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Xavi has returned to Barcelona as their new permanent head coach following the sacking of Ronald Koeman.

Koeman's 14-month reign came to an end following Barca's 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano on October 27, with the Dutch boss failing to convince.

Barca have now turned to another club legend in an effort to steady their ship, with World Cup winner Xavi leaving Qatar-based club Al Sadd and joining Barca on a deal through the 2023-24 season.

What's been said?

"FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi Hernandez for him to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons," a Barcelona statement said.

"Xavi Hernandez, a youth team product at Barca, has left his current club, Al Sadd of Qatar, after talks held over the last few days with the owners of the club. 

"It is expected that Xavi Hernandez will arrive in Barcelona this weekend and that on Monday 8 November his presentation as new FC Barcelona first team coach will take place in an event open to the public at Camp Nou.

"After the event Xavi Hernandez will appear in a press conference in the Ricard Maxenchs press room."

Al Sadd said in a club statement: "Club administration have approved the transfer of Xavi to Barcelona after the payment of the clause stipulated in his contract. Xavi is considered an important part of our history and we wish him every success in the future."

Xavi's credentials 

Xavi is one of the most decorated players in Barca's history, having won 25 trophies at Camp Nou between 1997 and 2015 including eight Liga titles and the Champions League.

The Spaniard made 767 appearances for the club, a record bettered only by Lionel Messi, and also contributed 85 goals and 185 assists.

Xavi left Barca for Al Sadd in 2015 and retired four years later before becoming the Qatari club's permanent manager, and delivered the league title in his second season at the helm.

Al Sadd won five more trophies under the 41-year-old, who has now decided the time is right to head back to Camp Nou having rejected previous offers from Barca due to a lack of coaching experience. He had made it clear to reporters he wanted to head home when fresh rumours surfaced.

He said: "I really want to go home. I hope it happens. I have a contract and now the clubs have to negotiate. They already know my position."

Xavi has got his wish, after Barca officials flew to Qatar to thrash out a deal with Al Sadd and their top coaching target before an agreement was finalised.

How big is the task facing Xavi?

Xavi will be a popular appointment among the Blaugrana faithful, but it will take a monumental effort for him to turn the team's fortunes around following their poor start to the 2021-22 campaign.

Barca have already lost three Liga games including a painful Clasico defeat at home to Real Madrid, with Koeman having ultimately failed to find the right balance in the squad after Messi, Antoine Griezmann and a number of other key players departed in the summer.

New signings Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia have yet to reach their best levels while Sergio Aguero is ruled out long term with health problems, and the Catalan club sit ninth in La Liga while also finding themselves in danger of being dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Xavi will hope to hit the ground running, with Barca travelling to Celta Vigo on Saturday before entering another international break that will give the new boss time to find his feet in familiar surroundings.

Further reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that Manchester United are still the top club in Manchester, despite everything the Red Devils' crosstown rivals have accomplished in recent years.

Manchester City have won five league titles in the last decade , with Man Utd lifting the Premier League trophy just once in that same timespan.

But, despite City's recent success, Solskjaer said ahead of Saturday's derby that his side still is the top dog in Manchester, and will remain so in years to come.

What did Solskjaer say?

"No, I can't," Solskjaer said when asked if he could envision City passing Man Utd. "But, the thing is, you have to have respect for what they have done in the last 10 years or even more so in the last four or five with how dominant they have been in England and in Europe.

"But we are Man Utd, we are always going to come back, I think we are the number one club in Manchester and that also probably means in the world."

The big picture

Manchester City have not suffered a trophyless campaign since Pep Guardiola's first season with the club in 2016-17, having emerged as a dominant force under the former Barca boss.

That same season, coincidentally, is the last time Man Utd won a trophy, as they lifted the Europa League.

Manchester United are already chasing the title race this campaign, as they enter the derby eight points behind league-leaders Chelsea.

Third-place City, meanwhile, sit five points behind last season's Champions League winners, with Liverpool currently holding down second in the league.

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Trevoh Chalobah’s emergence could see Chelsea slow down their pursuit of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.

Chelsea pushed hard for Kounde this summer, but Sevilla ultimately determined that the Blues' bid did not match their valuation of the France international.

Chalobah was initially supposed to go out on loan this term but his early-season performances convinced Tuchel to keep him at the club and this week, he signed a new contract through 2026.

What was said?

“I think every transfer period you need to evaluate again because you cannot say what we wanted in the summer we do in the winter or the next summer. It is not like this," Tuchel said.

“Your opinion changes, players change, you have evolvement in the group. You have atmosphere that you build, you see who is absolutely reliable and these connections build up and create something special, hopefully, in the group.

“So you cannot say what we tried in the summer did not happen so we will try again for sure in the winter. Sometimes it is like this if we see the same need, but clearly Trevoh is now here with us and he deserves to be here with us. It had nothing to do with if we can sign another central defender or not.

“But he stepped up. The responsibility was even more on his shoulders and he can handle it so far in a very impressive way. This is the situation and it has an effect on our next decisions in the next transfer period. It is always like this.”

Tuchel hoping for long stay at Chelsea

Tuchel, who was appointed Chelsea manager in January, has also said he is hoping to stay with the club for a long time.

“I can tell you today I will do my very best to stay as long as possible because I like where I am and I enjoy working every single day in this club and in this league," Tuchel said.

“For me it is a perfect fit. From here we go but it’s a weekly business, maybe it’s a daily business, and I am fully aware of it.”

Further reading

Ghana captain Andre Ayew has wished departing Al Sadd manager Xavi well as he closes in on taking Barcelona managerial job.

Ayew left Swansea City in July to continue his career in the Middle East and he has spent the last three months working with the 41-year-old at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

During the brief time spent together, Xavi and Ayew won the Emir Cup after Al Sadd defeated Al Rayyan on penalties after a 1-1 draw, a fortnight ago.

After Al Sadd announced Xavi's departure on Friday, the 31-year-old did not hide the fact that he has learnt some lessons from the retired midfield maestro.

“Mister thank you for everything. Your humbleness is unique, learned so much in this few months. Proud to have worked with such a legend, Xavi. May Allah bless your new chapter. Good luck Mister,” Ayew wrote on Instagram.

So far this season, the Black Stars forward has scored seven goals in nine appearances for Al Sadd who sit atop of the Qatar Stars League with an unbeaten record of 25 points from nine matches.

Xavi is expected to succeed Ronald Koeman as the new Barca boss after the Dutch coach was shown the exit door on October 27, following a 1-0 La Liga loss to Rayo Vallecano.

The Spain legend started his managerial career in 2019 at Al Sadd after ending his playing career at the same club.

He has made a promising start to life in the dug-out with five trophies won so far with the Wolf.

Last season, Xavi guided the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium outfit to a domestic double of the Qatar Stars League title and the Qatar Cup.

During his playing stint at Barcelona, the 41-year-old made a contribution of 85 goals and 185 assists in 767 games across all competitions between 1997 and 2015.

He also won 25 trophies that include eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with the Blaugrana.

Percy Tau helped Al Ahly maintain their perfect start to the 2021/22 Egyptian Premier League season as they thrashed Zamalek 5-3 on Friday night.

Mohamed Abou Gabal, Ali Maaloul (brace), Mohamed Sherif and Aliou Dieng all scored for the Red Devils as they secured one of their biggest league victories in the history of the Cairo Derby.

Tau made his third consecutive start for the Red Devils having helped his side start the new league campaign with victories over Ismaily and the National Bank of Egypt. 

The South Africa international fired Al Ahly's first shot on target with his tame shot being comfortably saved by goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal, before the Red Devils ran riot against the reigning Egyptian champions. 

The deadlock was broken when Abou Gabal netted an own goal as Aliou Dieng's shot bounced off the back of the Zamalek shot-stopper before hitting the back of the net in the 16th minute.

The White Knights' defence was rattled by the own-goal and they conceded a penalty when Ali Maaloul was tripped in the box by Zamalek defender Hamza Mathlouthi. 

Tunisia international Maaloul, who is Al Ahly's penalty specialist, stepped up and sent Abou Gabal the wrong way from the spot-kick to hand the visitors the lead in the 20th minute.

Having been rewarded with a starting berth by coach Pitso Mosimane after coming off the bench to score against the National Bank of Egypt last weekend, Mohamed Sherif also put his name on the score sheet.

This was after some great play by Amr El-Sulaya, who whipped in a superb cross which was turned home Sheriff to make it 3-0 to Al Ahly in the 30th minute with the Zamalek defence caught ball-watching.

Mosimane would have been pleased with his charges' first-half showing as his side was leading 3-0 at the half-time break after dominating the first-half, but Tau had made little impact on the game.

Zamalek started the second-half strongly with Mosimane's counterpart Patrice Carteron having introduced Mostafa Fathi, who made an instant impact as the winger beat keeper Mohamed El Shenawy to make it 3-1 in the 51st minute.

However, the Red Devils responded with a goal two minutes later to restore their three-goal advantage as Dieng scored with a curling shot to make make it 4-1 to Al Ahly with Mohamed Magdi Kafsha providing the assist.

Mosimane's charges were hungry for goals on the night as they were awarded a penalty after El Sulaya was fouled in the box by Mathlouthi in the 65th minute and Maaloul scored from the spot-kick to make it 5-1.

Tau was then replaced by Mozambican winger Luis Miquissone with 22 minutes left on the clock, while Hussein El-Shahat replaced Magdi Afsha as Mosimane refreshed his attack.

The visitors then took their feet off the pedal and they allowed the White Knights to attack and the hosts were awarded a penalty which was converted by Ahmed 'Zizo' Sayed to reduce the deficit to 5-2 with 10 minutes left.

Achraf Bencharki then made it 5-3 when he found the bottom corner on the half-volley in the 90th minute after a superb lay-off from Mohamed Obama with Al Ahly's defence exposed.

Ultimately, the match ended with that score in favour of Al Ahly, who returned to the top of the league standings and they now will face Al Mokawloon on November 19 after the Fifa international break

Pep Guardiola says Cristiano Ronaldo will still be scoring goals when he's 75 as the Manchester City manager also reflected on the Portuguese star nearly moving to the Etihad this summer.

Ronaldo rejoined Man Utd this summer, returning to the club after over a decade away, and he's set to lead the line for the Red Devils in this weekend's Manchester derby.

Ronaldo is still in top form for Man Utd this season at age 36, having scored several vital goals.

What did Guardiola say?

"He will score goals all his life," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "He will be 75 years old, maybe retired, but he would be at his own barbecue playing a game and he'll score goals.

"These types of guys, like [Lionel] Messi, like him, what they have done in the last decade in world football scoring goals and goals and goals and helping their team win, it speaks for itself.

"It's good for the Premier League that he's back. United belongs to Cristiano and Cristiano belongs to United. It's a good fit. It was in the past. Maybe it will be in the present and the future. We'll see."

Did Ronaldo really nearly join City?

Once it became clear Ronaldo was leaving Juventus, reports linked him to several clubs, most notably Manchester City.

In the final days of the window, it appeared Manchester City were leading the race to sign Ronaldo, only for Manchester United to swoop in and re-sign the striker to bring him back to Old Trafford.

Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said he could never have imagined Ronaldo, his former Man Utd team-mate, wearing the blue of Manchester City.

Guardiola played coy when asked if a deal for the forward was ever truly close.

"You have to ask them," Guardiola said. "Ole said that he could not imagine him to be here. You have to ask them. Do you think both are happy to have each other there? That's what's most important."

Ronaldo's season so far

Ronaldo has scored nine goals in 11 matches since making the move back to England, proving that, despite his age, he still has the ability to be Man Utd's saviour.

He's scored five goals in just four Champions League matches, notably sealing a win over Atalanta with a late goal before scoring a late equaliser against the Italian side this week.

Further reading

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For many reasons, 2021 has been a rollercoaster. Celtic’s nine seasons of consecutive league titles were swiped away by old rivals. However, away days are back after a long hiatus and Celtic fans can again find themselves singing “come on you bhoys in green” in remote European bars thanks to the Europa League.   

Knowing someone who’s a football fan is a blessing, as there are tonnes of gift options related to the sport just waiting to be given. Though when there is so much out there, trawling through the internet for the perfect gift can feel like a sport in itself. 

Luckily, we’ve found the best quirky and unique gifts suitable for Celtic fans. There are artisan gins for those who enjoy a tipple, pop-its for those who like to fidget and blankets for those who like to sit back and watch.

So whether you’re looking for a Christmas present for your dad, a birthday gift for your son or daughter, or maybe even a treat for yourself, here are the 27 best gifts currently available.

£10.00 and under

Make bathtime a little bit more Celtic with this green rubber duck. Equally enjoyable for kids in a bubble bath to play around with or as a floating companion during a grown-up soak. Plus, at £6.00 it’s a great shout for a Secret Santa gift for a Celtic fan.

Get it from FOCO for £6.00

When it comes to Christmas gifts, you can’t go wrong with a good old fashioned mug. Perfect for all lovers of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, these gifts are a way of showing pride for your team all year round.

Get it from FOCO for £9.00 (number 1 dad), £6.00 (number 1 fan) and £7.50 (tub mug)

This official Celtic wall calendar for 2022 is perfect for those who like staying organised, or perhaps for somebody you think might need extra hints to remember special occasions? 

Get it from Amazon for £9.99

The latest craze in fidget toys are pop-its, which replicate that ultra-satisfying feeling of popping bubble wrap. They’re great for kids who need a little extra help focusing, and these dimpled Push-Itz have the classic Celtic crest printed on them.

Get them from FOCO for £10.00

Combine his two favourite things – thinking of his children and showing support for his team. This gift will remind him of you all year round as he displays it with pride.

Get it from FOCO for £10.00

This annual makes the perfect gift for every Celtic fanatic. It’s filled with fun quizzes and games, plus in-depth profiles of all their favourite players.  

Get it from Amazon for £6.73

These 60cm long vintage street signs are a stylish way of displaying fan status around the house. It’s a big step up from a Blu Tack-cornered poster and a cool way of showing appreciation for your team.

Get it from FOCO for £10.00

£25.00 and under

This special Celtic-inspired gin liqueur comes in a bright Glasgow green and would make the perfect present for those who love quirky gins.

Get it from Amazon for £22.00

These ceramic stoneware egg cups make having a hearty breakfast on match day an eggcellent choice. They have been dipped in Celtic’s greens, have a cool paint-splattered design and make a great and useful gift for any age.

Get them from FOCO for £12.00

Know a Celtic fan who hates touching things like elevator buttons or punching in their pin at ATMs? These nifty “no-touch” keyrings are designed to do all the nasty work for you, so you can press the button at traffic lights without having to immediately get out the hand sanitiser.

Get them from FOCO for £15.00

Celtic fans will love this September ‘21 published autobiography. Jackie McNamara spent a decade at Celtic before his abrupt departure in 2005, which fans can read all about in his own words.

Get it from Amazon for £17.22

This Celtic tankard goes in the freezer to make sure beers and other cold drinks are icy cold after a long day at work. Perfect on matchdays for those who’ve swapped the stadium for the sofa after a long lockdown.

Get it from Amazon for £11.39

Pat Nevin’s bestselling 2021 memoir, The Accidental Footballer is the perfect choice for fans of music and football. A boyhood Celtic fanatic, Pat Nevin writes articulately in a book that’s worlds away from the ghost-written autobiography expected of an ex-footballer. Fans can read about his nights out to the Hacienda and how he was turned away from Celtic for being too small.

Get it from Amazon for £12.00

These incredible Celtic custom beer mats are the brainchild of twin brothers at Boot and Ball. With graphically sophisticated retro designs, fans have their favourite players commemorated in traditional beer mat form in a way that feels like art.

Get them from Amazon for £14.95

This soft knitted hat makes a great gift for Celtic fans who want to show off their club pride in the colder months when a coat is non-negotiable and trusty replica shirts are out of the question.

Get it from JD Sports for £25.00

This quirky hand-painted Celtic gnome is a lovely gift for those fans who like to display little nick-nacks around the house and garden to remind them of happy memories. 

Get it from FOCO for £20.00

If you’d like to buy a Celtic fan a piece of clothing, a football scarf is a great, one-size-fits-all accessory. Perfect for keeping warm on chilly match days.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

This Celtic metal water bottle keeps your water cold all day and is perfect for those who are eco-conscious.

Get it from FOCO for £15.00

No budget

This BRXLZ mini version of the Celtic Park stadium will keep Celtic fans young and old occupied for hours. There are approximately 4,058 pieces included, which when put together create a lovely and quirky Celtic memento.

Get it from FOCO for £60.00

Be prepared for Glasgow’s chilliest days with this long-sleeved variation of this season’s home shirt. Stacked up with iconic green and white hoops, this adidas jersey is an instant classic.

Get it from JD Sports for £70.00

Get it from Amazon for £40.00

This A3 sized book is filled with full-colour newspaper headlines heralding Celtic’s most iconic moments dating almost 100 years. It makes for a really thoughtful gift that can be personalised with a nice label on the inside page at a later date.

Get it from Amazon for £39.99

This board game has 500 questions on Celtic, making it a great face-to-face family activity to bring you all closer. 

Get it from Amazon for £25.29

Relive the eccentric fashion of the ‘90s with this Celtic retro replica shirt. This would make a great gift for those who love nostalgia.

Get it from JD Sports for £38.00

Rep the iconic shirt that the Celtic heroes of 1967 wore in Lisbon as they clinched the European Cup thanks to legendary manager Jock Stein. The long sleeves on this classic hooped jersey will help keep you warm in present-day Glasgow, too.

Get it from JD Sports for £38.00

This super-soft throw blanket is ultra-cosy for those who like to snuggle up on the sofa to watch the game. With a large Celtic crest to show pride, it’s perfect for keeping extra warm this winter.

Get it from FOCO for £30.00

This knitted Celtic Christmas jumper will make kids the envy of their classmates with its gorgeous greens and variety of festive Fair Isle patterns. “Celtic FC” is knitted front and centre so everyone will know who the little one supports.

Get it from FOCO for £30.00

Germany have called up Nigerian descent Lukas Nmecha to their national team for the upcoming 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Armenia.

Nmecha is the only new invitee in Hansi Flick's team for next week’s games and the decision comes as a blow for Nigeria who previously expressed their desire to have the winger represent them.

The 22-year-old was born to a Nigerian father and German mother in Hamburg but he was raised in Manchester which made him eligible to feature for either Nigeria, Germany or England on the international scene.

The Wolfsburg star previously played for the England U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 teams with a total of 31 appearances under his belt before he switched to represent Germany U21.

A few months ago, he described Germany as his home amid reported moves from the Nigeria Football Federation to secure his services.

"I see Germany as my home,” Nmecha told the Bundesliga website.

“I lived in Hamburg until I was nine, and still have a strong connection to the city and the people. I spoke about it with my mum, who is from Monchengladbach.”

Nmecha has made a fine start to his debut season at Wolfsburg after his permanent signing from Manchester City and he has scored five goals in 13 appearances across all competitions.

The news comes as another setback for the three-time African champions after they lost Genk striker Ike Ugbo to the Canadian national team.

A few months ago, Ugbo pledged to play for Nigeria ahead of England and he said he was working on getting his papers ready but he changed his decision and Canada revealed him as their newest player on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Nigerians can take delight in Ademola Lookman’s readiness to commit his international future to the Super Eagles.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick confirmed that the Leicester City striker has started the process to ditch England after playing for their youth teams, for a chance to feature in Gernot Rohr’s squad.

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa has claimed the manner in which the inspection by the Sports Registrar has been carried out points to a probability of a predetermined conclusion.

The FKF is under an inspection which was ordered by the Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed and Mwendwa has now expressed fear that the whole process might not be as transparent as possible.

"The manner in which it was done suggests the whole exercise is predetermined," Mwendwa is quoted as saying by Standard Sports.

"In my five years as the head of the federation, we have been audited five times and that is why Fifa continues to fund our activities. We have also been accounting for government funds and no questions have been raised."

On his part, FKF CEO Barry Otieno protested that they learned of the ordered inspection through the media, but added that they have co-operated with the auditing officers nonetheless.

"Chair, we only learnt of the order of the inspection through the media. There was no notice, which is against the laws of natural justice," said Otieno.

"In spite of that, we co-operated even as some of the people who came could not identify themselves, only saying the nature of their job does not allow them to do so."

The Senate's Labour and Social Welfare Committee chair, Johnson Sakaja, who grilled Mwendwa on Thursday over the ongoing inspection, assured that the process would be carried out as per the law.

"What we are looking at is the process, the best interest and how the issue got to where it is," Sakaja said. "Ultimately, we will come to a determination based on the facts, evidence and law. I think the Sports Act is very clear about the inspection of sports organisations.

"This country is run by the rule of law and it even tells us the point at which the report is done, what is supposed to happen and the steps to be taken. If there is a need for intervention, then what must be followed."

Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o has welcomed his former teammate Xavi back to Barcelona as the new club manager.

The Spanish giants are working to confirm the signing of the 41-year-old after Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd confirmed his departure on Friday.

Barcelona executives jetted out to the Middle East earlier this week to hold negotiations with Al Sadd and the Qatari club have confirmed that they have found an agreement after the payment of his contract termination clause.

"Club administration have approved the transfer of Xavi to Barcelona after the payment of the clause stipulated in his contract. Xavi is considered an important part of our history and we wish him every success in the future,” the Qatari club announced on Twitter.

Eto'o has swiftly taken a step to welcome Xavi to Camp Nou with a picture of their celebration after they won the 2008-09 Champions League title in Rome.

Ronald Koeman was sacked as Barcelona coach on October 27 after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano – which was their fifth loss of the season.

Sergi Barjuan has been acting in an interim role, overseeing the Blaugrana’s last two matches which ended in a 1-1 draw against Alaves in La Liga and a 1-0 win over Dinamo Kiev in the Uefa Champions League.

After developing through Barcelona's academy in the 90s, Xavi spent the majority of his professional career at Camp Nou.

He played 767 matches for the club with a contribution of 85 goals and 185 assists in all competitions between 1997 and 2015.

The former Spain midfielder is also considered as one of the most decorated players in Barcelona's history, with a record of 25 trophies that includes eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies.

His managerial career has got off to a flying start at Al Sadd where he clinched five trophies since his appointment in 2019.

Last season, he helped the Wolf lift the domestic double of the Qatar Stars League title and the Qatar Cup.

Legendary managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger had long tenures in the Premier League, as the pair are two of the longest-serving coaches in the game with their time at Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively.

Figures like Ferguson and Wenger become synonymous with their club, but others barely lasted long enough to make an impression.

What about the managers who have had the shortest stints in the Premier League? Goal takes a look.

Which managers have had the shortest reigns in the Premier League?

Les Reed's 41 days in charge of Charlton Athletic is the shortest managerial reign in the Premier League, sacked after crashing out of the League Cup against Wycombe and managing just one win in the league. Reed was given the nickname of 'Les Miserables' due to his sullen mood during games, and was eventually replaced by Alan Pardew.

Rene Meulensteen is second with his 75 days managing Fulham, and was notable for his unconventional approach in asking his players which species of animal they most identified with. He was able to win just three of his 13 league games in charge of the Potters, and was sacked in favour of Felix Magath.

Frank de Boer rounds out the top three list, with his 77 days as coach of Crystal Palace from June 2017 to September 2017. De Boer came from a sorrowful tenure managing Inter, and his Palace side failed to score a single goal in his opening four league games of the season.

Other managers with infamously short reigns in the Premier League include Bob Bradley's lacklustre management of Swansea City (where Ryan Giggs was expected to land the job initially), Quique Sanches Flores' short stint as Watford manager, and Terry Connor's ill-advised management of Wolves in 2012 after replacing Mick McCarthy.

Shortest-serving managers in the Premier League

You can view the full list of top 10 managers with the shortest reigns in the Premier League below.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains puzzled by the questions being asked of Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence at Manchester United and whether he has become a negative influence.

The 36-year-old superstar returned to Old Trafford late in the summer transfer window, with an emotional homecoming made by the Portuguese icon after 12 years spent enhancing his reputation at Real Madrid and Juventus.

Ronaldo’s arrival was greeted with widespread fanfare but – despite netting nine goals through 11 games, many of them crucial – there has been talk of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner disrupting long-term planning.

What has been said?

Solskjaer is struggling to see how anyone could query Ronaldo’s value to the United cause, with the Red Devils boss telling reporters when asked about that issue again ahead of a derby date with arch-rivals Manchester City: “He’s one of the best players that’s ever walked on the planet.

“His impact on and off the pitch has been absolutely immense, the goals he scores, the way he conducts himself in and around the place, so how people can say it’s a negative, I can’t see it.

“Really, really pleased he started off as well as he has but that’s what he does, he scores goals, he works for his team, he’s a top, top professional.”

Any other business at Old Trafford?

With Solskjaer more than happy with Ronaldo’s contribution so far, he will once again lead the line for United when they play host to the reigning Premier League champions.

The Red Devils will, however, be without France international defender Raphael Varane, with the World Cup-winning centre-half picking up an untimely hamstring injury during a Champions League outing against Atalata.

Solskjaer said, when asked when the 28-year-old could return: “With all the technology now we expect him to be out for four-to-five weeks with the pictures we’ve seen and it’s a blow for us.

“Raphael has come in and been really, really influential but then Eric [Bailly] came in last time and was excellent - that’s why we have a big squad and can cope with some absentees at times.”

Solskjaer added when pressed on whether Victor Lindelof could sit out a meeting with City due to a knock of his own: “He’s still a doubt but hopefully he can come back in tomorrow and say he’s ready. I would expect him to be ready, to put it that way, but I can’t promise.”

Further reading

Jose Mourinho has made a habit of calling out referees in his distinguished coaching career to date, with the Portuguese producing more of the same at Roma as he continues to question the actions of match officials at home and abroad.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss is facing possible sanctions for highlighting supposed mistakes made by those in the middle during Serie A action, with one recent outing against Juventus leaving Mourinho incensed.

A Europa League Conference clash with Bodo/Glimt did little to improve his mood, with the Roma boss taking in an angry exchange with TV reporter, and former Premier League striker, Jan Age Fjortoft after the final whistle in a 2-2 draw.

What happened with Mourinho?

Mourinho was interviewed by Fjortoft for Viaplay after seeing the Italian heavyweights held by a plucky Norwegian outfit that stunned his Roma team 6-1 a couple of weeks earlier.

The Roma coach was of the opinion that the match referee did his team few favours at Stadio Olimpico, with more penalty appeals being waved away, and struggled to understand why the man putting questions to him could not share the same opinion, stating at one stage: “Did you watch the game?”

What else did Mourinho have to say?

Mourinho also entered into a post-match debate with Sky Sport Italia, with the Portuguese questioning the quality of Europa Conference League officials.

He believes his team are being denied far too many spot kicks, with a recent dip in results for Roma owing plenty to some questionable calls.

Mourinho said: “The reality of the game is 2-2, but the two penalties were clear as day. Clear as day.

“You can talk about whatever you want, but the reality is 2-2, they had two shots on target and two goals. We scored two goals and had two clear penalties denied.

“I don’t know if they get referees who are poor and starting their careers for the Conference League. I didn’t say anything about the referee in Norway, because we lost 6-1, but here the two penalties were clear.”

Further reading

Ramos led the table with 38% of the votes (+3302) beating out the only close competitior Virgil van Dijk who ended up with 38%  of the votes also(+3290 followed by Ruben Dias, Leonardo Bonucci and Khalidou Koulibaly ending up with 1424, 335 and 277votes respectively. 

Stay tuned to this space as we ask for your help to identify the best left center-back soon.

Orlando Pirates interim co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has revealed he will be without up to six players ahead of Saturday's Soweto Derby against rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

Bucs are aiming at taking the bragging rights, but it will not be easy even though Amakhosi have been inconsistent in the PSL this season.

But the tactician remains optimistic the available players will do the job against their opponents who lost their midweek clash at home to Stellenbosch by a solitary goal.

Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday afternoon's clash at FNB Stadium, the Sea Robbers coach revealed they will probably be without Richard Ofori, Wayne Sandilands, Innocent Maela, Happy Jele, Zakhele Lepasa and Thembinkosi Lorch for the crunch encounter.

'It is like Pirates whole team is out'

"Please forgive me if I forget some, that’s how much we have in terms of injuries," Ncikazi said in a pre-match presser.

"Ofori is still out, Sandilands is recovering from an injury, Maela is still out, Jele is out, he has done his operation. Lepasa is going through rehab and Lorch is also going through rehab.

"This is like a whole team list that is on the outside without complaining, we just take predestination and assume is that how it happens? Why so many? But it happens in every club, it’s something extraordinary but we’re going to go through and maybe good things are going to follow after the injuries."

Pirates are confident ahead of the derby

The tactician, however, insisted his charges are ready for the biggest match in the country, stating the available players will represent the injured ones well.

"[What our injury situation at the club] has taught us is that we must make all the players ready... and the players that have played recently have shown that they can take the team forward in the absence of the injured ones," Ncikazi continued.

"The nature in which we played against Sekhukhune gave us confidence but as I said we are playing Chiefs, in the biggest derby in the country with the most formidable attack, great transition game and set pieces, we just have to be careful and play the correct game ann ensure we don't lose the ball in wrong areas because they can be deadly and we all know that."

Ncikazi concluded by saying they are prepared for the game but as usual, the derby is unpredictable.

"I am also one of [the debutants], it is a new experience. Like Bernard [Parker] just said, you even see the difference in training, the preparedness, the healing from players that have been injured, it already sets the tone that is the biggest match in the PSL fixture," he added.

"The players look ready. You’ll never know how ready you are for the Derby. It’s what happens on the day of the match that will determine the outcome."

Samir Nurkovic scored the only goal to help Amakhosi defeat Pirates when the teams last met in a PSL assignment. 

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has borrowed a leaf from former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of the Soweto Derby against rivals Orlando Pirates on Saturday.

Amakhosi will head into the match against their local rivals on the backdrop of losing their last match 1-0 against Stellenbosch FC, and the defeat was their third so far in this campaign.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers will be buoyed by the fact they won their last match after edging out Sekhukhune United 2-1.

According to the 68-year-old British coach, Ferguson always used to tell his players never to lose twice in a row and it will be the same case for Chiefs when the two sides face off at FNB Stadium.

'Chiefs never lose twice'

“Derbies are most wins all the time, you don’t go into a derby thinking a draw will be okay, after every game Sir Alex Ferguson used to say to Manchester United players, you never lose twice, we [Chiefs] never lose twice, if you lose a game, then the next one you have to win it,” Baxter told the media.

“So in that respect, it is a must-win for our supporters, must-win for our credibility, because we know what is at stake during the derby.”

On his overall thinking of the derby, Baxter said: “I think, first of all, the derby is a derby, what goes before or what comes after in many time is not relevant, what matters is how do you deal with the occasion on the material day, we have the derby so how do we deal with the occasion?

“Can the experienced guys use their experience and help the team? It is all about those things, and what we can do for now is to make sure we do our preparations well and tick all the boxes, and then on the day we make sure that we perform.”

On Chiefs' chances of winning the derby, Baxter said: “It is not all guarantee but we will make sure we tick all our boxes before taking on the pitch to face Pirates. We have looked at a few combinations, we have looked at a few areas where we say is it the right time to make that change?

'It is motivational going into the derby'

"But again, you ask yourself, how many changes can you make, do you want to make changes going into a big game like this, or do you want to wait?

“All those things depend on what you see in training every day, depends on what you see if you give them [players] performance from the bench, for example, the confidence of the players go down to me making a final decision.

“We are thinking about the performance, how are we going to perform and I think we have been happy with some aspects of our past performances and it is not important to look at the log now but it is important to look at the log at the end of the season and is when you can know where teams finished.”

Meanwhile, Bernard Parker is confident Chiefs will bounce back from their last defeat to get a positive result against Pirates.

“For us going into this [derby], is motivational, two days ago things didn’t work out for us maybe because we didn’t give enough to get a good result, but this one coming forward, we have done our review, we have done our preparations and everyone is looking forward to the match,” Parker said.

Last season, it was Pirates who won the first meeting 2-1 before Chiefs recovered to win the second-round meeting 1-0.

Former Nyanza regional Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee member Toma Alila has hit out at current president Nick Mwendwa for allegedly mismanaging the sport in the country.

The FKF president has been accused of funds misappropriation and contributing to lowering the standards of the game in Kenya.

According to Aina, his predecessor Sam Nyamweya did a great job when he was in charge, as opposed to Mwendwa who, he says, should have been left to continue heading the Transfer Matching System.

Mwendwa was not meant for football

"Problem with our Kenyan football is people who are doing business with it without focusing on what they were elected to do like Mwendwa now," Aina told KBC TV.

"If you look at the time we had the likes of [the late Joab] Omino at FKF, things were going on really well. And I can even say Nyamweya did better; things like these could not happen where he could come out and say the team has no talent, he would not say something of the sort because I worked with him. 

"You need to give credit where it is due. But for this youth, he was not meant for football. I think he was better as a TMS manager where we put him when we started football. That is where he belongs."

FKF, coaches 'laundering money'

The administrator has further questioned the high turnover of coaches at the Harambee Stars, alleging money laundering is the reason for the numerous changes at the helm of the Kenya national team.

He suggested believes the incoming coaches are not doing anything substantial to improve the game in the country.

"You cannot be a coach of Harambee Stars... all these coaches you keep on changing like this one [Engin Firat] who has come," Alila continued.

"They have just come to do money laundering, there is nothing they are doing much, nothing."

Recently, the FKF was subjected to an audit by the Sports Ministry after a directive from Cabinet Minister Ambassador Amina Mohammed.

The report is expected to be out soon, with fans, stakeholders, and supporters at large waiting to know the fate of the Mwendwa-led regime.