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As disappointments go, Torino’s 2019/20 campaign will surely go down as one to definitely forget.

Ironically, turbulence seemed to be the theme for the clubs in Turin this season, with Juventus, despite securing another Serie A title under now-departed boss Maurizio Sarri, facing more questions about their capabilities and performances, which were underwhelming throughout the season.

Still, there’s a feeling the city’s lesser side would swap places with the Old Lady in an instant, which only puts their current situation in context, after what went down as their worst year in the top flight since gaining promotion way back in 12/13.

The Maroons’ struggles were understandable back then, given they’d just regained promotion to the big time after three years in Serie B. Their 16th-place finish in 2013 mirrors this year’s disaster, while their tally of 40 points only betters that haul from seven years ago by one.

It wasn’t the campaign Ola Aina envisaged either, following an encouraging maiden season at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in which he played a significant role in taking the Bull’s to seventh. Their high finish, coupled with their first European campaign since 14/15, heralded a new dawn for the team, especially as they’d finished in seventh after seemingly sneaking into ninth for successive seasons previously.

Indeed, Walter Mazzarri’s team’s tally of 63 points was just six behind fourth-placed Inter Milan, who qualified for the Champions League.

Aina was understandably hit and miss in his opening campaign but there was a feeling he had done relatively well, was more hit than miss, and held his own in his first campaign outside England.

The marked progress in the ex-Chelsea full-back had seen him go from the Stamford Bridge bench to thriving in the Championship at Hull City where he was one of the Tigers’ best players before moving to Italy.

In a season where AC Milan were underwhelming at the start and Napoli were embroiled in early-season in-fighting so intense that it threatened to derail their entire campaign, Torino failed to kick on from 18/19’s success to push for a higher league position and maintain their European spot.

More disappointing for the Turin side under Mazzarri was how, after finally gaining entry into continental football, they then failed to progress into the group stage. Their elimination at the hands of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers (5-3 on aggregate), after sailing through the first two qualifying rounds, seemed to dampen their spirits and they never truly recovered all season.

The Bull lost a staggering six of their first 10 games, which sent alarm bells ringing given they only suffered defeats seven times in Serie A the previous season – only champions Juventus (four) were beaten on fewer occasions. Interestingly, one of the Maroons’ two wins in that wretched run came vs Atalanta in Bergamo where the away side emerged 3-2 victors on the opening day.

It was then notable that Mazzarri's penultimate league game came against the same opponents, who obliterated La Granata 7-0 in Turin. Not even a change of head coach could stop the rot as Moreno Longo oversaw another three defeats in what was a bleak seven-game losing run in all competitions.

Having saved his former club from the threat of relegation, Longo left after the club’s 1-1 draw with Bologna on the final day.

Torino have, yet again, hit the reset button but the appointment of Marco Giampaolo has raised eyebrows in some quarters.

He oversaw Milan’s early-season woes where the Rossoneri picked up just three wins from four before getting the chop barely four months after getting the job in June 2019. While there were other extenuating factors for the Italian giants’ issues, their managerial choice was odd given the 53-year-old’s tendency to not stick around for a significant period.

This trend has seen Giampaolo manage at Catania, Cesena, Empoli and Sampdoria before his ill-fated time in Milan.

There was no resounding success story at any of those clubs, although he did guide Samp to three mid-table finishes in three successive campaigns. In the other jobs, barring Empoli where he completed the 15/16 season, Giampaolo was jettisoned months into his contract.

The jury is certainly still out on whether the ex-Milan boss is the right man for a side like Torino, and whether the club are making the right decisions that’ll benefit Aina’s growth as a player.

An interesting dive into the Nigeria international’s stats over the last two seasons suggest his raw numbers have declined somewhat since 18/19.

According to Fbref, the 23-year-old was second for progressive passes made in the Torino side in the just-concluded campaign. However, there was a decrease in volume (150 to 133 progressive passes) compared to last season despite making two fewer appearances on his season-long spell.

Given Mazzarri and, later, Longo utilised wing-backs, it was striking that Aina also played fewer passes and crosses into the penalty area this year unlike during his loan spell where he ranked in the top four for both metrics, alongside other widemen Lorenzo De Silvestri and Cristian Ansaldi.

With Giampaolo supposedly wedded to a 4-3-1-2 formation, it’ll be interesting to see how Aina adapts to the switch in approach and whether the much-maligned trainer turns out to be the right man to help the Super Eagles star’s development.

Torino couldn’t wait for the season to be over and have unsurprisingly moved to change their approach on the pitch.

The effect of Giampaolo’s expected changes and where the Turin side are in six-to-12 months will lead to an assessment of Aina’s time at the side, with observers evaluating whether the Nigerian made the right choice in hindsight or otherwise.

Former Western Stima coach Salim Babu has revealed why he was quick to take up the assistant coaching role at Wazito FC.

Babu, who has also handled Sony Sugar in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), was named the assistant to Fred Ambani, who was elevated to the head coach role following the exit of Stewart Hall two months ago.

Babu has now revealed how his friendship with coach Ambani made him quickly take up the hot seat at the club, which only last season fired numerous members of their technical bench.

“Fred [Ambani] has been my friend for many years, we played together and even as coaches we have been exchanging notes frequently, when he asked me to join him it was an easy decision to make,” Babu told the club’s official website.

“I believe together we will move this team forward.

“Joining Wazito is a great opportunity because I am joining a team with big ambitions and I want to be successful here. My role is that of an assistant coach and my duty is to help the head coach, that is what I will stick to.”

Wazito, who were promoted to the KPL in the 2019-20 campaign, fired several coaches among them Ambani, who was sent packing alongside then technical director Stanley Okumbi, before Ambani was reinstated, and also fired former Melis Medo, who was in charge for only two months.

Despite the turnover of coaches at the club, Ambani, who guided the team to promotion, has also remained confident he is the right person to take the team to the promised land.

“I want to thank the club management for believing in me once again,” Ambani told the club website.

“Wazito is a team that is so dear to me and I am looking forward to getting started. My target is to work with everyone at the club to ensure that the team is successful.

“Stewart Hall is the best coach I have ever worked under or with, he took me in well and our working relationship was a very good one, you do not come across such coaches every day. I want to thank him for everything he taught me and I wish him the very best wherever he goes because he is a good coach and he will land another job soon.”

Wazito will be keen to wrestle the league title from Gor Mahia when the new campaign gets underway in October.

Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero has sought to draw the positives from his side’s 4-1 thumping by Bayern Munich on Saturday.

The Blues exited Europe after losing 7-1 on aggregate to the German champions, with Tammy Abraham offering the sole response in a tie dominated by the Bundesliga outfit, who struck twice through Robert Lewandowski and once each from Ivan Perisic and Corentin Tolisso. 

Nevertheless, Caballero, who has recently taken over goalkeeping duties from Kepa Arrizabalaga, believes the outcome was harsh on Frank Lampard’s side.

“The total score after two games is very tough,” Caballero told the club’s official website. “We started the game knowing it would be tough because of what happened at Stamford Bridge in the first leg but we tried to play this game in the same way and go face-to-face with them from the beginning.

“The penalty and the first goal killed us but after that we worked really well. We did everything we could and scored a couple of goals, although obviously one was disallowed. We have to go home knowing we tried and did our best.”

Chelsea secured Champions League qualification for next season and will be reinforced with the arrivals of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and former Ajax man Hakim Ziyech.

The 38-year-old, though, believes that the Blues cannot be caught looking too far ahead into the future and have to start the new campaign with humility.

“I think we have to start next season in the same way that we started this season, going step by step and game by game. We have done well in the Premier League and of course we have some new players arriving to work with us and they will have a lot to give us next season,” he said.

“We have to think about recovering well our injured players because we have a lot. We didn’t miss them too much today and that’s good news.”

Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the knock-out stages in Europe, but they suffered disappointment in the FA Cup, in which they were defeated 2-1 by local rivals Arsenal.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken of his emotions as his side finally sealed their first title of the Premier League era.

The Reds ran away with the crown, sealing it by a massive 18-point margin over second-placed Manchester City, picking up 32 wins from 38 matches.

They were not, however, on the field when the trophy was finally secured, instead watching on as Chelsea’s victory over City – their eighth loss of nine over the course of the season – pushed the Anfield club into an unassailable position.

“Counting the minutes, it was just incredible and absolutely one of the best football moments I’ve ever had in my life with not being in a stadium,” Klopp explains in LFCTV’s ‘Golden Sky: Klopp’s Champions’ documentary.

“Because we were there together you could see each face. Players were sitting there, some couldn’t really watch it and stuff like this. We were all like this and it was absolutely exceptional.

“You have no idea how it will feel before it happens. It was pure joy! Massive relief in the next second and then I started crying. So I went and called Ulla [his wife].

“I called my family 10 seconds before the end of the game so they watched it together. I said, ‘OK, I love you all’ and I put the phone down on the table. I said, ‘Leave your phone on so you can see what happens here!’

“Then I wanted to speak to Ulla and couldn’t. I had her on the phone but I just was crying. I didn’t know why it happened. I had no idea. I was proud of and I was worried about [it], but I couldn’t stop. I have never in my life had a situation when I just couldn’t stop crying.

“I didn’t know exactly why, so I just went for a few minutes in my room because I didn’t want to show everybody when I was stood around there and couldn’t stop crying.

“Then I realised step-by-step and step-by-step obviously there was some pressure! Which I don’t really feel when I’m in the situation but being manager of this club is a big honour – I see it as pure luck – but it was some responsibility, let me say it like this.

“And obviously that fell off my shoulders in that moment and that must have been the reason for it. It was very strange, very good, very emotional, [a] very special moment in my life.”

Liverpool’s next outing comes on August 28, when they face FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Sofapaka FC have released captain George Maelo and former Gor Mahia midfielder Cercidy Okeyo after the expiry of their contracts.

The two complete the list of three players who have been let go, the other being striker Ronald Okoth.

"For Maelo, he has been deployed outside Nairobi, it will not be easy for him to train with the team and so we have opted to let him go," Batoto ba Mungu team manager Hillary Echesa told Goal on Sunday.

"We wish him all the best in his endeavours and at the same time thank him for his contribution to the team. He has been a role model for all the players and always gave the best when on the pitch."

However, it was a different case with Okoth and Okeyo as the former Kenya midfielder explained.

"Okeyo has struggled to get into the first team, his consistency was wanting and we had no option but to release him," Echesa continued.

"It was the same case with Okoth; he has since retired and we would like to thank him for the contribution he had for the team."

The Nairobi-based side will bring onboard some new faces to bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign.

"We will sign defenders and forwards, we are short on those areas and we have to get quality players to help us achieve our objectives," Echesa added.

"The transfer window has not been opened but once it happens, we will go for the targets we have identified already. We want to get them into the team as soon as possible in that by the time the season starts, we will be ready."

Batoto ba Mungu struggled at the beginning of the season but turned around their form prior to the 2019/20 Kenyan domestic season was suspended.

"It is not going to happen this time around," he said of their ambition in the new season. "It is something we want to make right.

"For us to be real title contenders, we have to start early, not to wait until the season has progressed then we try to catch up with the leaders. If we manage to start on a high, we will stand a chance of winning the league."

Cape Town City have announced the signing of promising striker Diego Appollis.

The 19-year-old player has joined the Citizens from fellow Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Chippa United.

Appollis was one of the best players in the PSL's reserve team in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC) during the 2019/20 campaign.

His exploits caught the eye of City, who have signed him on a three-year deal as the club strengthened coach Jan Olde Riekerink's squad.

The Citizens released the following statement on Sunday morning: 

A club statement read: "The Club is delighted to announce the signing of 19-year-old striker Diego Appollis from Chippa United."

"He signs a three-year deal with City after a phenomenal breakout season in the MDC. The next generation is here, welcome Diego."

This comes after the 2018 MTN8 champions parted ways with experienced striker Siphelele Mthembu, whose contract was not extended when it expired at the end of June 2020. 

Appollis will compete with Tashreeq Morris and Kermit Erasmus in the Citizens' striking department next term as he cannot be registered this season.  

The teenager was in great scoring form for the Chilli Boys reserve team having, where he netted 14 goals in the MDC, before the competition was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

The PSL has since decided to cancel the 2019/20 MDC season with Chippa placed 11th on the league standings. 

Appollis has become City's first signing as they prepare for the new 2020/21 campaign, but they will have to ensure that they retain their status in the PSL this term.

The Citizens, who have a game in hand, are placed 10th on the league standings - four points above the relegation zone. 

They are set to resume their league campaign with a clash against Appollis' former club at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Friday, August 14.

Chippa will use the historic stadium as their home ground for the remainder of the current season.

Meanwhile, City have been drawn to play their home matches at the 2010 Fifa World Cup venue, Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. 

All matches will be played in Gauteng which is the host for the Biolgocally Safe Environment (BSE). 

Simba SC have now emerged as the clear favourites to land the services of Gor Mahia defender Joash Onyango.

The 27-year-old is among the key players who are keen to leave the Kenyan champions this transfer window and the Wekundu wa Msimbazi have already expressed their interest to sign him.

According to a Simba official in Dar es Salaam, Onyango is seen as the player to partner Pascal Wawa at the heart of the club’s defence ahead of the new season. where they will take part in the Caf Champions League.

“I know Simba are interested to sign [Onyango] and they have even held talks with him over a possible move,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Sunday.

“Onyango is seen as a good signing who can play alongside Wawa in the Simba defence, they have already talked and the deal could be made public anytime soon, it is just a matter of days before he arrives in Dar es Salaam to put pen to paper.”

Simba have already plunged into the transfer market with the signing of midfielder Bernard Morrison from rivals Yanga SC. The Ghanaian player has penned a two-year contract to ditch the Jangwani Street-based giants for the Reds.

In an earlier interview, Onyango revealed he was ready for another challenge after his current contract with Gor Mahia expires. 

"To be honest my contract with Gor Mahia expires in December,” Onyango told Goal. “I am ripe for another challenge; Gor Mahia have not approached me regarding my contract extension.

“So if any team approaches me with intentions to get my services, I will not think twice.”

Onyango joined K'Ogalo from Western Stima in the 2017 season and has gone to help them win back-to-back KPL titles and helping them in continental assignments. He was part of the team that qualified for the Caf Confederation Cup quarter-finals in the 2018/19 season.

The team went on to fall 7-1 on aggregate to RS Berkane of Morocco.

Other players whose contracts at K'Ogalo have or are about to expire include Charles Momanyi, who has been linked with a move to KCB, winger Nicholas Kipkirui and Ghanaian Jackson Owusu.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Muguna has already opened talks to sign for Petro Atletico of Angola.

Lille have announced that they have completed the signing of former Manchester United youngster Angel Gomes on a five-year deal.

The attacking midfielder was a free agent after failing to agree terms with the Red Devils.

Lille fans, however, will have to wait to see him in their colours as he will be loaned to Portuguese outfit Boavista for the duration of the 2020-21 season.

“We are very happy to welcome Angel Gomes who comes free from Manchester United,” Lille CEO Marc Ingla said. “Angel represents one of the greatest international prospects in his position. 

“He is a very intelligent player in his decision making, technical, agile, but also endowed with strong leadership abilities, as shown by captaining England’s Under-20 side.

"He is still young but has immense talent and potential. We are very happy to have convinced him to join LOSC.”

Gomes comes from a footballing background as the cousin of Portugal international Nani, while his father Gil Gomes, who featured for Sheffield Wednesday, also spent time playing professionally in France for Tours.

Capable of playing out wide or through the centre, the 19-year-old Gomes had been on the books of Manchester United since 2006, turning professional with the Old Trafford outfit in 2017.

He featured on eight occasions for the senior team during the 2019-20 campaign, including three Europa League and two Premier League outings, but was unable to be decisive in any of these encounters.

However, in Premier League 2 play, he had notched four goals and two assists in just 429 minutes of action spread over five matches.

He represents Lille’s third summer addition, following forwards Isaac Lihadji and Burak Yilmaz to the club, with both arriving on free transfers.

Meanwhile, Lille have been active in terms of selling players, having allowed Victor Osimhen to leave for Napoli for a reported fee of €81 million, including any future bonus payments.

Centre-back Gabriel, meanwhile, may well depart as he continues to catch the eye of several Premier League sides, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton, while Jonathan Ikone has also been linked with a summer move away from Stade Pierre-Mauroy, where the club must be mindful to comply with UEFA’s FFP restrictions.

Uganda international Isaac Muleme has hit out at North Africa and advised players from the region not to transfer there.

The left-back had a short stint with Hars el-Hodod Sporting Club in the 2017/18 season, where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal. A year later, he moved to FK Viktoria Zizkov in the Czech Republic.

The 27-year-old still curses his time in Egypt, saying some people judge players over pay disputes without knowing all the facts.

"To be honest, in North Africa they don’t want to pay players but people just keep judging us without knowing the truth," Muleme told Sports Nation.

"I was there before, I know how they treat players. North Africa is sh*t and I do not advise any player to go there."

The full-back, who has made 39 appearances for the Cranes played for FC Nitra, Slovakia, on loan, but has made a return to Viktoria Zizkov.

He has revealed the challenges he has to face day in, day out in the European country.

"Here, they do speak Czech only, they want to promote their language, few people speak English " Muleme continued.

"[At Nitra] they speak English and it is easy to associate with people although it is a small country, but the level of competition in the Czech Republic is better."  

The experienced defender has also explained why any player wishing to play in Europe should be psychologically prepared in order to be successful.

"They do not eat fresh food, it is always kept in the fridge. The weather is not what I am used to; [There is] winter, autumn, and summer. It gets tough," he said.

Muleme had joined Viktoria Zizkov in February last year from the Alexandria-based side Haras El Hodood FC.

He is a product of the defunct SC Villa Academy, Jogoo Young, that produced many of the players of the current Uganda generation.

In his home country, Muleme has featured for boyhood club SC Villa in more than one stint, defunct SC Victoria University, and KCCA FC.

He was part of the Cranes team that featured at the Chan finals in 2014, 2016, and 2018.   

New Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo can match the achievements of Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, according to Bianconeri legend Alessandro Del Piero.

Following Juve’s surprise Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon on Friday, Maurizio Sarri was sacked from the role, with Pirlo, who was only appointed as head coach of the Under-23 side last week, swiftly upgraded into the top post.

Pirlo’s move into management caught many by surprise, and while Del Piero admits that he was one of those, he believes that the former midfield playmaker has the ability to replicate the achievements of Zidane, who has won three Champions League titles and the Primera Division with Real Madrid, having been another unlikely figure in the dugout.

“It’s not a fair comparison, because Zizou had already worked with the Real Madrid youth team and then was Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant manager, but Pirlo has everything it takes to do even better than Zidane,” Del Piero told Sky Sport Italia.

“He already knows the club, the players, the directors, so I think they communicated in a very clear way.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have bet on him becoming the coach. It’s a surprise for me too.

“I was already pleased for him taking the Under-23 role and thought that was the right move for him, but he’s skipped ahead, so I can only wish him luck.

“I think the general perception of former players who become coaches is changing in Italy. Before, there was this need to go through a long process in the lower leagues to learn the trade, but in recent years we’ve seen Filippo and Simone Inzaghi succeed, plus Gennaro Gattuso. They were great players and started straight away with great teams.”

Juventus finished the Serie A season just a single point ahead of Inter but did enough to secure their ninth Scudetto in succession. The gap, however, was uncomfortable, particularly with Atalanta and Lazio only three points further back from the Nerazzurri.

Meanwhile, the Turin side have been unsettled further by reports in France that star man Cristiano Ronaldo remains a potential target for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window.

David Alaba is refusing to be distracted by questions over his future and said Bayern Munich are travelling to Lisbon for their Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona with nothing to fear.

Versatile Austria defender Alaba is yet to commit to a new contract at the Allianz Arena, with his deal set to expire next year.

Manchester City, coached by former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the illustrious clubs linked to Alaba's signature.

Bayern have been increasingly confident of retaining Alaba's services, though, and the player himself is focused only on Die Roten's bid for Champions League glory in Portugal this month.

"My focus is on the next few weeks and that's why I don't let anything else distract me," he said when asked about his future.

Alaba was part of the Bayern side that routed Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday to earn a 7-1 aggregate triumph in their last-16 tie, which was completed over five months after it started.

Next up is a quarter-final date with Barca, who were inspired by Lionel Messi in getting past Napoli and into the last eight.

Alaba acknowledges the competition is about to crank up a notch but says Bayern can approach the task with confidence.

"I think it will be even more intense in the next few weeks and that's why we want to prepare well in Portugal so that we're ready," he added.

"The anticipation is huge, of course. Barcelona have a good team, we are aware of that, with very good, individual players, but we want to counter that and go to Portugal with confidence. We need each other, [we cannot] hide."

 Bayern finished their domestic campaign as Bundesliga champions, with Alaba featuring on 28 occasions, scoring one goal and assisting one more, as they won the league by 13 points ahead of second placed Borussia Dortmund.

In total, the Austria international, who joined FCB in 2008 from Austria Vienna’s youth system, has played 383 matches for Bayern and has played his entire senior career with the Allianz Arena club, with the exception of a loan spell with Hoffenheim. 

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has expressed sadness over the fact that Bidvest Wits has been sold to new owners Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

‘Jingles’ also said he hopes the Clever Boys will bounce back to the top-flight, drawing comparisons with Rangers in Scotland, adding that the Braamfontein-based club has good development structures.

On the other hand, Mosimane spoke of how he used to throw some humour in their rivalry with coach Gavin Hunt’s troops and that the four-time Premier Soccer League (PSL) winners deserve the credit.

“It’s very sad to lose Wits, it’s a team that has a big history, big culture and they’re 97 years [99 years], I don’t know whatever it is,” Mosimane told the media.

“You don’t want to lose a team like this, I used to jab them. I always say they have won one trophy in 100 years you know. Just to put humour on it, but what a good team, a strong team they’ve won cups.

“I mean Gavin needs the credit as a coach and I think the coach will struggle to get a club.”

The reigning PSL Coach of the Season also took a look at Bafana Bafana legend Lucas Radebe’s former club Leeds United, saying they were absent from the Premier League for many years but they never changed the name.

“It’s sad to see them go but business is business, unfortunately in Europe names remain but in South Africa, we change the name,” he added.

“We see Leeds United coming back after 20 years [16 years], I don’t know how many years but the name remains. So, it’s very sad to see Wits going but the youth is still there.

“Probably they have a plan, they can come back. Yes, Rangers was relegated and that’s [Bongani] Zungu’s team but they came back and they are in the Scottish Premiership now.

“So, Wits juniors can come up again and build a team, they have a strong youth structure. So, we wish they can come back.”

Just after their hard-fought 3-2 win over the Clever Boys at Orlando Stadium on Saturday evening in the Nedbank Cup, the Brazilians will face Bloemfontein Celtic in the final in September.

On the other hand, they are now turning their focus to a mouth-watering clash against Orlando Pirates whom they meet on Tuesday night in the league.

Rio Ferdinand has declared that Thiago Alcantara would be a "dream" signing for Liverpool after seeing the midfielder star in Bayern Munich's 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday. 

Despite being linked with an off-season move away from Bayern, Thiago started for Hansi Flick's side against the Blues and impressed before being withdrawn in the 70th minute as the Bundesliga champions strolled into the Champions League quarter-finals. 

The Spaniard is a reported target for the Reds with the 29-year-old eager to play in the Premier League. 

After seeing Thiago star for Bayern against Chelsea, Ferdinand praised the midfielder's intelligence and conceded he could be exactly the type of player Jurgen Klopp needs at Anfield 

"He is a conductor, somebody who controls the tempo of the game, he’s got a wing mirror so he can see behind him, can see all angles, play every pass in the game," Ferdinand told BT Sport. 

"Intelligent player, he speaks the language which is an important part of it as well.

"He’d be a dream to have for someone like Liverpool. He’s the type of player they probably haven’t got."

Flick was also impressed by Thiago's showing on Saturday as the Spaniard demonstrated that speculation over his club future won't impact his performances moving forward. 

"If Thiago plays like he does today, he is very important to us," Flick told reporters.

"He had a lot of ball wins on the defensive and also determined our game. He played smart passes, let the ball circulate and acted very well in the three-man setup. I liked that very much. I am very satisfied."

Bayern veteran Thomas Muller backed up his manager's comments, declaring Thiago has been brilliant for a decade now. 

"The qualities of our players should be known by now. We don't have to talk about Thiago. He has been showing what he can do for ten years," Muller added.

"He can not only handle the ball well and delight the spectators and his own team, but he is also an excellent ball thief. He showed that again today. He brought what he means to us into the game." 

Owen Coyle took the Indian Super League (ISL) by storm last season after turning things around miraculously at Chennaiyin FC.

Chennaiyin FC were staring at yet another disappointing season after just six matches when Coyle came on board with his magic wand and changed the mood around the club.

However, the love story between Coyle and the club was short-lived. The former Bolton Wanderers manager had come on a short term deal and was a free agent after the 2019-20 season.

The Scotland-born manager has now joined Jamshedpur FC on a two-year deal and is looking forward to recreating his magic in the ISL once again.

Things, though, will be a bit different this season owing to the unfortunate ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has affected sports across the world. ISL too will act according to the ‘new norms’ and will be played at a centralised venue this year.

Coyle suggested that playing under such circumstances will be difficult and he believes that the players need to be mentally strong to cope with the changed situation.

“It is a difficult situation and there is no doubt about that. And that is why while recruiting the players we went for those players who would enhance the strength of the side. We also find players who have the ability and who can deal with the mentality because that will be a big issue. Everybody will be in the same area and movements will be restricted. So we need players who are mentally strong and can be a part of a group. There will be challenges and this is unprecedented and we did not have any hand in this. What I can do is prepare the team well to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible,” the new Jamshedpur boss told Goal.

The former Irish international though chose to focus on the positives.

He said, “The games will come very fast and we have to make sure the players recover well and go again. The other thing which will probably help in that respect is that there won’t be much travelling. We have to counter these problems and make sure it is as smooth as possible.”

Coyle suggested that he loved his time at Chennaiyin and is looking forward to Jamshedpur challenge.

“I absolutely loved being there with Chennaiyin FC. Obviously, after March I was a free agent and then Jamshedpur came and we had positive talks. Chennaiyin was a good club with good people but Jamshedpur is also a great challenge."

He also touched upon the most memorable match from last season which came against league-stage toppers FC Goa whom they defeated with a 4-1 scoreline in the first leg of the play-off. Chennaiyin would go on to win the tie 6-5 on aggregate.

Floyd Pinto, who has built himself quite a reputation in youth coaching, is keen to step into coaching senior teams.

The former Indian Arrows and India U19 coach wants to shatter the stereotype of a youth coach and is set to join Punjab FC as an assistant coach.

"When you are with the AIFF (All India Football Federation), with the Indian Arrows or even with the U-19 team, you will always be known as a youth coach. So I wanted to get out of that mould of a youth team coach and move into a senior team setup," he opined to Goal.

"I'm looking to challenge myself both on and off the field. My main aim was to do the (AFC) Pro License. An aspect of doing the Pro License when it happened last time is that you need to be with a professional club playing in the professional league. So what I thought is, if I'm doing my Pro License course, then why not attach myself with a professional team," said the 33-year-old.

Goal understands that Floyd has agreed terms with I-League outfut Punjab FC. The engineer turned coach believes that he has a lot to offer from his experience.

"The experience that I had in the I-League for two years gave me the confidence that I can step up. There are a lot of things to learn once I make that step up and there are also a lot of things I can contribute having worked with some of the best talents in the country who are now playing in the top leagues. So I feel that this is the right time to make that step up. 

"With Covid-19 (Coronavirus pandemic), now everything has slowed down, but in a way it has also given me more time to reflect on my time with the AIFF and prepare myself for what's coming next. My contract with AIFF ended in March and ever since I have been talking to a few coaches to have a feel of what's going on," he said.

Ever since Floyd assumed the position of head coach at the AIFF Elite Academy, he has won the U-18 I-League twice in a row – 2015-16 and 2016-17 – besides lifting the Subroto Cup as the head coach of the AIFF U-17 team in 2015 where the trophy was handed over by legendary Brazilian footballer Pele at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. 

He also did a meritorious job with the Indian Arrows since taking over from Portuguese coach Luis Norton de Matos following the bottom-placed finish in the 2017-18 I-League season. With more or less the same squad which had  the likes of Deepak Tangri, Boris Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Rahul KP, Rahim Ali etc, he fared much better in the following season with an eighth placed finish. His Arrows team also defeated Kerala Blasters in the qualification round of the 2019 Super Cup before being ousted by FC Goa.

"I want to be working as a head coach or an assistant," Pinto reiterated that he is not willing to settle for a role lesser than the first team.

His last assignment was at the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers where they couldn't make it out of the group stage albeit after leading his boys to the 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship title.

"I'll obviously want to contribute to what the club is currently doing or willing to do as far as the youth [development] is concerned - getting a good structure in place, making sure that training standards are up to the mark, getting in players from the youth to the first team.

"I'm not someone who will stick to one role and just do my job. I will be interested as to what is going on around me at that particular club, and I'll always want to give my two bits of information to help the club grow and evolve," he concluded.

New Simba SC signing Bernard Morrison has urged Yanga SC to accept and move on after he signed for their rivals on Saturday.

The Ghanaian forward, who has been at loggerheads with the Yanga management for a while now, was unveiled as a Simba player on Saturday after he signed a two-year contract with the Mainland Premier League champions.

However, immediately after Simba made the transfer official, Yanga came out with a statement in which they claimed Morrison was still their player as he still has a running contract with them until 2022, and that his case will be discussed by Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) on Monday.

“The leadership of Yanga have seen stories and rumours going round in social media which has unsettled our fans and the followers at large,” stated the statement from Yanga seen by Goal.

“Yanga is following keenly and closely the transfer revolving around Morrison to Simba and tough disciplinary action will be taken against those who violated the set rules.

“We want to clarify and state here clearly that Morrison has a contract with the club running until 2022 and the case is already in the hands of TFF, who will listen to the same on Monday.”

Morrison has now talked for the first time after the transfer by asking Yanga to accept and move on since he had already signed for Simba and was ready to play for them in the new season.

“It is part of the game, and I don’t take any personal offense about whatever that has been happening for a while now,” Morrison told Azam TV on Saturday.

“Yanga is a big team and Simba is also a big club and moving from Yanga to Simba it is not really a big deal, though the [Yanga] supporters are disappointed and the management are disappointed, but it is part of football.

“It happens so I don’t think they have to see me as a bad person, in moving from Yanga to Simba because it is part of football and they have to accept it and move on and welcome me to Tanzanian football.

On how he will compete for his position at Simba and the challenges he will face at the new club, Morrison explained: “This is football, the fact I came here to work, wherever you find yourself you just have to prepare yourself and work wholeheartedly.

“I know there is a big challenge ahead of to play for [Simba] in the league and Caf Champions League but I have to prepare my mind to be extra strong in any way so I can be able to be ready for the challenge ahead of me.

“I also want the Simba fans to welcome me home, I am home now, they must make me feel happy, I am coming to work hard, they must show me they love me, I know they love their players, and I also want them to appreciate me as one of their own because I am coming to work hard and help them to win trophies.”

The trouble for the former Orlando Pirates player started immediately after the humiliating 4-1 defeat Yanga suffered against Simba in the FA Cup, when he was substituted for Patrick Sibomana but instead of going to the bench, he walked straight down the tunnel to the dressing and drove away from the stadium never to return to training again.

Just a week ago, the Jangwani Street-based giants released 14 players, among them captain Papy Tshishimbi, striker David Molinga, and ex-Gor Mahia player Gnamien Yikpe but retained Morrison, hoping they could convince him to stay at the club.

Other players axed include veteran striker Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be an amazing experience for players and fans, thanks to some absolutely wonderful stadiums and facilities, feels South Korean midfielder Jung Woo-young.

Jung, who plies his trade with Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Sadd, has experienced the facilities being developed for the global footballing extravaganza by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) first hand and feels they are top-notch.

Three of the eight planned venues for the World Cup have already been inaugurated - Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub stadium and the Education City stadium. Jung joined Al Sadd in 2018 and has been an important part of the squad coached by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

"It’s wonderful to drive by the stadiums. Right away, you feel a desire to play in them. We had several games at the Khalifa International Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah," Jung told FIFA.com .

Jung, who is a part of the South Korean team vying to qualify for the 2022 edition, will be hoping he gets to experience his second World Cup in a country where he is currently based.

"It’s amazing. I can imagine how the players who will be coming to the World Cup in two years’ time are going to feel. I hope I’ll be in top form then so that I can keep my spot in the national team and take part in this big tournament."

Korea are currently second in their qualification group and stand a very good chance of making it into the final qualification round.

"Yes, we have a long tradition at the World Cup and we want to maintain this legacy. The qualifiers have been very difficult, and opponents want to deny us a place in the final round. It’s true we’re in second position in our group, but we’ve played one game less. Moreover, we’ll be playing three games [Turkmenistan, Lebanon and Korea DPR] on home soil, which gives us the advantage to finish top of the group and make the final qualifying round."

The 30-year-old is no stranger to great World Cup moments, having been a part of the Korea side that beat defending champions Germany in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He started the game against Joachim Low's side as they won 2-0.

“We were very happy to beat the defending world champions and prove we could compete with big teams. We wanted to progress to the last 16, but luck wasn’t on our side in the first two fixtures. We certainly weren’t happy with our group-stage exit and expected a lukewarm reception at home, but the moment we came out of the airport, we found thousands of fans waiting for us. They thanked us for our good performance. It was great to feel that appreciation from them,” he said.

Jung is loving life in Qatar and he hopes to be a part of the tournament which will bring the entire footballing world to the Middle-Eastern country.

"I never thought I’d love life here," he said. "Everyone is friendly and that has helped me adapt to this new lifestyle. In fact, I was delighted to find some Korean restaurants in Qatar. That said, I still share traditional Qatari meals with club-mates when we have our training camps. I love eating lamb."