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UEFA has announced that Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz will referee the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea.

The 44-year-old Spaniard will take charge of his first Champions League final, having officiated six games in the competition this season. 

UEFA also announced that Clement Turpin will referee the Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United.

The full officiating teams

Champions League final 

Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Assistants: Pau Cebrian Devis, Roberto Diaz Perez del Palomar (both Spain)

Fourth official: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)

VAR: Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez (Spain)

VAR Assistants: Juan Martínez Munuera, Inigo Prieto Lopez de Cerain (both Spain), Pawel Gil (Poland)

Europa League final 

Referee: Clement Turpin (France)

Assistants: Nicolas Danos, Cyril Gringore (both France)

Fourth official: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)

VAR: Francois Letexier (France)

VAR Assistants: Jerome Brisard, Benjamin Pages (both France), Paulus van Boekel (Netherlands)

Pep's history with Lahoz

One man who may not be excited to see Lahoz take charge of the Champions League final is City boss Pep Guardiola, who has had multiple run-ins with the referee over the years. 

Guardiola was incensed in 2017 when Lahoz awarded Sergio Aguero a yellow card for simulation against Monaco when replays showed the Argentine should have likely been given a penalty. 

The following season Lahoz sent Guardiola to the stands for protesting after a Leroy Sane goal was disallowed in City's quarter-final second leg defeat against Liverpool.

Asked why he was sent off after the game, Guardiola said: "I said it [Sane's effort] was a goal. I didn't insult him, I was polite, I was correct. But Mateu Lahoz is a special guy, he likes to be different, he likes to be special."

"I know what happened in Monaco last season, at 1-1, with an incredible penalty from Sergio Aguero," Guardiola added.

"He's special. When everybody sees things, he likes to decide the opposite. I didn't say any wrong word."

Further reading

AC Milan's 7-0 hammering of Torino in Wednesday's Serie A encounter has got football enthusiasts talking on social media.

Following their emphatic 3-0 win at Juventus on Sunday, the Rossoneri continued their dominant display away from home as they boost their chances of returning to the Uefa Champions League for next season.

Theo Hernandez got the visitors off to a flying start at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in the 19th minute and Ivory Coast's Franck Kessie doubled their lead seven minutes later.

After the break, Kessie assisted Brahim Diaz to make it 3-0 in the 50th minute and Hernandez grabbed his brace just two minutes after the hour-mark.

Shortly after, Ante Rebic scored a 12-minute hat-trick as AC Milan secured their biggest away win in the Serie A since May 2001 when they defeated city rivals Inter 6-0.

Fans were stunned by the goal margin and they even pleaded with Stefano Pioli's men to be merciful to Torino who sit 16th in the league table.

Kaizer Chiefs had to come from behind to hold Swallows FC to a 1-1 draw in the Soweto Derby encounter which was played at FNB Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The draw saw Amakhosi stretch their winless run to four matches in the PSL and they have been displaying relegation form having won just two of their last 15 league matches.

However, some Chiefs fans were relieved to see the Glamour Boys hit the 30-point mark which is supposedly needed to guarantee PSL survival. 

The Soweto giants are placed 10th on the league standings - five points above the relegation zone, but Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, who are in the relegation play-off spot (15th), have a game in hand.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the Soweto Derby match:

Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly has named Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw as the two players who deserve the club’s Player of the Year award.

The England duo have featured prominently in the Red Devils' defence this campaign with their defensive and attacking contributions.

Bailly, who recently renewed his contract at Old Trafford until 2024, acknowledged the array of talent in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, but he named the full-backs as the best candidates to succeed last season’s winner Bruno Fernandes.

“It’s very hard to say one player, but for me, if I have to choose, then I choose two players: Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw,” Bailly told the club website.

“For me they deserve it, that’s just my opinion.

“Then also we have Harry [Maguire], Fred, Scott [McTominay]... I could say so many names! So I keep with Aaron and Luke.”

Bailly has been restricted to just 18 games across all competitions this season due to injury challenges and Solskjaer's selection decision.

However, Shaw and Wan-Bissaka have been in consistent form for Manchester United with significant goalscoring contributions in addition to their defensive duties.

Wan-Bissaka has provided four assists and two goals in all competitions this term while Luke Shaw has six assists and a goal to his name.

The Ivory Coast international further explained the reason behind his selection and he described the duo as the best right-back and left-back in the Premier League this season.

“For me, these two are the best right-back and best left-back in the league,” he continued.

“When I see Luke playing at this level, I am so happy because he has had some difficult times before this. Now he is very happy and is playing every game and playing well. He is back playing for his national team too.

“It’s the same with Aaron. The guy is young, playing every game and giving his best. They have helped our team be strong. They are two young guys who are both focused on giving everything to the team.

“I’m so, so happy for these two.”

After failing to stop Leicester City in Tuesday's Premier League outing which ended in a 2-1 loss, Bailly will be focused on keeping Manchester United's defence tidy when they welcome Liverpool to Old Trafford for their rescheduled league fixture on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the fastest player in Juventus history to reach 100 goals with the club. 

Ronaldo reached the mark by scoring just before half-time against Sassuolo in Serie A action on Wednesday, giving his side a two-goal lead heading into the break. 

The Portugal star has netted 100 goals in 131 games for Juventus and has become the first Juve player to ever do so in less than three seasons.

Ronaldo's record

Prior to Wednesday night, only Omar Sivori and Roberto Baggio had required less than five seasons to reach the 100-goal mark.

But Ronaldo achieved the feat near the end of his third season with the club, having joined from Real Madrid ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition, Ronaldo became the first player in history to tally more than 100 goals with three different clubs and his national team, having done so with Manchester United and Madrid as well as Portugal.

Another Juve star reaches 100 goals

Later in the same match, Paulo Dybala joined Ronaldo in reaching the same milestone when he also scored his 100th Juventus goal.

What's next for Ronaldo?

The Portugal star has one year remaining on his contract beyond this season and there has been plenty of speculation over his future.

Ronaldo helped Juve to Serie A titles in his first two seasons with the club, but he's failed to lead them to Champions League glory and this season's league campaign sees Juve battling to simply earn a top-four spot.

He has seen a return to Spain discussed, while there has also been talk of a second spell at Manchester United or a move to MLS.

Any move away, however, would require a team to make a suitable bid to Juventus as well as pay Ronaldo the massive wages he is set to command. 

Further reading

Michael Essien has backed Chelsea to win the Premier League in the 2021-22 season, given the caliber of players in the squad.

The Blues are enjoying a turnaround since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as manager of the side after Frank Lampard was relieved of his duty.

Their impressive performances have seen them advance into the Champions League final, booking a date with their Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Convinced by their fine showings, Essien believes the Blues will be a major contender for next season’s Premier League title.

"I’m going to say Chelsea win the league next season, based on how good they’ve looked since Thomas Tuchel has taken over,” Essien said as per the Mirror.

"They’re my first choice for the title, then it’s obviously going to be United, Liverpool and City who will be right up there with them.

"With the players Thomas Tuchel has got at his disposal, I think he’s got all the tools needed to challenge for the title next season

"If you look from the goalkeepers to the forwards, they’ve got big names all over the pitch. They’ve got it all.

"I love the fact that they’ve got Thiago Silva at the back, his experience really is vital to that team and he’s such a great name the younger players in the squad can learn from

"He commands the back line very well. But even without him, they’ve got Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen, so they’re very strong in that area."

Essien spent nine years at Stamford Bridge and featured consistently for the side, amassing 168 Premier League appearances.

The former Ghana international helped the Blues to win a number of titles, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Community Shield and League Cup among others.

Chelsea are currently fourth on the Premier League table and will hope to maintain a spot in the top four to guarantee their place in the group stage of the Champions League next season, although victory in the final of the European competition on May 29 could also automatically see them qualify for the next edition of the tournament. 

Paul Onuachu rescued Genk from defeat with his equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division A play-offs on Wednesday.

Anouar Ait El Hadj put Anderlecht ahead at the Luminus Arena with his 33rd-minute opener but Onuachu ensured the Blue-White grab a point at home after linking up with Junya Ito for the leveller in the 67th minute.

The 26-year-old has proven to be a key player in John van den Brom's team so far as he took his tally to 34 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions this season.

Genk are yet to lose a game in the play-offs and they sit second in the table with 35 points after three matches – four points behind leaders Club Brugge.

On Wednesday, Onuachu played the entire duration while his compatriot Cyril Dessers was an unused substitute for Genk.

Anderlecht, on the other hand, had two Ghana stars in action with Majeed Ashimeru seeing 67 minutes of action and his compatriot Mohammed Dauda came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute.

Next up for Onuachu and his Genk teammates, is a trip to Brussels as they battle Vincent Kompany's men who sit third in the table in a reverse fixture on Saturday.

They are aiming for a domestic double with the First Division A title in sights after their Belgian Cup win on May 25 when they defeated Standard Liege 2-1.

Onuachu’s goalscoring heroics has made him a target for several clubs across Europe ahead of the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, former Belgium coach Rene Vandereycken has backed the Nigeria international to perfectly adapt in the German Bundesliga or the Premier League.

"Onuachu is a very special type of striker, you can hardly compare him with anyone," Vandereycken said.

"Despite being 2.01 meters, Onuachu is technically strong and fast, and he often succeeds in making the right decision.

"He will also feel that after a season in which he has already scored 33 times, it is the time to take a step higher.

"He must be able to keep up perfectly in the Bundesliga or even the Premier League, as long as he chooses the right club and trainer, although we always have to wait and see how a body reacts to a more demanding competition."

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta hit out at the media after his side defeated Chelsea 1-0 on Wednesday. 

Emile Smith Rowe scored early in the match at Stamford Bridge after a Jorginho error, and the goal stood up as the Gunners defended resiliently through the second half.

After the match, though, Arteta felt compelled to lash out at what he felt was an unfair interpretation of pre-match comments in which he appeared to suggest some Arsenal players weren't giving their all. 

What was said?

"Nothing is broken inside," Arteta said to Sky Sports. "I don't know how they want to try from the outside. They try to put things on me that I never said.

"You can see the spirit of the team from the first minute. You can never doubt the efforts.

"I said if I don't get 120 per cent off each player it's my fault and responsibility. It wasn't like this in the press. I'm so annoyed by that.

"My players, I will defend them from everybody for the rest of the time I'm here. They don't deserve that."

Arteta added on the press: "They're not going to break it [the team's bond]. They can try but they're not going to break it.

"Not only with the players, but the coaching staff and the board - they can't touch it. If they try to touch it it can be with opinions but not saying something I never said.

"I'm not taking that. It's the first time I have to make my point."

What were Arteta's pre-match comments?

The Arsenal boss seemed to suggest that some of his players had let him down by now offering their maximum effort this season.

Asked if his players had given their all, Arteta replied: "With the majority of them, yes.

"Some of them can get to a certain level and you cannot push them any further. You want to evolve them but it's not possible.

"When I said a majority, I did not say all of them. Some have a big contribution to make to those results."

Further reading

Xavi has ended speculation that he could take over as Barcelona head coach by signing a two-year contract extension at Al-Sadd.

The 41-year-old had been strongly tipped to take over at Camp Nou after becoming a club legend through 17 years with the Barca first team.

But Xavi is now set to stay on at the Qatari club through to 2023.

What was said?

"We achieved a lot together, scored goals, won matches and titles, and we are all very proud of this success. Getting this kind of support is the best thing any coach can get," Xavi told Al-Sadd's official website.

“I have everything I could want to do well, and I feel proud to continue with Al-Sadd for an additional two seasons.”

Xavi also denied reports that he has a clause in his new contract that allows him to leave at any time.

“This is incorrect," he said. "I have a two-season contract with Al-Sadd, and I respect this contract - and I also respect the official negotiation methods between all parties."

The bigger picture

Since taking over as Al-Sadd manager in 2019 Xavi has led the club to six trophies, demonstrating his potential as a manager. 

That potential, combined with his legendary playing career at Camp Nou, has made Xavi one of the first names mentioned as a future Barcelona manager over the past year. 

Xavi himself acknowledged earlier this year that he hopes to manage his former club one day, saying: "Of course I would like to be Barcelona’s head coach. I’ve said it many times."

But it appears that Xavi's time will have to come in the future, despite the pressure mounting on Ronald Koeman as he nears the end of his first season in charge. 

Barcelona won the Copa del Rey this season but were bounced from the Champions League at the last-16 stage and their La Liga title pursuit appears likely to fall just short.

Further reading

Fans are faulting Chelsea’s first-half error as Arsenal secured their first Premier League win at Stamford Bridge since October 2011 on Wednesday.

The Gunners took advantage of Jorginho's howler in the 16th minute with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang setting up Emile Smith Rowe who tapped into an empty net to give them a 1-0 victory.

The result earned Arsenal their first league double over Chelsea since the 2003-04 season but fans were divided on social media with some questioning the team's performance while others described it as a hard-fought win.

Mikel Arteta's men moved up to eighth in the Premier League table with 55 points after 36 matches and Chelsea remain fourth with 64 points after the same number of games.

Jurgen Klopp says he is expecting a “strange” summer transfer window, and doubts whether the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland or Jadon Sancho will be involved in big-money moves. 

The Liverpool manager was asked at a press conference on Friday about his own club’s plans to strengthen their squad – plans which may be strongly affected if the Reds fail to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

Liverpool head to Manchester United on Thursday knowing anything less than a win could cost them the chance of a top-four finish, and Reds officials are well aware of the financial implications of that. Klopp, though, spoke bullishly, insisting his team will be stronger next season regardless of whether they make big moves in the market.

What’s been said?

Asked if he knew what would be possible in the summer yet, Klopp smiled: “Yeah, not a lot! 

“It is always how it is. What happens depends on the business, if someone wants to leave, if we sell, stuff like this. That’s why we can never really plan early.

“Not playing Champions League doesn’t help obviously, but it is not our biggest problem.

“The market will be really strange. I hear a lot about big-money moves, is Mbappe going or not, Haaland, Sancho, these kind of things. I don’t see that happening a lot this summer because the football world is still not in the same place it was before. 

“Getting players back [from injury] makes us already better. These are our first transfers. We don’t know exactly when that will happen, but it will happen. All the rest, we have to see. 

“If we don’t go to Champions League it is not good but there is still a chance. But if not, then we have to deal with that.”

Careful what you wish for

Klopp was also asked how confident he was that Liverpool could claw back the ground they lost to newly crowned champions Manchester City this season – especially given the fact that Pep Guardiola’s side would appear to have the means to make big-money transfers of their own in the summer.

He said: “And Chelsea, and United! City and Chelsea always had [financial] advantages and we still won the league and the Champions League. So it is about our situation. I never look at other clubs and think ‘they can do this’ or ‘we can’t do that’. 

“I am not interested in being the coach of the best team in the world. I am interested in being the coach of the team who can beat the best team in the world. And if two or three of them play in our league, then we will try to beat them. 

“It’s absolutely not a situation to moan or cry about. Our situation is fine.”

He added: “A year ago nobody knew how football will go on. One year later, people speak about ‘what can we do in the transfer market?’

“People talk about changing the structure completely, like the German model. Well, I can tell you the budget will go down massively. Having more say in the club, changing the structure and the ownership model, and then at the same time signing Haaland for £150 million? That doesn’t work together. 

“We have to use our situation better than we did this year. This was not the season when we could have become champion. No chance. But we could have had five, six, seven points more, with exactly the same situation we had? Yes, and we should have. That is something I don’t like too much. 

“The situation is better than I would have thought a year ago, with the financial situation, but everyone suffers and we are asked about signing players for this or that. 

“We will see how the market develops but for sure it will not be an early market.”

Further reading

Amine Harit found the back of the net as Schalke 04 lost 2-1 to Hertha Berlin in Wednesday’s Bundesliga game.

The midfielder was handed his 23rd league start in the encounter and utilized the opportunity to score his second goal of the season.

The 23-year-old formed a five-man midfield for Dimitrios Grammozis’ men along with Timo Becker, Blendi Idrizi, Florian Flick and Sead Kolasinac

Harit hit the ground running, scoring as early as the sixth minute for Schalke after receiving a timely assist from Sead Kolasinac.

The lead did not, however, last long as Hertha Berlin levelled proceedings in the 19th minute through Jessic Ngankam after he was set up by Dedryck Boyata.

The Royal Blues made efforts to try and find the back of the net before the end of the first half with Harit coming close in the 50th minute when he struck a free-kick.

After the restart, Jessic Ngankam scored the match-winning goal in the 74th minute after he receiving an assist from Nemanja Radonjic.

Moments before the end of the game, the Old Lady were reduced to 10 men when Dodi Lukebakio received his second yellow card and subsequently sent off.

Despite their one-man down, Hertha Berlin held on to their lead to secure all three points at Veltins Arena.

Harit featured for the duration of the game, struck three shots, made three passes, completed three dribbles and had an 80 percent successful ass rate as part of his contribution in the encounter.

The defeat further condemned Schalke to the bottom of the Bundesliga table with 13 points from 32 games.  

Besides his goals, the Morocco international has provided three assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season.

The forward will hope to help Schalke end their four-game winless run when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in their next league game on May 15.

Harit has three years left on his current contract and it is yet to be seen if he will remain with the Royal Blues beyond the summer.

Erling Haaland has hinted he could remain at Borussia Dortmund beyond this campaign if the club are able to reach the Champions League next season.

The 20-year-old has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe after scoring 37 goals in 38 total appearances this season.

Haaland's side are currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga, holding on to the final Champions League spot by just one point over Eintracht Frankfurt with two games left.

What was said?

"I always want to play at the highest level. The Champions League is particularly important to me," the Norway star told Bild.

Though his star forward has been consistently linked with a move away, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke added that he isn't expecting a summer move for Haaland.

"I have the clear expectation that Erling Haaland will still play for us next year," Watzke said.

Haaland set to return for DFB-Pokal final

Haaland missed out at the weekend against RB Leipzig through injury, but he appears set to return for Thursday's rematch in the DFB-Pokal final.

"Erling was back on the pitch for the first time in a while. It looked quite good," Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic said at his press conference on Wednesday. 

"We have one more training session and want to wait to see his reaction. After that we will sit down together and see if he is fit enough for a match."

In his interview with Bild, Haaland said he is hoping to reward Dortmund's fans with a cup win.

"Every footballer dreams of winning titles - I feel the same way," Haaland said.

"Our fans really deserve to celebrate something in these difficult times. But Leipzig will be very tough opponents."

Further reading

Simba SC forward Bernard Morrison is set to join his teammates in Johannesburg ahead of the Caf Champions League tie against Kaizer Chiefs.

Morison had not travelled with his teammates owing to issues to do with his travel documents but Goal can reveal the Ghanaian has been cleared to travel south for the quarter-final first leg.

"He is on his way to South Africa," a source at Simba told Goal.

“His arrival will be a big boost for our team before we engage Chiefs. He has played in South Africa [for Orlando Pirates] and understands the terrain better and so we will look up to him for better performance.”

The club's team manager Patrick Rweyemamu explained how ready they are to face the Premier Soccer League side in the first phase of the Champions league's knockouts despite missing a number of players.

“The squad is good, they are ready to play in South Africa," Rweyemamu said. "They are all in good shape and we have travelled minus three players namely Said Ndemla, Miraj Athuman and Perfect Chikwende.

“We all know Perfect Chikwende is not registered to play in Caf competition and Ndemla and Athuman have not travelled because of sickness and family issues but the most important thing we have travelled with a squad of 24 players and we will be 25 when Morrison joins us."

Amakhosi will host Wekundu wa Msimbazi on Saturady at 19:00 EAT.

Simba SC squad; 

Goalkeepers: Aishi Manula, Beno Kakolanya and Ally Salim.

Defenders: Shomari Kapombe, Joash Onyango, Pascal Wawa, Ibrahim Ame, Erasto Nyoni, Gadiel Michael, Mohamed Hussein, Kennedy Juma and David Kameta.

Midfielders: Jonas Mkude, Rally Bwalya, Mzamiru Yassin, Luis Miquissone, Hassan Dilunga, Clatous Chama, Francis Kahata and Taddeo Lwanga.

Strikers: Meddie Kagere, John Bocco, Ibrahim Ajib and Chris Mugalu.