Looking for Soccer News?

La Liga is back following the coronavirus suspension, and while Barcelona returned in some style on Saturday with a 4-0 demolition of Real Mallorca, they’ll be desperate to add more momentum when Leganes come to the Nou Camp.

Barca barely looked like they’d been away as they resumed their domestic dominance with an early opener via Arturo Vidal.

Martin Braithwaite added another just before halftime, as the strugglers crumbled, before Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi added late goals to add gloss to the scoreline.

It was an ideal start for the league leaders, although while they ended Saturday with a five-point advantage over Real Madrid, that was cut down to two when Los Merengues returned to action on Sunday.

Zinedine Zidane’s side were just as impressive against Eibar, taking a comfortable 3-0 lead inside the first 37 minutes—through Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo—before the visitors pulled one back on the hour mark.

Monday 15 June | Levante vs Sevilla | SS1 & SS7 | Kickoff at 19:30 (CAT)

Tuesday 16 June | Barcelona vs Leganes | SS7 | Kickoff at 22:00 (CAT)

Wednesday 17 June | Osasuna vs Atletico Madrid | SS7 | Kickoff at 22:00 (CAT)

Up next on Tuesday are Leganes, who only had themselves to blame for falling to a 2-1 defeat by Real Valladolid on Saturday evening.

An early mix-up between Nigeria’s Chidozie Awaziem and Pichu Cuellar allowed Enes Unal in to poke home an early goal, and the hosts never recovered, with Valladolid ultimately winning 2-1.

It leaves Leganes three points from safety, and it’s imperative there are no more defensive slip-ups when they come up against goal-hungry Barca on Tuesday.

While Quique Setien’s side have already lost five matches so far this season, it’s hard to see how Leganes will get anything out of this one.

Perhaps the only encouragement for the relegation battlers may come from the fact that Barcelona have to face Sevilla away on June 19; it’s a tricky fixture, and Setien may be tempted to shuffle his pack for the more straightforward clash against Leganes.

If so, could this give the minnows a chance?

On Monday, Levante host Sevilla, who impressed upon their return to action with a 2-0 victory over rivals Real Betis in Thursday’s derby.

Levante will be tough opponents, having impressed on Friday as they held Valencia 1-1 away. The hosts thought they’d won it when Rodrigo struck in the 89th minute, but Gonzalo Melero netted a 98th-minute penalty to rescue an unlikely point.

Atletico Madrid were unable to return to action with all three points as they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in Sunday’s early kick-off.

Diego Costa equalised for Atleti just before half time after Iker Munian had put the Basque side ahead two minutes earlier.

Diego Simeone’s side have now only won one of their last five matches, and must take a win away at Osasuna to reassert themselves in the tight race for Champions League qualification.

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger and captain Siphiwe Tshabalala has opened up about the difficulties he went through during his time with Turkish side Erzurumspor BB. 

After leaving the PSL for Europe at the age of 33, Shabba admits it was completely different when he first arrived at Erzurumspor, especially from a tactical point of view as the club relied more on physical battle than playing the ball. 

"That side was completely different because when you play on Sunday, during the week you just train and you don't have tactical sessions - no organisation from defence to attack. You just go there and fight to play," Tshabalala told the South African Football Journalists Association.  

"That was really difficult for me in that regard and me being a ball-player, obviously, I wanted the ball, I wanted the team to play but it was difficult, it was more about your physique, you needed to be strong. 

"So I struggled, that's why in the beginning I didn't get to play but it also came to a point where I was not happy that I'm not given an opportunity to do what I love, which is to play. I was doing well at training, giving my best, I was the best player at training and then come game time, I'm on the bench, other players [teammates] are surprised and I'm surprised as well.

While Tshabalala admits it was a dream come true to get the opportunity to ply his trade abroad, he admits it was difficult not playing week-in, week-out. 

"This was a dream I was praying for all along and eventually, it came through. So, it was a blessing that came with burdens as well. I had to learn to live with that and continue to lift myself and stay positive in that difficult situation - hoping I will get a chance."

According to the Soweto-born legend, his lack of game time at Erzurumspor worsened when the club made coaching changes - and he questioned a lot of decisions made by the technical team after he found himself still on the bench come match days.  

"Toward the end, there was one incident where the new coach came in. We played Alanyaspor, he [the coach] changed everything. I was on the bench, I didn't play. I worked hard at training and he came to me and said, 'I really like your style of play, you're going to help us a lot and I think you are ready to play now'," he recalled. 

"I was in the team from Tuesday until the day of the game and then when the team was announced, I was on the bench. It came as a shock because the guy who took my place broke his hand, he couldn't play, they told him that he would be out for three weeks and suddenly this player is in the team, he didn't play well, we lost and I was disappointed." 

"But I told myself if I play, it's okay, if I don't play, it's still okay and after that, he gave me a chance and I enjoyed myself. I had the most touches on the ball, the most forward passes. I intercepted passes and even made an assist but it was too late [to help the team beat relegation]," he said. 

Shabba said he was willing to go back to Turkey and honour his contract with Erzurumspor even after they got relegated but they couldn't reach an agreement when negotiating new terms for his contract. 

"After that, they called Jazzman [Mahlakgane] and they told him they want me to come back and build a team around me but we must renegotiate now because of [the relegation]. I was willing to go back and play, but when I arrived there, things were different, in fact, things were worse. The negotiations just went South. 

Furthermore, the former South Africa international revealed at times he was unpaid for three months at Erzurumspor.   

"It was difficult that side. Sometimes you would go for three months without a salary. You can't leave your own comfort, work in a foreign country and still don't get paid and don't get to play. It built me mentally and I learned from the situation and I just decided to terminate and that's how I left," said Shabba. 

Simba SC have picked themselves up from the disappointing draw against Ruvu Shooting to beat Transit Camp 4-0 in a friendly played in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

The Mainland giants were frustrated on Sunday after they failed to beat Ruvu Shooting in a Mainland Premier League contest, only managing a 1-1 draw at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The Simba vs Ruvu Shooting game was among the top-flight matches staged over the weekend as the league returned, three months after it was halted owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

And to rectify mistakes from the draw, Simba quickly planned a friendly against the lower division side, whom they hammered 4-0 courtesy of a brace from Brazilian Gerson Fraga, and a goal apiece from Ibrahim Ajibu and Cyprian Kipenye.

Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck was impressed with the response from his team in the friendly they dominated from the first whistle to the end.

“I was not interested in the scoreline but my attention was on how the players will respond after a disappointing draw against [Ruvu] on Sunday,” Vandenbroeck told the reporters after the friendly.

“The draw against Ruvu sounded like a defeat because we dominated the match but wasted our chances, we were not clinical in front of goal, but in the friendly the players responded well, it is the kind of response I was looking for and I hope they can carry it to the next league match.”

Simba have openly communicated their disappointment with dropping points against Ruvu Shooting with Information Officer Haji Manara confessing every club official was shocked with the outcome of the match as their aim was to get a win.

“The outcome of the match against Ruvu is not what we were expecting, it is not a good result, to be honest, we did not expect to get such a result,” Manara told reporters.

“I can only congratulate Ruvu for putting up a good show to deny us a win, they played in a very determined manner to take the point away.”

On his part, Ruvu Shooting Information Officer Msau Bwire said: “I had warned Simba prior to the match it will not be an easy task, I knew my players were well prepared to frustrate them and I think we have managed to get a point from them.

“We showed them good football, the same way Barcelona play and we now want to keep the momentum going and get good results in remaining matches.”

Simba are now on 72 points after 29 matches; they have won 23, drawn three, and lost as many matches. Ruvu Shooting remained in 11th position as well after collecting 40 points from 29 matches.

AFC Leopards interim head coach Anthony Kimani has revealed why Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp is his inspiration.

Kimani said he is greatly moved by how the German tactician has turned teams into successful outfits the moment he takes over. 

Kimani succeeded his Rwandan boss in December 2019 and went on to implement a new style of play at AFC Leopards. 

“I get my inspiration from [Jurgen] Klopp because I think he is one of the few coaches who have the ability to get the best out of his players,” Kimani told the club's Online TV.

“Looking at how he has managed and transformed the current Liverpool squad and again what he achieved at Borussia Dortmund. I would say he is a coach who has managed to do so well even though he has not been at the clubs which have got so many resources in Europe.

“Whatever he has managed to get out of his players is not what you can see from other coaches. He is a coach that I really look up to.”

The 2012 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup finalist with Harambee Stars also spoke highly of the club's supporters, players and officials who stuck together during an otherwise difficult season. 

“The fans, management, the playing unit and the technical bench have been outstanding even though we did not achieve as much as we may have wanted,” Kimani added.

“As a family, we came very close during the most difficult period and going forward, if we continue with the same attitude, come together, come on board and steer this club to the right direction then I feel there are big things in store for us.”

The former left-back also revealed he is confident soon AFC Leopards will have successful seasons.

“We have endured a lot as a club in the last couple of seasons, we have not been at where we want as a club, and have not achieved what is expected of us but I think the time is coming,” concluded the coach.

“We have started doing what we are supposed to do and I feel we are getting closer and closer to where we really deserve to be as a club.”

Koln right-back Kingsley Ehizibue in awe of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, and likened the players to robots.

Hans-Dieter Flick’s men are on a 13-game winning streak to sit comfortably at the top of the league table with 73 points from 31 games, seven above second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

The Bavarians have only lost four games in this campaign against Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia M'gladbach, drawing four and winning 23 matches.

Ehizibue returned to Germany, his country of birth last summer, joining the Billy Goats on a four-year contract from Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle.  

The defender has since been a consistent performer for Markus Gisdol’s men, having made 29 appearances across all competitions.

Playing in the Bundesliga has afforded him the opportunity to rub shoulders with good players and after watching the Bavarians and playing against them, he is impressed with their style of play.

"It all seems so simple what they do, so easy. But it is so incredibly good," Ehizibue recently told Dutch website Voetbal International.  

"At Bayern, they think ten steps ahead. I don't know what they're doing there in Munich, but they're like robots.

"I played against a lot of big teams and big players. Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner, in particular, are really very good.”

Ehizibue’s efforts in this campaign helped the Mungersdorfer Stadion outfit to their current 12th position on the Bundesliga table with 35 points from 31 outings.

The defender’s solid defensive showings for his club saw Nigeria coach Gernot Roht hand him his first call-up to the Super Eagles.

Ehizibue is part of the Super Eagles squad that will take on Sierra Leone in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.

The right-back will hope to continue his eye-catching performances when Koln slug it out with Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena on Wednesday.

Experienced left-back Wesley Onguso has revealed he started the motorcycle business five years ago.

The Nairobi City Stars defender was caught on camera on a motorcycle commonly referred to as Boda Boda. The picture brought a range of diverse opinions on social media. 

"I have been in the Boda Boda business since 2016 and I have several motorcycles," Onguso told Goal on Monday.

"It is my part-time business which I treasure and aim at developing it because it also helps me in employing other youths. Currently, we do not have football going on and after training, at times I help my employees, it is something I have been doing.

"Football life is short and unpredictable, we have highs and lows and the best players can do is invest. It is the safest way to protect your future; invest while you can."

The former Gor Mahia left-back has also revealed his role during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

"I have been part of the group [SHOFCO] that sensitizes the community on the pandemic, and ensures we supply protective gear," Onguso added.

"It is a voluntary job and on the material day [when the picture was taken], I had relieved my employee who I regard highly. 

"As players, I believe we have a moral obligation of helping the community to deal with this virus. So we have to help as much as we can."

Onguso, the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup (Cecafa) winner with Harambee Stars, joined Simba wa Nairobi in 2019.

He was part of the playing unit that ensured City Stars topped the National Super League table and eventually got promoted when Football Kenya Federation (FKF) cancelled the league.

Onguso's new venture comes at a time when the majority of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) players suffered salary delays as clubs ran without sponsors. The league itself did not have a title sponsor which further affected the financial health of clubs.

Kenyan footballers have been out of action since mid-March when the leagues were stopped owing to the measures put in place to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Apart from turning out for Gor Mahia, Onguso has played for Sofapaka, Western Stima, Posta Rangers and Mathare United.

Partizan Belgrade striker Umar Sadiq stated it’s a big compliment for him to be linked with Premier League giants Manchester United.

The forward has been in blistering form since teaming up with the Black-Whites after a disappointing spell with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

The former Nigeria U23 striker has scored 17 goals and provided 16 assists across all competitions this season for Savo Milosevic’s men.

The forward was one of the standout performers during his side’s 1-0 victory over rivals Red Star Belgrade in a derby outing.

Sadiq’s form has seen him linked to a number of European clubs including the Red Devils and recently, Manchester United scout for Central and Southeast Europe Budimir Vujacic watched him play.

The striker is delighted his performances are getting the attention of the Old Trafford outfit and explained how the Black-Whites have helped him to improve.

"It’s a big compliment for me as a player, but believe me, nothing is accidental,” Sadiq was quoted as saying by the Republika.

"In Partizan, we work thoroughly before every game and not only when we talk about tactics and video analysis, but also about the human relationship.

"Whether it is Chief Milosevic or someone else from the expert staff, they are always there for us

"Partizan helped me a lot in my career, I found my way and now I just follow what they ask of me. I think this is just the beginning of my success, and the motivation is there.”

Partizan played Manchester United in a Europa League game back in November and narrowly lost the first leg by 1-0 in Belgrade.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, however, dominated the second leg at Old Trafford, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory in the encounter.

"As for Manchester United, I think that they were surprised by our game in Belgrade and that is why they played the best team during the visit, which was not the case afterwards. That speaks enough about respect for Partizan. "

Sadiq started his European career with Italian side Spezia in 2014 before he teamed up with Roma, where he spent four years, including loan spells at Bologna, Torino, NAC Breda and Rangers.

The forward will hope to continue his impressive showings in front of goal when Partizan take on Vojvodina at Stadion Karadorde on Friday.

Arsenal must "break the bank" to keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to Kevin Campbell, who says the Gunners have been guilty of "messing around" when it comes to their star striker's future.

Aubameyang has lived up to his reputation as one of Europe's most deadly centre-forwards since joining Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

The 30-year-old has hit 61 goals in 97 appearances for the Gunners, and he currently boasts the fourth-best goals-per-game ratio in Premier League history behind Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.

Despite the Gabon international's prolific output in the final third, Arsenal have yet to offer him an extension on his current deal, which is due to expire in 2021.

Aubameyang confirmed as much during an interview with Telefoot at the weekend, stating: “They know very well why so far nothing has happened. They have the keys. It is up to them to do their work and, after that, we will see how things go.”

Campbell says the Gunners have backed themselves into a corner when it comes to a prized asset's position at Emirates Stadium, and that they are unlikely to find anyone better to come in and fill his boots.

“Aubameyang guarantees you goals, and if you sell your goals you’re in a very difficult position to replace them,” the ex-Arsenal striker told talkSPORT .

“He’s guaranteed to get you 20 goals a season, minimum, so how are you going to replace that?

“If you don’t give him what he wants, it’s going to cost more to find someone to replace him, and even then they are not proven they can come in and do it.

“He’s in the building! Yes, he’s going to be 31 but he’s still lean, he’s still sharp, he’s still fast – this is the type of player you build around.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking at the club, but I’d have signed him a year ago!”

The Gunners famously ended up selling both Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie due to poor contract planning, and Campbell sees history repeating itself with Aubameyang unless the club gives in to his demands.

“I think Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot yet again,” he added. “They’ve played a game and they’ve taken a risk hoping that they’ll qualify for the Champions League so that would obviously push him to be signing, but it isn’t quite working out this season.

“It’s a very, very dangerous game that they’re playing. The backroom people and the hierarchy said they would never put themselves in this position again, but what have they done? They’ve put themselves in this situation again!

“The club has been run so poorly on the transfer retention side, they keep putting themselves in this very difficult situation and it’s not right, fans are going to go crazy about it.

“I think Aubameyang is right to put the ball firmly in their court and it’s now up to Arsenal to make some moves and prove to him that they’re serious. As an Arsenal fan I want him to stay, of course I do, but if I’m Aubameyang, I’ve been at Arsenal all this time and they have been messing around!

“What Arsenal have been doing, skimping and scraping, is not going to turn his head to stay. If Mikel Arteta wants to keep him they have to break the bank to keep him, they have to.”

Marco van Ginkel says that Chelsea have opened talks with his agent over a contract extension, which could see him remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer.

Van Ginkel was dubbed the 'next Frank Lampard' by ex-Vitesse Arnhem boss Peter Bosz when he completed an £8 million move to Chelsea from the Eredivisie outfit in 2013.

Unfortunately, he has never come close to living up to that billing, having been restricted to just four first-team appearances for the Blues amid persistent struggles with injuries.

The 27-year-old took in loan spells at AC Milan, Stoke and PSV before returning to west London in the summer of 2018, at which point he suffered another major blow to his Chelsea career.

Van Ginkel was forced to undergo surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and he hasn't seen a single minute of competitive action since.

He had, however, finally returned to full training before the 2019-20 season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, and he will be in contention for a place in Frank Lampard's squad when Chelsea get their campaign back underway against Aston Villa on June 21.

Van Ginkel's current deal is due to expire at the end of the month, but he claims that talks over a renewal are ongoing.

He expects to return to action with the Blues' academy side if an agreement can be reached over the next couple of weeks, as he told Dutch publication AD: "My agent, Karel Jansen, is in talks with Chelsea about a new contract for me. I am very happy at this show of confidence in me by the club.

"It is quite something when a club tries to keep a player who has been out injured so long and in these uncertain times as well.

"If a deal can be done I expect to make my comeback in Chelsea's Under-23 side.

"Otherwise I will be a free agent this summer, and we'll look elsewhere.

"The prospects look very good. I have worked really hard to come back.

"I can now train four to five times a week. I was on the point of rejoining group training in March before the coronavirus outbreak."

With Bidvest Wits having been sold to new owners, defender Sifiso Hlanti’s agent Sizwe Ntshangase says his client is available for negotiations.

The Bafana Bafana defender has been reportedly linked with a move to Orlando Pirates and his handler explains that the club’s purchase by Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila has caught them off guard.

On the other hand, Ntshangase explains that any possible suitors must engage the Clever Boys management and not talk to him directly.

“Yes, Hlanti is available to open negotiations right now. The sale of the club is something that has caught us off guard and we were not prepared for,” Ntshangase told Isolezwe.

“Honestly, there is nothing that has been communicated to us by Wits, or that’s written down until now. However, it’s clear that the club is selling or has been sold.

“All in all, I can say is that the clubs that are interested in signing Hlanti can start to have negotiations now although it will not help to contact me directly. They must still talk to Wits.”  

Together with skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo and winger Deon Hotto, Hlanti’s future is a subject of speculation with the trio being linked with moves to the so-called big three in the form of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns.

According to Ntshangase’s sentiments, the former AmaZulu left-back could join a new club should the Braamfontein-based club agree to any offers tabled by interested clubs.

In addition, following the sale of the Clever Boys, the latest developments mean Bidvest Wits will no longer exist beyond the current season unless their management buys Premier Soccer League (PSL) or National First Division (NFD) status from another club.

As things stand, Wits' management cannot take the NFD status of TTM as owner Masala Mulaudzi has already confirmed selling his club's status to an unnamed Limpopo-based businessman.

Hlanti featured for coach Gavin Hunt's troops on 26 occasions in all competitions this season despite being heavily linked with a move to the United States of America (USA) for club team Nashville SC after he impressed at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

Former Kaizer Chiefs forward Kaizer Motaung Jnr is confident of Amakhosi ending a five-year Premier Soccer League (PSL) title drought if the current season resumes despite their slender lead over the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

With eight matches to go before Chiefs conclude their season, they lead the standings by four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns who have a game in hand.

At some point this season, Chiefs enjoyed a 13-point gap at the top but it has now been slashed to four points but Motaung Jnr has not lost belief that the team will be crowned PSL champions.

“Why not [Chiefs winning the league title]? We must give it to them for being on top of the log for such a long time. With eight games to go, I think things are looking positive,” Motaung Jnr told City Press.

If the current campaign continues, Chiefs would face Bidvest Wits twice and Mamelodi Sundowns in some potentially difficult matches for them.

Motaung Jnr himself won three league titles during his 13 years with Chiefs before retiring in 2014.

The 38-year-old also revealed that playing for a club owned by his father Kaizer Motaung Snr did not present him with any luxuries, but made him have to work harder than any other player.

“It was a childhood dream to wear the gold and black [of Chiefs],” said Motaung Jnr.

“Not many can say they have scored two hat-tricks in one season and have been a top goal-scorer – and be voted for by your peers as Players’ Player of the Season, not just within the league, but also within the club.

“Having won [Chiefs top] goal-scorer of the year [2006/7 season], being able to score at historic stadiums like Orlando Stadium ... these are the milestones and achievements that can’t be taken away from me.

“I didn’t have the luxuries because I was the chairperson’s son. There was nothing for free here. I had to work triple hard – more than anyone else. If you say disadvantages, I’d say those were character-building steps for the next phase of my life as a human being.”

Since Chiefs was formed in 1970, his father has been at the helm of the club and Motaung Jnr is coy about the question if he harbours any ambitions to own of Amakhosi in future.

“I harbour definite dreams, with everybody involved, of taking this club to its next journey because the first 50 years have been a blessing,” Motaung Jnr said.

“So, I definitely harbour aspirations to make a difference within the football fraternity. We all want to achieve in life and that’s how I look at it, instead of a title.”

Azam FC have reportedly reached an agreement to release their lead striker Donald Ngoma.

According to Sokaletu, the Zimbabwean star, who joined the ‘Ice Cream Makers’ from Young Africans (Yanga SC) at the start of the season, has been allowed to leave when his short-term contract comes to an end.

A source, who did not want to be named, confirmed the club was waiting for the arrival of coach Aristica Cioaba, to make a decision on whether the player will stay for another season or not, and the Romanian has given the green light to release him.

“Both parties have agreed to part ways and thus the player will leave Azam, he will not be extending his contract,” the source told Sokaletu.

Ngoma was among the seven foreign players in the Azam squad and is yet to report to Tanzania owing to the lockdown being experienced in Zimbabwe.

Last week, Azam managed to secure the services of their Uganda defender Nicolas Wadada ahead of the Mainland Premier League which resumed on Saturday.

Wadada had relocated to his native Uganda and with the country still serving the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, getting the player back to Dar es Saalam was not an easy task.

The situation forced Azam to charter their own flight to pick up the Ugandan though he did not feature as they beat Mbao FC 2-0 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Azam’s other foreign players include - Ghanaian trio of Razak Abalora, Dan Amoa and Yakubu Mohamed, and two players in Zimbabwe - Never Tigere, and Bruce Kangwa.

In a recent interview, coach Cioba confessed the absence of the players from his squad will greatly affect the team’s performances when the league resumes.

“It will be difficult for us to win matches without our key players, which includes our number one goalkeeper,” Cioba told reporters.

“I have already started planning without them [the seven players], I don’t think they will be able to make it here in time for the first matches, it is a huge headache for me, but something coaches have to go through.”

Azam, who are second on the league table behind leaders Simba SC, are also in the quarter-finals of the domestic Cup.

Every few weeks, EA Sports releases new promotions featuring upgraded player cards, objectives, Squad Building Challenges and much more.

These include events like FUT Birthday, FUTmas, Ultimate Scream and even Team of the Season.

During these events, special squads are available in packs, so many gamers will save up their packs in the hoping of opening an upgraded player when there is a promotion running.

Contents

One of the biggest events in the FIFA Ultimate Team calendar has yet to be launched, with FUTTIES due in the next few months.

The Team of the Knockout Stage is usually released around the semi-final stage of the Champions League and Europa League, which have been indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the lack of competitive football, EA Sports replaced Team of the Week with Team of the Week Moments, highlighting standout performances from the past.

It is expected that they could also create other new promotions in the absence of real-life football or perhaps bring back previous events.

Team of the Year is one of the biggest events of the FIFA calendar with Team of the Season coming close behind with regards to both hype and high-rated players. 

FIFA 20 saw Team of the Year launch in January 2020, while Team of the Season arrives each season in late April or early May.

The Team of the Season promotion begins with the Community Team of the Season featuring players who have not been included in Team of the Week during the season. This is chosen by the FIFA Community, using fan sites Futhead and FUTWIZ.

With no football happening during April and May in many countries due to coronavirus, Team of the Season was renamed in FIFA 20 to Team of the Season So Far (TOTSSF) and launched on April 24.

FUTTIES is usually the last big event in the FIFA calendar before a new version of FIFA is released. It celebrates the best content from Ultimate Team over the past year as well as providing new exciting players to help inject more variety into people's squads.

Gamers get to vote from various shortlists for special FUTTIES players, choosing from different categories such as pace, skills or even position changes. FUTTIES also sees the re-release of special items as well as bringing back popular Squad Building Challenges (SBCs).

FUTTIES is set to launch in mid-July and usually runs for a month. In FIFA 19, FUTTIES arrived on July 19 and came to consoles on July 20 in FIFA 18. As a result, it should either arrive on Friday, July 17 or July 24 in FIFA 20.

EA Sports usually releases each FIFA promotion around the same time each year, so it becomes easier to predict when each event will launch in the new game.

The calendar below shows when each event occurred in the last three editions of FIFA.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho should keep faith with rumoured Barcelona target Tanguy Ndombele, according to Glenn Hoddle, who insists "there's a player in there waiting to come out".

Spurs forked out a club-record fee of £65 million ($81m) to bring Ndombele to north London from Lyon last summer.

The Frenchman committed to a five-year contract with the club, but his first season in the Premier League hasn't gone as smoothly as supporters might have hoped.

The 23-year-old has featured in 27 games in all competitions, scoring two goals, but his commitment and work-rate has been called into question on a number of occasions. Mourinho publicly criticised Ndombele's fitness levels after a 1-1 draw with Burnley on March 7, leading to speculation over his future at Tottenham.

Barcelona are reportedly interested in the former Lyon star, but Hoddle thinks his old club would regret selling a midfielder who has the potential to be a "sensational" player.

The Spurs legend told Premier League Productions: "Ndombele I think there's a player in there, he's [Mourinho] got to find that.

"Whether he's gone too far with that lad and they won't get him back as a player, I don't know, but I truly believe there's a player in there waiting to come out. If he moved on, I think he would be sensational somewhere."

Hoddle went on to express his belief that Tottenham need to bring in three new players to start challenging among the elite sides on domestic and European fronts again.

The 62-year-old, who coached the Lilywhites between 2001 and 2003, says Mourinho must prioritise replacing Christian Eriksen, who joined Inter in the January transfer window.

"In the long-term, I think they need two new full-backs, I think they need a passer in midfield," Hoddle added. "A lot of players at Tottenham at the moment, they run with the ball. Too many players don't release the ball quickly.

"Winks is probably the only one who can do it, but is he an [Christian] Eriksen?

"That's how Kane will score goals, good crosses coming in from your full-backs and a midfield player - Eriksen and Kane had that little bit of eye contact.

"I don't think they've got that at the moment, I think too many players hold onto the ball for too long in midfield, and teams come in and crowd them out.

"There's a lot of tactical work to be done on the training ground, but also individuals who need to up their game if they're going to be in the [top five]."

Napoli are open to selling Kalidou Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz this summer, according to their club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who says he would consider offers within the region of €100 million (£90m/$112m) from Manchester United or Manchester City.

Koulibaly has been a rock in the heart of Napoli's defence once again in 2019-20, racking up 22 appearances across all competitions in total.

The 28-year-old's outstanding performances have made him one of the most sought-after defenders in European football in recent years, but he is still tied to a contract at Stadio San Paolo which is due to run until 2023.

Ruiz is also contracted to remain with Napoli for another three years, but speculation over his future at the club is intensifying ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Spanish midfielder has been another standout performer for Gennaro Gattuso's side this season, and is now being tipped to step up to an even bigger stage.

Ruiz and Koulibaly have both been linked with elite outfits such as Real Madrid, Paris-Saint Germain, United and City this year, and De Laurentiis has hinted that a prized pair could be allowed to leave if the club receives suitable bids.

The Napoli president told Corriere Dello Sport: "If City or United or PSG showed up with €100m, I would think about it and it is probable that they would leave, always if their will was to leave. 

"I don't even consider an offer of €60m (£55m/$68m). I am firm on that. If I wanted to win the Scudetto at any cost today I would find myself with three, four hundred million in debt. I look around and see companies at 500, 600 million, less than a billion. I don't owe anyone a sh*t."

De Laurentiis also confirmed they have entered talks with Spanish winger Jose Callejon about a bumper new extension to his contract.

He said: “In September, or maybe it was October, I don't remember well, we talked to each other and I clarified our intentions. I must have changed up the contract for €100,000 or €200,000. That's enough. He knows the conditions."

Marcus Rashford has spoken of how Manchester United allowed him to join their academy programmes early after his mother let them know of tough circumstances at home.

England forward Rashford has helped charity FareShare reach a goal of supplying three million meals to vulnerable children in the United Kingdom by the end of June amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday, Rashford published an open letter pleading with the UK government not to stop a food voucher scheme, which was set up to guarantee meals to children when schools were shut down in March, next month.

In the letter, Rashford spoke about his own experiences growing up and went into more details during an interview with the BBC .

He revealed his mother, Melanie, had spoken to the Red Devils about their home situation and United allowed him to join up at age 11 rather than 12.

"My mum was a single parent, she had five kids all living in the same house. The programme that I started at 11 years old, you're supposed to start it at 12 years old," he said.

"It basically gives you accommodation closer to the training facilities and a new school and she worked that hard to push it forward because she knew that was a step I needed to take.

"I needed to be eating the right food as I was growing, I needed to be close to my team-mates, my new school and my new school friends. She made that decision when I was 11 years old and United allowed it.

"That was the reason I ended up going at a younger age to the others, it was to help my mum with her situation and also get me out of the situation we were in. So there is always a big element of sacrifice to get to the top level and that's the one we had to make."

Rashford went into further detail about how the household managed a tight budget. 

"My mum, she did the best she could, we used to go to a shop called Pound World and everything was under a pound," he added. "We would schedule out the week, we would get seven yoghurts and you could have one yoghurt a day and so on. She did the best she could within the circumstances.

"There are some families out there, like mine, that have four or five kids and it is literally impossible for her to take control of the situation.

"This is all going on at a time when kids should be concentrating on school work and stuff like that. It is crazy to think this is still going on in 2020 and it's something I don't believe should be happening."

In his letter, Rashford said MPs should "make protecting the lives of some of our most vulnerable a top priority" and "this is not about politics, this is about humanity."

The letter continues: "Looking at ourselves in the mirror and feeling like we did everything we could to protect those who can't, for whatever reason or circumstance, protect themselves. Political affiliations aside, can we not all agree that no child should be going to bed hungry?"

Rashford added: "It's written from the heart and it's about how my life was at the moment - the letter is to open up and let people understand the impact on families and to know I've done the right thing.

"What families are going through now, I've once had to go through that - and it's very difficult to find a way out. It's very important for me to help people who are struggling. Whether the outcome changes or doesn't change - that's why I wrote it."

Yanga SC are worried their star winger Bernard Morrison could be heading to Simba SC.

Morrison missed Yanga's clash against Mwadui FC on Saturday and a top official of the club has revealed they have reports the Ghanaian might be in secret talks with their arch-rivals.

Morrison was signed for six months in the last transfer window and went on to become a fan favourite especially with his March 8 strike against Simba in Dar es Salaam which earned Yanga victory.

“We have been reliably informed that there are still Simba officials who are tracking him and have promised a lot of money should he sign. What is shocking us is maybe he is forgetting that he is serving a two-year contract with Yanga,” the unnamed official told Mwanaspoti.

“We are waiting for him to switch on his phone so that he can tell us what is going on. This is a lack of discipline.

“We are now starting to see his disturbing behaviour but let us not deliberate on the issue so much because his phone might be faulty but again, he knows where the club's offices are and the officials.

“Someone might ask whether he has not been paid but there is no player who has not been paid may be talking of the June salaries and time of payment is not yet here.”

The winger had explained why he missed the Shinyanga match against Mwadui.

“I was unable to link up with the rest of the squad in Shinyanga because I was still suffering from pain in my right knee and thus, I felt it was not fair for me to travel and I will not be able to play,” Morrison said.

Yanga are expected to sit down with the player when the team returns to Dar es Salaam in order to find what the problem could really be.

It is further reported Simba have offered him USD 10,000 (TSh23 million) even though the Ghanaian has already agreed on a contract extension with the Wananchi. It is understood the contract is signed and has already been deposited at Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) offices.

"Simba are going to make a surprising signing but the rumours Simba want to poach [Bernard] Morrison I think that is not true," the club's Spokesperson Haji Manara told Mwanaspoti.

Simba are said to have seen a great player in Morrison especially for their Caf engagements for the 2020/21 season.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi have also been reported to be interested in Yanga's captain Pappy Tshishimbi who they think can bring competition in a midfield controlled by Jonas Mkude, Gerson Fraga and Muzamiru Yassin.

The two traditional arch-rivals are also in a close contest in as far as signing the Coastal Union defender Bakarai Mwamnyeto is concerned.

Robert Lewandowski wanted to join Real Madrid to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo before being persuaded to sign for Bayern Munich, according to the striker’s former adviser Cezary Kucharski.

The Poland international linked up with Bayern on a free transfer from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014 and has been a prolific source of goals during his time at the Allianz Arena.

However, the 31-year-old’s career could have turned out very differently if Lewandowski had reneged on his agreement with Bayern and followed through with his desire to be Ronaldo’s team-mate.

“At one point in the negotiations, he no longer wanted to sign a contract with Bayern, and wanted Real Madrid instead because Ronaldo played there,” Kucharski told Polish YouTube channel Futbolownia.

“I convinced him that he had to be the number one striker at a big club. At Real Madrid, he would have prevailed over Karim Benzema at some point, but I couldn’t allow him to move to a club as a number two given the status he already had at that time.

“I emphasised this in all discussions, whether it was with Real Madrid, Arsenal or Manchester City.”

Kucharski did acknowledge that Lewandowski was also apprehensive about joining Bayern amid reports over how he would fit into then-coach Pep Guardiola’s team and suggestions he was no better than Mario Mandzukic.

“It’s funny today, but Lewy really had doubts at the time,” he said.

The promise of taking Mandzukic’s No.9 shirt had a big influence on Lewandowski’s eventual decision, with Kucharski reflecting: “That was crucial for me and showed me that Bayern was the safest move for him after his time at Borussia Dortmund.”

Lewandowski, who is enjoying the most prolific season of his career to date, is under contract at Bayern until 2023 and Kucharski does not feel the forward should end his playing days anywhere else.

“He will end his career at Bayern,” he added. “If I was still his adviser, I would at least advise him to do that.

"I think only Ruud van Nistelrooy went to Madrid when he was over 30 years old. Instead, I would concentrate on Bayern to continue breaking records.”