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Newly-promoted Premier League club West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the signing of Cedric Kipre from Wigan Athletic on a four-year deal.

The defender was one of the standout performers for the DW Stadium outfit last season, featuring in 36 Championship games.

The Ivorian’s efforts were, however, not enough to help the Latics avoid relegation, following their points deduction after they went into administration.

West Brom announced the signing of the 23-year-old on Friday and the Baggies’ Sporting and Technical Director Luke Dowling hopes the defender will add value to the DW Stadium outfit.

“I believe we’ve signed someone in Cedric who has got the potential to really establish himself as a Premier League defender,” Luke told the club website.

“He was part of a Wigan team that, from the turn of the year, produced results which would have placed them in the Championship’s top three and Cédric was a very impressive figure in that run of form.

“He has been on our target list for some time. We are delighted to get the deal done and look forward to watching him progress.”

Kipre reveals the opportunity to play in the Premier League and learn from manager Slaven Bilic lured him to sign for West Brom.

“I heard of the interest a month ago and the head of recruitment spoke to me and I had to be patient with it but finally I’m here - I am happy,” Kipre said.

“It’s a big club and the chance to play in the Premier League was what attracted me. My goal was to play in this division by the age of 25 and today I’m 23 so I’m grateful for the chance.

“I’m expecting to learn a lot from Slaven because he played in the same position and he can teach me areas to progress.”

Kipre started his career with Paris Saint-Germain youth team before joining Leicester City in 2014, where he spent three years, including a loan spell at Corby Town.

The Ivory Coast U23 centre-back also featured for Motherwell before he teamed up with Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2018.

He will hope to help Leicester, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season, compete for the title in the 2020-21 season.

Ronald de Boer is confident Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum would fit in at Barcelona, but has warned Ronald Koeman not to sign too many Dutch players.

The Netherlands duo have been linked with moves to Camp Nou since Koeman was appointed as Quique Setien's successor at the Catalan giants this summer.

Indeed, Goal revealed on Friday that Barca remain confident of landing Wijnaldum from Liverpool before the October transfer deadline.

The Reds midfielder himself  has stayed quiet about the links to the Catalan giants , while 26-year-old attacker  Depay has suggested he is open to leaving Lyon in the near future.

Ex-Barcelona and Netherlands player De Boer is sure Wijnaldum would join the midfield together while Depay would impress in attack, but he fears the presence of too many Dutchmen could upset the dressing room.

"As a commuter, Wijnaldum could be the cement between the stones," he said to  Fox Sports.

"And Memphis really adds something individually, he can create something out of nothing."

De Boer himself followed his former Ajax coach Louis van Gaal to Barca in 1999, joining a large contingent of Netherlands players at the club which included his twin brother Frank, Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde among others.

With Dutch midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Ludovit Reis already there in the present day, De Boer fears Koeman could cause trouble if he brings too many compatriots with him.

"In our time you had the feeling that the Dutch-Spanish ratio was 50-50. There were 11 or 12 Dutch people in the team, including the technical staff," he added.

"In retrospect, that wasn't good. You really have to take that into account, you have to make sure that you don't just buy Dutch people."

He continued: "Of course, you also see this with German and Portuguese coaches, they also attract a lot of fellow countrymen to their clubs.

"As a coach, you attract players that you know well and who suit you well in terms of mentality and character. But it would be strong if Ronald Koeman gets a good player from the Spanish league."

The Ugandan Premier League (UPL) Secretariat has confirmed the receipt of a Covid-19 financial boost from the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa).

The Fufa’s Executive Committee met on August 17 to approve the appropriation of the monies to both the secretariat and the individual clubs. The federation went further to state how the funds will be disbursed to the beneficiaries within a fortnight.

Fufa had further explained the support was targeted for utilisation of the funds to help the football fraternity to manage the current and post Covid-19 effects to the game in Uganda.

“UPL Secretariat and StarTimes Ugandan Premier League (SUPL) clubs are happy to have received Fifa Covid-19 relief funds as per the notification by circular No:1113. UPL Secretariat received USh52,000,000 million,” a statement read

“The SUPL clubs all together have received USh526,720,000 million while each individual SUPL club has got USh32,920,000 million. This money is to offset financial losses both at UPL secretariat and at club level.

“The UPL Secretariat and the clubs are happy to be able to use this money to pay salaries, pay rent and other outstanding overheads as per circular No:1114.”

The development comes after clubs had sought Fufa’s financial intervention to rescue them from monetary challenges since the league was suspended. Some clubs had gone for months without paying their players.

The league was suspended in mid-March when the government imposed restrictions on sporting activities across the country. It is for this reason that Fufa went ahead to annul the Premier League and crowned the Kitende-based Vipers SC as the champions in May.

Vipers were consequently given the duties to fly the Ugandan flag in the Caf Champions League while their rivals KCCA FC would participate in the Confederation Cup's next edition.

Fufa had already indicated that football may return on October 17 and are in regular meetings with National Council of Sports and Government of the Republic of Uganda to discuss steps that are meant to draw a roadmap for the return of sporting activities.

Since the social gathering ban is still active, teams have not resumed joint training ahead of the anticipated October return.

Striker Samir Nurkovic said while he doesn't know how and why Kaizer Chiefs couldn't win the league title for five years because he wasn't there, the first impression he had when he first arrived at Naturena was that this club deserved much more than the trophy drought they have gone through. 

Amakhosi are in pole position to bag their first league title since 2015 as they are at the summit of the PSL log with one match to go. 

However, standing on their way is Baroka FC whom they have to beat convincingly on Saturday to be ensured of being crowned champions. 

"I wasn't here for the past five seasons, but what I thought when I arrived at this big club, Kaizer Chiefs is that it's not acceptable to not win the title because [Chiefs] deserve everything the way everything is working in the club – everything is on the highest level, the players have basically everything," Nurkovic told the Amakhosi media team. 

Having topped the standings since August 2019, Nurkovic believes Chiefs have worked hard to be where they are and vowed the players will give everything against Baroka to lift the trophy. 

"So, we deserve to be on the first place and we've fought from the beginning of the season to be there, and we're going to fight in the last game for the entire 90 minutes to secure [the league title]," added the forward.

The forward also spoke of the joy he would feel to lift the league trophy in his first season at the club.

"I think it will mean a lot to the chairman because it's the 50-year celebration, and I'll be happy that in my first season I'd have won this title," added Nurkovic. 

Apart from eyeing the league title, the Serbian marksman is also in the running for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award. 

The 28-year-old is currently two goals behind both Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park and Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates.

This means he will have to score at least a hat-trick against Baroka to overtake both Shalulile and Mhango provided the two strikers don't score in their teams' respective matches. 

Chiefs and Sundowns are tied at the top of the log, with Amakhosi boasting with a +4 superior goal difference.

Azam FC have assured their fans they will not end the 2020-21 Mainland Premier League season without silverware.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ failed to win a trophy last season after losing 2-0 to Simba SC in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and were then forced to battle with Young Africans (Yanga SC) for the second spot in the table and they eventually finished third.

Azam CEO Abdulkarim Amin ‘Popat’ has described the past season as disastrous and promised fans they will make sure they end this new campaign with a trophy.

“We had to sign new players after the season ended because we feel we did not deserve to end the last campaign without a trophy,” Amin told Goal.

“Everyone at Azam was shocked how we could end the season without a trophy, we are not used to this, at least we win a trophy in the last three seasons but last season was not good for us.

“If you look at our new signings, we did the best we could and some of the players we signed we need them for the next season for continuity and that is why we signed them.

“We also want to make sure that we end the season with a trophy, not any trophy but we want to win the league and take part in the Caf Champions League, so I don’t think we will have troubles to lift the trophy this time around.”

Some of the players signed by Azam this transfer window include Ayoub Lyanga from Coastal Union, Ally Niyonzima from Rayon Sports, Awesu Ally Awesu from Kagera Sugar, Ismail Aziz Kada from Tanzania Prisons, David Mapigano from Gor Mahia, Emmanuel Charles from Mbao FC, striker Prince Dube from Highlanders FC and Allan Thiery Akono Akono from AS Fortuna du Mfou of Cameroon.

On top of the signings, Azam also managed to keep their technical bench intact after Romanian Aristica Cioaba and his staff extended their stay at the Chamazi-based club for another season.

Azam will start the season with a clash against Polisi Tanzania.

Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has opened up about how he came to apprehend a thief that attempted to steal a bag belonging to his 90-year-old aunty. 

While staying in the Swedish town of Vasteras, Lindelof saw his elderly relative have her bag snatched by a would-be robber on a bicycle late last month. 

Rather than stand idly by in shock, however, the 26-year-old sprung into action as he successfully chased down the thief and held him in place until police arrived. 

While Lindelof's actions sound like something straight out of a movie, the man himself downplayed his involvement, stressing it was a natural instinct to get justice for his helpless aunt. 

"I did not think much. I just wanted to help my aunt get her bag back," Lindelof told Sport Bladet.

"Everything went very fast. I did not think much. I just wanted to help my aunt get her bag back and what she had in it. It was nothing more than that, I just wanted to help."

Unsurprisingly, Lindelof's aunty was very thankful for her nephew's actions and told local media she plans on inviting him to lunch in appreciation. 

As it stands no meal has been arranged with the coronavirus pandemic making any close contact with the elderly aunty difficult. 

"I have not had any contact with her, unfortunately. I think it was my brother who showed me that she did an interview and invited me over for lunch," Lindelof said. 

"We will see if it can happen before I go back, but it will probably be a little difficult during corona times."

Sweden's national team manager Janne Andersson also recently praised Lindelof for his actions as the duo prepare to unite for Nations League games against France and Portugal.

"It is downright evil to rob 90-year-old ladies, but if that happens now, it is good that there are guys like Victor with civil courage, high morals and a lot of emotions," Andersson said.

"Victor is a sensitive guy so when he sees this I understand that he reacts as he did. Fantastically well done. 

"I have not talked to him, but I will pat him as much as you can in these times when we meet on Monday. More such civil courage in more people would be good for society."

Elias Kachunga trained with English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday for the first time on Thursday morning.

Last season, he starred for Huddersfield last season, scoring three times in 36 league games as the Terriers finished 18th on a log of 24 teams.

And after seeing out his contract at the Kirkees Stadium, the DR Congo international joined Garry Monk’s men on a free transfer.

He worked out with his new teammates as the Hillsborough Stadium giants perfected their strategies ahead of Saturday’s English League Cup clash versus Walsall.

In the closed-door session, Kachunga trained alongside newly recruited players like Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Josh Windass, Massimo Luongo, Joey Pelupessy and Alex Hunt.

All things being equals, the 28-year-old could make his debut against Darrell Clarke’s Saddlers at the Bescot Stadium.

Meanwhile, manager Monk is pleased to have signed the highly-experienced striker.

“I’ve known Elias for many years. It was a no-brainer for me,” he told club media.

“He’s in his prime years and brings the attitude and quality that we want.

“I’m delighted to get him and he’s another player who wants to be here and face this challenge head on.”

Kachunga began his professional career with Borussia Monchengladbach, before heading to Paderdorn after completing loan moves to VfL Osnabruck and Hertha Berlin.

From the Benteler-Arena, he moved to FC Ingolstadt in 2015 for a club-record transfer fee of €1.7 million. There, he signed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end with Huddersfield Town in June 2016.

On the international scene, he represented Germany at U19 and U21 levels before opting out to represent DR Congo at senior level. His only cap came in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Kenya on 26 March, 2017.

The Indian Super League started in 2014 with eight teams and expanded to a 10-team league with the addition of Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC ahead of the 2017-18 season.

The now-defunct FC Pune City were replaced by newly-formed Hyderabad FC and Delhi Dynamos rebranded themselves as Odisha FC, keeping the number of participants same in the 2019-20 season. 

I-League champions Mohun Bagan and ATK merged to form a new entity ATK Mohun Bagan but that still did not increase the number of teams in the league. However, for the first time ever, ISL will have 11 teams taking part when they confirm the entry of East Bengal.

Meanwhile, I-League is also set to have 11 teams despite the exit of East Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, announced on Wednesday that the Red and Golds will take part in the upcoming season of ISL. And it looks like India's top-tier football league will have an odd number of participants this season - a scenario that is uncommon but not completely unheard of.

While most leagues consist of an even number of teams, this anomaly is likely in situations where there are new additions. Two years ago, The Major League Soccer (MLS) had 11 teams in the Eastern Conference and 12 clubs battling it out in the Western Conference, making up a total of 23 clubs for the regular season. For a three-year period from 2012, that number was 19. 

The Turkish Super League, which generally consists of 18 teams,  has decided to cancel the process of relegation due to the Coronavirus pandemic and thus, will allow 21 teams to participate next season. This was because the FA took into consideration the impact of COVID-19 on clubs who were supposed to be relegated. As it stands, the 21-team arrangement is just for one season.

There are also two examples from Africa, both of which occurred due to very different reasons. Cameroon's top division Elite One was split into two groups of nine teams. Kenya's 2019-20 season was reduced to 17 teams from 18 after just three matches because former champions Sony Sugar was expelled from the league for missing the first three games. 

Mexico's top division Liga MX is split into two campaigns every season - the Apertura and Clausura. A detailed explanation of how that works can be found here. While both consist of 18 teams each usually, the 2019 edition of the Apertura had 19 teams and lasted 19 weeks. 

The J3 League - Japan's third division - had 17 clubs in the 2018 season.

A league with an odd number of participants using a round-robin format would ensure that at least one team get a week-off every round.

The 2020-21 season of ISL is set to be played behind closed doors and the teams are likely to be grouped to be played in select venues. With East Bengal's potential entry, it will be interesting to see how the league calendar turns out. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement that "East Bengal will play in the ISL (Indian Super League)" on Wednesday was music to the hears of the Red and Golds faithful.

After Kolkata-based Shree Cement Ltd emerged as the club's latest investor in the aftermath of Quess' exit in mid-July, East Bengal official Alvito D'Cunha expressed his pleasure over the development.

"It's great news. Actually, we were just waiting for the announcement to be made. May be it got delayed because of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus pandemic situation).

"For East Bengal, having such a rich history and so much of legacy with millions of supporters, getting a good investor is something which was bound to happen. It did move a bit slowly because of Covid, [but] finally the investor is there and [East Bengal's participation in] the ISL is also a great news for our fans all over the world."

The former India international, having spent nearly two decades with the Kolkata giants including donning the famous red and gold shirt for a good 14 years from 2002, added that the pressure was on East Bengal ever since arch-rivals Mohun Bagan merged with ATK to play in the upcoming ISL season as ATK Mohun Bagan.

"Basically, that is the reason why the East Bengal fans wanted [the club] to play in the ISL. Last year also, ISL was the number one league but nobody made so much chaos to ask why East Bengal is not playing [in the ISL]. This year, wherever we went, everybody kept on asking 'dada ('elder brother' in Bengali), are we going to play in the ISL this year?' But last year nobody asked because Mohun Bagan was also not there (in the ISL). 

Alvito felt that the possibility of the Kolkata derby not happening in a national in the 2020-21 season would certainly have unnerved all fans from Kolkata.

"They (East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans) just love to see one game and that is the [Kolkata] derby. Even at the end of the season, if we don't win a trophy but we beat Mohun Bagan, for them (East Bengal fans) it's a big thing. It's the same case with the Mohun Bagan fans. They must have been thinking, if Mohun Bagan plays in the ISL and East Bengal in the I-League, there would not be a derby."

Now it is just a matter of formality until Kolkata will have its second team in a 11-team ISL in 2020-21.

"The good part is that we are more or less there in the ISL. So it's going to be a good competition between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan that will carry forward."

The managerial roles and player contracts would be the next steps in the ironing out phase as the 42-year-old bottom-lined those discussions for the bosses.

On account of the Coronavirus pandemic, the seventh edition of the ISL - with East Bengal being part of it in all probabilities - is slated to be staged in Goa. The start date for the season and subsequently the fixtures are yet to be announced by the league.

Much to the joy of millions of fans across the world, East Bengal announced that they have secured an investor in Shree Cement, with the help of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and now their participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) remains a mere formality. 

Their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had already ensured their berth in ISL after merging with ATK, and the Red and Gold officials kept striving to make a breakthrough, which is finally set to bear fruit in the next few weeks upon completion of a few formalities and paperwork. 

The entry of the two Kolkata giants into the top-tier of Indian football certainly bodes well for fans and Tarun Jhunjhunwala, Chief Executive at Reliance, went a step ahead even termed the development as "a new beginning in Indian football". 

With both the Kolkata giants set to participate in ISL, this will be for the very first time that two teams from the same city will ply their trade in the league at the same time, since its inception.

In 2017, when FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) invited bids for interested parties, to add a maximum of three teams in that season, Kolkata was one of the cities in spite of having ATK being based from the city. The ten cities were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri, and Thiruvananthapuram.

It must be remembered that East Bengal had picked up the bid document in 2017 as well though they ended up not submitting it.

It is commonplace in football to have two giants from the same city, which only fuels the rivalry and competition between the two. The best derbies in world football have sprung from the co-existence of two rivals in the same city, and the Kolkata derby is no exception. 

There were apprehensions amongst fans that they might have to spend a season without witnessing the famed 'boro match' of Maidan on the national stage but with the East Bengal already having one feet in ISL, their fears have been quashed for good.

The glitz and glamour of the ISL will combine with the passion and legacy of one of the oldest derbies in the world. The fixture that gave fans countless unforgettable memories, one that evokes a feeling of nostalgia among the older generation who have been accustomed to watching the Kolkata giants battle it out in the National Football League (NFL) or the I-League, now gets a different a dimension.

It is only going to get bigger and better with enhanced marketing, promotion, coverage and the overall experience for fans be it at the stadium or in front of devices. 

Indian football is indeed set for a new beginning. 

Former East Bengal head coach Trevor James Morgan expressed his delight after the Red and Golds roped in an investor in Shree Cement Limited.

The Kolkata club announced the arrival of their new investor on Wednesday and also suggested that they will now take all the necessary steps to enter the ISL which is just a formality.

The bidding process has already been opened after ISL floated a Request for Proposal (RFP). And all the club has to do is pick it up and submit an official bid to enter ISL.

Morgan, who is one of the most successful East Bengal coaches in the last two decades, expressed his delight that his former club had got an investor and would play in the Indian Super League (ISL) which is currently the top tier of Indian football.

“I am happy that a company has invested in East Bengal and that the opportunity for them to play in the ISL has come,” the Brit told Goal.

The coach who had won a total of nine trophies in four years at the Kolkata club felt that it was a much needed change at the helm of the club and expressed his happiness that the club will now be run by a better group of professionals.

“It is vital that the club is now run professionally. It is not about egos and "I'm in charge", it is about getting the right people in the right positions and everyone pulling in the same direction to make East Bengal the biggest and best club in India and Asia.”

Under Trevor Morgan’s tutelage, East Bengal had won four Calcutta Football League (CFL) titles, two Federation Cups, one IFA Shield and one AIFF (All India Football Federation) Super Cup.

The 63-year-old coach recently joined Philippines Football League club United City FC as their head coach. It must be noted that he was the interim coach of ISL outfit Kerala Blasters during their early years.

Alexis Sanchez has admitted he wanted to leave Manchester United and return to Arsenal after his very first training session with the Red Devils. 

The former Barcelona attacker left the Emirates for Old Trafford in January 2018 but struggled to impress across two seasons before being sent to Inter on loan last year. 

In Serie A across the 2019-20 campaign, Sanchez showed glimpses of his former self and secured a permanent move to Milan in August. 

Reflecting on his time in Manchester via a video posted on his Instagram, the 31-year-old claims he knew very quickly he wasn't going to enjoy his time with the club and hit out at the squad's lack of unity during his time there. 

"After the first training session I realised many things, I came home and asked my family and my manager if I could not break the contract and return to Arsenal, something did not fit me, but I had already signed," Sanchez said. 

"Months passed and I kept feeling the same. We were not united as a team at that time.

"The journalists also spoke without knowing and it hurt. Former players also spoke and had no idea what was happening inside the club. And they hurt me.

"A player also depends on the internal environment, that we need to be a family. We weren't like that, and it was reflected on the field. If someone had to be blamed, they blamed me.

"I do self-criticism and should have played better. But I was always blamed, even if I played for a few minutes." 

Sanchez ultimately made 45 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring just five times and contributing nine assists - statistics that pale in comparison to the 80 goals he struck across 166 games with the Gunners. 

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently conceded Sanchez simply failed to play to his full potential while at United.

"We wish him all the best and he is a top player who we want to see play his best football," Solskjaer said. 

"For whatever reason we didn’t see the best of him here, but he’s a top professional and we wish him all the best."

East Bengal took a massive leap towards playing the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2020-21 season when they announced the arrival of Kolkata-based firm Shree Cement Limited as their new investor.

The Red and Golds’ participation in ISL, which is India’s top tier league, has been a subject of speculation ever since their arch-rivals entered into a merger with ATK and joined the league.

Now that the club has roped in a firm like Shree Cement as their investor, the fans can envision their club playing in the top tier of Indian football.

The ISL has already floated a tender for a new team and all the club needs to do is pick it up and submit the bid.

Just like the club fans, former East Bengal captain and Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia to expressed his happiness over East Bengal’s tie-up with a new investor.

"I am very happy and excited that East Bengal got an investor. I am very happy for all the fans who were dying to see East Bengal playing the highest league and finally the investors have come and they are going to play ISL. It is a great thing and I am very excited,” Bhutia told Goal.

The former Indian skipper also believed that the addition of the two Kolkata giants will add great value to the ISL.

“It is going to lift the competition and passion of the league. It will be more competitive now that East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will be in it. It adds great value and the league itself will become much bigger with these two clubs.

"It adds huge value in terms of support. Overall Mohun Bagan and East Bengal add huge value to the league,” opined the Sikkimese legend.

With East Bengal roping in Shree Cement as their investor, they are just a couple of steps away from ensuring their participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2020-21 season itself.

As revealed earlier by Goal, FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) has now invited bids from 'interested parties' to add a team in the upcoming ISL season. 

The tender read, "Invited bids from interested parties for the award of one additional team to enroll and participate in the Hero Indian Super League, from its seventh edition to be staged in 2020-21."

Delhi, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Silliguri and Bhopal have been identified as the six cities from which the bid will be accepted. 

The soft bid document must be submitted by September 14th and hard copy by September 17th.

The Indian Super League currently has 10 teams - ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC, NorthEast United, Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters and Jamshedpur FC.

Their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had already ensured their berth in ISL after merging with ATK.

With both the Kolkata giants set to participate in ISL, this will be for the very first time that two teams from the same city will ply their trade in the league at the same time, since its inception. 

Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann hopes that he will continue to line up alongside Lionel Messi next season, while recognising that it is down to the club and player to resolve their differences. 

Messi shocked the Barca world last week after sending a telegram in which he stated his intentions of leaving the club immediately on a free transfer. 

Barcelona contested Messi's freedom to make such a move under the terms of his current contract and since the news broke Camp Nou has been struck by uncertainty, as Manchester City sit poised as the reported front-runners should the Argentine wizard cut short his 20-year association with the club. 

Griezmann has just finished his first season as part of the Blaugrana forward line with the club captain and admits that he is hoping for good news. 

"We are trying to stay updated with the issue, but it is between him and the club," the France international, currently on duty for his national team ahead of their upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes against Portugal and Croatia, explained to M6 on Thursday. 

"We only hope that he stays. I am trying to stay focused on the national team and prepare well for the next two games. 

"We have heard a little of everything but we don't know anything else about all this affair."

Griezmann's chances of retaining Messi as a team-mate appeared to receive a boost on Thursday with the first official sign from the player's camp that he could be prepared to see out his contract, which expires in 2021. 

The star's father and agent Jorge flew into Barcelona this week from his native Rosario in order to oversee talks with the club, and subsequently told reporters that those negotiations had gone "well". 

Messi Sr. also replied in the affirmative when asked whether there was a chance of his son remaining at Camp Nou for the 2020-21 season, while La Liga has also ruled that under the terms of the star's current contract any interested club would have to meet his €700 million (£630m/$825m) release clause or else negotiate a suitable fee with those in charge at Barcelona.

Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has been withdrawn from Didier Deschamps' latest France squad after contracting Covid-19, while Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed three more positive cases.

Mandanda was initially called up for international duty by Les Bleus ahead of UEFA Nation's League fixtures against Sweden and Croatia this month, along with Tottenham shot-stopper Hugo Lloris and Lille's Mike Maignan.

However, Deschamps will now have to draft in a replacement for the 35-year-old, who has tested positive for coronavirus after the latest round of testing at Clairefontaine.

The French Football Federation (FFP) have released an official statement confirming the news, which reads: "The tricolor goalkeeper Steve Mandanda will not participate in the next two matches of the Blues in Sweden and against Croatia, within the framework of the League of Nations.

"As stipulated by the UEFA regulations, the entire French squad underwent a virological test on Wednesday, September 2 at the beginning of the afternoon in Clairefontaine.

"Dr Franck Le Gall, the doctor of the French team, learned of the results of all these tests on Thursday.

"Steve Mandanda's tested positive for Covid-19, and the goalkeeper performed a second PCR test during the day. This new test was also positive. 

"Steve Mandanda will therefore not be able to participate in the match in Sweden and will leave the squad on Friday morning."

Mandanda will now undertake a two-week period in self-isolation before he can return to action with Marseille, as the new Ligue 1 season continues to be disrupted by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Paris Saint-Germain have officially announced that three more players have contracted the illness ahead of their opening game of the campaign against Lens, which is due to take place next Thursday.

The French champions will now be without six members of their first-team squad for at least the next 14 days, with the club releasing the following update via their official Twitter account: "The latest SarsCoV2 PCR tests carried out within the Paris Saint-Germain squad confirm the result of three new positive cases.

"These players follow the appropriate health protocol."

PSG's clash with Lens had already been moved from August 29 to September 10 following their appearance in the Champions League final, and there is now a strong chance that the fixture will be rescheduled again in order to contain the latest outbreak of coronavirus.

Marseille saw a curtain-raiser against Saint Etienne called off on August 19 after they announced three positive cases, but they were able to get back on the pitch 11 days later as they recorded a 3-2 away win over Brest. 

Barcelona's teenage star Ansu Fati became Spain's youngest debutant since 1936 when he took the pitch against Germany on Thursday. 

Fati, 17, was one of the few bright spots in a Barca season marred by poor results on the pitch - which led to the club finishing the campaign without a single trophy - and instability away from Camp Nou. 

The youngster made his debut at just 16 years and 298 days on August 25, 2019 against Betis, and went on to make 33 appearances in all competitions in his maiden season, scoring eight goals. 

He was subsequently called up to Luis Enrique's squad for the latest international window, the first since the coronavirus pandemic caused much of European football to close back in March. 

And with Spain tied 0-0 in their UEFA Nations League clash against Germany, Fati was thrown into the action after half time to help sharpen the Roja's attack. 

The forward is aged 17 years and 308 days, making him the second-youngest footballer ever to play for Spain in the nation's history. 

Fati additionally became the 800th full Spain international as he replaced veteran Jesus Navas at the break, as well as the first Roja member to have been born in Guinea-Bissau.

Not since Angel Zubieta had La Roja fielded such a young player at senior level. 

Zubieta, who played much of his career in Argentina for San Lorenzo after fleeing his native Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War, debuted at 17 years and 284 days against Czechoslovakia in April 1936, the first of just two appearances he made for Spain prior to the outbreak of the conflict. 

The podium is completed by another player with Barca ties; Bojan Krkic, who in 2008 made his international debut aged 18 years and 13 days.

Fati was unable to save his country from Nations League defeat, as Germany struck through Timo Werner in the second half to take a 1-0 victory. 

As well as the Barcelona youngster two further Spain players received their first taste of senior international football: Manchester City's Ferran Torres and highly rated Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino. 

Jose Gaya snatched a 95th-minute equaliser as Spain escaped Stuttgart with a 1-1 draw against Germany, who are still looking for their first Nations League win.

Joachim Low's side drew two and lost two in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2018-19 but looked to be heading for victory after Timo Werner crowned a wonderful team move in the 51st minute.

Spain were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea for keeping them in the contest with a string of fine saves and pulled level deep into stoppage time.

Debutant Ferran Torres got to the right byline and Gaya smuggled home a finish from Rodrigo Moreno's header down.

Toni Kroos' impeccable deliveries unsettled Spain early on, with De Gea down sharply to keep out a Thilo Kehrer header at his near post.

It quickly became an impressive outing for the under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper, who denied Julian Draxler before flinging himself brilliantly to his right to turn a rasping Leroy Sane effort over the bar in the 18th minute.

In between those two Germany chances, an elaborate mix-up between Emre Can and De Gea's opposite number Kevin Trapp gave Rodrigo a glorious chance to open the scoring, but Leeds United's new record signing dithered and the goalkeeper got back to scramble clear.

Luis Enrique's side found themselves opened up six minutes into the second half.

Ilkay Gundogan launched a gorgeous cross-field pass to debutant Robin Gosens, romping forward from left wing-back. Sane dummied the Atalanta man's pass and Werner showed slick footwork before dispatching the finish beyond De Gea.

Sane burst clear of the Spain backline with an hour played but wastefully overhit his pass across goal to Werner, who could only fire into the side netting.

Thiago Alcantara, doing much to ensure the visitors controlled large passages of play, thundered a shot just wide from the edge of the box in the 70th minute before the equaliser came from a more unexpected source.

What does it mean? Germany impress without Bayern stars

Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry were given this international break to recuperate by Low after inspiring Bayern Munich to Champions League glory. The strength of the line-up he was able to put out and the performance they produced spoke volumes of the enviable depth that suggests the four-time world champions can emerge confidently from a tricky couple of years. They might even win a Nations League game soon!

De Gea back on song

De Gea endured a miserable end to the 2019-20 season and those ordeals at club level can be traced back to him losing form for Spain at the 2018 World Cup. He followed his string of first-half saves with another fine stop from Niklas Sule late on, by which point this felt like a restorative performance from a keeper whose place at United will come under threat from Dean Henderson in the coming campaign.

Concern for Sane

Bayern newboy Sane was starting his first competitive match for 13 months since suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage. Understandably, his work was as ragged as it was at times impressive – never more so than the botched pass to Werner, after which he limped gingerly from the action. The winger was all smiles with Low immediately afterwards, so perhaps those in Bavaria can rest easy.

What's next?

Spain host Ukraine on Sunday, when Germany travel to Switzerland.

International football returns in Europe for the first time since last November, with the UEFA Nations League getting under way this month.

The outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic brought a screeching halt to nearly all football in March and competitions were suspended for nearly four months before tentative steps allowed a restart.

However, while football has resumed without fans being allowed into stadiums and other steps are taken to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19, there is always a chance of cases developing.

There have been plenty of reports of players being testing positive for the virus, forcing them out of action and into quarantine.

Losing one or two players to quarantine would not be a catastrophe, but if an entire squad became affected then it is a problem.

UEFA is fully aware of this and, ahead of the return of the Nations League, the UEFA Executive Committee outlined measures in order to deal with such scenarios.

Will Nations League games be decided by drawing lots?

The outcome of a Nations League match will be decided by the drawing of lots if it is determined that no team is responsible for a game not taking place. It is a last resort option.

A game is expected to be fulfilled if a team has at least 13 squad members - including at least one goalkeeper - available.

If a team cannot call upon at least 13 players, then the game will, if possible, be rescheduled by UEFA and it could be played at a neutral venue.

If the game cannot be rescheduled within the calendar, UEFA will decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not a forfeit is applicable - that is, to the team considered responsible for the non-fulfillment of the game.

Drawing of lots will be carried out if it is decided that circumstances beyond the control of both teams led to the game not being played.

What is drawing lots in football?

When one refers to the drawing of lots, it means the random selection of outcomes.

In this case, a UEFA official or officials will carry out the draw in order to decide if a team gets a 1-0 win, 1-0 loss or a 0-0 draw.

It is likely that efforts would be made in order to ensure a perception of fairness, so if lots had to be drawn to decide the outcome of England versus Iceland, the person drawing lots could not be from either country.

Drawing lots is not an alien concept and is written into the rules of a number of associations and federations.

The last time lots were drawn in international football was at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when FIFA had to decide which of the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland would finish second and third in their group.

Ireland and the Netherlands finished with identical records in Group F of that tournament, so lots were used to decide which teams they would face in the knockout stage.

Which competitions do these principles apply to?

These principles apply to the league phase of the UEFA Nations League, the qualifying phase of the 2019-21 UEFA Under-21 European Championship, and the UEFA Women’s Euro qualifiers.