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Victor Osimhen’s former agent Jean-Gerard Benoit Czajka has revealed how talks with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly changed the Lille star’s mindset about Italy.

The Nigeria international, who is said to be on the verge of moving to the Stadio San Paolo this summer, was worried by racism incidents in Serie A, and the fears initially affected his negotiations with the Parthenopeans.

Benoit Czajka, who was Osimhen’s representative until this month before they parted ways for undisclosed reasons, said the 21-year-old was even ready to turn down a bumper annual salary of €10 million from Juventus if they made a move because of his fears.

“Victor did not want to go to Italy. From the start, he has been stuck on the idea of ​​playing in Serie A,” Benoit Czajka told France Football.

“He told me that racism issues scared him and that he didn't feel it. He even told me in March-April: "I don't want to go and play in Italy even if it's for Juventus at €10 million net per year".

“I told Victor that before having such strong ideas, that he had to travel to see for himself, meet people, talk with players who are confronted with racism, etc.

“Something that we finally did on July 1, 2 and 3 where we met the coach, the sports director, as well as the president De Laurentiis who is a man with values ​​and experience, and who seems to have convinced the player. Victor also spoke a lot with Kalidou Koulibaly and this was decisive in his choice for Napoli.”

Osimhen enjoyed an incredible debut season in France, scoring 13 Ligue 1 goals for Lille who ended the campaign in the fourth spot before the league was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Benoit Czajka disclosed that an agreement between Lille and Napoli had been reached "a long time ago" and the French club might be unhappy with the inconclusiveness of the deal.

“We have been in contact with them since March,” he added. “With the Covid, we finally managed to see each other at the end of May, early June in Monaco with Giuntoli and then we moved with the player at the beginning of July in Naples.

“To be clear, if we go to Italy it is because the two clubs have been in agreement for a long time and they told us so. I think that Lille did not appreciate that Victor comes and comes back without having signed his contract.”

Sevilla have confirmed a member of their first-team squad has tested positive for coronavirus, later revealed to be Serbia international Nemanja Gudelj.

The player was tested on Sunday along with coaching staff and the rest of the first-team squad, before the results were returned on Monday.

Gudelj, who chose to waive anonymity in order to send a message to fans on Wednesday, is asymptomatic and self-isolating at home, though the club immediately suspended training sessions.

"Good afternoon everybody, after confirming my positive Covid-19 test I want to tell you all that I am perfectly fine, I have no symptoms," the former Ajax midfielder explained in a video released on his official Twitter page. 

"I hope to be back with my team-mates soon and help the club reach its goals at the end of this season. 

"Thanks for all your messages of support, we are still here training and we'll see you soon."

Two further tests have since been carried out on the rest of the squad and the coaching staff.

While the first batch of tests all came back negative, Sevilla do not expect the results of the second round to be known until Thursday.

Should there be no further positive results among the side's squad and employees, Sevilla plan to return to individual training – with "all the applicable measures" in place – on Thursday.

Sevilla concluded their La Liga campaign with a 1-0 win over Valencia on July 19 to finish fourth, but their Europa League commitments resume against Roma on August 6.

The Andalucians are one of a string of sides in Spain who have seen their plans disrupted by a fresh outbreak of the virus, which has led the United Kingdom to issue travel restrictions in recent days. 

Real Madrid confirmed on Tuesday that forward Mariano was suffering from the virus ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City in the Champions League, while Segunda Division side Zaragoza have also seen an unnamed player return positive in testing prior to participating in the upcoming promotion play-offs.

First-half goals from Luca Gagliano and Giovanni Simeone gave Cagliari a deserved 2-0 victory over Serie A champions Juventus.

Juve wrapped up their ninth consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend, although patchy recent form means Maurizio Sarri's side have now won only two of their past seven matches.

A vibrant Cagliari were the beneficiaries on this occasion, with Gagliano giving them an early lead to set them on the way to a first July win at the ninth and final attempt.

It proved a frustrating night for Cristiano Ronaldo, while Simeone – the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego – came up with a superb finish worthy of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in first-half stoppage time.

Gianluigi Buffon was back in the Juventus starting line-up and picking the ball out of his net in the eighth minute, when Federico Mattiello drove Paolo Farago's right-wing cross back across goal for Gagliano to finish from close range.

Ronaldo – engaged in what appears to be an increasingly futile pursuit of Ciro Immobile in the Capocannoniere stakes – touched in Federico Bernardeschi's stabbed throughball from an offside position and racked up four blocked attempts by the interval.

Gonzalo Higuain volleyed over from Bernardeschi's 38th-minute corner before Juve found themselves further beyond due to Simeone's sublime 20-yard drive.

Joao Pedro sent a shot from similar range skimming wide early in the second half before Buffon plunged to keep out a Simeone volley – the defence in front of the veteran gloveman continuing to look terribly disjointed.

Atalanta-bound Simone Muratore had a long-range effort saved by Cagliari keeper Alessio Cragno, who also got down sharply to keep out Ronaldo's left-footer from 25 yard in the 68th minute.

Simeone might have added to his tally and Juve's misery when he sliced wide before the visitors pounded at the Cagliari defence with diminishing return until the final whistle.

What does it mean? Sarri has steepening Champions League task

The more Juventus turn in performances like this, the less their schedule of competitive action before the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lyon feels like an advantage.

The Ligue 1 side have, of course, been out of action since March as they prepare to defend a 1-0 lead in Turin next month. Sarri badly needs his team to find some rhythm, something an experimental line-up entirely ruled out in Sardinia.

Simeone back in the groove

The moment of defining quality was produced by Simeone as he sized up a backpedalling Leonardo Bonucci before lashing beyond a helpless Buffon. It was his 12th goal of the Serie A season – closing on the 14 he scored in a breakout 2017-18 at Fiorentina.

That form proved good enough to earn international honours, but the last of his five caps also came in 2018. At 25, he still has plenty of time to get back on track.

Record man Ronaldo falls flat

Ronaldo is two shy of chalking up the most prolific Serie A season in Juventus history even if Immobile is now surely out of reach. But he was brought to Turin to help bring Champions League glory.

The sight of that wider goal appeared to be lost by all concerned as Sarri indulged a spiralling shot count and another 90 minutes in the legs for the 35-year-old.

What's next

Juventus wrap up their Serie A season at home to Roma on Saturday, when Cagliari are on the road at in-form Milan.

Leon Balogun's arrival at Glasgow Rangers is a ‘good addition’ for the Ibrox Stadium outfit, according to former Tottenham Hotspur defender Alan Hutton, who doesn't expect the Nigeria international to be a starter at Ibrox Stadium.

Balogun joined the Gers on a one-year contract on Friday, with the option for an extension, having come to the end of his contract at Brighton & Hove Albion. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Wigan Athletic, but was unable to prevent the Latics from relegation.

The defender becomes the second Super Eagles player in Steven Gerrard's team after Joe Aribo, who was a key fixture in their midfield last term, but despite his immense international experience, Hutton has predicted that Balogun won't be a starter next term.

“I was kind of stunned when I saw it, I looked on my phone and then bang, signing, it kind of came out of nowhere,” Hutton told Football Insider. “We spoke about them wanting the fourth centre-half, I think it was a priority to bring someone in.

He’s 32 now, he’s experienced and I know he’s not played so much in the last few years but he’s an international player who’s played abroad – he knows the game.

Balogun struggled to make an impact in English football at Brighton, where he failed to break up the Seagulls' centre-back pairing of Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy.

“I think he will be more of a backup option," added Hutton, who played for Rangers between 2002-2008, "'[but he's] a good option to have."

Meanwhile, Balogun took to social media on Wednesday to react to his maiden training session with Gerrard's men.

He will be aiming to make his debut in the Scottish Premiership when Rangers travel to Aberdeen for their opening fixture in the 2020-21 league season on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Milan picked Sampdoria apart and extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions with a 4-1 victory.

Stefano Pioli's men have not lost since the Serie A season resumed in June, a run of form that has taken them to sixth place and European qualification while securing the coach an extended contract.

January signing Ibrahimovic has been key and proved the star of the show again with his two goals plus an assist for Hakan Calhanoglu - following a VAR review - in a dominant display at the Marassi that concluded with Rafael Leao's well-taken fourth.

Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a penalty in the second half but was eventually beaten by a brilliant effort from Kristoffer Askildsen.

Milan were outstanding from the off and needed just four minutes to forge the opener as Ante Rebic's smart turn on the left created space for a cross that found Ibrahimovic inexplicably unmarked for a simple header.

A second should have swiftly followed, but Theo Hernandez shot straight at Wladimiro Falcone, who bounced back up to steer Davide Calabria's drive clear.

Falcone then got a toe to Rebic's low finish, before he again came to Samp's rescue with a scrambling stop from a scuffed Ibrahimovic effort on the half-hour mark.

The home side somehow made it to half-time just a goal behind and almost capitalised with an equaliser six minutes after the restart as Donnarumma parried Fabio Quagliarella's free-kick and Omar Colley nodded the rebound over.

However, Milan went straight down the other end and deservedly doubled their lead, with Calhanoglu reaching Ibrahimovic's knockdown to thrash home. Referee Fabrizio Pasqua initially perceived a non-existent foul on Ronaldo Vieira by the goalscorer but made amends with a visit to the pitchside monitor.

Now ruthless where they had earlier been wasteful, Milan had a third when Calhanoglu returned the favour and fed Ibrahimovic to shoot through Falcone.

Donnarumma blocked from close range to deny Quagliarella a consolation and Samp still could not beat the goalkeeper even after Simon Kjaer barged Andrea Bertolacci to the ground in the area, with Gonzalo Maroni's penalty saved.

It took a spectacular effort to finally get the better of Donnarumma as Askildsen curled into the top-right corner three minutes from time, far too late to cause Milan major concern as Leao instead restored the three-goal cushion in style in stoppage time.
 

What does it mean? Milan in fine fettle

Milan will have a watchful eye on Roma's result against Torino later on Wednesday as they may yet be able to leapfrog the Giallorossi on the final day and avoid the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

But considering how ordinary the Rossoneri have been at times in seasons past, the entertainment of recent performances alone will send supporters into next term on a high, keen to see their side quickly pick up where they are leaving off.

Veteran vital for Pioli

Indeed, it has been a long time since Milan were this much fun to watch. As Rebic buzzes around up front, the full-backs pile forward, but at the centre of it all is Ibrahimovic.

The giant Swede may now be 38, but he has scored 10 times since January and brings others into play brilliantly. Milan must do whatever it takes to keep him at San Siro.

Rowdy Rebic escapes red

The one Milan disappointment since football's return was their Coppa Italia semi-final exit to a rusty Juventus side. They might well have won that tie, too, but for a foolish Rebic red card.

The forward avoided another dismissal here but only after a lengthy VAR review assessed his clash with Gaston Ramirez. Escaping with a booking, Rebic was then hooked at half-time with Milan unable to afford his ill discipline.

Key Opta Facts

- Only Manchester City (34) have scored more goals than Milan (32) in Europe's 'top five' leagues since the lockdown break.
- Milan have scored two or more goals in six straight games in Serie A; the last time they had a longer run was back in 1964 (nine games).
- Donnarumma has saved four penalties in Serie A this season; the last goalkeeper to save more in a single top-flight campaign was Samir Handanovic in 2010-11 (six).
- Calhanoglu is the first Milan player to have a hand in 10 goals in five appearances since Filippo Inzaghi in 2008.

What's next?

Sampdoria have little to play for against already-relegated Brescia on Saturday's final day, while Milan will back themselves to extend their unbeaten run further at home to Cagliari.

Bongani Zungu has identified former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure as the player he looked up to while growing up, and explained how the Ivory Coast legend shaped his career.

The Ivorian is considered one of the greatest Africans to grace the game, with multiple trophies in his cabinet including the Premier League, La Liga, Champions League and Africa Cup of Nations. The 37-year-old - who was recently spotted training with League Two side Leyton Orient - is also a four-time recipient of the African Footballer of Year.

His legacy is now being felt among the generation who follow him, with Zungu paying tribute to his fellow midfielder.

"Growing up, I looked up to Yaya Toure. I used to watch a lot of his games,” Zungu told Daily Record. "I watched him at Barcelona back in the day, and then when he was at Manchester City, even when I became a professional football player because I'm the type of player that invests a lot of time in football.

"I watch what top midfielders do, or if they have books or documentaries or anything like that. So, I can say Yaya Toure was the biggest influence. He was very influential in terms of when he was on the pitch and the things he did."

Zungu started his career in South Africa with the University of Pretoria, before joining record Premier Soccer League title  holders Mamelodi Sundowns. He then moved to Europe to play for Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal during the 2016-17 season.

The 27-year-old has been on the books of Amiens since 2017, playing 57 times in all competitions including 21 in Ligue 1 last season, but was unable to prevent their relegation to Ligue 2.

"When I was younger, I basically played in every position," he added. "When I made my debut in the South African second division for Dynamos, I was a No.10 and then I went to the Premier League and played in the same position for Tuks.

"It was only when I was at Mamelodi Sundowns, that they moved me to a holding midfielder role.

"There are a lot of players whose manager decides what position they play in. Perhaps I will see myself as an attacking midfielder, but he wants me as a defensive midfielder.

"So I read about Yaya because that was what happened to him and learned all about how it impacted him as a player because it's difficult to make that change."

Zungu went on to narrate how he was almost killed in a shooting incident that occurred in his family home in the city of Duduza. The 29-time capped Bafana Bafana star stressed that playing football presents a distraction from many of society’s problems such as the near-death experience he encountered.

"What happened was I was driving...and the funny thing is this happened right in front of my parents’ house, like at the gate,” he continued. "I was taking my young brother home and two guys in a car came and they started shooting. I told my younger brother to open the door and run. He ran, and I had to come out. It was just a crazy moment.

"Fortunately, I just told them to take the car and leave, so that’s what happened. That’s where I come from, these things happen a lot, but that situation also helped me mentally, because now I’m more careful when I’m driving.

"You need to be sure, you need to check what’s going on and stuff. So after all that, I picked myself up, I said to myself, 'Okay, the positive thing is that nothing bad really happened, they just took the car.' It taught me how to be careful.

"I guess it’s important to take lessons from all of these difficulties. I can’t even imagine experiencing something like that and taking it in your stride.

"So football kind of helps me. Like, I switch off from the problems of the world and what’s happening when I play football, despite all that has happened. Every time when I’m training or I’m on the pitch, I know how to adjust and perform."

Uganda's Ritah Kivumbi netted twice as 10-woman Mallbackens secured a 5-3 comeback win against Lidkopings in Wednesday's Elitettan game, despite Algeria's Hanna Boubezari's strike.

Kivumbi made her sixth appearance for Mallbackens since joining from Vaxjo in January, while Boubezari was earning her eighth appearance this season after arriving from Jitex Molndal this winter.

Kivumbi impressed alongside Nigeria's Sarah Michael in Mallbackens' 3-2 win over Sandviken, and aimed to extend their winning run, while Boubezari was eager to help Lidkopings end their winless streak. 

At Strandvallen, Algeria international Boubezari got the visitors off to a bright start when she put them ahead after just four minutes of the encounter.

However, Emma Eriksson leveled the score for the hosts seconds after Kivumbi almost found the back of the net in the 14th minute.

The visitors did not allow the hosts' celebration to last as they regained the lead when Sandra Lagerbratt struck four minutes later, before Taylor Townsend extended the advantage in the 34th minute.

Kivumbi pulled one back to inspire the hosts' comeback on the hour mark before Jessika Pedersen was handed a marching order after receiving her second yellow card of the match in the 66th minute.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Mallbackens never relented and almost equalised through the striking duo of Sarah Michael and the Ugandan in the 68th and 69th minute respectively. 

They secured a crucial leveller through Frida Brostrom in the 76th minute, before Ida Hallstensson put them ahead four minutes later.

Boubezari came close to grab her second goal of the match to even the score, but was denied in the 86th minute before Kivumbi bagged her brace a minute later to ensure the hosts outclassed their visitors. 

Kivumbi, who has now scored three goals in six games, was involved in the entire game along Michael for Mallbackens.

On the other hand, Boubezari also played from the duration for Lidkopings, and has now scored three goals in eight games.

The result moves Mallbackens to eighth with 11 points, while Lidkopings dropped to 12 with five points from eight matches.

Al-Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez was cleared to rejoin training with his charges on Wednesday following his positive coronavirus test, the Qatari club confirmed. 

The former Barcelona great had revealed on Saturday that he would be unable to accompany Al-Sadd in their Stars League clash against Al-Khor after contracting the disease. 

“Today I will not be able to accompany my team in the return to official competition," Xavi wrote on his Instagram account. 

“David Prats, reserve coach, will take my place as head of the technical team.

“A few days ago, following the QSL protocol, I tested positive in my most recent Covid-19 test.

“Luckily, I feel perfectly fine, but following the protocol, I will remain isolated until I have overcome it.

“When the medical authorities allow me, I will return to my daily routine and work more eagerly than ever.

“I thank all the authorities, especially those which allowed us the means for an early detection that avoids more spreading of the virus and guarantees the normal continuation of the season. A hug, and see you soon on the football pitch!”

On Wednesday the coach was able to resume normal activities, with Brazil-born Qatar international Rodrigo Tabata also joining training with his new club. 

"The first football team of Al-Sadd Club continued its training today, Wednesday, at the club's sub-stadium, in preparation for the upcoming Al-Ahly match in the nineteenth round of the Stars League, which will be held next Monday, the third of August at the South Stadium," Al-Sadd revealed in a statement released on the club's official website.

"On Wednesday, Maran witnessed the return of Coach Xavi Hernandez after he recovered from infection with the Corona virus (Covid 19), which he was exposed to about 14 days ago.

"Everyone within the team was keen to welcome the coach, especially the leader is facing strong challenges during the next stage. This also welcomed the team members to the newcomer Rodrigo Tabata, who joined the leader one a season-long contract.

"Tabata underwent special training under the supervision of fitness trainers in order to prepare him to participate in group exercises during the next stage."

Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune has spoken about the importance of his side continuing where they left off before the coronavirus pandemic hit South Africa in mid-March. 

Amakhosi went into the lockdown break atop of the PSL standings and four points ahead of second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns as they close in on their long-awaited domestic title.

While Khune is relishing the return, he's wary about the fate suffered by high-profile Premier League goalkeepers David de Gea and Kasper Schmeichel, who endured some tricky moments and appeared rusty at times after football returned.

"I realise that the break, due to this Covid-19 pandemic, affected a lot of keepers, including Manchester United’s David de Gea and Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel," Khune told the Amakhosi website. "They didn’t seem to have the same confidence as before the break.

"There was clearly a lot of rustiness," he added. "Luckily, we have had a bit more time to prepare before the league restarts.

"We have also discussed various aspects on our ‘Keeper Corner’, which is us goalies communicating with our goalkeeper coach Lee Baxter, and it's basically about learning from the past to go forward.

"Going back into the field will all be about mental strength. We just need to be ready come August 11."

The stopper has also acknowledged that some of his teammates have found it hard to train alone during lockdown, although he's not lost sight of how fortunate Chiefs were to be able to prepare themselves as well as possible to return to action strongly. 

"It's important for us to continue where we left off," he continued. "Luckily, we have new technology, like the Zoom mobile app, via which we could have video communication.

"This helped the coaches to guide us on exercises to keep fit. It was a frustrating time, as we missed being on the field. We just had to hang in there.

"We are happy that we will soon be able to do what we all love again – playing football."

Hamed Traore scored his fourth Serie A goal of the season as Sassuolo hammered Genoa 5-0 in Wednesday's league encounter.

The Ivory Coast youth international opened the scoring at the Mapei Stadium-Citta del Tricolore as the hosts ended their four-game winless run in style.

Traore slotted his right-footed strike to the back of the net after benefitting from Domenico Berardi's assist in the 26th minute.

Morocco’s Mehdi Bourabia who also started for hosts, provided an assist for Berardi in the 39th minute as Roberto De Zerbi's men cruised into the break with a two-goal lead.

A brace from Francesco Caputo and Giacomo Raspadori's lone goal in the second half completed the rout for Sassuolo, who bagged their first win since their 2-1 victory against Lazio on July 11.

Traore was in action for 65 minutes before he was replaced by Luka Haraslin. The Ivorian midfielder has been impressive for the Black and Greens since his arrival on a two-year loan from Empoli in June 2019.

He has played in 30 league matches, including 19 starts with a contribution of four goals and an assist so far.

Bourabia was on parade for the entire duration while Equatorial Guinea international Pedro Obiang was introduced as a 73rd-minute substitute.

Ivory Coast's Jeremie Boga was not available for the encounter as he continues recovery from a muscular injury he suffered against AC Milan last Tuesday.

Despite the emphatic victory, Sassuolo remain unmoved in the Serie A standings as they occupy the eighth spot with 51 points from 31 matches.

They will be hoping to end the 2019-20 campaign on a winning note when they welcome Udinese to the Mapei Stadium-Citta del Tricolore on Sunday while Genoa, placed 17th in the table, will be fighting to maintain their top-flight status when they battle Hellas Verona on the same day.

Brentford survived a nervy finish and beat Swansea City 3-1 in the final match at Griffin Park to reach the Championship play-off final.

The Bees, who last played in the top flight in 1947, missed out on automatic promotion on the last day of the season and then lost the semi-final first leg 1-0 in Wales.

But a superb start on Wednesday set Brentford on their way to a 3-2 aggregate success.

Ollie Watkins raced onto Mathias Jensen's defence-splitting pass after 11 minutes and finished calmly as Swansea were punished on the counter-attack.

The hosts then led for the first time in the tie just four minutes later as Emiliano Marcondes headed in unmarked when found by Said Benrahma, who soon struck the post.

And Swansea's hopes of a swift second-half recovery were dashed when Bryan Mbeumo added a superb third 54 seconds after the interval.

A dismal Pontus Jansson error teed up Rhian Brewster for a lob that brought the visitors back into the match with 12 minutes to go, but Brentford battled bravely to book a Wembley date.

Polish Ekstraliga side Medyk Konin have completed the signing of Ghana international Ernestina Abambila on a one-year contract.

The Konin-based outfit secured the Black Queens midfielder as a free agent after she parted ways with Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Sporting Huelva following the expiration of her contract.

Abambila, who arrived at the Spanish club from Swedish side Assi in January, made six appearances in all events before the league suspension and subsequent cancellation due to Covid-19.

In her brief but unforgettable spell, she featured for Sporting against Logrono, Barcelona twice (including in the Spanish Women's Cup), Sevilla, Deportivo la Coruna and Rayo Vallecano.

Abambila's signing will further boost the title ambitions of the Polish giants, having failed to claim the league diadem since 2017, while finishing as runners up with 25 points from 12 matches last term.

The midfielder has previously turned out for Greek side Aris Thessaloniki and Belarusian giants Minsk, where she became the first Ghanaian to score in the Women's Champions League game.

On the international scene, she has represented Ghana at the U17 and U20 Women's World Cup before recently featuring in a 2020 Olympic Games qualifier against Kenya in September 2019.

Since arriving in Poland, she has started training with Medyk and made her debut in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Czech Republic Liga giants Slavia Prague in a club-friendly at Zagan Arena.

Following her Wednesday's unveiling, Abambila will be aiming to inspire Medyk back to domestic glory when they open their campaign against Alice Ogebe's Sportis Bydgoszcz on August 14. 

Said Benrahma was a catalyst for Brentford as they turned around a one-goal deficit to see off Andre Ayew’s Swansea City 3-1 in the second leg of their Championship promotion play-off semi-final on Wednesday.

The Bees had fallen to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at the Liberty Stadium courtesy of Ayew’s brilliant 80th-minute strike after the Ghana international had missed a penalty.

However, Thomas Frank’s men clearly had other ideas for the return leg in what was their last game at Griffin Park having played there since 1904, and they came out in full force with Ollie Watkins giving them the lead in the 11th minute to level the tie.

It didn’t take long before it became 2-0 with Benrahma’s long ball from deep finding the head of Emiliano Marcondes four minutes later.

Brentford were in control, but still added more, with a third coming from Franco-Cameroonian Bryan Mbeumo at the restart, as he tap in Rico Henry’s low cross.

Swansea pulled one back through Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster in the 78th minute after a dismal error from Brentford captain Pontus Jansson but it proved to be nothing more than a mere consolation.

Benrahma had a fine game, producing six shots and having two efforts hit the woodwork. The Algerian also had 64 touches which was the joint second highest of the Brentford players; 34 accurate passes at 85% (second-highest) and four key passes.

During the regular season, Benrahma scored 17 goals and provided nine assists as Brentford finished in third place, just two points shy of automatic promotion.

Ayew meanwhile was far from his best, having no shots but having a 100% success in his dribbles (five from five attempts). The 30-year old Ghanaian had 45 touches, 13 accurate passes at 56% success rate, and was dispossessed while on the ball 21 times.

2019-20 is the most productive season of Ayew’s career with 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions, which is just one short of his last three campaigns in England combined and his loan stint in Turkey with Fenerbahce.

For Chelsea-linked Benrahma and Brentford, they will have a chance to make it into the English top flight for the first time in more than 70 years when they face either Fulham or Cardiff City in the final at Wembley next Tuesday.

First-half goals from Luca Gagliano and Giovanni Simeone gave Cagliari a deserved 2-0 victory over Serie A champions Juventus.

Juve wrapped up their ninth consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend, although patchy recent form means Maurizio Sarri's side have now won only two of their past seven matches.

A vibrant Cagliari were the beneficiaries on this occasion, with Gagliano giving them an early lead to set them on the way to a first July win at the ninth and final attempt.

It proved a frustrating night for Cristiano Ronaldo, while Simeone – the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego – came up with a superb finish worthy of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in first-half stoppage time.

Gianluigi Buffon was back in the Juventus starting line-up and picking the ball out of his net in the eighth minute, when Federico Mattiello drove Paolo Farago's right-wing cross back across goal for Gagliano to finish from close range.

Ronaldo – engaged in what appears to be an increasingly futile pursuit of Ciro Immobile in the Capocannoniere stakes – touched in Federico Bernardeschi's stabbed throughball from an offside position and racked up four blocked attempts by the interval.

Gonzalo Higuain volleyed over from Bernardeschi's 38th-minute corner before Juve found themselves further beyond due to Simeone's sublime 20-yard drive.

Joao Pedro sent a shot from similar range skimming wide early in the second half before Buffon plunged to keep out a Simeone volley – the defence in front of the veteran gloveman continuing to look terribly disjointed.

Atalanta-bound Simone Muratore had a long-range effort saved by Cagliari keeper Alessio Cragno, who also got down sharply to keep out Ronaldo's left-footer from 25 yard in the 68th minute.

Simeone might have added to his tally and Juve's misery when he sliced wide before the visitors pounded at the Cagliari defence with diminishing return until the final whistle.

What does it mean? Sarri has steepening Champions League task

The more Juventus turn in performances like this, the less their schedule of competitive action before the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lyon feels like an advantage.

The Ligue 1 side have, of course, been out of action since March as they prepare to defend a 1-0 lead in Turin next month. Sarri badly needs his team to find some rhythm, something an experimental line-up entirely ruled out in Sardinia.

Simeone back in the groove

The moment of defining quality was produced by Simeone as he sized up a backpedalling Leonardo Bonucci before lashing beyond a helpless Buffon. It was his 12th goal of the Serie A season – closing on the 14 he scored in a breakout 2017-18 at Fiorentina.

That form proved good enough to earn international honours, but the last of his five caps also came in 2018. At 25, he still has plenty of time to get back on track.

Record man Ronaldo falls flat

Ronaldo is two shy of chalking up the most prolific Serie A season in Juventus history even if Immobile is now surely out of reach. But he was brought to Turin to help bring Champions League glory.

The sight of that wider goal appeared to be lost by all concerned as Sarri indulged a spiralling shot count and another 90 minutes in the legs for the 35-year-old.

What's next

Juventus wrap up their Serie A season at home to Roma on Saturday, when Cagliari are on the road at in-form Milan.

Luc Eymael has revealed he has landed safely in Belgium just two days after he was sacked by Young Africans (Yanga SC).

The 60-year-old Belgian coach was shown the exit door by the Jangwani Street-based giants after a video of him allegedly making demeaning comments about Tanzanians and especially Timu Ya Wananchi supporters was leaked to the public.

Following a 1-1 draw with Mtibwa Sugar which saw his team finish second in the league, Eymael tore into the club's supporters, claiming they were ignorant about football, and lambasting the conditions he had been working in since arriving in Tanzania.

"The fans can only shout and are like monkeys who are barking ‘babababa’," Eymael told local journalists in audio obtained by Goal. "These fans do not know anything about soccer.

"This place is not for me, playing in pitches at a level of seventh or eighth division in Europe is not for me.

"The changing rooms, too, are not for me.

"I am not enjoying your country; you are uneducated people. I don’t have a car, what is that?

"I do not have Wi-Fi and I do not have DSTV. No, no, no!"

Eymael has now confirmed he has landed safely in his native Belgium but has been ordered to appear before a TFF disciplinary committee on August 1.

“I have finally arrived in Belgium,” Eymael told Goal on Wednesday. “I have also received a notice to appear before the TFF disciplinary committee on August 1.”

Asked whether he will be able to attend the meeting, Eymael said: “I don’t know for sure, let us wait and see.”

In an earlier interview with Goal, Eymael defended himself from the racist allegations claiming he has never been a racist and never will be.

“I am not a racist, and you know that very well,” Eymael told Goal. “I have coached in Africa for the last ten years and my record is there to speak for itself, I have never gone to the extent of being a racist because I am not a racist.

“I don’t want to dwell on what happened, because it already happened, I apologised immediately to Yanga fans and Tanzanian people because of the comments and now it is time to move on.

“You can see even some players from Yanga are supporting me, even those I worked with in Kenya are behind me, because they know I am not a racist, this issue has been too much for me now, and gone too far, it is even destroying my family and kids.

“I don’t want to talk anything about it anymore.”

Eymael has previously worked in South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia. 

Having an array of official licenses and authentic teams has long been a selling point of EA Sports' FIFA franchise and FIFA 21 will be no different.

Real kits and genuine team names help to augment the gamer's immersive experience while playing, with FIFA consistently boasting the most extensive catalogue of licensed competitions.

While competitors have been catching up in recent years, FIFA 21 will be the only game to feature certain competitions, so it will be something to bear in mind when you're deciding whether to buy or not.

There will be over 700 teams to play with, so which leagues and cup competitions are available in the latest edition of FIFA? Goal brings you all the details.

FIFA 21 will have over 30 leagues and competitions, including a host of the world's biggest tournaments, such as the Champions League and the Premier League.

You can see the confirmed leagues and competitions (in bold) that are expected to be in FIFA 21 in the table below.
(*Teams marked with an asterisk featured in FIFA 20 and have not yet been officially confirmed for FIFA 21.)

The Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup are exclusive to FIFA 21, as are the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga. 

As well as the Premier League, English football fans will be able to play with all 72 EFL teams across the Championship, League One and League Two. 

Kylian Mbappe, of course, is the star attraction on the cover of the game and Ligue 1 is also one of FIFA's official leagues, along with the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and the Primeira Division in Portugal.

Italy's Serie A is part of FIFA 21, but it will not have Juventus due to a deal between the Bianconeri and Konami. Instead, the Turin outfit will be presented as Piemonte Calcio. However, FIFA 21 will be the only place to play with AC Milan and Inter, with Konami's agreements with those clubs coming to an end.

The Chinese Super League and Japan's J-1 League are included in FIFA 21 too, as is Australia's A-League, if you're looking for a taste of football in the southern hemisphere.

North American soccer teams are available through the inclusion of Major League Soccer and Liga MX.

Andre Villas Boas singled out former mentor Jose Mourinho and Benfica great Artur Jorge as an inspiration to young Portuguese coaches, praising the Tottenham manager's ability to adapt to leagues across Europe as the mark of his greatness. 

Now at the helm at Ligue 1 club Marseille, Villas Boas received his break as Mourinho's No. 2 at Porto while still in his 20s. 

He followed the coach to Chelsea after lifting the Champions League with the Portuguese club and got his hands on the European trophy again at Inter before striking out on his own in 2009. 

Villas Boas' career to date may not have yielded quite the same trophy haul as his former boss', although he did manage to take Porto to Primeira Liga and Europa League success in his only season on the bench in 2010-11 and guided Zenit St. Petersburg to a Russian title amid less successful spells with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Shanghai SIPG. 

But he acknowledges the impact of the Special One in setting an example for his compatriots, while also singling out ex-Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and CSKA Moscow boss Jorge as another trailblazer.

“Our ability to adapt to different environments makes the difference, as well as our wisdom and study of the game, our ability to lead and communicate," the 42-year-old Marseille coach signalled in an interview with Canal 11.

"It is undeniable that these doors were initially opened by Artur Jorge and José Mourinho, as the first great ambassadors of Portuguese coaches abroad and that allowed us to open doors in any market in the world.

"Of course, then you have to succeed and that's the brand that we guarantee, a little bit like what the Dutch coaches achieved a few years ago."

"That image is now associated with the Portuguese coaches: the ability to adapt, to arrive and win, to assemble good teams and good structures is undoubtedly one of our brands and I think that's the main fact for which we are most respected around the world.”

Villas-Boas took over at Marseille in May 2019, succeeding Rudi Garcia, and made an immediate impact at the club in his curtailed debut season. 

L'OM stood second to PSG when the French top flight was ended prematurely after 28 rounds of fixtures, meaning that they will enjoy Champions League football in 2020-1 - the first time since 2013-14 that they have qualified for Europe's premier club competition. 

Boycotts can be an effective form of protest, serving to highlight complaints and occasionally bringing about change.

They are usually associated with social or political issues, but, interestingly, it's an avenue that a small number fans of the FIFA franchise have talked about going down in response to issues they have with the game.

A boycott of FIFA 21 could be to PES 2021's gain, with gamers potentially switching their football video game allegiance come autumn.

So why are some FIFA players threatening to boycott the new game?  Goal takes a look at the reasons.

Why are some fans threatening a FIFA 21 boycott?

There are a number of reasons for a proposed boycott of FIFA 21, with online discussion forums and social media housing sometimes heated debate about the popular EA Sports franchise.

Among the perceived issues are the sense that the game is not changing much year on year, at least not to the point where it validates the prices that are applied to the new titles.

Some gamers argue that, with few significant gameplay changes or new additions, some new editions of FIFA have simply become "glorified re-skins" with new kits and updated squads.

Of course, EA Sports would strongly dispute this and the company can certainly point to the inclusion of Volta football in FIFA 20 - the small-sided game mode - as evidence of their new work.

However, complaints persist among the community of gamers regarding things such as Career Mode, which many feel continues to fall short of expectations.

The fact that Konami released a PES 2021 'Season Update' game at a much cheaper price than FIFA 21 - available for £24.99 as opposed to £59.99 - served to exacerbate the sense of outrage.

While promoting it as PES 2021, Konami specifically explained that the new game is an "updated edition of eFootball PES 2020" and the relatively low price is also a special 25th anniversary offer.

PES games have frequently been marketed at a lower price than FIFA games, but never to the point where they have been available for half the price.

Konami's focus is firmly on optimising their PES title for the next generation of consoles - PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X - which goes some way towards explaining the cheaper price tag for the PS4 and Xbox One.

It should be noted that EA Sports is offering a free next generation upgrade to anyone who buys FIFA 21 for PS4 or Xbox One through their Dual Entitlement scheme.

Another contentious issue among FIFA gamers is the controversial pay-to-win element of Ultimate Team,  where players are essentially rewarded the more they spend on in-game purchases of packs.

EA Sports has clashed with authorities in Belgium over the perceived gambling dimension of so-called "loot boxes" in FUT, while the issue has been discussed by parliament in the United Kingdom.

For online FIFA gamers, server issues have been ongoing for a number of years, with lag time and outages causing disappointment among gamers.

How would a FIFA 21 boycott work?

A boycott of FIFA 21 could simply involve a refusal to purchase the new game when it is officially launched in autumn, thereby depriving EA Sports of sale revenue.

Some gamers have used platforms such as Reddit and even the FIFA forums on EA Sports' official website to talk about the idea of boycotting FIFA titles.

Other methods include protest demonstrations, such as that which happened in 2019, when a group was organised and held a small gathering outside EA's Bucharest headquarters.

Social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook have seen the deployment of hashtags such as '#BoycottFIFA21'  by disgruntled gamers voicing their opposition to the franchise. 

As well as everyday FIFA players, it has been suggested that it would be useful to bring notable YouTube personalities who play FIFA and professional esports gamers on board.

However, that seems fanciful given that those characters usually have an interest in enthusiastically promoting the new games when they come out.

It is not exactly clear how much traction a boycott of FIFA 21 would actually get and the previous attempt to boycott FIFA 20 doesn't seem to have worked given that the game remained a best-seller in 2019.

While sustained pressure could work, the disorganised movement of scattered voices means that the individuals calling for a boycott online may ultimately find that they are fighting a losing battle.

Although Metacritic indicated that FIFA 20 scored the worst aggregated review rating of the 21st century for the annual release of the main FIFA franchise release, gameplay improvements for FIFA 21 could silence the doubters.