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Kerala Blasters left-back Jessel Carneiro opened up about the struggles he endured before achieving his goal of playing in the Indian Super League (ISL) and threw some light over the unwavering determination that helped him get through it.

The Goa-born defender was a late entrant into the ISL, making his debut at 28, an age where most players are halfway through their career. He spent his formative years and the early years of his career in Goa, plying his trades for the likes of Raya FC, Curtorim Gymkhana FC, Salgaocar, Dempo, FC Bardez and so on.

Despite having speed and ability on the ball, injuries prevented the left-back from realising his dream much earlier. However, injuries to both his knees were not enough to prevent him from working towards his goal and age never seemed like a barrier as he went on to make a career in football.

“My father used to play football and I was motivated because of that at a young age. I tried joining an academy, but they did not accept me. Dempo signed me up for their U20 team. My father asked me to find a smaller club so I can get more chances. The choice was up to me, but I choose Dempo. I think that was a great decision. I think I developed there, playing under Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda who made me a better player due to their experience,” he said.

“When Dempo called me for the senior team, I decided this would be my profession. I told my parents I want to play football for a living. They ask me what I would do after football. I told them I will do something in football, manage my life with football. They were supportive of me."

Carneiro spoke about the opposition he received from well-wishers who preferred he pursued another path after constant injuries acted as roadblocks to his footballing career. But a strong will kept him on the path and ensured he reached his goal.

“When I got my first knee injury, they were very helpful. I just kept going and the opportunity came after a very long time, but it arrived,” he explained.

“Many people asked me to stop playing football after my knee injury. But I told them that this is a part of life and football. No one would want an injury but it’s part of the journey. I even went through an injury in my other knee and they asked me if it had opened my eyes. But I still told them that it is part of life and I need to keep going. I worked hard and eventually got the contract from Kerala Blasters.

“You need someone to guide you and for me, that is my father. He was a defender himself so he helps me out and gives me advice.

“I told my agent to find any ISL club and I will join. Don’t tell me about the money, I will join any club that wanted me. One day an agent told me that a rep from Kerala said they wanted to sign me. We had lost the Santosh Trophy semi-final in Punjab when I received the message. I went straight to my agent’s house in Goa from the airport there and signed the contract."

Carneiro bagged five assists in 18 games during his debut season with the Blasters. He was arguably one of the best players for the side and was bound to be a sought-after player at the end of his one-year contract.

However, the Goan had made it clear to his agent that should an offer from Kerala arrive, he would not even consider other clubs.

“I was searching for a club since the start of the (2014) season. Kerala was the club that gave me the first contract and I want to be loyal to them. Now when my agent told me that many clubs are after me, I just asked him about Kerala’s offer. And then I told them I was ready to sign,” he explained.

“Ishfaq (Ahmed) got me to Kerala. Whatever I do here is because of him because he gave me the contract. Initially, he saw my ability and tried taking me to some other club, but it did not work out. He asked me to keep trying and that he will get me to some other club. And he is the one who helped me come to Kerala. After signing the contract also, he helped me a lot during training sessions.”

The 29-year-old is excited at the prospect of playing under Kibu Vicuna. He admitted to watching Mohun Bagan’s games when Vicuna was the head coach during the lockdown to get a feel of what the southern club will witness next season. He also had nice things to say about Kerala youngster Abdul Sahal Samad and Rahul KP.

He said – “I had a chat with Kibu Vicuna. I started watching Mohun Bagan’s games during the lockdown to get to know the new coach, to see what role the full-backs have. I think his game is attack-minded. I think it is how he likes to play. It will be a good season for us. It is up to the coach; I will play like how he wants me to play. He will see the player’s strengths and weaknesses and tells us what to do.

“I think Sahal is a very good player with a bright future. Not only on the pitch but off the pitch also he is very humble and sincere. I think he can be a good player for the national team as well. Rahul KP is the fastest sprinter and has a bright future ahead of him.

“Roy Krishna was the toughest opponent I faced last season. He has a lot of pace and is very aggressive. In my team, I found it hardest to defend against (Raphael) Messi. He is strong and also has the height advantage.

“Bartholomew Ogbeche has good leadership skills on and off the pitch. Even when we conceded he asks us to keep the head high and try to score."

The left-back is excited at the prospect of becoming an India international and winning the ISL with Kerala. But he admitted that he marginally prioritises the former.

“Both winning the ISL with Kerala Blasters and playing for the national team would bring great joy, but the latter will bring me bigger joy. I am confident that day will come and I will work hard for it. No one can stop me from reaching my dream. I will try my best to try and win the ISL with Kerala in these three years, maybe even a hat-trick. Until I retire from football, I will never give up,” he concluded.

Zinedine Zidane said Gareth Bale's absence from Real Madrid's squad for their draw with Leganes was a "technical decision".

Bale was left out of the squad as Madrid drew 2-2 with Leganes on Sunday, having already clinched the La Liga title.

The Wales international seems set to leave the La Liga giants after making just two appearances since the season resumed last month, with his behaviour while on the bench being questioned.

James Rodriguez has been left out of the past five matchday squads – with personal reasons cited initially – and Zidane discussed the duo after finishing the La Liga campaign.

"You know what happened with one [James]. The other is a technical decision," the Madrid coach said, via AS.

Luka Jovic, meanwhile, came off the bench for what was just his second appearance since the coronavirus-enforced break.

The forward has been linked with a move away after scoring just twice in 26 appearances in his first season in Madrid.

"As always when I talk about Luka, what I say is that he is young," Zidane said.

"He has talent, but it has been a difficult season for him, especially with injuries.

"Of course things that have happened to him, I trust him. We will see next year."

Despite the La Liga season being over, Madrid stiill have their Champions League last 16 match against Manchester City to come next month - which they currently trail 2-1 heading into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Zidane says his players will be allowed some time to relax, but is adamant the next few weeks will not be a holiday.

"It is not a holiday that we have now," he said. "Now, I don't think about City. We want to disconnect a bit, then we will have all the time to think. We will have 10-15 days to think. We will disconnect.

"Until the last second we are going to fight to go to that final, but now you don't have to think about the Champions League. It is time to rest and think about gathering strength. The final stretch has been a tremendous effort. Now we all need some relaxation. This is what we are going to do.

"After these four or five days off, we go back and think about the Champions League. No stress or worries."

Madrid were far from their best against Leganes but Zidane refused to be too critical of his players. 

"During the game you can get angry because we didn't play at our level," he said. "We didn't win but we didn't lose either. In the end I prefer to focus on what we did before today. The season has been spectacular. We have to be happy with what we did."

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta said the Nerazzurri have not made an approach for Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo and "probably won't" in the future, while he also discussed the possibility of signing Alexis Sanchez permanently from Manchester United.

Zaniolo has flourished in the Italian capital since joining Roma from Serie A rivals Inter in 2018, establishing himself as a key player for the Giallorossi and Italy.

But the attacking midfielder, who returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) earlier this month, has been linked with an Inter reunion, while Italian champions Juventus are also reportedly interested.

Marotta, however, played down reports Zaniolo could make a San Siro comeback prior to Sunday's 2-2 draw between Inter and Roma.

"He's one of most interesting players in the league, but we haven't approached Roma officials and probably won't," Marotta told Sky Sport Italia of Zaniolo, who did not feature for Roma at home to Inter.

Inter CEO Marotta was also asked about another Roma player – captain Edin Dzeko.

Antonio Conte was desperate to sign Dzeko at the start of the season, but a transfer did not materialise as the veteran Bosnian striker re-signed until 2022.

"It's a bit inappropriate to talk about the transfer market now," Marotta said. "There are competitions that still have to end and the upcoming window will be an unusual one."

Sanchez continued his fine form for Inter on Sunday, supplying another assist amid speculation over his long-term future.

On loan from Premier League giants United, Sanchez has tallied seven assists and scored twice since Serie A returned last month after the league was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Only Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (nine) has provided more assists than Sanchez since the return of the top European leagues.

"As for Sanchez, we'll make targeted assessments on him and see what can be done. I think mixing experienced players with younger ones is the right thing to do," Marotta added.

"We're looking for both kinds of players. Investing in talent is a job for the future. Experienced players, on the other hand, can make an impact immediately. We have to raise the bar and get closer to victory."

Jewel Raja Shaikh tasted success at a tender age of 18. He started his senior career with Dempo in 2008 and had won the I-League in just his second season in professional football.

Shaikh’s impressive performances for the Goan outfit had earned him a call into the India U-23 national team while he was still a teenager and made his senior national team debut at the age of 21.

Unfortunately, his high-flying career came to a tragic end at the age of 27. His last season at the top tier of Indian football was in the 2017-18 season when he played for FC Pune City.

He had a rough start to his campaign at Pune City as he had picked up an injury right before their season opener. He had even started the match but had to leave the pitch within the first 10 minutes of the game.

Shaikh explained that it was a minor groin injury and he had taken only 20 days to get back into fitness. However, he alleges that coach Ranko Popovic did not give him enough chances to make a comeback.

“I had picked up a groin injury in the very first match of the season against Delhi Dynamos but it wasn’t serious. The injury happened during warm-up. I came back after 20 days and had even played a match against FC Goa.

“The coach had problems with me after I got injured. He had asked me to continue with upper body exercises after the injury but the team doctor advised me to take rest for the next couple of days. I decided to follow the doctor’s advice and took complete rest. The coach came to know that I did not follow his instructions and that I guess hurt his ego. He told me that I was not a disciplined person and hence, he never gave me a proper chance,” alleged the midfielder.

Shaikh continued, “After coming back from the injury, I did very well in the training sessions but he completely ignored me. In the Super Cup, he played all the young players but once against ignored me.”

The former India international cited examples of his former coaches Zico and Antonio Habas at FC Goa and ATK respectively and suggested that he had similar injury issues at those clubs but the coaches never sidelined him from the squad.

“Even in the first season at FC Goa I had picked up a similar injury and was out for 10-15 days. Zico was the coach at that time but even he never asked me to do anything that the doctor did not advice. When I came back from the injury Zico called me back into the starting lineup. The same thing happened at ATK. I missed quite a few matches due to injury but once I was fit, then coach Antonio Habas had called me back into the team,” said the midfielder.

Amongst his regrets, Shaikh rues selecting Pune’s offer over Mohun Bagan in 2017-18 and suggested that his career would have gone in a different direction if he had joined his hometown club.

“I regret not joining Mohun Bagan in 2017. They had offered me as then coach Sanjay Sen had wanted me at the club. But I decided to go to Pune. I regret it. Actually the reason I went to Pune City is coach Habas. When Pune approached me, he was still in charge and had recommended my name. Habas was also present during the ISL 2017 draft. But after I signed their contract I came to know that he had left due to some problem and Popovic joined,” concluded Shaikh.

Napoli head coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted he is "worried" amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Barcelona ahead of next month's Champions League showdown.

Gattuso's Napoli are scheduled to visit Barcelona for the second leg of their last-16 tie on August 8 behind closed doors but a surge in COVID-19 cases in Catalonia has prompted concerns.

UEFA has confirmed it would be ready to move the clash away from Camp Nou, with the city locked down again and residents asked to stay at home for a fortnight.

Asked about the situation following Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 Serie A victory over Udinese, Gattuso said: "I haven't got caught up on any of it because it's not my job. It's something for the president and his guys.

"They always do this kind of thing. We are worried, of course, but I stay put because the chairman and his entourage will know what to do."

Napoli snatched victory in the 95th minute on Sunday via Matteo Politano after team-mate Arkadiusz Milik's 31st-minute equaliser cancelled out Rodrigo De Paul's opener for Udinese.

Sixth in the standings with four league matches remaining, Gattuso added: "After COVID we are playing another sport.

"Playing every three days without our fans with no time to prepare matches it is hard. I must say that the team is doing well."

"We hope to get there, on August 8 very fit against Barcelona," he continued. "It will be very important the way you get there. If you have the right mentality and I think that in the last couple of months we did well."

Napoli star Dries Mertens was forced off the field through injury after just 31 minutes against Udinese.

"Mertens took a knee to his backside so he couldn't run fluently. I hope it's nothing serious," Gattuso said.

Mertens recently pledged his future to the Neapolitan side, putting an end to speculation that the forward might join Chelsea or Inter, but there remains uncertainty regarding some of the club's other big names.

Indeed, the likes of Milik, Kalidou Koulibaly, Hirving Lozano and Brazilian midfielder Allan have all been subject to transfer speculation and Gattuso admits that he doesn't expect to retain the services of everyone currently at his disposal.

"We don't need to operate too much in the market,” the trainer told the press last month. "We have to see who's going to leave us. Our chairman knows it – we speak about it every week. This is a strong team but I think that only 70-80% of the players will stay with us.

"We will do a few transfers but I know this team has great quality [already]."

New Balance are in the mood to celebrate Liverpool's historic Premier League title win and are giving away a 2019-20 jersey signed by their entire team. 

Jurgen Klopp's side have enjoyed a remarkable season having won 30 of their 36 league matches to date. 

In honour of the Reds recent triumph, New Balance have decided to give away a signed jersey that would look great in the pool room of any Liverpool fan. 

To enter, simply make a purchase of over $100 at https://www.newbalance.com.au and complete the form here . 

The winner will need to present their receipt to the value of $100 or more to claim the prize and it must have been dated between July 16-29.

Winners of the prize will be announced on July 30 so enter now for your chance to win!

Back in 1998, Vijay Mallya owned United Breweries (UB) Group penned a historic sponsorship deal with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

The two historic clubs ushered in a new era shrugging off their sentiments by entering into a Joint Venture (JV) with a corporate. The two traditional giants were averse to a company promoting alcohol-based products using the club's name. Also, there was the issue of ceding some control on the club's board to a corporate entity.

Before the UB deal, Tata Tea and Khadim's used to sponsor Mohun Bagan and East Bengal respectively but these companies never entered into a partnership with the club.

The UB Group formed a company with East Bengal named Kingfisher East Bengal Football Team Private Limited of which 50 per cent was owned by each party. United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of UB, formed a JV entity with Mohun Bagan named United Mohun Bagan Private Limited with a similar ownership structure.

The Kolkata clubs enjoyed success during the liquor baron’s association with the clubs as they were amongst the top spenders in Indian football.

Back in 2000, after just two years of their association, UB Group had decided to slash the team budgets of both clubs by more than INR 1 Crore. While East Bengal's poor on-field performances prompted UB to slash their budget, Mohun Bagan's off the field issues and ongoing court cases at that time did not go down well with the liquor firm.

Unfortunately, things went further south in the last decade after the UB Group decided to curtail their investments. UB's airline company Kingfisher Airlines ran into massive losses and was closed in 2012. After the debacle, the company started to cut their costs on all fronts and they even proposed to slash the budget of both the clubs back in 2012.

In 2013, though, UB Group entered into a fresh agreement with the clubs under which the company decided to provide INR 80 crores over a 10-year period.

Mohun Bagan was the first among the two clubs to face a major financial brunt in 2014 when British multinational beverages company Diageo PLC took majority stakes (54.8 per cent) in UB Group’s USL.

Diageo Group was reportedly reluctant to continue the association with the Green and Maroons and allegedly stopped their funding by November 2014. Even though Bagan bagged the I-League title in the 2014-15 season, they were facing immense financial constraint with no cash flow from their erstwhile sponsors.

The club officials decided to drag their chief sponsors to court on November 2015 after a year without a penny of sponsorship money as promised back in 2013. The club refused to wear the McDowell's logo on their shirt during the 2015-16 I-League season.

The deal finally saw a premature end in 2016 when it was agreed that USL would give up their 50 per cent in the JV and returned their shares.

After four seasons without a major title sponsor, Bagan finally entered into a merger with ISL champions ATK and will take part in the top tier league in the upcoming season.

East Bengal did not face many financial difficulties in 2014 as the parent company continued their association with the club despite Heineken becoming the principal owner of UB Group in 2015 with 42.1 per cent share. Vijay Mallya, one of the directors of the club at that point, had only 37.5 per cent stakes.

The relationship suddenly took a dip after the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. In May 2018 during a meeting with the club officials, UB Group announced that they would slash the sponsorship money to a mere INR 1.5 crores which was less than half of what East Bengal were getting until then.

The Red and Golds quite expectedly did not agree to UB’s terms and decided to end the partnership. UB group did not hesitate to return their 50 per cent stake in JV and the sporting rights to field a team in a recognised tournament (which was held by the JV).

Thereafter, East Bengal entered into a fresh JV with Bengaluru-based Business service providing company Quess Corp. The new venture was named Quess Bengal FC Private Limited whose 70 per cent stake was with Quess and 30 per cent with the club.

UB Group wanted to remain as a co-sponsor at East Bengal but the offer was rejected by the club and their new investors in 2018. Quess' association with East Bengal though did not last long as after just two seasons, the company decided to terminate their agreement with the club and end the JV.

Currently, without a title sponsor or an investor, East Bengal are reportedly in talks with several parties in order to attract investment into the club.

It has to be noted that although UB’s sponsorship deals of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal had ended in 2016 and 2018 respectively, the companies which were formed back in 1998 remained active for a longer time.

The last balance sheets of United Mohun Bagan Private Limited and Kingfisher East Bengal Football Team Private Limited was last filed on March 31, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri is as fearless as a Formula One racing driver when it comes to rumours over his future at the club.

Sarri has faced speculation that he will be sacked at the end of the season even if he guides Juventus to a ninth consecutive Serie A title.

The Bianconeri are six points clear at the top of the table ahead of Monday's clash with fourth-placed Lazio, although Inter could cut that to four with victory over Roma on Sunday night.

Juve have not won any of their past three games and were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Sarri's former club Napoli last month.

Sarri, however, was in a bullish mood when reporters asked him at a media conference on Sunday if he was concerned about losing his job.

"I have a contract and I want to honour it at all costs," said the ex-Chelsea boss, who was given a three-year deal when he took over Juventus in June 2019.

"Asking me about if I am worried for my future is like asking a Formula One driver if he is afraid to go fast. I'm happier feeling someone breathing down my neck. It's part of my profession - if you win, you are doing well, if you lose, you are doing badly. Football is difficult, wherever you are.

"At Chelsea there was a different situation, I liked the idea of going to England, then last summer I wanted to come back to Italy, but the future is the game against Lazio on Monday and we have to think about every single game. All the rest comes as a result."

In December, Lazio claimed two 3-1 victories over Juve in Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Simone Inzaghi's side were only a point behind the defending champions before the restart, but four defeats in seven games has left them playing catch up. Sarri, though, is wary of the threat they pose.

"Lazio have had a great season, they have proven to be a great team even if they are going through a difficult period," added the 61-year-old. "It is a strange time we're playing in, which is unique in the history of football.

"This is a team we have always struggled against. In a single game everything can change, so the difficulty of this game speaks for itself."

Mikel Arteta feels any prospective new signing should not need much convincing to join Arsenal, a club with an "obligation to fight for silverware".

The Gunners have endured a seesaw 2019-20 season, including a change of head coach following Unai Emery's departure in November, but have shown promising signs in recent weeks under Arteta.

After victory over Premier League champions Liverpool in midweek, Arsenal recorded an impressive 2-0 triumph against Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final, raising the possibility of not just a trophy but also a Europa League spot.

The two results have clearly demonstrated the progress made under the Spaniard, who feels the club's standing on and off the field should make them an attractive option for any player.

"I've said it before that I do not think we should bring in players who need a lot of convincing," Arteta told the media. "This club has enough to be attracted to it.

"The feeling I get when I talk to a lot of people is that the players still want to come to the club, because of the history, the way we do things, our values, the fans that we have and our stadium. They are really attractive things."

With qualification looking unlikely via the league, the FA Cup could provide a welcome route into Europe.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored both goals against City at Wembley, Pep Guardiola's side dominating possession but failing to find a way through an Arsenal defence that has come under heavy criticism this season.

For Arteta, it was a statement result in the early stages of his tenure after leaving City to take charge at Emirates Stadium.

"Our obligation with this club is to fight for silverware, to be with the top teams," said Arteta, Guardiola's former assistant. "We have reached the final. I put that pressure upon myself, because that's the way I look at the club. I know no other way.

"For me, to be able to beat in my opinion the best team in the country is great."

Arsenal will face London rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup final on August 1, after the Blues beat Manchester United 3-1 on Sunday.

Mason Greenwood is better than Marcus Rashford, according to Dwight Yorke, who has described the Manchester United starlet as a "defender's nightmare" and a "fantastic talent".

Greenwood has been a bright spark for United this season, complimenting Rashford and Anthony Martial perfectly to help form one of the deadliest attacking triumvirates in the Premier League.

Solskjaer has been rewarded for placing his trust in a talented young forward with little previous senior experience, as he has hit 18 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions.

Most of those outings have come from the bench, but he has enjoyed a prominent role in Solskjaer's starting XI since last month's top-flight restart.

The England international recently earned a place in the Old Trafford record books for scoring in three consecutive matches, becoming only the second teenager to achieve the feat alongside club legend Wayne Rooney.

Rashford is also enjoying a fine individual campaign, having hit a career-high total of 22 goals, with his potential now starting to be fulfilled after three years of development as a promising academy graduate.

Yorke thinks Greenwood is progressing at an even faster rate than his team-mate, and expects him to continue his current trajectory with Solskjaer on hand to "guide him". 

The former United striker told Apollo Tyres: "He is getting all the praise right now because he is certainly hot at the moment with what he is doing. The trend at United is that the young players have always been getting chances.

"Under LVG [Louis van Gaal] and [Jose] Mourinho, they have not got their chances. Ole has come in and recognized that part of Man Utd. Mason, under Jose, probably would not have got a game. 

"Mason is a defender's nightmare. If you look at us in the last 2-3 years, we have been passing sideways, now these guys are driving teams back into their own area. He is a fantastic talent.

"He is better than Rashford, looking at his record now. You got to understand though he is still 18, at a development stage. Having Ole there, he would guide him along the way."

Santi Cazorla said Villarreal will always be his "home" after the veteran star bid farewell to the La Liga club amid links to Xavi's Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Cazorla and long-serving captain Bruno Soriano played their final match for Villarreal in a 4-0 final-round rout of Eibar on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Cazorla, who has made a big impact in his third spell with Villarreal after returning from a serious Achilles injury in 2018 following 636 days on the sidelines, has been linked with a move to Al-Sadd – coached by former Barcelona skipper Xavi.

And former Arsenal playmaker Cazorla bowed out on a winning note with Villareal, providing the assist for Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's 71st-minute opener at home to Eibar.

Cazorla ended the 2019-20 campaign with 11 goals and 10 assists as Villareal finished fifth in LaLiga to qualify for the Europa League.

"I'm eternally grateful to this club and the fans for having opened the doors to me and for all the love they've shown me for so long," Cazorla, who was replaced in the 82nd minute, said via the club's website.

"I've had a great time, but it's time to end this stage of my career. It's a decision I've thought about a lot. Every game I find it harder to give 100 per cent and I had to be honest with myself and the club.

"I feel that this club is inside me. It isn't a goodbye, it's a 'we'll meet again', because Villarreal CF will always be my home."

Bruno also made an emotional swansong on the final day of the season at Madrigal, with the 36-year-old retiring after more than 300 appearances for Villarreal.

The one-club player returned to the field in June following more than three years on the sidelines due to two operations and a painful recovery.

"I've thought about it a lot and I've taken this tough decision. I've realised that my body is no longer able to give 100 per cent and play 90 minutes week in, week out, which is what I've always wanted to do. That's why I've taken the decision to end my career," Bruno said.

"This club is part of my life and that doesn't stop here. I am going to continue coming to cheer on the team every Sunday, alongside the rest of the fans and those who love this club."

Antonio Conte hit out at Serie A chiefs for their scheduling of Inter's fixtures and accused the match officials of making a big error in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Roma.

The visitors salvaged a late point at Stadio Olimpico through Romelu Lukaku's penalty after Leonardo Spinazzola and Henrikh Mkhitaryan cancelled out Stefan de Vrij's opener.

It was Inter's fourth match in 11 days, each of those games in the late kick-off slot, whereas title rivals Juventus have had a four-day rest ahead of Monday's clash with Lazio.

And Conte feels that playing late in the day has been a big disadvantage for his side given the quick turnaround in fixtures.

"I want people to look at the fixture list for Inter," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Our calendar is insane and made to cause us problems. 

"We are always playing late at night, the teams we face always have an extra day of rest compared to us. These are facts.

"It's an anomaly, so if you are honest, look at what happened in the last round. Evidently Inter weren't present when the fixture list was drawn up, because our calendar is crazy.

"Some teams get five days of rest. We play late at night in an away fixture and basically end up getting home at 4am.

"Everyone has to make compromises, but it's always Inter that ends up getting the short straw. Always. It's funny, that. If someone has to get a slap, it's always Inter."

Inter were a goal ahead before Spinazzola equalised in first-half stoppage time, the strike allowed to stand despite Aleksandar Kolarov catching Lautaro Martinez in the build-up.

Conte was unhappy with the decision but held back from being overly critical of the officials, who awarded Inter a late penalty for Spinazzola's clumsy challenge on Victor Moses.

"It's not a dubious situation. It was a very clear situation," he said. "The Roma player does not get the ball, he gets Lautaro's ankle. 

"I have the utmost respect for referees – they too are going through a strange and anomalous situation, so I don't think they deserve that kind of criticism. 

"They too can make mistakes, and the referee tonight made a mistake, it happens.

"Of course, if you go into the break at 1-1 with the knowledge it was an unjust situation, it is going to make you angry."

The draw does little for Inter's Scudetto hopes, leaving them five points behind Juventus ahead of the reigning champions' game in hand against fourth-placed Lazio.

They are now assured of a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League, however, and Conte called for Inter's season to be put into perspective.

"We are talking about a team that in my view is doing some very good things," he said. 

"Aside from second place, if you look at the goals scored and conceded, we are in the Champions League with four rounds to spare and 14 points clear of fifth place.

"Let's not forget Inter started with the same objectives for the season as Roma and Napoli. 

"Serie A has become very competitive indeed and everyone is set up to have great campaigns. Only four go into the Champions League.

"If people say Inter are below par, then what do you say about the other teams who didn't finish in the top four?"

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has set his sights on upsetting former side Arsenal to win another FA Cup final.

The Blues sealed their place in the final on Sunday as they beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley on Sunday, with Giroud opening the scoring shortly before half-time and Mason Mount doubling their lead early in the second period.

Untied defender Harry Maguire turned into his own net to make it 3-0 before Bruno Fernandes clawed one back with a penalty late in the game.

Giroud has already won four FA Cups during his career in England, having won three with Arsenal before helping Chelsea to the trophy in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

But the France international is fully motivated to add another winner's medal to his collection and says it will be special coming up against his former team.

"I said to the boys I would love to win another one, it would be my fifth FA Cup and we are in another final," he said.

"A big game against Arsenal which will be so special for me personally. We played very well and we want to finish in the top three in the Premier League now.

"We played three at the back, it's been a while since we did but we started very well. We had them under pressure and they didn't create much. We dominated the game."

Mount scored his first goal since March when his effort from outside the box slipped by United goalkeeper David De Gea.

The midfielder was delighted with his side's display as they turn their attention to sealing a top four finish in the Premier League before they take on Arsenal in the cup final.

"I tried to get it on target, anything can happen. It was maybe a bit fortunate to see it go in, it gave us room to express ourselves a bit more.

"I always want to score goals and create assists - it hasn't happened for a while but you're always looking to affect the game in different areas."

"The gaffer just said we've got two massive finals before we're here again. We need that mindset to try and secure the top four."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer backed David de Gea to bounce back after his mistakes in Sunday's FA Cup clash with Chelsea but admits the goalkeeper should have done better.

The Spaniard was culpable in all three of Chelsea’s goal as Frank Lampard’s side booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

The worst of De Gea's errors came as he was beaten from 25 yards out by Mason Mount for Chelsea’s second with Solskjaer saying his number one should have done better.

“Obviously everyone has to perform and everyone has a chance every game to stake a place in the team. David knows he should have saved the second goal but that’s done now, we have to move on and look forward to Wednesday,” Solskjaer said.

“It’s hard for a keeper to make amends. So much easier for outfield players. David showed in the rest of the game, he made a few good saves, but he knows he could have saved that one.”

While De Gea’s blunders were bad that wasn’t the only thing that cost United a place in the final against Arsenal. Solskjaer made five changes to his starting XI and altered his system starting with a back three.

The decision backfired with his team unable to get into any kind of rhythm but the Norwegian insists he made the right selection with a crucial game against West Ham coming up on Wednesday.

“We picked the team today to give us the best opportunity to go through in the cup and be ready for Wednesday and it didn’t work today,” he explained.

United were forced into a change when Eric Bailly came off just before the break after a nasty head collision with Harry Maguire and Solskjaer believed that changed the game.

“Eric is in hospital going through routine checks and protocols. I’ve not spoken to the doctor about him of course that had a big big impact on the game,” Solskjaer said.

“Eric played very well and we conceded just after the restart which was v disappointing and Eric was a big part of us not having any chances against us.

“We have loads of things to learn as a team but we have learnt and we are developing and this team is going forward. They took a knock confidence wise of course but let’s see how the reaction is on Wednesday.”

Kevin-Prince Boateng helped Besiktas maintain their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 victory over Fenerbahce in Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The 33-year-old joined the Black and Whites from Fiorentina in January on loan and has been in fine form for the side.

The Ghana international was afforded his sixth start and 11th league appearance at Vodafone Park and made an impressive contribution in the encounter.

Boateng had an 88% successful pass rate in the match, made one tackle and won one aerial contest to help his side secure all three points.

Besiktas played most of the game with a one-man advantage after Fenerbahce were reduced to 10 men following the red card received by Vedat Muriqi in the 26th minute.

The advantage did not count much in the first half as they were frustrated by the solid defensive displays by the Yellow Canaries, failing to find the back of the net.

After the restart, however, Domagoj Vida opened the scoring for the Sergen Yalcın’s side in the 63rd minute after he was set up by Tyler Boyd.

Seven minutes later, Gokhan Gonul doubled the Black and Whites’ lead after benefitting from Caner Erkin’s assist, which was enough to seal the victory.

Boateng featured for 59 minutes before he was replaced by Mali international Abdoulay Diaby while his teammate and Egypt international Mohamed Elneny, who is on loan from Premier League club Arsenal, featured for the duration of the games.

The victory boosted Besiktas’ hopes of nicking a Champions League ticket, as it reduces their gap to second-placed Trabzonspor to three points.

Boateng has scored three league goals and provided one assist for the Black and Whites since his January move and will hope to make a more significant contribution when his side takes on Genclerbirligi on July 25.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was proud of his side’s performance in Sunday’s 3-1 win against Manchester United.

The Blues dominated the FA Cup semi-final tie against Ole Gunnar Solskjear’s side at Wembley to book their place in the final against Arsenal.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount and an own goal from Harry Maguire put the Stamford Bridge side well ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team before Bruno Fernandes converted a late penalty for the Red Devils.

Lampard was delighted with the way his team rose to the challenge and controlled the game.

"I can't ask for any more from my players than that,” he told . The work ethic and the level of performance. We were on top and when they changed their system we were even better. I am very proud of that performance.

"Where we are at it is going to happen that we have some bad displays like against Sheffield United. We have done a lot of work in the last few days and the players deserve a huge amount of credit.

"They should take confidence form that display. We have leaders, you can't compare across eras but we have leaders in the team. It was a performance full of character and personality.”

Chelsea will conclude their Premier League campaign next week when they visit Liverpool on Wednesday and then host Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The London side are third in the English top-flight and a point ahead of Leicester and United and Lampard hopes his side treat the games like finals before they return to Wembley to face Arsenal on August 1.

"We have finals ahead, Two in the league and then Arsenal. We want to win things. Three games won't define the progress we have made but we are at the business end.”

After the cup final, Chelsea will return to Champions League duty when they meet Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

Bayern hold a significant advantage as they beat Lampard’s team 3-0 in London in February.

Watford parted company with head coach Nigel Pearson on Sunday in a dramatic split ahead of their final push to avoid Premier League relegation.

Sitting three points above the Premier League drop zone, Watford announced the shock change ahead of games against Manchester City and Arsenal, naming Hayden Mullins as interim boss.

Pearson took charge in December, when Watford sat bottom of the table with eight points from 15 games, but his deal only ran until the end of the campaign.

Despite guiding the team out of the bottom three, the former Leicester City boss will not lead them into the critical closing seven days of the campaign.

Watford's turnover of head coaches is unusual for a Premier League club. Javi Gracia began the season in charge of the Hornets, before being replaced by Quique Sanchez Flores, whose second stint at Watford was over inside three months.

Pearson appeared to be the saviour of their faltering 2019-20 effort as Watford's results picked up, but a 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Friday proved to be his final game in charge.

Losing to the Hammers led Pearson to reflect he and his team had "let an opportunity pass us by".

That setback followed valuable back-to-back wins over Norwich City and Newcastle United.

Pearson leaves the club having guided them to seven wins and five draws in his 22 matches in charge.

Watford will be visited by second-placed City on Tuesday, before the Hornets travel to FA Cup finalists Arsenal on Sunday, with former West Ham and Crystal Palace midfielder Mullins at the helm.

A statement from the Vicarage Road club said: "Watford FC confirms that Nigel Pearson has left the club with immediate effect.

"Hayden Mullins, with Graham Stack as his assistant, will take up the position of interim head coach for the Hornets’ final two Premier League fixtures of the 2019/20 season."

Mullins has been coaching Watford’s Under 23s since 2016 but took over as interim coach for two games in December after Sanchez Flores was sacked, losing 2-0 to Leicester and drawing with Crystal Palace before Pearson took over.

Leganes were relegated from LaLiga following a 2-2 draw with champions Real Madrid at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on the final day of the season.

Javier Aguirre's side had won three of the four games ahead of the visit of Los Blancos but ultimately fell short of the three points required to overhaul Celta Vigo, who drew 0-0 with Espanyol.

Madrid, who sealed their first title since 2017 with victory over Villarreal on Thursday, went ahead through Sergio Ramos' early header before Bryan Gil equalised for the hosts.

Roger Assale set up a grandstand finish following Marco Asensio's strike shortly after the interval, but Leganes were ultimately unable to find a precious winner, with Madrid surviving a late VAR check for a possible penalty.

Madrid looked lively in the opening stages, Federico Valverde forcing Ivan Cuellar into a superb save with a swerving effort from distance.

Their early dominance was rewarded after nine minutes – an unmarked Sergio Ramos heading home his 11th league goal of the campaign from Isco's free-kick.

Recio and Gil tested Alphonse Areola as the hosts responded well, and Leganes had their reward in stoppage time when Gil opened his account with a neat finish from an acute angle.

Leganes' hopes suffered a blow six minutes after the interval, though, with Asensio slotting past Cuellar after latching onto Isco's sublime pass.

Yet Leganes refused to go down without a fight and they drew level again 12 minutes from time when substitute Assale fired underneath Areola.

Javier Aviles inexplicably lashed wide from eight yards in the closing stages, while a lengthy VAR review into a potential handball from Luka Jovic gave Leganes hope of a dramatic penalty. Nothing was given, though, as their four-year stay in LaLiga ended in agonising circumstances.

What does it mean? Leganes fall just short of a great escape

Leganes had been in sensational form in their previous outings to give themselves a fighting chance of survival but, though they poured forward in the closing stages and came so close to securing a sensational win, it was not to be, with Madrid having enough quality to see out the draw.

Record-setting Ramos on target yet again

The Madrid icon has been a talismanic presence since the resumption of action last month, and the 34-year-old became the first defender to score over 10 LaLiga goals in a season in the 21st century with his fine header in the opening stages.

Anguish for Aviles

Aviles will be haunted by his miss for a long time to come. He was given the space of the Madrid penalty area late on but skewed his shot wide. It proved to be the difference between survival and relegation.

Key Opta Facts:

- Ramos has scored 11 goals in LaLiga in 2019-20, the most by a defender in a single season in the 21st century.
- Leganes have been relegated from LaLiga for the first time. The previous time they were relegated was in 2003-04 when they fell to the third tier of Spanish football. 
- Madrid have conceded just 25 goals in LaLiga this campaign, their best defensive total in a 20-team season in the competition.
- Los Blancos defender Ramos now has 100 club goals to his name in all competitions (97 for Madrid, three for Sevilla).
- Isco provided two assists in a game for Madrid for the first time since February 2017 against Espanyol.

What's next?

Real Madrid have a Champions League campaign to resume, with the second leg of their last-16 tie against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on August 7. Leganes, meanwhile, will have to pick themselves up for a campaign in the second tier.

Adnan Januzaj's 87th-minute equaliser saw Real Sociedad fight back for a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid that secured a place in next season's Europa League.

Atleti looked on course for victory in their concluding LaLiga fixture at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday after Koke's close-range finish in the first half.

But Januzaj's curling free-kick late on went through a crowded box and found a way past the otherwise superb Jan Oblak.

The point was enough for Atleti to claim third place in LaLiga but Sociedad were the happier of the two sides as they finished in sixth spot, when defeat would have left them without European football.

Sociedad showed early adventure and Alexander Isak combined well with Nacho Monreal, but the latter's shot was comfortably saved by Oblak in the Atleti goal.

Atletico seized the initiative with half an hour played when neat build-up play allowed captain Koke to poke the ball past goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya after he latched on to Alvaro Morata's lay-off.

A subdued Martin Odegaard went close for Sociedad shortly after half-time when his well-struck effort was kept out by the strong hand of a diving Oblak.

Diego Costa's ambitious scissor kick went wide at the other end, before substitute Ander Barrenetxea sliced a volley for Sociedad as the game opened up.

Diego Simeone introduced fit-again Joao Felix just after the hour and only a last-ditch block kept out a dangerous cross from the Portugal playmaker, with Costa poised to capitalise inside the six-yard box.

Sociedad piled on the pressure late on and Januzaj's low angled effort brought a fingertip save out of Oblak before they were awarded a free-kick with three minutes left.

Belgium playmaker Januzaj stepped up and teased the ball into a packed box to deceive Oblak, who was waiting for a touch, and despite getting a hand on it he could not keep it out.

What does it mean? Atleti a distant third , joy for Sociedad

Atleti suffered just four LaLiga defeats this season – only Real Madrid with three, have been beaten fewer times – but 16 draws left them some way off challenging for the title.

Simeone must figure out how to convert more of them into wins next season to bridge the gap between themselves and the top two, but of more immediate concern is the conclusion of the Champions League next month.

Sociedad went from despair to joy in the space of a few minutes and will relish Europa League football in San Sebastian next season.

Oblak almost unflappable

It was another superb display by the Slovenia goalkeeper, who was only beaten very late in the game. Atleti's goal was put under intense pressure in the second half and Oblak produced several superb saves. He will be a key man if they are to finally achieve elusive Champions League glory.

Off-colour outing for Odegaard

Odegaard has been the creative fulcrum of Sociedad's attacking play this season but struggled to make an impact. The Real Madrid loanee was bullied by Atleti's players on the few occasions he was able to get on the ball and substituted with 25 minutes left.

What's next?

Atleti will turn their attention to a Champions League quarter-final showdown with RB Leipzig in Lisbon on August 13. Once fans are allowed back into Spanish stadia, Real Sociedad will finally tackle a Basque derby in the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.

Nigeria's Anthony Nwakaeme and Ghana's Caleb Ekuban could not stop Trabzonspor from suffering a 4-3 defeat against Konyaspor in Sunday's Turkish Super Lig encounter.

The African stars started for Huseyin Cimsir's side at the Senol Gunes Stadium but their contributions did not prevent the hosts from suffering their second straight loss in the Turkish top-flight.

Ekuban assisted Alexander Sorloth in opening the scoring for Trabzonspor in the 12th minute but he could not add to his tally of five league goals this campaign.

The Black Stars striker was in action for the entirety while his Nigerian teammate Nwakaeme featured for 46 minutes before his replacement and Senegal's Badou Ndiaye, who is on loan from Stoke City, played for 83 minutes.

Nwakaeme, who last scored a league goal on June 12 against Goztepe, could not increase his tally of 11 goals and six assists after 29 league outings so far.

Uganda's Farouk Miya was missing in action for Konyaspor after bagging a brace in their 4-3 win over league champions Istanbul Basaksehir on Monday.

Despite the loss, Trabzonspor remain unmoved in the second spot in the Super Lig with 62 points after 33 games, seven points behind champions Basaksehir and two points ahead of third-placed Sivasspor.

The Black Sea Storm will be aiming to return to winning ways when they travel to Kayserispor for their final league match of the season on July 25 and also confirm their spot in next season's Uefa Champions League qualifiers.

Konyaspor, meanwhile, moved to 13th and they have avoided relegation with the win having gathered 36 points from 33 matches

They host Alanyaspor for their final 2019-20 season fixture on Saturday.