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Football enthusiasts across the world have sent messages of support to Eric Bailly after the Manchester United defender suffered a head injury in their FA Cup semi-final game against Chelsea.

The Ivory Coast international was stretchered off with a neck brace during Sunday's encounter after a clash of heads with teammate Harry Maguire.

Bailly was subsequently replaced by Anthony Martial before goals from Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead at Wembley Stadium.

The injury came as a worry for fans with the Ivorian centre-back trying to settle in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team after returning from a knee injury that kept him out for six months, between July 2019 and January 2020.

Bailly was making his sixth start of the season before the injury.

Hanna Boubezari scored the only goal for Lidkopings as they crumbled 5-1 against Moron in Sunday's Elitettan game.

The 21-year-old joined Lidkopings from Jitex Molndal in January following her stints with Umea in the Damallsvenskan and now-disbanded Kungsbackas in the Elitettan in 2017.

Since her arrival at the Elitettan outfit, the Algeria international is integrating herself well, having scored once in six matches, with her only goal ensuring her side's 2-2 draw with Bollstanas last week.

The hosts sought to maintain their run to close the gap on the leaders to five points and they got off to a bright start with Hayley Dowd's opener after 23 minutes at Electrolux Home Arena.

Andreas Gustavsson's team suffered another setback before the half-time break when Thea Bergsten profited from a defensive mistake to double the lead for Moron in the 36th minute.

A minute after the restart, Rebekah O'Brien extended the advantage for Moron and the hosts maintained their scoring surge against the visitors when Villemo Dahlqvist netted the fourth 12 minutes later.

However,  Boubezari pulled one back for Lidkopings in the 64th minute but could not inspire a comeback as Tuva Skoog struck 10 minutes from full-time to seal their rout for Fredrik Asplund's side.

Boubezari, who was in action from the duration for Gustavsson's team, has now scored two goals in seven games and they will hope to earn their second win of the season against Alvsjo on July 25.

David de Gea had a day to forget as Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount helped Chelsea outlcass Manchester United 3-1 in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Giroud ensured Chelsea deservedly led with the help of slack goalkeeping from De Gea at the end of a half in which United lost Eric Bailly to a serious-looking heading injury.

De Gea was at fault again almost immediately after the restart when Mount doubled Chelsea's lead with a shot a keeper of any level would hope to save.

The Spaniard was not entirely convincing when Harry Maguire put into his own net to compound a miserable day either, but – despite a late penalty from Bruno Fernandes – Frank Lampard's side were good value for the win and can now look forward to a return to Wembley to face Arsenal in a rematch of the 2016-17 final.

Chelsea's pressure had United on the back foot early on but Reece James' stinging drive was the only save De Gea had to make, with Marcos Alonso wastefully putting a free header over.

United's performance was at odds with their recent form and they saw Bailly taken away on a stretcher in a neck brace after a nasty clash of heads with Maguire.

After a lengthy delay, Giroud's deft touch from Cesar Azpilicueta's right-wing cross squirmed past De Gea, who might feel he should have done better, in the 11th minute of first-half stoppage time.

Just a minute after the restart De Gea's outing got even worse when he allowed Mount's seemingly unthreatening 20-yard effort under his body, albeit Brandon Williams' wayward pass did his side no favours.

Marcus Rashford flashed a tantalising ball across the face of goal and Maguire headed wide when Willy Caballero flapped at a corner as United tried to muster a response.

But it was game over when Maguire got the final touch on Alonso's drilled cross and De Gea was again beaten, with Fernandes' clinical spot-kick after Callum Hudson-Odoi's clumsy challenge on Anthony Martial providing scant consolation.

What does it mean? Ole's gambles backfire as Lampard, Arteta eye first prize

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had masterminded three wins over Chelsea this season, but his decision to match their 3-5-2 system – a tactic that yielded success at Stamford Bridge in February – did not pay dividends, nor did the selection of De Gea over regular cup keeper Sergio Romero.

For Lampard, he can now end his first campaign as boss with silverware, although Mikel Arteta will be equally desperate to land a maiden trophy as Gunners head coach.

Giroud leads the way

Many will talk about De Gea's shoddy work for the opener but Giroud deserves credit for getting in front of Victor Lindelof and providing a classy flick.

The Frenchman has six goals in his past seven starts and was a constant menace. Not a bad return for a man who seemed destined for an exit just six months ago.

De Gea back under the spotlight

The form of United number one De Gea has been the topic of discussion for some time, most recently for an error in a 1-1 draw against Spurs when the Premier League resumed last month.

De Gea responded with four clean sheets in the following six top-flight matches, but a keeper of his quality really should have saved Giroud's effort and the second goal was inexcusable.

Key Opta Facts:

- Chelsea have reached their 14th FA Cup final; indeed, only Arsenal (21 including 2019-20) and Manchester United (20) have made the final on more occasions than the Blues.
- United have been eliminated from the FA Cup by Chelsea for a sixth time (including three of the last four seasons) – only Arsenal (7) have knocked the Red Devils out of the competition on more occasions.
- This was Chelsea's first victory against Manchester United since the 2018 FA Cup final – the Blues were winless in six matches across all competitions against the Red Devils prior to today (D2 L4).
- Chelsea are the first side to beat Manchester United since Burnley in the Premier League back in January, ending United's 19 game unbeaten run in all competitions.
- Since his debut in the FA Cup in January 2013, Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud has scored 16 goals in the competition (13 for Arsenal & 3 for Chelsea) - only Sergio Aguero (19) has netted more in this period.

What's next?

United's focus turns back to the race for the top four in the Premier League as they host West Ham on Wednesday. Chelsea will eventually prepare for Arsenal and a Wembley return but can confirm their own place in the Champions League spots by beating Liverpool on the final day.

Manchester United fans' confidence in David de Gea plummeted to new depths during the goalkeeper's display in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

De Gea was mocked on social media for his lame attempt to stop Olivier Giroud's opening goal just before half-time.

But the anger towards the Spain international intensified shortly after the restart when Mason Mount's effort from outside the box evaded his grasp and hit the back of the net.

That howler was enough to convince many Red Devils supporters that he is no longer worthy of a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI, but the misery continued for De Gea and United.

The 29-year-old hardly covered himself in glory in the 74th minute either, as United centre-back Harry Maguire diverted into his own net to put Chelsea 3-0 up.

United managed to narrow the deficit when Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty towards the end, but the damage had been done and De Gea will be stuck with a lot of the blame. 

The shot stopper has gone from club icon to the most maligned player in the side as he has faced severe criticism for a sharp decline in form.

Nordsjaelland youth coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani believes Mohammed Kudus' transfer to Dutch giants Ajax draws him closer to a move to a top club in a major European league.

After scoring 11 times in 25 league outings for Danish fold Nordsjaelland this season, the 19-year-old opted for a new challenge with a move to the Eredivisie outfit on Thursday.

He was linked to Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Real Madrid before choosing Erik Ten Hag's side.

“Kudus Mohammed has fully developed well and I believe that Ajax is the gateway," Didi told Happy Sports.

"He chose the right option to join Ajax despite the several offers from top European clubs.

“Ajax will refine him and that they will also prepare him for the top European football.

"Ajax is one of the best clubs in Europe that play good football and also develop young players.

“He will turn up to be a world-class player because of the transition we have given him here at Nordsjaelland."

Kudus joined Nordsjaelland from Ghanaian outfit Right to Dream Academy in 2018.

Last season, he netted three times in 26 league matches.

The Accra-born is in the running for the 2020 Golden Boy Award, a prize for the most outstanding U21 player in Europe.

"It is a good thing to see him sign for Ajax and becoming the most expensive youngster in Ghana and I hope more youngsters will come up so we can have a strong Black Stars," former Ghana U17 coach Samuel Paa Kwasi Fabin, who coached Kudus at the 2017 Fifa World Cup, told Ghsportsnews.

"I’m happy because it doesn’t happen more often. I keep saying that talent without effort is useless and he has been able to put in a lot of efforts to get that price tag. [A pricetag of] €9 million is a big money for an African youngster.

"I’m hopeful he will justify the amount Ajax splashed on him.

"Ajax is a team that gives an opportunity to youngsters like Kudus and I believe it is a good move. If he is able to develop well, the big guns will come calling."

Kudus, who has also represented Ghana at U20 level, made his senior debut for the Black Stars in November last year, scoring in a 2-0 triumph over South Africa. 

Lionel Messi says the attitude shown by Barcelona in their 5-0 win over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday is the benchmark for next season. 

After proving unable to keep pace with Real Madrid since the resumption, Barca ultimately surrendered their La Liga crown in midweek after an insipid 2-1 home defeat to Osasuna. 

They ended their domestic campaign in some style, though, Messi scoring twice and further goals from Ansu Fati, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo sealing the win. 

In assisting Fati for the opener, Messi broke the record for most assists in a single La Liga campaign, while he took his goal tally to 25 in 33 appearances in the Spanish top-flight this term.

Messi was impressed by his team-mates' response and says the commitment shown on Sunday should be the bare minimum as they look to reclaim their title next season.

He told Movistar: "As coach Quique Setien said the other day, we have had some very good games, some very good moments. But we have to do that more consistently now. 

"Today, we saw something else. It was a difficult game to play and the team responded differently in attitude and commitment. It is a step forward for what is to come. 

"We did a lot of self-criticism and realised a lot of things. We didn't have a great season.  

"Today is a step forward in terms of attitude and commitment, which is what you always have to have. You have to at least match the attitude of any rival; if not more."

Messi's comments were more upbeat than his criticism of his team-mates after their midweek loss, as he urged them to live up to the standard expected of the Catalan side.

"We were a very erratic, very weak, low-intensity team…We lost a lot of points and [Thursday’s] game is a summary of the season," he said.

"We have to be self-critical. Starting with the players but doing a global self-criticism. We are Barca and we have to win everything. We can't look at Madrid…Madrid have done their job, but we have helped them a lot.”

While their domestic duties are done for 2019-20, Barca now switch their focus to the Champions League. They host Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie at Camp Nou on August 8.

Samuel Chukwueze’s Villarreal have guaranteed themselves a place in next season’s Europa League following Sunday’s 4-0 win over Eibar.

Following back-to-back defeats to Real Sociedad and Real Madrid, their place in Europa was threatened but victory on the last day of the 2019-20 season confirmed their place.

After a goalless first half at the Estadio de la Ceramica, Javier Calleja’s men looked to be heading for a draw – however, a solid performance in the last 18 minutes ensured they got all the points with Gerard Moreno netting a brace while Moi Gomez and Andre Anguissa also found the net.

It took Villarreal 72 minutes before getting the opener through Cameroon international Anguissa - who was assisted by Santi Carzola - displaced his marker before curling his left-footed shot past goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez.

Moreno doubled the lead in the 86th minute after controlling Andres Fernandez’s cross before firing pas Rodriguez.

Three minutes later, he completed his brace but this time, it was substitute Moi Gomez who was credited with the assist as Moreno took his goal tally this term to 18.

Barely a minute later, Gomez scored the fourth goal of the encounter as Eibar returned home with heads raised low.

With this result, Calleja’s men have finished in fifth position behind winners Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwukwueze was handed a starter’s role, however, he was replaced by Javier Ontiveros in the 62nd minute. This season, he has featured in 37 league games with three goals to his credit.

The game was the last for Santi Cazorla and Bruno Soriano. Cazorla has made a big impact in his third spell with the Castellon side since returning in 2018 after a serious Achilles injury.

This season, the 35-year-old playmaker has scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in the Spanish top flight, and he has been linked with a move to Qatari club Al Sadd - coached by former Barcelona captain Xavi.

It has also been reported that Cazorla could take up a coaching role with Arsenal, but a switch to Qatar looks more likely for a player who earned a Spain recall last year.

Long-serving skipper Soriano made an emotional swansong on the final day of the season at El Madrigal.

The 36-year-old, a one-club man, has made over 300 appearances for Villarreal since making his debut 14 years ago.

Ismael Bennacer is “happy” to have notched a goal in AC Milan colours for the first time ever after the Rossoneri saw off Bologna 5-1 at the San Siro in Saturday's Serie A action.

Alexis Saelemaekers gave them the lead after just 10 minutes before Hakan Calhanoglu made it 2-0.

Takehiro Tomiyasu pulled one back for the visitors approaching half-time, but Bennacer extended Milan’s lead shortly after the restart, finding enough space to run into the box from almost 25 yards before firing the ball past Bologna goalie Lukasz Skorupski.

Ante Rebic and Davide Calabria added the fourth and fifth goals to ensure Milan have remained unbeaten since the resumption of Serie A last month.

“I’m happy because I helped the team. Scoring is always nice from a personal point of view,” Bennacer told Milan TV as reported by Sempremilan.

“We must always look forward because in three days, we have another game. There are still four games left, we haven’t done anything yet.”

Bennacer who joined the Rossoneri last summer from Empoli, also dedicated his goal to his wife and younger brother. He also indicated he will be framing the jersey he scored his first Milan goal with.

“We won and we are happy. I dedicate the goal to my wife and younger brother,” the 22-year old Algerian said.

“This one [Milan jersey] will be at home too, close to that of my debut.”

Speaking to DAZN after the match, the Milan coach stated his team need to keep the momentum going in their remaining four matches as they hunt for a berth in the Europa League next season.

“The team is having fun, it is what shines through from training and from all the moments in which we are together,” he said.

“We played an excellent game, Bologna are a difficult opponent. We are fine and we have confidence, we must bring these characteristics until the end, four games are missing and we have not yet reached our goal.”

Pioli was also pleased with Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie who has formed a solid partnership with Bennacer and scored in each of Milan’s last three matches.

“In my opinion, Franck is a modern midfielder who does both phases well, his psychophysical moment is excellent,” Pioli continued

“I see great mental presence in him, he is becoming a reference point for his teammates, he is always in the game, he is selfless is doing important technical performances. It must continue like this.”

Milan conclude their season with tricky games against free-scoring sides Sassuolo (away) and Atalanta (home) before facing Sampdoria at the Luigis Ferrari and finally Cagliari at the San Siro on August 2.

Simba SC fans were finally given the chance to celebrate with the Mainland Premier League trophy before their league match against Alliance FC at National Stadium on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi were crowned the champions for the third season in a row and with six matches to spare after their closest challengers Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Azam FC failed to catch up with them.

Simba were handed the trophy during their league match against Namungo FC at Majaliwa Stadium last weekend and they were yet to celebrate their latest success as they had a FA Cup match to handle against Yanga.

Simba managed to beat Yanga 4-1 and reach the final of the domestic cup where they will face Namungo on August 2 but before their match on Sunday, they paraded the trophy to the fans and also allowed them to take photos.

On Saturday, Simba Information Officer Haji Manara told Goal why they had decided to have the fans take photos with the trophy before their final league match in Dar es Salaam.

“We will have a photo session for fans with the trophy before our match against Alliance,” Manura told Goal.

“That will be the only way to appreciate our fans for the all-round support they accorded the team throughout the season, without the fans we could not have achieved winning the trophy three times in a row.”

Manara also revealed how the team plans to beef up the squad ahead of the new season.

“We have a very strong squad going into next season and we don’t have to go for panic buying, we will only bring on board five new players ahead of the new season,” said Manura.

“Our first target is to make sure that we retain the squad we have, and if we do so then it will be easier for us to have a good transfer window, we will only bring the new faces and plan for the new season.

“I know our fans will always want to see us actively involved in the transfer window with big-name signings, but I want to assure them we are prepared not to disappoint them, we already have names from the technical bench and we will make sure we sign those players.”

After the Alliance game, Simba will have two matches remaining against Coastal Union at Mkwakwani in Tanga and Polisi Tanzania at Kilimanjaro Stadium.

By winning the league, Simba will take part in the Caf Champions League.

Leeds United mocked last season's infamous Derby 'Spygate' scandal ahead of their first game following promotion to the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa hit the headlines in 2018-19 for sending a member of his Leeds staff to Derby's Moor Farm training ground to report on their training routine.

The 64-year-old manager publicly admitted to spying on the Rams and a number of other Championship clubs in a bid to gain an extra edge over the opposition.

His actions created friction between the two clubs, and tensions threatened to boil over following their clash in the playoff semi-finals.

Derby won the two-legged contest 4-3 on aggregate, and Frank Lampard's players proceeded to mock Leeds supporters by making binocular gestures while celebrating on the Elland Road pitch.

The Whites bounced have back from that disappointment to storm clear at the top of the table in their latest campaign, with their return to the top-flight now assured after West Brom's 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield on Friday.

Bielsa's men were named champions when Brentford lost at Stoke a day later, and preparations will soon begin for the club's first appearance in the Premier League since 2003-04.

Leeds' penultimate game of the season is taking place at Pride Park on Sunday, with Derby now guaranteed to finish outside of the top six under the stewardship of Phillip Cocu.

The newly-promoted Whites couldn't resist aiming a dig at the Rams just before kick-off, as they published a video via social media of the stadium being viewed through binoculars.

Derby players lined up to give Leeds a guard of honour before the contest, and Charlton will follow the same protocols when they travel to Elland Road on the final day of the season.

Wild scenes of celebrations took place outside the ground when their promotion was confirmed last week, with injured midfielder Kalvin Phillips stepping out to address supporters by the main reception.

The 24-year-old paid tribute to Bielsa for guiding Leeds back to the promised land, stating: "We’re ecstatic. Promotion means everything. There’s no manager I’d rather be under than Marcelo Bielsa.

"He’s the best in the world.”

Reporters were also able to catch Bielsa outside his home in Wetherby, and he was seen thanking and shoulder bumping fans while also posing for a few photos.

Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder Lebogang Manyama is excited about returning to the training grounds at Naturena after four months of individual training due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Amakhosi players returned to training two weeks ago to prepare for the resumption of the suspended campaign, and Manyama said it was good to see everybody at the club's headquarters healthy and strong.  

"First and foremost, for me, when I got here, it was good to see that everybody is still healthy and strong. All the guys that clean outside; the caretakers and the security. I think it was something that I have missed because the Village has become our daily basis thing that we are here every day," Manyama told the Amakhosi media team. 

The South Africa international said the team is getting better day by day after such a long time of not playing together. 

"The past three months, we couldn't. So, step by step, I think we are getting better. It's always very nice to come to the Village - it's refreshing and also a chance to leave home a bit because we had been under lockdown for a very long time," he admitted.  

Manyama confessed that he missed being on the pitch the most and admitted this is the first time he's had to go four months without football in his 10-year football career. 

"When it comes to getting back on the field, obviously I missed that because I have never had such a [long] break - nevermind the injuries, but in terms of not having to train the whole three months on the field is very different. 

He added: "I mean, I never had this my whole career but I am looking forward to seeing the other guys because when you are teammates, you get used to each other and seeing each other." 

"So, it's kind of different when you don't see your teammates." 

Apart from being around his teammates, Manyama said coming together as a team reminds everyone of the goals they want to achieve at the end of the season.  

"I am also looking forward to being with the guys and enjoying ourselves but also knowing that we have goals that we set for ourselves and we will try to reach them come the end of the season," concluded Manyama.  

Tottenham Hotspur host Leicester City with the hopes of making it into the Europa League while the Foxes are on the bubble in a bid to finish within the top four as fifth-placed Manchester United are tied on points and meet them on the final day of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City Latest Odds

Tottenham have lost just one of their last eight home league games against Leicester (W5 D2) and are (2.35) with BetKing for another win.

Leicester did win the reverse fixture 2-1 at the King Power Stadium and are quoted at (3.10) to make it a league double over the north Londoners for the first time in 21 years.

A draw is priced at (3.45).

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City Team News

Dele Alli (thigh injury), Eric Dier (suspension), Juan Foyth (knee injury) and Tanguy Ndombele will all be missing for Spurs.

Brendan Rogers, meanwhile, will have to make do without Daniel Amartey (ankle injury), Ben Chilwell (foot injury), Christian Fuchs (Groin injury), James Maddison (hip injury), Ricardo Pereira (knee injury) and Caglar Soyuncu (red card suspension).

Tottenham XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies; Winks, Sissoko, Lo Celso; Lucas, Son, Kane

Leicester XI: Schmeichel; Bennett, Morgan, Evans; Justin, Ndidi, Tielemans, Thomas; Perez, Barnes; Vardy

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City Preview

Tottenham are looking to secure four consecutive home league wins for the first time at their new stadium. They last did so in the Premier League in December 2018, at Wembley.

Leicester are winless in their last seven Premier League away games (D3 L4); it’s their longest run without a win on the road since a run of 15 between May 2016-February 2017.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City Tips and Predictions

There have been 28 goals scored in the last six Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Leicester, at an average of 4.7 per game.

This points towards three goals or more coming out of the game which is offered at juicy odds of (1.90).

Over 2.5 goals at (1.90) with BetKing.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Bafana Bafana players have finally received their payments for the camp that took place in November 2019.

The players went into camp ahead of their two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Ghana and Sudan.

However, there was a delay regarding their payments as revealed by two Bafana players, who were part of the squad when speaking to IOL on condition of anonymity.

“I got paid last week. I was surprised because I had even forgotten about that money,” one player said.

South Africa succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to the Black Stars of Ghana in Cape Coast, before securing a 1-0 win over Sudan's Falcons of Jediane in Soweto.

“I also got a telephone notification last week. Yes, we don’t get paid immediately after the camp but it has never taken so long for us to get our money,” another player said.

South African Football Association (Safa)'s acting chief executive officer, Tebogo Motlanthe confirmed that the players have been paid and also explained why there was a delay.

“All of them received their payments. I don’t know what’s an issue now. The fact that we’ve paid people, it is no longer an issue," Motlanthe told the same publication.

"Players know that they don’t get the money immediately after the camp but Covid-19 compounded this.

“We get money from our sponsors and then pay the players. As soon as the sponsors pay us, we also pay them."

Safa is known to be having financial problems having parted ways with American sportswear giants Nike, who was their technical sponsor.

The association also parted ways with their former technical director Neil Tovey after his contract expired at the end of last month.

Meanwhile, Motlanthe also disclosed that they are waiting to hear from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) regarding the resumption of the local season.

Safa has proposed that the season, which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic last March, be resumed next month.

“The PSL said they are still consulting their stakeholders. We don’t know when we are likely to meet," he added.

PSL has confirmed the season will be completed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng soon.

AC Milan and Inter are set to follow a host of Europe's biggest clubs in constructing an all-new stadium, with the iconic Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in San Siro to be demolished.

The likes of Arsenal, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Tottenham have all invested in new state-of-the art stadiums in recent years, while even Real Madrid and Barcelona have committed to extensive renovations.

Built in 1926, San Siro is one of the most striking buildings in football and has played host to World Cup matches, as well as four European Cup finals.

It has been renovated before, so why not again? Goal brings you everything you need to know about the future of the new San Siro.

Contents

Why is San Siro being demolished?

San Siro is set to be demolished in order to make way for a new stadium and entertainment complex which will serve as the home ground of Milan and Inter.

The existing stadium has been remodeled on a number of occasions in the past, but a decision was reached not to renovate due, chiefly, to the financial cost of such a venture.

As well as an estimated cost of €510 million (£463m/$582m), the clubs were projected to miss out on €115 million (£105m/$130m) during the construction work, which was anticipated to last roughly five years.

Building a brand new stadium is expected to cost in the region of €650 million (£590m/$740m) and it is hoped that it will be completed in a period of three years.

Italy's heritage authority has given the green light for a demolition, but there are a number of administrative stages to pass before it can happen.

The clubs have agreed with the city of Milan to preserve some of the old stadium as part of a "sports and entertainment district".

"AC Milan and FC Internazionale have shared a stadium in San Siro for more than 70 years," said Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni of the venture.

"The project's strength is the two club's commitment together for the new Milano stadium. It means increased investments and a common goal to give the city a sports and entertainment district which is alive all year round thanks to events involving both teams and creating jobs for more than 3,500 people."

What stadium will replace San Siro?

Two stadium designs have been submitted by Milan and Inter, but it is not yet clear which will be chosen.

The Cathedral

Architecture and design firm Populous have produced plans for a new stadium called 'The Cathedral', which is inspired by the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II and the Duomo di Milano.

The designs promise it will be "the most sustainable stadium in Europe", with an "intimate" seating structure that aims to bring supporters as close to the action as possible.

The capacity of the new stadium will be somewhat smaller than the existing stadium - roughly 60,000 seats instead of 75,000 - with the clubs acknowledging that average attendances have decreased.

Of course, modern-day stadiums are built in such a way that football fans could spend much of their day at the venues, with retail and food outlets inherent to the design.

The stadium will be surrounded by 22 acres of "green space" and there will be a municipal park area - including an open-air gym, museum and running track - for citizens and visitors to enjoy.

Populous have been central to the design of a number of impressive stadiums in recent years, including Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

They have also been involved with the famous Soccer City in Johannesburg and Allianz Field, home to Major League Soccer side Minnesota United.

The Rings of Milan

Manica's design proposal for the reimagined San Siro - Nuovo Stadio Milano - is built around the notion of two interlinked rings - representing AC Milan and Inter.

Like Populous' design, the interior of the stadium will bring the supporters closer to the pitch, creating a more intimate atmosphere, while panels on the exterior of the stadium will show the faces of over 16,000 fans.

The two teams' curvas will be lit up in their respective colours - red for AC Milan and blue for Inter - and the stadium will also be lit exclusively in red or blue when just one of the teams is playing - similar to the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Particular focus is also applied to the surrounding area, which will be transformed into a wider sports and entertainment complex, capturing the essence of Milan's football heritage in San Siro.

Manica (when working with Populous) was involved in the design work of Wembley Stadium and it is involved in Barcelona's New Camp Nou project, as well as Allegiant Stadium - home of Las Vegas Raiders. The company has also had a hand in the new Inter Miami stadium in Florida and the new Cagliari stadium in Sardinia.

Fiorentina forward Christian Kouame has agreed to the growing influence of Ivory Coast players in the Serie A.

The 22-year-old is among a list of players from the West African country who have turned out to be key figures for their club sides.

Franck Kessie has been ever-present for AC Milan this season, scoring in three of their last four games as they push for Europa League qualification.

Sassuolo and ex-Chelsea winger Jeremie Boga is another Ivorian lighting up the top-flight as the player with the most successful dribbles in the competition, something he also achieved last season.

Former Arsenal wide man Gervinho is the most experienced Ivorian of all, playing a key role for Parma who have returned to the Serie A since 2018 after an initial four-year absence due to financial troubles.

Kouame himself – who is on loan from Genoa, is highly-rated and has just recently returned into the fold having been out with an Acute Cruciate Ligament injury since November 2019, while on international duty.

Kouame and Boga have been capped just once for the Ivory Coast national team while Gervinho has 84 caps, appearing at two World Cups (2010 and 2014) as well as four Africa Cup of Nations (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015), winning the latter in Equatorial Guinea.

Kessie meanwhile has played 40 times for the Elephants since his debut in 2014.

"Our movement is producing many talents and in Italy we are asserting ourselves,” Kouame told Tuttosport.

“We hope to do great things for the national team."

Kouame also described former Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery who joined Fiorentina last summer on a free transfer, as a “phenomenon”. The 37-year-old Frenchman has played 18 times for the Viola this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

"Franck is fantastic, especially with us young people he is always generous with advice,” Kouame continued.

“He is an example with his behaviours, he is a phenomenon, he has won everything yet he still wants, he always trains to the maximum, he has an exceptional charisma.”

Fiorentina are currently 13th in the Serie A, 10 points clear of the relegation. They come up against Torino on Sunday and Kouame – who scored against them while with his parent club Genoa in the first half of season, does not see it as an easy game especially with the presence of Manchester United-linked striker Andrea Belotti who has 22 goals to his name in all competitions this season

"Torino a very good team. A difficult race awaits us but we want to win and we will do everything,” Kouame stated.

"We are talking about a great champion [Belotti], with many qualities that I really appreciate, starting with his sense of goal.”

Ghana League Clubs Association president Kudjoe Fianoo reveals his outfit and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) are currently engaging the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure the return of football in October.

All domestic football competitions, including the Ghana Premier League (GPL) have remained suspended since the coronavirus disease outbreak intensified in the west African nation in March.

Ghana's national ban on contact sports runs out at the end of July. The GFA has announced an anticipated October return date for football.

"We [GFA president Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku and I] met the Sports Minister [Isaac Kwame Asiamah] to thank the Government [of Ghana] through the ministry for coming to our aid by way of the YEA [Youth Employment Agency] package and even asked him to work around the clock if we could get more," Fianoo told Oyerepa FM.

"For us to resume football, we were told we have to convince the government beyond all reasonable doubt that whatever we want to do will be in the national interest but not some individual's interest."

Fianoo also spoke about the controversy surrounding the GFA's disbursement plan for coronavirus relief support from Fifa and Caf.

On Thursday, the national football's governing body announced it was expecting a combined $1.8 million [€1.6m] funds for prompt distribution to various industry stakeholders including Ghalca, men and women's Premier League clubs, men's Division Two clubs, Regional Football Associations (RFAs), and more.

Some stakeholders have, however, expressed unhappiness about the disbursement plan.

"I have heard the agitations of our members even though we are yet to receive the money, with some members questioning why Ghalca is getting $2000 [€1750]," Fianoo said.

"But that not withstanding, looking at how unhappy our members are, we will engage the FA president to find out if there's a possibility to do broader consultations. At least they should give us the opportunity to also share our thoughts.

"There's the need for broader consultations because on a lighter side, if care is not taken, this can result in a third world war.

"Kurt's administration is a listening one and I'm confident they will listen but should that fail, we will support whatever the members will say."

The 2020-21 Ghana football season, with expected approval by the Government of Ghana, has been set to kick off in the second week of October.