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The PSL will hold a press conference on Monday to possibly clear the air regarding the resumption of the season. 

In a short statement released on Friday, the league said chairman Dr Irvin Khoza will hold the media briefing at the PSL offices. 

Khoza is expected to address rumours that the season could return later this month. 

Media reports suggest the league proposed July 19 as the return date for competitive football.

However, that is subject to government's approval who gave the go-ahead for PSL teams to resume training last month. 

There has been silence from the league since the media reports surfaced last week but fresh reports suggested the date was officially put forward and adopted in Tuesday's board of governors meeting. 

Khoza will also be expected to announce the province or provinces that will stage the remaining matches of the season. 

There are 54 PSL fixtures, 44 NFD matches and three Nedbank Cup games still to play before the season can officially be completed. 

And the PSL aims to finish all the matches in a biologically safe environment in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus. 

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and North West have declared themselves ready to host the matches. 

And while North West was reported to be leading the race to stage the games last week, Gauteng has emerged as strong favourites as they have more stadiums and facilities to accommodate all the 32 teams. 

This despite Gauteng being the new epicentre for the coronavirus with over 75 000 confirmed positive cases.

Late last month, Safa's chief medical officer and compliance officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya said one of the factors they will take into consideration when deciding on where the season will be completed is the number of confirmed positive cases, saying the province should not be the hotspot. 

However, it's unclear if the league has thrown that out of the window with Gauteng now reported to be the preferred province ahead of both KwaZulu-Natal and North West. 

As things stand, there are 13 confirmed positive cases in both the PSL and NFD. 

The entire structure of the Bundesliga should be changed to stop Bayern Munich winning the German title every season, according to the club's former midfielder Stefan Effenberg.

Hansi Flick’s side recovered from a disappointing start to the season to win their eighth consecutive title, with their untouchable form also seeing them win a record 20th DFB-Pokal with a dominant victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach were among the teams to threaten a title race at different stages, but Bayern finished with a 13-point gap to Lucien Favre's team in second.

Plenty in and outside of Germany are concerned that such dominance from one club is bad for the league and for German football as a whole.

Now Effenberg, who won three league titles and the Champions League across two spells with Bayern, has suggested a radical solution.

“For me, it is very clear,” Effenberg wrote for t-online. “There has to be a new fire, it has to be re-lit.

“There is only one way to make the Bundesliga more exciting again to help this: a new version of it.”

Effenberg proposes the 18-team Bundesliga be divided into two groups of nine, through which teams can qualify for a championship and relegation round in the second half of the season.

Such a format would bear some similarity to Belgium’s Pro League, though the idea isn’t exactly the same.

Following the regular season in Belgium, the top six go into a title play-off system with each team playing home and away again, with the remaining teams doing the same for Europa League qualification and relegation.

Effenberg says something new has to be trialled in Germany at least for a season, because “one club cannot win 10 titles in a row – but that is exactly what could happen, if nothing changes."

He also warned of the effect of a lack of competition on fans’ interest, after reports that viewing figures for the DFB-Pokal final may have been as low as half the number seen six years ago.

“That may be the effect of the coronavirus crisis, but the numbers should be a warning,” he said.

“Many are bored of it because Bayern always win anyway.”

Bayern have also found themselves under fire from elsewhere in the Bundesliga, with Hoffenheim director Frank Briel publicly criticising their 'talent-poaching' transfer policy.

Manchester United will face either Istanbul Basaksehir or FC Copenhagen in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, as they hold a commanding 5-0 lead over LASK in their last-16 encounter, while Serie A giants Inter are facing up to a meeting with Rangers or Bayer Leverkusen if they overcome Getafe.

The Italian outfit are yet to take in the first leg of their last-16 clash, with Sevilla and Roma also having both legs at that stage to play out.

United are among those to have one foot in the quarter-finals, having secured an impressive win in Austria prior to lockdown, with Basel another seemingly set to progress after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in their initial clash.

Bayer Leverkusen hold a 3-1 advantage over Rangers, Shakhtar Donetsk are leading Wolfsburg 2-1, Istanbul Basaksehir will be looking to defend a 1-0 lead over Copenhagen, while Wolves and Olympiacos are locked at 1-1.

With competitive football having been forced to shut down in mid-March, and with the coronavirus pandemic still impacting sporting events around the world, the final stages of the Europa League will be held in one region in an effort to avoid issues regarding travel and testing.

The 2019-20 mini-tournament will be played in venues across four cities in Germany: Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Cologne between August 10 and 21.

The stadiums that will be used are Koln's RheinEnergieStadion, Duisburg's MSV-Arena, Fortuna Dusseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena and Schalke's Arena AufSchalke.

It could be that there is a German derby to be taken in, with Wolfsburg seeing a potential meeting with Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt placed in their path.

Elsewhere, Wolves, who are enjoying another impressive season in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo, will be hoping to edge out Greek giants Olympiacos and line up another heavyweight tie with either record UEFA Cup/Europa League winners Sevilla or Roma.

Europa League quarter-final draw:

Wolfsburg/Shakhtar Donetsk vs Eintracht Frankfurt/FC Basel

LASK/Manchester United vs Istanbul Basaksehir/FC Copenhagen

Inter/Getafe vs Rangers/Bayer Leverkusen

Olympiacos/Wolves vs Sevilla/Roma

Europa League semi-final draw:

Winner of quarter-final 4 vs winner of quarter-final 2

Winner of quarter-final 3 vs winner of quarter-final 1

All of the remaining last-16 encounters will be played to a finish on August 5/6.

The quarter-finals will then be held on August 10/11, with the semi-finals happening the following week on August 16/17.

The final will take place at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne on August 21.

Alphonso Davies can become a Bayern Munich legend as former head coach Carl Robinson lauded the incredible success story of the Canadian teenager.

Davies has established himself as one of the most exciting players in European football since joining Bundesliga champions Bayern from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019.

The 19-year-old speedster – who capped a fine campaign with the 2019-20 Bundesliga Rookie of the Year award – has been a revelation on the left side of Bayern's defence, helping the German powerhouses to an eighth consecutive league crown.

Davies also recorded a top speed of 36.51 kilometres per hour in Bayern's 1-0 over Werder Bremen in June, the fastest of any Bundesliga player since at least 2013-14.

The success of Davies, however, comes as no surprise to Welsh coach Robinson, who handed the Canada international his debut as a 15-year-old for the Whitecaps in MLS.

So, Robinson knows Davies better than most and while he is on the path to greatness, the ex-Wolves midfielder insisted there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"I do," Robinson – now coach of A-League side Newcastle Jets – told Stats Perform News when asked if Davies can become a Bayern legend. 

"I know his dream is maybe one day to play in England, like it is for a lot of North American players, South American players, Australasian players. Going to play in Europe is the cream of the crop. That won't surprise me at some stage if that comes, but that will only be based upon his development and continuation.

"But one of my coaches had said to him, there was a clip where they saw him getting back on Mason Mount from 30 yards [in the Champions League]. Mount was breaking and Alphonso managed to get himself back into that area and stop the danger. Everyone was raving about how quick he is, he's not human, he's so quick.

"It's interesting that one of my coaches, Pa-Modou Kah who is now the manager of Pacific FC in the CPL and a very talented coach, turns around and says, 'Alphonso, you were in the wrong starting position'.

"So, the way he gets taught is very important. He is scary in relation to his physical attributes but the detail in it was he was in the starting position. Can you imagine if he plays against a player like him, who is as quick as him, speed of thought is quicker and more experienced?

"He's not getting back and it will be 1-0. The teaching point for him there was he's had an excellent season, so many attributes you can build on and they're already talking about him being a €50 million, €60m player, but there's still areas on his game that he needs to improve.

"What I've learned over my career, the top players need to be coached. If you don't coach them, they complain and moan. They want to be taught. That's why the best managers in the world and Premier League – the Mourinhos, Pochettinos, Klopps and Guardiolas – they are just so demanding on their players and you can see them getting frustrated sometimes with their top players because they need to be coached and you need to show them. If you do that, they progress.

"Football is short. The lifespan of a footballer is very, very small. Your life actually starts when you retire. So, the window gets shorter every year but it's important you learn.

"Lots of good things but also areas to improve if he's to play at that level year in, year out, which I firmly believe he will. But when he comes up against a Marcus Rashford, he needs to be in the right position or he probably won't get back in time."

Rewind back to July 2016 and Robinson – coach of the Whitecaps at the time – introduced Davies to MLS football, just one day after signing a league contract with the club.

Davies came off the bench against Orlando City and became the second-youngest player to take the field in MLS at 15 years, 257 days, behind Freddy Adu (14 years, 306 days).

"It's a great success story for him. I'm really pleased. I'm not surprised one bit," Robinson added.

"Yes, I gave him his debut and I'm really proud that I did do that because back then, I knew what I saw and I gave him that chance. That's what leads me into this next chapter of how can I judge a player when I don't give them a chance? Can you imagine if I didn't make the decision to throw on Alphonso because there were people that said he wasn't ready to play and he wasn't ready to step into first-team football?

"We played Crystal Palace in a friendly game at BC Place and I was told he wasn’t ready but I listened to my staff and coaches key to me, and I believed them and took the chance...Alphonso deserves all the credit.

"He is a fantastic, talented young boy. Now it's about consistency because after having a very good year at left-back, which was key for his development, then he has to do it next year and the year after.

"Then, he can be put into the category of the Gareth Bales, Ashley Coles, the top players like that all over the world. That will be his next challenge but I firmly believe he can do it because he's a good kid."

Police FC are set to unveil Eric Ssenjobe as their new signing as they continue building up for the 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

The 21-year-old KCCA FC left-back has been a long-term target for coach Abdallah Mubiru and his signing is set to improve the team's rearguard. 

"The club is looking forward to making a number of recruitments ahead of the new season and the next addition will be Eric [Ssenjobe] from KCCA," Sports Nation reported on Thursday.

"He will be unveiled [on Friday] at the Police headquarters in Naguru and will be handed a two-year deal."

The administrative side finished 13th on the table with 25 points, one point above the relegation zone after the league was cancelled by Fufa owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After 80% of the matches had been played and the results posted before the league break, UPL rules were used to determine the fate of teams.

The Law Enforcers have already sealed the signing of former Uganda international midfielder Tony Mawejje and Hassan Muhamood, from Onduparaka and as a free agent, respectively.

Mawejje was unveiled on Tuesday after agreeing to pen a two-year contract to become the first signing for the club ahead of the new season.  

Mawejje was part of the Police squad, then known as Police Jinja, in 2006 and 2007 although he might take a while to return to full fitness as he has been clubless since 2019 when he terminated his contract with Al-Arabi SC of Kuwait.

Mawejje, 33, is an experienced midfielder having played for more than 10 clubs in his career spanning over a decade.

The Ugandan started playing football in 2004 at Kampala City Council FC, now KCCA FC, until 2005 before he joined Police Jinja for a stint that lasted about two years.

In 2008, Mawejje joined Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) and left in 2009 for IBV Vestmannaeyjar and the club became his first foreign team.

Mawejje spent a long time with the Icelandic club compared to the other clubs he has featured for. He made 106 appearances and scored 10 goals.

The midfielder joined Golden Arrows of South Africa in 2012 on loan, made an appearance, and scored no goals before returning to Europe, and this time around joined Norwegian club Haugesund, but made no appearance at all in 2014.

Liverpool’s front three remain “ahead” of the rest, admits Gary Neville, but Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood are considered to boast the potential that could see Manchester United form their own fearsome attacking unit.

Those at Old Trafford have outperformed Premier League title winners at Anfield this season.

Teenage sensation Greenwood was back among the goals in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, with the Red Devils seeing their exciting striking trident contribute 56 goals between them.

Mohamed Salah bagged a brace on his most recent outing for Liverpool, but his efforts when combined with those of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane only add up to 53.

The tangible success enjoyed by Jurgen Klopp’s side of late, along with the consistency shown over a prolonged period of time, means that star turns on Merseyside continue to set the standard in English football.

Neville, though, believes that United now have a unit to rival the Reds, telling Sky Sports: “Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are matured, they are established, they are the real deal - the best front three in the Premier League. I was saying that even when Manchester City were winning the league.

“The three that United have got are not at the level of Liverpool's front three yet, you wouldn't expect them to be, but they have the talent and ability.

“There were questions whether Rashford was good enough, whether Martial was good enough and Greenwood hadn't obviously emerged back then, but they are proving they are good enough, that they can play and that they will get better.

“The Liverpool front three are ahead, but it is exciting for Manchester United. If you believe in young players and give them opportunities in the positions they want to play in, you will be amazed what you can achieve.”

While Martial and Rashford have both reached the 20-goal mark this season, it is the emergence of 18-year-old Greenwood that has captured the imagination of those at Old Trafford – with Neville of the opinion that there is even more to come from a talented academy graduate.

The former United and England defender added: “I think Greenwood will develop into a central striker naturally over time. There will come a time when he will step up, he's stepping up game by game now.

“He is outstanding, his talent is incredible. He has everything, the composure, the receiving of the ball, the awareness, the finishing ability.

“You look at Martial, Rashford and Greenwood and think who you would put your money on to finish from all areas of the field. Inside the box, outside the box, left foot, right foot - it would be Greenwood. He's 18 and that is the exciting part.

“It's a no-brainer for him to be in and around the England squad. Gareth Southgate is getting more and more options by the month, players are being developed and are breaking into top teams now.

“Greenwood is such a brilliant talent, if he continues to work hard and keeps his feet on the ground, he can be anything he wants.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have opted to pitch camp in Bukoba to prepare for the FA Cup semi-final clash against rivals Simba SC on Sunday.

The two Tanzania giants will meet for the third time this season, in the domestic Cup, after they both won their respective matches in the quarter-finals, against Kagera Sugar and Azam FC.

Yanga were in Bukoba for their Mainland Premier League match against Kagera Sugar which they won 1-0 and instead of returning to Dar es Salaam, where the Simba match will be played at the National Stadium, they have opted to pitch camp there.

According to the club’s information officer Hassan Bambuli, players who were in Dar es Salaam have been forced to join the team in Bukoba ahead of the must-win contest.

“Due to logistics reasons, the big part of preparations will be done in Kagera that is why some players who remained in Dar es Salaam have since been deployed to Kagera to regroup with their colleagues,” Bumbuli is quoted by Daily News .

Yanga are also struggling with injuries heading into the clash with Haruna Niyonzima and Juma Abdul both in a race against time to be fit against the Wekundu wa Mzimbazi.

However, Bambuli is very optimistic the two players will be involved in the clash by stating: “Doctors confirmed they did not sustain dangerous injuries to keep them off the pitch for a long time as such, we expect them to be fully fit on Sunday.”

In the two fixtures they have played so far this season, Yanga came from a goal down to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first round before they turned the screw to beat Simba 1-0 in the second round fixture courtesy of a well-taken free-kick by Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison.

While Yanga have decided to train in Bukoba, Simba, who were presented with the league trophy at Majaliwa Stadium after their 0-0 draw against Namungo FC, arrived in Dar es Salaam on Thursday and will train at Mo Simba Arena on Friday ahead of the clash.

Yanga are keen to win the trophy and represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup since Simba have already earned the ticket to take part in the Champions League for the third season in a row following the league triumph.

Thierry Henry made a powerful show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement as the MLS is Back tournament continued on Thursday.

The Montreal Impact coach, wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, took a knee in his technical area for the first eight minutes and 46 seconds of his side’s game against the New England Revolution.

That is the amount of time prosecutors said police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked worldwide protests.

"Well, I sat down for eight minutes and 46 seconds," Henry said after the game.

"I guess you guys know why. It was just to pay tribute and show support to the cause. That was basically it. It was simple."

A number of soccer teams and players have shown their support for the cause since the sport returned from coronavirus-enforced suspension.

Players from the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage knelt during the playing of the U.S. national anthem in June when the NWSL became the first American league to return.

Members of Black Players for Change made a striking pre-game statement ahead of the opening match of the MLS is Back tournament on Wednesday, as Orlando City faced Inter Miami.

Philadelphia Union players took to the field for their game against New York City FC wearing jerseys featuring the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police brutality.

Players have made their support for the Black Lives Matter movement clear in spite of President Donald Trump’s snipe at U.S. Soccer on Twitter, when he said he wouldn’t watch the sport anymore after the decision to repeal a policy which forced players to stand during the national anthem.

A statement from U.S. Soccer at the time said: "The policy was put in place after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in solidarity with the peaceful protest inspired by Colin Kaepernick, who was protesting police brutality, and the systematic oppression of Black people and people of color in America.

"It has become clear that this policy was wrong and detracted from the important message of Black Lives Matter.

"We have not done enough to listen -- especially to our players -- to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country. We apologise to our players -- especially our Black players -- staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism."

Simba SC have sent a warning to their rivals in the Mainland Premier League claiming they will have to wait for a long period before they lay their hands on the title.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi clinched their third straight title a week ago after the points they amassed proved too difficult for challengers Azam FC and Young Africans (Yanga SC) to reach and thus they will keep the trophy for good in their cabinet.

Simba SC information officer Haji Manara has now sent a warning that they are not ready to relinquish the title and their aim is to claim another permanent league trophy by winning three more successive titles.

“Ware ready to lift other upcoming five top-flight league titles back to back since our main target is to make seven-title wins consecutively,” Manara told reporters when the team arrived in Dar es Salaam from Lindi, where they were presented with the trophy after their 0-0 draw against Namungo FC.

“We will not surrender the title any time soon, we are the champions and will continue to dominate the local scene, we want to make it three wins in a row again, and we keep another trophy in the cabinet and also start another run of three wins to make it seven.

“I want to thank the players for the good show and their commitment throughout this season and our prayers were always to win the title on the field of play and it is good that we resumed the league to win the title on the field of play, it was what we wanted to avoid people saying Simba have been handed a trophy without playing all the matches.”

On the FA Cup clash against Yanga SC on Sunday, Manara said: “It will be a huge match, a big contest for that matter but as usual Simba are ready to do what they do best, win and there is nothing else.

“We have all players fit and it will be good to win two trophies this season, we want the trophy and we will give all we can to get it, a win will be fine for the boys as we will reach the final.”

Simba CEO Senzo Mazingiza dedicated the league win to all the fans of the club, saying they had really supported the team throughout the season.

“I want to thank the fans, they were always behind the team and their support pushed the players to do their best,” Mazingiza told reporters.

Simba and Yanga will face off at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Christian Pulisic insists he is not trying to be the next Eden Hazard at Chelsea, with the United States international determined to become a star in his own right as he prepares to welcome added competition for places.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a productive debut campaign in English football, with a number of big tests passed with flying colours.

He got off to a slow start at Stamford Bridge, before suffering an untimely injury early in 2020 and finding himself stuck in coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

Pulisic has, however, unlocked the potential that Chelsea always believed he had when snapping him up from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019.

With the American forward having hit the ground running since the Premier League restart, he is now up to nine goals and assists for the season – with those efforts earning obvious comparisons to former Blues talisman Hazard.

Frank Lampard has, however, done his best to curb such talk, with Pulisic doing likewise.

He has told Sky Sports of the Hazard debate: "He's an unbelievable player. It's pretty obvious what he accomplished at this club and I'm not trying to compare myself to that. What's important for me now is winning games and having an impact for my team.

"I'm really happy I can do that as of recent and my style is always going to continue to be that very attacking-minded and creative kind of player. I'm happy I can help the team any way I can.

"I want to be a part of this team. Every day in training I work hard because I want to start and I want to be on the field and I want to create goals and I want to score goals. That's where I want to be. I want to continue to make a big impact every week and every game."

While Pulisic is thriving at present, he is about to see Chelsea bolster their ranks with the big-money additions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

On the challenge fresh faces will pose, the exciting youngster said: "I'm excited to work with them. It's fun to play with good players, it's easy to play with them and those are two guys we know that are really talented guys so I'm really looking forward to it. We can have a really strong team next season.

"I think there's still work that needs to be done [to catch Liverpool and Man City]. You can see this year that those two, especially Liverpool, have been just so consistent and dominant and that's right where we want to be.

"We want to continue to be that consistent team week in, week out, in tough games, midweek games. We want to be ready and be up for the challenge always. And that's what it’s going to take. We still have our work to do but that's where we want to be.

"We want to continue to win trophies, that's always a goal. We want to continue to be a strong team, contending for that Premier League title."

Yanga SC have provoked Simba SC before their FA Cup semi-final meeting on Sunday.

Yanga said after earning sweet revenge against Kagera Sugar last Sunday in a Mainland Premier League tie, their focus is now on roasting Simba in Dar es Salaam.

“After chewing sugar cane [Kagera Sugar] at Kaitaba, it is time we congregate again on July 12 and roast meat from the wild [Simba] as we celebrate our FA Cup success,” Yanga wrote on their Facebook page.

As Yanga prepare to register what might be their second win against Simba in the year, having won the last league clash 1-0, Wekundu wa Msimbazi have been promised millions should they pick up a victory.

“Get it from me, the players who will start the match are going to get an equal share of the $100,000 and the issue of those who will come on from the bench is yet to be decided,” a senior official at Simba told Mwanaspoti.

“The money has been promised in order to motivate the players but the technical bench members are not part of the expected beneficiaries,” the official added.

“The club's hierarchy will also come up with a plan that will take care of the players who will not be involved in the match at all. We will also see how to say a big thank you to the players after winning the league title a few days ago.”

Meanwhile, Yanga’s midfielder Papy Tshishimbi has revealed his keenness to feature in Sunday's match, having been out injured and has not played in any of the recent engagements.

“I am thirsty to play this game. I will ask for just 40 minutes because I feel very fit and capable of playing,” Tshishimbi told Mwanaspoti.

The Democratic Republic of Congo star also revealed talks with Bernard Morrison, amidst rumours of a transfer from one Tanzanian giant to another for the Ghanaian forward.

“I was in talks with Morrison even during their time of friction with the club management and we also had a chat when he returned to the team,” said Tshishimbi.

“Whatever difference he has with the club officials does not concern me but I believe if they come together they will end up finding a solution.

“He came and apologised to the players due to the disturbances we had while he was out of the team.

“He has assured me that he is back to do what he was doing before and he really wants to play against Simba and help Yanga win.

“He knows what the fans want and he would like to score against Simba in order to clear rumours and be understood rightly.”

DAZN's live and on-demand boxing streaming service is being expanded across the world.

It's already the premier fight sports platform in several countries, including the United States, and also shows a wide range of sports across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

DAZN is now recruiting Beta Community testers to try the service before it officially launches. Voluntary testers will get free early access to DAZN to participate in beta testing, feedback and research, and can watch live boxing on DAZN during July and August. The first live event will be Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Samuel Vargas on July 24.*

Enter your email address at DAZN.com to register your interest in the DAZN Beta Community. 

Fans will be invited to the Beta Community on a first-come, first-served basis, with registration likely to close before July 19, 2020.

*Vergil Ortiz v Samuel Vargas will not be available in Poland. DAZN is already fully available to users in the following markets: United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Japan

ATK Mohun Bagan FC Is the name of the merged entity of ATK and Mohun Bagan as revealed by Goal earlier. 

At the time of registration with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs last month, the ‘ATK-Mohun Bagan Private Limited’ presented five members -- ATK co-owner Utsav Parekh, Mohun Bagan duo of Srinjoy Bose and Debashish Dutta, and two other members -- Gautam Ray and Sanjeev Mehra. Later, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly along with principal owner Sanjeev Goenka have also been inducted on the board. 

The two clubs had decided to enter into a merger back in January 2020 that would help Mohun Bagan enter the ISL from the 2020-21 season.

The new entity was supposed to come into existence on June 1, 2020, but due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting nationwide lockdown since March 25, the deal was delayed. With the new company already being reserved, an official announcement from both parties is expected soon.

Mohun Bagan won the league title for the fifth time in their history this year and ATK won their third ISL title beating Chennaiyin FC in the final back in March.

Other than participating in the ISL, the merged entity will also take part in the group stages of AFC Cup 2021 by using Mohun Bagan’s I-League 2019-20 champions’ slot. 

Sofapaka striker Ronald Okoth has demanded Kenyan players be shown some more respect after Wazito FC owner Ricardo Badoer's "f*cking hyenas" comments.

Badoer made the comments as the club released players whom he said did not have a love for the game and were signed without his approval.

To Okoth, the comments showed a lack of respect for the players and he went ahead to state the comments were surely uncalled for.

“No matter how much money I’ll ever invest in our local football or my own club, there’s no day I’ll ever sack my own players and then go ahead and call them all sorts of demeaning names like ‘hyenas/good for nothing/sellouts’” Okoth wrote on his Twitter handle.

“One day our local professionals will be respected.

“We can’t continue being held ransomed because of our desperate situations. It’s sad but one day, situations will improve. Imagine Malcolm Glazer calling [Romelu] Lukaku a hyena, good for nothing sellout who belongs to the streets.

“Those uncalled for statements should be condemned with the strongest terms possible. Unacceptable, demeaning, despicable and disrespectful.

“Even if it is investing in our football it shouldn’t be at the expense of demeaning people who are actually supposed to be referred to as professionals.

“We can treat our own players better.”

The 2013 Kenyan Premier League winner added a poor season should not be an excuse to demean players.

“Where in the world does it guarantee for a player to be called a hyena which belongs to the streets because they didn’t perform according to the club's expectations?” quipped the former Mathare United star.

“To make matters worse they are made to carry all sorts of false allegations that will dog them in their careers?

“We can’t be kept at ransom because of money. Respect is worth much more than money. That excessively loose tongue is what needs to be tamed.

“As far as I’m concerned some of those players’ dedication and respect for their art can’t be doubted. Some of those players even left other potentially better offers to join that club.

“A bad season doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a sellout or a hyena.

“Results are achieved with time, for one to get a return on their investments they have to be patient unless this is EPL where investors want instant results. Look at our local football setting and dynamics, it doesn’t favour instant success.

“If you ask me, some of those players let go had a huge potential of bringing in big business for the club in the near future through transfer benefits. A player like [Derrick] Otanga, a top prospect and an asset.”

The exit of Wazito coach Stewart Hall was followed by the sacking of 11 players.

Lionel Messi has sparked exit talk recently, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst “can’t imagine a Barcelona without him” and is hoping a deal can be done that allows a mercurial Argentine to remain a one-club man.

The expectation has always been that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will see out his entire career at Camp Nou.

There has been the odd suggestion that he could return to his roots at Newell’s Old Boys before hanging up his boots, but such a deal appears unlikely given Messi’s standing in the global game.

It has, however, been suggested that a change of scenery could be on the cards for the 33-year-old in the not too distant future.

Messi, amid concerns regarding the leadership of Barca and the direction in which the club is heading, is said to have shelved contract extension talks in Catalunya.

With his current deal only due to run until the summer of 2021, there is a very real threat that the all-time great could soon be bidding farewell to Spanish football.

Links to the likes of Manchester City and Inter have resurfaced, with renewed hope being offered to those who have been keeping a close eye on Messi’s situation for several years.

Many with close ties to Barca remain confident, though, that a compromise will be reached that allows the South American superstar to remain in his current surroundings.

Ex-Blaugrana defender Van Bronckhorst is among those hoping that Messi can be retained at Camp Nou, with the Dutchman telling AFP: "I would love to see him be part of Barcelona for his whole career.

"He's one of the (few) players to stay his whole career at the same club.

"I admire him as a person and a player and hopefully he will stay there. That's what I'd love to see."

Van Bronckhorst spent four years at Barca between 2003 and 2007, with a young Messi starting to breakthrough during that time.

The Argentina international has gone on to become a modern-day icon, with his ability and character marking him out as one of the best to have ever played the game.

"I've known him since he was 16 and now he's 33," added Van Bronckhorst.

"He's developed into a great human being, he's a family man and he's more than capable of making his own decisions about where his future lies and whether he leaves.

"He will decide himself, but I can't imagine a Barcelona without him."

Jason McAteer is no stranger to Liverpool fans. The midfielder was a mainstay in the Reds first XI during a four-year spell from 1995 to 1999.

Nicknamed Trigger, McAteer was a Liverpool fan right from his childhood and his dream of playing for the club he supported came true in 1995 when he decided to spurn the advances of Blackburn Rovers in favour of the Reds.

He went on to make 139 appearances for the Reds in what was an eventful spell. But there are several highlights that Liverpool fans will still remember of the Irish international.

In January 1998, McAteer broke his leg during a match against Blackburn. But he made a full recovery and went on to score a brace on his return to first-team action in May 1998, in what was a 5-0 win over West Ham United.

It was also McAteer who would provide a telling cross for Stan Collymore to fire in a winner in a thrilling Premier League encounter against Newcastle United that Liverpool won 4-3. The match which took place during the 1995-96 season would go down in history as one of the greatest Premier League encounters.

McAteer did not score many goals for Liverpool but when he did, they were special. Leading 1-0 against a strong Arsenal side at Highbury in 1997, Liverpool were awarded a spotkick to seal the game. Robbie Fowler would miss the spotkick, only for McAteer to steer it in. Though Arsenal pulled a goal back, McAteer's effort turned out to be the difference.

McAteer also scored the final goal in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the 1995-96 FA Cup semifinal, helping the Reds reach another FA Cup final.

Of course, McAteer's most famous goal for his country came against the Netherlands in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup. McAteer's effort off a Steve Finnan cross would help the Irish qualify for the World Cup past a star-studded Netherlands.

No doubt, the lifelong Liverpool fan was a club icon and was regarded highly by the supporters. He would be as joyous as any Liverpool fan across the world after Jurgen Klopp's men won the Premier League after a hiatus of 30 years.

Here's your chance to catch up with the midfielder and interact with him as you celebrate a title triumph. McAteer will be appearing on Standard Chartered's Soundboard during Liverpool's Premier League encounter against Burnley this Saturday alongside singer-songwriter Jamie Webster, as well as The Anfield Wrap's James Sutton.

As the official partner of the club, Standard Chartered are bringing together various Liverpool legends and fan hosts on their YouTube platform with SC Soundboard. Tune in and let the Soundboard bring the best of Kop chants directly to your home. Sing along and enjoy the experience during every remaining Premier League match of Liverpool.

This Saturday, it's McAteer who will be live. You can catch him in action here.

Kevin-Prince Boateng found the back of the net in Besiktas’ 3-2 victory over Bengali-Fode Koita‘s Kasimpasa in Thursday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

Ghana international Boateng made his third appearance since returning from an Achilles tendonitis injury which forced him out of Denizlispor clash.

The 33-year-old midfielder shone at Vodafone Park after replacing injured Gokhan Gonul to help the Black Eagles secured their 16th win of the season.  

Guinea international Koita, meanwhile, gave a good account of himself scoring twice, although his efforts were not enough to help his side avoid defeat.

Tyler Boyd opened the scoring for Besiktas in the sixth minute after he was played through on goal by Caner Erkin.

Koita then levelled proceedings for the Apaches after receiving a fine assist from Mame Thiam in the 21st minute of the encounter.

Eight minutes later, Koita doubled handed the lead to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium outfit for the first time in the game after he was set up by Haris Hajradinovic.

Boateng then equalized for Besiktas in the 49th minute after receiving a timely pass from former Tottenham Hotspur forward Jeremain Lens.

With the match looking to end in a draw, Guven Yalcin grabbed the match-winner at the nick of time after receiving a through ball from Victor Ruiz.

Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny featured for the duration of the game along with Mali’s Abdoulay Diaby while Koita was replaced in the 46th minute.

With the result, Besiktas are fourth on the Super Lig table with 53 points from 31 games while Kasimpasa are 11th with 36 points from the same number of matches.

The Black Eagles will slug it out with Yeni Malatyaspor in their next league game while the Apaches will take on Rizespor on June 13 respectively.

Inter boss Antonio Conte refused to blame his players after they threw away a lead to draw 2-2 at Hellas Verona on Thursday.

The Nerazzurri had been leading going into the final five minutes at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi but Miguel Veloso showed wonderful composure to seal a point for the hosts.

Inter had forged ahead early in the second half thanks to an Antonio Candreva strike and own goal from Federico Dimarco after Darko Lazovic had given Verona a second-minute lead.

It is the second time in five days Inter have thrown away a lead following their 2-1 defeat to Bologna on Sunday but Conte would not be drawn into criticising his side.

"In terms of effort, hunger and determination, I have no complaints," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Let's not forget, we played against a Verona side that keeps a high tempo and makes that its greatest strength. I think Inter replied blow for blow.

"There is the usual regret that we conceded a goal five minutes from time on a throw-in. These are situations that are disappointing because you drop points along the way and they add up. We deserved to win the game.

"Verona barely had a shot on goal in the second half. We conceded through a throw-in and ball across to a player on the edge of the box.

"I don't want to say too much as people love to claim I always criticise, criticise, criticise. I don't; I just want to help everyone improve and move forward."

Inter have now dropped a whopping 20 points from leading positions in Serie A this season, with Conte well aware it is an issue that needs resolving swiftly.

"We're doing important work and I focus on that," he added. "I think you can see the results of the work we're doing. The fact we lost 20 points should push us to reflect and continue improving.

"We're well aware that we dropped points in a stupid fashion throughout the season, otherwise we'd be talking about a very different campaign."

Inter now sit fourth in Serie A, 10 points shy of league leaders Juventus, and are next in action on Monday against Torino.