Looking for Soccer News?

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has explained the federation has not yet reached a decision for the Super Eagles to travel by boat for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against the Benin Republic.

The three-time African champions will take on the Squirrels in Cotonou on March 27 before facing Lesotho three days later in Lagos.

There have been reports that Gernot Rohr’s men will make the trip to Benin by boat and Pinnick has explained that travelling by the sea is just one of the options the federation is considering and dispelled fears regarding boat trip.

"Going to Cotonou by boat I do that all the time when we were going to inspect we did it, there's nothing wrong in exploring other forms of adventure in Nigeria,” Pinnick told Arise TV.

"There's nobody in Lagos that has not been to Ilashe or been to Tarkwa Bay, so it's the same thing, so what's the big deal.

"Look at the Lagos boat terminal, it's one of the best in the world that I've seen, so why don't we use all those things if we have them.

"So it's just a projection, we have not agreed on it. We are looking at going by road to Cotonou which is our next-door neighbour because even if you want to leave Eko Hotel to the Murtala Muhammed Airport it is half the journey of going to Cotonou, so why do you need to fly and go to Cotonou?

"We might either go by road, we are working with the Lagos State Government, from here I have a meeting with the Lagos State Governor.

"All those are things we want to explore and see what is best suited for that and once we say are going by the creeks to Cotonou, of course, we'll provide every requisite, will provide the enabling environment for them to go in terms of security, in terms of everything.

"But people should look at Nigeria beyond that, there's no country in this world that doesn't have black spots but we live and try to live."

Nigeria lead Group L with eight points and a victory either against the Republic of Benin or Lesotho will seal the Super Eagles place at the Afcon tournament in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles have featured 18 times in the continental tournament, winning the title three times and finished third at the last outing in 2019 in Egypt. 

Liverpool and RB Leipzig's second-leg match of the Champions League last 16 will be held in Budapest due to coronavirus restrictions, the Hungary FA have confirmed.

The first leg was also held in the Hungarian capital, with Liverpool defeating the Bundesliga outfit 2-0 at the Puskas Arena on February 16.

Jurgen Klopp's men served as the away side in the first leg and will now be the home side as they face Leipzig in the second leg next Wednesday at the same stadium.

Why are the games being held in Hungary?

Instead of holding the games in Germany and England, the two sides will play both matches in Budapest due to coronavirus restrictions on travel.

The German government denied Liverpool entry into the country for the first leg amid concerns over new strains of coronavirus, which are prevalent in the UK.

Should Leipzig have travelled to England for the second leg, the German government informed the team last month that they would need to quarantine upon their return.

What other games have been held in Budapest?

Aside from the Liverpool-RB Leipzig tie, Manchester City’s Champions League last-16 away leg against Borussia Monchengladbach also took place at Puskas Arena. 

The second leg of that tie will, however, be held at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on March 16 as scheduled.

Tottenham's Europa League last-32 first leg against Austrian side Wolfsberger also took place at Puskas Arena. 

The stadium is also set to host the Europa League last-16 second leg between Molde and Granada on March 18.

What has Klopp said about Budapest?

After the first leg, the Liverpool boss was asked about Budapest and the Puskas Arena. He replied: "Thank you for asking! Brilliant, really brilliant. It’s a great stadium. Inside it looks a little bit like Atletico Madrid’s stadium, which felt good to us to be honest!

"The pitch was great, it’s a proper football stadium, and I’m pretty sure if it’s sold out in the future it will create some proper atmosphere.

"Thank you very much Budapest for having us. We don’t take things like this for granted. In these times we did everything we could do to keep everybody as safe as possible, and I’m pretty sure it worked out.

"Even if we’d lost the game, the stadium was still great!”

Further reading

Kelechi Iheanacho scored his second Premier League goal of the season while Wilfred Ndidi provided an assist in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw against Burnley in Wednesday’s Premier League game.

Iheanacho was handed his sixth league start at Turf Moor and utilized the opportunity to add to his tally this season.

His compatriot Ndidi was afforded his 14th Premier League appearance in the encounter and delivered an impactful performance.

The Nigeria internationals combined well to save the Foxes from a third consecutive defeat after losing against Slavia Praha and Arsenal last time out.

Leicester found themselves on the back foot as early as the fourth minute when Matej Vydra opened the scoring after finding himself in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The Foxes made several attempts to try and level proceedings and their efforts paid off when Ndidi sent in a fine cross to Iheanacho, and the forward connected well and fired in a superb first-time volley into the back of the net.

Burnley then came close to securing the victory when Chris Wood powered a fine header towards goal but Schmeichel was at the right place at the right time to save the effort.

Iheanacho also had a good chance to hand his side all three points when he fired a shot but it was intercepted.

With a few minutes left before full time, Ndidi sent a superb header towards goal but Nick Pope denied the Super Eagles defender.

Besides his goal, Iheanacho struck three shots, had 29 touches on the ball and made one key pass before he was replaced by Marc Albrighton in the 67th minute.

His compatriot Ndidi was on parade for the entirety of the game, made four clearances and had 88 touches on the ball.

With the draw, Leicester City are third on the Premier League table after gathering 50 points from 27 games, behind Manchester United and leaders Manchester City.

The Nigeria internationals will hope to continue their productive partnership when the Foxes take on Brighton and Hove Albion in their next league game on March 6.

Iheanacho has now scored five goals and provided four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.

Jermaine Seoposenwe shone for Sporting Braga but they went down 2-1 to Sporting CP in the Portuguese Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

Having thrashed Clube Condeixa 4-1 in the quarter-final, the Gverreiras needed a win over their Portuguese rivals to reach the final. 

With a 3-0 win over Sporting CP in the group stage of the competition last season, Braga were huge favourites to progress. 

However, that was not the case and last season's finalists kissed the competition goodbye as they bowed out on the ground of their city rivals.

In the keenly contested affair at the CGD Stadium Aurélio Pereira, Miguel Santos' team almost earned the lead when Seoposenwe was brought down in the box in the 12th minute, but no breakthrough was forthcoming.

However, the hosts eventually broke the deadlock when Nevera Damjanovic opened the scoring on the half-hour mark.

The lead only lasted for 10 minutes as Laura Luis, who replaced Hannah Keane grabbed the morale-boosting equaliser for the visitors.

After the start of the second half, Sporting CP grabbed the match-winner in the 70th minute through Ana Capeta, as the visitors fluffed several scoring opportunities to see themselves knocked out. 

Seoposenwe lasted the duration of the match for Sporting Braga but could inspire her side to the final of the competition this season.

The victory for Sporting CP means they will in the final of the national championship square up against SL Benfica, who knocked out Famalicao following a 3-0 semi-final win.

Ghana's preparations for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Prince later this month will take a break from Thursday, the Football Association (GFA) has announced.

The Black Stars are in the second stage of preparations for the March 25 and 28 double-header.

The camping contingent is made up of 32 home-based players and two foreign-based stars, namely midfielder Mubarak Wakaso and Emmanuel Boateng, who both play club football in China.

"The Black Stars will break camp on Thursday after a one-week training programme in Accra," the GFA announced on its official website on Wednesday.

"The players held their final training session on Wednesday morning and are expected to depart for their respective clubs Thursday for this weekend's match day 17 Premier League games.

"Ghana is currently preparing for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

"Players of Asante Kotoko were the first to leave camp on Wednesday due to their Premier League game against Elmina Sharks on Friday.

"Head Coach C. K. Akonnor, has been working with home-based players in Accra ahead of the final two games scheduled for March 24 and 28 respectively."

The upcoming games are set to wind up the qualifying series, with Ghana seeking a 23rd appearance at the continental championship.

After four rounds of matches, the Black Stars lead qualifying Group C with nine points, only sitting ahead of South Africa due to a better goal difference.

A win in any of the two games will effectively seal the West Africans' place at the tournament to be held by Cameroon next year.

The Black Stars team is expected to be augmented with more foreign-based players including captain Andre Ayew, Arsenal ace Thomas Partey and Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus before the two games.
 

Chioma Ubogagu was on target on Wednesday as Real Madrid returned to winning ways following a 2-0 victory at home over Logrono in the Spanish Primera Iberdrola.

The encounter marked the Nigerian-born striker's return from injury, having been in the treatment room since December with injury.

Before being ruled out for almost three months, she bagged her first goal of the season in Real's 8-1 win at Espanyol on December 13.

Having failed to see wins at Sevilla and Real Sociedad, Real aimed to revive their Champions League dreams, although they only found their opener through Marta Cardona three minutes from the half-time break.

Ubogagu, who was a 78th minute replacement for Cardona, guaranteed the hosts' victory three minutes from full-time following a set-up by Swedish substitute Kosovare Asllani.

The win took Real Madrid to third on the log with 41 points from 20 games, while Logrono occupy the 17th position with 14 points.

Wednesday's game was Ubogagu's ninth league appearance of the season, netting twice in the process, having missed the last seven-match for her side.

The 28-year-old had starred for the USA at youth level before playing for England at senior level thrice, albeit in friendlies, and is still eligible to represent Nigeria due to the new Fifa eligibility rules.

On the other hand, Equatorial Guinea's Jade Boho was in action for the duration, while Cote d'Ivoire's Rebecca Elloh lasted the opening 57th minute before being replaced by Ghana's Grace Asantewaa.

Ivorian Ida Guehai also saw the final 33 minutes as Kenyan's Cynthia Musongo featured in the last 13 minutes while South Africa's Nothando Vilakazi was an unused substitute for Logrono. 

Orlando Pirates have provided an injury update ahead of their PSL encounter with Chippa United on Saturday. 

The Soweto giants were boosted by the return of strikers Gabadinho Mhango and Tshegofatso Mabasa, who both featured as substitutes in the team's 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic on Tuesday after they recovered from lengthy injury lay-offs.

Pirates' official website has now revealed that two more players are on the mend and they are expected back in full training in the coming days.

"Thembinkosi Lorch, who limped off during the Nedbank Cup victory over Maritzburg United after a left adductor strain, is expected to partially resume training later in the week," a club statement read on Wednesday.

"At the same time, Terrence Dzvukamanja is scheduled to return to full training next week, as he also continues to undergo rehabilitation from an ankle injury."

The site also confirmed that central midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu has suffered a bone contusion to his right arm and he is expected to miss this weekend's clash with the Chilli Boys.

While striker Zakhele Lepasa, who has been out injured since December 2020, could be back soon as the South Africa under-23 International sees out his rehabilitation from an ankle injury.

"Meanwhile, we can confirm that striker Zakhele Lepasa continues with rehabilitation on his ankle injury, having been out of action since December, and is also nearing a return," another club statement read.

"The Medical team has also reported an injury to midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu, who has suffered a right forearm contusion."

Pirates have missed Lepasa's presence upfront as the promising marksman was one of the team's best players in the early stages of the current season.

The 23-year-old player, who is in his second campaign with the Pirates first team, enjoyed regular game time as coach Josef Zinnbauer's first-choice striker.

Lepasa helped Pirates clinch the 2020 MTN8 title as the Soweto giants ended their six-year trophy drought, with the Bucs academy product having netted against Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-final first-leg encounter at Orlando Stadium. 

Zinnbauer has had to use wingers Lorch and Deon Hotto as strikers in the absence of Lepasa, Mabasa and Mhango, with the trio nursing injuries. 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp paid his respects to Alisson as the goalkeeper mourns the passing of his father. 

Jose Becker drowned last week at the age of 57 while swimming at a dam in the south of Brazil. 

Alisson has since been granted compassionate leave by Liverpool, missing his side's victory over Sheffield United at the weekend, but he is likely to return on Thursday to meet Chelsea. 

What was said? 

"So to the most difficult sentences I have written in this publication since I arrived here," Klopp wrote in his programme notes prior to the Premier League clash at Anfield.

"I refer of course to our goalkeeper Alisson Becker. It's been almost impossible to speak about it in public, to be honest - just too hard. But maybe I can write it better.

"The world has experienced too much loss recently. We have other members of our club who have suffered it. In the city of Liverpool, throughout this country and around the globe, too many have had to deal with the agony of losing a person they love so much. Bereavement is too common just now.

"But for Ali, our wonderful, loving, soulful team-mate, this was truly tragic. No one really has the words to explain what they feel in these moments, I know I'm not adequate.

"So instead I wish to tell Alisson how much this team and this club loves him and his family. The greatest tribute possible to Alisson's father is the person his son is and has become. He honours him every day in his life.

"We must give Ali as much time as he needs and we must give him space in the appropriate moment also. Our supporters should know that he feels their love and compassion.

"Ali has the strongest faith of anyone I've ever met, so he knows they will be together again to celebrate all the new special memories he creates from now on."

Farewell to a Reds legend

Klopp also paid tribute to Ian St. John, a Liverpool stalwart in the 1960s and 70s who passed away on Monday at the age of 82.

"I've used this phrase, or a version of it, many times previously; football can feel like the most important of the least important things in life. It feels appropriate again tonight - not just for Ali, but for the family of Ian St. John also, a true LFC legend who we lost earlier this week," he added.

"For those who have suffered loss, this wonderful game of ours can still bring escape, energy and joy.

"As always, we look to do our best and play in a manner that makes our people proud. Until we see each other again."

Further reading

Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito believes his players need to be spurred on by a rare opportunity to enter the nation's football history books ahead of Saturday's Africa U20 Cup of Nations final against Uganda.

On what will be Ghana's national Independence Day, the Black Satellites will lock horns with the young Cranes at Stade Olympique in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott.

Ghana head into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Gambia in the semi-final. Uganda, meanwhile, handed Tunisia a 4-1 defeat to book a date in the climax.

"They [Ghana players] have an opportunity to make a name for themselves. They have an opportunity to write their names in Ghana’s history books. That should be their driving force when we go into the final,” Zito said, as reported by FootballmadeinGhana.

“We finished off third in our group but that did not affect us. We have gone on to show good performances from the quarters to the semi-final and that is because we had to change our attitude and approach games differently.

“We have a very strong mentality when playing and for us, this is a tournament and not a league. The most important thing is to win but for us we are trying as much as possible to add beauty to goal scoring. We want to have that mentality to win games and that has been the secret for the last two matches.

“Things are going positively for us and we are playing according to our plan. We will try to go into the final and win. When we came here, our target was to win the ultimate prize and now we are just one step away.

“I trust in the players that they have that edge to do it. I have been with some of them from Under-15 and I am not just a coach to them but a father and a friend. We have walked together in this journey and we will do so to the end."

Ghana are looking to add a fourth title to their cabinet. In 1993, the Satellites won their first title, beating Cameroon in the final.

Hosts of the 1999 edition, the Satellites handed Nigeria a 1-0 defeat in the final to win the cup on home soil.

In 2009, Ghana, having won the sub-regional Wafu Zone B Cup, beat Cameroon once again to lift the trophy before going on to rule the world. 
 

Mathare United CEO Jecton Obure has explained why they played their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match against Nairobi City Stars in plain jerseys on Tuesday.

The Slum Boys were beaten 2-0 by the National Super League champions as they appeared in jerseys that did not carry the logo and name of their shirt sponsors, tripple5bet.

“We still have a sponsorship with triple5bet, one which we signed until the end of the current campaign. The deal however wasn’t for them to be emblazoned at the front of our jerseys but rather at the back,” Obure said as quoted by the club's Facebook page.

“Since we had not secured sponsorship for the space in front of the jersey by the time the season started, we decided to host them there, out of courtesy, as we continued with our pursuit for an official shirt sponsor.

“I can say that several companies have shown interest in partnering with us and removing the triple5bet logo is our way to show them that the space is indeed available."

Meanwhile, coach Salim Ali criticised his players after conceding the sixth loss of the FKFPremier League season.

“We were poor, poor from the first minute until the last and whenever you fail to turn up in games, you get the result we got,” Ali said as was quoted by the Facebook page as well.

“We have lost games before but whenever we do so you never really question the drive and passion of the players. But yesterday [on Tuesday] against City Stars we lacked passion.

"It was the same against Bidco United and this has to come to an end.

“I know the spirit is there because we all saw it when we played Wazito FC just the other day. We just have to maintain it in every game."

Ali's assessment comes after retired striker Ronald Okoth tipped Mathare United to overcome their Premier League struggles.

"Even though one of my favourite teams Mathare United were on the losing end but it is just a matter of time before The Slum Boys bounce back," he said.

"Results might not be going Mathare Uniteds’ way but sure enough, Lennox Ogutu must be one of the best young proper centre backs we have in the country.

"Incredible to see how steady his growth has been and he is a star on the rise, not the same boy I played with a few years ago at the same club. 

"The same kids we had in the team back then are the ones now commanding first-team places; Tyson Otieno, John Mwangi, Job Ochieng, Lennox, Martin Ongori with Cliff Nyakeya and Andrew Juma moving on to newer challenges.

"Massive respect to this amazing club for constantly believing and giving its most youthful talents ultimate golden opportunities brought about by their youth development pathway."

The Slum Boys are 16th on the 18-team table team after playing 11 games.

Sevilla star Ivan Rakitic has revealed he has joked with his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi over the Europa League, telling the Argentine that he has "won a trophy you'll never have."

Rakitic lifted the Europa League with Sevilla in 2013-14, his final season with the club before he made the move to Barcelona. 

The Croatian spent six seasons at Camp Nou before making a return to Sevilla prior to the current campaign, where he has again become a key figure.

What has been said?

"I was speaking to Messi and said, 'You have won it all, have scored all these goals', but I told him, I have won a trophy you'll never have," Rakitic told LaLiga TV.

"You'll never win the Europa League!"

Rakitic's time at Barca

The Croatia international enjoyed six trophy-filled seasons at Camp Nou, starring alongside Messi and Co.

During his time at Barca, Rakitic won 13 trophies, including four La Liga titles, four Copas del Rey and a Champions League.

"Those guys weren't given anything," Rakitic added on his former Barca team-mates. "They earned their success. It's no coincidence those guys have won it all.

"Every player had a part to play. Each of them did things their own way, but it's always to win. We said in Berlin ahead of the Champions League final, 'With everyone together, no one will beat us.'''

Rakitic set to battle Barca in Copa del Rey

Rakitic scored against Barca last month in the first leg of the teams' Copa del Rey semi-final, which the Andalusian side won 2-0. 

On Wednesday, the teams will meet again at Camp Nou in the second leg, with Messi looking to inspire Barcelona to a comeback that will seal their spot in the final.

Further reading

Moise Kean is set to miss the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain's last-16 Champions League clash with Barcelona after testing positive for Covid-19.

Kean has proven to be one of the signings of the season since joining PSG from Everton last summer, playing a key role in the club's latest pursuit of major silverware across domestic and European fronts.

The Italian striker scored in their 4-1 thrashing of Barca in the first leg of their tie at Camp Nou last month, but is now expected to be unavailable for selection for the return at Parc des Princes after contracting coronavirus.

What's been said?

PSG have released an official statement confirming the news, which reads: "Moise Kean tested positive in the Sars-Cov2 PCR test this morning. He stayed in Paris and will not be available for the match in Bordeaux.

"He will therefore enter a period of isolation and is subject to the appropriate health protocols."

What other games could Kean miss?

Kean will have to spend the next 10 days in isolation and must post a negative test before he can be cleared to return to action later this month.

The Everton loanee will, therefore, sit out PSG's next two domestic outings, starting with a Ligue 1 clash against Bordeaux on Wednesday night.

Mauricio Pochettino won't be able to call upon Kean for a French Cup last-32 meeting with Brest at the weekend either, but he could be eligible to get back on the pitch by March 14 against Nantes.

Should that fixture come too soon, he will have an extra seven days before PSG are due to take on Lyon in a top-of-the-table clash at the Groupama Stadium.

Kean's impact at PSG

Little was expected of Kean when he arrived at Parc des Princes after a frustrating start to his career at Everton which saw him manage just four goals in 37 appearances.

However, the 21-year-old has thrived at PSG alongside a whole host of star names, including the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, giving them a valuable extra option in the final third.

Kean has scored 17 goals in his first 31 outings for the club, and will surely be a big miss for Pochettino as his team enters a crucial stage of the season.

Further reading

Azam FC completed a double over Kagera Sugar after they registered a 2-1 win in a Mainland Premier League match played on Wednesday.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ went into the match seeking maximum points so as to put pressure on table-toppers Yanga SC and second-placed Simba SC, and they did it in style as they scored two first-half goals to seal the victory.

Bryson Raphael scored their opener in the 21st minute after his long-range effort found the back of the net before Zimbabwean striker Prince Dube made it 2-0, after latching onto a cross from Mudathir Yahya in the 28th minute.

The Sugar Millers, under the tutelage of coach Mecky Mexime, then pulled one back through Simon Mwalyanzi, who stepped up to convert from the penalty spot, sending keeper Mathias Kigonya the wrong way.

After the half-time break, both teams resorted to playing a more defensive game with neither of them threatening to get a goal, but it was Azam who suffered a blow after their star player Abdallah Kheri suffered an injury in the 48th minute and was replaced by Daniel Amoah.

The win was sweet for Azam, who had beaten the same team 4-2 in the first round fixture and have now reached 40 points, five fewer than Simba, who have 45, while Yanga are top on 49 points.

In other matches played on Wednesday, Dodoma Jiji scored a goal in each half to sink Ruvu Shooting 2-0, Namungo FC won 1-0 against Mwadui FC, while Gwambina FC pulled off a late comeback to beat Ihefu FC 2-1.

On Thursday, Yanga will travel to face Coastal Union seeking to get a win and stretch their lead at the summit. Yanga are also the only unbeaten side in the league and will be keen to keep the run going.

The Jangwani giants will welcome back striker Yacouba Songne, who has recovered from injury, and according to coach Cedric Kaze, the Burkina Faso star is likely to start in the game.

“Yacouba [Songne] and his condition are good so his return to the field increases the depth of the squad and that is a good thing for the team and he is looking good to start in the game,” Kaze told reporters ahead of the game.

Songne was not in the squad that secured a 3-3 draw against Kagera Sugar and the 1-0 win over Mtibwa Sugar at Mkapa Stadium.

Jurgen Klopp’s future as Liverpool manager remains a topic of much discussion, with a humbling step backwards for the Premier League champions in 2020-21 sparking talk of a possible change in the dugout.

The German has offered no indication that he is mulling over his options, but speculation is rife regarding a possible parting of ways between a demanding boss and the most decorated of clubs.

Those at Anfield will be hoping that there is no substance to the rumours, given the success enjoyed in recent years, but it remains to be seen what the summer will bring when the dust settles on another action-packed campaign.

What has been said?

Liverpool legend John Barnes, in association with BonusCodeBets, told Goal when quizzed on whether Klopp will still be on Merseyside next season: “Well, it's very much like the players, I can't see why Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t be there next season!

“Having said that, football being football, managers do sometimes go on a very regular basis. However, I genuinely think that if Jurgen Klopp is not coming back for the next season, it won’t be because Liverpool didn’t win the league.

“Klopp has created a great, consistent team with Liverpool - with a team sprit at an all-time high. Yes, the last few months haven’t been perfect, but I do think Covid and all the issues and uncertainties this virus has brought upon us, it is no wonder players may not perform in the best possible way. But I don’t think a difficult spell would result in Klopp leaving. 

“Klopp loves Liverpool and I do believe that he will stay to the end of his contract.” 

When does Klopp’s contract expire?

Liverpool thrashed out fresh terms with their Champions League-winning boss back in December 2019, with a long-term agreement set to take him through to the summer of 2024.

He has hinted at walking away when that deal comes to a close, allowing a well-earned rest to be taken in before other options are explored, but could he be tempted to sever ties with the Reds before that point?

Barnes added when asked if another notable triumph, such as a second European crown of his reign, could lead to Klopp looking to leave on a high: “Well, I very much doubt it! You obviously do have some people who would rather bow out on a high, but Jurgen Klopp, with his fighting spirit, I very much doubt he’d be the one to do it.

“As I said before, I think we’ll see Klopp at Liverpool next season - why wouldn’t we?!”

Who could succeed Klopp at Liverpool?

While the Reds remain one of the biggest clubs in world football, making them of obvious appeal to coaches across the planet, few would relish the prospect of following in Klopp’s footsteps.

Many have, however, suggested that former captain Steven Gerrard could be the man to take on that challenge, with the 40-year-old’s contract at Rangers mirroring that of Klopp.

Pressed on whether it is too soon for the ex-England captain to be coming into contention, regardless of the fact that he is closing in on a long-awaited Scottish Premiership title at Ibrox, Barnes said: “Well, it obviously depends on what’s considered as too early… But I do believe that the chances of Gerrard taking over from Klopp any time soon remain unlikely; unless he returns to Anfield as a coach, which, given his current success with Rangers, I very much doubt he’d do.

“At the end of the day, he’s brought Rangers to the very top of the Scottish Premiership, with a team that will end Celtic’s dream of winning 10 in a row this season, so I’d say he’ll stay up there for a little bit longer and enjoy that success.

“For football managers - it’s all about timing. Frank Lampard is a prime example. One moment, Lampard was the golden child; an ex-Chelsea player adored by the fans, but then that quickly changed. And I don’t think that Steven is ready to follow in those footsteps quite yet.

“For example, if Rangers were to lose the next five games, would fans still want Steven to take over at Liverpool? And what if Celtic win the league next year and Rangers end up second, will they still back Steven to be the right man?

“Having said all this, I do think Gerrard, one day, would love to manage Liverpool and if he continues to perform in the way him and his team are doing just now, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be Liverpool’s manager… just not right now.”   

Further reading