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Innocent Mutiso has revealed he regrets resigning as the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (Kefwa) chairman. 

The body was established to fight for players' rights in the country and ensure they are treated right by their respective clubs. However, pressure by other interested parties in 2016 forced him out, with former Sofapaka captain James Situma succeeding him.

"I regret the moment I resigned as the chairman of Kefwa," the former Gor Mahia winger revealed to Goal on Thursday.

"It was the role I enjoyed because it gave me an opportunity to fight for players' rights. We managed to help several players who had been mistreated by their employers and their contracts terminated illegally. So I just feel by resigning, I let the players down."

Mutiso was one of the key players for the title-winning Mathare United side in 2008. The former Kenya international has also stated the impact the then-teammate Anthony Kimani -who is the current AFC Leopards coach, had on his career.

"Kimani's character on and off the pitch was something I wanted to emulate," the 33-year-old recalls.

"He was always determined to win and focused on the pitch; you could not hear of any disciplinary issues off-field either. Kimani was a role model.

"I also remember Jamal Mohamed and Titus Mulama; they were very intelligent on the ball and would pick me with a pass anywhere on the pitch. It was just for me to call for the ball and it would be delivered."

During his playing times, the winger played under several coaches in national and club levels. He has pointed toward the one he felt was the best.

"At any given time I will go for Francis Kimanzi, I learnt a lot from him. He is one of the most tactical coaches I know," Mutiso concluded.

The winger's football life was cut short by a knee injury sustained in 2014 when playing for Gor Mahia.

The forward never fully recovered from his niggling knee injury and struggled to get back to his best form. His last competitive game was with National Super League (NSL) side Nairobi City Stars a couple of seasons ago.

He briefly coached and played for Nairobi County team Imara Daima FC and is currently the Chapa Dimba ambassador where he mentors upcoming players.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the Bundesliga champions are adopting a careful approach in the transfer market following the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2019-20 Bundesliga season resumed last month after the campaign was suspended in March due to the Covid-19 crisis.

While football has returned in Germany, albeit behind closed doors, the coronavirus outbreak is set to impact clubs financially.

Bayern have been heavily linked to Manchester City star Leroy Sane as well as Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz but Rummenigge tried to curb expectations midweek.

"We have to wait and see how this curious transfer market after coronavirus develops," Rummenigge told ARD prior to Bayern's 2-1 DFB-Pokal semi-final victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

"We all do well to do our job and also take into account that the next season may be more financially challenging than the current one.

"The longer we have to play without a spectator, the more difficult it will be financially."

"We work on the transfer market - like all our colleagues in Germany and Europe," added Rummenigge, who did not want to discuss Sane.

Defending champions Bayern will contest their third consecutive DFB-Pokal final against Leverkusen in Berlin on July 4.

Bayern are seven points clear atop the Bundesliga table with four matches remaining this season. The titleholders will welcome fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, May was a busy month off the pitch for Bayern as  Rummenigge secured veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to a contract extension. 

"Manuel is the best goalkeeper in the world and our captain," the Bayern chief said last month. 

One player who won't be playing for the Bundesliga giants next season is Philippe Countinho, with  Rummenigge confirming the club hadn't activated the clause connected to the Brazilian who is on loan from Barcelona. 

"The option expired and we haven't activated it," Rummenigge told German magazine Der Spiegel. "We're going to plan our squad for next season and we'll see if he still has a role to play with us or not."

Coutinho has since been strongly linked with a return to the Premier League with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle reportedly interested. 

11 matches in 39 days, that is what the 20 teams in LaLiga will face when the Spanish first division returns to action starting 11 June. A condensed fixture like no other as LaLiga scrambles to complete the 2019/20 season before the resumption of European cup competitions in August.

Unlike the Vietnam V-League which resumed operations on 5 June without any fan restrictions, LaLiga will follow the same protocol as the ones seen in the Korean K-League and German Bundesliga with matches played behind closed doors.

Atmosphere inside the stadium generated from the stands is part and parcel of a game of football but it differs in impact to players according to former Atletico Madrid and Villareal forward, Diego Forlan.

“It’s going to be different without fans. For myself, it is always a motivation to have fans in the stands, whether that is home or away. Without them, it will feel strange in the beginning but you have to realise that is the new normal.

“While I thrive on fans’ reaction inside the stadium, for other players it could be a blessing because sometimes they feel pressure with the fans around and in this case, it might be easier for some to play in empty stadiums. That is the way it’s going to be and everyone will have to adapt. It’s not the best way but the only way we can proceed because we need to play and finish the league.

“It’s good what LaLiga is doing and the protocol will ensure that everything will go smoothly. Hopefully there won’t be another spike in the infection and the league can be a good example to others,” said Forlan during a teleconference session with Malaysian media.

It looks increasingly likely to be a similar situation in Malaysia when the Super League and Premier League gets going again following the Malaysian government’s approval for training to be able to begin as early as 15 June. Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) are already preparing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on how to handle the various stages prior to competitive matches being allowed to be held again. 

With LaLiga being an official partner of MFL, learnings will undoubtedly be shared across for reference, just like what the K-League, V-League and to an extent, the Bundesliga has done.

The former Uruguayan international also went on to explain that the teams and players who have been the most disciplined during the lockdown and isolation period will be the one that comes out the better. It takes a period of adaptation from not only the players with regards to the steps that need to be followed leading up to a game and even during the game, but as well the coaching staff with new rules like extra substitution allowed.

With only two points separating the top two, Forlan thinks it is too close to call who between Barcelona and Real Madrid will lift the LaLiga title, as he believes both sides have their own advantages to seize on. 

“It’s going to be between Real and Barcelona. They have too big a gap to the others. But it’s difficult to say who will win because the fixtures are condensed with a lot of games in a short period of time. The one who can adjust the most will have the advantage. Real have a bigger squad with more experienced players but while Barcelona’s squad is young, sometimes that can be to their advantage as well,” he explained.

Bleary eyed and squinting towards the bright sun light, the world is slowly stepping outside again, following the quarantine order imposed by many governments all over the world due to the now abating Covid-19 outbreak.

Football too has finally returned, albeit behind closed doors, with the Korean league and the German Bundesliga among the first of the world's top leagues to return, while closer to home, the Vietnamese league was allowed to resume with spectators in the stands. 

Strangely enough, although Malaysia, reportedly one of the best countries in the world in terms of coronavirus response, has been gradually allowing economic and everyday activities to return beginning in May, its government has seemed reluctant to do the same for professional football, and footballing activities in general.

Although there are indications that the Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Premier League may resume sooner than expected, the latest being the country's ministry of youth and sports' decision earlier this week to allow football training to take place once again, there was a time when no footballing activities whatsoever would be allowed to take place within the country's borders until the year ends.

Understandably, this reluctance has caused dissatisfaction among the footballing fraternity in the country, when economic activities that are seen to be more at risk of spreading the virus have already been allowed to operate again. In the meantime, fans too pointed out that the world's top leagues either have resumed, or will resume in the coming weeks.

While it is irksome, including to us in the sports media, that pro football is not allowed to resume yet in the country, it is not hard to see why it is not forthcoming.

Frankly speaking, unlike other countries' pro league and Malaysia's other economic sectors, Malaysia's top two tiers are probably not seen as an important economic sector in the country.

Unlike the service sector or restaurant industry which employ and serve millions of Malaysians, and provide revenue to the country in the form of taxes, from the economic stand point, Malaysian clubs employ relatively few people and serve a dwindling fanbase. It is easy to see why pro football is nowhere near the top the government's list when it was formulating its economic recovery plans.

While pro football in the country can perhaps be forgiven for not being a bigger economic contributor to the country, then surely the fact that almost all Malaysian pro clubs are actually a financial drain on Malaysian state governments has made the federal government even less eager to allow the league to be contested again soon.

It's no news that almost all of Malaysia Super League teams rely on state funding in order to compete in a league with among the highest wage structure on the subcontinent, while using other state resources for facilities such as training ground and stadium.

What is even worse is that a number of these clubs have even been embroiled in financial scandals big and small, from failure to settle stadium fees, to outright attempts to scam the revenue board by under-declaring players' wages and withholding social security contributions.

Let us just say that a more cynical administration would have made the pro football hiatus a more permanent one, in order to avoid haemorrhaging money that is now more urgently-needed elsewhere.

Having said that, Malaysian clubs should be thankful that the country's politicians are still unable to wean themselves off the highs of being seen on the podium alongside the winning team, and should expect the league to resume sometime in the next two months.

The return to normalcy post-Covid 19 has called for a new way of thinking and set of daily conducts referred to as 'the new normal', and Malaysian pro football too needs to embrace a new normal, one that calls for more self-sufficiency, if it wants to be taken more seriously.

And it must be stated that although it is desperate to return, the eagerness with which football administrators in Malaysia decided to terminate this year's youth competitions and third tier in the past week or so hinted towards cynicism and Malaysian football's tendency to take the easy way out.

READ - OPINION: Covid-19 crisis should prompt Malaysian league revolution

Nigeria striker Uchenna Kanu has admitted she was nervous when named in the country's final squad for the Women's World Cup last year.

The 22-year-old had represented Nigeria at the U17 and U20 Women's World Cup tournaments, before securing a scholarship to the United States of America, where she shot into prominence.

On her first campaign at the senior level, she starred in Nigeria's success at the Wafu Women's Cup, scoring 10 goals before earning her spot in the country's squad to the Women's World Cup.

In France, the forward featured in all four matches for the country to help them reach the Round of 16, and she revealed how she managed to cope with many expectations on the biggest stage.

"I wasn’t expecting to be on the team at the time. However, I was preparing for whatever comes," Kanu told Goal with LaLiga. 

"I believe I could be called at anytime, training hard and when I was called I said ‘Wow, that’s huge and that’s the biggest stage of my career’. 

"I was so proud of myself, so proud of how long I’ve come, like comparing to how I started, or where I am or how I got on the team. I was super excited and at the same time, I was nervous. 

"All the coaches and teammates were encouraging me, saying ‘Uche you got this’. So I got more nervous when they were saying that because there were expectations, coming from college to not just the national team but at senior level. 

"When I got there, it was easier because some of my teammates, I played with them before moving to the US, so it felt warm and was more comfortable, seeing those faces and catching up with my friends and it helped me to build my confidence more and get settled in and blend with the team. 

"Playing on the biggest [stage], it was amazing. I am really thankful that I was not on the team but also able to feature. It was huge. 

"It was a whole other level because I heard about the senior team, how tough, competitive it is and kind of the peak of it, but thank God everything went smoothly."

Since graduating from university last December, Kanu moved to launch her professional career after signing for Sevilla last January and has featured in six matches for Cristian Toro's ladies.

Having missed Nigeria's qualifier campaign for the Olympic Games, she is keen to make a return and solidify her place in the Super Falcons ahead of this year's Africa Women's Cup of Nations.

"My goal is to be able to bring life to the team," she continued. 

"I know there is a lot of fantastic players on the team, people who are not on the team yet. There are a lot of fantastic players in Nigeria. 

"My goal is to make that impact whenever I’m called up to the team and bring a change that whenever I’m not there people will ask about me and there is going to be that little shift. 

"I just want to make that impact on the team and help the team grow more both on and off the field."

The persistent rumours of Thomas Partey leaving Atletico Madrid for Arsenal this summer have gained traction during European football’s suspension and gathered more momentum in the last fortnight.

Arguably Diego Simeone’s leading midfielder, the Ghanaian’s influence in the team has soared following Rodri’s sale to Manchester City last summer. Even though the two-time Ghana Player of the Year had been impressive since the 17/18 campaign, many observers appeared not to truly appreciate what he brought to the team.

That has changed this year, however, with Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United all said to be monitoring the West African’s situation in Madrid.

Mikel Arteta’s side are supposedly frontrunners for the anchorman’s signature but negotiations among all parties aren’t expected to develop until the end of the ongoing season.

Notwithstanding, what are the potential consequences of the sought-after midfielder leaving the Wanda Metropolitano this summer?

From Atletico Madrid’s perspective, the accrued debt of £178m from moving to their new stadium – which isn’t due to be paid in full until 2028, per Sky Sports, – already has them in a slightly precarious position financially.

Throw in the astronomical transfer fee for Joao Felix last summer and the potential of not playing Champions League football next season (they are sixth in La Liga with 11 games remaining) in a pandemic-hit period and Partey moving at the end of the season seems more plausible.

For Arsenal, all they have to do in theory is meet the player’s release clause, believed to be £45m, in truth a bargain in today’s inflated market, pandemic or otherwise.

More important than the Gunners’ potential outlay could be the midfielder’s profile, which fits seamlessly into the possession-based style Arteta’s trying to return the north London club to after the loss of identity under Unai Emery.

Partey’s forward-thinking nature hugely helps Atletico’s build-up in more ways than one. His proficiency at passing effortlessly between the lines routinely sees him pick out more advanced players centrally and in the inside right or inside left channels.

He combines that with an underrated passing range which helps him play in his full-backs or widemen if central areas are congested.

What’s particularly impressive about the Ghanaian is his all-round excellence. While many in his position are either experts in build-up play or defensive astuteness alone, the 26-year-old combines both to a T, which means he can hold his own in the middle of the park.

He plays the second-highest passes per game for Simeone’s team (41.2) at an accuracy of 83 percent, the third-best in the side. With 3.2 accurate long balls per match, the midfielder sits third behind Mario Hermoso (3.7) and Stefan Savic (3.4), which is more than fourth-placed Felipe (2.3) and Saul Niguez in fifth (2.2).

Partey’s well-rounded nature is emphasised in how many tackles he also makes per game (2.1), joint-fourth in the team, and interceptions per game (1.4), where he ranks second.

10 yellow cards, four more than Saul in second, shows a player who doesn’t shy away from getting involved in the less flashy stuff on the pitch and the fact he wins 63 percent of his total duels bode well for Arsenal if he does join them.

None of Arteta’s midfielders are as successful as the Atletico man in their tussles: Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka win 48 and 49 percent respectively, while Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira win 54 and 58 percent respectively.

Unsurprisingly, given the Gunners’ insistence on possession football compared to Atleti, the Ghana star doesn’t rival the passing stats of the top passers at the Emirates. On the other hand, only Ainsley Maitland-Niles beats his tackle and interception numbers on a game-by-game basis.

Naturally, Partey’s passing figures will improve in an Arsenal side that prioritise keeping the ball, but his positional awareness and steel already make him a good fit for the team.

With David Luiz expected to depart this summer, Arteta will need someone else pulling the strings from deep in the absence of the eccentric Brazilian centre-back.

Given the tendency of one of the midfielders to drop in with the two central defenders when the north Londoners have the ball, the Krobo Odumase-born star’s willingness to receive the ball in tight spots suggests he won’t shy away from assuming Luiz’s current role as the team’s ‘first attacking midfielder’.

Interestingly, Partey’s 1.9 successful dribbles per match is significantly higher than his current teammates’ and bettered by only Nicolas Pepe’s 2.7 at Arsenal. However, while the Ivorian is successful 57 percent of the time he attempts to beat his man, the central midfielder has an 87 percent success rate, further highlighting his assuredness with the ball.

Indeed, the Atletico man is every manager’s dream in central midfield and it’s no surprise Arteta has earmarked him as his primary transfer target in the off-season.

Be that as it may, while the three-time Premier League champions will be beneficiaries of the Ghanaian’s presence in their team, there are doubts as to whether a move to the red half of north London is in his best interests.

Arsenal currently lie ninth in the table, are out of the Europa League and have missed out on Champions League qualification for three successive seasons. They run the risk of making that four on the spin if they finish outside the top four (or five if Manchester City lose their two-year European ban appeal at CAS).

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future also up in the air, Partey could potentially join a team significantly weaker than they currently are and not closer to competing for the top honours domestically and on the continent.

Admittedly, he would hugely improve the Gunners’ midfield, but their current transition and uncertainty surrounding their talisman beg the question if they’re the ideal destination club for him at 26 (he turns 27 in June).

The enormity of the job Arteta faces in taking Arsenal back where they truly belong is no mean feat, and the quickness of the process can’t be predicted.

While Partey would be the perfect fit for the 2019 Europa League finalists, it remains to be seen if the Emirates would be the in-demand midfielder’s best bet if the immediate goal is to claim titles.

The jury is certainly still out.

Liverpool's Andrew Robertson has been singled out for praise by Fabio Aurelio, who describes the full-back as a "complete player".

Robertson quickly emerged as a key player in Jurgen Klopp's line up after moving to Liverpool from Hull City for £8 million ($10m) in the summer of 2017.

The 26-year-old has racked up 119 appearances for the Reds in all competitions over the past two-and-a-half seasons, scoring three goals, while also proving himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League .

The Scotland international has helped Liverpool win three trophies during that period, including a sixth European Cup, and more silverware looks set to arrive at Anfield when the current season resumes on June 17 .

The coronavirus outbreak delayed the Reds' march towards a first league title in 30 years, but football has been cleared to return later this month following an easing of lockdown restrictions across England.

Klopp's men will be crowned champions if they record just six points from their remaining nine fixtures, and Robertson will be looking to pick up from where he left off and finish the best individual campaign of his career to date with a bang.

Aurelio expects as much, and says that the former Hull star is as equally adept defensively as he is going forward, with England international Trent Alexander-Arnold complementing him perfectly on the opposite flank.

The former Liverpool winger told the club's official website : "He's kind of the complete player because physically he's well capable of going forward and going back he defends very well. 

"He's quick, so his one-v-one is good and defensively that's very important in the scheme Klopp plays. He goes forward very easily. 

"One thing that calls my attention is that he's always improving, he's not comfortable in his situation being first choice.

"You will see that in every game he plays as his last one, so that's courage. 

"The two full-backs of Liverpool right now are unbelievable. We can contest in any kind of way."

Liverpool will get back underway following a three-month hiatus with a huge Merseyside derby clash with Everton on June 21.

Reigning champions Manchester City are in action against Arsenal four days earlier, and a defeat would open the door for the Reds to secure the Premier League crown against their Merseyside rivals.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are unlikely to appeal to Jurgen Klopp but an opportunity to return to his native Germany at Bayern Munich could lure a highly-rated coach away from Liverpool, says Steve McManaman.

Talk of a move to the Allianz Arena for one of the finest coaching brains in the business is nothing new.

Klopp has long been linked with a role at Bayern, with his exploits in the Bundesliga at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund having seen him register on the radar of a global superpower for some time.

Admissions have been made when it comes to filling a prominent post in Bavaria, with the chance to take the reins of a formidable outfit holding obvious appeal.

Klopp has, however, helped to place Liverpool in that bracket during his time at Anfield, with the 2019 Champions League winners fast closing in on a first Premier League title.

Conquering domestic, continental and world games while on Merseyside will leave a man tied to a contract through to 2024 with little more to achieve, with the remit he was handed in October 2015 well and truly delivered on.

McManaman believes that could see fresh challenges explored at some stage, although a switch to Spain on either side of a fierce Clasico divide is not expected to tempt Klopp away from his current post.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid winger told the Daily Star: "I think he really adores Liverpool and the Premier League.

"But you could see him going back to Germany and managing Bayern Munich.

"The way that club is run - and the way German managers are treated there - you wouldn't rule it out. A few years ago it looked like Bayern were on their last legs.

"But now, along with the more experienced players, they've got a plethora of youngsters who are hungry.

"I'm not sure Klopp has any desire to manage Real Madrid or Barcelona and I don't see why he'd go to La Liga though.

"They don't have the aura that they did when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were doing battle every week. There is also all the politics behind the scenes at Barca with the board and players.

"Real is a different scenario. They need to refresh their squad and they are bringing in young players like Vinicius Junior - but they aren't ready yet."

Klopp has offered no indication that he will cut short the long-term contract extension he agreed in December 2019, but managers of his ilk will forever be in demand and high standards will need to be maintained at Liverpool in order for him to stay put.

Joseph Yobo describes late Shuaibu Amodu as Nigeria’s liberator during stormy times.

Wednesday marked the fourth year in the anniversary of Amodu’s passing at the age of 58 – which was at the time, three days after the death of Stephen Keshi.

The iconic coach was famed for rescuing the Super Eagles whenever they found themselves in an unwarranted state. With Nigeria’s 2002 World Cup qualification hopes in jeopardy, he pulled the country’s chestnut out of the fire after replacing axed Jo Bonfrere.

He qualified the country for the 2010 edition after a tortuous route to South Africa. Sadly, he never led the Super Eagles to both competitions as the Nigeria Football Federation hired new hands.

Quizzed on what he remembers the ex-Orlando Pirates’ manager for, Yobo sees Amodu as the country’s rescuer whenever they found themselves in precarious situations.

“He was Nigeria’s go-to when there was a problem. When the Super Eagles’ boat was rocky, the only person we could count on from the ministry down to the federation was Amodu and he comes to deliver,” the 39-year-old told Goal.

“On that note, he was Nigeria’s go-to who comes in to steady a rocky situation.

“That only happens with a man with experience, technical capacity and man-management skills to be able to do that.”

The former Everton and Norwich City defender also recounts how he handled the news about his death.

“I was devastated,” he continued. “You can’t quantify the pain that someone feels when you lose someone you are close to. The one of Amodu after losing Keshi was more hurtful.

“I was at my lowest point at that period because I hadn’t finished mourning Keshi. I cried like a baby because he was a father-figure to me.

“After I lost my dad, if there was anyone who would advise me about football and life, it was Amodu and a little bit of Augustine Eguavoen.”

Yobo caught the attention of national team selectors after an impressive outing at the 1999 Fifa U20 World Cup. Despite making his senior international cap at a very tender age, he soon formed a fulcrum in the star-studded squad at that time – and he attributes that to coach Amodu’s inspiration and trust in him.

“He saw me come through the Super Eagles rank since 2001 and was very fond of me,” the ex-Everton defender added.

“Before our World Cup qualifier against Tunisia in 2009 where we played 0-0, I was left in Nigeria alongside John Utaka and Daniel Amokachi for some unpredicted reasons.

“It was almost certain that we may miss that game, but Amodu called and said what he was seeing was not looking good and that I had to do everything possible to make that game.

“And he assured that even if he missed that team’s last training I was going to play. That was the kind of confidence he had in me.

“I think I also played my best football under him. Enroute to qualifying for South Africa 2010 World Cup in 2008, I scored Nigeria’s only goals in our 1-0 away triumphs over Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea – and that was because of how he inspired me. Basically, he gave me the biggest inspiration.”

After serving Nigeria for over 13 years, winning one Afcon title and garnering a record 101 caps, he signed out with a testimonial which the late coach played an active role in.

“2016 was my testimonial and after my press conference, a lot of things happened. I was meant to call him a few days and discuss with him his itinerary in terms of transport and accommodation but I was caught up in the whole thing that was happening and he understood,” narrated Yobo.

“I was shocked when I got to the event and met him in the dressing room and he said to me ‘don’t worry about the Nigerian team, I’m here to take care of them. Go and worry about your visitors.’

“After the event, he returned to Benin and we agreed to meet two weeks after. It was the week that we were supposed to meet that he passed away.”

Amodu led Nigeria to a third-place finish at Afcon 2002 and it is worthy of note that he coached BCC Lions, El Kanemi Warriors, Shooting Stars and Orlando Pirates.

Arsenal “made a mistake” in appointing Unai Emery as manager, says Jens Lehmann, with a Spanish coach who spoke little English always destined to fail and waste the “big present” handed to him.

The Gunners found themselves in the market for a new head coach during the summer of 2018.

Club legend Arsene Wenger had taken the decision to walk away from a role in north London that he had occupied for 22 years – delivering three Premier League titles along the way.

Former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery was entrusted with the responsibility of guiding Arsenal into a new era.

He lasted just 18 months, with no spark found at Emirates Stadium during a period of confused messages and inconsistent performances.

Mikel Arteta was eventually taken back to familiar surroundings in December 2019, with a former club captain asked to get a fallen giant back on its feet.

That project remains a work in progress, with the general consensus being that there are no quick fixes to be found on the back of recent struggles.

Lehmann says Emery has to take his share of the blame for that, with the Gunners making the wrong choice when it came to appointing a man who knew little about the Premier League and was eager to sever ties with former players in his coaching team.

"I was there as an assistant coach two years ago but then Arsene has left and they have changed the whole managerial team and I think they made a mistake by choosing the wrong guys," Lehmann told Stadium Astro.

"The people at the top sometimes don't know what I know about football and they didn't experience how to win things. So it's not easy for them.

"I think he wanted to bring his own staff who couldn't even speak English.

"Then a guy like me, who was a player for them, I think he just didn't want us.

"I think it was a big present to him that he was picked as a manager for Arsenal because I think he was not good enough because he had this lingual problem.

"He may have some good ideas in Spanish but he never came across as being transferrable to English football."

Emery was given money to spend during his time at Emirates Stadium, but found little value in transfer dealings.

That contributed significantly to his demise, with Arsenal left languishing in mid-table – a long way short of the top four and Champions League qualification – when he was ushered through the exits.

Brazilian fullback Rafael da Silva believes Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso would be a perfect signing for his former club Manchester United. 

Tolisso, 25, is contracted in Germany until 2022 but has been linked with a summer sale as he struggles to secure regular game time under Hansi Flick. 

Old Trafford has emerged as a possible destination for Tolisso, who joined Bayern in 2017 from Lyon for €41 million ($47m).

Rafael played with Tolisso in Ligue 1 and rates the Frenchman very highly, noting he would be a perfect addition to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. 

"One of the best midfielders I've played with. I think he will be perfect for Manchester United. Hope he goes there," Rafael tweeted in relation to reports of Tolisso opening discussions with the Red Devils. 

Tolisso has made 24 appearances for Bayern this season, scoring three goals and contributing five assists, but has started just 15 times. 

After a bright start to his time in Germany and winning the 2018 World Cup with France, Tolisso tore his anterior cruciate ligament in late 2018 but recently noted that setback has only made him more determined to prove himself. 

“I think it made me grow mentally, it hardened me,” Tolisso told reporters in September last year. “It forges a mindset.

“I knew that I had to work hard to get back to the top level. I have to continue like this and find my true level before my injury. It depends only on me. I have to give myself a little time.

“With Bayern, I worked a lot too. I made good preparations. It's up to me to continue like this." 

Rafael, meanwhile, is no stranger to giving Manchester United transfer advice, having stressed in April new signings mustn't be coming to the club simply for the money. 

“It has taken too long to get back on track. Two years should be enough to do that but now it’s been seven years. We did some things wrong. We started signing expensive players and giving them a lot of money. I don’t agree with that,” Rafael told ESPN.

“Just because a player is £150 million does not mean he’s good for the team. It depends on the character of the player. We have made some mistakes but I hope now that we can get back on track."

Bayern Munch equalled a record after defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 to reach the DFB-Pokal final on Wednesday.

DFB-Pokal holders and Bundesliga champions Bayern scored their 128th and 129th goals of the 2019-20 season from just 43 matches in all competitions.

Ivan Perisic and Robert Lewandowski were on target as Bayern reached a third successive DFB-Pokal final, while matching their own goals record set in 1972-73.

Of their 129 goals this term, 90 of them have come in the Bundesliga after just 30 rounds – Lewandowski contributing a league-high 30.

Bayern will face Bayer Leverkusen in the competition decider in Berlin on July 4 after  Peter Bosz's side beat Saarbrucken 3-0 in their semi-final.

Hansi Flick felt his side deserved their DFB-Pokal win, despite "reeling at times" in a tight contest. 

"It was a cup match, our opponents pressed very well, we were reeling at times," the Bayern head coach said, via the club's website.

"But at the end of the day it was a deserved victory. We should have taken our chances and scored one or two more goals, the second half would have been different then. But I still have to pay my team a huge compliment.

"We're on a great run, the players are doing a very, very good job, so we can accept the second half. The main thing was to advance after such a cup fight. It's the step we wanted to take – toward the final in Berlin."

Thomas Muller, who claimed another assist in the win, felt both sides struggled physically at times. 

"Frankfurt showed a lot of fatigue in the first half. We were fresher, we should have taken a bigger lead," Muller said.

"But we too were tired and fatigued after the last few weeks, unfortunately it was similar in the second half. We were unusually sloppy. Our pressing wasn't deserving of our name.

"Our defenders did a good job. They stifled a lot, but in terms of our play, the final ball, we can be anything but satisfied. We stepped on the gas after the equaliser."

Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters have submitted a proposal to the Kozhikode District Football Association regarding the renovation of the EMS Stadium to fit the league standards. 

While the Kochi-based club has no immediate plans to permanently shift their home venue, talks to conduct a few matches and football activities in Kozhikode have been ongoing since November last year. As a follow-up, the officials of Blasters and the District FA held another meeting in the presence of the city mayor to discuss the project on June 10.

To meet the standards of the league, work needs to be done to improve the pitch, gallery, floodlights and broadcast facilities. The suggestions submitted by the club will cost around 13 crore INR. The deadline for the works to be completed is set for May 2021, with an inspection by ISL officials likely to follow in September 2021. The technical committees of the club and the Municipal Corporation is set to discuss the further steps later this week. 

Although the stadium is currently being used as a home ground by I-League club Gokulam Kerala, there are no guidelines against the sharing of the stadium. Blasters have also received the green signal from the ISL authorities to go ahead with the plan to bring the ISL atmosphere to the Malabar region. 

It has also been learnt that the officials of the football body in Kozhikode are keen to host ISL matches at the EMS Stadium. If everything goes according to plan, the stadium could be the venue for a few ISL matches of Blasters but not before the 2021-22 season.

Blasters have also stated that they will not be able to invest a lot of money into this plan but have offered a small-scale investment, the details of which will be discussed in the meetings to come. 

The Yellow Army, which came into existence in 2014, has helped wake up the football-loving stadium-goers in Kerala in the last six years despite a lack of success in terms of trophies. By making their presence felt in the Malabar region which is known for their love for the sport, the ISL club and the league will be hoping to gain and engage with a lot more fans. 

Newly appointed chairman of the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC), Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, has urged for transparency in the operations of the same.

The GFDC was conceptualised by former Chief Minister of Goa, late Manohar Parrikar, when he had declared football as the state sport in July 2012. The council since then was led by Dr. Rufino Monteiro who stepped down as chairman in November 2018.

Dr. Shrikant Ajgaonkar, brother of the state's Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar was appointed as deputy chairman but his term, too, expired. Without a council, there has been no GFDC meeting held after the one on August 29, 2018 and Sankhwalkar is eager to get the ball rolling post the Covid-19 lockdown.

"Being a GFDC member in Mr. Parrikar's time when Dr. Rufino was the chairman, I visited a lot of centers. And despite being at Sesa Goa at the time, they (Sesa) also supported me. I was at Sesa Goa for 12 years and I really cherish my time with them," the Goan Arjuna arwardee told Goal.

"When I met CM (Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant) for one of our Sesa functions, as the function was getting over he requested to have a word with me. After speaking with Mr. Sawant, he said 'I want you to handle this' and I instantly said yes and sent a message to my company (Sesa) and they agreed."

The council has recently come under controversy with allegations of siphoning off of INR 1.15 crores of public funds in the name of football development but Sakhwalkar chose not to comment on it at the moment.

"That is a separate issue and a different department will handle that,: he said, "At the same time, we have to bear in mind that we are using funds from the government and we have to ensure that we utilise it properly. All I want is transparency in everything and the focus should be more on the grassroots and coaches. GFDC has constantly stressed on coaching education and I was one of the first persons to get my AFC 'A' License under their wing.

"We may train 5,000 or even 10,000 children and we may not get quality. May be around 10 players will get selected for residential training or other teams. Dempo, Salgaocar, Sporting Clube de Goa are doing a good job at their academies but for these thousands of children that we train, my first aim is to look after their education," the former India international added.

The current 11-member council committee of GFDC will have Shankhwalkar as chairman, Shrikant Ajgaonkar as vice-chairman and Aleixo da Costa as the member secretary. Avertano Furtado, Bruno Coutinho, Lector Mascarenhas, Agnelo Fonseca, Shantaram Naik, Stanislaus D’Souza, Sanjiv Nagvenkar and Pradeep Chodankar will form the council committee of the GFDC council.

Bayern Munich reached a third successive DFB-Pokal final thanks to a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, with Robert Lewandowski's winner 16 minutes from time setting up a clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

Hansi Flick's men were made to work for the victory in the second half after seeing their standards slip, but their superior individual quality eventually shone through as Lewandowski netted his 45th goal of the season.

Ivan Perisic put Bayern in front with less than a quarter of an hour played by nodding in an inch-perfect pass from the excellent Thomas Muller and they should have been coasting to the win by half-time, with the defending champions spurning several opportunities.

Frankfurt looked to have capitalised with a deserved equaliser but Danny da Costa's strike restored parity for just five minutes – Lewandowski finishing off an incisive move to book Bayern's passage to another final.

Bayern, and Muller in particular, looked in the mood right from the start, and Frankfurt were fortunate with a couple of early escapes.

Muller met a Joshua Kimmich corner with a glancing header that was cleared off the line by Dominik Kohr, before the in-form forward played the ball across the face of goal for Lewandowski and saw it to go straight through the Pole's legs.

But Bayern took the lead in the 14th minute, Perisic meeting Muller's delicate pass with a diving header.

Chances continued to fall to the hosts, but Kingsley Coman spurned two presentable opportunities and Lewandowski missed again just past the half-hour mark.

Bayern failed to raise their game to a similar level after the break, with clear-cut chances drying up and Frankfurt took advantage with 21 minutes left.

Daichi Kamada turned into space in the box and his scuffed pass fell kindly to fellow substitute Da Costa, who slotted home emphatically.

But Bayern were soon in front again – Lewandowski steering in from close range following a well-worked move, after a VAR check for a potential offside in the build-up initially delayed their celebrations.

What does it mean? Bayern show glimpse of weakness

It is fair to say the second half of this contest was easily the hardest Bayern have had to work since German football resumed last month. For a time, their midfield stopped finding incisive passes and Lewandowski's supporting cast looked devoid of ideas.

Given the standard they had set in recent weeks, opponents will need to take any encouragement they can get against Bayern, and Leverkusen might just have a little extra belief on the evidence of this performance.

Muller cream of the crop

The German forward is having a remarkable season. He was, once again, hugely influential on Wednesday, setting up Perisic's opener and another four opportunities. No one else on the pitch played as many key passes.

Thiago off the pace

He has had injury troubles of late, so Thiago Alcantara can be forgiven for looking a little rusty. Nevertheless, after his introduction from the bench, he lost the ball in dangerous places on a few occasions, and one of those almost led to a goal.

What's next?

It is back to the Bundesliga at the weekend for both sides, as Bayern host Borussia Monchengladbach, while Frankfurt go to Hertha Berlin.

Samuel Eto’o has instructed Xavi to return to Barcelona while Lionel Messi is still playing, with the former Cameroon ace branding the six-time Ballon d’Or winner the “God of Football”.

Xavi already enjoys legendary status at Camp Nou, having turned out for the club on more than 500 occasions in the top flight, having spent 17 years as a professional with the team he joined in 1991. 

Now 40, the ex-Spain international star is managing Al Sadd, where he spent the final four years of his playing career, but is continuously linked with a move back to Catalunya, particularly if there is a vacancy in the dugout.

While Xavi has previously stated that he does not feel ready for the task of leading Barca, Eto’o, who helped the club to the 2009 Champions League title under Pep Guardiola, has encouraged his former team-mate not to wait much longer.

“I’ve told Xavi that whatever happens, he has to go back to Barca – and I told him that he has to do it while the God of Football is still there,” he told Cataluyna Radio.

“He played with him, and that will make it easier for him than for another.”

Meanwhile, Eto’o has told Barca that Luis Suarez cannot easily be replaced, even if they add Lautaro Martinez to their ranks from Inter this summer.

“I love Suarez. He’s making an incredible story with Barcelona,” he said when asked if he or the Uruguayan is the club’s greatest No.9. “We’re both lucky to have played for such a club.

“Luis is always Luis, he is one of the best players in the world in his position. It is obvious that Barca have to reinforce themselves, but it is not necessary to take away the stripes of a general. Luis is a general, he is a captain, and he cannot be demoted.

“Lautaro is doing very well, but people have a tendency to forget recent history. Luis has written the history of Barca and of football. We must admit it. That does not mean that new players should be excluded, but you can’t forget the greats.”

Canada Soccer have announced that Women’s National Team head coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller will depart the role in August.

The 49-year-old took the role in 2018 and led them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup 12 months ago, though they were defeated by Sweden 1-0 in Paris.

Canada had gone winless in their previous four matches, though had tough encounters to negotiate against the world champion U.S. women's national team.

In addition, Canada lost 1-0 to France in a mini-tournament in March, where they also drew 0-0 with the Netherlands and held Brazil 2-2.

A statement on Canada Soccer’s official website said: “Canada Soccer have announced that Women’s National Team Head Coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller will leave his role after August 2020.

"Canada Soccer have begun the search for an immediate replacement to lead the Women’s National Team to the Olympic Games in July and August 2021, which were postponed from this year because of the world pandemic.”

Steven Reed, the president of the FA, said: “Canada Soccer wishes Mr. Heiner-Møller all the best in his return to the Danish Football Association and thank him for his contributions to our Women’s National Team Program. He is a highly-regarded coach who gained the respect of the Canadian soccer community in his time with our organization and we thank him for his genuine approach with both players and staff.”

“This was not an easy decision to make because of the quality of the people that I have had the pleasure to work with since my time at Canada Soccer,” Heiner-Moller added.

“As a leader in the women’s game, Canada Soccer’s investment in the Women’s National Team Program will ensure its continued success. I would like to thank the players, staff and Canada Soccer for the opportunity to represent a great nation and program who I have every confidence will return to the podium at Tokyo 2020.”

Canada has won the bronze medal in each of the previous two Olympics Games, the only nation to win medals at both events, while the national team has participated in each of the last seven World Cup tournaments. 

Papu Gomez believes Atalanta can win the coronavirus-hit Champions League, with the possibility of one-off matches leading into the decider.

Atalanta dazzled before the Covid-19 pandemic halted football in March, the Serie A side seeing off Valencia 8-4 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

UEFA wants to complete both the Champions League and Europa League once domestic leagues have been concluded, meaning the remaining fixtures could potentially resume in August.

One proposal has been for the quarter-finals and semi-finals to be condensed into one-off fixtures instead of two-legged ties at a neutral venue until the final, which could be held in Lisbon.

Atalanta star Gomez told Tyc Sports: "We touched the sky, experiencing a unique and historic moment for the club and city.

"It's incredible that it all ground to a halt. Now we're going to be in the Champions League quarter-finals and it would frankly suit us to play one-off games, because anything can happen in 90 minutes. It's going to be spectacular."

Asked who he would like to face in a Champions League final, Argentine attacker Gomez picked out a meeting with countryman Lionel Messi.

"Maybe a Spanish side, hopefully I'd play against Leo Messi for Barcelona," the 32-year-old said.

"Considering our playing style, I'd say we would have a better chance against a Spanish team rather than English or German."

The 2019-20 Serie A season is set to resume on June 20 following the coronavirus crisis. Atalanta, who are fourth in the table through 25 games, will host Sassuolo on June 21.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta had won six consecutive matches in all competitions prior to the postponement.

Italy was hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic and Gomez has stressed he's only willing to play now that the worst of it seems to be over. 

"If I had been asked two months ago whether he wanted to keep on competing, I'd have said no," Gomez told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"But now, there is more security, this virus seems less aggressive and I'm in favour of playing again. Serie A is an industry which involves millions, there are lots of people who need football to live, not only the players.

"Football is a spectacle, we are very keen to get going again, without thinking about having to play 13 games in 43 days."