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Achraf Hakimi has expressed his willingness to continue his stay with Serie A side Inter Milan for a very ‘long time’.

The wing-back teamed up with the Black and Blues last summer from Real Madrid after ending his loan stay at Borussia Dortmund, where he made a key impact.

The defender has since made 37 appearances for Inter, scoring six goals and providing seven assists to help the club move closer to realizing their dream of winning the Serie A title for the first time since 2010.

Hakimi explained he had many offers from other European outfits before joining the Black and Blues, revealing why he chose the club.

“The team that attracted me the most was Inter and I saw it as a growth project. I am honoured to be one of the testimonials for the new club logo,” Hakimi told La Repubblica newspaper, as per Football Italia.

“I like it, as it looks to the future, a future we can build together. I hope to stay at this club for a long time, I’m very happy,”

Inter Milan are 11 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, having been unbeaten in their last 14 league games.

The Morocco international revealed his side’s impressive performances in the Italian top-flight were a result of hard work and focus.

“It was a gradual growth process, as many of us were new here, myself included, so we took a while to get to know each other,” he continued.

“Some things also happened that gave us that extra push. The Champions League elimination allowed us to focus entirely on Serie A and we learned from every defeat what we really wanted to do.

“We talk about the Scudetto with respect, knowing it’s not won yet. That’s the objective, I won’t lie, but there’s a while to go.”

Hakimi also praised Inter manager Antonio Conte for his tactical know-how and his relationship with the players.

“That was a lovely gesture of affection. The coach is with us no matter what happens. He’s like a big brother, for age and experience," he added.

“He lets us be free and enjoy our football, which you can tell. He’s not just a coach, he’s part of this group that he created.

“I grew up at Real Madrid with a four-man defence, but I do have more freedom to push forward in a 3-5-2. The focus on tactics and defending are central to Conte’s idea of football and making me a more complete player. Our strength is that we want the same things and are all on the same page, off and on the field.

“It’s a football match, not a film. In football what counts is scoring goals and not conceding them, winning games and finishing first in tournaments.”

The defender also reacted to the hypothetical scenario of playing with Brazil's Ronaldo.

“I wonder what we could’ve done together! You can do anything with Ronaldo, it would’ve been wonderful to run down the flank and provide him with an assist,” he concluded.

Chris Smalling has thanked well wishers and urged those who robbed him at gunpoint to “find a more meaningful way to live their lives”.

The defender, who joined Roma from Manchester United, was held up along with his family at their home in the Italian capital.

Watches and jewellery were stolen in the raid, and Smalling has called on the perpetrators to think about their actions to avoid harm in the future.

What was said?

Taking to Twitter, Smalling said: “Hoping these people can find a more meaningful way to live their lives without causing such harm and distress to others.

“I’d like to thank everyone for your well wishes and support! My family although very shaken up are luckily unharmed!”

"They asked me my name," he added in an interview with Corriere della Sera. "They wanted to know if we had cash in the house.

"They ordered us to sit on the bed. They did not beat us or tie us up."

The BBC reported Smalling as “shocked by the incident but is now calm after the situation was brought under control.”

Smalling’s mixed spell in Rome

The defender made a bright start to life in Serie A and turned his loan move at the club into a permanent arrangement in October of last year.

He is currently sidelined with a knee injury and it could rule him out of a meeting with former club United in the Europa League.

The two sides are set to meet over two legs of a semi-final on April 29 and May 6, but Smalling is a doubt on account of the injury that has sidelined him since March 7.

Further reading

India international goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan has put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Icelandic club Hamar Hveragerði whose women's team competes in the third division of Iceland's Women's league.

Chauhan has already signed her contract with the club and is awaiting her visa before she can travel to Iceland.

With Chauhan joining Hamar, she is now the second Indian woman player after Bala Devi, who plays for Rangers FC women's team in Scotland, among active footballers to ply her trade outside India. 

The 28-year-old player had started her professional career in England with West Ham United's women's team in 2015 and played for them in England's third division. She was in England to pursue  M.Sc in Sports Management from Loughborough University.

She worked as a student ambassador and in her free time, she used to appear for trials. 

From one such trial, Milwall FC had shown interest in signing but since she was on a student visa, Chauhan was not eligible to sign a professional contract. According to the rules of the FA — English football’s governing body — a player on a student visa cannot join a club in the top two tiers of women’s football.

In 2019-20, the India international played for Gokulam Kerala FC in the Indian Women's League (IWL) and had won the league title with the Malabarians in her maiden season.

Yanga SC interim coach Juma Mwambusi has promised direct football as his team hosts Biashara Mara United in the Tanzania Mainland League assignment at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday night.

Wananchi are targeting a double over their opponents in the top-tier after claiming a 1-0 win in the first round. The experienced tactician conceded his charges had made mistakes in the past but he has rectified them hoping for maximum points.

"We have forgotten the past result where we collected a point [in 1-1 draw against KMC FC], we are going to make rectifications for about two, three mistakes we made in our previous game," Mwambusi told Goal.

"You will see changes because we have made amends especially on our failure to capitalise on the scoring chances we had created. The players are also ready for the game. We respect all the teams plying their trade in the league," Biashara included. 

"We will be playing direct football whereby we will be attacking from the first to the final whistle hoping to convert as many chances as possible. The most important thing is that we are ready and prepared for the game."

After recent slip-ups, Wananchi are in danger of losing their first position to their rivals Simba SC who are third with 49 points. The reigning champions are on 49 points from 21 games, two less than the Jangwani Street-based charges who have played 24 games. 

Azam come second with 50 points from the 26 matches they have played. But Mwambusi insists they will fight to the end and are firmly in contention for the title.

"Yanga are still very much in contention for the title and we will not stop fighting for it despite the unsatisfying results we have registered recently. 

"We have about 10 games remaining in the ongoing campaign and we want to collect as many points as possible but the target is to win every match."

Wananchi have managed 14 wins, nine draws and a loss. In those games, they have scored 37 goals and conceded 15.

They are playing Biashara who are in the fourth position with 40 points. Out of the 25 games played, 11 have ended in wins, seven in draws and as many games ending in defeats. They have also scored 21 goals and conceded 20.  

Kampala City Council Authority FC interim coach Morley Byekwaso has stated their defeat against URA FC is now behind them and their target is to earn revenge against SC Villa in a Ugandan Premier League match on Sunday.

The Kasasiro Boys suffered their fifth defeat of the season after losing 2-0 against the Tax Collectors, who ended up sealing a double over them at the Arena of Visions on Wednesday.

Ahead of their match against the Jogoos at Lugogo Stadium in Kampala, interim coach Byekwaso has promised an immediate response saying they will have to earn revenge against the side which beat them 2-1 in the first round fixture at Nakivubo Stadium in December.

“We expect to take revenge because we lost at their home, so we need to win at our home to make the table look a bit clean, once we lost on Wednesday, it was very bad for us and the table turned ugly,” Byekwaso told the club’s Online TV.

“Life has come back to normal, we have trained well, although we lost last time our spirits are very high, the URA game is gone and now we are planning to see how we can beat Villa on Sunday.

“We all know it is not going to be a very easy game, it is going to be a very difficult game, we saw Villa against Express FC, they were very physical, they are very athletic but we have to play well, we have to manage the ball very well to see that we come out successful.”

Byekwaso further said his team has started to play his style insisting he will not change the starting eleven against Villa unless he has got injuries or players out with sickness.

“I think the team has started to regain what we want that is the possession of the ball and winning mentality and the pressing and I think on a good pitch like ours, we are going to have a very good show, and I know whoever, plays well will definitely get a chance to start, but we will keep our squad with those who play well,” Byekwaso, who took over from Mike Mutebi, continued.

“So I can only make changes to the starting squad if we have an injured player or if another player gets sick.”

On the fitness of returning player Hassan Jurua, Byekwaso said: “[Jurua] is a very good player despite the problems he got last year, we are now believing in him, and he has shown he can perform and we will continue to give him a chance so he can continue to prove us wrong, he knows how to use the ball and he has a very good sense of getting the ball to the forwards.”

KCCA are currently lying fifth on the 16-team table with 30 points from 17 matches, and they are 12 points behind table-toppers Vipers SC and URA, who both have 42 points are and joint top.

Uganda Revenue Authority FC coach Sam Ssimbwa was left unfazed by the fact they had sealed a double against BUL FC for the first time in the Ugandan Premier League on Saturday.

The Tax Collectors continued with their good run in the top-flight at the Arena of Visions as goals from Brian Majwega, Kagimu Shafik and Cromwel Rwothomio ensured they won 3-1 at home and also did a league double against BUL for the first time since their inception into the top-flight league.

Despite the home and away record win, coach Ssimbwa, who came into the match after being named the best coach for the month of March, maintained the most important thing was for his team to win the fixture and not to seal a double over their opponents.

“We don’t want to get carried away with records,” Ssimbwa told the club’s official website after the game. “They don’t mean a lot to us but perhaps to the fans, we want to win games. That’s all.

“There aren’t many better feelings in football than winning at home, even better, earning successive wins to climax a brilliant week.”

Ahead of the game, Ssimbwa made two changes to the squad that beat KCCA FC 2-0 with Ivan Sserubiri coming in for the injured Moses Sseruyidde and Cromwel Rwothomio for Dada Ibrahim.

The intention was clear from the team “go get that double”. URA had just completed their league double against KCCA and this, if done would prove to be another milestone in a season where records have become rampant for the team.

It took until the 10th minute for URA to create their first chance of the game with Kagimu setting up Steven Mukwala who forced the opposition goalkeeper to parry his chance out for a corner kick.

Brian Nkuubi came on for Julius Mutyaba who limped off the pitch injured in the 21st minute and the game would change at this instant as the Tax Collectors would take control of the proceedings from there on and the pressure did pay off in the 30th minute when Majwega brilliantly scored directly from a free-kick for the opener.

The joy was however short-lived as the visitors equalised in the game after just three minutes through Walter Ochora, who capitalised on a defensive lapse to bring the teams to level terms but Kagimu would get to relive the moment he had at the conclusion of the first half, this time, he made it count as he put URD forward again in the 57th minute.

Rwothomio eventually sealed the tie with the third on the day rebounding Kagimu’s shot which the goalkeeper missed.

URA will next face SC Villa in an away match at Bombo Military grounds stadium on Wednesday.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage across the world, with many countries continuing to report cases.

However, numerous Covid-19 vaccines have also been introduced and Qatar, hosts of the 2022 World Cup, are confident of hosting a Covid-free tournament next year. It must be noted that numerous sporting events across the world have been conducted without the involvement of spectators.

H.E Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that fans will be involved in full capacity at the 2022 World Cup during a video conference at this year's Raisina Dialogue, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with India's External Affairs Ministry. 

"Qatar is ready to demonstrate for the world that we can host such an event and we can have it hopefully, in person and this is our plan actually from the beginning. Since that time, we have been discussing and negotiating with the vaccination providers on how we can make sure that everyone attending the World Cup is vaccinated," he said during the conference. 

The Deputy Prime Minister went on to state that the plan was to vaccinate every person attending the 2022 World Cup. 

"Right now, there are programmes under development to provide vaccines for all the attendees of the World Cup. We will be able to, hopefully, host a Covid-free event," he added. 

The minister serves as the Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investments (SCEAI).

The Foreign Affairs Minister felt that the 2022 World Cup will be the first event of celebration after the Covid-19 crisis and will be an event that brings joy to sports fans and more across the world. 

"This will be a great opportunity for the world as it will be the first ‘happy event’ that will take place after this pandemic."

He also touched on the environment-friendly initiatives taken by Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the World Cup. The various World Cup stadium projects feature carbon-friendly initiatives like recycling and more. 

"The FIFA World Cup, we believe will be an opportunity, where it will be the first carbon-neutral world event," he said. 

FC Goa custodian Dheeraj Singh's efforts against Al Rayyan under the sticks got due recognition as the young custodian has been named in the best XI of AFC Champions League matchday one by the AFC (Asian Football Confederation). 

This feat is commendable under any circumstances but given that Dheeraj was a benchwarmer during the first phase of the 2020-21 season with ATK Mohun Bagan, this achievement assumes more significance. 

In fact, he had played just once in 2020. That would have certainly dented the confidence of a keeper who has been always been regarded as a player with huge potential since his performance in the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017 and subsequently with Indian Arrows and Kerala Blasters. 

The lack of opportunities under Antonio Habas forced Dheeraj to make a move in the January transfer window and join FC Goa on a three-year deal. Goa's then first-choice keeper Mohammad Nawaz fell out of favour with coach Juan Ferrando and the Manipuri pounced on the opportunity. 

In nine appearances, he made 16 saves and kept two clean sheets for FC Goa, before bowing out to eventual champions Mumbai City FC in the semi-finals of the Indian Super League (ISL). 

The AIFF academy cadet has carried his form to the AFC Champions League as well. It was a challenge of the highest order to face Qatari giants Al Rayyan in your very first AFC Champions League game. The Laurent Blanc managed outfit has the likes of Yacine Brahimi, who has played in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga, and tested Dheeraj right from the first whistle. 

Within the first 10 minutes, Dheeraj was called into action a couple of times and he knew that it was going to be a long 90 minutes. And the keeper stood his ground and proved his mettle.

In a one-on-one situation with Naif Alhadhrami, he came out of his line at the right time and stifled the opportunity to keep the scoreline unchanged. An early goal for the visitors could have completely changed the complexion of the match, but his timely intervention ensured that was not the case. 

In the dying embers of the game, Blanc's troops threw everything they had in their armoury to break the deadlock but Goa's defence held the fort. 

"I prepared myself in a different way. During ISL, I used to watch the videos of other teams. But for the last match, I just watched the set pieces and I didn't go through the individual clips because I wanted to play my natural game. I wanted to prepare for every situation that could come," he told AIFF after the match. 

But the journey has just begun. It is time to keep the head down and work tirelessly for the upcoming matches. A lot rests on Dheeraj's shoulders and the last line of defence can hardly afford to put a foot wrong, especially against stronger outfits like Al Wahda and ACL runners-up Persepolis. 

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) competitions are expected to start from July 2021.

After the Coronavirus pandemic threw normal life out of gear in 2020, the SAFF body's Executive Committee in December last year had devised a tentative calendar for the competitions to be held in 2021.

However, besides Bangladesh set as the host for the senior men's SAFF Championship in September, the host nations for the rest of the competitions are yet to be ascertained.

SAFF Calendar 2021

The dates for the youth competitions would be subject to the AFC qualifiers in their respective age groups.

A decision on the dates for the women's tournaments are expected to be taken after the executive body of the SAFF body have met again.

India last won the SAFF Championship in 2015 and then lost to the Maldives in the final in the next edition that took place in Bangladesh in 2018. India are also the defending champions of the U-18 and U-15 Men's tournaments and the senior Women's and U-15 Women's Championship. 

Bangladesh are set to be the hosts for the fourth time in the history of the competition. 

Former India international footballer Ahmed Hussain breathed his last at the age of 89 on April 16 in Bengaluru. The Olympian footballer had tested positive for COVID-19.

Born in 1932, Hussain started his career with Hyderabad City Police. While playing for the club he was selected in the Indian squad which took part in the 1951 Asian Games held in New Delhi and won the gold.

A defender, Hussain was also a part of the Indian Olympics football team that put on a fantastic show in Melbourne (1956) where they thrashed Australia 4-2 to eventually finish fourth in the tournament.

Hailing from Hyderabad, the footballer was incredibly talented and was an integral part of the Hyderabad side which won the Santosh Trophy in 1956 and 1957.

Other than Hyderabad City Police, the India international had also plied his trade with Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club. In his career, he had won three Durand Cups and six Rovers Cups.

After retiring from football, he took up coaching and joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He was posted in Bengaluru where he eventually settled down.

Speaking to Telangana about Hussein his former teammate and Olympian SS Hakim said .“Hussain was one of the giants of the Indian football team. He was one of the greatest stopper backs of the country. Despite his glorious achievements he never received any honours from the government. He truly deserved a Padma Sri.’’ 

Ahmed Hussain's death is a great loss for the Indian football fraternity.

Hakim Ziyech has revealed Chelsea will do all it takes to secure victory over Manchester City in their FA Cup semi-final game against Manchester City on Saturday.

The winger has featured four times in the competition since joining the Blues last summer from Dutch side Ajax, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

After the victory over Crystal Palace and also advancing into the semi-finals of the Champions League at the expense of FC Porto, Ziyech hopes his side can continue the fine form by defeating the Citizens in the FA Cup last four.

“For us it’s a nice week so far. I think we can finish the whole week with a good result again on the weekend and, hopefully, then we can say it’s a complete week,” Ziyech told the club website .

“I like to play the big games – I think that’s the same for every other footballer – but I just see them as another game. It’s a semi-final right now, we will do everything that is in our power to reach the final and how we do it doesn’t matter.

“They are leading the league and they are really impressive this season, the way they play. You can see they have individual players who can do crazy things. As a team, they can do a lot of things and it’s just the way of how they play football.

“I played them in January here and I think in the first half the game was already over. What I can remember is when they speed up the tempo, they are a difficult team to beat.

Ziyech’s debut season with the Blues has been hampered by injury setbacks which have limited him to 12 league starts in the current campaign.

The winger admitted it has been tough for him to adapt at Stamford Bridge but promised to keep working hard in order to rediscover the form that made Chelsea part with €44 million to secure his signature.

“It’s a difficult season, with everything around adaptation and injuries, playing then a couple of games not playing,’ he continued. 

“It’s a difficult season but I think for every player sometimes it could help to have these seasons because you have to work harder and keep improving every single day.

“It’s about the rhythm and sometimes you think you have the rhythm then you get a setback. It took some time and I have to continue to believe in myself. I’m not loud about it but I have to keep going and keep working and the rest will come by itself.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists that Raheem Sterling retains his utmost confidence in spite of being frozen out of the club's starting line-up as of late. 

Sterling has started just two of City's last eight games in all competitions, having long been one of the cornerstones of Pep's plans at the Etihad Stadium. 

But the manager is adamant that he still has a big part to play for the Premier League leaders. 

What was said? 

"The trust with Raheem is intact," Guardiola told reporters ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

"It is the same as when we arrived here.

"[The only reason] why he has played less is because there is Gabriel (Jesus) sometimes or especially Phil (Foden) or Riyad (Mahrez) and they are at a top level, scoring goals and being decisive in the final third.

"He has to have confidence. He has the confidence of all of us, he has to have it. Because the quality is there. I cannot give the players confidence.

"They have to have it for themselves to give me the confidence to be selected.

"I have said many times what we have done over these incredible years, with the amount of titles, breaking records in the process… Raheem is key.

"He was a key player and is a key player. But in this moment Phil is playing really well and Riyad is playing really well."

The bigger picture

Sterling has blossomed since coming under Guardiola's wing at City, particularly with his ability in front of goal. 

The England winger has improved year on year in that aspect, netting 20 goals in the 2019-20 Premier League to record his best-ever season, compared to just six in his first term after moving from Liverpool in 2015-16. 

This year, though, he has faced new competition as Foden has emerged as a quality alternative. 

The 20-year-old has scored 13 goals in all competitions during the current term, including strikes in both legs of the Champions League quarter-final to see off Borussia Dortmund.

Further reading 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has seen a change in Nicolas Pepe's mindset as he says there are now "no excuses" for the winger when it comes to inconsistency.

Pepe has had an up-and-down time at Arsenal since joining from Lille in a £72 million move in 2019, but he has scored 10 goals this season while becoming a key piece of the Gunners attack.

The winger scored twice in Arsenal's 5-1 aggregate Europa League quarter-final win over Slavia Prague, and Arteta is now backing Pepe to take an even bigger step forward.

What was said?

“I think he needed to do that, yes,” Arteta said when asked if Pepe had made adjustments to his mentality. “He needed a period of adaptation and that is gone now. So we cannot rely on adaptation again. Now it is about performance and he can do it.

“He has got the players to support him, a manager that trusts him, he has got all the staff that are willing to help him and all the team-mates who really like him because he is a really likable character, so there are no excuses.”

He added: "He needs to have the right mindset and consistency to do what he can do because that is the level we are going to ask of him, the level I am asking of him.

"If it is something below that, he is not going to play but if he does what he can do he will have a big chance to play because he has incredible ability.”

Pepe's Arsenal career

Pepe made 42 appearances during his first season at Arsenal after being signed during Unai Emery's time in charge at the club.

He scored just eight goals, though, as the former Lille winger struggled to adapt to the Premier League.

This season, though, Pepe has taken his game a step forward with 10 goals in 39 appearances so far this season.

Pepe has also provided four assists for Arsenal so far this season.

Further reading

Jose Mourinho has hit back at Paul Pogba's recent criticism of his man-management skills, as the Tottenham boss said he "couldn't care less" what the Manchester United star thinks about him.

Mourinho was responding to comments made by Pogba , who said that he sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a different type of manager because he doesn't "go against the players".

Pogba, who notoriously had a frosty relationship with Mourinho at Old Trafford, also admitted that he was unsure why that relationship soured.

What did Pogba say?

"What I have now with Ole is different, he wouldn't go against the players. He wouldn't go against the players," Pogba told Sky Sports   of the current United boss.

"Maybe Ole wouldn't pick them, but it's not like he puts them on the side like they don't exist anymore. That's the difference between Mourinho and Ole.

"Once I had a great relationship with Mourinho, everybody saw that, and the next day you don't know what happened. That's the strange thing I had with Mourinho and I cannot explain to you because even I don't know."

Mourinho's response

Speaking to Sky Sports   after his Tottenham side drew Everton, Mourinho replied: "I would like to say that I couldn't care less with what he says. I couldn't care less. Not interested at all."

Spurs split points

Mourinho's comments came in the wake of Tottenham's 2-2 draw with Everton on Friday as Spurs settled for a point despite a Harry Kane brace.

The England star scored in either half but was matched by two goals from Gylfi Sigurdson as the two sides took home a point apiece.

With the draw, Tottenham remain seventh in the Premier League, four points behind fifth-place Chelsea and five points behind fourth-place West Ham as they chase European places.

Pogba's Man Utd, meanwhile, sit second ahead of this weekend's match against Burnley.

Further reading

Argentine football begins its program for 2021 with the playing of the Copa Liga Profesional.

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

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

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

The 26 Primera Division clubs have been split into two groups, with each side playing each other once. 

In addition there will be one inter-zonal game every week, where Boca and River, Racing Club and Independiente and the rest of Argentina's Clasico rivals will face off in a series of clashes. 

The top four teams from each group then advance to a play-off stage, which will take place in a straight knock-out format in order to yield a single winner.

Fanatiz has the rights to the Copa de la Liga Profesional worldwide, excluding Argentina, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Russia, Sweden and the Balkans.

How to watch Central Cordoba vs River Plate

Santiago del Estero's Central Cordoba were promoted to the top flight in 2019, and were spared a fierce battle against the drop in their first season up when relegations were suspended due to the Covid epidemic. 

They have been impressive so far in the Copa Liga Profesional, beating the likes of San Lorenzo and Atletico Tucuman and losing just once to date to sit just two points out of the play-off spots after nine rounds.

River began the Copa on a low note, going down 2-1 to Estudiantes in their opening game.

Since then the Millonario have endured mixed fortunes, dispatching Rosario Central and neighbours Platense before falling at home to Argentinos and drawing the Superclasico 1-1 away to arch-rivals Boca Juniors.

Marcelo Gallardo's men currently sit in second place in Group 1 by virtue of goal difference, dispatching unbeaten leaders Colon last weekend to break a run of three winless games.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Central Cordoba vs River team news

The hosts are without Federico Andueza, Juan Galeano and Carlo Lattanzio, who have tested positive for Covid, while coach Gustavo Coleoni also misses out after catching the virus.

There are several key absences for River, with Nicolas de la Cruz, Alex Vigo and David Martinez joining Matias Suarez on the injured list.

Watch all this weekend's Copa Liga Profesional matches on Fanatiz  with a 7-day free trial.

What other Copa Liga Profesional matches are available on Fanatiz?

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

Thomas Tuchel detailed how he gave Chelsea players time to switch off by staying an extra night at the team hotel in Seville ahead of their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

Chelsea's players replicated a restaurant experience following their Champions League aggregate win over Porto, taking advantage of the team's bubble environment. 

It allowed players a safe space to relax in an environment that hasn't been possible due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

What was said?

"We are aware that it is necessary to recover mentally," Blues manager Tuchel told reporters. "For example, we decided to stay overnight in Sevilla because we knew the hotel. It was very nice, in a nice setting.

"We had the chance to sit outside because the weather was very warm. It was a calming circumstance to enjoy each other's company. We had a good sleep and we had a chance to stay together after the match because we created a bubble there.

"It was a good chance because the players have not been able to go out, go to restaurants. For almost a year now, we cannot share a dressing room. So we created this just to feel some time together, have talks outside of tactics and lineups to just bond, let the players bond, enjoy an evening after a game.

"They could have a glass of wine or sip of beer if they want. It was important to have this environment and organise it like this. It was part of the mental recovery. We are aware that we have many meetings after games and training sessions.

"We want to have sessions where there isn't too much explanation or talking, just to find exercises on the pitch that bring a lot of fun and joy and sweat out the tension. Things like this are very important to help the seriousness of how we prepare and play in games.

"They must enjoy it and have a good atmosphere at Cobham."

How are Chelsea shaping up to face Man City?

Chelsea have both Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen out of the clash at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Man City have only Sergio Aguero out, but head coach Pep Guardiola described his squad as 'tired' after having a day less than Chelsea to recover from his side's Champions League win over Dortmund.

What is Tuchel's relationship with Guardiola?

The pair are known to have a positive relationship from their time in Germany, where Guardiola managed Bayern Munich and Tuchel was in charge at both Mainz and Dortmund.

They famously met over dinner in Munich, and, ahead of their first meeting in English football, Tuchel explained what was discussed during that meeting in 2015.

"We were out in Munich for dinner and I think we had one more dinner after," he explained. "If you go out with Pep, why not talk about football? That's all there is to talk about for me. For me, he was a huge influence. We started to talk about football and tactics. It was nice.

"But, I will not speak about it now too much in public. We spoke about positions on the field and what he did with Barcelona. He explained with some drawings and we used what was on the table to explain the positions.

"We talked about the tactical situations on the field and in particular about the positions from Barcelona teams and how he changed them. When he brought [Cesc] Fabregas, [Lionel] Messi as a false nine, a double six or a single six and how to create spaces with a back three and back four."

Further reading