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The ePremier League is back for another season, with all 20 Premier League clubs taking part once again.

Each club will have an entrant on both PlayStation and Xbox and entry is open to all United Kingdom residents over the age of 16.

The overall prize pool is £40,000 this season and the winners will also be able to qualify for the EA Sports FIFA 21 Global Series (FGS) European Playoffs.

The ePremier League is set to kick off on February 15, 2021 but registration and qualification begin in December and January ahead of the new season.

What is the ePremier League?

The ePremier League is the esports version of the Premier League, where all 20 current English top-flight teams compete in FIFA 21 to be crowned champion.

All 20 teams compete with the highest-ranking teams advancing to the ePremier League Finals which are scheduled to take place in spring 2021.

The ePremier League is part of the FIFA 21 Global Series and is open to gamers from the United Kingdom, who can register to represent their favourite team.

The first ePremier League was held in 2018 for FIFA players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Despite the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X arriving in stores in 2020, the 2020-21 ePremier League season will remain on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

There is a prize pool of £40,000 available to the best-performing players in this season's ePremier League.

Who has won the ePremier League in the past?

The first ePremier League took place in 2018-19 and was won by Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt who represented Liverpool's esports team.

The coronavirus pandemic meant that the 2019-20 ePremier League playoff finals could not be held as a live event, but was completed online where Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese emerged victorious for Watford.

Leese defeated Bournemouth's Marc "MarcMarleyyy" Marley 2-1 on aggregate in the cross-console Grand Final, with one game taking place on each console.

"I would recommend the competition to FIFA players as ePL is a massive tournament with a lot of people watching," Leese told the ePremier League's official website.

"It also gives you the unique chance to try and represent your favourite Premier League team. And if you're looking to break into professional FIFA then this is the perfect opportunity for UK gamers to showcase their talent."

How do I register for the ePremier League?

Registration for the ePremier League opens on December 3 and will remain open until December 15.

You can register at https://e.premierleague.com from 5pm GMT on December 3.

Registration is open to anyone in the United Kingdom who plays FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and is over 16.

Each player who registers will be able to compete to represent their chosen Premier League club, with a representative for both PlayStation and Xbox being chosen for all 20 English top-flight clubs.

How do I qualify for the ePremier League?

Once you have registered for the ePremier League, you can qualify by playing online in FIFA 21 in January.

The qualification process opens on January 4 and ends on January 31.

Many of the players who qualify are professional esports players but the open nature of the competition means anyone can qualify to represent their club if their results are good enough.

"ePremier League is a great platform for players of all abilities and a real mix of competitors have progressed to the final stages of both tournaments so far," Premier League commercial director Will Brass said. 

"This includes some of the highest-ranked professional FIFA-gamers in the world and relatively inexperienced players who have proved they can take on the very best."

This season's qualifying tournament requires players to play in 90-rated Online Friendlies mode using their favoured Premier League club.

How do I watch the ePremier League?

This season's ePremier League Finals are set to take place in March or April 2021.

The ePremier League Finals will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK as well as on EA Sports' social media channels and on Twitch.

Over the past two seasons, over 22 million fans watched the ePremier League Finals on television or through streams.

What rewards do I get for watching the ePremier League?

If you fail to qualify for the ePremier League or are not eligible to enter, you can still benefit from keeping track of the competition.

Anyone who watches the ePremier League Finals on Twitch will be eligible to receive various rewards as the tournament progresses.

These include random drops of player packs or special Ultimate Team cards if you have linked your EA Sports account with your Twitch account.

As well as the random drops, FIFA Global Series Swap cards will also be awarded, which can be used in Squad Building Challenges to trade for various reward packs.

Barcelona presidential candidate Emili Rousaud has promised to hold a referendum on renaming the club's stadium after star player Lionel Messi.

The Catalan side will elect a new president in January to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned from his post last month as the entire board - including Rousaud - stepped down.

Pressure on Bartomeu increased over the summer after Messi announced his desire to leave the club. The Argentina international criticised the president when he announced in an exclusive interview with Goal he would be staying at Camp Nou for another season.

While Messi has given no indication that he wants to remain at Barca beyond the end of the current campaign, Rousaud has promised to honour the icon by naming Camp Nou after him.

"We will hold a referendum to change the name of the stadium to Camp Nou - Leo Messi," he told reporters.

Rousaud has also pledged to add more star quality to the Blaugrana squad if he is elected, promising to bring Neymar back from Paris Saint-Germain. 

"We're going to sign two top players, one of them is Neymar," he added. "We are working to bring him back to Barcelona if he withdraws the lawsuit he has against the club.

"We hope to be able to announce soon the name of the other big-name player we want to bring. It will not leave anyone indifferent. We have a direct line to the player."

The entrepreneur hopes to incorporate former Barca stars into the organisation to bring the club back to help recreate their glory days.

"If we win, we want to count on Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres] Iniesta and [Carles] Puyol and give them a strong link with the club, the team and La Masia," he added. "I do this out of enthusiasm, commitment and experience. I want to rebuild the team, the club and the economy. I will leave my skin to make Barca, once again, the best team in the world.

"I have known the house for five years and have business experience."

He has also picked out a potential replacement for coach Ronald Koeman as well as a new technical director.

"We respect Koeman a lot, but if he doesn't continue, we have closed one who is active and is training one of the best teams in Europe," he said. "We have the best technical director in place, but we cannot announce him yet because he is active [at another club]."

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says it would be "right" to rename the club's stadium in honour of club legend Diego Maradona following his death on Wednesday. 

Maradona – widely considered to be one of football's greatest ever players – died at the age of 60 after a suspected heart attack. 

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Maradona enjoyed stunning success in Naples, where he guided Napoli to unprecedented Serie A glory in 1986-87 and 1989-90 – the Italian team are yet to add to their only two Scudetto honours.

As Napoli fans and Naples natives mourn the death of Maradona, De Laurentiis confirmed the Stadio San Paolo is likely to be named after the football icon.

In a letter written to Maradona on Napoli's official website, De Laurentiis said: "You leave us with a great testament of what it means to be a man of fragility, strength and absolute love for life and one's neighbour. A unique, inimitable champion.

"Your weaknesses, your imperfections, your mistakes are tantamount to your immense greatness, though none of that compares to your legend.

"Many have said you represent the synthesis of genius and unruliness. An artist of the beautiful game, your unique brushstrokes are to be remembered in the pantheon of the greatest exponents. Like a restless work of Caravaggio, whose indomitable and unruly nature is forgiven for its immense greatness.

"I believe it is right to name the San Paolo after you, so we can keep you with us as a witness of the excellent path this team has taken.

"Your years here remain indelible in the memories of the people of Naples – symbolic of a coveted redemption and yearned-for resurrection. Thank you, Diego. You are, and will always be, with all of us."

Maradona won 91 caps for Argentina between 1977 and 1994, scoring 34 goals at international level.

He started his career with Argentinos Juniors before joining Boca Juniors and went on to play for Barcelona, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, as well as Napoli, before returning to Boca in 1995.

Maradona also had stints in charge of Textil Mandiyu, Racing Club, Al-Wasl, Fujairah and Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico before being appointed head coach by Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata last year.

Tanzania have sealed their place in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U20 Championship semis after defeating Somalia 8-1 on Thursday afternoon.

The unstoppable hosts scored their goals courtesy of Kelvin John who scored a hat-trick, Abdulhassan Suleiman, Ben Starkie, Kassim Shaaban, Frank George, and Anuary Jabir. Sahel scored the consolation for Somalia.

Ngorongoro Heroes started the game on a high and it took them just three minutes to open the scoring. Abdulhassan Suleiman controlled the ball from the right well before going past several defenders and finding the back of the net.

Three minutes later, Somalia were on level terms; Tanzania lost the ball from the attacking position and Sahel was fed on the left. He did well to go past his marker before firing past the goalkeeper.

Germany-based Ben Starkie put the Heroes back in front in the 15th minute when the defenders failed to clear a dangerous ball in their 18-yard area. The defender headed the ball and it fell on the path of the forward who had an easy time beating the goalkeeper from less than 12-yards.

Kelvin John fired from close range in the 28th minute to make it 3-1 in favour of his team before scoring his second of the game six minutes later after the opponents left him free in the danger zone.

After the break, Ngorongoro Heroes showed no signs of slowing down as they pushed for the fifth. A good solo run from Kassim Shaaban delivered the goal in the 47th minute with the defenders failing to stop him.

On the hour mark, Kelvin John completed his hat-trick after racing clear and rounding the goalkeeper before putting the goal in an empty net.

Somalia looked lost and confused, with their opponents having a walk in the park. There was no surprise when Frank George added the seventh five minutes later after beating his marker on pace.

The final goal came in the 87th minute when a good cross by David Kameta was converted by Anuary Jabir.

The Hippos of Uganda also sealed their place in the last four after defeating Burundi 6-1 on Wednesday.

FIFA Ultimate Team is all about building your dream squad. However, unless you can afford the players, that squad will only stay in your dreams.

You can spend real money to buy packs in the FIFA Store but many gamers trade on the transfer market to make coins and if done correctly, can earn you thousands or millions of in-game currency.

Trading may seem daunting at first, but there are some easy ways to get into it like the Bronze Pack Method or investing in Team of the Week players.

The simpler trading methods will make small profits, but follow Goal's expert guide to trading to make even more coins in FIFA 21.

Contents

The 'Bronze Pack Method' has long been the most effective way of making a small profit in FIFA.

It's a low risk, low reward strategy, but is quite simple to do if you have the time to invest into listing and re-listing players on the market.

The steps are straightforward: buy the cheapest packs in the store and sell their contents.

Each basic Bronze Pack contains 12 items, including one rare item for 400 coins. They usually have around three or four players in them and you will use these players to make a profit.

Previous editions of FIFA sometimes had rare fitness cards which could be sold for around 1,000 coins, but fitness cards have been removed in FIFA 21.

Rare bronze players are now the most valuable commodity in bronze packs, particularly special players like Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores players.

Usually, you can quick sell everything in the pack except players for around 30 coins and then if even two players sell for the lowest Buy It Now (BIN) price of 200, you will have made a profit.

Higher-rated players or players who have good links to leagues and nations can be worth more than 200, so use the Compare Price option or a site like FUTbin to check prices before listing your players.

You may have to keep listing your players over and over to get them to sell, but most players will sell eventually.

Many people list their players at a lower price than they are worth, either to sell them quickly as they need coins or else because of mistakes or not knowing the proper value of players.

As a result, you can sometimes pick up some bargains to add to your squad or to instantly flip at a higher price on the transfer market.

The best way of finding underpriced players is to use specific filters to repeatedly search the transfer market and buy them as soon as they are listed. This process is known as sniping.

You need to set a Buy It Now (BIN) price in the filter at the maximum price you are willing to pay and then search. If your search shows no results, search again and again until it does.

However, each time you search, you should change at least one of the filters (the minimum Bid Price is usually easiest) to make sure the search shows new results rather than the same ones as your previous search.

When your player finally appears as a search result, you need to be quick as someone else might be searching as well and could snipe before you!

Most traders make their profits on the transfer market from investing in a small number of players and selling them at the right times.

Trading the same few players over and over again allows you to get to know when are the best times to buy and sell and how much you should pay for each card.

The market fluctuates during the week and prices are usually highest in the evenings and at weekends when more people are online and are looking to improve their teams.

Prices are usually lowest overnight and early in the morning when people are sleeping and thus not playing FIFA 21.

When starting out, look at players in leagues you are familiar with already. This way, you know what players are popular, e.g. full-backs from the Premier League or forwards with high pace.

Some players with lower ratings are more popular than their higher-rated counterparts as their attributes, weak foot or skills are better suited to FIFA 21. As a result, these players can sometimes be listed cheaper than usual by people who only look at the overall rating and do not use the Compare Price function before selling.

Correctly predicting upcoming Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) is a good way to make a profit.

The easiest SBCs to predict are usually Marquee Matchups and Champions League Marquee Matchups. These require players from upcoming clashes in top leagues and the Champions League. The FIFA community on reddit, Twitter and the EA Forums often have discussions about which matches are most likely to be included.

For example, a Marquee Matchup SBC requiring a Manchester United player can increase the price of all Manchester United's players, particularly the lower-rated ones.

Additionally, predicting which players are in Team of the Week can be profitable. When a player is included in Team of the Week, their regular version is no longer in packs and this makes those cards rarer for the week while their In-Form card is in packs.

Similarly, Ones to Watch (OTW) card trading is very popular as people invest ahead of a player's games in the hope they have a good performance and they can sell during the initial hype period before the card gets automatically upgraded due to Team of the Week.

The best time to buy OTW cards is when they are left on the bench for their team's games or during a bad performance when it is obvious they will not be upgraded by the next Team of the Week release.

Most players will not rise in price as the FIFA 21 season progresses. Each Team of the Week, Player of the Month SBC and promotional event such as FUTmas sees more and more high-rated players added to the game.

Therefore, people move on from their existing players and sell them on the transfer market, driving prices down across the board.

However, some players can prove to be good long-term investments in FIFA 21, especially if you are willing to tie your coins up in assets to make a small-to-medium profit weeks or months down the line.

Many of the lower-rated players in each Team of the Week (TOTW) can make you a profit in the future. Each player has a discard or quick sell price and often, the TOTW players with ratings 82 or lower will be available on the transfer market for just above their quick sell value.

This means that you can always quick sell the player for nearly 10,000 coins even if you only bought them for around that value initially. However, if you keep them in your club, their values will likely rise when they are no longer in packs, especially if a popular SBC requires people to submit a TOTW player.

Road to the Final (RTTF) cards may also see their price increase during the season as teams progress further in the Champions League and Europa League. Each time a player's team progresses to the next round, their RTTF card will be given an upgrade, which can make their value rise. Similarly, their value can also rise when the draw for each round is made as people look to predict the outcomes.

The best Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) for traders to complete are the ones which offer tradeable packs as rewards.

The various League SBCs used to very good for trading, but in FIFA 21 give untradeable packs, which cannot be turned into profit.

Now, the most useful SBCs to complete are Marquee Matchups and then any promotion-based SBC which is available for a limited time.

It is always worth checking the SBC solutions on FUTbin to see which challenges are affordable and which offer the best pack rewards. Each SBC also has a user rating where the website's members can give a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether the challenge is worth doing or not.

Stellenbosch FC defender Sibusiso Mthethwa says their ability to defend as a team and attack as a team makes them a difficult side to break down. 

Mthethwa and his Stellies teammates are set to take on the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.

Stellies returned to winning ways when they secured a 2-0 win over Chippa United in a league match at Danie Craven Stadium last weekend.

Mthethwa is banking on their solid defence after he helped the team keep a clean sheet in their victory over the Chilli Boys. 

“We want to compete with the best and this is an opportunity to show that we are not just here to make up the numbers,” said Mthethwa on Daily Sun.

“We are well aware that we will have our hands full against a quality attack that Sundowns possess but we are confident that we can manage.

“We defend as a team and attack as a team. We are not easy to break down because we understand our roles very well on the pitch"

Sundowns have started the current campaign very well as they are undefeated in the league having recorded one draw and three wins including the recent 4-3 win over AmaZulu FC in their last game last weekend.

Mthethwa made it clear that they do not fear any team as they look to make it two wins in a row by securing their first-ever victory over Sundowns.

“If you concede fewer goals then you win the game and that’s what we try to do in every match. It will be no different against Sundowns," he added. 

“They are a dangerous team but we believe In ourselves. We always fight for each other and the badge. We believe we can win, we fear no one. We are ready.”

Saturday's clash between Stellenbosch and Sundowns will be the third meeting between the two teams.

Last season, Masandawana collected six points from Stellies, who were in their debut campaign in the elite league.

A 3-1 victory over Stellenbosch in Tshwane in December 2019 was followed by a narrow 1-0 win in Cape Town in March 2020. 

Marcelo Bielsa has described Diego Maradona as an artist whose “beauty cannot be matched”, with the Leeds boss adding his voice to the tributes which have poured in for the Argentine “idol”.

Maradona passed away on Wednesday at the age of 60. Three days of national mourning are being held in his homeland, while millions around the world have been rocked by the tragic news.

Bielsa is among those to have always held Maradona in the highest regard, with no doubt in his mind as who the greatest player of all time is.

A man currently plying his trade in the Premier League is deeply saddened to learn of Maradona’s death, but says the legacy of the 1986 World Cup winner will live on and be embraced by generations to come.

“He could not be better. He was for us and will continue to be an idol,” Bielsa said. “Given the fact he is not here with us anymore, it brings us great sadness. To lose an idol for us is something that makes us feel weak.

“Everything he did as a footballer was a beauty which cannot be matched.

“Maradona was an artist. The dimensions of the repercussions of his art has infinite recognitions. To give one example, that stands out, the songs that have been written about him are extraordinary.

“I have read texts after his death that have been emotional and it is a recognition of what he gave the spectators in beauty.

“In terms of what he signifies to us (Argentines) in particular, Diego made us feel like it was a fantasy; like an idol makes you feel.”

While saluting the remarkable career and life of Maradona, Bielsa continues to enhance his own reputation in England.

He guided Leeds to promotion last season, ending a 16-year absence for the club from the Premier League, and has seen his efforts recognised with a nomination for the Coach of the Year award at the FIFA Best ceremony.

“To be nominated is always a distinction. I appreciate it,” said the 65-year-old. “Every time a manager is singled out, the players are involved.

“The coach is always an appendix of the players and also the technical staff for the construction of a football team. It is not solely the responsibility of the one in charge. This nomination is also for the technical staff and this happening in a sphere of a club like Leeds also recognises the result of this.”

Manchester United still have “massive question marks” hanging over their centre-halves, says Paul Parker, with the former Red Devils full-back saying “you don’t know what you’re going to get next” from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Inconsistency remains an issue for United, with the 2020-21 campaign doing little to address those faults.

There have been positives, such as a run to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and impressive results in the Champions League, but momentum has proved difficult to maintain.

A 4-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir in their most recent outing has United moving in the right direction again, while their Premier League hoodoo on home soil was brought to a close in a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

However, Parker believes Solskjaer will continue to pay the price for a lack of domestic ambition and the struggles of those at the heart of his back four.

The ex-Red Devils defender told Eurosport: “You don't know what you're going to get next with United. They've got a difficult game at the weekend at Southampton, so if they don't get a result there the whole process starts again.

“They won a game on Tuesday they should have won away from home earlier in the group stage. Team selection is key, so if they go out and play with the intention to win it and not concentrate too much about who they're playing against, that always gives them a better chance.

“The problem they've got is that as attack-minded as they are, there will still always be massive question marks about the centre-halves, because even [against Basaksehir] they were on edge.

“Because they've won three on the bounce, that doesn't say United are back. The way the Premier League is at the moment, no one is on stable ground.

“There's a good chance Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will go back to two holding midfield players, non-creative players in midfield, and then in the Champions League go back to what he did against Istanbul.

“It's about the state of mind that the players go out against Southampton in. If you see Fred and [Scott] McTominay playing that will give you a picture of how the game might be. Southampton would break that down easier.

“I don't think the players feel freer in the Champions League, Solskjaer certainly doesn't because he knows every game he's under pressure. United are always walking on a tightrope.”

United sit 10th in the Premier League table after eight games and have another 10 fixtures to take in across all competitions before the end of the calendar year.

East Bengal are the new entrants in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season and a delay in completing formalities meant the team did not much time to prepare for the season.

Under Liverpool great Robbie Fowler, the Red and Golds had little over three weeks time to prepare and they are set to face their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in the opening match.

But East Bengal coach Robbie Fowler believes that the team is ready and are raring to play their first match of the season which is ISL's first Kolkata derby. 

“We prepared properly. We know it's been a really short time in preparation but we accept that and the players are ready so we go into this game as good as we can be. There are a few niggles but that is expected. That will be the case throughout the league. Even though we have been together for a short period it feels like forever (we have been) waiting for the game and thankfully the game is now upon us.

“Ideally, we all would have loved a lot more time but we have accepted that and we have moved on. We know we are two or three weeks behind everyone else in terms of preparation but we can only do we can do. We have prepared the team well and we will go out and give our best and hopefully get a good result,” said Fowler ahead of the all-important clash.

The British coach pointed out the pros and cons of playing a derby in their opening match of the season and suggested the team believes in their abilities.

“The advantage is we go into the game, we probably know a bit more about ATK Mohun Bagan than they do about us. We are prepared in that way. For the disadvantage, we have never played before so we may go into the game a bit rusty.

“ATK Mohun Bagan have played a game so they probably know a bit about themselves. But it is never about the opposition, it is about what we can do. We have prepared properly, we have the belief in ourselves and now we have to go out there and give our best shot.”

Fowler is familiar with a few of the foreign players in the ATK Mohun Bagan team. While midfielder Brand Inman played under the former Liverpool forward at Brisbane Roar last season and he saw players like Roy Krishna and David Williams play in the same league during his time as a coach in Australia.

The former Liverpool forward spoke highly about the opposition but said that his team will only focus on themselves,

“ATK Mohun Bagan are a team whose 80 per cent or 90 per cent of the players won the league last year so we know they are a good side and how organised they are. The manager has prepared them and they are well drilled. But it is not about them or any of their players.

“We know they have lots of good players. I had Brad Inman in Australia last year and I have played with David Williams, Roy Krishna came on trials when I was at a club in Australia. I know what type of players they are and they are dangerous players but we have to focus on us.”

The East Bengal manager considers his team as underdogs in front of the Mariners as he believes that retaining the core of the team from last season will be an advantage for Antonio Habas’ side.

“ATK Mohun Bagan are a new entity but they are a team who have been together for a good few years and they are well organised, champions last year. We are a new team and we are massive underdogs but sometimes underdogs win. We will try to give confidence to the players as much as we can. Underdogs sometimes do cause upsets.”

Bruno Fernandes continues to display “Paul Scholes-esque” qualities at Manchester United, says Dimitar Berbatov, but the former Red Devils striker believes a talismanic presence can get even better.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has found considerable value in a deal done with Sporting during the last winter transfer window.

Fernandes slotted seamlessly into the fold at Old Trafford, with his presence providing the spark for a late-season run in 2019-20 that delivered a third-place finish and Champions League qualification.

There was a slight wobble from the Portuguese early in the current campaign, but high standards have been maintained by the talented 26-year-old.

His quality was on full display once more in a 4-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir, as Fernandes bagged a brace in that contest, and Berbatov sees shades of a United icon from the past in a leading man of the present.

“The opening goal in the win, that Bruno scored from outside the box, was amazing,” Berbatov told Betfair.

“Let me tell you, that technique is so difficult to do. I was never a big specialist at scoring from outside the box. Fernandes' strike was Scholes-esque, that was his specialty, you could imagine Paul Scholes scoring that one, when the ball comes across to him, bam and into the top corner. It was perfect execution.”

While talking up Fernandes’ current ability and value in Manchester, Berbatov believes the Portugal international can scale even greater heights by addressing the few faults that still exist in his game.

The Bulgarian added: “Fernandes has impressed me so much and the only weakness I see in him is his defensive side. He can improve a bit there.

“He's an attacking midfielder, though, who creates chances, scores goals and up the pitch is where he has his power. That's why I think it's good to have someone in the team to cover for him.

“Other than his defensive weakness, he is doing everything that the manager wants from him and, with 20 goals since he joined in January, he's certainly scored more than people expected.

“He is phenomenal in the passing and scoring department and since he joined the club he is doing everything that he needs to do.”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo “couldn’t even dream” of earning the admiration that was reserved for Diego Maradona, says Ossie Ardiles.

An all-time great has passed away at the age of 60, with tributes pouring in for the Argentine icon from around the world.

Maradona was a flawed genius in many ways, with his career on and off the pitch seeing him struggle to handle the demands of life under the brightest of spotlights.

He was, however, forever driven by a desire to deliver on expectation and to give his adoring fan base something to shout about.

The 1986 World Cup winner offered cause for celebration on a regular basis for club and country, with his efforts for Argentina and Napoli forever etched into football folklore.

His legacy will stand the test of time, with former team-mate Ardiles of the opinion that no-one – not even Barcelona and Juventus superstars of the present – will get near to experiencing such widespread acclaim.

“To be Diego Maradona was incredibly beautiful,” 1978 World Cup winner Ardiles told the BBC.

“But on the other hand, it was not easy at all. Right from a really early age, he was subjected to the press all the time. He didn't have a normal childhood, he never had normal teenage years.

“Everybody wanted to be with him, everybody wanted a piece of him, so it was incredibly difficult.”

Ardiles added: “He will be remembered as a genius in football. You can see the extraordinary amount of interest that he generates.

“People like Ronaldo, or people like Messi, they couldn't even dream of having this kind of admiration.

“That was the Maradona phenomenon - all the time.”

Three days of national mourning are being held in Argentina for the nation’s favourite sporting son.

A larger-than-life character will never be forgotten, with Ardiles proud to have had the chance to play alongside a man who set standards that few will ever get close to emulating.

The former Tottenham midfielder said in the Daily Mail: “Diego was unique, that is the word.

“He was extraordinary, out of this world. He had feet like hands. I was blessed to play with the world's best players, but he was the greatest.

“What made him so special was his courage. It was always hostile for him, always a marked man. But he always wanted the ball. They kicked him - he wanted the ball even more.

“He was a winner. And I know, I'd play him at tennis! He just could not lose.”

Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the Premier League clubs that will have the opportunity to welcome back fans from next week, after the government announced the latest coronavirus tier system.

The latest update from the UK government has seen the cities of Liverpool and London placed in tier 2, meaning Jurgen Klopp's side, as well as Tottenham, Everton, Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham, can all have supporters in attendance at their stadiums.

With Manchester having been placed in tier 3, however, Manchester United and Manchester City will not yet be given the green light to allow fans back in.

The same rule has been applied to other areas of the country, affecting Wolves, Newcastle, Leeds, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United, Leicester and Burnley, who will also not be allowed to open their stadiums for supporters at this moment in time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced on Monday that a maximum of 4,000 fans would be allowed in to football matches in England, should the stadiums be in towns and cities that are in tier 1 of the government's tier system.

That does not, however, apply to any Premier League clubs, with Thursday's tier update stating that only Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are currently in that threshold.

Of the 10 top-flight stadiums that fall under tier-2 restrictions, a maximum of 2,000 fans, or 50 per cent of their capacity - whichever is lower - will be allowed to attend fixtures from December 2, when the national lockdown ends.

Despite the announcement, it is unclear at this stage exactly how many of the 10 Premier League clubs will attempt to allow in supporters at the next opportunity, with Arsenal being the first to be able to welcome back fans for their Europa League clash against Rapid Vienna on December 3.

As for some of the other clubs, their first chance to allow up to 2,000 fans back in will be the 11th round of league fixtures beginning on December 5.

The north London derby, due to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, falls on that weekend, while Liverpool face Wolves at Anfield, Chelsea host Leeds United and Manchester United travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham.

Many of England's top-flight clubs have expressed their optimism at the proposed welcoming back of supporters to grounds, with Liverpool having released the following statement on Tuesday: "Liverpool Football Club welcomes the government's announcement regarding the proposed return of fans into sports stadia.

"We have greatly missed our supporters at Anfield and we look forward to welcoming them back when it is safe to do so.

"We will continue to work with our city partners, including Liverpool City Council, Merseyside Police and Spirit of Shankly, in order to establish the most up-to-date health guidance and the most effective process for the safe return of supporters.

"While we await confirmation of which tier the city of Liverpool will be placed in, we continue to work through our plans and will make further announcements in due course."

Sergio Ramos has been told a move to Manchester United “would work out well”, with Dimitar Berbatov believing the Red Devils should snap up the World Cup winner if no new contract is agreed at Real Madrid.

As things stand, the long-serving captain at Santiago Bernabeu is going to become a free agent. His current terms with the Blancos are due to expire in the summer of 2021 with no extension put in place as yet.

Real remain optimistic when it comes to thrashing out an agreement with their talismanic skipper, but hope is being offered to potential suitors.

Berbatov believes United should be in the mix if Ramos is allowed to head for the exit in Madrid, with plenty of football left in the “world-class” 34-year-old.

The former Red Devils striker told Betfair : “There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Sergio Ramos, according to reports both the player and club are yet to come to an agreement on a new contract. With Ramos 34 years old, they are probably fighting over a one-year or two-year contract.

“Thiago Silva, who is even older at 36 years old, has proven that it is never too late to move to the Premier League and so far it is working out well for the Brazilian.

“I'm sure if Ramos wanted to move to a club like United then it would work out well for him too. He's in great shape, he's still a world-class defender and in my opinion there's still a lot of football left in him.

“I see him as a Real Madrid player, however, and I think player and club will find a solution and he will stay. I'll be surprised if he leaves, but if things don't work out then I'm sure a lot of clubs will be interested in him.”

United are considered to be in need of defensive additions, despite investing heavily in that department over recent years. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly have been snapped up, but Spain international Ramos would add vast experience at the very highest level to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.

Busoga United and Kitara FC are hopeful of playing in the 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) after insisting they have met crucial requirements needed for club licensing.

The two teams were not part of the fixture draft for the forthcoming campaign and were given until Monday to work on their short-comings. The two teams believe they have done so and will be part of the top-tier teams for the upcoming campaign.

"We were not on the league draft fixture because of some internal issues with club licensing which we have now settled," Busoga United Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Ndyabahika confirmed.

"I have been in touch with the Licensing Committee and I spent two days at [the Federation of Uganda Football Associations], FUFA, I am very confident that we will play in the Ugandan Premier League next season.

The initial documents presented to the Federation did not match in terms of club ownership.

Kakindu Stadium, which was also presented as the venue for Busoga's home matches was deemed unfit to host top-tier games.

For Kitara, they had not confirmed their coach as well as players' contracts as required.

The club's CEO Joshua Atugonza believes it will be unfair if they will be relegated from the top tier.

"It will be an unfair decision to us," Atugonza stated. 

"We qualified sportingly to play in the UPL after winning the Big League playoffs in Njeru.

"It has been a small window for us to fulfill all those licensing requirements if you are to gauge us with other clubs who started to prepare for the league way back in April.  

"However, we have fulfilled all the necessary requirements and we are confident that we will play."  

The team has also written to the respective authorities to request to use Njeru.

Suppose the two clubs are not cleared, they will be relegated to the Fufa Regional League.

Of the 16 clubs in the top-tier, only seven have managed to meet the requirements set to be eligible to play in the league next season. The seven teams are the defending champions Vipers SC, KCCA FC who finished second, Express FC, Wakiso Giants, Onduparaka FC, Police FC and MYDA.