We started the game a bit edgy. It was end to end like basketball and we gave them too many chances in the second half. Now we've got to go to the final and win it."

Maguire added on Cavani's contribution: "Edinson scored two great goals and his movement and work rate without the ball is excellent.

"His second goal is typical of him and what he has done throughout his career."

Man Utd come through rollercoaster Roma tie

The Red Devils gave themselves plenty of margin for error in Italy after their thumping victory over Roma in Manchester, during which Cavani and Bruno Fernandes both netted braces and Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood also got in on the act.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side made a strong start at Stadio Olimpico too, with Cavani firing a fierce effort past Giallorossi goalkeeper Antonio Mirante in the 39th minute after being played through by Fred.

However, Roma battled back early in the second half with goals from Edin Dzeko and Bryan Cristante, which gave the Serie A outfit faint hope of a miraculous recovery for a short while.

United levelled the scores in the 68th minute when Cavani headed in a beautifully flighted Fernandes cross to put pay to that notion, but the hosts still managed to earn the victory on the night thanks to a late own goal from Alex Telles.

The tie produced a total of 13 goals, equalling the record for the joint highest tally in two legs of a European semi-final set by Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers back in the 1959-60 European Cup - which ended 12-4.

Who will Man Utd play in the final?

Man Utd have been rewarded for seeing off Roma with a final date against Villarreal at Stadion Energa Gdansk in Poland on May 26.

Arsenal failed to set up an all-English showpiece event after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Villarreal, who will be appearing in their first-ever European final under Unai Emery.

Further reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has blasted Manchester United's upcoming schedule as "unheard of" and "physically impossible" as his men will be forced to play five domestic matches in quick succession before their May 26 Europa League final date with Villarreal.

The Red Devils advanced past Roma in the semi-final on Thursday, winning 8-5 on aggregate despite being outscored 3-2 in the second leg.

Solskjaer said their fixture list was "made by people who have never played football at this level" and could harm his players in the final month of the campaign.

What has been said?

"It's unheard of," Solskjaer told BT Sport. "It's made by people who have never played football at this level.

"It's physically impossible for the players. We have not been dealt a good hand. We are going to need everyone [the rest of the way]. It's a short turnaround but we have to be ready.

"It feels good to be in the final. We played one very, very good half at Old Trafford which has taken us through."

Remaining fixtures for Man Utd

Further reading