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Spain coach Luis Enrique would not have his side denied credit for their goal against Switzerland, insisting it came about because of La Roja's mentality rather than an error by the visitors.

Luis Enrique saw his side claim a slender 1-0 victory over Switzerland in Madrid on Saturday, with Mikel Oyarzabal's 14th-minute effort ultimately decisive.

The Real Sociedad attacker provided a neat finish after a sloppy pass from Yann Sommer gifted possession back to Spain as Switzerland attempted to play out from the back.

The situation was exacerbated by Granit Xhaka – the intended recipient of the pass – slipping, and Mikel Merino managed to nudge the ball through to his club colleague to add the finish.

While most will likely blame Sommer's mistake for the goal, Luis Enrique believes it was more down to the success of Spain's high press.

"It was not their failure, it was a great success from the pressure of Spain," he told reporters.

"The reward was huge, it is a great win for the team. I remember only one clear chance for Switzerland, whereas we could have finished the game off in several situations, with Ferran [Torres] in the first half and several in the second, but it is not easy.

"There is nothing I did not like about the performance. To pressure a team like Switzerland, who had three centre-backs and two midfield pivots, is complicated.

"I am also proud of the final stages of the game. At other times we would have gone backwards and today we have done the opposite, we continued to go forward so they couldn't create chances."

The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 15 games, while they remain top of Nations League Group A4 with seven points – two more than Germany – from three matches.

Spain go to Ukraine next on Tuesday, who gave Germany a scare in a 2-1 defeat on Saturday. 

Andriy Shevchenko's side have been left short of players due to Covid-19 and even had to call-up their 45-year-old assistant coach to the squad last week for a friendly which they unsurprisingly lost 7-1 against World Cup holders France. 

Black and yellow. These two colours infuse life into the soul of Dortmund, a city in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region, known globally as the home of Die Schwarzgelben (The Black and Yellows) or more popularly, Borussia Dortmund. 

Their home ground, the Signal Iduna Park, is an architectural marvel - an elegant amalgamation of concrete and steel, and of course, drenched in black and yellow. 

On matchdays, the Südtribune (Southern Stand) hosts the gigantic Yellow Wall, a standing section of 25000 fans, who strike fear and paranoia in the opposition with their vociferous and incessant chanting throughout the 90 minutes. 

And it is no surprise to see club legend Marco Reus, a native of Dortmund, reveal it was very much BVB on everyone’s mind during his childhood.

"All we ever thought of was black and yellow," the Germany ace explains. 

Reus' father was a coach at a local club called Post SV and he started off under his tutelage at the tender age of five as a defender. But soon his attacking instincts blossomed and he started to play in more advanced areas. 

After two years in 1996, the 'offer' came and Reus secured a move to the F youth team of his beloved Borussia Dortmund.

"I had no thoughts that 10 or 15 years later I'd want to play in the stadium, it was too early. Just the thought of coming to training with the BVB crest, travelling to the match, that was huge," reminisced the Borussia Dortmund skipper. 

He played for 10 years in the various youth teams of Dortmund until he left for the U-19 team of Rot Weiss Ahlen in the summer of 2006 in search of more playing time. 

But the Germany international returned to his boyhood club at the first opportunity in 2012 after a sensational season with domestic rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach. 

In his first press conference, he was accompanied by Michael Zorc, another mythical figure in the city's footballing history. 

Zorc also calls the city of Dortmund his 'home' and has never played for any other club other than Der BVB. 

"Borussia Dortmund are my club and this is my city. We all grew up here and lived the local life. My friends and family are here, my wife is from Dortmund," stated the man who has been associated with the club for more than four decades with the club; first as a player and then as a sporting director. 

His most successful years in the yellow jersey arrived in the twilight of his career when Dortmund were twice crowned German league champions, European champions in 1996-97 and also bagged the Intercontinental Cup in the same season. 

"He's an absolute club legend," stated Reus in admiration of the man whose footprints have been a guiding force for the 31-year-old. 

The main difference between Zorc and Reus is the latter’s decision to leave his boyhood club for Rot Weiss Ahlen in search of regular playing time, something the BVB supremo rues to this day. 

"They tell me, they didn't send him away, he just wasn't happy with the playing time he was getting.  It's a shame he took this detour. Not because we had to buy him from Gladbach for a lot of money, but I would have preferred him to follow a similar path to me."

In spite of that 'detour', Reus is loved no less than Zorc by the Dortmund faithful. Although several clubs tabled big-money offers in an attempt to lure him away, Reus has chosen to stay faithful to the one true love that changed his life at the age of seven. 

But his sparkling time at Borussia has been intermittently marred by lengthy injury lay-offs. 

He was even forced to withdraw from the 2014 World Cup-winning Germany squad after he suffered an ankle injury in the team's 6–1 warm-up win against Armenia and has since battled injury problems on more than one occasion.

But each time, he has come back stronger and silenced any doubters with his performances.

On November 24 2016, he came back after 185 days on the pitch after recovering from an abductor injury he suffered at the German Cup final in May 2016, and took the match ball home (although the third goal was later attributed as an own goal) in a record-breaking 8-4 Champions League win against Legia Warsaw. 

"Of course, it gets more difficult each time, we don't need to talk about it. It always sets you back, no matter what injury you have. But especially when it's such a tedious one. But at some point, you have to adjust your head and think positively."

In the 2019-20 season, Reus once again missed Dortmund's last 14 games due to physical misfortune, but the Coronavirus pandemic was a cause of greater concern for the footballer as it had taken a severe toll on his fellow citizens of Dortmund. 

Huge losses were incurred by business houses following strict Covid-19 measures and it almost rung the death knell for various small and medium-sized enterprises. 

"My wife and I sat together and thought about what we could do.  We just had the idea to setup 'Help your Hometown' to help these small and medium-sized companies get through the period."

Several pubs and eateries have benefitted from the initiative and Reus is further looking to broad base his investments to prevent more organisations from going bankrupt.

The pandemic has also resulted in a cramped footballing schedule and teams across the top five leagues in Europe have to take the field more frequently than usual, which means more travelling and less time to spend with family. 

Although both Reus and Zorc have reservations against playing at shorter intervals, they have accepted this as their way of life.

"It's obviously not great. If you're not at home very often in the last four months of the year, not seeing your wife and daughter, it's obviously not nice. But basically, we've become accustomed to being permanently on the road which is what we'll be, especially in the next few months. That's just the way it is. We have to accept it, and no-one's complaining," stated Reus. 

For Zorc, meanwhile, the club has become synonymous with his existence and he would rather travel with the team than idle away his time.

"The schedule is always on the top of my mind, including what you do, how you behave, and that's how I've lived over the years and decades. For 'normal' people, life is completely different. When their adrenaline level drops a little on Friday afternoon, for us, it goes up. There is no weekend.

"I've spent more time with the club than with most of the people around me, perhaps with the exception of my closest family members. Immediately after hanging up my boots I took up a different career when perhaps other people - and maybe it's more sensible - have taken a break and found a new direction.” 

He acknowledges that it is always good to have fresh blood at the club, but the Coronavirus prompted Zorc to extend his contract with the club for one more year till 2022 as he did not want to leave his beloved BVB amidst this global turbulence. 

He has stood by it through every thick and thin, be it a financial crisis, sporting crisis or a bomb attack, and is ready to sail through a pandemic before the final swansong. 

If Zorc is tackling the rough waters off the pitch, Reus is ready to so on the pitch.

The attacker has shrugged off another grave injury and is ready to fire on all cylinders. Dortmund need their skipper in full throttle to challenge Bayern's domestic supremacy and if making a comeback is an art, Reus is the Picasso of it.  

Selangor condemned Felda United to relegation with a 6-1 hammering, thanks to the standout performances by several of the Red Giants' players.

SELANGOR

Tauffiq Ar Rasyid - 7/10

Selangor's third choice custodian was handed his first ever appearance and start for the club, and turnd in a decent shift, which could have been better overall had he not let in the sole Felda goal at a time when the visitors have managed only a few half-chances.

Syahmi Safari - 7/10

Thr right back returned to the starting line-up following a brief injury, and provided more danger to the opponents down the flank. 

Rodney Celvin - 7/10

The centre back lacked confidence on occassions in the match, mistiming his clearance headers and allowing the Fighters' attackers to trouble their line a little too often.

Taylor Regan - 7/10

Returning to the line-up, the central defender had a decent game, even if they did concede one goal while scoring six.

Zikri Khalili - 8/10

Another promotion from reserve team under technical director and interim head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, the left back wowed many with his confidence in defence, as well as the few times he pushed up.

Safuwan Baharudin - 7/10

Did the essential dirty work in the middle of the park to cover his defence and goalkeeper, earning a booking as a result, but also minimising the number of goals they conceded.

Brendan Gan - 8/10

The midfielder helped his side dictate play against the struggling opponents, and even came away with a goal.

Sandro da Silva - 9/10 (Man of the Match)

Ifedayo Olusegun netted all the attention through his hattrick, but the Brazilian midfielder was Goal's man of the match. He ran the hosts' attack on the night, providing two assists and bagging a brace himself.

Sandro da Silva. Photo by Sports Regime

Sean Selvaraj - 7/10

The forward surely would have hoped to produce a bigger impact, having starred in their previous match, but he should be happy enough to have contributed to the win through his dangerous runs with and without the ball.

Mukhairi Ajmal - 6/10

The teenager could not make a bigger impact in his second first team start for Selangor before he was taken off early in the second half for an injury.

Ifedayo Olusegun - 9/10

The Nigerian striker scored a hattrick against his former team (and provided an assist), which honestly could have been more had he been more clinical and composed, but he nevertheless did enough to lead this season's scoring chart.

Substitutions:

Wan Zack Haikal - 6/10

The winger came on early in the second half, but failed to create any dangerous chances from his moves down the flank.

Rufino Segovia, K. Sarkunan, A. Namathevan, Alif Haiqal - NA

Second half changes who helped the Red Giants maintain their dominance of the encounter.

FELDA UNITED

Muhaimin Mohamad - 5/10

The goalkeeper had a torrid night, being able to do little to stop his side from conceding again and again, and they are now relegated from the Super League.

Ariff Farhan - 5/10

The right back's involvement was relatively minimal, as he was substituted off at halftime by head coach Nidzam Jamil.

Nikola Raspopovic - 4/10

An underwhelming match for the foreign centre back, who found the Selangor attackers simply unstoppable.

Azmizi Azmi - 4/10

The centre back failed to combine well with left back Azarul Nazarith, and allowed the dangerous home team attackers too much space.

Azarul Nazarith - 4/10

The left back was constantly troubled by Sean Selvaraj and Syahmi Safari down his flank.

Jasazrin Jamaludin - 6/10 

The experienced midfielder did well to help his team avoid letting the opposition dominate the middle of the park, until he was taken off midway through the second half.

Daniel Amier - 7/10

The lone bright spark in a depressing night for the Fighters, the midfielder scored what would be their consolation goal.

Fadhil Idris - 5/10

The midfielder had a decent outing in his fifth start of the season, but marred his night by conceding a penalty with a shirt pull on Brendan, which was then converted by Ifedayo.

Frederic Bulot - 5/10

The right attacker could not make a bigger impact in the encounter.

Syahmi Zamri - 5/10

The right winger found the combined marking of his namesake Syahmi Safari and Rodney a little too hard to overcome.

Khairul Amri - 6/10

The Felda forwards were able to unneverve the hosts' defence, but they, inclucing the veteran forward, were not able to turn that threat into more goals, although he did provide an assist.

Substitutions:

Jadid Ilias, Naqib Najwan, Zul Fahmi Awang, Syahrul Aizad, Faiz Mazlan -

Second half substitutions who could not do much to help their team.

Germany head coach Joachim Low was not completely satisfied with his team's 2-1 victory against Ukraine as they won a Nations League match for the first time.

For the first time in seven attempts, Germany celebrated a Nations League triumph thanks to goals from Matthias Ginter and Leon Goretzka in Kiev on Saturday.

Germany led 2-0 after 49 minutes before Ruslan Malinovskiy's 76th-minute penalty gave Ukraine hope, but the visitors held on.

After winning for the first time when opening the scoring in 2020, having drawn on the previous three such instances, Low told reporters: "I'm happy that we won the game.

"Before we conceded, we could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up. The penalty was unnecessary. One positive is that we allowed them few chances from open play.

"We did, however, give the ball away too easily on occasion though. They were tired after it went 2-0. We played with some stability tonight.

"When we play with three at the back, we need active players, who tie up the opposition and play passes forward. We played too many long balls in the first half.

"I won't make many changes to the starting XI against Switzerland if nothing changes."

Ginter broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when he turned in a cross from Antonio Rudiger, and Goretzka made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half courtesy of a Georgi Bushchan blunder.

Germany defender Niklas Sule gave away a penalty with 14 minutes remaining, and Malinovskiy converted following Ukraine's minimal threat.

The result snapped Ukraine's streak of seven successive home competitive wins.

Ginter added: "We are pleased to have won. That's important for the journey we are on. We weren’t at our best tonight and it was a bit close towards the end. I try to remain ambitious every day and to give my all. I'm pleased that this hard work paid off tonight.

"We lost the ball too often in the first half and made too many sloppy mistakes. We knew that Ukraine would be strong on the break and wanted to avoid this happening. You rarely see so many simple errors in the national team."

Members of Nigeria senior national team will be tested for coronavirus before taking on Tunisia in Tuesday’s international friendly.

Before locking horns with reigning African champions Algeria, players and coaches of the three-time Africa Cup of Nations winners were subjected to the assessment, nevertheless, all medical tests returned negative.

On Monday, Gernot Rohr’s team will have to ascertain their state of health before taking on the Carthage Eagles.

The Nigeria Football Federation had denied claims in some sections of the media that four of the Super Eagles in camp had contracted the virus before Friday’s fixture with Algeria at the Jacques Lemans Arena.

“Please discountenance any reports that some of our players tested positive to Covid-19 ahead of tomorrow’s friendly game against Algeria. It is a blatant falsehood,” NFF wrote in a statement.

“The writer of the story, who was not part of the press conference earlier today, totally misrepresented what coach [Gernot] Rohr said that since the outbreak of the pandemic, four of our players had tested positive but were all now fully recovered from the virus and back in action.”

Ramy Bensebaini’s sixth minute strike handed the Djamel Belmadi’s Desert Foxes a slim 1-0 triumph over Nigeria in Friday’s international friendly.

They would be hoping to return to winning ways against Mondher Kebaier’s team that silenced Sudan 3-0 in Rades thanks to goals from Saif-Eddine Khaoui, Wahbi Khazri and Anis Ben Slimane.

Both teams last met at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations third-place play-off, with Odion Ighalo’s third minute strike handing Rohr’s men the bronze medal inside Cairo’s Al Salam Stadium.

Harry Redknapp believes Manchester United's decision to sign Edinson Cavani is a big gamble and a move that 'smacks of desperation'. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side brought in the striker on deadline day with the Uruguay international a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season. 

The Red Devils enjoyed a busy final day in the transfer market following a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham. 

Former Spurs manager Redknapp is skeptical of United's decision to bring in Cavani, who is reportedly on a sizeable weekly wage. 

"I think you all know I like a gamble now and again...but nothing like the one Manchester United have taken in signing Edinson Cavani," Redknapp wrote in a column for The Sun. 

"It was obvious they needed something even before last week’s shocker against Spurs. The worrying thing was a few of them seemed to throw in the towel.

"But signing Cavani, 33, on over £200,000 a week on the final day of the transfer window did smack of desperation to me.

"I had people telling me eight weeks ago he was keen to come to England. When I heard the wages I just wished them good luck.

"So if he was someone United were that keen on signing, why did they leave it so late?

"Cavani has been a great player over the years and if he’s still got the hunger and the talent, then he’ll do a good job for them. I hope for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sake he is because they certainly cannot afford any more displays like that one against Spurs."

Redknapp recently declared Tottenham could win the Premier League this season - a belief he's refusing to back down from. 

"I’ve come in for a bit of stick for suggesting Spurs can be serious title challengers this season, but what’s so daft about that? It is pretty obvious no one is going to run away with it like Liverpool last time," Redknapp added.

'You cannot knock the squad Jose Mourinho’s built, though, and there is genuine competition for every single position." 

Spurs are currently sixth in the Premier League with early leaders Everton five points ahead of Mourinho's men after winning all of their league games to date. 

Italy boss Roberto Mancini believes Robert Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world but admits it's a pity he's yet to play in Serie A. 

The Azzurri will go head-to-head against Lewandowski on Sunday when the two nations meet in Nations League Group A1.

Lewandowski scored 55 goals across all competitions in 2019-20 to fire Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble and many pundits feel he would have won the Ballon d'Or this year had the award not been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He has continued his exquisite form in the early stages of this campaign, scoring five goals in three league matches for champions Bayern.

Mancini talked up the talents of Lewandowski in a pre-match news conference but backed his side to keep him quiet in Gdansk.

"Lewandowski is one of the best centre-forwards in the world and he has been for several years. It's a pity we never got to see him playing in Serie A," Mancini said

"He's fundamental for Poland, although they also have other great players too. It's fair to say any team would struggle against the likes of Lewandowski.

"But Italy have always had some of the best defenders in the world and that remains true today. Of course, we can improve a great deal too."

Ciro Immobile was also one of European football's hottest properties last term and finished as Serie A's top goalscorer with 36 goals in 37 top-flight matches which meant he also claimed Europe's Golden Shoe.

The Lazio striker has struggled to match that domestic form on the international scene and has scored just three times in the Mancini era, two of those in a 9-1 battering of minnows Armenia.

Mancini explained it is harder to get into a rhythm in international football when defending Immobile's record.

"It might also be because the two teams play in very different ways," Mancini added. 

"Ciro has always done well when playing with us. If we had 38 games in a row together, he'd score 25 goals, but it's tougher when you only get together every now and then."

Wales manager Ryan Giggs has been backed to return and take charge of Manchester United one day by former team-mate Mark Hughes.

Giggs, who spent his entire playing career with the Red Devils, got his first taste of coaching at the club and even acted as a player-manager after the sacking of David Moyes in 2014. 

The 46-year-old would then serve as Louis van Gaal's assistant before taking charge of his nation in 2018 and successfully qualifying them for Euro 2020. 

While Giggs' attention remains focused on Wales, Hughes believes Giggs is putting himself in an ideal position to one day return to Old Trafford as permanent manager. 

"I think Ryan is in a good place in his management career," Hughes said via BBC Sport. 

"He is on an upward trend. He is probably more likely to get an opportunity at Manchester United than he was when Van Gaal left.

"Maybe they felt his management CV wasn't strong enough at that point, but if he goes to the European Championship and does well, then there's no reason why he won't be in the frame.

"He was a fantastic player throughout his career and he's had good opportunities to learn the game on the other side of the fence.

"Obviously he was mentored by Sir Alex [Ferguson] for many years and in later years he was able to work alongside him. He then worked very closely with Van Gaal for a couple of years, which I felt was a good decision by him and the club.

"I thought that was with a view to him taking over the role when Van Gaal left. It wasn't to be, they made the decision to go for a bigger name in terms of management - [Jose] Mourinho.

"I think that was pushed maybe a little bit because of the appointment at Manchester City of Guardiola. Maybe they felt they needed like for like, which probably affected Ryan's chances."

Hughes himself, whose managerial career has included stints in charge of Wales, Manchester City and most recently Southampton, remains open to coaching another club despite being out of the game for nearly two years. 

"I haven't retired yet. People might assume I have, but I am available," Hughes added. 

"I am open to opportunities whatever they are and wherever they are. I am at a stage of my life where I am not restricted really in terms of where I can go, it's just that the world is restricted at the moment with this strange situation everyone finds themselves in terms of Covid.

"There are opportunities I have looked at and thought might be interesting but I haven't pursued too many of them. I'll know when an opportunity arises that it's time to go back in."

Playing against the struggling Felda United in their final Malaysia Super League matchday has not only allowed Selangor to record another commanding victory, it also afforded the Red Giants' striker Ifedayo Olusegun the opportunity to top the league goal-scoring chart.

Going into round 11, the chart had been led by Perak's Shahrel Fikri who had 10 goals, while Ifedayo had been on nine. Against the Fighters, the Nigerian netted a hattrick to help his team win 6-1, to take his tally to 12, while Perak are scheduled to host second-placed Kedah on Sunday in a must-win match, on a night when claiming the golden boot is almost certainly not Shahrel's top priority.

Speaking after the Felda encounter, the 29-year old forward paid tribute to his teammates, who assisted him in topping the chart.

"I am grateful to God and the team. I saw the chart and knew I was one goal behind a very fantastic Perak player. I kept that in mind as much as I wanted the team to finish the league campaign with a good win. I did my best and left the rest to God.

"Selangor have great players and it took me 30 minutes to immerse myself in the gameplay. I didn't have to get down to get the ball myself often thanks to there being players who do that; I just needed to be near the box and look for chances. Thankfully I got my first goal in the first half, which then allowed me to calm down and score more," said the player.

The former Melaka United and Felda player also took the time to praise his golden boot rival, whom he thinks is a great asset to the Malaysia national team.

Shahrel Fikri. Photo by Sports Regime

"Shahrel Fikri is very fantastic; I saw some of his highlights, his positioning, goals, Malaysia should be happy there's a local player who's intelligent in front of the goal," praised the Nigerian. 

"To me, even if doesn't win the golden boot, he should be recognised. It's very impressive for a local player to come that far."

But when asked by Goal whether Selangor, who have scored 16 goals in their last three matches alone, are now good enough to win the upcoming Malaysia Cup, he responded cautiously.

"This is my fourth year in Malaysian football. There's something very different about Malaysia Cup that makes it hard to tell (predict the outcome). The big teams will defeat the presumably smaller teams in the league, but almost every team thinks they can win the cup, even Premier League teams.

"We played against PDRM, Felda and Melaka United [in 2019 Malaysia Cup] and those matches were tough, you know? Last year Perak beat us in the league but in the cup we won 3-1 in Shah Alam. This year it's a knockout competition, so anything can happen. We can't say we're ready or we're not, only 'we'll see'," explained Ifedayo.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is fully aware of England's international quality and has said they have the potential to win both the upcoming Euros and the 2022 World Cup. 

De Bruyne, who recently denied reports he's close to extending his contract with City, will face the Three Lions with Belgium on Sunday in the Nations League. 

Gareth Southgate's side have avoided defeat in their last six matches and conceded just one goal in the process, with their recent friendly against Wales ending in a 3-0 win. 

Belgium meanwhile have gone 13 games without a loss but were held to a 1-1 draw against the Ivory Coast on Thursday. 

De Bruyne was rested for that match and is fully aware of the threat England will pose at Wembley on Sunday as he predicts a big few years for the Three Lions. 

"I think they should be very excited. It's a very young team with a lot of potential," De Bruyne said of England. 

"I think they should aim to win the next Euros and World Cup. I think they have that potential.

"There are always a lot of teams who want to win it, but I think the team they have, the players who play in top clubs, they should do that."

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez has also backed Southgate's side for imminent success with the former Everton manager adamant silverware is on its way. 

"[Southgate's] players are as good as anyone individually in world football and it is just a matter of time that they will get that trophy or major result in a major tournament," Martinez said.

Both England and Belgium were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, while the pair both failed to make it past the quarter-finals at Euro 2016. 

The two nations last faced each other at the World Cup two years ago, with Martinez's side winning both their group-stage clash and their third-place playoff. 

Belgium are currently top of the FIFA world rankings with England's steady progress in recent years seeing them rise to fourth. 

Gareth Bale was reunited with his beloved Tottenham in September, signing for the Lilywhites on loan from Real Madrid where he has been increasingly sidelined by head coach Zinedine Zidane.

Bale is currently one of the highest-earning footballers in the world, and will no doubt be an asset for the north Londoners with whom he first exploded onto the scene.

Goal has what you need to know about Bale's contract details at Real Madrid, how much he earns and how long his loan spell at Tottenham is.

How long is Gareth Bale's contract at Real Madrid?

Bale's contract at the Bernabeu runs until 2022.

He penned a contract extension with Madrid in 2016, after joining the side in 2013 on a then world-record transfer fee of £85 million.

The Welshman said after re-signing with the north Londoners in September: “It’s nice to be back. It’s such a special club to me, it’s where I made my name. Amazing fans and it’s incredible to be back. Hopefully now I can get some match fitness and get underway and hopefully win trophies.

“I always thought when I did leave that one day I would love to come back and the opportunity has now arisen and I feel like it’s a good fit. I feel it’s a good time for me, I’m hungry, I’m motivated, I want to do well for the team and I can’t wait to get started."

What is Gareth Bale's net worth and how much does the Real Madrid & Tottenham star earn?

How much does Gareth Bale earn?

Bale is understood to be earning £350,000 per week after tax according to the Guardian. They also claimed that once his bonuses are pocketed, he will earn a figure of £150m ($196m) over the course of his deal.

It was said that when Bale renewed his deal at Real Madrid in October 2016, he became the highest-earning footballer in the world.

This didn't last long, however, as Los Blancos then awarded Cristiano Ronaldo his own six-year extension with slightly better terms not long after the Welshman put pen to paper.

How long is Gareth Bale's loan deal at Tottenham?

Bale's loan deal at Tottenham will last one year, with the spell ending in the summer of 2021.

According to AS, the year-long deal will include no automatic option for a further extension, and so therefore he will return to the Bernabeu once his loan spell in north London ends.

Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett, though, has said that there is a possibiilty that Bale will extend his stay in north London beyond the 2020-21 season if things go well.

Both Real Madrid and Tottenham are expected to be splitting his £27m ($35m) salary equally between the two sides.

Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hit back at Sevilla director of football Monchi, who said last month that he couldn't understand why the Red Devils did not have a director of football of their own.

The Red Devils have faced criticism over their transfer strategy in recent seasons, with this summer's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho coming up short.

After missing out on Sancho, United scrambled to make signings on deadline day and landed Edinson Cavani, Alex Telles and 18-year-olds Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri.

In the days leading up to the closing of the transfer window Monchi hit out at United, saying he couldn't fathom why they continued to go without a director of football.

"I do understand there are very successful clubs – Manchester United are probably one of the top five in the world, but they do not have that specific position – but I think that clubs more and more are aware that they really need this position and also we are the connection between the technical staff, the squad, the board, we know the ­market, we get lots of information through the different scouts," Monchi told The Telegraph.

"So, for me, I can’t believe a club does not have this particular position. Logically, I have to believe in it because that’s what I do. But I do think it’s essential."

Solskjaer has now fired back at Monchi, saying he is not interested in hearing outside criticism of his club's policies.

“There’s always people who want to talk about how well they’re running things and how well they’re doing," Solskjaer said. “We’ve all got different views on how football should be played and how clubs should be run.

“We’ve got good people running our club and there’s always discussions behind the scenes, which people don’t know about, around how we’re doing things and evaluating everything."

The Norwegian added that although United are looking at potentially adding a director of football, he is not in a position to say whether it should happen.

“It’s a process the club is going through all the time, discussing if we’ve got the right people in the right positions," Solskjaer said.

“It’s not for me to say whether we should have a director of football.

“At the moment we’re working with this structure and I feel the results last season we’ve seen a big improvement, fans looked at us and said we’re moving in the right direction. Hopefully we can carry that on this season.”

Romelu Lukaku believes Inter are firmly on course to end their trophy drought thanks to the team buying into Antonio Conte's work ethic.

Former Manchester United striker Lukaku says working with Conte has transformed his game, declaring he feels like a changed player since moving to San Siro.

A Serie A title challenge fizzled out last season, although Inter finished only one point behind Juventus after the champions lost their final two games.

Inter also reached the Europa League final, where silverware hopes were thwarted as they lost 3-2 to Sevilla, and they have not won a major honour since the 2010-11 Coppa Italia.

Doubts over Conte's future followed the European disappointment, but he has been backed to stay at the helm and Lukaku is delighted the former Juventus, Italy and Chelsea boss remains the Nerazzurri's head coach.

"With Conte I improved my game in every aspect," said Lukaku, who was recently named as the 2019-20 Europa League Player of the Season.

"If you want to play for him you have to know you have to be ready to sacrifice for the team. Your physical and mental level need to be at the top and if you then achieve on the field you can feel at your very best."

Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Lukaku said it was important to keep working on the team's hunger for success.

He said: "My goal as a footballer is to win trophies and with him I can do that. I give 100 per cent for him in every training session and games, and you can see the results are coming. We have to keep going and training and improve our attitude to win."

The Belgian reflected on how playing behind closed doors during the pandemic has affected footballers and recalled how crowd noise would have spared him embarrassment during a game in the closing weeks of last season.

"It's very ugly, first of all because you can hear everything," Lukaku said.

"I remember against Brescia I was in a good position to strike but they didn't pass me the ball and you could hear me swearing on TV.

"And then I saw all the reactions on Twitter and I started laughing. But anyway, we need our supporters in the stadium and we want them back.

"The energy when we play in San Siro and you score a goal in front of your supporters, it's incredible. I hope we can see fans back in the stadium sooner rather than later."

England midfielder Jordan Henderson has defended his younger team-mates after several of them have found themselves in trouble recently over violating coronavirus regulations.

Last month, Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were sent home from the squad after breaking coronavirus protocols in Iceland, amid allegations they invited girls back to their hotel room.

This month, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell were left out of the England squad for Thursday's 3-0 victory over Wales after it emerged they had attended a party last Saturday.

Though he's seen several of his team-mates run afoul of virus restrictions, Henderson has said the problem is not only limited to footballers.

"We know when you play for England there’s a big responsibility and that any little thing you do will come under scrutiny," the Liverpool captain said.

"But during Covid, it’s not just footballers who have made mistakes. I know we’ll get targeted and that everybody has got to try to do their best. But it’s new for us all and over the past few months one or two players may have made some bad decisions.

“But I think that goes for the people in this country in general. You look at politicians, you look at businessmen. They have made mistakes as well.

“We’ve all got to try to do the best we possibly can going forward to try to minimise the virus spreading and try to help to save lives as much as possible. But it's not just in football.”

England manager Gareth Southgate has been forced to apply punishments to his young stars and Henderson has said that although the coach is normally mild-mannered, he can become a disciplinarian when needed.

“Gareth is a nice guy and may not raise his voice that often, but when he does shout you know it's because something really isn't right," Henderson added.

“He isn't afraid to make tough decisions – as we've seen – and as players we all think he has handled everything really well.

“Gareth has handled certain situations in terms of discipline very well. Everyone backs him in what he has said, but at the same time I am a senior player and I have also got to support my team-mates and help them as much as possible.

“It's my responsibility to help the younger lads and help them take good decisions in the future."

Gonzalo Higuain will have a familiar figure alongside him at Inter Miami after the MLS franchise signed the Argentine superstar's older brother Federico.

They will be the 18th pair of siblings to play together in the league, Inter Miami said, after securing a deal to bring in Federico Higuain from DC United.

The 35-year-old only joined DC United in March, taking on a player-coach role after ending an eight-year association with Columbus Crew.

Inter Miami brought in 32-year-old former Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus in September, and they hope the brothers can bring success to the newly established team, who are contesting their debut season.

The last time both Higuain brothers played at the same club was a decade and a half ago in the ranks of River Plate, where the elder Federico failed to establish himself as a regular first-teamer. 

He was transferred to second-tier Nueva Chicago in 2005 and helped the Buenos Aires club achieve promotion in his debut season, although his fine second term in Primera, where he scored 14 goals, was overshadowed by a shameful end to the year as Chicago fans rioted during their relegation play-off with Tigre, causing the death of a visiting fan and earning Higuain's club an 18-point deduction for the following campaign back in the Nacional B. 

Higuain left Chicago after relegation, passing through Besiktas in Turkey, Mexico's America and Argentine clubs Independiente, Godoy Cruz and Colon before joining Columbus in 2012, going on to become a legend at the MLS club thanks to his loyalty and ability in front of goal.

Inter Miami are owned by a group that includes former Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham.

Sporting director Paul McDonough said: "Federico has been a great player in this league.

"We were thrilled to add more attacking depth, experience and playmaking ability to our roster when this opportunity presented itself."

An attacking midfielder, Federico Higuain has scored 61 goals and had 68 assists in 217 MLS games.

Inter Miami will send $50,000 in 2021 general allocation money to DC United as compensation for the deal.

Nigeria assistant coach Joseph Yobo disclosed that the Super Eagles will take the positives out of their international friendly defeat to Algeria on Friday night.

Ramy Bensebaini’s sixth minute strike powered the North Africans past the Super Eagles at the Jacques Lemans Arena, Austria.

Following their semi-final defeat to the Desert Foxes at Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Gernot Rohr’s men went into the encounter with the ambition of avenging their at the Cairo International Stadium.

However, it was Djamel Belmadi’s team that reigned supreme again with the Borussia Monchengladbach defender settling the encounter after pouncing on a loose ball from a corner-kick.

That encounter was Yobo’s maiden game as assistant manager of the three-time African champions, and despite a trailing start, he claimed that the team would keep getting better.

“Sticking together as a team! Not the results we wanted but we'll take the positives from the game last night and keep improving. Better days ahead!,” the former Olympique Marseille, Everton and Fenerbahce defender posted on Instagram.

Without regular suspects like Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo, Victor Osimhen among others, the second-string Super Eagles were unable to stop the Algerians from cruising to victory despite an improved second-half display.

That tie also afforded Rohr the opportunity to hand Kevin Akpoguma, Zaidu Sanusi, Samson Tijani and Frank Onyeka their senior international debut.

Yobo and other Nigeria officials would be hoping to lead the country to victory when they take on Tunisia on Tuesday.

The Carthage Eagles defeated Sudan 3-0 on Friday with Saif-Eddine Khaoui, Wahbi Khazri and Anis Ben Slimane all finding the net inside Hamadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades.

Odion Ighalo’s third-minute strike handed the West Africans a 1-0 triumph when both teams last met in the Third-Place play-off of Afcon 2019 staged inside Al Salam Stadium, Cairo.

These friendlies are part of the country’s preparations for their double-header Afcon qualification game against Sierra Leone in November. The next edition of the championship holds in Cameroon.

Nigeria currently lead Group L with six points after wins over the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.

Ex-Manchester City, Real Madrid and Brazil star Robinho has rejoined Santos for a fourth stint, the club confirmed on Saturday. 

Robinho has been a free agent since parting company with Turkey's Basaksehir at the end of the 2019-20 Super Lig season. 

And at 36 he is now gearing up for his latest return to Vila Belmiro after agreeing a short-term contract with his boyhood club. 

"Robinho is back!" Santos revealed on the club's official Twitter account on Saturday. 

"The eternal Stepover King has signed a five-month contract and agreed his return to start his fourth spell at Santos."

Robinho rejoins Santos at a time when the Paulista outfit, who finished second under Jorge Sampaoli in the 2019 Serie A campaign, are fighting on multiple fronts. 

The Peixe currently sit eighth in the national Brasilerao competition, whose start was delayed by several months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and have also secured a last-16 berth in the Copa Libertadores with one game to spare in Group G.

Santos are also due to begin their quest to win the Copa do Brasil, which they begin in the last-16 phase in October with a two-legged tie against Ceara. 

The forward began playing futsal for the club aged just 12 and made his first-team bow in 2001 at the age of 17, helping the Peixe to a Serie A crown the following season. 

After three stellar campaigns at Vila Belmiro Robinho was sold to Real Madrid, winning back-to-back Ligas for the club in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before moving on to City as the first signing of the Abu Dhabi Investment Group. 

The Brazilian, who had been tipped by Pele as his heir apparent while still a teenager, suffered mixed fortunes in the Premier League and in 2010 returned to Santos on a loan deal. 

He would make a second return to the club in 2014, this time as a Milan player, while also representing the likes of Guangzhou Evergrande, Atletico Mineiro and Sivasspor as his talents began to wane. 

At international level Robinho picked up 100 caps, scoring 28 times for the Selecao and lifting the Copa America in 2007 as well as two Confederations Cups.

Former president of Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi has had his lifetime ban reduced to 15 years.

Nyantakyi was banned for life from football in October and fined CHF 500,000 for breaches of Fifa’s ethic code.

He was found guilty of breaking Fifa rules relating to conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption and commission after an investigation by the Ethics Committee of world football’s governing body.

"As a consequence, Mr Nyantakyi is banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. Additionally, a fine in the amount of CHF 500,000 has been imposed on Mr Nyantakyi," a statement from Fifa read.

"The decision was notified to Mr Nyantakyi today, and the ban comes into force immediately."

However, the ban has been slashed to 15 years after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

"Kwesi Nyantakyi is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of 15 years, commencing on 29 October 2018," Cas told BBC Sport Africa.

Nyantakyi was named president of the GFA in 2005 and became head of the West African Football Union in 2011 after incumbent Amos Adamu was suspended following allegations of corruption.

Also a member of the Fifa Council, Nyantakyi resigned from his three senior positions after he was given a provisional 90-day ban by Fifa in June 2018.

The Ghana Football Association was dissolved in June 2018 by the nation's Sports minister Kwame Asiamah in the midst of the corruption scandal. 

In August, FIFA announced the formation of a Normalisation Committee, with the hope of regularising activity in the FA by the start of 2019.

According to former Ghana sports minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye, calls for a drop of charges against Nyantakyi are not out of place.

"If people are yearning for 'Free Nyantakyi Movement', I don’t think there is anything wrong," he told Asampa FM.

"In this world, I think everybody should be given a second chance. Even God who created us forgives our sins and offers us a second chance.

"Even murderers are given the chance in prisons to reform provided they are not killed."

"I don’t have anything against Nyatakyi as a person, he is my friend and I don’t believe he also has personal things against me.

"We only did not agree on the paths to do certain things. It means that as human beings our path can cross at any time.

"He believed this is the way we have been doing things while I thought this is how we have to do it, and that should not bring a problem between us."

Lucas Piazon has questioned the loan “business” favoured by Chelsea, with a man who has taken in just three appearances for the Blues in eight years of the opinion that he was only ever signed to make money.

The Brazilian winger was snapped up by the Blues as a teenager and added to their academy system.

Many before and after him have taken a similar career path, with the Stamford Bridge side stockpiling talent within their youth ranks.

Prior to Frank Lampard’s arrival as manager in the summer of 2019, few home-grown talents were given an opportunity to prove their worth on a senior stage.

Piazon falls into that category, with the 26-year-old currently taking in a loan at Rio Ave – the seventh loan spell of his stint in west London.

He has previously been sent out to Malaga, Vitesse, Eintracht Frankfurt, Reading, Fulham and Chievo, with no first-team football seen at Chelsea since December 2012.

Piazon is still tied to a contract with the Blues until 2022 but feels he has become little more than an investment opportunity for a Premier League heavyweight.

He has told Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol: “After a certain point the connection is no longer beneficial for both parties.

“At first, I felt really good. I went through the under-23s, got to the first team and, even in the first loans, I felt Chelsea had expectations and interest in me.

“I believed I could come back and have opportunities at any time.

“Later, as time passed, I became just another business for them. They send me out on loan with the expectation of selling me and making some money with me. I think that’s more or less what they think.”

Chelsea’s loan model has served them well at times, with the likes of Reece James, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori having made a breakthrough under Lampard on the back of previous stints away from Stamford Bridge.

They do, however, still have a number of players on their books that are being denied the chance to nail down a regular role.

The Blues currently have 29 players out on loan – including Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Michy Batshuayi – while deals could yet be done for the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Victor Moses and Charly Musonda as they remain on the fringes of the fold.