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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it is an “honour” to be given the League Managers Association Manager of the Year award.

Klopp guided Liverpool to the Premier League title this season, finishing 18 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City.

It is the club’s first domestic crown in 30 years and the German’s work this term has been celebrated by his peers.

Klopp said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be named the winner of the League Managers Association Manager of the Year Award for this wonderful Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy, named after a man that I admire so much. It feels extra special to win this award because it is voted for by my fellow managers.

“It’s an honour to be in the company of so many managers who have been named as LMA Manager of the Year before, including of course Liverpool managers like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Sir Kenny Dalglish and, in recent years, Brendan Rodgers.

“Everything we have accomplished at Liverpool this year couldn’t have been done without the superb input of my coaching staff; they make us a really special bunch of football brains.

“I love to work with my coaches, my players and everyone at LFC and, of course, I am thankful for the support from all our wonderful Liverpool fans.”

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on the 53-year-old, saying he has stamped his personality on the Anfield side, having guided them to Champions League success last year before achieving further glory.

“Congratulations Jurgen! You have done an absolutely fantastic job. You thoroughly deserve to be named LMA Manager of the Year 2019/2020,” he said.

“Your personality runs right through the whole of your club and the performance level of you and your team has been outstanding.”

LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson added: “We are delighted to be recognising Jurgen’s achievements at the end of this extraordinary season.

“The trophy has been presented to a man with an excellent track record who quite rightfully takes his place amongst the iconic previous award winners.

“Jurgen has lived up to his reputation as an exceptional coach in the game and has created an outstanding team to secure Liverpool’s first top-flight triumph for 30 years."

While Klopp won the Premier League award, Marcelo Bielsa was named the Championship manager of the year after guiding Leeds to first place and sealing their return to the top-flight.

After winning the division with Chelsea, Emma Hayes won the Women’s Super League award.

Southampton chief executive officer Martin Semmens has confirmed the club "are in the process" of wrapping up a deal for Real Valladolid centre-back Mohammed Salisu.

In just his first season of senior football, the Ghanaian made headlines in La Liga with a streak of fine 2019-20 performances which attracted the interest of a host of top European clubs.

At the end, Saints and French side Stade Rennais went head-to-head for his signature but speculation suggested there was also initial interest from the likes of Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Reports in the last few days said Southampton have secured the signature of the 21-year-old following a successful medical, with an official announcement imminent.

"Most of the stuff you see on social media isn’t always true," Semmens told BBC Radio Solent.

"This one probably has a bit more truth to it. It has been very clearly documented, to my surprise, exactly what has been happening.

"He is a player we have looked at for a long time, a really high-quality young player in Europe who would really add something to our squad.

"We are in a process and we hope that we are lucky enough to get him. We are very aware that some of the biggest and best clubs in Europe have looked for him.

"We offer him something different, which is a pathway to get better, physically, and technically playing in the first team in the Premier League.

"We hope that opportunity and the pathway we have shown for other players will attract him here, but we’ll know more soon.

"It would be truthful to say that we have had that discussion. These things are complicated, but it is fair to say to everyone that he is one we are looking very closely at."

Last season, Salisu made 31 La Liga appearances for Valladolid, starting 30 of the games.

He scored his only goal in a 2-0 triumph over Eibar last October.

The left-footed man's fine club performance earned him a maiden Ghana invitation for a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in November, but he later withdrew from the squad due to injury. 

Pierre-Francois Aubameyang took to social media to celebrate his son, Pierre-Emerick who ended the 2019-20 Premier League season with a brace for Arsenal in their 3-2 win over Watford on Sunday.

Aubameyang ended the English top-flight campaign with 22 goals after 36 outings, the same number of the goals he scored for the Emirates Stadium outfit in his first full campaign in England.

He narrowly missed the chance to retain the Golden Boot he shared with Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the 2018-19, as Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy clinched it with 23 goals this season.

The 31-year-old was involved in all of Arsenal's goals against Watford on Sunday, scoring a first-half brace and also assisting Kieran Tierney in opening his goal account for the Gunners.

Aubameyang’s father, who featured majorly for French clubs including Toulouse, Nice and Le Havre during his playing career, commented on his son's future and disclosed that there is a decision to be made.

“My son, who wouldn’t be proud to have a son like you. Bravo, bravo, bravo,” his father, Pierre-Francois wrote on Instagram.

“You really are a scorer. Every season you respond with your efficiency, last season 22 goals, this season 22 goals.

“I can only congratulate you and tell you once again my pride.

“We must make the right decision for the rest of your career.

“They speak a lot in the press, they do not know that we are Bantu and that there is a hierarchy, the decision is taken after the advice of the wise man who is your father.

“We will be set very soon, sleep peacefully my son, your father watches the grains. I love you.”

Aubameyang who joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, has entered the final year of his deal at the club.

There are reports that the Gunners are working to renew the forward’s contract, or they risk losing him as a free agent in June 2021.

FIFA 21 will be available to fans in October 2020 and avid gamers can already pre-order their copy online so that they will get their hands on it as soon as it drops.

EA Sports released a teaser trailer to give a glimpse of what's in store on the latest instalment of the franchise and we know that there will be three editions available to buy: Standard, Champions and Ultimate.

Contents

What is the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition?

The Ultimate Edition of FIFA 21 is a special version of the game that is jam-packed with new features and perks, such as more FUT packs.

It is one of three editions of FIFA 21, along with the standard edition and the Champions Edition.

The edition takes its name from the popular FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT).

While the basic game is the same across the three editions, each will have its own bespoke imagery with Kylian Mbappe as the cover star.

How much does the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition?

FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition can be pre-ordered for £89.99 in the UK or $99.99 in the US.

Early Access subscribers can get it at a discounted price of £81.99 in the UK or $89.99 in the US - 10 per cent off.

The Ultimate Edition is £30 more expensive than the standard edition in the UK, which costs £59.99 and $40 more than the standard edition in the US, which costs $59.99.

When and how can I pre-order FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition?

You can pre-order the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition right now .

Click on the relevant console for more details on pre-ordering.

What features does the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition have?

If you purchase the Ultimate Edition of FIFA 21, you will receive the following perks:

Ultimate Edition features

FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition is a bit pricer than the Standard Edition and the Champions Edition, but will appeal to those who enjoy playing Ultimate Team.

Mbappe will grace the cover of the Ultimate Edition, in addition to the Standard and Champions Editions - a change from earlier FIFA traditions in which each version had a different star.

How do the FIFA 21 editions compare?

You can see a breakdown of what each edition offers in the table above.

Goals from Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano put Fulham in the driving seat to make it into the Championship promotion play-off final after they edged past Cardiff City 2-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals on Monday night.

The Cottagers finished fourth during the regular season, missing out on automatic promotion after they drew at already-relegated Wigan Athletic 1-1 on the final day.

For the Bluebirds, they defeated another relegated side in Hull City 3-0 to finish in fifth spot, ahead of their Welsh rivals Swansea City who beat Brentford in Sunday’s first semi-final courtesy of Andre Ayew’s fine 80th-minute strike.

Things were quiet in the first half at the Cardiff City Stadium, but it did not take too long for life to come in the second half with Onomah getting the opener in the 49th minute.

The 23-year-old Anglo-Nigerian midfielder held off his marker on the edge of the box and went past two challenges inside the penalty area before cooling slotting the ball past Alex Smithies in goal.

Scott Parker’s men were in control from there on but still had one more say from Kebano who drilled in a powerful free-kick in stoppage time to ensure the west Londoners take a healthy lead into the second leg on Thursday.

Onomah played the entire 90 minutes, having 60 touches, 32 accurate passes at 86%, three key passes, two shots on target and four successful dribbles from six.

He joined from Tottenham Hotspur last summer and has now played a total of 32 times, scoring four goals and providing three assists, none of those games ending in defeat.

Kebano meanwhile had a total of four shots, his goal the only one on target, 49 touches, 25 accurate passes at 83%, two successful dribbles from two attempts and winning five of seven ground duels.

The DR Congo international was taken off for Denis Odoi shortly after his goal.

Kebano has now scored in three consecutive games having scored in none during the course of the season before then.

He first scored a brace in a 5-3 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the penultimate game of the regular season before netting the equaliser against Wigan.

The 27-year-old has been blighted by injury problems this term which has limited him to just 17 appearances in the English second tier.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he felt like he was like coming face to face with the Pope when he met Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Reds boss was presented with the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy on Monday after he was voted Premier League Manager of the Year by the League Managers Association.

Klopp was honoured with the award after guiding Liverpool to a first top-flight title in 30 years, finishing 18 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City.

Legendary former Manchester United manager Ferguson sang the German manager’s praises as the award was announced, and revealed that he got a surprise phone call from him after they won the league this season.

"I'll forgive you for waking me up at 3.30am to tell me you have won the league!" Ferguson added at the end of his tribute. "Thank you, but anyway, you thoroughly deserved it. Well done."

Klopp was happy to put club rivalries aside and reveal how much he admires the Scottish manager, who he first met in the early stages of his coaching career.

"I know it's not 100 per cent appropriate as a Liverpool manager but I admire him," Klopp said after winning the LMA award.

"I remember he was the first British manager I met. We had breakfast. I'm not sure how much he remembers but I remember because for me this moment was like meeting the Pope.

“It was absolutely great and from that first season we clicked.

"I didn't think at this moment I would have a trophy in my hands named after him."

Ferguson spent 27 years in charge of United before his retirement in 2013. He guided the Old Trafford club to 13 Premier League and two Champions League titles among a host of other trophies.

Klopp, meanwhile, has spent almost five years at Liverpool, having joined after a successful spell at Borussia Dortmund in which he won two Bundesliga titles and reached a Champions League final.

The 53-year-old guided the Anfield side to the European crown last season, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup before they sealed the domestic title.

After a gruelling Championship season, the race for the third promotion place has reached its nail-biting conclusion.

Champions Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion have already booked their places in the Premier League for next season after fine campaigns, but now Brentford, Swansea City, Cardiff City and Fulham have the opportunity to join them.

The playoffs are typically testing and dramatic affairs, where teams—already ravaged from the demands of a long 46-game season—put everything on the line in order to reach the big time.

Heading into the mini-tournament, Brentford appeared to be the strongest of the four teams, having recently enjoyed a remarkable eight-game winning streak, inspired by the outstanding work of Said Benrahma.

The Algeria international has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City in recent weeks after an excellent campaign in the second tier in which he scored 17 goals and contributed a further eight assists.

However, consecutive defeats in their final two matches allowed The Albion to take the second automatic spot, and Brentford—now shorn of the vigour and dynamism that characterised their winning run—appear flat as they entered the playoffs.

They were duly defeated by an Andre Ayew-inspired Swansea City in the first semi-final on Sunday, with the Ghana international making up for missing a penalty by slamming home a delightful left-footed effort after excellent interplay on the edge of the box.

Dede, now 30, surely didn’t anticipate he’d be playing in the Championship at this stage of his career, but to his credit, he’s been an influential presence for the Swans this term.

The Welsh side enjoyed a remarkable final day turnaround to oust Nottingham Forest from the final playoff spot, and, unlike Brentford, have momentum on their side.

The two sides meet on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their semi, looking to reach the Wembley final.

In the other half of the draw are Cardiff City and Fulham, both freshly relegated sides who are looking to bounce back at the first attempt.

Scott Parker’s Cottagers were in the running for automatic promotion until the final day, but ultimately fell just short, and they’ll be hoping that the striking prowess of Aleksandar Mitrovic—surely too good for this level—sees them past Cardiff.

The Serb will be supported by a talented cast including Neeskens Kebano, Anthony Knockaert, Tom Cairney and Josh Onomah—all of whom have tasted the Premier League in the past—and Cardiff will have to find a way to keep these talents at bay.

For Neil Harris, the likes of Sean Morrison and Joe Ralls will be key, although he’ll have to do without Isaac Vassell and Greg Cunningham.

Cardiff and Fulham meet in the first leg on Monday, before the second leg of their semi on Thursday evening, with both matches set to be broadcast live on SuperSport.

SuperSport Fixtures

Monday 27 July – Cardiff City vs Fulham (EFL Championship Playoffs)

Tuesday 28 July – Parma vs Atalanta (Serie A)

Tuesday 28 July – Inter Milan vs Napoli (Serie A)

Wednesday 29 July – Brentford vs Swansea (EFL Championship Playoffs)

Wednesday 29 July – Lazio vs Brescia (Serie A)

Wednesday 29 July – Sampdoria vs AC Milan (Serie A)

Wednesday 29 July – Cagliari vs Juventus (Serie A)

Thursday 30 July – Fulham vs Cardiff City (EFL Championship Playoffs)

While the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga have all drawn to a close, we still have two matchdays to look forward to in Serie A, with all of Italy’s biggest sides in action in midweek.

Juventus, fresh from their title triumph at the weekend, are away at Cagliari on Wednesday, as the islanders look to expose some of the brittleness the Old Lady have shown recently.

However, while they’ve stuttered during the run-in, they got the job done against Sampdoria on Sunday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernadeschi scoring the goals to get them over the line.

The task of Maurizio Sarri and his team now is to underpin their latest title success with consistently convincing performances, as the victory over Samp was only their second win in six.

In truth, Juve’s failings have not been capitalised upon by the chasing back, with the like of Lazio and Internazionale struggling to find their rhythm following the restart.

The Rome heavyweights were only one point off Juve when football was suspended, but after the pause, their limited squad struggled to cope with injuries and they avoided defeat in only three of their next eight matches.

They at last have the chance to sign off at home with all three points—and are still in the running for second place—at home against Brescia on Wednesday.

Inter, currently in second, have also seen too many promising leads slip away, which means work to do for Antonio Conte over the coming months as they look to become bona fide title contenders next season.

They threw away three points that appeared almost guaranteed against the likes of Hellas Verona and Sassuolo, and face a stern test when they host Napoli on Tuesday.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side are still in the hunt for Europa League qualification—they’re on 59 points with two to play, one behind sixth-placed AC Milan—and could overtake the Rossoneri if Stefano Pioli’s side drop points away at Samp on Wednesday.

Finally, Atalanta are away at Parma on Tuesday as they come to the end of another fantastic campaign, having finished third last term—their highest league position.

They could still break that record if they can unseat Inter (currently one point ahead) and finish the season in second place, while Gian Piero Gasperini may be wary that a fourth-place finish may not guarantee Champions League football if Napoli and AS Roma win the UCL and Europa League, respectively, this season.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has set Wednesday, July 29 as the date for the first leg of the promotion/relegation play-offs. 

The Tanzania Mainland League came to a close last weekend with the second tier also concluding. Dodoma Jiji and Gwambina FC have already been promoted to the top tier after finishing top of their respective groups.

Geita Gold FC will square it out with Mbeya City FC while Ihefu take on Mbao FC. Geita and Ihefu finished second in their respective zones and will have to take their counterparts heads on to determine who plays in the top tier next season.

Mbeya finished in the 15th position in the top tier with 45 points after getting 12 wins, nine draws and 17 losses. Mbao managed the same number of points after registering the same results, only that they conceded more.

The overall winner in each tie will play in the top tier for the 2020/21 season.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi won the league for the third time in as many seasons, and the 21st title in their history. As a result, they will once again represent the nation in the Caf Champions League. 

Singida United, Ndanda FC, Alliance FC, and Lipuli FC were relegated after failing to get the results they needed to survive.

Singida United had already been relegated before the conclusion of the season as they were at the bottom of the 20-team table with just 18 points.

Lipuli needed a final day victory but they did not manage it and were sent down as a result, while Alliance's win against Namungo was not enough to save them.

A last day 2-0 defeat at home against Biashara United just confirmed Singida United’s relegation to the second-tier and they went down with a whopping -50 goal difference.

Deogratius Munish scored a 20th-minute opener for Biashara United while a David Nartey 27th own goal just made the matters worse for Singida United as they went on to lose the game on their own turf.

Ndanda were relegated after they came second last with 41 points losing their season final match to Mbao.

Jordan John’s 66th-minute goal and another from Wazir Junior is all that Mbao needed to ensure they picked up the victory.

Mtibwa Sugar were victors after they registered a 2-1 win over Ruvu Shooting at home. Boban Zilintusa earned a brace as Sadat Mohamed scored the only goal for the visitors.

Mohamed opened the score for Ruvu Shooting in the 35th minute but a second-half comeback by Mbao saw them equalise in the 51st minute and picked up the winning goal in the 65th minute.

Mtibwa Sugar end the season with 45 points and at position 14 while Ruvu Shooting are 12th with two more points than the Sugar Millers.

Namungo, who were long-time challengers for the second spot that has finally been taken by Yanga SC, lost 3-2 to Alliance.

David Beckham has spoken about the importance of being open about your mental state after recalling the vilification he went through after the 1998 World Cup.

England were eliminated at the last-16 stage by Argentina, after Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone after being fouled by the now-Atletico Madrid manager.

Beckham turned from media darling to one of the most hated men in England. He received death threats, an image of a Beckham effigy hanging outside a pub found infamy, while the Mirror’s headline of ’10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy’ was followed by a David Beckham dartboard.

Then at Manchester United, Beckham recovered his reputation to once again become one of the world’s most popular sports stars, but looking back, he is grateful social media hadn’t yet been invented to amplify the experience.

“I made a mistake in ‘98 and the reaction at the time was pretty brutal,” Beckham said as part of the ‘Mentally Healthy Football’ declaration from the Heads Up campaign.

“If social media was around when I was going through that time, it would have been a whole different story, but I was lucky, I had a support system within Manchester United, the manager, and obviously family.

“Did I feel it was ok at the time to go to someone and say I need help? No, because it was a different era, and I just felt that I had to keep it all in and deal with it myself. Whereas now I’m the one preaching to my kids and to other kids that I talk to out there that it’s really important to talk.

“We all know now that it’s ok not to be ok, and it’s ok to say that. It’s ok to come out and say, ‘I need help’.”

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is also part of the Heads Up campaign, and he says he has seen welcome signs of change from players in recent years.

He said: “In my experience, it is really rare that players come to you and say, ‘Mentally I’m not good’.

“It’s changing in the past few years. I hope that this is going to [continue to] change because it is a really important aspect.

“It is really important for the relationship you are able to build with the players. It’s really important the club is able to build an environment where the players feel comfortable, safe and feel they can explain their thoughts without a problem.”

Kylian Mbappe is set to miss out on Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League quarter-final clash with Atalanta due to an ankle injury, his club have confirmed.

The forward suffered a nasty tackle in the first half of PSG's Coupe de France final victory over Saint-Etienne on Friday, and took part in the trophy celebrations after the 1-0 win while on crutches.

It now seems very likely he will not be fit in time to face the Serie A side, with PSG saying Mbappe will be out for at least three weeks.

A PSG statement on the club website said: "As announced after the final of the Coupe de France against Saint-Etienne, Kylian Mbappe was examined on Monday in order to know the severity of his right ankle injury. 

"The examination performed today confirms a sprained ankle with external ligament injury. Following this, the recovery time is estimated at around three weeks."

This means Mbappe wouldn't be fit in time to face Atalanta on August 12, although he could return for the semi-finals and final of the Champions League tournament held in Lisbon, should PSG make it that far.

The latter stages of the leading European club cup competition are taking place in the Portuguese capital over a series of one-off games next month, rather than the usual two-legged home and away affairs, after they were rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The highly condensed nature of the competition means PSG will be sweating on the fitness of one of their biggest stars as they attempt to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

The saving grace for PSG is that the France international has avoided serious ligament damage or any broken bones following Loic Perrin’s tackle on Mbappe, which earned the Saint-Etienne captain a straight red card.

They also have the Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon to negotiate on July 31, as they look to complete a domestic treble before refocusing on August’s revamped Champions League.

While Thomas Tuchel's side will still be considered heavy favourites by many going into the clash with Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have scored 96 goals in 36 Serie A games this season so cannot be underestimated.

Tuchel will still have considerable attacking talent to choose from if Mbappe is unavailable but with Edinson Cavani having already departed after the end of his contract, it would be a significant blow.

Mbappe has scored 30 goals and registered 18 assists in 34 appearances for PSG this season. That includes five goals and five assists in seven games in the Champions League.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has named Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his Premier League Team of the Week.

The 31-year-old was in spectacular form to help the Emirates Stadium outfit secure a 3-2 victory in their last league game of the 2019-20 season.

The Gabon international scored twice and set up Kieran Tierney for the second goal of the encounter to ensure the Gunners secured their 14th victory in the campaign, although it was not enough to see them clinch a Europa League spot.

The striker’s performances have not gone unnoticed as he has been included among the best performing players in the week under review.

Aubameyang ended the 2019-20 season with 22 league goals and three assists to finish behind Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy in the top-scorer chart.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has been consistent in front of goal since teaming up with the Gunners, having registered 54 strikes in 85 league games.

In the recently concluded season, Aubameyang was the standout player for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring 27 goals and providing three assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.

Last term, the striker finished as Premier League joint-top scorer along with Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Aubameyang, who will reach the end of his contract with the Gunners in June 2021, has been linked with a number of European clubs following his eye-catching performances, including Spanish giants Barcelona.

It is yet to be seen if he will be part of Arteta’s side next season, having previously spoken of his desire to play in the Champions League again.

Aubameyang has featured for AC Milan and Saint-Etienne before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2013, where he enjoyed great success.

The forward bagged 98 goals in 144 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund during his five-year stay with the side and helped them to win a number of accolades including the Super Cup title.

The 31-year-old is current the captain of the Gabon national team and has 25 goals in 63 appearances for the Central African country.

Chelsea are pushing to complete the signing of 21-year-old Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen and will next look to agree a fee after establishing that the German wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

Discussions have primarily been conducted through Havertz's entourage so far and qualification for next season's Champions League through a top-four finish has only strengthened the west Londoners' hand.

The Blues were waiting to see the outcome of their league campaign before doing further business after completing the double signing of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech for a combined fee of £91 million (€100m/$114m).

However, the Bundesliga club have still yet to receive any official offers after putting an asking price on Havertz at around €100 million (£90m/$111m). It is felt that a lower fee will ultimately be negotiated at around €76m (£70m/$87m).

Blues confidence centres around their financial might in the upcoming transfer window, having recently had a transfer ban while selling Eden Hazard for £88m (€96m/$113m) to Real Madrid and Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid for £58m (€65m/$75m).

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were both interested in Havertz, who is pushing for a move following Leverkusen's failure to qualify for the Champions League, but both clubs may not have the funds to complete a deal.

Bayern are unable to make any other major transfers due to the financial impact of coronavirus alongside their lucrative signing of Manchester City's Leroy Sane. Similarly, Real Madrid have ruled out major deal this summer due to the economic realities of the pandemic.

Havertz is back training with Leverkusen ahead of their Europa League campaign but the talks may lead to him missing the upcoming game with Rangers, much like how Timo Werner opted out of RB Leipzig's Champions League run.

Further Chelsea transfer targets include Leicester City's Ben Chilwell at left-back as well as West Ham's Declan Rice, although neither of their clubs wants to sell this summer.

Chelsea are still considering strengthening their defence as they weigh up future contract discussions with both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, who both have less than two-years left on their deals.

Meanwhile, the Blues are have interest in Emerson Palmieri from Internazionale and Juventus which could raise further funds.

The west Londoners have also been scouting and considering their options regarding a goalkeeper since January, and Kepa Arrizabalaga was dropped from his No 1 goalkeeping spot for the second time this season against Wolves on Sunday with 38-year-old Willy Caballero was promoted in his place.

However they have to find an escape route for their £71m (€78m/$91.5m) record signing before considering their options. Valencia have shown an interest in a loan move but it remains to be seen whether they can even afford his £170,000-a-week wages, never mind any other fees.

Chelsea are aware of Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak and his €120 million (£110m/$137.5m) release clause, while Ajax's Andre Onana has been offered to Frank Lampard's side.

The transfer window officially opened on Monday for English clubs following the completion of the Premier League season, and it shuts on October 5.

Ghana coach Baba Nuhu is excited to have received the green light to commence training with his team ahead of the 2021 Women's U17 World Cup qualifying encounter with Nigeria.

The Black Maidens were forced to break camp in March owing to a national ban on all sports as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the final round exchange against their arch-rivals also getting rescheduled.

On Sunday, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the team is permitted to regroup under a special dispensation, as are the women's U20 team and the men's U17 outfit.

"I am so happy and glad that the President has given us the green light to start camping towards our last hurdle," Nuhu said, as reported by the GFA's official website on Monday.

"I gave out several exercises during the restriction period to all the players who were in camp before the break.

"My technical team and I did this in bid to keep them active. I am glad that now we can group together as a team to fine-tune our preparations."

Ghana will welcome Nigeria for the first leg in Cape Coast and travel away for the return fixture.

The winners over two legs book a place at the final tournament in India.

"On behalf of my teammates, we are very happy and excited that after Fifa and Caf had given the go-ahead to resume the qualifiers, today the President has also given us the green light to begin camping," Black Maidens captain Basira Alhassan remarked.

"The entire team is very happy about our coming back to the field. I believe together we will be able to put the team in a very good shape ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria."

The World Cup, which was originally planned for November this year, has been moved to February-March 2021 owing to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. 

Ghana's best performance in six past appearances at the global showpiece is a third-placed finish at the expense of Germany at Azerbaijan in 2012, having played at each of the past editions of the tournaments held thus far.

Ghana were due to take on Nigeria earlier in May but the games had to be moved to a new date over health concerns.

Jeffrey Schlupp has been nominated as the Crystal Palace Man of the Match in their final game of the season which ended in a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

The 27-year-old beat Palace academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell and experienced centre-back Scott Dann in a poll cast by fans of the club.

The Eagles had nothing to fight for heading into matchday 38 as they were guaranteed survival for the next season. The Lilywhites, meanwhile, were pushing for a Europa League spot.

It was Jose Mourinho’s men who took the lead through talisman Harry Kane in the 13th minute and they held that lead until the 53rd minute when Schlupp equalised.

James McCarthy played a corner and Dann headed the ball into Jordan Ayew’s path who in turn fed Schlupp to volley home from close range.

It was Schlupp's third goal of the season, his first in 2020 and first since a 1-0 win over relegated-Bournemouth on December 3, 2019. His first of the campaign was in the preceding game at Burnley which ended 2-0, with Ivory Coast international Wilfried Zaha scoring the first goal.

Schlupp was limited to just 17 Premier League appearances of which 11 were starts, largely due to a hip injury.

Palace ultimately finished the season in 14th place and Schlupp is disappointed they couldn’t have been higher up on the log.

Indeed, at one stage, they were close to the European places with a four-game winning run in which Ayew scored in three of them. However, a seven-game losing run saw the south London club drop down and Schlupp believes avoiding defeat against Tottenham was a good end to the season.

"Since the restart, results haven’t been what we wanted but we wanted to finish off the season well and I think we’ve done that today,” the former Leicester City player said on the Crystal Palace website.

“We’ve had some key injuries. All in all, it has been a good season for us; we wanted to maybe challenge for something a bit higher in the league but it didn’t happen.

“We had some disappointing results but it was important for us to finish well and hopefully we can take that into the next season.

“We deserve a good break first and foremost, and then we get straight back into it with a shorter pre-season than normal and pick-up where we left-off after today.”

Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star Nicolas Anelka is set to be the subject of his own documentary, following in the digital streaming platform's successes with Sunderland Till I Die and the Leeds-centric Take Us Home. 

A prolific goalscorer in his own right, Anelka has also been at the centre of various controversies - with the documentary expected to be a tell-all of his side of those stories.

Goal has what you need to know about the upcoming Nicolas Anelka documentary including how to watch it, when it will be released and more.

What is the Nicolas Anelka documentary?

The former France international's upcoming documentary will be titled Anelka: Misunderstood.

Despite successful spells at the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea Real Madrid, and Juventus - where he won a combined two Premier League titles, a Serie A title and a Champions League, not to mention a European Championship with France - his career has been doused in controversy.

In the trailer, Anelka is seen saying, “I’m a footballer, I wasn’t there to have fun. If you really like me and want to do what I’ve done, you’ll only make enemies.”

Anelka: Misunderstood will no doubt delve into the ex-Arsenal star's side of the events, with his infamous exclusion from France's 2010 World Cup squad certain to be explored.

Says Netflix: "Bad boy or football genius? Famed French footballer Nicolas Anelka's controversial legacy is examined in an unflinching documentary".

Former team-mates and coaching figures such as Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Petit and Paul Pogba will all provide insight on the Frenchman.

In one of the most high-profile controversies of his career, Anelka was sent home from the France team after allegedly verbally abusing then-coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during Les Bleus' 2-0 defeat to Mexico at the World Cup.

After being criticised for his positioning by Domenech, Anelka reportedly told him in French: "Go f*** yourself you son of a w****".

Anelka refused to apologise for the exchange after being asked to do so by the French Football Federation (FFF). As punishment for the exchange, Anelka was handed an 18-game suspension from international football, though he later claimed he found the situation hilarious as he had already decided to retire from France duty.

His indivudal honours include a Premier League Golden Boot with Chelsea during the 2008-09 season, and a two-time inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year.

He retired from football in 2015 after a stint with Mumbai City FC.

You can watch the trailer for Anelka: Misunderstood below.

When will Anelka: Misunderstood be released?

Anelka: Misunderstood will be released August 5.

How can I watch Anelka: Misunderstood?

You will need a Netlix account to watch Anelka: Misunderstood. The link to watch the series is here.

In order to set up an account, go to www.netlix.com and follow the instructions or do so via the app.

In the UK, monthly Netlix subscription prices range from £5.99 (basic) to £8.99 (standard) to £11.99 (premium).

In the U.S., a monthly Netflix subscription will cost from $8.99 (basic) to $12.99 (standard) to $15.99 (premium).

KF Tirana coach Ndubuisi Egbo has likened winning the Albanian Superliga title to Barack Obama winning the American presidency since he also suffered racial abuse on the way to achieving the historical feat.

The 47-year-old Nigerian became the first African head coach to guide a European team to a league title and is also set to be the first tactician from his continent to lead a team in the Uefa Champions League.

But before Tirana were crowned Albanian champions for the first time in 11 years, Egbo - who is fluent in Albanian - said he had to endure racial abuse which he, however, did not allow to discourage him.

“There are people who don't want me to win because of my colour. There is racism. One game they threw a banana at me. They spat at me,” Egbo told BBC Sport.

“The officials of the Albanian FA did not do anything, because it was an away game and they had a white set of fans. The police and security were there - and nobody did anything.

"They were afraid of the fans there. I couldn't do anything. I just had to accept it.

“I said to them, 'have you finished'? They wanted the ground to open up for them to disappear.”

After playing for Tirana as a goalkeeper between 2001 and 2004, Egbo rejoined the club as a goalkeeping coach in 2014.

But he only assumed the head coach role midway through the just-ended campaign, in December 2019.

It was a remarkable triumph for the Nigerian who took over the team when they stared relegation in the face and transformed them into champions.

When he was appointed head coach, Tirana were 15 points off the leaders but went on to win 20 of the 23 remaining games on their way to the champions podium.

“My fellow Africans said, 'you don't know what you've done for us by winning this championship'. It is just like when Obama won the Presidency in America. That's exactly how it is seen here,” added Egbo.

The ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper also talked about the few opportunities for African coaches in Europe.

“If you look at the English Premier League, you rarely see any dark-skinned coaches there. You have to go into the National League before you see that," Egbo continued.

“I feel both joy and sadness. We are not given enough opportunities. We only want the same opportunities. It is just like what Black Lives Matter are doing, but it the football circles, to give opportunities to those who deserve them.”

Egbo’s feat took place the same weekend former Cameroon forward Pierre Achille Webo helped Istanbul Basaksehir win the Turkish Super Lig title as an assistant coach.

Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt has expressed delight in the fact that the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign will finally resume next month, saying they are looking forward to it.

Although the league is yet to confirm the kick-off times and venues, the Clever Boys will face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-final clash and the experienced manager says he will see what team he will play because players are rusty.

The PSL campaign was forcefully halted in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and the games will return in Gauteng in a Biological Safe Environment (BSE) while the campaign will be wrapped up in September.

“Yeah, we’ll play and we are looking forward to it. At least now we know we will play the cup game on the eighth I think,” Hunt told Goal.

“Well, we will see what type of team we will get out on the day because the players haven’t been playing but we are fine in terms of the mood - we don’t have problems.”

The Braamfontein-based club will look to finish the season on a high just after they were sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) and are expected to relocate to Limpopo province prior to the start of the new campaign.

The 56-year-old manager’s men are sixth on the log with 38 points from 21 games but Hunt could not commit to their PSL title ambitions to unseat log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, who lead the table with 48 points.

“[On] the PSL title challenge, we’ll see how it goes. We'll try and do our best in every game and see where it takes us you know,” he added.

“We will see and take it from there, but we are looking forward to the games definitely.”

The confirmation of the PSL season’s return comes after an announcement made by chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza on Monday, in which he said the games will resume with the Nedbank Cup competition, and the last game of the season will be the final.

Meanwhile, Bloemfontein Celtic are scheduled to face Baroka in the other semi-final whilst coach Pitso Mosimane will also look to retain Sundowns' PSL crown.

On the other hand, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United share the third spot with 40 points and coach Eric Tinkler’s Maritzburg United are fifth with 39 points.

Barcelona have had to postpone renewing Clement Lenglet’s contract for financial reasons.

The 25-year-old centre-back has been a regular in the starting XI at Barca and has three years left on his deal at Camp Nou.

The Catalan side are happy with the progress he has made and are eager to tie him down for the long-term, but the Covid-19 pandemic has forced them to delay their next round of negotiations.

The Spanish giants have been hit hard by the pandemic, leading to the playing staff taking a pay cut to help alleviate their financial issues.

Although Lenglet has attracted interest from many of Europe’s top teams, the defender wants to stay with Barca and is aware the club want to upgrade his contract, which is worth less than €2 million (£ 1.83m/@2.35m) per season.

The defender will not listen to offers from elsewhere until he has received a proposal from Barcelona, who hope to commence talks again a few weeks before the new La Liga campaign kicks off.

He blossomed into an important part of Quique Setien’s team, making 38 appearances in all competitions in 2019-20, and he insisted in May that he wants to remain at the club next season.

"You never really know what the future will be like when you are a football  player, but I hope to be at Barcelona next season, yes,” he said to RMC Sport.

"It will necessarily depend on the transfer window, this is a special period for the clubs, and we're safe, but I hope to stay."

Lenglet’s situation is similar to that of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who will also have to wait before negotiations over a new deal pick up again.

The Germany international revealed in June that discussions had been taking place before the pandemic hit.

"There were already the first meetings between my agent and the club [regarding a contract extension], then the coronavirus issue came up and it was not time to discuss a contract,” he said.

"At a time when many people are concerned about their lives, we decided to postpone it. I feel good in Barcelona, ​​also because my family feels good."

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has urged the government to consider renaming the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam to Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The former President, who ruled the East African country for two terms from 1995 to 2005, died early on Friday aged 81 in a Dar es Salaam hospital, and was behind the construction of the country’s biggest stadia.

The 60,000 sitter stadium is situated in Dar es Salaam, next to another venue – Uhuru Stadium – and was constructed during the period Mkapa was the President of the country in conjunction with some foreign investors.

TFF president Wallace Karia has called on the government to consider renaming the venue to Mkapa Stadium so as to remember the late head of state.

“I think this is the perfect moment for our friends tasked to overlook the National Stadium to change its name to Benjamin Mkapa Stadium so the upcoming generations should also be remembering him,” Karia is quoted by Daily News.

“It will be interesting to hear the name of Mkapa be regularly mentioned when national team, Simba SC or Young Africans (Yanga SC) want to use the venue to play matches.”

Karia suggested by renaming the stadium to Mkapa, it will remain as a great honour to the departed hero and will follow in the footsteps of other renamed venues like Karume Stadium and Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium, Sokoine Stadium, and Samora Stadium.

“We are fortunate to have such a magnificent stadium which is the best in East and Central Africa. Most of the countries in Africa do not have such kind of the stadium but we have it courtesy of him [late Mkapa],” Karia continued.

“I believe by the time he decided to construct the stadium, he realised that football is now a major source of revenue generation and employment to the players who are making money to support their lives through football.”

On Saturday, Yanga revealed they were planning to hold a special programme to honour late Mkapa.

Terming the third Tanzanian President as their number one fan, the club’s interim secretary-general Simon Patrick said the ceremony is to pay their last respects for Mkapa and this would be done after their final league match against Lipuli FC.