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Thomas Tuchel has told his young Chelsea squad to embrace the experience of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final this week.

Chelsea have not reached the last four of Europe's elite competition since 2014. They also have a squad that's stocked with new signings and academy players that have yet to reach this stage.

Meanwhile, Madrid have won the Champions League three times under manager Zinedine Zidane, with many of those European champions in their squad. Tuchel believes his side can compete but wants them to learn over two legs versus Los Blancos.

What was said?

"Zidane has an incredible record, especially in the Champions League, which he won three times in a row which is pretty much impossible to do," Tuchel told reporters. "We arrived in the semi-final and on the highest level, we will play Real Madrid and it cannot be harder.

"That's because they are the most experienced team in this competition. They will play these games with full confidence and awareness. They are on a very good run at the moment. Sixteen or so games unbeaten. I am sure we will arrive with confidence and true inner belief.

"We have now crucial matches in the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League after performing and getting good results. I hope we can play adventurous football. We can play aggressive and intense football. We will fight them hard and let's see who gets the win out of these two games.

"It's a big challenge and after it, we will be smarter and better. This will be a huge experience together. We are very happy to arrive at this level. This is what you dream of as a little boy, to play international games against Real Madrid, there's no doubt about it."

How are Chelsea shaping up?

Chelsea's only likely absentee is former Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who suffered a hamstring problem in training last week.

The Blues go into the match after wins against Manchester City and West Ham allowed them to reach the FA Cup final while also building a three-point lead in their efforts to finish fourth in the league.

Tuchel is delighted with how his team is shaping up for the make-or-break final month of the campaign.

"We closed the gap very early when it clearly was not in our hands so we closed it early because the other teams didn't have the results when we had the results," he added.

"Since last week, it was in our own hands because we arrived in fourth and we took advantage against West Ham in this direct duel which is very significant. It is always a huge win to win like this. For me, it is not over yet.

"At the moment, we are suffering a bit without Kovacic in our two No.6s [setup]. Hopefully, he can come back against Fulham.

"He has not trained with the team yet so I think Tuesday will be too early, unfortunately, because he was so happy to play against his former team-mates. He was crucial again for us and he could have helped us a lot against Brighton and West Ham.

"He has technique, ball runs and his dribbling. It is like this and the team is doing an amazing job. We have to keep on going and it is far from over."

Further reading

Lyon striker Islam Slimani said he received a phone call from former Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho when he was struggling to settle down at Leicester City.

Before completing a free transfer to the Groupama Stadium earlier this year, the Algeria star endured a torrid spell at Leicester with loan spells at Newcastle United, Fenerbahce and Monaco.

It was a turnaround campaign for Slimani during the 2019-20 season where he scored nine Ligue 1 goals in 18 games despite a tactical switch that saw him drop to the bench.

His impressive goal record last year made him a transfer target for Spurs and he described Mourinho’s call as ‘a reward for his form’.

“At the start, I was the typical scorer. I changed my way of playing a bit in Turkey (2018-2019, in Fenerbahce), where I had to drop out to get balls,” Slimani told L’Equipe. “And then with Wissam (Ben Yedder) in Monaco (2019-2020), it worked well like that too, even if (Robert) Moreno (the coach, arrived in December 2019) chose to only play with a striker last year, so to put me on the bench.

 “Mourinho then called me at this time for Tottenham. It is a form of reward. You tell yourself that some see your efforts.”

On the international scene, Slimani – who has been a regular fixture in Algeria national team since he made his debut against Mali in May 2012 – explained Algerians’ love for football.

The 32-year-old was part of Djamel Belmadi’s team that won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and he is the second all-time top scorer in the Desert Foxes' history with 31 goals in 70 games - five gooals behind Abdelhafid Tasfaout.

He said: “Every time I wear the Algerian jersey, it's like it was the first time, with the same emotion. With us, football is crazy.

“When we were African champion in 2019, or when we came back from Brazil in 2014, it was incredible. When you see the people like that, old people, mothers running in front of the bus just to say thank you. I wanted to say thank you for being there in return.”

Rachid Ghezzal and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou have expressed their delight after Besiktas silenced Kayserispor 3-1 in Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig clash.

Both Africans were on target as the Black and Whites extended their unbeaten run to five, as well as continue their push for a 16th Super Lig title.

Following a 0-0 draw against Sivasspor last time out, Sergen Yalcin’s men approached the game with seriousness to send the Anatolian Star home empty-handed.

Speaking to the club website, Leicester City loanee Ghezzal described the win as "important" while stating that he would play in any position assigned to him by manager Yalcin.

"It was very important to win [on Saturday] after the points losses we had,” said the Algeria international.

“We've got five games ahead of us. We're happy we won. We looked for our strikers and Gokhan Tore fought well, he did his best.

“As a team, we always have to play the way we did. I'll play forward or defence if I have to. I want to be useful to the team. Once we have a good rest, we will prepare for the next game."

In the same vein, two-goal hero N'Koudou expressed his team’s desire to keep pushing until the league title is won.

"It was very important that we win,” the Cameroon prospect said.

“We didn't have a choice. We've been losing points by playing poorly for a couple of games. We wanted to make a comeback.

“I've been through a rough patch. I promised myself I'd work to win the championship. We'll never give up. I'll do my best; I want to be useful to the team. Thank God I scored today."

Ghezzal put Besiktas ahead in the fourth minute via a penalty kick after Adem Ljajic was brought down in the box.

That lead lasted for just two minutes before Pedro Henrique levelled matters after profiting from a Denis Alibec assist.

In the 13th minute, N'Koudou restored his side’s lead after slotting Ljajic’s pass past goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar.

Twenty-five minutes prior to full-time, Ghezzal turned provider for N’Koudou to seal the victory for the hosts.

After garnering 75 points from 35 points, Besiktas lead the log. They are three points ahead of closest challengers Fenerbahce.

Alvaro Morata has claimed he'd gladly stay at Juventus for life but is currently unsure of his future as his loan from Atletico Madrid winds down.

Morata rescued a point for Juve on Sunday as his goal at the start of the second half clinched a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina. 

Juventus will have a decision to make on Morata at season's end, as they can purchase the striker outright, extend his loan, or send him back to Atletico.

What was said?

“Everyone knows I would gladly stay here for life if I had the chance, but this is a profession, football is a business and a lot of the time we players don’t have much choice," Morata told Sky Italia after Sunday's match.

On the match, the Spaniard added: “We could have scored more, but we didn’t manage. We had a better attitude in the second half, which will make us win the next games.

“I look serious because I don’t like not winning. We are having a difficult season. This year has been so difficult. It doesn’t matter who scores. It counts to win games. Today we proved we could win it.”

The bigger picture

Morata has enjoyed a successful season with Juve on a personal level, as Sunday's strike was his 18th in all competitions.

For Juventus on the whole, though, the 2020-21 campaign has been a major step backwards.

The Bianconeri are set to see their streak of nine straight league titles end, and they are instead in a battle for a top-four spot and a place in next season's Champions League. 

Juventus were knocked out of this season's Champions League by Porto at the last-16 stage, with May's Coppa Italia final against Atalanta their last chance for major silverware this term.

The club has an option to purchase Morata for €45 million (£39m/$53m) at the end of the season.

Juve can also extend Morata's loan for a further season for €10m (£8m/$12m).

Further reading

Prince Dube scored the only goal to help Azam beat Yanga SC 1-0 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday night to retain their hopes of winning the league this season.

The Ice-cream Makers started the game well and could have opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Selemani Iddi got into a good area, but Ayub Lyanga failed to connect to it.

Three minutes later, goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo had to be at his best to push the ball out for a corner. The hosts had conceded a free-kick in a good area and former Tanzania international defender Aggrey Morris took it well, but the Kenyan was there to stop him.

From the resulting corner, the defenders failed to clear and the ball fell to Selemani in a good area, but his fierce shot narrowly missed the target with the goalkeeper stranded.

The first serious attempt from Wananchi came from Saidi Ntibanzokiza when the ball somehow managed to get to him in the danger zone. But his tame effort from about 12-yards missed the target.

The 2014 champions were the better side and they finished the first half on a high. With a minute left to the break, Braison Nkulula was given a lot of space and his shot from about 25-yards hit the crossbar with Shikhalo well beaten.

After the pause, the Ice-cream Makers still showed their hunger for goal as Wananchi looked disjointed.

The Jangwani Street-based charges had half chances, with Yacouba Songne and Michael Sarpong coming close, but they lacked composure in the danger zone.

With the match seemingly headed for a goalless draw, the inevitable happened. Zimbabwean Dube unleashed a fierce strike which Shikhalo failed to keep out and Azam managed to get maximum points to reduce the gap between them and Simba to four points.

Meanwhile, Ihefu FC collected their third win in a row after defeating Coastal Union 3-0 at the Highland Estate Grounds in Mbeya.

Prior to the game, the debutants had defeated Mbeya City and Tanzania Prisons, and were hoping to get another three points.

It took them just 20 minutes to score when Andrew Simchimba capitalised on poor defending.

The attacker was on target again 13 minutes later, this time around unleashing a fierce strike that the goalkeeper failed to keep out.

The third goal came in the 36th minute courtesy of Raphael Loth.

Tanzania Prisons also collected maximum points at the expense of Ruvu Shooting after emerging 1-0 victors.

The lone goal came in the 51st minute through Jeremiah Juma.

Yanga SC XI: Farouk Shikhalo, Shomari Kibwana, Adeyum Saleh, Abdallah Haji, Dickson Job, Mukoko Tonombe, Deus Kaseke, Carlos Carlinhos, Michael Sarpong, Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Yacouba Songne

Subs: Metacha Mnata, Paulo Godfrey, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Fisal Salum, Haruna Niyonzima, Ditram Nchimbi, Waziri Junior. 

Azam XI: Mathias Kigonya, Nico Wadada, Bruce Kangwa, Daniel Amoah, Aggrey Morris, Braison Nkulula, Ayub Lyanga, Mudathir Yahya, Prince Dube, Yahya Zaydi, Iddi Selemani

Subs: Wilbol Maseke, Abdul Haji, Abdallah Kheri, Yakubu Mohamed, Never Tigere, Ismail Kader, Obrey Chirwa.

Antoine Griezmann says that he is “proud” to play with Barcelona, even if it means that he does not get to feature in his favoured role.

Griezmann has found himself deployed as one of a starting ‘two’ in attack alongside Lionel Messi in recent weeks, though he is more used to playing as the sole focal point to the team.

Since switching to a 3-5-2 formation, Barcelona have seen their fortunes improve, and that continued on Sunday as Griezmann netted both goals as the Catalans came from behind to secure a 2-1 away win over Villarreal.

What did Griezmann say?

"I try to be there, among the opposition centre-backs," he told LaLiga TV . "I need to make space and create room for my team-mates.

"It's not my natural position, but I'm proud to be at Barcelona and play with these team-mates. Sometimes I'm asked to mark, other times I lead, but I always work for the team."

The bigger picture

Griezmann had been linked with a move away from Barcelona earlier in the season amid rumours that he was displeased by head coach Ronald Koeman’s decision to play him on the wing.

Indeed, for a period, Griezmann was struggling to even hold down a starting berth.

His form, however, has since improved, and he has 22 goals and assists combined for the season - a tally that only Lionel Messi and Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno can better in La Liga.

Further reading

Simba SC board chairperson Salim Abdallah has denied reports that they have been banned by Fifa from signing players for one season after failing to settle the Tsh10 million fine relating to Asante Kwasi's departure.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi were dragged to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the defender over claims of wrongful dismissal and recent reports indicated the club has been slapped with a transfer ban for their failure to pay the Ghanaian the millions awarded.

Simba signed Kwasi from Lipuli in 2017 and dismissed him in 2019, leading to a legal tussle between the two parties.

"Those are propaganda as we have no received any letter indicating that we have been banned over Kwasi case," Abdallah told Mwanaspoti.

"Remember the propaganda around Shiza Kichuya, the orchestrators came up with the rumours we had been banned but up to now, we have not. They have come up with something else now around Kwasi.

"I can remember Kwasi claimed the debt when Crescentius Magori was the CEO and since then we have had Senzo Mazingisa and now Barbara Gonzalez in that office and that means we should have received an official letter from CAS."

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Football Federation ethics committee chair Mwita Waisaka has explained how Simba can go around the Kwasi case and avoid a one-season transfer ban from the world governing body.

Waisaka believes the Tanzanian champions can seek more time in order to pay the defender and therefore avoid the ban when it takes effect.

"It is true that once CAS has pronounced itself, it is hard to launch an appeal but Simba should not be worried for now," he told the same publication.

"If they have some concrete reasons as to why they have not been able to pay, then I think they can be heard and given a second chance to clear the fines, therefore, be able to avoid a ban."

Should the rumours around the ban be confirmed, it will be a blow for Simba, who are expected to make huge signings in order to have another strong squad for the Caf Champions League next season.

Just like in the last transfer window, the Tanzanian champions are expected to bolster the team with a mixture of both local and foreign talent.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes that Kaizer Chiefs should not have been the team to end their unbeaten record in the PSL on Sunday.

Masandawana saw their 21-match unbeaten run in the PSL this season come to an end after succumbing to a 2-1 defeat to Amakhosi at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, and Mngqithi is of the opinion his side should have killed off the game earlier. 

"I think it's a game that we could have easily wrapped earlier. We messed around. We resorted to ball possession when we could have penetrated and created some good moments. They gave us opportunities. Even second half, we had a very good opportunity to get the second," Mngqithi told SuperSport TV. 

"But when you don't take that on a counter-attack we lose possession instead of blocking the opponent or making sure he doesn't go past you. So that they don't gain momentum when they break. But when you let him loose on the half-way line already from there an opportunity is created.

"You can say their goal was a deflection but there's no luck in football. Only when hard work meets opportunity and because they worked very hard to get themselves in those moments. We slipped on a counter. We were caught with our right channel being open when we knew very well our legs were going. We felt we need to attack with one fullback at a time.. 

"And when both fullbacks attacked simultaneously and then an opening is created without a six. The six shifted one side. It became very naive defending. It looked like nobody could see Zuma at that time.

"I honestly don't think this is the team that should have taken away our unbeaten record. I don't think they fought hard enough to make the game difficult for us. But I believe we lost to ourselves."

Mothobi Mvala was introduced after Sundowns conceded the first goal, while Ricardo Nascimento, Aubrey Modiba and Kermit Erasmis all came on following Chiefs' second goal, before Promise Mkhuma made a late substitute appearance and Mngqithi explained why they made those changes. 

"Gift gave us a very good first half and unfortunately when he started cramping we had to look to Kermit to come and assist us," he said.

"Very unfortunate for us to lose Andile Jali to a hamstring and that forced us to bring Mothobi Mvala on. Lyle Lakay was just a tactical switch. We felt Modiba could give us a little bit more energy. Promise coming on was forced because Gaston had a groin and we didn't want to exacerbate it. And Promise got a good opportunity but unfortunately, it was deflected.

"It was not a game we should have lost or even drawn. We had a lot of opportunities to add a goal or two. When we move a lot and our passes are precise we always do something. To say we have lost this match, it's a very sour feeling.

"It's not like all is lost. We still have the capacity to bounce back. A defeat like this wakes you up because it tells you that you are not invincible and it tells that you must always be cautious and focused in every match and give it your all.

"At times when you don't lose you feel you are entitled to win matches. And you don't give your best. Had we got the second goal you know what we can do technically with the ball."

Sundowns will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Lamontville Golden Arrows on Wednesday. 

Ini Umotong scored the winner for Lewes as they secured a 1-0 victory over Leicester City in Sunday's FA Women's Championship encounter.

The Nigerian has continued to impress in front of goal since she arrived at the Dripping Pan from Swedish side Vaxjo in January.

Before Sunday's fixture, she had scored five goals in all competitions, including a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Southampton last time out, and went on to increase her tally against Leicester.

For the visitors, Leicester had already confirmed their promotion to the English Women's Super League with two games to spare and were only hoping to end their fantastic campaign without defeat.

Umotong netted the match-winner from the penalty spot in the 20th minute to ensure her English side ended their campaign at home on a high.

The 26-year-old was involved in the match from start to finish and has now scored six goals in all competitions for Lewes this season. 

The victory was Lewes' eighth of the season and also took them to fifth position on the log with 28 points from 19 matches.

Up next, Lewes will aim to end their current season in style when they take on ninth-placed side Crystal Palace on May 5.

At Crystal Palace, Umotong will also be hoping to sign off her first season with Lewes in a high by adding to her tally.

Moses Simon provided an assist while Jean-Charles Castelletto scored as Nantes secured a 2-1 victory over Strasbourg in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game.    

Antoine Kombouare’s men have been less impressive in their recent games, losing their last three matches, to Nice, Rennes and Lyon.   

The Nigeria and the Cameroon internationals then helped the Canaries return to winning ways at Stade de la Meinau.

Nantes aimed for an early goal and made several attempts to try and open the scoring but missed the chances that came their way.

Simon delivered a fine cross in the seventh minute of the encounter but his teammates failed to make the most of the opportunity.

Nantes then found themselves on the back foot when Ludovic Ajorque, who is eligible to play for Madagascar, broke the deadlock moments before the half-time break after he was set up by Lionel Carole.

The Canaries continued their quest for victory after the start of the second half and their efforts paid off in the 53rd minute.

Cameroon defender Castelletto ignited the comeback for Kombouare’s men when he steered a fine header into the back of the net.

Simon then set up Ludovic Blas with a fine pass, and he fired home his effort for the match-winning goal 14 minutes before the end of the encounter.

The Super Eagles winger featured for 80 minutes before he was replaced by Marcus Regis Coco, while his teammate and Mali international Kalifa Coulibaly was on parade for the entirety of the game along with Castelletto.

Senegal international Habib Diallo featured for Strasbourg and played for 80 minutes before making way for Dion Sahi.

Simon has now scored five goals and provided two assists in 29 league appearances this season.

Despite the victory, Nantes remain in the relegation zone after gathering 31 points from 34 games and will hope to build on their good result at Stade de la Meinau when they take on Brest on May 2.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has commended Andre Ayew’s sacrifice in helping the club to a 2-2 draw with Reading in the Championship on Sunday.

With his side 1-0 down in the matchday 43 fixture, the Ghana star, half-fit owing to a hamstring injury picked up two matchdays earlier, was thrown into the fray in the 64th minute as the Jack Army chased an equalizer.

Three minutes later, his delightful backheel pass allowed Jay Fulton to charge into the opposition box in what ultimately led to Jamal Lowe’s equalizer, before he registered a goal of his own seven minutes prior to full-time.

“Andre is a really good player and person, he thrives on being the big player and we are very happy to have him,” Cooper said of Ayew, who completely sat out Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers.

“The team comes first, not himself, and you could see that today. It would have been great if we didn’t need him, as it would have meant we were comfortable in the game.

“But we did, he was medically cleared to play 30 minutes, and it ended up being a good move thanks to the good work from Andre and the medical team. It helped get the result we wanted.”

Sunday’s point has secured Swansea a place in the promotion play-offs, moving the club a step closer to a return to the elite division following their relegation in 2018.

“We did that and scored two good goals and I felt we were the more threatening team. We knew it would be crazy at the end as they had to win, they had four or five attacking players on the pitch, and you just wanted to make sure we got that point,” Cooper added.

“We wanted to win, but if there is ever a game to accept a draw, then this is maybe the one. We are happy to be in there in the play-offs, we are satisfied, but we want more than we had last season.

“This club has had big moments, it has been in the Premier League, it has won a major honour and played in Europe, so I don’t want our ambition as a club to be that getting in the play-offs is an achievement.”

Ayew’s strike broke his 15-goal record attained last season. The Ghana captain is the club’s current top scorer so far this season.

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa has denied reports Gor Mahia will be crowned FKF Premier League champions for the 2020-21 season if it is cancelled.

A section of the Kenyan media reported on Sunday the FKF boss has conceded the current season will be cancelled and Gor Mahia will remain champions, thus earning them the chance to represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

Mwendwa has dismissed the claims as baseless, insisting as a federation they will do everything in their means to have the season played to the end and further clarified by virtue of winning the league last season, Gor Mahia will represent the country in Cecafa Kagame Cup scheduled for August.

“I have not said anything like that, crowning Gor Mahia if the current season is cancelled, we are not ready to cancel the season, what I know the league will be played to the end and we will have a rightful winner,” Mwendwa told Goal on Sunday.

“It is unfortunate they have written what I did not say, they have just misquoted me, but let me put it clearly on what I said, the league will be played to the end but by virtue of winning the same last season, Gor Mahia will be our flag bearers in the Kagame Cup set for August.

“I am confident we will finish this season, we are waiting for the government to give us an okay, we have not given up, we are likely to resume the league earlier in July or the end of May.

“We don’t want to start speculating issues and remember this league issue is a very sensitive matter, it is very sensitive and we must be very careful, I want to repeat, the league will not be cancelled, we will play it to the end and a winner will be found.”

The current campaign was halted on March 26 after a directive from Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the indefinite suspension of all sporting activities, citing a spike in positive coronavirus in the third wave of the pandemic.

Despite efforts by the FKF to have the league resumed, the Ministry of Health have stuck their ground. 

It is a decision that has potentially put the Kenyan league in jeopardy since there is no clarity on whether it will be played to the end or be cancelled like was the case in the 2019-20 season.

Last season, the league was cancelled in March after Kenya recorded their first case of Covid-19 with Gor Mahia, who were then leading the 18-team table, being declared the champions and Kakamega Homeboyz coming second.

And in the current campaign, after 16 games played, Tusker are leading the log with 36 points whereas Zoo FC, Mathare United, and Vihiga United are in the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Terem Moffi has now matched Victor Ikpeba’s goalscoring record in Ligue 1, having scored a hat-trick against Bordeaux.

The Nigerian striker was Lorient’s hero by scoring on three occasions as they overpowered the Girondins 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Prior to the encounter against the visitors, the 21-year-old had found the net three times in his last two league games.

He bagged a brace in his penultimate outing, but his team suffered a 3-2 away defeat to Olympique Marseille.

With relegation staring Christophe Pelissier’s men in the face, they welcomed Bordeaux, who are also battling against demotion.

In dire need of a victory, they dominated ball possession from the first blast of Jeremie Pignard’s whistle.

Their dominance paid off in the 18th minute after Yoane Wissa put Lorient ahead with Enzo Le Fee providing the assist.

The Congolese forward headed the Frenchman’s corner kick past goalkeeper Benoit Costil, to the excitement of fans at the Stade du Moustoir.

They did not take their foot off the proverbial pedal as they doubled their advantage two minutes later with Moffi the goalscorer. He was teed up in the box by Wissa, who darted through the visitors’ backline.

Two minutes before the half-time break, the Nigerian completed his brace to put his team three goals up.

Controlling a long pass from Trevoh Chalobah, he beat defenders Mexer and Paul Baysse before slotting the ball into an empty net after Costil had rushed off his line.

The Merlucciidaes continued their dominance in the second half, however, it was the Super Eagles prospect who stole the show of the day by sealing his treble in style.

Receiving a pass from substitute Armand Lauriente, he controlled the ball, picked his spot before unleashing a beauty past the opposition outside the box.

With that, he has now scored 14 goals in his maiden season in French football. In the process, he equalled Ikpeba’s feat in a single season during his time at AS Monaco during the 1997-98 campaign.

Not willing to go down without a fight, Bordeaux pulled a goal back through Malian midfielder Issouf Sissokho with seven minutes left to play.

After an impressive shift that lasted for 85 minutes, the Calabar born marksman was substituted for Pierre-Yves Hamel.

Thanks to this result, Lorient moved four points clear of the relegation zone having accrued 35 points from 34 encounters in the 2020-21 campaign.

Ex-Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has backed Jurgen Klopp to become Bayern Munich's next manager.

Bayern will be on the lookout for a new head coach at the end of the season, with Hansi Flick having publicly revealed his desire to cut short his contract which was originally set to run to 2023.

Klopp, who is currently in charge at Liverpool, has been touted as one of the leading candidates to replace Flick and Weidenfeller thinks he would be the ideal fit for the top job at Allianz Arena.

What's been said?

Weidenfeller played under Klopp at Dortmund between 2008 and 2015, with the 40-year-old claiming that Bayern tried and failed to bring him onto their books before he moved to Westfalenstadion from Mainz.

"If the situation arises like this, I don't know whether he will turn down a second Bayern offer," the former Dortmund star told Sport 1. "Jurgen was already in conversation with Bayern before he landed in Dortmund. It's the next step for Jurgen, as long as he still wants to be on the pitch every day."

What has Klopp said about his future?

Questions have been asked over Klopp's future at Anfield amid Liverpool's disastrous Premier League title defence this season.

The Reds have slipped to sixth in the top-flight, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot with just five games remaining.

Klopp's side are also destined to finish the campaign without a trophy, but he has no plans to leave Merseyside before his contract expires in three years time.

"I’m here as a football coach and manager, and I will do that as long as people let me do that," he said earlier this month.

"I heard that I will resign or whatever. If times get even tougher, that makes me even more sticky that I will stay here."

Who else is in the running for the Bayern job?

Klopp is not the only high profile name being linked with the managerial hot seat, with RB Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann also thought to be among Bayern's targets.

Ex-Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri and Ajax's Erik ten Hag are in the frame too, along with former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Further reading