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Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva is excited to see the progress of striker Gabriel Martinelli at the club.

The 18-year-old is already into double figures of goals for the season and has proven something of a surprise package since arriving from Ituano last summer.

Gilberto is pleased to see his fellow Brazilian thrive at the Gunners, the club at which he won the 2003-04 Premier League title as one of The Invincibles.

“I'm pleased that Arsenal have Brazilian players. I think it's fantastic after some of the Brazilian players that followed us not quite hitting the heights but now Martinelli and David [Luiz] are at the club,” he told the club's official website in a chat with technical director Edu.

“David made the transition from a rival [Chelsea] and joined Arsenal, a club that needs no introduction. 

“Then you have Martinelli, a promising youngster not just for Arsenal, but he's being talked about in Brazilian football and he made a very good start. He's doing well and shown his bravery.

“He wore the Arsenal shirt as if he were still playing with his friends at his previous club. I'm pleased that Arsenal managed to get the deal done and he's in a good position to follow in the footsteps of all the Brazilian players that Arsenal have had.”

Edu, meanwhile, also had special praise for the youngster.

“He’s got a great future ahead of him,” he said. “He’s a Brazilian with very interesting prospects because it’s not easy to start the way he did. We know that don’t we Gigi?

“The way he started to make himself stand out isn’t easy is it?”

And Edu hinted that David Luiz’s future seems set to be in London, despite previous indication that he might return to Benfica.

“He’s a guy who can really help in the day-to-day on and off the pitch, as he’s been doing,” he added.

“I already knew him well because I got to be with him at the national team when I was a coordinator and it went very well.

“We help each other. You know it’s important to feel that support and to be happy in the day-to-day at the club. It’s an incredible club with fantastic principles. They also have to be proud to be where they are; that helps as well.”

Arsenal recommence their Premier League campaign on Wednesday at home against Manchester City.

Atletico Madrid were unable to enhance their top-four prospects with victory on their return to LaLiga, playing out a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao.

Iker Muniain's delightful 37th-minute opener was cancelled out 129 seconds later by Diego Costa, who claimed his third goal of the season and first since October.

The striker paid tribute in his celebration to Atletico's women's team midfielder Virginia Torrecilla, who underwent successful surgery to have a brain tumour removed last month. Costa showed a shirt bearing her name.

Substitute Santiago Arias came closest to snatching all the points for Los Colchoneros, who sit sixth in the table on goal difference.

Marcos Llorente opened up Athletic with a fine diagonal throughball in the 12th minute, sending Yannick Carrasco scampering through to shoot just wide across goalkeeper Unai Simon, who briefly lost his footing.

Jan Oblak was uncharacteristically wobbly when he took two attempts to grasp Inaki Williams' 25th-minute header but the Slovenia international displayed his brilliant best when he kept out Yeray's glancing attempt at full stretch.

Oblak had no chance when Muniain dispatched a clever finish with the outside of his right boot into the bottom right corner.

Atletico sprung immediately from their mid-half slumber – Koke's cute pass leaving Costa to slide a finish beyond Simon.

That seemed to inspire a role reversal during the early stages of the second half, with Atletico enjoying plenty of attacking territory but Athletic keeping their visitors honest on the break as Yuri Berchiche crashed an effort into the side-netting.

Diego Simeone's anguish in the dugout was clear when Arias arrived unmarked at the back post 10 minutes from time, drawing a brilliant point-blank save from Simon.

What does it mean? Atletico away form still a worry

Simeone's side might have memorably prevailed at one of European football's great fortresses in their previous competitive match, but that victory at Anfield cannot obscure the fact that they have now won just one of their past 11 away games in LaLiga. They are level on points with Real Sociedad - who host Osasuna later on Sunday - and Getafe in fourth and fifth respectively and such diminishing returns on the road are why their battle for Champions League football will probably go down to the wire.

Muniain and Garcia roll back the years

Lockdown has done nothing for anyone's conception of time and dates, but when Athletic's creative forwards took control of the first half, it was easy to imagine being somewhere during the early stages of the previous decade. Muniain – still only 27 – was irresistible, evoking memories of when he was a wonderkid and Spanish football's next superstar in waiting. Playing against the club he starred for in their 2013-14 title win, Raul Garcia proved a superb foil for the number 10.

Llorente ill-suited to number 10 duties

Llorente's two-goal heroics against Liverpool undoubtedly played a part in Simeone's decision to start him in an advanced role behind Costa. Although the Spain international's play was typically neat and he did not lack for work rate, the absence of his creative qualities from deep as the likes of Thomas Lemar and Alvaro Morata awaited second-half introductions was perplexing.

Key Opta facts

- Atletico drew for the 13th time in LaLiga in 2019-20; they have never previously played out more stalemates in any completed season in the competition in their history.
- Koke moved level with Juan Carlos Arteche in fourth place on the list of players with the most LaLiga appearances for Atletico, playing his 308th top-flight game for the club.
- Oblak played his 181st match for Atletico, passing Antoine Griezmann to move fifth on the list of non-Spanish players with the most appearances for the club.
- Muniain’s goal was his 60th in 412 appearances across all competitions for Athletic.
- Costa has now scored 51 LaLiga goals for Atletico, with 15 of those coming from Koke assists.
- Morata could not make the difference after coming off the bench for Atletico, but the appearance took him to 50 games across all competitions for the club, in which he has scored 18 goals.

What's next?

Atletico are on the road again at Osasuna on Wednesday, when Athletic travel to struggling Eibar.

Former South Africa defender Mark Fish feels that ex-national team coach Clive Barker was let down by his country after he was denied the opportunity to lead the team at the 1998 Fifa World Cup finals.

A year after guiding Bafana Bafana to claim the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title, their only continental crown, Barker ensured qualification for the World Cup in France.

But his time with Bafana Bafana ended in December 1997 following a poor outing at the Fifa Confederations Cup.

Phillipe Troussier ended up presiding over an uninspiring World Cup campaign which saw South Africa drawing 2-2 against Saudi Arabia, 1-1 against Denmark and losing 3-0 to the hosts in Group C, amid reports the Frenchman was unpopular with players.

Fish who was a regular under Barker and also helped South Africa being crowned African champions feels all the legacy built by the coach was disregarded when he was fired.

“We failed Clive Barker’s legacy but we also failed South African football’s legacy in general,” Fish told Far Post.

“In the sense that, if we go back to 1992 when we got re-admitted into international football, in the space of four years we won the biggest cup in the continent when we came from nowhere. Instead of backing the coach, let him carry on and go to the World Cup and he [Barker] should have been given that opportunity."

Since then, various coaches have taken charge of Bafana including Carlos Queiroz, Stuart Baxter, Joel Santana, Ted Dumitru, Gordon Igesund and incumbent Molefi Ntseki.

The likes of Jomo Sono, Trott Moloto, Ephraim Mashaba, Stuart Baxter and Carlos Alberto Parreira have each had more than single stints at the helm of South Africa.

"Unfortunately when we talk about the national team coaches now since 1992 we have had close to what? 22 coaches? I even lost count of the different coaches coming in and out,” said Fish.

After Barker, the only other coach to help South Africa qualify for the World Cup was Carlos Queiroz but he too faced the same fate of failing to complete his Bafana World Cup journey as he did not make it to Korea/Japan 2002.

There’s been much excitement in the Nigerian media and among Super Eagles fans over the last 10 days at the prospect of Odion Ighalo returning to the national team.

The striker returned from international duty after winning the Golden Boot at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and was able to ride away from a somewhat underwhelming Nigeria career on a high note.

Since then, however, his stock has climbed, with the attacker signing for Manchester United on loan in January, and then renewing his loan deal with the Red Devils to stay at the club until early 2021.

However, earlier this month, rumours of a return to the Super Eagles fold were fuelled when Ighalo told Brila FM that he was considering a comeback.

“I am still in contact with Gernot Rohr and Amaju Pinnick, and they congratulated me on my loan deal,” the former Watford man told the local station.

“I am still thinking about returning to the national team, but right now I want to concentrate on my club career.

“I left the national team because of the distance between Nigeria and China, but now that I am in Manchester and just like life and in my career, you never can tell."

It’s easy to see why Ighalo’s potential return gets people excited, even though there are concerns about how his return may affect the squad’s young strikers.

Should Ighalo return, it would take gametime away from the likes of Victor Osimhen, Joseph Maja, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Kalu, Cyriel Dessers, Emmanuel Dennis and David Okereke, and that may be to the detriment of their establishment as potential leading men for the West Africans.

However, while the excitement around Ighalo’s new contract at Old Trafford appears to overlook the fact that he hasn’t actually netted in four Premier League outings yet for the Red Devils, the thrill around his potential international return has taken attention away from the claims of another potential Nigeria frontman.

While Gernot Rohr has done much right in terms of his personnel decisions with the national side, the continuous overlooking of Anthony Nwakaeme remains questionable.

Certainly, the German coach has favoured youth over experience—apart from a few exempt names—and his lowering of the squad’s average age is something that is to his credit.

However, this policy has also led to the neglecting of some worthy names, of whom Nwakaeme is arguably the most notable.

He scored the first Super Lig goal since the resumption of competition following the coronavirus pandemic on Friday with a header as Trabzonspor defeated Goztepe 3-1.

It was his 11th goal of the campaign, putting him second highest African scorer in the Turkish top tier, and the joint fifth overall.

He’s also contributed sixth assists, and only two players in the division—Alexander Sorloth and Vedat Muiriqi—have had a direct hand in more goals than the Nigerian.

Considering the Turkish top flight is one of the world’s strongest outside Europe’s big five, his goal haul is an excellent return, particularly considering the fact that the vast majority of his goals have come from the left flank.

This versatility is another attribute that Rohr could—and should—be employing to Nigeria’s advantage.

It’s not like Rohr has never looked at him, and indeed, it was the veteran coach who handed the forward his international debut in 2017, during the controversial 1-1 draw with Algeria.

Despite scoring 20 over the subsequent two seasons—both in Israel and Turkey—Nwakaeme hasn’t been given any more playing time, but it would be an error for Rohr to completely write him off.

Nwakaeme’s experience—albeit not in the international arena—could also prove the squad with some balance in this department.

The squad have lost Victor Moses, John Obi Mikel and Ighalo in recent times, while Ogenyi Onazi, another experienced head, has also been culled by Rohr.

This leaves Ahmed Musa and Leon Balogun as the only two outfield regulars who are over 26, and this is an area that Nwakaeme’s calm head could also be valuable.

Finally, Rohr has constantly sought to identify an striking ‘Plan B’ for the Eagles, the kind of player who could be introduced late in games and give opposition defences something to think about.

He briefly considered the towering Simy Nwankwo for this role, but six footer Nwakaeme could also be an ideal option for the Eagles.

His work rate and desire to constantly chase lost causes would represent a nightmare for opposition defences, while he’s also capable of carrying the ball effectively, and of getting the best out of those players around him.

How much would Nigeria’s young strikers benefit from having a link-man like Nwakaeme—with six Turkish top flight assists under his belt—alongside them to help create the chances they will need to take to settle at this level?

Now 31, time is, unfortunately, not on Nwakaeme’s side.

However, with Nigeria potentially set to play in two major tournaments over the coming two and a half years, Rohr may begin assessing which potential difference-makers, in form and playing at a high level, could step into the group and make an impact.

Nwakaeme’s strike against Gotzepe on Friday demonstrates that he ought to still be in the conversation.

Former Bidvest Wits midfielder Josta Dladla calls the sale of the club’s purchase as an injustice to South African football, saying the move to relocate to Limpopo is not just a loss to Gauteng but to South African football.

Dladla is one of the players that broke into the professional ranks under the club with the likes of Jethro Mohlala, Bradley Carnell as well as Stanton Fredericks, and the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs playmaker is now calling the sale a sad day for the game.

The Braamfontein-based club is set to move to Thohoyandou next season following the confirmation of the purchase by the National First Division (NFD) outfit’s owner Masala Mulaudzi and the 40-year-old reacts to the deal.

“It’s a big club and one of the oldest clubs in South African football. It has a rich history and I mean this thing is deeper than we can think,” Dladla told Goal .

“I think from the development of the club as a whole, you mention big names in the game such as Junaid Hartley, Stanton Fredericks, Lovers Mohlala, Kaizer Junior and the list goes on, and what I know of Wits University is that the club has been part of South African history.

“The team has produced good players. Whoever was not in the club can also attest that the club has done tremendously well for the country in terms of football development.

“So, I think there is a lot of quality players that were produced by the club and so for me, it’s very sad. This is the club that gave me the lifeline and we all know Josta now because of Wits. Every player like Mohlala, [Ashley] Makhanya, Hartley, Carnell because of Wits.

“All of that history is just going to disappear and go like that, I don’t know what were the negotiations, we were not part of it but I don’t know what, whoever is taking over will have to think about the staff. That is one of the oldest clubs [formed in 1921] when we also count Orlando Pirates [1937] and AmaZulu [1932].

“When you look at it, there was apartheid, this is one of the clubs that gave players [a chance]. So, it’s got so much history. What can I say? I’m just a player. There are so many players even in the apartheid era [Mike Mangena and Absalom Thindwa], they made their careers at this club."

As one of the oldest clubs in South Africa, the 2017 Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions were rapidly growing their numbers on the stands and the Soweto-born legend says he feels for the players that are set to be without jobs.

“As it is, you can see the club management was starting to bring in good people in terms of marketing the club. The support base was growing," he added.

“I still remember during our days, we could hear the supporters, I mean people from the kitchen laughing at the stands and the likes of Fredericks can tell you.

“I think they were doing much better in rebranding the club and taking it to the masses. So, it’s a great loss for Joburg [Johannesburg] as a whole, not just for the students and the [Wits] University.

“But for the players that were coming to study there and also get a chance to further their careers in the field of play. There are lots of players that broke into professional football whilst studying. So much talent is going to be lost. I don’t know if they will be joining the new team but it’s a sad day for South African football.

“The guys that are taking over will have to decide on the players, I don’t think they can have some of these players. It’s really sad because the players are now frustrated, anxiety is creeping in on concerns about their careers.

“I feel for them and I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes. I feel for everybody that has been part of the club. But I doubt they will absorb everybody.”

Coastal Union defender Bakar Mwamnyeto has heaped praise on Simba SC striker John Bocco saying his style of play can help him perform well in Europe.

Mwamnyeto has described the Taifa Stars forward as a complete player, who knows how to hold onto the ball when in possession, position himself to score and deliver a pass quickly when he sees an opposing defender.

Mwamyeto further confessed he has never come up against a striker of Bocco’s calibre insisting he is the only player to have troubled him since he made his debut in the top-flight.

“Without malice or favouring anyone, [Bocco] is the best striker in the Tanzanian league currently, he has the physique you need in a striker and I am sure many upcoming players are working hard to be like him,” Mwamnyeto is quoted by MwanaSpoti.

“He also has the advantage of being tall and can easily score goals either by using the head or leg and because of his experience, most defenders have always struggled to play against him, you don’t know what he will do when with the ball."

Mwamnyeto, who has been linked with a transfer move to both Simba and Young Africans (Yanga SC), also revealed the Tanzania national team should be proud to have the striker.

“He is the kind of striker Tanzania needs, a good striker who doesn’t waste chances and always troubling defenders,” Mwamnyeto continued.

“It is difficult coming face to face against him, you must be prepared to come up against him, he is not easy to handle and I would want to play alongside him to avoid his troubles.”

Bocco is among the strikers who have helped Simba as they chase a third straight Mainland Premier League title in this campaign.

Bocco’s partnership with Rwandan striker Meddie Kagere has helped the latter to lead the goalscoring charts with 19 goals.

Simba are currently leading the table on 71 points and will take on Ruvu Shooting on Sunday, with a win set to push their fight to retain the title.

The Tanzanian top-flight resumed on Saturday with Yanga managing a 1-0 win against Mwadui while Namungo FC settled for a 2-2 draw against Coastal Union.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has taken to social media to clarify his reason for allegedly throwing his shirt in Besiktas' 2-1 defeat at home to Antalyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday evening.

The Black Eagles were in action for the first time since mid-March when the league was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was clearly a bitter return with Antalyaspor taking a 2-0 first-half lead courtesy of Sinan Gumus and Amilton Silva. 

Second-half substitute Adem Ljajic then pulled one back for Besiktas in the 68th minute.

Boateng was taken off three minutes prior to the consolation goal, with Umut Nayir taking his place.

The 33-year old Ghana international was reported to throw his jersey on the ground which was not well received by some sections of the club.

Boateng has however cleared the air that he would never disrespect Besiktas.

"I would never disrespect to throw the Besiktas shirt on the ground," Boateng said in a post on Twitter.

"After leaving the game, I tried to take off my jersey and threw it towards our shopkeeper.

"I don't even have a disrespectful attitude towards this club and jersey. But I'm sorry if it was understood from the outside."

Boateng has been at Vodafone Park since January when he joined on loan from Serie A club Fiorentina.

He has made seven appearances in the Super Lig, scoring two goals.

In the 65 minutes he played against Antalyaspor, the former AC Milan forward made 45 touches and 30 accurate passes at an impressive 93%.

He also made one key pass, played two successful long balls and won six of 10 total duels. He was also fouled by the opposition three times.

Prior to Saturday's game, Boateng trended on social media after scoring a sensational goal in training in which he controlled the ball nicely before firing a volley that curved its way into the post.

He will be hoping to get another goal on the pitch when Besiktas travel to the Denizli Ataturk Stadium to tackle Denizlispor on June 20.

Toby Alderweireld admits he was “honoured” after residents of his home town of Ekeren began a petition to erect a statue of the Tottenham defender to replace that former king of Belgium Leopold II, though he has played down suggestions the idea could become a reality.

Likenesses of Leopold II, who oversaw atrocities in the Congo from 1885 to 1908, have been graffitied or removed following anti-racism protests across Belgium, which were sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the United States last month.

One such statue was removed from the centre of Ekeren, a northern district of the municipality of Antwerp, as protestors call for the country to confront its colonial past.

Some locals quickly decided on who they wanted as a replacement, with more than 900 people signing a petition calling for a statue of Alderweireld. The 31-year-old, though, isn’t taking the calls for him to be immortalised in bronze seriously.

“I was laughing.I thought it was some kind of joke, that people are actually signing the petition,” he told the Guardian .

“I have to say I’m a little bit honoured as well. It’s a small town in Belgium and until I was 15 I spent my youth there. I went to school there and I still go back. If they really wanted to I would never say no because I would be honoured, but I will not sign my own petition. Of all the people who have, I think about 80 per cent are my friends.

“I would never say: ‘This is a good time to put up a statue of me,’ because I don’t think I will ever deserve a statue."

Alderweireld would not be drawn on the removal of the King Leopold II statue, though he does agree that lessons can be learned from the actions of previous generations.

“I don’t know if it’s good to take down the statue and I’m not going to get involved in that, but I do think it’s good to look back at the history and learn from it,” he added.

“It’s the same with the history from the world wars. Of course I’m disgusted about all the things that have involved racism and I will never understand it, but taking a statue down? All I will say is that we have to look to that period and look at what went wrong so we never get in that situation again.”

Alderweireld and his Tottenham team-mates have been gearing up for the return of the Premier League, with their first match since the coronavirus shutdown against Manchester United on Friday.

The unscheduled break has worked in Tottenham’s favour, as it gave forwards Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min extra time to recover from injuries that were originally expected to rule them out fo the rest of the campaign.

“In training he looks fully fit, top fit, so we’re going to see the old Kane again,” Alderweireld said. “He has been out for a longer period so his desire to show everyone is unbelievable, so you’re going to see a very good Kane.”

Alderweireld also insists that the rest of the squad kept themselves fit during the three-month break, meaning they will be fully prepared when they face the Red Devils on Friday.

“Everyone went into ‘beast mode’ – training, training,” he said. “We didn’t know when we were going back. Maybe the week after, two weeks after. So people think we were on holiday but we sure weren’t.

“When we were back training we felt like: ‘I’m ready,’ not like in pre-season when it’s: ‘Oh, I have to start all over again, I feel muscle pain.”

RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann has stressed that Timo Werner’s purported transfer to Chelsea is not done yet, but he is wary that his side are set to lose “highly talented” players this season.

The East German outfit overcame Hoffenheim 2-0 on Saturday to strengthen their position in third in the Bundesliga and go a long way to seal a place in next season’s Champions League. 

The 24-year-old forward has been one of the chief architects of this success, having scored 25 times and set up eight more in 31 Bundesliga outings this season, but he is expected to complete a transfer to Chelsea this summer, with the Stamford Bridge side having agreed to match his €60 million (£53m/$69m) release fee.

Although nothing has been officially completed, Nagelsmann has dropped a hint that he is already considering options to replace the Germany international star.

“The transfer is not fixed you, you have to emphasise that,” Nagelsman told Sport1. “I’m a coach with a realistic view and dreams. I’m aware that one or another highly talented player will leave us. It’s up to us, then, to find new players who can follow in such big footsteps.”

Although Leipzig continue to pursure a policty that sees them sign young players, develop them and sell them on for a greater fee, their coach says that their ambitions remain high and says the team is moving in the correct direction.

“I’m satisfied with our performance, our aim was to reach the Champions League,” he said.

“It’s normal that we’d want to be champions sometimes. Every team in the Bundesliga should have this desire. But if we reach the Champions League, I’d be satisfied with this season in transition.

“We constantly score a lot of goals and have had the most stable defence for a long time. We’ve been moving in this direction for years.

“We want to take the club to the next level and achieve our goals. If we win enough titles, that’s up to me, the club and the team.”

Leipzig will face Dusseldorf in their next fixture on Wednesday and a victory would all but seal their place in the Champions League next term.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Presidential aspirant Herbert Mwachiro has lauded Musalia Mudavadi's financial help for AFC Leopards.

Mudavadi off-set AFC Leopards land rates debt that had proved to be a stumbling block in their dream to build a home ground. The former Deputy Prime Minister paid the outstanding KSh600, 000 debt and promised to take financial care of players during the coronavirus period.

A move that has attracted praise from Mwachiro who made his interest to vie for FKF presidency a few weeks ago.

“I take this opportunity to commend the support extended to AFC Leopards by [Musalia] Mudavadi at a time when football clubs, especially community football clubs in Kenya, are navigating a rough patch,” Mwachiro said in a statement obtained by Goal.

“Through this generous financial support, AFC Leopards will fast-track their journey towards sustainability and realise a long-held ambition of owning a home stadium.

“Football players, whose lives have been disrupted by the cessation of sports, also stand to benefit from the rescue package that has been given to the club by Mudavadi.”

The former FKF Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer further urged clubs to ensure they meet the club licensing requirements as they aim to find a stable footing on matters of finance.

“As we move into a season of recalibrating the football management in the country, it is important that clubs in Kenya start the process of adopting club licensing as recommended by Fifa and Caf,” Mwachiro added.

“Club licensing is a significant step-change that will enable community clubs to gain from professional management and commercially sustainable operations.

“My administration will assist the clubs that adhere to club licencing via financial resources and/or expert knowledge. This is a new dawn for Kenyan football.”

Mwachiro will battle for FKF's top seat against the incumbent Nick Mwendwa, former Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye, ex-FKF Vice-President Sammy Shollei, former FKF President Sam Nyamweya, former Vihiga County Governor Moses Akaranga and Gor Mahia's Chief Executive Officer Lordvick Aduda.

There is no tentative date when the federation will hold its mandatory elections as the previous two attempts were stopped by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT).

The SDT, in its December rule, stated the electoral code discriminated against other contestants and favoured the incumbent while in its March judgement, the John Ohaga-led body said FKF's National Executive Committee's term had expired and thus were not in a position to oversee elections.

Thomas Muller has clarified his controversial comments about Bayern Munich’s transfer policy, insisting that his initial words, which led to a public rebuke by sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, were taken out of context.

Muller caused a stir on Wednesday when he spoke about the “paradox” in the club’s finances amid rumours of a big-money bid for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz.

Speaking after Bayern’s 2-1 DFB-Pokal semi-final win over Eintracht Frankfurt, the 30-year-old questioned the logic of being linked with a player like Havertz, who could cost up to  €100 million (£90m/$113m), while at the same time current players are being asked to take pay cuts to help the club through the coronavirus crisis.

Salihamidzic was unimpressed with Muller’s comments, saying he “maybe chose the wrong path with his words,” though he also insisted the pair had resolved their differences in private.

Muller has now issued some further clarification to his comments, saying his words had been misinterpreted by the media as “provocative”.

"At FC Bayern there is no internal dispute over the waiver of salaries with regard to possible transfers in summer. We have waived our salary for completely different reasons, namely for our employees," the Germany forward said on Twitter.

“My statement related to the fact that I was annoyed that I was asked about transfers next season after a cup semi-final.

"It is pretended that these top transfers - which we absolutely need - can be managed with a snap of your fingers. As if 100 or 50 million euros are not (big) sums in these times we are in right now.

"Personally, I want the best possible squad for me next season. I have big goals, I want to win the Champions League . I want us to attack properly, to continue this run that we currently have.

“I (will) no longer speak publicly about transfers. Let us be relaxed about the future.”

Muller was absent through suspension on Saturday as Bayern beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 to restore their seven-point lead at the top of the table.

It means Hansi Flick’s side can clinch an eighth successive Bundesliga title with victory at Werder Bremen on Wednesday.

Call of Duty: Warzone has continued to grow since its launch in March, with more than 60 million players heading to Verdansk to fight it out in the Gulag.

Warzone offers players two different experiences. The first of these is “Battle Royale”. 150 players air-drop into the game’s Verdansk map and the squads must eliminate one another while fleeing a deadly ring of gas. The last player/squad standing at the end wins. This mode can be played in solo, duo, trio or quad modes.

Plunder mode also features 150 players in squads. However, instead of simply eliminating enemies, players must compete to loot “Cash” found scattered across Verdansk. Eliminated players drop any Cash they had, allowing you to steal it, and furthermore, you can even complete in-match Contracts in order to earn bonus Cash.

Download Call Of Duty: Warzone

The game features two main factions of the Operators: the Coalition and the Allegiance. Both factions include a variety of Operators to choose from. The Coalition is a multinational alliance that consists of operators from SAS, Warcom and Demon Dogs, while the Allegiance is made up of the remnants of the Russian Forces in Urzikstan, foreign mercenaries and rogue NATO soldiers.

And while the Operators are getting famous among the gamers, Goal.com has teamed up with Call of Duty to make the "Coalition vs Allegiance" ultimate team. The concept consists on choosing 11 characters from both the Coalition and Allegiance who are featuring in Warzone.

We'll then analyze the specific traits of each character and potential Footballers who fit the mould and resemble well with the character. The audience will be involved by voting for their favorite Operator-Footballer combo to make it feature in the Ultimate team.

For our new poll, we are going to be looking at Wyatt from the Coalition faction and Mace from the Allegiance one.

Wyatt - Benzema : Benzema is no ordinary striker and his impact on the team is much greater than scoring goals alone. He is terrific while holding up the ball and drawing the attention of the opposition in order to free up space for his team-mates. Wyatt, like the French striker, is a true team player. He makes the sacrifices required to help his team win. Not being the star of the show does not bother him, as long as his team is victorious.
 

Mace - Aubameyang : Aubameyang is famous for his explosive speed, ability to score with both feet and strong aerial presence, all of which make him one of the most lethal strikers in the world. Mace, is a quick operator who is usually in the right place at the right time. He is merciless with his opponents and, as Aubameyang often dons a mask during his celebrations, Mace will wear one during battle, never willing to give anything away.
 

Who should feature is the Coalition vs Allegiance utlimate team? vote below

Former Liverpool player Steve McManaman has said that he is delighted that he is not seeing much of the club’s academy players because it is evidence that they are thriving.

Speaking ahead of the return of Premier League action for the first time in three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Academy mentor said that the players’ lack of interaction with him is evidence of their success while training with the first team.

There was further encouragement on that front for the Premier League leaders in a 6-0 friendly win against Blackburn at Anfield as Jake Cain and Leighton Clarkson both featured, with the latter netting the last goal.

McManaman reflected on his delight at not seeing such faces once they have graduated.

“When I see some of the players who are excelling at the Academy, there's nothing better than not seeing them again,” he told LFCTV’s ‘The Academy’ show.

“I mean that in the nicest way because they move up to Melwood, and I love it when I don't see them again because it means they're at Melwood and they're excelling at Melwood. 

“There's nothing better for these younger players with talent to play with better players, to play with players who are at the top of the game. 

“If you've got anything about yourself and if you want to be a first-team player in the future, you should be able to improve so much by playing with the best players in the world – and that's who Liverpool have got at the moment. 

“I love the fact that Leighton and Jake are there, Neco Williams is there and Curtis Jones has, of course, been there a while, like a number of the older ones. But whenever they disappear to Melwood and hold their own, that means they're improving, that means they're getting better.”  

Jurgen Klopp’s side, who need only six points to seal their first title of the Premier League era, could wrap the title up next Sunday at local rivals Everton if they picked up three points and Manchester City lose to Arsenal on Wednesday in their game in hand.

Chidozie Awaziem’s joy at La Liga returning following the coronavirus suspension was short-lived on Saturday, as the Nigeria defender gifted Real Valladolid an early opener in their 2-1 victory over Leganes.

Only two minutes had elapsed when Awaziem, attempting to deal with a high ball through the middle, headed the ball beyond his onrushing goalkeeper Ivan ‘Pichu’ Cuellar, allowing Enes Unal to rush in and poke it home.

Perhaps Awaziem can be forgiven for ring rust due to a lack of recent gametime, after all, he hadn’t played for three months before this fixture due to the absence of live action amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the goal ultimately proved costly for Leganes on the day—Ruben Alcaraz added a second in the 54th minute before Oscar Rodriguez’s consolation late on—and may prove costly longer term.

While Valladolid’s victory takes them up to 32 points—seven clear from the dropzone—Leganes missed the opportunity to draw level with 17th-placed Celta Vigo.

There’s still plenty of football still to come—with 10 games left—but the hosts could ill afford a slow start to the returning campaign, let alone a home defeat against fellow strugglers.

Conceding cheap goals has also been a specific problem for Leganes this term—their 41 goals conceded is the joint fourth w0rst in the division, while their 33 goals for puts them 11th in the league overall.

It’s clear where their problems lie, and this is an area that—surely—experienced coach Javier Aguirre will have been drilling his troops on ahead of the league’s return.

Awaziem’s moment of madness surely undid much of the work done during the downtime, and represented a disastrous return to action for Leganes.

However, does the Nigeria defender deserve the criticism that he has received—and will continue to receive—from observers in the aftermath of the loss?

Even Opta have opted to label the defender’s header back towards goal as an ‘Error that led to a goal’, which may appear a little harsh.

Certainly, Awaziem’s ability to deal with the high ball forward demands some scrutiny.

His awareness appears to be lacking, as he appears to have no idea of Unal’s proximity when he opts to head the ball back to the keeper.

So early in the game, with the league only just resumed in a crunch relegation battle, it’s no time to be taking risks—if Awaziem must deal with the ball while retreating, rather than attack it square on—then he ought to head the ball out of play or direct a forceful header back to his keeper, creating space in the process.

Instead, he appears to be caught in two minds—perhaps a consequence both of taking his eyes off the ball in order to engage with Cuellar, and his body positioning—and fails to put enough conviction on his header.

Definitely, Awaziem could have done better in this situation.

However, how on earth can the centre-back take the blame here ahead of goalkeeper Cuellar?

Even though the goalkeeper has a greater field of vision than the centre-back, even though he can see the onrushing Unal, even though he can see the trajectory of the high ball, he still opts to rush far out of his area.

Where was the sense in this decision-making from a keeper who, at 36, should have known better?

Instead, Cuellar rushing out towards Awaziem destabilised the defender, created doubt as to what he should do next, and left the goal exposed.

Ultimately, Cuellar’s decision-making transformed the decision from a routine situation for Awaziem to a disastrous return to action for Leganes, and yet he could clearly see that the Nigerian had the situation under control.

Opta and armchair pundits may have attributed the blame to 23-year-old Awaziem, but it was the goalkeeper, not the defender, who transformed an innocuous clearance into an early goal.  

Abderrazak Hamed Allah has secured his place in call of Duty: Wazone ultimate team, which features a combo of COD's operators and football players who have similar characteristics.

Goal.com has teamed up with Call of Duty to make the "Coalition vs Allegiance" ultimate team. The concept consists on choosing 11 characters from both the Coalition and Allegiance who are featuring in Warzone.

We then analyze the specific traits of each character and potential Footballers who fit the mould and resemble well with the character. The audience is involved by voting for their favorite Operator-Footballer combo to make it feature in the Ultimate team.

For the new poll, we had a duel between Bafétimbi Gomis and Abderrazak Hamed Allah who were representing Grinch from the Allegiance team and Golem from the Coalition team respectively.

Al Nassr's striker led the poll with 55% of the votes (9316) beating out the Frenchman who ended up with 45% of the votes (7511).

Stay tuned for our next poll...

The Camp Toyoyo Board, commonly referred to as the Board, has confirmed former Kenya midfielder Crispin Olando is in good health and soon new developments will be made public.

The 32-year-old is in custody at the Jackson Parish Correctional Centre after allegedly breaching immigration rules. The Kenyan was booked because he did not have the necessary immigration documents and was not granted a bond.

"First I want to state that the Board made contact with Crispin in a bid to understand the circumstances surrounding him," read a statement signed by Philip Lukhachi on behalf of the Board and obtained by Goal.

"We are therefore privy to some details of his situation that are not public and wanted to make sure we are certain that anything we say is verified and accurate.

"We are also aware that there have been several individuals who have put contradicting information out there using social media, broadcast, print or the usual hearsay.

"Due to the sensitivity and nature of the information we have, we want to state Crispin is in good health. We will give more information and any new developments upon verification and permission from Crispin and people handling his case."

The public has been urged to be considerate with the information shared considering the victim has a family and reputation to keep.

"Now we understand, people want to establish this short-lived credibility and are looking for content to appeal to their audience and much-needed ratings," the statement added.

"We encourage people to carefully verify the authenticity of the information and their sources before putting it out.

"Keep in mind that the said individual has family and friends who could be impacted by the information spewed out thoughtlessly.

"With the viral nature of some information, you run the risk of conveying erroneous information that can unfairly affect public opinion and impact his case." 

After moving to the US in 2013 in search of greener pastures, Olando managed to secure trials with Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps but failed to convince their technical benches to sign him.

He resorted to playing in the lower tiers of domestic football in the country before eventually retiring and settling with his family.

While in Kenya, the midfielder turned out for then-Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Thika United before joining Tusker FC.

At the Ruaraka-based side, Olando won back-to-back league titles in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

John McGinn may be key to Aston Villa’s Premier League survival hopes this season and not necessarily Manchester United transfer target Jack Grealish, according to former Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness.

With the Premier League campaign set to restart this week after a three-month recess due to the coronavirus pandemic, Villa find themselves in the teeth of the relegation battle.

The Birmingham club are second bottom of the standings but only a couple of points from safety.

Souness believes they still have a shot at survival, but it hinges on how McGinn returns after a lengthy layoff due to a fracture ankle.

“There is no doubt they missed John McGinn after he fractured his ankle,” Souness wrote in his column for The Times.

“A lot of fuss is made of Jack Grealish, but McGinn does a lot of the unseen work, the box-to-box aggression, whereas Grealish attracts more attention because he spends more time running with the ball. 

“If McGinn comes back and plays like he did at the start of the season it could help them survive, but they also may find it difficult to hold on to him when the transfer window opens.”

Souness says that many of Villa’s problems are self inflicted and derive from last summer’s transfer window.

“From the outside, it is hard to know what Villa were going for last summer and didn’t get,” he said.

“Did they end up signing the second or third choices on their list? That is always dangerous. Sometimes you must hold your nerve and wait until the right players are available rather than signing people for the sake of it.

“Their defensive record is the worst in the Premier League. In 28 games, they have conceded 56 goals. That means, on average, they need to score three to win.

"It is a dangerous combination, if you are conceding too many goals and cannot score at the other end and neither Wesley, the big Brazilian, nor Mbwana Samatta, the Tanzanian striker, have really done it for them.

"Ultimately, it boils down to the most important things in football: management and recruitment.

“They remind me of Fulham last season. They came up, had a wealthy owner in Shahid Khan and splashed the cash but wasted most of it and sacked Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri before turning to Scott Parker when it was too late to survive.

"It was a classic case of coming up with a feelgood factor, having achieved something together, and within a couple of months that business plan was torn up.”

Martin Braithwaite is hoping to answer Barcelona's SOS with goals that carry Quique Setien's team all the way to trophy glory after opening his account.

The Danish striker played his first full 90 minutes in La Liga since joining from Leganes as an emergency signing in February, as Barcelona thrashed Real Mallorca 4-0 on Saturday.

It was his fourth appearance and second start in the league since swapping a relegation battle for the title race.

And the man Barca bought to ease their injury problems intends to show how much he can contribute over the remaining weeks of the coronavirus-disrupted season.

He may have his work cut out to secure a regular start, given Luis Suarez returned from knee surgery as a substitute at Mallorca, but Braithwaite wants to play a part and said of his maiden Barca strike: "I've been waiting for it for a long time, so it's amazing to score my first goal.

"It was most important to start like we did [on Saturday], so we are happy and we have to continue like this.

"As an offensive player you want to score goals and I've been working a lot in this break, and I've been really looking forward to playing this game and hopefully getting a goal and I'm happy, I'm really happy."

Suarez's season looked to be over when he had an operation in January, but the three-month suspension of the league has allowed him to recover fitness, and now coach Setien has options up front for the title push.

The Uruguayan had a 33-minute run-out at Son Moix, and Braithwaite can expect to come under pressure for a regular start.

Barcelona's win in their first match back after lockdown restrictions were eased ensured they would remain top of the table.

Braithwaite said of the successful trip, speaking to Barca TV : "It's really important because we have to start with confidence, and to score four goals and not concede any goals is really important for us.

"We started good and just built our confidence and we need that to continue pursuing what we want."

After Arturo Vidal's early opener, Lionel Messi set up Braithwaite and Jordi Alba before sealing Barca's victory in additional time.

Barcelona have 10 games left in the LaLiga season as they attempt to fend off Real Madrid and wrap up what would be a 27th league title.