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AC Milan midfielder Refiloe Jane has signed a contract extension for another season with the Italian Seria A women's giants.

The development is coming on the heels of the premature termination of the 2019-20 season on June 8 without title winners as Maurizio Ganz began plans for the upcoming 2020-21 campaign.

Before the league cancellation, the 27-year-old resumed training with her teammates on May 27 in anticipation of the restart before the subsequent cancellation which was ratified on June 16.

Jane, who joined the Italian outfit last summer after she parted ways with Australian side Canberra United in April 2019, whom she scored twice and provided an assist in eight appearances.

Before signing a one-year contract in Italy, Banyana Banyana deputy captain had arrived from guiding South Africa to retain the Cosafa Women's Cup on their home ground last August.

The former Colchester United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Vaal University of Technology midfielder scored twice in 15 appearances to help AC Milan to third spot with 35 points after 15 games.

Goal understands the Serie A club decided to retain the services of the South Africa international amidst the team's ongoing massive clear out, having parted ways with 10 players.

An Italian source reports that Jane and Dominika Conc were retained while Monica Mendes, Sandra Zigic, Mai Bellucci, Francesca Zanzi and Pamela Begic.

Other players affected in the clear out are Nora Heroum, Patricia Andrade, Marta Carissimi, Martina Capelli and Raffaella Manieri.

As the first South African female to play in the Serie A, she will now hope to help Maurizio Ganz's side to domestic glory next season.

Italy has now become the latest of Europe's top-flight leagues to prematurely declare their season over after the Spanish Primera Iberdrola, French and English Women's Super League.

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs will have a minimum of two developmental players in their matchday squads during 2020-21 season, Goal can confirm. 

In a welcome move to improve the quality of Indian players in the league, ISL has altered its player guidelines to ensure that there must be two, and not one developmental player (born on or after January 1, 2000) in each club's 18-member matchday squads.

As reported earlier, the 2020-21 season of the ISL will see a mandatory Asian player take the field for clubs. The clubs will be allowed to sign a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players in a squad that can have as many as 35 players. There can also be a maximum of 30 and a minimum of 18 Indian players in a squad next season. For comparison, clubs were only allowed to sign at most 18 Indian players in the fourth season of ISL.

While the clubs will have to follow a four foreign player rule in the starting XI from the 2021-22 season, the upcoming season will give all clubs the option to sign a maximum of seven and a minimum of five foreign players. The minor and gradual changes in ISL's policies can be looked at as a step in the right direction, given the need to develop Indian players in all positions in order to improve the competitivenes of the Indian players. 

As for the salary cap for players, there will be no change in the INR 16.5 Cr figure from last season. 

The 2020-21 season of the Indian Super League could face a delayed start due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As it stands, no deadlines have been set for the submission of players' documents.

The summer transfer is from August 1 to October 20, 2020.

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs will be allowed to sign a marquee player for the 2020-21 season if the signing falls into one of two categories specified by the league, Goal has learnt. 

Formerly, the clubs were allowed to sign a marquee player if he is of international repute and the signing had to be approved by league authorities. From next season, the clubs have the option of signing a Veteran' or a 'Prodigy' player and both categories have been well defined. 

A ' Veteran ' has to satisfy three criteria - He should have a minimum of 75 appearances under his belt for clubs playing in the top five leagues - English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1. He must have represented a club in the UEFA Champions League or Europa League. In international football, he must have played in the FIFA World Cup, Euro Cup or FIFA Confederations Cup (qualification rounds do not count). 

A ' Prodigy ' can be an U-23 player who has at least two senior team appearances in the top five leagues specified above or someone with at least three appearances for a national team that falls in the top 25 FIFA Rankings as of April 9, 2020. The appearances should be in the finals of major tournaments across all age groups (FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, FIFA Confederations Cup).

However, a marquee player needs to be approved by the ISL before a club can be signed.

As reported earlier , the 2020-21 season of the ISL will see a mandatory Asian player take the field for clubs. The clubs will be allowed to sign a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players in a squad that can have as many as 35 players. 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recommends IM Vijayan for the country's fourth-highest civilian award – the Padma Shri, Goal understands.  

Hailing from Thrissur, Vijayan was a gifted striker which catapulted him to stardom. He started off at the very bottom, selling soda and cigarettes during football games in Thrissur's Corporation stadium.

The former striker started his career at the age of 17 with the Kerala Police Football Club. He went on to play for clubs like Mohun Bagan, FC Kochin, JCT Phagwara, Churchill Brothers, and East Bengal. At one point, he was the highest-paid footballer in the country. He led JCT Phagwara to the inaugural National Football League title. 

He made his debut in international football in the year 1989 and went on to make 66 appearances for India. During this period he scored around 40 goals. His most productive season arrived in 1999 when he scored 10 goals in 13 matches for the national team. 

He scored one of the fastest international goals in history when he hit the back of the net after 12 seconds against Bhutan during the  South Asian Football Federation Cup. In the 1999 South Asian Games he netted a hat-trick against Pakistan. He retired playing for the Red and Golds in 2006. 

Vijayan was named AIFF's Player of the Year on three occassions- 1992, 1997, 2000. Whereas, he received the Arjuna award in 2003. His poaching skills were second to none during his playing days and it will be fitting to honour him with the Padma Shri award for his contribution to Indian football. 

David Silva will finish the season with Manchester City and hopefully receive a "proper farewell" later, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Silva was coming out of contract at the end of June, but the playmaker will see out the campaign with City, having confirmed this season would be his last at the Etihad Stadium.

And Guardiola hopes the 34-year-old, who has been at the Premier League club since 2010, can get a proper tribute at some stage, with games resuming behind closed doors.

"Yeah, David will stay until the end of season," he told reporters ahead of City's return to action with a clash against Arsenal on Wednesday.

"He will finish the last games without people, but hopefully he and the club can organise a proper farewell in front of people.

"Big clubs become incredible clubs when they make gestures to incredible players who have been here more than a decade. Like Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, Yaya Toure … all these players, Pablo Zabaleta. Sorry for the names I forget, but they know who they are.

"The situation is what it is, no-one wants it, David especially. The club will make an agreement with David and do what they have to do."

Former Spain playmaker Silva joined City from Valencia in 2010 and over the subsequent decade established himself as one of the club's finest ever players.

The 34-year-old has won four Premier League titles, five EFL Cups and two FA Cups – the first of which in 2011 ended City's 35-year trophy drought.

Before the start of the current campaign, Silva stated 2019-20 would be his final season in England.

Although his deal will now be extended beyond June 30 under special provisions for clubs to try to finish the schedule despite the Covid-19 pandemic, he told AS that position has not altered.

"I will say one thing, I am moving forward. I am sorry, I have been here 10 years and I have fulfilled what I wanted," Silva said.

"The cycle closes here, but I will always keep this club in mind for everything I have lived. From the first moment people have treated me incredibly.

"Here they have a great respect for you, people give admiration towards you. Now my family and I need another challenge."

City have a game in hand but are 25 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Robert Lewandowski wants to see even more from Bayern Munich in the Champions League after sealing another Bundesliga title.

Lewandowski's first-half goal lifted Bayern to a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Tuesday, securing an eighth straight league title despite Alphonso Davies' late red card.

Hansi Flick's men are on track to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after a 3-0 away win over Chelsea in the last-16 first leg, with the tournament set to be completed in August.

Lewandowski, who has scored 46 goals this season, hopes Bayern can reach another level in Europe's top club competition.

"We are German champions. Of course it is a bit complicated without celebrating fans. That certain extra, this passion is missing," the striker said, via the club's website.

"We are still very satisfied. It was not an easy season, we fought for the title for a long time. I hope that we can celebrate with the fans in the stadium soon.

"Werder played a little more defensively but well in the first half. In the second half we should have scored a goal, then it would have been a little easier.

"We showed that we are the best team in Germany and we want to play even better in the Champions League."

Lewandowski's team-mate Thomas Muller labelled the championship win as one of the most emotional moments in his career.

"We had to fight hard, but that describes a bit the situation of the last few weeks," he told ARD. "We stayed with it.

"The fighting spirit, regardless of the quality, is enormous.

"With this comeback that we started and the way we played in the second half of the season, I have rarely had so many emotional moments in Bundesliga matches, whether at Borussia Dortmund [a 1-0 win last month] or today.

"When I look at the boys, we achieved this common goal and it is one that we achieved with pride."

Bayern's celebrations were dampened slightly by restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Muller was determined to enjoy the triumph.

"We will devote ourselves to the evening in compliance with the rules and let the emotions run wild for the time being," he said.

"During the coronavirus period, everyone has to have a single table, but we will not necessarily give up.

"You can still lift a glass two metres away with a little distance."

Bayern still have two Bundesliga games remaining this season, hosting Freiburg on Saturday before taking on Wolfsburg a week later.

Quique Setien praised Antoine Griezmann for doing a "commendable job" in Barcelona's 2-0 La Liga victory over Leganes on Tuesday.

A goal from Ansu Fati opened the scoring for Barca, with the young Spanish star shining throughout a strong performance.

Lionel Messi's second-half penalty, meanwhile, saw Barca seal the victory while restoring their five-point lead atop the table.

Griezmann, however, again largely struggled, continuing a run of concerning performances dating back to before the coronavirus-caused break.

The forward had an effort ruled out for offside and he has just eight goals in 28 La Liga games in his first season since making the move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid.

In total, Griezmann has scored 14 goals across 38 matches, leaving him tied with the injury-plagued Luis Suarez for second in goals at the club behind Messi.

It's a drop-off from Griezmann's efforts with Atleti, with the forward having netted at least 20 goals in each of his five seasons with Diego Simeone's side.

But Setien praised the France international for his efforts, telling Movistar: "Griezmann is a boy who does a commendable job.

"He is an extremely important player."

Barcelona are yet to hit top form on the return from the coronavirus-enforced break, but managed to overcome La Liga's bottom side.

Setien said he expected a challenge unless his side found an early goal, with Fati's opener coming three minutes before half-time.

"I knew the game was going to be difficult. Unless you have the fortune of getting it right at the beginning, which opens the game, it will be complicated. It has been so," he said.

"We started very well, but then we lost some balls and gave them life. It happened to us in the cup match [in January]. They could have scored, then we have already controlled the last 20 minutes.

"They close very well and defend very well. It is not easy to find spaces."

Barcelona's busy run of fixtures continues with a trip to Sevilla on Friday, marking the club's third game back from the break.

After that, Messi, Griezmann and co. will jump right back into action four days later for a home match against Athletic Bilbao.

Hansi Flick did not shy away from a potential treble bid after Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title on Tuesday.

Bayern have been in outstanding form since Flick's November appointment, winning 26 of their 29 matches in all competitions, and their first major silverware of the campaign was delivered with two matches to spare as Robert Lewandowski's first-half goal secured a decisive 1-0 win at Werder Bremen.

Bayern's season is far from over however, as they now turn their attention towards the DFB-Pokal final against Bayer Leverkusen, and then the Champions League.

The German champions hold a 3-0 first-leg lead over Chelsea in the last 16 of Europe's elite club competition, with their performance in that match and subsequent fixtures prompting talk of a stunning sweep of the prizes on offer.

"We have now taken the first step and achieved our first big goal by winning the champion," head coach Flick told Sky Sport. "But we still have the DFB-Pokal as our next goal. 

"Of course, there is also the Champions League. It is clear it cannot be planned. It will be difficult enough to come through the game against Chelsea first. Then we'll see what's going to happen. It will be difficult and we have to be fit."

Bayern were below their brilliant best against Werder but held on for the victory following Alphonso Davies' contentious red card with 11 minutes to go.

Flick added: "With the red card, Bremen were a bit braver. We had to defend and did it sensationally. That is why there is no criticism today.

"I am very, very happy and can only say it again and again: you never succeed alone. We are just one unit and I really enjoy being here."

Flick suggested the title-clinching triumph epitomised his team and their spirit.

"The football we have played in the last few months has been sensational," he said. "You can feel the passion, enthusiasm and fighting spirit, even today after the red card."

Lewandowski's sublime 43rd-minute finish proved enough to seal the points and the championship, his 31st goal of the league campaign wrapping up a 30th German title for Bayern.

Mainz forward Taiwo Awoniyi disclosed that he wanted to continue playing despite a nasty head collision with Augsburg’s Felix Uduokhai.

The 22-year-old was stretchered off in the 23rd minute with his neck in a brace before he was rushed to the hospital for further observation. Subsequently, he was replaced by German-Nigerian Karim Onisiwo.

Achim Beierlorzer’s men suffered a 1-0 home defeat to the Fuggerstadter thanks to Florian Niederlechner’s first minute strike and they now sit three places above the relegation zone after accruing 31 points from 31 games.

Now in a stable condition, the Nigeria youth international stated that being in an unconscious state, he still craved to continue with the encounter, while applauding the medics for reviving him as well as the fans for their goodwill messages.

“What I find interesting about this incident is that the doctors and paramedics told me that while they were attending to me at the stadium after the collision I was saying I want to continue playing,” he told Ojbsport.

“I am so thankful and grateful to God for being alive. It happened so fast and I didn’t even know what was going on, but in my mind all I was saying was I wanted to continue playing.

“I regained consciousness in the hospital and was told of what happened in the stadium. To be alive and okay is the greatest gift that anybody can wish for and I am so appreciative.

“I appreciate them for the work they did and I also thank the fans for the well wishes.”

The Liverpool loanee scored his first Mainz goal on May 17 in a 2-2 versus Cologne in a German top-flight clash after replacing Dong-Won Ji.

He is unlikely to feature when Mainz visit the Signal Iduna Park for Wednesday’s tie with Borussia Dortmund.

Awoniyi joined the Reds in 2015 but has since spent his time out on loan, with the club unable to secure a UK work permit for the player.

Spells at FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen and Gent failed to work out, but the Nigeria U23 star was impressive in two stints with Belgian outfit Mouscron.

The Premier League has finally returned! We are excited to announce to all sport lovers that DStv and GOtv will broadcast all the remaining games of the 2019-20 season, which kicks off on Wednesday, 17th June, live on SuperSport. 

Topflight football in England has been placed on a hiatus owing for over three months following the outbreak of the pandemic which silenced several activities across the globe.

Nevertheless, SuperSport viewers can therefore look forward to a feast of football as the English league resumes. 

Here are some of the top matches you can’t afford to miss. The pick of the midweek matches sees Arsenal head to the Etihad Stadium to face the defending champions, Manchester City on Wednesday at 8:15pm on DStv SuperSport 3.

The Gunners come into the clash placed ninth on the log, but at least looking to build momentum after a 1-0 win over London rivals West Ham United in their last clash before the league suspension.

Meanwhile, Manchester Cityare relatively safe in second spot but will be hoping to claim the three points and ensure that Liverpool does not secure the Premier League title in their first match upon resumption. 

Also, Wednesday marks a crucial clash for relegation-threatened Aston Villa who will host Sheffield United in Birmingham. The match will air live on SuperSport 3 & 10 on DStv at 6pm and GOtv SuperSport Select 2. 

Villa are placed second from bottom and risked a drop to the second tier had the season been cancelled, but this game in hand offers them the chance to rise as high as 16th spot. The first full round of Premier League matches begins on Friday 19th to Monday 23rd June.

The schedule for the weekend includes the match between Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City, which will air live on DStv SuperSport 3 at 8:15pm. 

On Saturday, Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal battle it out on DStv SuperSport 3 & 10 and GOtv SuperSport Select 2 at 3pm. Rounding up the fixture is the Merseyside Derby between Everton and the champions-elect, Liverpool on Sunday.

Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme picked up an injury while Ghana’s Caleb Ekuban and Senegal’s Badou Ndiaye powered Trabzonspor to the Turkish Cup final after a 3-1 win over Fenerbahce on Tuesday.

The African stars earned their spots in the Black Sea Storm starting XI on Tuesday but Nwakaeme could not continue the game after suffering a knock and he was replaced by Bilal Basacikoglu in the 35th minute.

A brace from Alexander Sorloth and a stoppage-time goal from Filip Novak gave Trabzonspor a crucial away win at the Ulker Stadium and a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Ekuban provided a brace of assists for Sorloth's goals in each half of the encounter and Ndiaye turned provider for Novak's strike that sealed their triumph.

Mali's Simon Falette ad Morocco's Nabil Dirar were also on parade for Fenerbahce, but their contributions could not save the hosts from defeat.

The winner between Alanyaspor and Antalyaspor in the second semi-final scheduled for Thursday will face Trabzonspor in the final.

The Black Sea Storm sit at the summit of the Turkish Super Lig standings, level on 56 points with second-placed Istanbul Basaksehir but they have been handed a one-season ban from European football for breaching Uefa Financial Fair Play regulations.

Ahead of their next league fixture against Alanyaspor on June 22, Huseyin Cimsir’s side will be hoping to have Nwakaeme back in full fitness.

The Nigeria forward has played 35 games in all competitions this season, and he has contributed 14 goals and seven assists so far.

Ekuban is another impressive player at the Senol Gunes Stadium who has contributed five goals and five assists in 24 appearances while Ndiaye who is on a season-long loan from Stoke City, has returned two goals and three assists for the Black Sea Storm.

Goals from Ansu Fati and Lionel Messi proved decisive as Barcelona made hard work of a 2-0 home win over Leganes to further boost their LaLiga title hopes.

The Blaugrana had not been as convincing as the scoreline suggested when they thrashed 4-0 Real Mallorca away at the weekend, and they toiled against another struggling outfit on Tuesday

But Quique Setien's side secured another three points after Fati - Barca's standout star - broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time. 

Messi then scored his 699th goal for club and country from the penalty spot as Barca extended their advantage at the top of the table to five points, at least until Real Madrid host Valencia on Thursday.

Leganes coach Javier Aguirre was shown a red card in stoppage time, seemingly for dissent, on a frustrating evening for the bottom side.

Barca, who took just 65 seconds to score against Mallorca on Saturday, had been fortunate not to faLell behind to Leganes early on.

Miguel Angel Guerrero twice beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen from the right-hand side of the penalty area, only to be denied by first Clement Lenglet, retreating to his goal line, and then the outside of the far post.

The Catalan giants were clinical when their moment came late in an otherwise frustrating first half, though, as Fati fired a sweet low finish into the bottom-right corner from just inside the box.

The officials then took centre stage in the second period, with the VAR asked to assess a pair of controversial moments in quick succession.

Antoine Griezmann saw a goal ruled out when replays showed Nelson Semedo was a step offside before crossing for his team-mate to tuck into the net.

But Barca did not need to wait long for their second, as Messi held off a series of robust challenges before going down just inside the area under minimal contact to win a penalty that he dispatched following another video review.

Aguirre saw red in the closing stages as toothless Leganes remained bottom.

What does it mean? Suarez the key

If the sign of champions is a side playing poorly and still winning, LaLiga might as well hand Barca the trophy now. Comfortable results have disguised tough tests against mediocre opposition in recent days, with trickier quests to come.

But as against Mallorca, Barca looked a different team once Luis Suarez was called from the bench to combine with Messi. His pass led to the penalty award and a fully fit front line should prompt improvement.
 

Fati to the fore

With Suarez still not quite fit to start, Fati was promoted to the starting XI in place of Martin Braithwaite and certainly made his mark. The 17-year-old's fifth league strike punctuated a lively display in which he linked up well with Junior Firpo, the threat coming from the left in a quiet first half for Messi.
 

More Griez groans

This was another frustrating outing for Griezmann. Still searching for his best form in a Barca shirt, the striker was largely ineffectual in the first half and guided one header well wide. But he looked to have added to his Blaugrana tally in the second period, only to see Semedo flagged offside.
 

What's next?

After playing consecutive matches against sides facing relegation battles, a more demanding fixture awaits Barca next up as they go to Sevilla on Friday. Leganes have a huge clash against Mallorca on the same day.

France under-18 international Tanguy Kouassi will join Bayern Munich after choosing not to sign a professional contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old will officially link up with Bundesliga champions in June and sign a five-year contract, according to Goal.

Kouassi, a defender who can also play in midfield, has made 13 appearances for the Parisians this season, scoring three goals.

It was revealed by Goal on June 14 that Kouassi has decided to leave PSG, with his destination unknown at the time.

The decision to leave brings to an end months of discussions between PSG, Kouassi and his entourage. As recently as last month, club sources had suggested they were hopeful of being able to keep him in Paris.

The teenager was linked with several clubs around Europe including Barcelona, AC Milan, RB Leipzig and Rennes - bu has ultimately picked Bayern as his new home.

Kouassi's choice to join Bayern was influenced by the stabilty of the project at the club, which claimed their eight straight Bundesliga title on Tuesday with a 1-0 win at Werder Bremen. There are also several other French players on the books of the Bavarian club, including Benjamin Pavard, Kingsley Coman, Lucas Hernandez, Corentin Tolisso and Mickael Cuisance.

Kouassi joined PSG in 2016 from youth club Pays de Fontainebleau and has represented France at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 level, winning U17 World Cup bronze last year.

His PSG professional debut came December last year during a 3-1 in against Montpellier, while his first goal was scored for the club in the 3-0 Coupe de la Ligue win over Reims in January.

The Paris-born utility man hit the headlines in February when he scored his first two league goals, bagging a brace during the 4-4 draw at Amiens.

Kouassi will leave Paris as a Ligue 1 champion, with the club being awarded the domestic championship once the season was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a recent interview, the young star spoke of his quick development into a senior squad, but was quick to hose down comparisons with some of PSG's star defenders.

"It's true that I have had a good two months," Kouassi told France Bleu Paris. "It gives me great pleasure to play with the club that trained me. I really worked hard to get there. I hope that it will continue like this.

"Saying that I am walking on water? I don't think so. I haven't done anything yet, compared to Thiago Silva, Marquinhos or Presnel Kimpembe."

Alphonso Davies hailed Robert Lewandowski as the best striker in the world after his goal clinched an eighth straight Bundesliga title for Bayern Munich.

Bayern saw off lowly Werder Bremen 1-0 on Tuesday, claiming the points required to seal another championship with two games to spare.

Lewandowski's 31st Bundesliga strike of a record-breaking campaign was enough for victory, controlling Jerome Boateng's lofted pass on his chest and firing into the net late in the first half.

The Poland international's latest exploits earned praise from Davies, who was sent off 11 minutes from time.

"We call him 'Lewangoalksi' for that reason," the left-back said. "He's a top striker, the top in the world. Coming in and scoring 31 goals, it's unbelievable."

Davies also took the opportunity to laud head coach Hansi Flick, who has overseen 26 wins in 29 games in all competitions after a tough start to the season under previous boss Niko Kovac.

"Incredible. He's a good coach, he expects a lot from his players," Davies said of his coach. "We know we have to battle each and every game for everything."

The Werder game proved a mixed affair for Davies prior to the title celebrations as he again impressed before being dismissed following a seemingly innocuous incident.

"Unfortunately, anger comes into play," he explained. "I got a yellow card, apologies for that. The second yellow card, I don't know what happened, I tried to run backwards, he came into me.

"It's the referee's decision, so I apologise to everyone. That's not the FC Bayern way, but I'm happy we can win the championship."

Davies had registered the Bundesliga's fastest speed since Opta data collection began in the first half, his new 36.51km/h record prompting a smile at full-time.

"I just do my job I guess," the teenager said. "I don't know when that happened, I just do my job trying to get the ball back defensively. I'm happy I can break a record."

The Canadian has been one of the breakthrough stars since the German league's return, with much of the footballing world tuning in to see the Bayern star's evolution as a left back.

Pep Guardiola says he admires Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling for their positive impact on society and feels only “stupid people” think footballers should not have an opinion.

Manchester United striker Rashford successfully convinced the UK government to U-turn on a decision to provide free meals to vulnerable children over the school holidays in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, England team-mate Sterling voiced his support of the anti-racism protests that have spread across the United States and Europe following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in the U.S.

Both players have won praise for their using status to speak out and the Manchester City manager hit back at people that insist they should stick to talking about sport.

“Because maybe these stupid people don’t believe you are human beings too,” Guardiola said of the critics ahead of City’s first game in three months against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

“We can have an opinion the same as a nurse, a doctor or even a politician. What we are, we are humans and why shouldn’t we say our opinion when you believe you can make a better society, when you are public.

“What Raheem Sterling has done many times, players in our club, Marcus Rashford or whoever, of course they have to use these platforms to make a better society. They don’t need to get more money - fortunately for them they have enough - so they do it to get a better place to live, for their families, for our kids, for the next generations.

“So that is always why, when the people say it is not enough, of course it isn’t but let’s start from here. I admire a lot these kind of gestures because they do it for all of us.”

Footballers have been generous in making donations and helping communities affected by coronavirus. Guardiola is among them, with the City boss making a €1 million (£900,000/$1.1m) donation to help buy medical supplies in his home of Catalonia.

Despite games being played behind closed doors, it is hoped that the return of football can help raise spirits in the UK, which has been badly affected by the virus with more than 40,000 deaths.

The majority of Premier League clubs decided against furloughing staff, with Liverpool and Tottenham u-turning on initial decisions, and Guardiola says they deserve credit as many in Spain, including former club Barcelona, did the opposite.

“I would like to say too, how pleased I am for all the clubs in the Premier League that didn’t ask the government for money,” he added.

“In Spain, it didn’t happen. All we can do for these people, we have to do it but not just with applause but good actions because maybe it is coming back and in that moment they can be safer and protected better to do their jobs even better to save our lives like they have done. So a big compliment.

“Thank you so so much. I will never forget what the NHS and health workers all over the world have done to keep us safe, working in incredibly difficult circumstances and situations to make our lives safer.”

U.S. women's national team forward Crystal Dunn said she felt "joy" when teammate Megan Rapinoe decided to kneel in protest at racism and police brutality, but admitted that she didn't feel comfortable doing so herself as she feared for her future.

Dunn has been with the USWNT since 2013, earning over 100 caps while earning a spot on the World Cup-winning squad in 2019.

She was a member of the USWNT in 2016 when Rapinoe opted to kneel in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began doing so during the national anthem as a form of protest.

Rapinoe, though, was the only member of the USWNT to kneel and, shortly after her initial protests, U.S. Soccer ruled that players must stand during the national anthem.

That rule has since been repealed amid ongoing protests and discussions of racism and police brutality in American society following the death of George Floyd, with President Donald Trump specifically calling out the federation for that decision.

Trump said he would not be watching if American players decided to kneel, with Florida senator Matt Gaetz stating that he believes that all national team players should be required to stand for the anthem.

As part of a Bleacher Report roundtable on race, Dunn revealed why she didn't initially join Rapinoe in kneeling.

"I just remember our conversation where she came up to me and said, "Crys, I'm thinking of kneeling'," Dunn recalled, "and I remember being just filled with so much joy for her wanting to fight a cause that, in my opinion at that time was like, 'You have nothing to do with this'.

"That was ignorant on my part just thinking that off the bat. I was just so moved that she wanted to fight for this cause.

"I also remember telling her that I had to stand because I don't know what's going to happen. I'm scared for my job. I'm scared that it's going to look differently if a black girl on the team kneels and I don't know.

"I just had really hard conversations with her, how I was internally conflicted and saw the way U.S. Soccer responded and treated Megan. To me, I'm thinking they kept her out of some games, kept her out of camp, and yeah that was mad, but for me, I was thinking that they could rip up my contract."

Dunn, a member of the North Carolina Courage, was the 2015 NWSL Most Valuable Player and has been named to the league's Best XI twice.

The NWSL is set to return on June 30, becoming the first major American sports league to return to play.

Pep Guardiola believes new assistant coach Juanma Lillo is exactly what he needs to help Manchester City back to their form of the last two years.

The City manager has been without an assistant since Mikel Arteta left for Arsenal in December and the Gunners boss will return for the first time on Wednesday night as the Premier League restarts following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Much-travelled coach Lillo will be on the City bench for the first after he was appointed earlier this month, and Guardiola believes he will bring fresh ideas after a disappointing season that has seen them fall behind leaders Liverpool.

"When Mikel decided to go to London to be Arsenal manager, I felt I needed someone to help us with this amount of games but I wanted to have time to take the right decisions," the City boss told a virtual news conference.

"I discussed it with [football director] Txiki [Begiristain], with friends, about the solution. I decided on Juanma because I know him and what I need. I think he is the right person to help us, to understand the game better, the mythology of the training sessions.

"I have known him for a long time ago, like he helped me understand the way he looks [at it], and that’s why he is going to come here. I’m pretty sure he is going to help me and help us sustain the level we had in the last years."

The 54-year-old has signed a one-year contract and Guardiola has the same length of time remaining on his own deal. He said there has been no talks about an extension during the three-month break from football in England.

"We are going to finish this season. We have two months and then we have time to talk about this," he said. "Like I said since the first day, how delighted I am here, how I like to do my job, how comfortable I am. I don’t have any complaints about what the club offer me from day one. About extend or not, we will see, we have time."

One player who will be staying slightly longer is David Silva, with Guardiola confirming the midfielder will sign a short-term extension until the end of the season.

The Spaniard will definitely leave before the new campaign and Guardiola hopes that in the future the supporters will get the opportunity to say farewell to a player that many view as the greatest in the club's history after his 10 years of success at the Etihad Stadium.

"He will stay until the end of the season and yes it is unfortunate that he is going to finish his last games here without people," Guardiola added. "But he is coming back and hopefully he can have the big farewell with people.

"Always the clubs become a big club when they make the big gestures to these players for what they have done for more than one decade. It was Vincent Kompany, it was Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta. I would say more, sorry for the guys I forget, but they make the club what it is.

"The situation is what it is. No one wants it. The club will make an agreement with David and do what they have to do."

Bayern Munich set record after record as they sealed another Bundesliga title.

A sluggish start to the season under former boss Niko Kovac was almost forgotten as Hansi Flick led a charge to glory. Bayern clinched their latest silverware with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Werder Bremen on Tuesday, Robert Lewandowski scoring the winner in the first half.

Here is a look at some of the records and personal bests they established in a history-making campaign.

EIGHT IN A ROW

Bayern's dominance reached a new peak as they extended their streak to eight successive Bundesliga triumphs.

A record 30th title looked in doubt back in the European autumn as they stuttered, but they have sauntered to glory with two games to spare.

Borussia Monchengladbach (1975-77) and Bayern themselves (1972-74, 1985-87, 1999-2001) had previously achieved three in a row, but this era of dominance by one team is unprecedented in Germany.

MULLER, THE ULTIMATE HELPING HAND

Thomas Muller was the World Cup's Golden Boot winner with Germany in 2010 and has been a regular goal hero for Bayern for over a decade, but there is more about him than an assured finish.

The 30-year-old has become king of the assists in the Bundesliga this term, racking up 20 to match the highest total achieved since data collection began in 1992-93.

Opta statistics showed that Muller drew level with the total set by Kevin De Bruyne for Wolfsburg in the 2014-15 season.

LETHAL LEWANDOWSKI

Lewandowski's goals have provided the fuel behind Bayern's surge over the second half of the season.

The Poland striker has recorded his best haul of 31 Bundesliga goals and notched 46 across in competitions, a personal high point in his Bayern career.

For a while, he even looked like challenging Gerd Muller's league record of 40 goals in a single campaign, but that is surely out of reach now.

BAYERN CLICK WITH FLICK

Across all competitions, head coach Flick won a startling 26 of his first 29 games in charge, the best start by any Bayern boss, beating Pep Guardiola's 22 in 27.

Kovac lost his job after winning five of the opening 10 Bundesliga games this season, with three draws and two defeats.

The required standard is higher than that Bayern, but Flick's success to date has surpassed all expectations.

GOAL GLUT

Bayern scored 93 goals in their 32 Bundesliga games, setting a new league best. That teed up a shot at the 34-game complete league record of 101 goals, set by Bayern in 1971-72.

Their haul of 132 goals in 45 games across all competitions is also a record by a German team.

Bayern have scored at least four goals in a game 12 times, a figure last achieved by Stuttgart in the 1996-97 season. Bayern own the record in this respect with the 13 occasions they achieved the feat in 1973-74.