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UEFA has confirmed the 2019-20 Europa League and Champions League competitions will be completed this summer after a three-month suspension as the world dealt with the coronavirus pandemic.

However, calendar constraints and the need to kick off the 2020-21 season means that they will occur under vastly different circumstances.

While the Champions League knockout tournament will be held in Portugal, Germany has been chosen to stage the Europa League knockout tournament.

Here's how it will happen...

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What is the Europa League 2020 tournament?

The Europa League 2020 'final eight' tournament will condense the knockout stage into single-leg deciders from the quarter-final stage on.

Once the last-16 round has been completed - there are six second-leg games to play, while two ties will change to single-leg games - the final eight tournament will commence in Germany.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be straight knockout matches as opposed to the usual two-legged affairs in order to streamline things.

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Where will the Europa League 2020 tournament be held?

The Europa League 'final eight' tournament will be played at four venues across Germany. They are: Dussedorf, Cologne, Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen.

The stadiums being used for the tournament are Schalke's Arena AufSchalke, Koln's RheinEnergieStadion, the MSV-Arena in Duisburg and the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

A decision will be made on whether the remaining last-16 matches will be played at teams' respective home venues or in venues in Germany.

Gdansk was originally scheduled to host the 2020 Europa League final, but it will now be held in Cologne at the RheinEnergieStadion, with the 2021 final taking place in Gdansk.

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When will the Europa League 2020 tournament take place?

The 2019-20 Europa League knockout stage will now take place from August 5 and conclude on August 21. 

Last-16 matches will take place on August 5/6, with the quarter-finals set to take place on August 10/11.

Semi-finals will be played on August 16/17, while the final, which will be held at Koln's RheinEnergieStadion, is scheduled for Friday August 21.

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Which teams will be involved in the Europa League 2020 tournament?

None of the Europa League last-16 ties have been resolved yet, so we don't yet know who exactly will play in the 'final eight' tournament.

The winners of the following ties will play in the 'final eight' stage:

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Nantes star Moses Simon reveals that he failed to shine at Levante due to his struggles to overcome the language barrier in Spain.

After four seasons at Genk - where he won the Belgian Pro League and Belgian Super Cup titles, the Nigeria international joined the Spanish elite division side on a five-year contract.

However, he failed to reignite his spark for Paco Lopez’s team - scoring just once in 19 league games which led to his loan move to Stade de la Beaujoire.

He explained to Goal that it was difficult to get along at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia because of language difficulties, but feels it is easier in France where he could communicate effectively.

“It is the language barrier because my coach [Paco Lopez] doesn’t speak English,” Simon told Goal.

“All he speaks is Spanish and that made it very difficult for me to communicate effectively with him and that I feel affected my performance.

“But here in France, I understand their language and most of my teammates speak English as well. That makes me very free and I am also able to understand whatever my coaches say.”

The ex-Trencin man scored nine goals and contributed eight assists in 30 appearances across all competitions - a feat which earned him the Canaries’ Player of the Season prize.

He was also handed a four-year contract that will see him remain with Christian Gourcuff’s men until 2024. Simon explains the motivation behind his new deal and what he hopes to achieve with Nantes.

“I decided to remain with Nantes because the love for me here is more than what is obtainable in Spain,” he continued.

“My teammates and the fans here appreciate my efforts and that alone made me want to stay. 

“Personally, I will keep doing my best for the team and hopefully, we can get a ticket to play in the Uefa Champions League or the Europa League. That is one of my goals.”

The league organisers elected to call time on Ligue 1at the end of April owing to the coronavirus pandemic, with Paris Saint-Germain crowned as champions.

Nantes finished in 13th place while Amiens and Toulouse were relegated to Ligue 2 after being adrift at the bottom of the log.

The Championship play-offs represent some of the most exciting and potentially lucrative matches in world football, with a place in the Premier League on offer.

Four teams battle it out for the coveted promotion prize and the tension can be unbearable as fans live in hope that their team can reach the promised land of English football. 

The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic forced a postponement to matters, but the league resumes in June after three months of no games.

Goal brings you everything you need to know about the competition phase, when the games are, how to watch and more.

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What are the Championship play-offs?

The Championship play-offs in England are a series of knock-out games which take place at the end of the Championship season in order to determine which team earns the final promotion to the Premier League.

While the top two teams in the division earn automatic promotion, the teams which finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth qualify for the play-offs.

A merit-based system is in place to pair the semi-final opponents, with third place playing sixth place in one semi-final and fourth place playing fifth place in the other semi-final.

The Championship semi-finals are two-legged affairs, but the away goals rule does not apply. The semi-final winners progress to the play-off final.

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Which teams qualified for the Championship play-offs in 2020?

A number of teams are in with a good chance of qualifying for the Championship play-offs this season, but things could easily change when matches resume.

Leeds United and West Brom - who were involved in last season's edition - are the division's pace-setters at the summit. They will be aiming for automatic promotion.

Beneath those two there is a collection of teams fighting it out, including Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Preston North End, with the likes of Bristol City and Blackburn Rovers also in the mix.

Championship table 2019-20

Last updated: Games played on March 8, 2020 | Key: (P) - secured promotion | (Q) - qualified for play-offs

It is a tight division and very little stands between most of the teams, so a few results could easily alter the complexion of the table.

Other sides such as Swansea City, Millwall and Cardiff City will feel capable of mounting a play-off push.

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When are the Championship 2020 play-offs?

Championship play-off final

The 2020 Championship play-offs will be played in July, with the final scheduled for Tuesday August 4.

It was originally scheduled for Monday May 25, meaning there has been a delay of two months.

Championship play-off semi-finals

With the Championship returning at the end of June, the play-off semi-finals will now be played at the end of July. First legs will be played on July 26 and 27 with the second legs taking place on July 29 and 30.

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When & where is the 2020 Championship play-off final?

The 2020 Championship play-off final is scheduled for Tuesday August 4. It had originally been booked for Monday, May 25.

Since the game is being played in mid-week, it will kick off at 7:45pm rather than the usual afternoon kick-off time associated with weekend play-off finals.

Wembley Stadium in London is the traditional venue for the match. Wembley is used for all EFL play-off finals with those for League One and League Two also taking place at the venue.

Affectionately known as 'The Home of Football' in England, Wembley is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and Championship play-off finals regularly attract bumper crowds.

The 2019 Championship play-off final between Aston Villa and Derby County, for example, drew an audience of 85,826.

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Championship play-offs TV channel & live stream

Sky Sports has exclusive broadcasting rights for the Championship in the UK and the play-offs will be shown live on Sky Sports Football. Sky Go is the channel's online streaming service.

In the US, the ESPN network and its online streaming platform  ESPN+ will be the sole outlets broadcasting the Championship play-offs.

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Who won last year's Championship play-offs?

Aston Villa won the 2019 Championship play-offs after a 2-1 victory over Derby County.

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn either side of half-time were enough to see Villa to victory over the Rams, who threatened a comeback late in the second half when Jack Marriott found the net.

Villa overcame West Brom in the semi-final to book their place in the final of the play-offs, while Derby defeated Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United - a team that had been fancied to win the division.

It was the Birmingham club's second successive appearance in the play-off final, having lost the 2018 edition 1-0 to Fulham.

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India have been drawn alongside Asian giants South Korea, Australia and Uzbekistan in the upcoming AFC U-16 Championship which is scheduled to happen between November 25 and December 12 later this year in Bahrain.

The official draw for the tournament was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. But even though India are clubbed in a very tough group alongside the giants of the continent, the U16 team's head coach Bibiano Fernandes is confident of his team giving a good account of themselves at the tournament.

During an Instagram Live chat with the Indian football team's official page, Fernades revealed that he was not concerned about whom they would be drawn against.

“Before the draw, I had no expectations or any preference of opposition. I was relaxed. When I saw Australia, Korea Republic and Uzbekistan in our group, I thought of my team who have already given an account of them and done well in the qualifiers. I believe in my boys they can compete with any team at any level. I am sure our boys will make us proud.”

The preparations of the India colts were hampered due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting nationwide lockdown but the Goan coach explained that they have been regularly in touch with the players during the lockdown and are focusing on conditioning.

“It has been difficult for us and all over the world but everyone is finding ways to work with the boys. I know some countries have already started training. What we started doing is we had online sessions with the boys thrice a week were we conducted strength sessions, goalkeeping sessions and ball mastering sessions. I know it is not enough but we are keeping in touch with the players. We also used to watch matches of other U16 teams and analyse their games.”

The coach also suggested that even if they cannot play preparatory matches against international oppositions, the team will try to play quality opponents in Goa.

“We are aware of that and we are working on that. It is not in anybody’s hand. Hope the pandemic gets over as soon as possible. The plan is to play matches locally but higher level opponents. We will try to play international matches but if it does not happen, we will play matches in Goa. We can play against the lower ranked pro league teams.”

The former Sporting Clube de Goa player suggested that the standard of youth teams in India is improving with every batch and he is hopeful that in the next few years India will be among the top five teams in Asia.

“If we look at the matches we played the gap is not very big. Last time we lost by just one goal in the quarterfinal. We played against Turkmenistan and Bahrain this time and the gap is not too much. Just a little bit of work on the ground and we will be there. It is just a matter of time before we will be among the top 5 teams in Asia.”

Franck Kessie has called on the AC Milan squad to give "everything" they have as they return to Serie A action against Lecce on Monday evening.

The Italian top-flight was suspended after Matchday 26 in March because of the coronavirus pandemic which hit Italy very hard, with more than 200,000 people affected of which 34,000 have died and more than 180,000 have recovered.

The reduction in cases and deaths has resulted in the green light for football to resume behind closed doors, which Kessie has been anticipating.

"There is a great desire to start again because we had a bad time. It was not easy for us to stay indoors and therefore we now all want to go back to playing," the Ivorian midfielder told Milan TV.

"It is not easy to get used to it [playing behind closed doors], but it is a matter of safety and therefore it is right to play like this until there is no longer the risk of getting sick."

Milan are presently seventh on the log, three points shy of Napoli who occupy the final Europa League qualification spot, and this is where the hard work comes in for the 18-time Italian champions.

"We are all close in the standings, we must work and do our best to try to score points in all the games," Kessie continued.

"We have to go even faster in these last few games that are missing. We have to give everything to reach our goal."

Milan lost a shot at an European spot by losing on away goals to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-finals last week. On Monday night's game at Lecce, Kessie says it will be "very complicated".

"It will be a very complicated game, we play away from home and they are very busy," the 23-year-old explained.

"It will be a complicated game, we will have to give more than what we gave in Turin.

"Training is very important, if you train well during the week you can see it in games. We have to work hard to be ready on Saturday or Sunday."

Kessie went on to congratulate former Milan player and manager Gennaro Gattuso on winning the Coppa Italia via penalties against Juve in Rome on Wednesday.

The ex-Italy midfielder dedicated his first managerial title to his sister, who died earlier this month.

"I am very happy for him [Gattuso], even for the sad moment he is going through," Kessie said.

"Fortunately he is now feeling a little joy for winning the cup. I am happy for him."

Kessie has played 2,033 minutes of competitive football this season, scoring a goal and providing an assist.

He has made a total of 122 appearances for Milan since joining from Atlanta in 2017 on a two-year loan before it was made permanent last summer.

The French League (LFP) has rejected a motion to extend Ligue 1 to 22 teams next season following a ruling by France’s Council of State that the relegations of Amiens and Toulouse were to be suspended.

Le Championnat was concluded early due to the coronavirus pandemic and became the only one of Europe’s big five leagues to abandon its season in April when the virus struck.

While Paris Saint-Germain were announced as champions – and their legitimacy has not fallen into question – Amiens and Toulouse were relegated to the second tier as they finished in the bottom two spots of the top division.

Both clubs have vehemently fought against such an outcome and earlier in June won a battle at the Council of State that nullified their relegation, the legality of which was "seriously doubted".

However, the LFP voted upon and rejected a proposal that would have seen Ligue 1 extended to 22 teams – and thereby reintegrate both clubs into its fold – for next season. 

In a press release, it noted: “The board of directors voted unanimously for a resolution proposing to the General Assembly to maintain the format of Ligue 1 at 20 clubs for the 2020-21 season.

“This resolution was voted upon after an in-depth examination of the challenges of a Ligue 1 of 20, 21 or 22 clubs on the 2020-2021 competition calendar after having obtained the opinion of the joint scheduling committee for the LFP and FFF (French FA), and consequences on the players' health. 

“This study also focused on the financial impacts, the distribution of audio-visual rights as well as on the contractual repercussions with Ligue 1 broadcasters.”

A further meeting between the LFP’s board of directors will take place on Tuesday, June 23, in which the resolution will be examined and the format of Ligue 1 season for the 2020-21 season will be decided.

Amiens, however, have already indicated that they will continue to fight the decision.

President Bernard Joannin described the decision as “unjust, incoherent and unfounded”, while he added that “as long as the authorities remain deaf to the legitimacy of our claim, we’ll exercise all the necessary means before the courts so that the future format of Ligue 1 is examined in accordance with the injunction of the Council of State”.

Football fans will be treated to a packed weekend of action from the world’s biggest clubs this weekend, with the Premier League returning in midweek and Serie A also set to resume after a break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Couple this with another week of pulsating La Liga action – both Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to take to the field – and SuperSport fans have every reason to be excited ahead of a weekend of live sport.

Perhaps the pick of the action comes in the Premier League, where England’s biggest sides return to action in some heavyweight fixtures.

On Friday, Champions League hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United meet in a match that could prove decisive as the duo seek a top-five finish.

Spurs head into the match four points behind the Red Devils, and should they lose, would surely find a seven-point gap with eight games to play too much to overhaul.

There will be a major incentive for Jose Mourinho too, as he comes up against his previous employers, and he’ll be desperate to show that Spurs are more resilient and durable than they were before the league’s suspension.

It will be fascinating to see how much game time Odion Ighalo gets for the Red Devils, having extended his loan deal at Old Trafford, and Nigeria fans will be hotly anticipating his return to action.

On Saturday, Brighton & Hove Albion host Arsenal, who will be looking forward to maintaining the momentum they’d begun to enjoy following Mikel Arteta’s arrival.

The weekend concludes with two high-profile bouts on Sunday, as relegation-threatened Aston Villa host Chelsea, who will themselves be looking to consolidate their place in the UCL qualification berths.

Also on Sunday, Everton and Liverpool collide in the Merseyside derby, as the champions-elect look to resume their campaign with a victory.

It’s a bitter shame for the Reds that their historic campaign was paused midway through, particularly when they enjoyed a record 25-point advantage over their nearest challengers Manchester City.

However, the resumption in competition means they have the opportunity to finally get over the line, get their hands on the title, and flex their muscles once again with a victory over their fierce local neighbours at Goodison Park.

Will Jurgen Klopp’s side pick up where they left off, or could the Toffees rain on their parade?

Thursday 18 June – Real Madrid vs Valencia (LaLiga)

Friday 19 June – Sevilla vs Barcelona (LaLiga)

Friday 19 June – Spurs vs Manchester United

Saturday 20 June – Brighton vs Arsenal (Premier League)

Sunday 21 June – Aston Villa vs Chelsea (Premier League)

Sunday 21 June – Everton vs Liverpool (Premier League)

Sunday 21 June – Inter Milan vs Sampdoria (Serie A)

Sunday 21 June – Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid (LaLiga)

Across the rest of Europe there are other high-profile clashes, notably in Spain, where Real Madrid have two matches in the space of four days.

First up, for Zinedine Zidane’s side, they host Valencia in a stern test for their title credentials on Thursday evening, having dispatched troubled Eibar in their last fixture.

Seventh-placed Valencia will be desperate to make amends after letting two points slip in their first match back, conceding in the 98th minute against ten-men Levante at home in a result that dented their Champions League hopes.

Valencia took a point from Real in this season’s first match between the pair, but can they repeat the trick this time around?

On Sunday, Los Merengues must travel away to Real Sociedad, who returned to action with a 1-1 draw against Osasuna on Sunday.

In action on Friday, Barcelona travel away to Sevilla.

This will be a much tougher test for the Catalan giants than their midweek victory over struggling Leganes, and they’ll have to be at their best to maintain their winning run against Los Nervionenses.

It’s one of the trickiest matches Barca have ahead of them as they close in on the title, and Quique Setien may have to shuffle his pack to keep his players fresh, with some experienced heads coming back into the side.

However, expect Ansu Fati to retain his spot in the team after netting a fine goal in the victory over Leganes.

Finally, Serie A also returns this weekend, and SuperSport are delighted to invite fans to watch the bout between Internazionale and Sampdoria.

The Nerazzurri have impressed in stages this term, although Antonio Conte will know that they need Juventus to stumble if they’re to keep their faint title challenge alive.

They lost ground on their rivals before the pandemic necessitated a pause in football with back-to-back fixtures, and a victory on Sunday evening is imperative if they’re to breathe life into the remaining weeks of the season.

They do have a game in hand on Juve and Lazio, and a favourable run of fixtures, so all isn’t yet lost.

Angus MacNeil, chair of the International Trade Select Committee and Member of Partliament for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, has written to trade secretary Liz Truss to raise his concerns over the Saudi Arabia-led takeover of Premier League side Newcastle.

If a deal is completed, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund would own 80 per cent of the club, with Amanda Staveley's PCP Capital Partners and British businessmen the Reuben brothers sharing the remaining 20% equally.

Previously this week, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) found Saudi Arabia guilty of breaching international piracy laws by broadcasting various professional sports, including the Premier League.

It is not the first time that the takeover has hit the headlines for the wrong headlines, with the £300 million ($375m) purchase of the club controversial because of the country’s human rights record.

In his letter to Truss, which has been seen by the BBC, MacNeil writes: “As you would have seen, the WTO has made a landmark ruling on the protection of sports rights, which is one of the UK's most valuable and treasured exports.

“In its ruling, the WTO held that the government of Saudi Arabia has, from the beginning, been actively supporting the 'beoutQ' piracy operation that has stolen the commercial rights of UK sports bodies for three years.

“This is an insult to the UK government, affront to the Premier League, and abuse of UK sport - and should not be tolerated.

“This is relevant today, right now, because the very entity that has been stealing premium UK sports and entertainment content is attempting to buy a major UK sporting institution - Newcastle United Football Club.

“The UK government must now play its part in protecting our creative industry exports by investigating the launch, promotion and operation of the beoutQ service. Quite simply, if Saudi Arabia is unwilling to play by the rules of international law, then it should have no role in the future of UK sport.”

Lawyers for the Premier League have been examining the deal for two months, and though the UK government had previously indicated that it would not intervene in the deal, earlier this week, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “I think it's right that that legal due process is followed and we have this debate about takeovers in this country. I think we should follow the rule of law.”

India U-16 head coach Bibiano Fernandes has lavished praises on the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) scouting program for playing a huge role in the success of India's youth teams in recent times.

India U16 team has qualified for the AFC U16 Championship three times in a row from 2016 now and the India U19 and U20 teams have achieved some brilliant results in the recent past.

The Goan coach was quick to hail chief scout Vikram Nanivadekar and suggested that a proper scouting process has led to the development of the Indian national teams at the youth level.

During a Live chat with Indian Football team’s official Instagram page, Fernandes said, “Our scouting system is in good hands. It is headed by Vikram Nanivadekar who is doing a great job. Sometimes I also go out and help scout for players. The scouting has been really good and it is becoming better and better. It is difficult to cover the whole country but since the system is in place, we are trying to reach as many places as possible.”

Elaborating on the scouting process, the U-16 coach said, “We target the Subroto Cup and other national tournaments. At the zonal level, we have identified the age-group tournaments. Whenever I am free, I attend the national youth competitions. We also have coaches on call who send us information about talented players from any corner in India. We exchange details, see videos and then select.”

The former Sporting Clube de Goa coach also mentioned that there has been a huge improvement in the standard of coaching in the country and praised Savio Medeira who is currently AIFF's head of coaching education.

He said, “Another point is the change in coaching education. It has brought changes in the coaches. Whether they are state level or school level coaches. Savio is doing a great job. When we do scouting properly we get very good players. It is improving constantly.”

The Togolese Football Federation have paid tribute to ASC Kara striker Kossi Edem Koudagba following his death at the age of 24 on Thursday.

The striker, who netted against Nigeria at the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nations, died in his hometown of Davie following a short illness.

“In these painful circumstances, the Executive Committee of the FTF wish to salute the memory of the player, whose qualities on and off the field are known to all,” a communique from the federation began.

“The FTF Executive Committee would like, on behalf of Togolese football, to express our deepest condolences and express our feelings of sympathy to the family of the deceased, loved ones, the ASCK club, as well as the staff and players of the Togo national team.”

Koudagba’s death was announced on Thursday, with the young forward having returned to his family home earlier in the week.

The striker was named in Claude Le Roy’s senior national side for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria in 2018, and was a key figure of the home-based national side.

He was one of their key figures at the Wafu Cup, opening the scoring against Nigeria in the Sparrowhawks’ 2-1 victory, but was unable to prevent Togo’s quarter-final elimination at the hands of the Ivory Coast.

Togo were eliminated on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

The striker had also represented the West Africans in the African Nations Championship qualifying double-head against Nigeria, which Togo won to book their ticket to the Chan tournament in Cameroon.

Ultimately, Les Eperviers weren’t able to take part in the tournament—originally scheduled to take place in April—due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2018 Togo top scorer was twice a Togolese champion with Club Sportive des Chauffeurs de la Kozak, and was part of the team that were defeated by Enugu Rangers in the Caf Confederation Cup earlier this year.

ASCK were recently awarded this year’s Togolese title again, following the domestic top flight’s suspension and subsequent cancellation in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

While there has been speculation on social media that Covid-19 was the cause of Koudagba’s passing, the virus has not been named as the reason for his death by either his family or his club.

Rostov are set to play a Russian Premier League fixture on Friday with what effectively amounts to a youth team after six of their players tested positive for coronavirus.

With the news that the infection was so spread throughout their team, the entire first team and the coaching staff had to be quarantined.

However, an appeal to have the match postponed to a later date failed after Sochi turned down their request for a delayed fixture. As such, the team will play with a group of players born between 2001 and 2004.

The oldest member of their squad will be 19-year-old midfielder Nikita Kolotievsky, while the youngest will be Maxim Stavtsev, who only turned 16 in January.

Speaking to the media, Rostov president Artashes Arutyunyants said: “We do not want to comment and evaluate the decision of FC Sochi. Let it be on their conscious. For us, the health of our players and our opponents is more important than three points.”

Rostov currently lie fourth in the 16-team RPL, with their target a place in the Champions League for next season. To attain that, they will need to finish in the top three and currently they are only three points behind Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar, who are in second and third respectively.

Sochi, meanwhile, are engulfed in a relegation battle and though they lie 12th in the standings on 24 points, they are only four points clear of bottom placed Akhmat Grozny.

Given their opponents’ selection concerns, they will hope to take their seventh victory of the season and move away from the drop zone.

The fixture between the two clubs marks the return to professional football in Russia after an unscheduled three-month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Sochi’s fight for survival had already previously been boosted by the news that because of the stoppage, the relegation playoffs that the clubs in 13th and 14th would usually have taken part in have been cancelled, thereby pushing them closer to safety. 

The season, which is 30 matches long and sees each team play each other on a home and away basis, has eight rounds remaining.

Former U.S. men's national team head coach and current New England Revolution boss Bruce Arena says that he finds it "inappropriate" to play the Star-Spangled Banner before club soccer matches amid ongoing debate on the anthem's place in sports.

The national anthem has become a talking point in the wake of ongoing protests across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd.

Those protests have called back to those led by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who caused controversy when he opted to kneel during the national anthem in an effort to protest racism and police brutality.

After U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe joined Kaepernick's protests by kneeling before several matches, U.S. Soccer put a policy in place to prevent displays during the national anthem.

That policy has since been repealed, much to the frustration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would no longer be watching games if players were to kneel.

Former USMNT boss Arena, who managed the national team from 1998 to 2006 and then again from 2016 to 2017, says he sees no reason to play the national anthem before sporting events in the first place.

"I think it puts people in awkward positions," Arena told ESPN. "We don't use national anthem in movie theatres or on Broadway, or for other events in the United States.

"I don't think it is appropriate to have a national anthem before a baseball game or an MLS game. Having said that I want it understood that I am very patriotic, but I think it is inappropriate."

He added: "Think about it. In MLS, most of the players that are standing on the field during the national anthem are international players. They are not even Americans. So why are we playing the national anthem? With all due respect, I live in the greatest country in the world but I think it is inappropriate."

MLS has a total of 722 players on rosters this season, with 422 of those players not born in the United States.

The league is set to return on July 8 for the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, making it the first men's sports league to return in the United States.

Lille head coach Christophe Galtier has admitted that he is resigned to losing striker Victor Osimhen and centre-back Gabriel over the course of the summer transfer window.

The side from the north east of France narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification next season after finishing fourth in a prematurely ended Ligue 1 campaign, and given their already awkward financial position are likely to be forced into numerous sales over the summer months.

Osimhen and Gabriel have both attracted many suitors over recent months, with both players hotly linked with a switch to Napoli, while the Brazilian defender has also been associated with Everton.

Galtier, who explained that Osimhen has not been training with the club following the loss of his father, does not expect either to be in the team that takes to the field in mid-August when Ligue 1 will open up the 2020-21 campaign.

“I can confirm that both Gabriel and Victor are likely to depart. I’ve expected it for a long time,” he said. “They are working very seriously and we’re working currently with the players who are currently here who are likely to replace them and obviously on future players who will come to us to replace them in their posts.

“We’ve not talked much about the transfer window. Players have been or are being contacted. There will be a delayed transfer window. I believe it will run until October 5. That shows how complex the start of the season will be. I don’t know exactly when the windows will be open abroad.”

Previously, Lille president Gerard Lopez indicated that he hopes to raise as much as €80 million (£72.5m/$90m) from the sale of Osimhen – matching the deal that took Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal last season.

“People didn’t believe that we had such big offers for Pepe,” he told the Daily Mail. “Let me tell you that with Osimhen, it’s the same thing.”

Meanwhile, Galtier reported some positive news for Lille in terms of the players who were running out of contract, with former Chelsea striker Loic Remy closing in on a new deal along with ex-Southampton man Jeremy Pied, who was a bit-part player last term.

“There’s a very good chance they will stay with us,” he confirmed. “They want it and we want it. We’re close to an agreement, but it’s not done yet.”

The release of a fresh edition of FIFA is one of the biggest events in the gaming calendar, when eager football fans get their hands on the new game and test out all the new features.

FIFA 21 will be released this autumn on current generation and next generation consoles, making its debut on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as well as launching updated editions on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.

Goal answers the big questions ahead of the worldwide launch of FIFA 21.

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When will FIFA 21 be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One?

FIFA 21 will be released on PS4 and Xbox One on Friday October 9, 2020.

This is slightly later than the normal late September release date for previous versions of the game due to delays caused by the coronavirus crisis.

A Legacy Edition of the game will be released on Switch. It will not include any new gameplay improvements nor the FIFA Ultimate Team and Volta game modes and is mainly a squad database update of the game. The Switch version of FIFA 21 is expected to be released in October.

The PC version of FIFA 21 will be the same game that is released on PS4 and Xbox One and is also released worldwide on Friday, October 9.

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When will FIFA 21 be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?

Sony and Microsoft have scheduled their new consoles for release in late 2020, stating that they would hit the market during the holiday period.

This is usually around Thanksgiving and Christmas, with both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X expected to launch in the second half of November.

FIFA 21 is expected to be one of the launch titles for both consoles and should arrive alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X in late November.

As many gamers will already have bought FIFA 21 for PS4 and Xbox One, EA Sports is offering a 'Dual Entitlement' to all purchases, meaning that you can upgrade your PS4 copy to a PS5 copy of the game at no extra cost when it launches.

The same package is also available on Xbox Series X to download a free copy of FIFA 21 if you have already purchased the game either as a download or a physical copy on Xbox One.

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When does FIFA 21 early access begin?

People who pre-order the game will be able to play the game three days earlier than anyone who waits for the physical release.

FIFA 21 early access begins on Tuesday October 6 and allows the compete game to be downloaded to your console to play the full game ahead of its release.

Anyone who has EA Access on PS4 or Xbox One and Origin Access on PC will be able to avail of the Play First Trials on Thursday, October 1, more than a full week ahead of the official release of FIFA 21.

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Arsenal should offer defender David Luiz a new contract - but only if he accepts reduced wages, according to former Gunners star Paul Merson.

The Brazilian is out of contract on June 30 and it remains to be seen whether he will be extending his stay at Emirates Stadium.

If the Gunners hierarchy are wavering about whether to keep Luiz, he will have done little to help his cause with a disastrous 25-minute substitute performance against Manchester City on Wednesday, which saw him give away a goal, concede a penalty and get sent off.

He will now serve a two-match ban which means he will not be able to feature again for the Gunners this season unless he signs a short-term extension before the June 23 deadline.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants to keep Luiz but admitted on Wednesday that the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus shutdown means the club hierarchy may decide against offering him fresh terms. Meanwhile, his agent Kia Joorabchian revealed on Thursday he expects Luiz’s future to be resolved “this week”.

Merson accepts financial issues may force the club to let Luiz go but, if he is willing to lower his demands, he still feels the former Chelsea and Benfica man has something to offer.

“David Luiz had a shocker at Manchester City because there were no fans in the ground, but unless he is asking for huge wages Arsenal should keep him,” Merson told the Star. “His contract is up and I’d be shocked now if he got another one, but if he’s not asking for a lot of money and it’s not going to break the bank, I’d keep him all day long.

“It all depends how much he is asking for. If he wants £100,000-a-week he won’t get that anywhere. Not in this day and age.

“What happened against Manchester City is not going to help him. His concentration levels are bad anyway but when you play with no crowd it’s even harder. It’s 100 per cent a big issue for him. The fans keep you honest. They keep your concentration levels up.

"When there’s no crowd your concentration levels dip a little and that happened with Luiz. He made mistakes and got sent off.

"He’s never going to cut those mistakes out, but if you’re looking at the all-round package, it could work at the right wages.

"He never hides. He makes a mistake and comes right back again. He came out and said it was his fault. He's honest, and he’s never out injured. I have a lot of respect for him in that way. I like players who keep demanding the ball even when you’re losing.”

As well as taking a pay cut, Merson also feels Luiz would have to accept a reduced role in the team given his age and the other defensive options at Arteta’s disposal.

However, he also believes keeping a player of his experience, who has 17 trophies to his name, would be vitally important for the development of the club’s youngsters.

"He’s a leader and he would be great with the younger players. The manager obviously likes him,” added Merson. “But you don’t want to get on the wrong side of him if you’re the manager, and that’s a problem. Frank Lampard got rid of him when he was playing well at Chelsea.

“You’d have to sit down with him and tell him he’s not going to play every week because they have some good young players coming in like William Saliba. You’d have to make sure he’d accept that because you don’t want a bad apple in the dressing room splitting the squad.

“If he’s willing to do that then for me it’s a no-brainer to keep him. He makes mistakes but so will young kids coming into the team. I think he will help them.

“He could start doing his coaches badges there. This lad has got something. You don’t win all those league titles and trophies by making mistakes all the time.”

Arsenal have been rocked by a centre-back crisis ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brighton - with Pablo Mari expected to miss the remainder of the season.

The Spanish defender was injured during the first half of Wednesday night’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City and is expected to be out for several weeks with damaged ankle ligaments.

Arsenal fear the injury means Mari will not play again before the end of the campaign and his absence leaves Mikel Arteta desperately short of options in the centre of his defence.

David Luiz is unavailable to face Brighton due to suspension following his red card against Manchester City and Sokratis is still struggling with a thigh injury picked up in training.

Calum Chambers, meanwhile, remains sidelined having ruptured the cruciate ligament in his left knee earlier this year and Cedric Soares is expected to miss out again due to a broken nose.

That means Shkodran Mustafi could be partnered by Rob Holding at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, unless Arteta opts to use Kieran Tierney as a makeshift centre-back.

Holding, who returned from a year out due to a cruciate knee injury in September, has featured just three times under Arteta - with his only start coming in the 1-0 victory against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round.

The 24-year-old has struggled to regain his top form since his return to fitness and there have been suggestions he could be sold in the summer, but Arteta has praised the former Bolton star in the past.

“He is a very interesting player, very focused, very determined, very willing to learn,” Arsenal’s head coach said in January. “Obviously the fact he has been out for such a long time, he is lacking competition now and lacking that rhythm. We need to try to give him as much as possible to help him.

“There were some moments that he looked really, really good. He is a player that is going to be very valuable for us.”

In midfield, Arsenal are also set to be without Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira for Saturday’s game against the Seagulls.

Xhaka suffered an ankle injury inside the first five minutes at Manchester City and Torreira is still on his way back from the fractured leg he sustained during the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Portsmouth.

Dani Ceballos, who started on the bench at the Etihad, is likely to come in to partner Matteo Guendouzi, although Ainsley Maitland-Niles is another option for Arteta.

Atletico Madrid turned down a €150 million (£135m/$168m) offer for forward Joao Felix from a Premier League club earlier this season, sources close to the Liga side have told  Goal .

The 20-year-old Portuguese forward joined the Liga side last summer from Benfica although this did not stop an intermediary acting on behalf of an English team approaching Atletico about a transfer prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

The bid, which came from an unnamed club and would have seen Felix move this summer, was seen as being serious although was immediately rejected by Atleti.

Felix is highly regarded at the Wanda Metropolitano, with the club having shelled out €126m (£122m/$142m) to sign him from Benfica ahead of Antoine Griezmann's departure for La Liga rivals Barcelona last year.

He has not lived up to that immense price tag quite yet, with eight goals and three assists in 29 appearances this season in between niggling ankle injuries.

He did, however, score twice in his first appearance after the resumption of La Liga following the coronavirus lockdown - a 5-0 away win over Osasuna - and he is regarded as a potential star of the future.

Atletico managed to sign Felix ahead of interest from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus and others, and are not keen on parting with a prized asset so quickly.

It now remains to be seen whether leading clubs will be able to afford transfers on this scale for the foreseeable future, with the Covid-19 pandemic having had a serious effect on club finances with the loss of matchday revenue as teams are forced to play behind closed doors.

Goal can confirm City were interested in Felix before his move to Atleti although it's unclear if Pep Guardiola's side made the more recent follow-up approach, with it not being usual for the former Barcelona coach to go back in for a player who has previously opted against linking up with the Catalan.

Felix's underwhelming first campaign for Atletico has led some to suggest he would have been better off at another leading European side, with fellow countryman Carlos Carvalhal stating the Portugal international should have joined city rivals Real.

The head coach at Primeira Liga side Rio Ave said: "Joao Felix is​​ a great player and I don't want to create controversy with my statements. He is a player with incredible technical ability, but I'm not sure Atletico's way of playing is the best for him.

"That was my doubt when he signed for them. Diego Simeone is a great coach, his teams are very strong, very competitive, but Joao Felix does not seem to be the perfect player to be there.

"In a different situation, we would see a great Joao Felix. It will be a little difficult and it will take more time. He will have to transform as a player.

"If he had gone to a team like Real Madrid, he would be at a higher level. The context would be more favourable for him.

"It's not a criticism of Simeone, there is no doubt about what he has achieved. The work speaks for itself, I just believe this marriage is not the best."

Everton striker Richarlison has lit the touch paper ahead of the Merseyside derby by stating Virgil van Dijk is not among the best three defenders in the world.

Van Dijk has been outstanding since joining the Reds from Southampton in a then-world record transfer fee for a defender of £75 million in January 2018.

The Netherlands captain has hardly put a foot wrong for Jurgen Klopp's side, playing a major part in their Champions League triumph last season and putting them on the brink of the Premier League title this term.

Yet, Brazil international Richarlison does not rate the former Celtic centre-back as the best in his position as they prepare to do battle at Goodison Park on Sunday.

He said in an interview with Desimpedidos:  "People talk a lot about him [Van Dijk]. Yes, he is a great defender, but I've already dribbled past him.

"He was chosen as one of the top three in the world as he had an excellent season, but yes, for me, there are better defenders."

Asked which players he thinks are better than the 28-year-old, he replied: "Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos."

Van Dijk was second behind only Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or last year but did land the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.

Liverpool are only two wins away from their first Premier League title and their first top division crown in 30 years, having established a mammoth 25-point lead in the standings before coronavirus forced English football to shut down for 100 days.

They had hoped to wrap up the title by beating their local rivals, however those dreams were dashed by nearest challengers Manchester City beating Arsenal on Wednesday.

Instead, the Reds will aim to earn three points on Sunday and then claim the title by winning their following game, against Crystal Palace this coming Wednesday.

Everton are on a trophy drought of their own, stretching back 25 years to their FA Cup triumph in 1995, but current manager Carlo Ancelotti has been backed as the man to bring silverware back to Goodison Park by former Toffees striker Kevin Campbell.

Campbell said: “Fans of the Blues will have to be patient, but if anyone can do it, Carlo Ancelotti can – he is a perennial winner. If he can mould this squad in his image, I have no doubt he can win things.”