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Barcelona must drastically improve under Ronald Koeman if they are to save their season, says former star Rivaldo.

The Catalan side are through to the last 16 of the Champions League, but lost 3-0 at home to Juventus in the final game of the first round to finish second in the group.

They have underperformed domestically, too. Koeman's team sit ninth in La Liga and are 12 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, having won just two of their last eight matches in the competition.

Rivaldo fears the Camp Nou side are far off the quality required to challenge for the European title this term and fears they could even miss out on next season's competition unless they turn things around soon.

"For now, I'm not seeing Barcelona producing enough football to fight for the Champions League title this season, but things can change if they manage to knockout a strong opponent in the last-16 as it would boost their confidence," he wrote in a column for Betfair.

"Many are starting to doubt whether Barca can claim a top four spot at La Liga in order to take part in the Champions League next season.

"If they keep under-performing then that is a real possibility. The team isn't playing well, and things are getting uglier.

"It's crucial that they wake up as soon as possible and get back to producing good performances and results."

He added: "At the end of Juventus match, Antoine Griezmann didn't find many excuses for their loss and blamed all the group for their lack of attitude on the pitch. I think he was right on his claims.

"You must be fully committed when playing in a Barcelona shirt - full of history and glory - but that isn't happening now, which I consider unacceptable. It's not normal to watch Barcelona losing 0-3 at home in an important match."

One of Barca's biggest worries is the future of superstar Lionel Messi, who is in the final season of his contract and has shown no signs he is willing to sign a new deal. 

Atletico Madrid star Koke has spoken about how he would love to persuade Messi to join his side, but admitted it would be difficult “for him to get out of there.”

Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC are currently trying to get a solution on how to settle a fee of $127,000 slapped on them by Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) for illegally acquiring Shiza Kichuya from Pharco.

The Egyptian outfit sued Wekundu wa Msimbazi, stating they signed the player, whose contract was still active, illegally. The Tanzanian had a running contract with Pharco, the team he signed for in 2019.

Fifa has now ordered the 21-time Tanzanian champions to pay the Alexandria-based team the aforementioned figure.

"Our board of directors would discuss it and see what we should do. Let’s wait," Simba chairman Mwina Kaduguda briefly updated.

Kichuya joined the Egyptian second division side in 2019 but loaned him to ENPPI SC. However, the midfielder did not last and he was later returned to his parent club where he failed to cement his status in the first team.

Pharco were intending to secure the 24-year-old another loan deal after exhausting the number of foreign players allowed in the team. 

This is where Simba jumped in and persuaded the player to join them. However, there was no agreement reached between the involved parties and Pharco decided to seek legal redress.

If Simba fail to compensate the Egyptian side as ordered, they might be banned from signing new players for two seasons while Kichuya will be suspended from playing for six months.

Meanwhile, Simba head coach Sven Vandenbroeck has explained why he opted to sign midfielder Taddeo Lwanga.

The Ugandan joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi on December 2 in a deal the details of which were not disclosed, and his move came after he ended his association with Egyptian Premier League side Tanta SC.

While the new signing is yet to feature for the champions, the Belgian coach has revealed the long-term injury suffered by Brazilian winger Gerson Fraga was the reason he signed the Ugandan, saying his intention was to have an extra player in the midfield section.

"As you know, Gerson [Fraga] was ruled out for six to eight months meaning we had only one holding midfielder Jonas [Mkude]," Vandenbroeck explained.

"This means Fraga will be missed for the whole season hence, we had to get another player to fill his void.

"I would have loved to have him [Fraga] for the whole season but unfortunately, he will not be able to play any game this season. It is unlucky for Fraga to be out of action for eight months and his contract expires at the end of the season."

Bayern Munich  will not pursue Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi in January, but the European champions continue to regard him as a long-term transfer target.

The 20-year-old has struggled for game time under Frank Lampard this season but the Blues continue to value him highly. They turned down Bayern's bid in October to loan Hudson-Odoi with an option to buy for £70 million ($91m).

The homegrown star is currently out with a hamstring injury and is targeting a return for Chelsea's games against Arsenal and Aston Villa after Christmas.

For Bayern, Hudson-Odoi remains a key target after they first made an offer for him almost two years ago. Chelsea rejected a transfer request from the youngster late in that winter transfer window after he grew frustrated with a lack of appearances under Maurizio Sarri.

Since then,  Lampard helped convince Hudson-Odoi to sign a lucrative new contract  after he offered increased chances to players from the Cobham academy.

Hudson-Odoi is again attracting an interest from Bayern but his future is tied to Douglas Costa, who is on loan at Bayern from  Juventus . Costa is fighting to convince the German giants to turn his temporary move into a permanent one but there is no obligation for Bayern to sign him.

Chelsea are prioritising the sale of fringe players aside from Hudson-Odoi in January but also continue to track the possibility of signing Declan Rice from West Ham.

Rice is regarded as West Ham's most valuable asset and he would command a huge transfer fee from the Blues' London rivals, who are reluctant to sell him.

Still, Chelsea are buoyed by their last transfer window, where they were able to  close difficult deals for the likes of Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell .

Alternatively, David Alaba has been reportedly linked to Chelsea and he is free to talk to clubs on January 1 if he doesn't agree on a new contract with Bayern.

Before making any big signings, Chelsea will work on offloading players with options being explored for Kepa, who remains extremely difficult to sell.

The £71m ($92m) goalkeeper still has four and a half years left on a contract worth £190,000 per week, which is out of the price range of almost every club in world football.

Similarly, Marcos Alonso's contract and age makes him difficult to sell outright despite him having not played a single minute of football since his  half-time row with Lampard away at West Brom.

Inter  showed interest in signing the 29-year-old in January, in part due to their manager Antonio Conte's connections from his time at Stamford Bridge. However, the Italian giants were only able to fund a potential deal for a loan with a purchase option.

Similarly, Emerson Palmieri had a deadline-day approach from Juventus that collapsed . Having jumped above Alonso in the left-back pecking order, Emerson is increasingly happy to stay in west London having had assurances over future chances with Italy despite his fringe status at Chelsea.

Chelsea will also offload a centre-back in January, with Fikayo Tomori earning a host of interest from across Europe over a loan move. Newcastle are one of the front-runners for Tomori, who hasn't played since September and  turned down a season-long loan move to West Ham on deadline day .

However, Chelsea may block Tomori from leaving if Antonio Rudiger pushes for a move. The Germany international has jumped back up to third place in the central defender pecking order having almost left in October . He has just over 18 months on his current contract.

Andreas Christensen also has only 18 months on his deal at Chelsea, who have received interest from the Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga clubs. However, he is unlikely to push for a move in the near future.

Furthermore, Billy Gilmour marked his return from a knee injury with a man of the match performance against Krasnodar on Tuesday. The Blues are reluctant to loan out the 19-year-old despite the intense competition in their midfield.

Olivier Giroud had grown frustrated at Chelsea although a recent run in the team is expected to dampen his desire to attempt to leave in January.

In Chelsea's development squad, the Blues will consider loans or permanent deals for both Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman who didn't find a move in the summer market.

Hyderabad looked like a well-drilled side in their 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League 2020-21 clash against ATK Mohun Bagan at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Friday.

By the virtue of the result, they are now at the fifth spot with six points from four matches.

After a sub-par first half, Hyderabad came back strongly after the break make life difficult for Bagan.  Manvir Singh (54th minute) opened the scoresheet for ATK Mohun Bagan but Joao Victor (65') netted the equalizer.

Assistant coach Thangboi Singto, who stepped in for the suspended Manuel Marquez, was pleased with the result as he mentioned that though his team conceded from a mistake, they came back strongly to equalise. 

"Conceding a goal from a mistake happens in football. But coming back strongly and getting a penalty was well deserved," Thangboi Singto said after the game. 

ATK Mohun Bagan has started the season on a positive note. But Singto played down the win against a strong team as he believes that the teams in the Indian Super League this season can beat each other on their days.

"You know that in this league, any team can beat any other team. A lot of teams have injury issues. It was tough but we believed that we could get a draw," Singto said.  

Hyderabad will take on East Bengal next on Tuesday. 

England Under-21 defender Jonathan Panzo only joined Ligue 1 side Dijon in the summer but he is being closely watched by both Udinese and Sporting CP over a future transfer.

The 20-year-old will likely be in Aidy Boothroyd's starting XI for the U21 European Championships in March and is regarded as one of the country's most exciting defensive talents.

Panzo came through Chelsea's academy at Cobham but he was poached in 2018 by Monaco. He made just two appearances at the provincial club before going on loan to be a regular starter at their partner club Cercle Brugge last season.

Dijon signed Panzo for a reported €2 million (£1.8m/$2.4m) in the summer having been impressed with his performances in Belgium, but they are rooted to the bottom of the table in the French top flight.

Sporting are hoping to show the Primeira Liga is a good place to develop with Eric Dier having taken that path before returning to England with Tottenham. There are further examples of young British talent in Portugal with the likes of Marcus Edwards, Angel Gomes and Ryan Gauld thriving in the division.

Serie A side Udinese can offer a possible route back to English football for Panzo due to their connection to Watford through their owners.

Giampaolo Pozzo owns Udinese and his son Gino owns the recently relegated Watford. That connection has seen 52 deals between the two clubs in the last 10 years, including Gerard Deulofeu's recent move from Vicarage Road to Stadio Friuli.

Boothroyd continues to track Panzo and spoke about his development on Thursday after England's group with Portugal, Croatia and Switzerland was announced for the tournament in 2021.

"With Jonathan Panzo out in France with Dijon, his team is having a difficult time but he is playing and learning and growing every week," Boothroyd. "The same as Trevoh Chalobah who is at Lorient in the division playing every week so we have a lot of players out in Europe with Jude Bellingham at Dortmund.

"We want our young players playing which can only help us in the U21s and ultimately the seniors."

Panzo has made nine starts and one substitute appearance this season in France with his current deal running until June 2023.

ATK Mohun Bagan had chances to score against Hyderabad in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Friday but an organized display by Thangboi Singto's men forced Bagan head coach Antonio Habas to settle for a 1-1 draw. 

Both the goals in the match came in the second-half as Manvir Singh (54th minute) opened the scoresheet for ATK Mohun Bagan and Joao Victor (65') netted an equalizer from the spot. Bagan head coach Antonio Habas was not pleased was his team's performance as he believes that his side failed to convert chances. 

"I think the team has played better in other games this season in attack. We had many chances to score but couldn't. We lost the match (doing) stupid moves. It was not a penalty (in the second half for Hyderabad)," Antonio Habas said after the game. 

Habas also mentioned that his team needs time and needs to find a balance between attack and defence. Bagan will next take on FC Goa and Habas said that his focus will be on preparing his side for the next fixture. 

"We need time, (with) the team we have, we don't have fine technical matches where we balance between our attack and defence. We have to prepare (for the game against FC Goa)," Habas said. 

Before signing off, Habas mentioned that Tiri missed out because he was sidelined with an injury. 

New SC Villa signing Meddie Kibirige is happy to have kept his first clean sheet for the side in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) battle.

The 24-year-old played his first home game for the Jogoos as they roared to a 3-0 win against Mbarara City at Bombo Military Grounds on Wednesday.

Having featured in the season opener where he conceded two goals against BUL FC in a 2-2 draw, Kibirige has hailed his teammates, especially the backline for playing a solid game that helped him to keep a clean sheet on home soil.

“The team was hungry for the three points,” Kibirige told the club’s official website. “Therefore, prior to this game, we trained very hard leaving no stone unturned in order to be on top of our game come match day.

“I thank our coaches for the preparations they gave us and I also thank my teammates for working as a team. There were a lot of challenges from our first game, we made a lot of mistakes which I am happy we corrected.

“Unlike the first game, our centre-backs were so solid in this one and did not allow any goal threatening error to occur.”

On keeping a clean sheet, Kibirige said: “I am very happy about my first clean sheet in a Villa jersey. With hard work and support from my teammates and the coaches, more clean sheets are coming.”

During the match against Mbarara, Isaac Ogwang, who was named the man of the match, scored a brace while Derrick Ndahiro added the other to give the Jogoos their first win of the current campaign.

After the game, Villa coach Edward Kaziba said he was impressed with the way his new players performed.

“[On Wednesday] we played our first home game and it is good that we have won it, it was generally a good start [considering the fact that] we fielded in new players and they performed so well,” Kaziba told reporters.

“It is good that we collected maximum points but the most important thing is that our new players are picking up. It is a very good gesture; it gives us hope that we have a good future.

“It is a good gesture and it is where we have to build on; we want to win more games so we want to work hard because there are things we need to rectify which we are working on and we are going to be able to collect points.”

The Jogoos will next face URA FC at the Arena of Visions in Bombo on Saturday.

Katlego Mphela has backed Bloemfontein Celtic to edge Orlando Pirates in Saturday's MTN8 final in Durban, but he admitted Josef Zinnbauer's side are also in good shape.

Celtic reached the final after eliminating defending champions SuperSport United 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, having also earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over a highly fancied Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarter-finals.

This was after only scrambling to qualify for the MTN8 via goal-difference on the league's final day of matches last season.

Pirates, on the other hand, qualified smoothly after finishing third and then edged Cape Town City on their way to a 5-0 aggregate stroll over rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals.

Speaking exclusively to Goal, former Kaizer Chiefs striker and MTN8 winner Mphela stated that he wishes for John Maduka's men to walk away with the R8 Million title and prize money, but warned that the Buccaneers will also be no pushovers.

''It's a difficult one to predict [the winner],'' Mphela told Goal.

''But I want Celtic to win it because they surprised a lot of teams.

''No one saw them coming and I think their fans deserve it as well. They have been loyal to their team and deserve a trophy. We all love Celtic supporters. 

''So hopefully they will go all the way and not suffer stage fright and lose it at the final moment.

''Hopefully, they win it, but Pirates also look good and very strong.''

Since 2013, Pirates have played in nine finals and only won the 2014 Nedbank Cup, losing the other eight.

Celtic on the other hand, will be appearing in their second cup final in three months after losing the Nedbank Cup final to Mamelodi Sundowns under controversial circumstances.

Pirates have gone six seasons without a trophy while Celtic’s last piece of silverware came two years earlier, with the Telkom Knockout in 2012.

Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito is looking to capitalise on Cote d'Ivoire's desperation when the two sides meet at the ongoing Wafu B Cup of Nations in Benin on Saturday.

In a three-team group at the sub-regional tournament, Ghana have already booked a qualification ticket to the next round of the competition following a 1-0 win over arch-rivals Nigeria on Wednesday.

Cote d'Ivoire, on the hand, badly need to avoid defeat against the Black Satellites, in the least, to join the latter to the next round, having held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in their opening game.

"We were fortunate to have watched Nigeria play Cote D’Ivoire," Zito said, as reported by the Ghana Football Association's official website.

"We missed the first thirty minutes of the game but we were here [in Benin] when they played since we drew a bye.

"Yes, for now, I don’t have a problem thinking about qualification, they will have to fight to qualify so I think it will be a nice game. They will come at us just as Nigeria did."

Against Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana will have to do without key man Precious Boah, who was sent off for a second bookable offence against Nigeria, moments after scoring the all-important goal of the game.

"Yes, Boah is my everything in the team, he showed that by scoring the only goal of the match," Zito said.

"But he is out after the red card and there is nothing, we can do so I have started planning for the next game without him.

"Maybe he will return if we make it to the final since its two yellow cards."

"[Possible squad change against Cote d'Ivoire] depends on a few factors, like fatigue, mental toughness and the opponent. So, I can’t say much for now.

"I have to go back and asses the players before I plan for the next match.

"But definitely there will be a few changes to the team but its too early to know who will play against Cote D’Ivoire."

The two tournament finalists will secure qualification for the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

The four semi-finalists at the African gathering will, in turn, be rewarded with tickets to represent the continent at the World Cup in Indonesia. 

Arsenal have endured a seriously disappointing start to the 2020-21 season and, unless they can turn things around, they are currently on course for their worst Premier League campaign on record.

Their worst-ever Premier League start was confirmed in November after a defeat to Wolves saw them collect just 13 points from their first 10 games - their lowest tally after so many games since 1981-82. 

Then, a week later in December, Mikel Arteta became the first Arsenal boss since Bertie Mee in the 1960s to lose his first two north London derbies after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Jose Mourinho's side. 

Things are not looking pretty at the Emirates at the minute and, though it is still highly unlikely, mischievous whispers have asked the question: could Arsenal get relegated from the Premier League?

With that prospect in mind, Goal takes a look at when the Gunners were last relegated.

When was the last time Arsenal were relegated?

Arsenal have never been relegated from the Premier League (since the 1992-93 beginnings) but they have been relegated from England's top division.

However, the last time it happened was at the start of the 20th century, during the 1912-13 season, when, as Woolwich Arsenal, they finished bottom of the old First Division.

That season they won just three league matches, losing 23 and finished the campaign with just 18 points. They were 10 points adrift of safety, with Chelsea avoiding relegation with a total of 28 points.

The manager of the club at the time of their relegation in 1912-13 was George Morrell.

The Gunners returned to the top flight for the 1919-20 season - the first official season after the First World War - as part of the Football League's desire to expand the number of teams in the competition.

Though the circumstances of Arsenal's elevation were a source of controversy at the time (they finished fifth in the Second Division before the suspension of action), the club have remained in the top division ever since - for over a century.

Arsenal have firmly established themselves as one of England's big clubs - forming part of the traditional 'top six' - thanks mainly to periods of sustained success in the 1990s into the 2000s and 2010s.

Prior to that, their best success was enjoyed when they won a number of league titles and cups in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

You can keep up to date on where Arsenal are in the Premier League table here.

How many times have Arsenal been relegated?

Arsenal have only ever been relegated once in their history. That relegation came in the disappointing 1912-13 season.

However, they have come close on a number of occasions. While it seems difficult to imagine nowadays, the Gunners flirted with relegation from the First Division in the 1970s.

They finished 16th in 1974-75, just four seasons after they won a league and FA Cup double, and finished 17th in 1975-76.

They were just four points from safety in 1974-75 and, though they finished lower in the table the following season, they were actually safer - six points ahead of the drop zone. 

Since that low point, the Gunners have consistently been top-half challengers and they have never finished lower than 12th (in 1994-95).

Everton follow Arsenal as the second longest-serving member of the top league in England, having been part of it for an uninterrupted period since the 1954-55 season. 

Liverpool are not far behind Everton, having been part of the First Division (now Premier League) since 1962-63, last being relegated in 1953-54.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed striker Edward Nketiah is in strong contention for a starting spot in Sunday's Premier League meeting with Burnley following a good outing in the Europa League on Thursday.

The England U21 star of Ghanaian descent was on the score sheet in 62 minutes of action as the Gunners secured a 4-2 away victory over Irish side Dundalk in a Group B fixture.

The win in a timely morale booster ahead of Sunday's league tie, the club having succumbed to a 2-0 away loss to Tottenham in their last match in the championship.

In nine league appearances so far this term, 21-year-old Nketiah has started only one game - a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in October.

"He [Nketiah] has started and he has the possibility to start again [against Burnley]," Arteta has told pressmen, as reported by his club's official website.

"As you said, he’s a goal threat and he’s a player that’s always very close in every action that is around the box.

"He’s lively, he’s got the hunger and he’s only satisfied when he scores, and that’s what we need now, so he’s an option for sure."

Nketiah's strike on Thursday was his third in the Europa League this season and his fifth goal for Arsenal in all competitions so far this campaign, having also found the back of the net in the Premier League and League Cup.

"These boys [young guys] are pushing and pushing," Arteta added.

"You saw the performance of Eddie straight away in the first half, how committed he was, he was going for every ball and Flo [Folarin Balogun] when he came on, the same. Others, the same. We have some top talent here and we need to be a little bit patient with them but I think we're on the right track.

"I hope [it's one of many big nights for them]. It's always good to have games where we can give them an opportunity and they're surrounded by experienced players which is exactly what they need. We are really happy and I think it's a great experience for them."

Born to Ghanaian parents in London, England youth forward Nketiah has been contacted by the Ghana Football Association over a possible change of international allegiance to the Black Stars. 

Paul Pogba's situation at Manchester United is a "joke" according to former Red Devils man Louis Saha, who launched an attack on the club's communication with the playmaker's agent Mino Raiola.

But the ex-France international has nothing but praise for new United talisman Bruno Fernandes, who he compared to the quality of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne.

Les Bleus star Pogba's future at Old Trafford cropped up once again on the eve of United's Champions League crunch clash with RB Leipzig, which they subsequently went on to lose 3-2, consigning them to another Europa League campaign.

Agent Raiola, who has consistently floated his player's unhappiness as a media topic, did so again, revealing that he believed the 27-year-old had reached the end of his career at the club.

The Italian's comments drew criticism from some quarters, though others agreed that his belief in a clean break for Pogba and United would be best for both parties.

Saha however feels that Pogba may have been caught unawares by his agent's public posturing, while hammering home his frustrations at the apparent lack of dialogue between the various parties.

"I’m baffled with the situation with Paul Pogba," he told Genting Bet. "I really love Pogba, he’s someone I consider highly, but this communication is a joke.

"I was shocked and I can't believe something like this happened because this game was so important for United. 

"I’m not speaking as a fan, I’m speaking about Manchester United in general, you think that it’s a big game, going into the last 16. You need that focus, but the focus was on one player.

"This is unbelievable, the headlines were about Pogba because of the agent – it wasn’t even Pogba who said anything.

"I can’t understand how these things can happen. This is absolutely against the interests of the club. 

"I can't believe that Paul knew about it, I just can’t believe it. We need to find out what happened as there might be more to it but the timing of it was really bad.

"I still think that obviously Paul has got tremendous talent and is still a good player with a lot of ego, which is really helpful to actually prove people wrong, and this is what I want from him.

"He definitely needs to step up his game because there is a team who need to win."

On Fernandes, Saha was unequivocal in his praise, hailing the Portuguese as one of the best players in the Premier League.

"Bruno Fernandes is up there with De Bruyne in terms of status," he added. "You look at every game and he has had an impact.

"In terms of leadership, he’s the only one at the club that has shown leadership and helped lift the whole club. He has that kind of attitude and emotion to actually put people under pressure. 

"He has been at the club one year, but it seems like he has been at the club 10 years, it’s amazing."

Koke has spoken about how he would love to persuade Lionel Messi to join Atletico Madrid from Barcelona, but admitted it would be difficult “for him to get out of there.”

The Spain midfielder is currently preparing for the Madrid derby, with his side in the position of Liga title favourites on account of the six-point advantage they have over Real Madrid - with a further six back to Barca.

Real Sociedad and Villarreal make up an unusual top three in La Liga, in recent seasons at least, with Atletico leading the way following an unbeaten start to the campaign.

Real entertain Atleti on Saturday, and Koke spoke to As about how his side will travel across the city without any fear.

“It's an exciting game,” Koke said. “It's a day that you always mark on the calendar and you face it with enthusiasm and aim to do things well. It's really special and we hope that things go well for us to win it.”

Koke was asked about Messi’s situation at Barca, with the superstar in the final year of his contract and possibly heading for the exit door after coming close to leaving earlier this year.

There will be no shortage of teams in the hunt should Messi decide to leave Camp Nou, and Koke would be making sure his club make a suitable pitch to the Argentina international.

“It's difficult,” Koke said . “Leo has made his career in Barcelona, ​​it will be difficult for him to get out of there.

“But why not at Atleti? Sometimes talking with friends we laugh a lot and ask ourselves: How would you convince Messi to come to Atletico?”

Koke believes Atletico would struggle to finance a salary package for Messi, but feels their trump card is that the team are on the up and challenging for honours.

“Economically it is difficult because you cannot pay the salary that he earns in Barcelona,” he said. “You never know. Players often measure ourselves by the hunger to win things and things that clubs have not been able to win.”

Atletico have a potential ace in the pack in the shape of Luis Suarez, who is a close friend of Messi and made the move to the Spanish capital from Barca earlier this year.

"Maybe Suarez can convince him,” he said. “It's football, we have a great squad, the players we have are spectacular and hopefully it will be a great year in the Champions League for Atleti.”

Weston McKennie may be an outlier as an American player in Serie A but the Juventus star is only the first of a future wave of potential USMNT talent set to make the move to Italy, according to incoming Catania owner Joe Tacopina.

The midfielder, on loan in Turin from Schalke, has caught the eye this season with a string of impressive performances for the Bianconeri, drawing plenty of plaudits.

Coupled with Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, the 22-year-old is regarded as something of a young trailblazer, given the previous difficulties USMNT players have faced at cracking Europe's top sides.

Italian-American lawyer Tacopina, who previously was vice-president of Roma and president of Bologna, is ideally placed to see both sides of a dwindling divide between European tactical superiority and the burgeoning pool of USA-eligible talent.

The 54-year-old, who is set to take over at Serie C outfit Catania imminently, does not believe that Serie A will remain an elusive benchmark for the latter group before too long, though he admits that there is still a gulf between the two.

"I believe that playing in Italy is a very romantic idea for American players," Tacopina told Goal.

"Serie A is one of the best leagues in the world and in America, they follow teams like Juve, Milan, Inter and Roma. This is something very exciting for American players, so, I know that for them it would be an honour to play in Italy.

"I believe that the problem is the talent. Not on a physical level, because I believe that American athletes have great quality on a physical level thanks to the advanced systems of training in the US, the nutritional programmes and all the rest.

"But, from a tactical point of view, we are still behind and we're still lacking something in terms of the level of coaches and training methods.

"However, this problem is becoming less evident. You only have to look at how Weston McKennie is doing at Juventus or Pulisic, first in Germany with Dortmund, and now at Chelsea.

"We're starting to see some true talents emerging in the US and I think that's only a question of time before we see many US players in Serie A.

"It will certainly be one of the things that I do at Catania, because I want to continue to grow the brand in North America, where there are so many Sicilians. For this reason, I consider Catania a club with so much appeal for the US, where there are so many Sicilian-American or Italian-American families.

"If we managed to find a Giuseppe Rossi, an Italian-American, for Catania, it would be something very interesting for us from both a technical and branding perspective. In any case, I think that we will start to see more American players in Italian football, in Serie A or Serie B.

"In my years at Roma, Bologna and Venezia, we did trials with many American players but they didn't work out, because there was still too big a gap in technical quality, but now, I'm sure that it will happen with great frequency."

Nairobi City Stars picked their second win the Football Kenya Federation Premier League after seeing off Bandari 2-0 at Kasarani on Friday.

Experienced striker Anthony Kimani and Davis Agesa were the scorers for the  Simba wa Nairobi who did not look more lethal but ironically went home as victors in their third league game of the 2020-21campaign.

City Stars would have scored the opener in the 20th minute but Timothy Ouma sent his shot just wide after he had been spotted by Oliver Maloba. Another chance came in the 28th minute but Bandari goalkeeper Justin Ndikumana did well to stop an attack that was engineered by Agesa as the visitors looked more solid at the back unlike in the opening minutes.

Bandari won two corners just before half time as they attacked City Stars relentlessly but they were not clinical enough to get an opener from either corner and as well as the late pressure on the hosts.

Jimmy Bageya, who has previously scored three goals for City Stars against the Shield Cup champions, was introduced as the second half began. His introduction gave them more power at the front and consequently, Kimani, scored the opener at the hour mark.

Eight minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead when Agesa drove a low cross only for the ball to be pushed into the net by a Bandari player who attempted to make the last clearance.

Kimani was rested in the 74th minute after he made history by scoring against his former side and handed City Stars a sixth win against the coast team.

The experienced forward was on target when the teams last met in the Premier League in 2016. That match ended in a 2-2 draw at Nyayo Stadium and the two goals for Bandari were scored by Kimani as he became the club’s top scorer against Simba wa Nairobi, the club he currently captains.

Nairobi City Stars XI : Steven Njunge, Herit Atariza, Kennedy Onyango, Salim Abdalla, Aziz Okaka, Sven Yidah, Peter Opiyo, Salim Abdalla, Anthony Kimani, Oliver Maloba, Timothy Ouma, Davis Agesa.

Subs : Elvis Ochoro, Edwin Buliba, Elvis Ojiambo, Vincent Okoth, Rodgers Okumu, Calvin Masawa, Ezekiel Odera, Jimmy Bageya.

Bandari XI : Justin Ndikumana, Atariza Meja, Mohamed Siraj, Bernard Odhiambo, Brian Otieno, Collins Agade, Abdalla Hassan, Wilberforce Lugogo, Yema Mwana, David King’atua, William Wadri.

Subs : Michael Wanyika, Swaleh Chacha, Dan Guya, Darius Msagha, Danson Namasakha, Hamid Mohamed, Shaban Kenga, Alphonse Washe, Benjamin Mosha, Johana Mwita, Ndemi Keegan.

Ola Aina's stunning strike in Fulham's 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion has been named the Premier League Goal of the Month for November.

The Super Eagles defender sealed the Cottagers' first league win of the season in style on November 2, by firing in a rocket from outside the 18-yard box.

It was Aina’s maiden goal in the Premier League having previously played for Chelsea where he won two top-flight titles.

The 24-year-old saw off competition from Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, Southampton duo Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse, Brighton and Hove Albion's Solly March, Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Leeds United's Raphinha.

Aina's recognition makes him the first Fulham player to win the Goal of the Month award since Andre Schurrle's triumph in January 2019.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes was also honoured as the Player of the Month after returning four goals and an assist in four matches while Jose Mourinho was named Manager of the Month for guiding Tottenham Hotspur to a run of three wins and a draw from four matches last month.

Aina returned to England in the summer to provide defensive options for Scott Parker after Fulham gained promotion to the Premier League.

They have the option to sign him on a permanent deal when his loan from Serie A club Torino expires at the end of the season.

So far this season, Aina has made eight Premier League appearances for the Cottagers who sit 17th in the league table with seven points from 11 matches.

He will be expected to put in a solid defensive shift when Fulham host Liverpool for their next Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Parker’s side have only won two matches this term with eight losses recorded.

Pep Guardiola has offered his backing to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of the Manchester derby on Saturday after the Red Devils' exit from the Champions League.

United were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage on Tuesday after the defeat to RB Leipzig, with the Norwegian's position again being called into question as a result.

The Red Devils have made a better start in the Premier League than last season and currently sit a point and a place above Manchester City in the table, with Guardiola saying his opposite number doesn't need any advice from him.

"That’s why we get a high salary, to deal with these situations," Guardiola joked when asked about the rollercoaster life of being a football manager.

"The important thing is to know the value of Solskjaer, there is no doubt about this. I don’t have to give him support because he is strong enough, he knows how it works in this job.

"When we win we are a genius and when we lose you have to be sacked. It happens at United and all the clubs around the world, it is a reality."

City's progress to the last 16 was far smoother as they reached the knockout stages for an eighth consecutive year by topping Group C.

But after failing to get beyond the quarter-finals since he took over at City, Guardiola says success and failure in Europe can be defined by small margins.

"What is not going to change is the margin to be in the next round or to be out in the group stages, it's so minimal," he added.

"With a 1-1 against PSG, Martial has two clear chances and he misses, and Leipzig was 3-3 and they win 4-3 in the 94th minute and that’s why they have the chance to win the last game.

"Even in the last minute it could have been 3-3 and it would have been about the spirit and character of United. But this is the Champions League.

"We have to accept it. The margin at this level is so high so big teams can be out. That’s why always when we win one game in the group stage I congratulate the players because it is so difficult.

"The Premier League is the same. Every time we are able to do it is a big compliment. In the process every time we win we think about the next game. This is the way we have to live our profession."

Guardiola has defender Eric Garcia missing through injury for the trip to Old Trafford but reiterated that Sergio Aguero will not be fit enough to start as he continues his come back from injury.

There will be no fans at the stadium for the first time in a Manchester derby with the city still in the toughest Covid-19 restrictions. The City boss added on the topic: "Of course it's much better playing with fans but the virus is still here.

"When, step-by-step, we open the stadiums as has already happened in some areas of England - in Manchester not yet - the Premier League, government and scientists decide we can make the next step, we will do it and when everything is settled, the fans will be back.

"The supporters are so loyal and with social media today everyone has opinions. The club has to take the decisions they have to take."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned that Manchester United will use the disappointment of Tuesday’s Champions League defeat as motivation going into the derby this weekend.

United host Manchester City at Old Trafford for the first derby of the season and go into the fixture off the back of the 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig which knocked them out of the Champions League.

But, Solskjaer is confident his team will not panic after the midweek result which consigned United to the Europa League after Christmas and again raised question marks over his credentials to be manager.

“Any player that plays football should be frustrated and disappointed when you have lost a game so that you want to bounce back and win the next one," said Solskjaer.

"I think we’ve shown that a few times this year that we’ve handled setbacks quite well.

“It’s important not to press the panic button every time. You know in football you can’t win every game, but there are games that you lose that will stick and hurt more than others that will have more consequences than others.

"Now, we’re facing the reality of not having the Champions League for the rest of the season so we need to make sure we move on, get back into the Champions League and how we do that is just by improving from last season.”

Solskjaer confirmed that Anthony Martial, who missed the midweek game with a knock, is fit to face City while Edinson Cavani will be assessed ahead of the game after missing the defeat in Leipzig with an injury.

United go into the game looking to make it five wins on the bounce in the league and Solskjaer believes his side have shown they are improving.

“I feel we're getting better and better, and looking more and more like a Manchester United team that I want with fast attackers, with dynamic,” Solskjaer explained.

“We’ve got good players and individual quality that can create magic out of nothing, that's always been the case at Man Utd.

"But we can see more of the penetration and the consistency that everyone says we don't have, we have won the last four in the league which is starting to become a good run and hopefully we can carry that on.”