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Rafael has described Louis van Gaal has "one of the worst" coaches he's ever worked with, insisting that the ex-Manchester United boss didn't give him a chance at Old Trafford.

United turned to the Champions League winner who had previously coached Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands after sacking David Moyes towards the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Moyes failed to pick up from where Sir Alex Ferguson left off at the end of his glorious 27-year reign at Old Trafford, and Van Gaal was seen as a safer pair of hands due to his impressive CV and extensive experience of coaching at the highest level.

However, the Dutchman only lasted two seasons in the hot seat, with an FA Cup triumph ultimately failing to paper over the cracks of the team's poor Premier League and European form.

Van Gaal spent big on the likes of Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin, but struggled to create a cohesive side capable of challenging the elite, and was ultimately replaced by Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2016.

One man who barely got a look in under the 69-year-old tactician was Rafael, who says that he quickly learned he wouldn't be a part of the manager's plans.

The Brazilian full-back told The Athletic: “When they said Van Gaal was the manager, a lot of friends called me. I could not believe it, as a lot of people told me he does not like Brazilians because of their style of play. They told me, ‘The first thing he is going to do is take you out.’ Actually, it was the second thing because on the first day, he did not speak to me.

"On the second day, he said, ‘You can leave.’ I had not even trained and he said that. I could not believe it. Ryan Giggs tried to defend me a lot. I spoke with him and I could not understand it because I had not even had a chance to show my football to Van Gaal in training.

"He just came and said, ‘You can leave.’ He did not explain why. He said, ‘You will not play this season, I am not going to use you, if you want to leave, you leave.’ I said, ‘OK.’ I still tried to battle for my place. I stayed one year with him. It was so, so hard. He is one of the worst people I have worked with.”

Rafael, who is now on the books of Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir, went on to reveal that Van Gaal would sit the squad down for lectures on life and training multiple times a day, which the defender saw as nothing more than an ego-driven way of asserting his authority.

He added: “Every day, after breakfast, after lunch, or if we had dinner together, he would speak to everyone for 15 minutes about training, about what has happened, about everything, about life. You know when you start to stop listening to what someone is saying, because they speak so much?

"He wanted to show he could speak, but it was every day! All the time! You need to wait for everybody to finish their food to leave, which is fine, OK - but then we watched him talk, for 15 minutes, with all due respect, about sh*t. That is the truth, man. It was sh*t."

Marcus Rashford admits that Manchester United need to “improve” quickly, with the Red Devils forward more concerned about raising collective standards than adding another entry to the Old Trafford history books.

In his last outing, the England international became the man to record United’s 10,000th goal in all competitions.

That is a notable achievement, but one that Rashford has shrugged off amid struggles for consistency at Old Trafford.

A 3-2 victory over Brighton was wrapped up in dramatic fashion on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes converting a VAR-awarded 100th-minute penalty after the final whistle had initially been blown.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were far from their free-flowing best in that contest, with Rashford conceding as much, and there is acceptance on the red half of Manchester that standards need to be raised in order for ultimate targets to be hit.

Rashford told MUTV when being made aware of the mark he hit against the Seagulls: “10,000 goals? It’s funny the way it happened as well, but we have to take things in our stride.

“We have to use these three points as motivation to improve and keep getting better. We have to improve if we want to hit our targets for the season.

“We had a slow start in the last league game and it’s more important to pick up points. It’s more important that we lost the first league game, we had to win today.

“It doesn’t matter how we won, we got the three points and we’ll move forward and improve.”

While United have plenty of room for improvement, a thrilling win over Brighton has got them up and running for 2020-21.

Rashford considers that to be the most important thing for Solskjaer’s side, with an eventful afternoon on the south coast – which saw the Seagulls hit the woodwork on five occasions – proving that the Red Devils can grind out results.

“It’s probably the craziest game we’ve been involved in,” added.

“They were hitting the post, the crossbar, four or five times. [There was] VAR for the penalties too, and obviously our penalty at the end.

“We were definitely lucky to get the three points but, even when they equalised, we showed a lot of character and desire to keep pushing forward. We forced a corner out of nothing, a throw-in on the left-side.

“It was Harry [Maguire’s] determination to win the ball, he won the penalty for us and Bruno tucked it away.”

Ugandan coach Asaph Mwebaze has revealed why he believes goalkeepers end up making successful coaches following their playing careers

Without giving specific examples, the former Nyamityobora tactician explained that the nature and responsibilities of goalkeeping positions tend to breed tough and successful managers.

“On top of his individual responsibility, the goalkeeper needs to be a leader on the pitch. The position gives him a clear view of all players and enables him to spot potential dangers early on,” the former Maroons FC head coach told Football256.

“A good goalkeeper would take full advantage and command the whole defence by shouting orders throughout the game. He is responsible for the positioning of both the centre-backs and the full-backs.

“And no wonder they make very good coaches after their playing careers.”

Mwebaze, who has been in management for the last 22 years – also explained why the goalkeepers should be alert all through the games if his team has to record success.

“Another crucial part of the duties of a goalkeeper includes dead-ball situations,” the ex-Onduparaka FC coach added.

“He is the one who decides how many players are required for the wall when there’s a free-kick. Also, he’s the one supposed to set up the defence during corners and other situations when a cross is expected.

“If the goalkeeper is a solid leader, the whole defence plays much better. Obviously, they have a better awareness as stated in my last point, but there’s more than that.”

Mwebaze also suggested why a lack of trust in a goalkeeper may lead to disasters in any given outfit.

“The outfield players won’t feel pressured and in fear of mistakes if they trust their goalkeeper. If he’s able to bail the defenders, they are more confident and play better overall,” he concluded.

“The opposite is also true. You can instantly see when the defence doesn’t believe in its goalkeeper. You will see many mistakes, panic plays, and the reluctance to trust the last man under any circumstances.

“This is a certain recipe for a disaster.”

The coach believes the goalkeeper is the team's backbone although sometimes, they are not appreciated as much as midfielders and strikers.

The expectations on Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund are higher than they ever were for Robert Lewandowski when he joined the club, according to former BVB captain Sebastian Kehl. 

Haaland made an electric start to his Dortmund career after signing from Red Bull Salzburg in January, scoring 16 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions for the club in 2019-20. 

The 20-year-old striker hit a double in their season-opening game against Borussia Monchengladbach but struggled in the 2-0 defeat to Augsburg on Saturday, managing just one shot on target and 19 touches across the entire game. 

It was a significant dip for Haaland, who has been touted to follow in the footsteps of Lewandowski, who spent four seasons at Signal Iduna Park between 2010 and 2014. 

"Lewy came to us as a great talent at the time. Haaland, on the other hand, already arrived in Dortmund at a very high level – and with a very different reputation than Lewandowski did at the time," Kehl, who played alongside Lewandowski for Dortmund and now heads up the club's licensed player division, told Kicker . 

"We had been waiting for a player like him [Haaland]. The hopes placed in him were accordingly immediately high." 

While Haaland settled straight in, Lewandowski had to fight Lucas Barrios for a place in the first team after arriving from Lech Poznan. 

However, he has since developed into one of the leading strikers in the world, scoring 55 goals as Bayern Munich claimed a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble last season. 

"For Lewandowski, the 2010-11 season was not easy. He and Barrios didn't always get along well. Lewy had to fight for his place and prevail," said Kehl. "Lewy is so consistent, so complete, almost never injured – for me he is one of the best in the world. A great player." 

Haaland and Lewandowski will go head to head when Dortmund take on Bayern in the DFL-Supercup on Wednesday.

The Norwegian could easily have ended up at one of Dortmund's Bundesliga rivals, with Ralf Rangnick recently admitting that RB Leipzig had turned down the chance to sign him while the veteran coach was working with the club.

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Arthur Zwane has revealed he turned down overseas offers to stay at Naturena during his playing days. 

Zwane enjoyed a successful 10-year stint with Amakhosi as a player before becoming a coach soon after his retirement. 

The now 42-year-old mentor said the setup at the club's headquarters is similar to that of teams abroad, and therefore, he felt there was no need for him to move.  

The only time Zwane went overseas was when he left Jomo Cosmos for Brazil giants Santos in 1996. 

However, his stint wasn't as successful as he came back the same year to join Orlando Pirates.  

"Let me tell you something, that's one of the reasons [the setup] even as a player, when I had overseas offers, I said, 'no I am not going' because the setup here made me believe that it's more like I am still overseas," revealed Zwane to the Amakhosi TV. 

Zwane further stated that being at Chiefs, whether as a player or coach, one has to remain focused and be prepared to work hard in order to be successful. 

And this what he has done since joining the Soweto giants two decades ago as a player and again as a coach. 

"You just have to focus and give your best all the time and that's what I did as a player. Even today, I'm still doing the same thing; just focus and giving my best and the results will come," added Zwane. 

The former Bucs winger was pushed to retire from professional football by former coach Vladimir Vermezovic in 2010 and assumed the role of assistant coach to the Serbian mentor. 

He was then redeployed to the club's youth structures at the same time he was busy with his coaching badges. 

Zwane was made the club's MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) team head coach where he has had a hand in the promotion of a number of Amakhosi first-team players in the past three years.

He doubled up that role as an assistant to Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki; the position he still holds on an interim basis. 

Gonzalo Higuain endured a difficult debut as Inter Miami were beaten by Philadelphia Union in MLS on Sunday.

Higuain, signed after leaving Serie A champions Juventus, missed a penalty as his side suffered a 3-0 loss at Subaru Park.

The former Real Madrid forward almost made a dream start to his career in the United States, hitting the outside of the post with a bicycle kick in the 20th minute.

With his team trailing 2-0, Higuain had a chance to get Inter Miami back into the game in the 77th minute, but he blazed a penalty over the crossbar and reacted angrily after Union players celebrated his miss.

Higuain has now failed to score with his past four penalty attempts in all competitions. 

Anthony Fontana, Ilsinho and Brenden Aaronson were on the scoresheet for Philadelphia as struggling Inter Miami were left in second bottom in the Eastern Conference.

Despite Higuain's disappointing start at Miami, coach Diego Alonso has previously stressed his arrival can benefit the club in a number of ways. 

"The arrival of experience has a positive impact on the team, first because of the quality because it helps improve the level and also it impacts the young players and helps them to develop," Alonso told AFP earlier this month.

"It is a double benefit. We have seen it with Matuidi and if we are able to finish the signing of Gonzalo, they will both be able to benefit us in these ways."

Upon sealing his move to MLS, Higuain declared his desire to embrace a new experience and help Miami achieve early success. 

"First of all, I want to thank Inter Miami for the effort it has made to sign me," Higuain said. "I think it will be a beautiful experience in my life. It's what I was looking for -- a new experience, a new league and a beautiful city.

"I'm really happy to be here and that it's official. My goal is to try to transmit all the experience I acquired in Europe and to help the team grow.

"I feel good, I feel whole as a player. I'm motivated to try a new league and help the team grow. Individually, my goal is to demonstrate that I can contribute and continue playing great football here, and I hope I can achieve that because I have all the tools necessary to succeed.

"Inter Miami is a team in construction, but there is already a good base to reach important goals."

New Indian Super League (ISL) outfit East Bengal are set to sign Jeje Lalpekhlua in the coming week. 

The 29-year-old won the ISL twice (2015, 2017-18) with Chennaiyin FC before which he won the Federation Cup (2016) and I-League (2014-15) when he sported the Mohun Bagan shirt.

Jeje had to sit out the entire last season out due to a troublesome knee injury and was included in the list of probables for the Indian national team's 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifier match against Qatar that was supposed to be held in March and now indefinitely postponed to 2021.

The Mizo striker was earlier left out by India head coach Igor Stimac for the King's Cup and Intercontinental Cup in 2019 due to his injury. Jeje last donned the India shirt in the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.

More recently, after his nomination for the 2017 Arjuna Awards, Lalpekhlua saw his name included in the list of recommendations for the famed Arjuna Award this year as well but eventually lost out to Sandesh Jhingan.

Jeje has previously played for Mohun Bagan as well but turned out to be Chennaiyin FC's poster boy in the ISL, representing them from the very first edition back in 2014. Jeje is also the highest goalscorer for Chennaiyin FC in the ISL. 

He also scored 23 goals with 56 India senior caps besides the six from 13 appearances with the India U-23 team. He has played for other clubs like Pune FC, Pailan Arrows and Dempo where he has a respectable goal output. 

It will be interesting to see the Mizo Sniper don the Red and Gold colours as the team goes about their inaugural season in the ISL. 

Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso declared he's not giving Hirving Lozano "any leeway" as he looks to get the most out of the Mexican star.

The 25-year-old scored twice in a 6-0 win over Genoa on Sunday after a turbulent first season in Serie A. 

Lozano found himself out of favour under Gattuso last term following a big-money move from PSV and managed just five goals across all competitions. 

The Mexico international has started the new season brightly however and Gattuso seems determined to ensure Lozano lives up to his potential in Italy. 

"I am not giving Lozano any leeway, so he is a different player now," Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia. "When he arrived, he was not at 100 per cent mentally or physically. He would kick the ball and fall over like a child, now he has strength in his legs.

"I knew Lozano from his days at PSV, he always attacked down the wing, but last season he wasn’t at his best at all. He’s playing now because he’s in good shape.

"The whole team hit rock bottom last year and we still need to be consistent over 90 minutes."

Prior to joining Napoli in 2019, Lozano had scored 21 goals and contributed 12 assists for PSV across the 2018-19 season as he turned heads across Europe. 

While struggling in Naples last term, Gattuso was already seeing signs in pre-season that the Mexican attacker was ready for a much better second season with the club. 

"It is very good if he expresses himself to the fullest. He finally understands that he is at Napoli," Gattuso said in September. 

"The first days he thought he was still in Eindhoven, then in Mexico and now in Naples. He's reacting." 

Despite Napoli's big win on Sunday and Lozano's strong performance, Gattuso wasn't getting ahead of himself. 

“This result is very harsh and does not reflect the game," Gattuso said post-match. "If Piotr Zielinski hadn’t scored 30 seconds after the restart, it would’ve been a very different match.

"We have to focus on improving and finding the right balance, because we need balance in order to play this type of football."

Churchill Brothers' new head coach Fernando Santiago Varela feels the club's past success makes it a challenging role for him, going into the 2020-21 season of I-League.

Varela was introduced to Indian football by Gokulam Kerala two years ago. The team won the Kerala Premier League before the coach left the club due to personal reasons. A year later, he returned to the Kozhikode-based club and took charge of the club for the 2019-20 campaign.

The Malabarians won the Durand Cup, reached the semi-final of the Sheikh Jamal Cup in Bangladesh and was close to finishing int he top four in the I-League. However, the coach and the club parted ways again and for different reasons this time around, according to the Argentina-born manager. 

"Football really is like that (leaving the club after winning a trophy), we had a great season and played brilliantly at times. It's also true that Gokulam Kerala wanted to keep me and asked me to stay several times, but we didn't come to an agreement on a budget or a sports project," Varela revealed to Goal. 

At the end of what was a trophy-winning campaign, Varela was linked to the coaching job at Kolkata giants East Bengal. However, it was not the Red and Golds who had put offers on the table for Varela.

"I had known for some time that I would not renew at Gokulam and several agents contacted me with various offers. Many East Bengal fans and even people with contacts at the club tried to recommend me but I never really received an offer from the club," Varela said.  

He further added, "Churchill Brothers are a club with history,  with 2 I-Leagues and 3 Durand Cups. For me, it is without a doubt a challenge to be in charge of one of the most important teams in India with history."

After two separate stints with Gokulam, Varela believes he has learned more about the nitty-gritty of Indian football. 

He said, "One learns from the experience of dealing with players, the leaders and the media. There are many lessons learned but above all, you work for the player, for the team, for the club and always give your best so that the team improves and wins.

"I think it is important for the future of Indian soccer to not compare yourself too much and to set goals that really help the development of Indian soccer. The quality improves when one looks at oneself and tries to learn from one's own mistakes." 

Goa, like Kerala, is one of the hotbeds of football in India and Varela believes he can be the person to develop young players at Churchill Brothers like he did at his previous club. 

"Last year, nine players from the reserve team made their debut with me, which shows that I believe in the development of the young players. You can't always focus on this kind of development because individual development should be based on progression and not by exposing a player more than necessary. It can be counterproductive for his future and the future of the team," he opined. 

Despite the restrictions imposed on the game by the Coronavirus pandemic, Varela is raring to go at his new club with the ambition of a league victory. 

The virus has put in (restrictions) and we must be prepared to face every situation in a conscious and professional way. The development of physical capacities (of players) will be key to avoiding injuries.

"Being at Churchill Brothers gives you the obligation to always go out and try to win the I-League title, regardless of whether East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are in the running. Churchill is a club with history and it will be our obligation to show character to win every game," Varela concluded. 

Odisha FC’s newest recruit Steven Taylor has a vast experience of playing at the top level of English football with Newcastle United.

The experienced defender, who has spent 13 seasons with The Magpies, has several fond memories. From playing under top managers like Sir Bobby Robson and Rafael Benitez to sharing dressing rooms with legends like Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, Taylor has had a memorable journey in England.

The Brit reminisced fond memories from the St. James’ Park during a chat with Goal.

“Playing for my home town club Newcastle United, working under the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Kevin Keegan and Rafael Benitez is some of my most memorable moments. I played with some incredible players like Alan Shearer and Michael Owen. So for a young player coming through, it was always great to learn from legends like them.”

Taylor had won just two trophies during his time at Newcastle United. In 2006, the club had won the now-defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup and in the 2009-10 season, they had won the Football League Championship and returned to the Premier League.

“Scoring at St. James’ Park in front of 52,000 fans is always an incredible feeling. It was nice to experience European nights with Newcastle and winning the championship with them,” suggested the 34-year-old.

Newcastle United were on the verge of a potential takeover in April by a Saudi Arabian consortium of investors which included Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers. They were supposed to pay £300m to buy the club from current owner Mike Ashley.

Unfortunately, the deal did not materialise and the Saudi investors decided to back out citing a delay in the process of selling the club from the owners’ side.

While several reasons have come up justifying in the delay of the process, Steven Taylor believes that leaking of the takeover news to the press has resulted in the collapse. But he is also positive that the takeover will eventually take place.

“I think if it’s going to happen it will happen before things get leaked out to the press like most club takeovers. When it’s played in the press a lot and dragging on a lot of the time, things like that collapse. Which is what happened with the last potential takeover bid,” said the former Newcastle defender.

Liverpool's dominance of the Premier League has extended to FIFA 21 with six players named in the starting XI of the league's best players in the game.

Four of the Reds' title-winning back five are among the best from England's top division, with Alisson between the sticks with a rating of 90, Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence with the same score, while Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson take the full-back positions on each side with their 87 ratings.

Jurgen Klopp's side also boast two of the starting three attackers with 90-rated Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in position on the right and left wings respectively.

Incredibly, Liverpool provide two of the nine substitutes as well, with Roberto Firmino and Fabinho - both 87 rated - featuring as back-ups.

Manchester City have three players in the starting side, with Kevin De Bruyne - the league's best player with a 91 rating - lining up in midfield, while Sergio Aguero (89 rated) is the team's centre forward and Aymeric Laporte (87 rated) is the only non-Red in the defensive unit.

With Liverpool and City comprising nine players of the best XI, Chelsea's N'Golo Kante (88 rated) and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (87 rated) are the other players featuring in the team in the three-man midfield with De Bruyne.

Among the substitutes include Tottenham trio Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the lone representative from Arsenal.

Manchester City also provide three substitutes with Ederson, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva all starting on the bench.

While La Liga no longer boasts Cristiano Ronaldo, it remains blessed by some of the most talented footballers in the world. 

Ahead of the release of FIFA 21, EA Sports has revealed its ratings for the Spanish league's very best players with Lionel Messi once again coming out on top. 

The Barcelona star, who was initially hoping to be playing elsewhere this season, has been handed an overall rating of 93 with 95-rated dribbling and 92-rated shooting making him close to unstoppable in the final third. 

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is La Liga's second best player with an overall rating of 91 - which also made him FIFA 21's highest rated shot-stopper. 

Rounding out the podium is Barcelona's No.1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has claimed an overall rating of 90 and remains one of the game's best all-round keepers. 

While no Real Madrid player cracked the top three, four Los Blancos representatives including Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Karim Benzema and Thibaut Courtois have earned an overall rating of 89.

Incidentally, Zinedine Zidane's side have the most players in EA's La Liga list, with nine Real Madrid stars making the cut.

Eight players from Barcelona have also been included, Atletico Madrid has three, while Villarreal and Real Sociedad have one each. 

If you're looking to form the best possible La Liga XI, EA suggests a line-up of: Oblak; Carvajal, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Messi, Benzema, Hazard. 

Gift Otuwe and Moussa Xouwairatou were on target for Neman as they claimed a 6-1 triumph over ABFF-U19 in a Belarusian Women's Premier League fixture at Krytyj Futbol Manezh on Sunday.

Having returned from an international break, Neman were desperate to avoid a slip-up, having gone two matches without defeat after a 4-1 win over Bobruichanka before a 1-1 draw at Zorka-BDU.

With hopes for a winning return, Neman made a strong start to the encounter as former Nigeria international Otuwe fired them in front after just 10 minutes of action against ABFF in Grodno.

Elizabeth Sergeychik made it 2-0 13 minutes later before Juliana Nana struck in the 28th minute to hand the team a comfortable three-goal lead going into the half-time break.

After the restart, Zouwairatou scored her fourth goal of the season seven minutes into the second half before Ekaterina Dudko netted a fifth of the match in the 65th minute for Neman.

The visitors, however, pulled one back through Victoriya Valyuk four minutes later but Nana hit her second of the match six minutes from regulation time to ensure a five-goal victory margin.

Otuwe, who lasted the duration, has now ended her 12-game drought with her third goal in 17 matches this term. 

Michaela Koutouan was in action for 82 minutes and Cameroon's Xouwairatou lasted for 89 minutes, scoring her fourth goal in 17 outings for Neman.

The triumph takes Neman to the third position on the Belarusian table with 31 points - 11 behind second-placed Minsk and 20 adrift of leaders Dinamo-BSUPC after 17 matches this season.

Neman will seek to extend their winning momentum and will be host to Dnepr Mogilev in their next encounter on October 3.

Cristiano Ronaldo has predicted a "bright future" for Juventus after his double salvaged a 2-2 draw for the Serie A champions against Roma on Sunday. 

The Bianconeri were far from their best at Stadio Olimpico and went in down 2-1 at the break after Jordan Veretout netted a brace either side of a Ronaldo spot-kick. 

Juve's chances of clawing their way back into the game suffered a blow when Adrien Rabiot was dismissed for a second bookable offence after 62 minutes, but Ronaldo secured a point with a towering header seven minutes later. 

Despite Roma dominating for long periods, Ronaldo was pleased to leave the capital with a point and believes the Bianconceri are in for another successful season. 

"I think it is a point earned," he told Sky Sport Italia. "It had become a complicated situation but we got back into it, even after the red card, so by the end of the campaign this could prove to be an important point.

"We're at the start of the season, there's a new coach, new ideas, but I see the team working well. We're enthusiastic and I see a bright future for us.

"What we're seeing is that the team is happy to work with a smile."

New signing Alvaro Morata - who was at Juve between 2014-16 - made his second debut for the Old Lady after securing a loan deal from Atletico Madrid.

Starting alongside Ronaldo in attack, Morata failed to have a strong impact on the match and was substituted after 58 minutes with Douglas Costa coming on in his place.

Speaking prior to the Roma match, the 27-year-old spoke of his happiness to be back in Turin and hoped he could help the club win the Champions League.

"Juve took a punt on me when I was younger and coming back was a dream of mine," Morata told reporters at his presentation.

"Leaving Juventus was not up to me. I was happy in Madrid, but now it's important for me to be here and I have kept in touch with everyone over the years.

"It was a great memory and now we have new challenges to face together.

"The Champions League is very important to Juventus. If we were to win it this year, I would be the happiest man in the world. We want to win it."

Anthony Okpotu has won the Tunisia Cup title with US Monastir after helping the club beat Esperance 2-0 in the final of the competition on Sunday.

The 26-year-old featured in the encounter as goals from Abdelkader Bedrane and Yassine Amri secured the Abna Ribat victory over Moine Chaabani’s men.

The Nigeria international has been in fine form since teaming up with the Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet outfit from Moroccan side Difaa El Jadida in the summer of 2019.

The forward helped US Monastir finished third in the 2019-20 Tunisian Ligue 1, scoring 13 goals in 23 appearances to emerge as the league’s top-scorer.

Okpotu will have a chance to showcase his talent in the Caf Champions League after the Abna Ribat secured a spot in the next edition of the African tournament.

The forward starred for Lobi Stars in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) before moving abroad.

In 2017, the 26-year-old bagged 19 goals for Lobi, amid other dazzling displays to emerge as the league’s top-scorer.

Okpotu spent the 2018-19 season with Difaa El Jadida but struggled to make a significant impact with the Moroccan club.

The Super Eagles forward subsequently left on loan to Albania to team up with KF Laci in January 2019 in an effort to rediscover his form before he permanently signed for US Monastir.

Okpotu has featured six times for the Nigeria national team since he made his international debut in 2018.

The centre-forward was part of the Super Eagles team at the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco.

Okpotu will hope to continue his impressive club performances for a chance to play consistently for the three-time African champions.

Diego Simeone was more impressed by Luis Suarez's assist and movement off the ball than his two goals in Atletico Madrid's 6-1 La Liga rout of Granada.

Suarez was brought on in the 70th minute and marked his Atleti debut in style by netting an impressive double and setting up fellow substitute Marcos Llorente on Sunday.

The Uruguay international, who only joined in a €6 million deal from Barcelona on Friday, also won a penalty that was overturned by VAR in a one-sided La Liga contest.

Suarez scored with two types of finishes – one a brilliant header and the other a cute first-time finish on the rebound – but head coach Simeone was most pleased by the way his new forward teed up Llorente with only his second touch of the ball.

"His two goals didn't stand out for me, but his assists, his runs and his movement did," Simeone said after the match.

"The changes gave us a bit extra with the strength of Marcos, the quality of Vitolo, the clarity of Thomas [Partey] and Suarez knows what he has to do: play for the team."

Diego Costa, Angel Correa and Joao Felix were also on target for Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano as they recorded their biggest win in an opening league game under Simeone.

Atleti have been tipped to rival Real Madrid and Barca for the title this term and Simeone is hopeful that increased competition for a starting spot can get the most out of his players.

"It will depend on our work, our squad depth and the players' security. The team was liberated," he said. 

"The arrival of an important player improves the team, but the team was already working very well. Now we'll continue taking it game by game, like always.

"Suarez's arrival generates a very good internal competition and if the 23 players accept the minutes they're going to get, I'm sure we'll compete well

"From my perspective, when it comes to building a squad, I look for guys who know how to perform and who accept when they play and when they don't.

"That's how great teams are formed. That's what gives you the possibility of having more options. That's what we're looking for season by season."

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has responded to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's goalpost jab by joking that the Manchester United coach would like a 22-yard penalty box. 

After Mourinho had to request goals of the right dimension before a mid-week Europa League clash, Solskjaer referred to his counterpart's situation on Saturday after the Red Devils saw Brighton repeatedly hit the post in a dramatic 3-2 defeat. 

Speaking after the match, Solskjaer told BT Sport: "You have to be happy Jose is not here to measure the goalposts!"

Mourinho wasn't so fortunate in the Premier League on Sunday with his Spurs side forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Newcastle after Callum Wilson converted an injury-time penalty following VAR intervention for handball. 

While the Tottenham manager refused to discuss that controversial incident after the match, he was quick to return serve at Solskjaer, as he poked fun at the Red Devils' reliance on penalties. 

Asked if he measured the goalposts before the game, Mourinho told Sky Sports: "No, because I know the goalposts are fine. I think Ole yesterday was so happy and surprised with what happened to his team that he had a joke.

"But I understand for him the dimensions of the goalposts are not important. For him, what is important, is the dimensions of the 18-yard box.

"He would never accept to play with a 17-yard box, I think he would prefer a 22-yard box! For him it would be better."

Since the start of last season, Manchester United’s Premier League games have produced 20 penalties, the most of any team in that time, with the Red Devils awarded 15 of those. 

Mourinho is no stranger to taking a swipe at his former club's good fortune from the spot, noting in July that Bruno Fernandes quickly proved his penalty-taking ability at Old Trafford because his side had been awarded so many. 

"Bruno came in, was fit, played very well, improved the United team and also proved to be a great penalty taker, one of the best in the world, because he had about 20 to score," Mourinho told Record. 

Tottenham incidentally face Manchester United in their next Premier League match on October 4 but must first contend with a Carabao Cup clash and Europa League play-off. 

Andrea Pirlo says he is not concerned by Juventus' lacklustre performance in their 2-2 draw with Roma on Sunday, insisting they are a team still "under construction". 

The Serie A champions were far from their best in the capital and found themselves 2-1 down at half-time, Jordan Veretout scoring either side of a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty. 

Juve midfielder Adrien Rabiot was dismissed shortly after the hour mark but Ronaldo salvaged a point for the Bianconeri with a towering header soon after. 

Pirlo, who replaced the sacked Maurizio Sarri last month, pointed to a lack of match fitness as the reason for his side's sluggish performance and expects them to get significantly better as the season progresses. 

"Roma attacked with many players like us so it was a different game than Sampdoria [who they 3-0 last weekend]," he said. 

"This was a step backwards but we are a team under construction. We didn't have time to try any solutions in pre-season so these games are tests.

"But, in the end, it was a point earned. [Alvaro] Morata only arrived two days ago, Arthur has not played for six months and has to adapt to Italian football. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is also starting to feel a bit better. The condition of these important players needs to grow a bit."

Juve beat Inter to the title by just one point last season, with Antonio Conte's side responding by bringing in Achraf Hakimi, Arturo Vidal and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Asked if Inter's squad is now stronger than his own, Pirlo said: "I don't know if it is better than ours, but it is certainly stronger than last season as they brought in players of quality. I think it'll be a battle to the very end."

Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, meanwhile, was frustrated with his side's inability to kill off the game when they were 2-1 up, with reported Juve target Edin Dzeko guilty of a particularly glaring miss. 

"I think we had a good game, but I am not satisfied with the result," he said. "We created chances and played to win the match.

"I saw Dzeko focused, motivated and he worked hard for the team. There were errors in front of goal, as everyone did, but he played well this evening.

"I felt the team was always comfortable, we didn't allow Juve any real chances and were solid defensively."