Despite guidance on social distancing, some Groups of fans gathered outside the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium before the game, and some of the TV presentation left plenty to be desired.
But in Lucas Ocampos the hosts had the key man to win the first match played in Spain since the coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings on 10 March.
La Liga is the second of Europe’s big five leagues to resume, with the Premier League following suit next week.

After a minute’s silence in memory of those who have died during the pandemic, La Liga returned with some new additions.
As previously heard in Germany, there was artificial crowd noise. But unlike in Germany, the mix was way too low and almost inaudible for much of the game.

The vast, empty stands were painted in ‘virtual support’ in what was sold beforehand as images of fans wearing club colours.
The actual effect was extremely low key though, looking more like a collage of coloured dots which were only visible on the one wide camera shot, with the ‘crowd’ disappearing whenever the director changed angle, and sometimes hovering in mid-air when a replay appeared.

At times, such as during some pre-arranged drinks breaks, the vacant stands displayed the message of ‘Safe sport, safe tourism – Spain welcomes you’.
While tourists return to Seville and Spain remains to be seen, but Champions League football may well soon return.

Ocampos was the game’s key player throughout, rattling the crossbar from a narrow angle in the first half before breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot.
He then conjured an ingenious backheeled flick from a corner to find Fernando for the game-sealing second goal, to take the home side to within six points of Real Madrid.

Ocampo became the first player after Alvaro Negredo in 2011 to score in five consecutive games for Sevilla.

Leaders Barcelona will be in action for the first time on Saturday against Mallorca, while Real Madrid play on Sunday.

Home side are now within six points of Real Madrid.

Premier League club Bournemouth have officially reported that Nigeria U20 national-teamer Nnamdi Ofoborh has extended his loan deal with League One side Wycombe Wanderers.
What this means is that the central midfielder is eligible to represent the Blues in the playoffs.

Wycombe Wanderers are one of the four teams that will contest the League One playoffs after finishing the regular season which was cancelled in third position.

The former flying eagles of Nigeria center-midfielder, Ofoborh, appeared in the FIFA under 20 World cup in Poland.
Ofoborh will be hoping to be involved when Wycombe Wanderers tackle Fleetwood Town over two legs in the semi-finals.

The 20-year-old joined the third-tier side on loan last September and has gone on to make 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring his first senior goal against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy.

Ofoborh, 20, was born in Southwark , England. Therefore, was eligible to represent England but chose Nigeria instead, at the under 20’s.

Bayern Munich star Corentin Tolisso’s agent has surprised everyone by claiming no negotiations have begun with Manchester United.

Many reputable reports have claimed United Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on the injury-prone midfielder with some putting around a €30m price tag on the player.

The Former Olympic Lyon defender is being seen by solksjaer as an important addition to the team, as he look to build a team capable of challenging for trophies next term.

The majority of United fans never really bought into the idea, feeling the German giants were attempting to sell them another unfit player.

Nonetheless, it does raise question marks over some of the sources who reported this news as the agent had no desire to even entertain the matter.
Tolisso probably would’ve benefited from being linked with United as he could’ve won himself a new contract at Bayern or at the very least receive interest from elsewhere.

The only other explanation for such a sudden change in tone is that Bayern were not happy to see one of their stars being linked with a move away and so demanded the agent to deny reports.

Either way, Tolisso’s injury struggles mean he would be a poor purchase for Manchester United and they would be repeating the mistakes of their past.

Solskjaer has invested well so far while at Old Trafford and the hope is he can continue this trend for as long as possible.

England international and Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been handed a £50,000 fine, banned for premier league restart against Manchester United and must attend an educational course after being found guilty of an “aggravated breach” of Rule E3, which included a reference to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin and/or nationality .

Dele Alli said he was “betrayed” by a friend who sold a private Snapchat video of him mocking coronavirus – an act that has landed him a one-match ban.

Alli will miss his side’s first Premier League game of the restart against Manchester United next week after the FA finally delivered its ruling on a case that has been ongoing since February.
The 24-year-old posted a video of himself wearing a mask in an airport lounge on February 6 before zooming in on an Asian man, with the caption “Corona whattttt, please listen with volume”.

Dele Alli has been suspended for one match with immediate effect, fined £50,000 and must undertake a face-to-face education course following a breach of FA Rule E3.

The video was promptly deleted and Alli posted an apology, but not before one of the 160 recipients on his close friends list on Snapchat had copied it and sold it to a national newspaper.

Alli insisted at Monday’s hearing, although the video did not pick up the Asian man coughing, that is the reason he zoomed in on him rather than because of his race.

But the three-man regulatory commission ruled that Alli was making an obvious connection between an Asian man and the virus, which at the time had not spread to Europe or become a global pandemic.

The FA’s written reasons for the decision read: “The player explained that he decided to delete the video before he boarded his flight to Dubai.
“It was the following day that he became aware that he had, in his words, been “betrayed” by someone on his Snapchat group and the post had been given to the media
“An apology was made in which the player detailed that he had ‘let himself down’, but it was the player’s evidence to the commission that he did not regard the content of the video to be of a kind to ‘cross the line’ into conduct answerable under Rule E3, in particular as the video, in his opinion, “had nothing to do with the ethnicity of the man”.

Coronavirus started in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. It was allergely discovered on the 10th of December, 2019.

As the Bundesliga heads into the final rounds: there are still four games to go in the current campaign, and next up for Borussia Dortmund is a trip to Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

Defender Mats Hummels, who saw his deputy Emre Can step in during the recent match against Hertha Berlin, is eligible to play again after his suspension for yellow cards.

Erling Haaland may as well be available for the match on Saturday. “He got involved with everything in training. It’s looking good,” coach Lucien Favre said about his striker.

There is no date yet for captain Marco Reus to make a comeback after four months on the sidelines. “He started to do some of the training with the team this week. We hope that he can play again as soon as possible,” Favre said optimistically.
Sporting director Michael Zorc points out that Paderborn were also fighting to stay in the league in the game against BVB, when talking about Dotmund last game in Bundesliga. In the game at the end of May, it was still 0-0 at the break, and it was in the second the Black and Yellows get going on their way to a 6-1 victory. “You can’t take winning any game for granted – no matter who the opponents are,” said Zorc.

“All the opponents we will be coming up against are fighting for something: for Mainz it is about staying up, Leipzig are fighting for the Champions League and Hoffenheim are going for the Europa League. They will all be motivated against us.”

The Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc is expected to retire when contract he signed in 2018, expires in 2021.

Favre is aware of the threat pose by Fortuna Dusseldorf referencing BVB game against Dusseldorf in the 2018/19, however, the current team in Düsseldorf lie 16th on the Bundesliga standing and are fighting against relegation. “It is always very difficult against opponents like that. I have seen several of Düsseldorf’s games. It will be hard work for us.” Favre said.

He added that there was still a lot for BVB to play for: “Important points for Champions League qualification and, in the end, second place.”

BVB could secure a place in the Champions League next season with a victory on Saturday, if Mönchengladbach or Leverkusen lose their games.

Xavi reportedly rejected the opportunity to become the manager in January. But Samuel Eto’o believes it is the right time for the former mildfied maestro to take charge at Barcelona now that Lionel Messi is still on the book.

Eto’o played with club legend Xavi – who is currently manager of Qatari side Al Sadd – for five years at the Camp Nou, from 2004-2009.

The pair also played with current club captain Messi, 32, and while Xavi has been linked with the hot-seat at Barca already following the departure of Ernesto Valverde in January, the Spaniard opted against taking the reigns at the time, with Quique Setien instead taking charge.

‘You have to go back to Barcelona while Leo [Messi] is still there, because with him it would all be easier,’ Eto’o told Marca.

‘Xavi is a natural leader who knows how to manage emotions and, what’s more, he’s a very good guy.”

‘He’s up front, he understands football and I insisted to him: “Machine, you have to go back and try to do something with Messi still there!”‘ the Cameroon legend added.

The hierarchy at Barcelona reportedly travelled to Doha for talks with Xavi when a new manager was needed, but with reservations about taking over midway through the season, the 40-year-old stayed put.

That is not to rule out what seems a likely and obvious reunion further down the line, and presidential elections next year could trigger another attempt at luring the former midfielder to Barcelona.

Xavi played with Samuel Eto’o for five years, winning the Champions League in 2009 (pic)
Eto’o believes Xavi, currently managing Qatari side Al Sadd, should take over at Barca soon

The LaLiga Santander season restarts today after a three-month break, due to Coronavirus pandemic, with it all still to play for up and down the table. We break down which players could prove decisive from now until the end of the campaign…

LIONEL MESSI (FC Barcelona )
Who else? The Barcelona captain and six-time Ballon d’Or winner is always, always worth watching. And with 19 goals and 12 assists so far this season, Lionel Messi has played a direct role in 31 of Barça’s 63 goals (49%) and could essentially determine the destination of the 2019-20 LaLiga title. Barcelona have Luis Suarez back from injury, but their squad still looks a little short compared to that of their direct rivals. Messi will be the man they look to for inspiration and to lead them through to what would be a ninth LaLiga title in 12 seasons.
But according to reports, Messi may miss Barca first match of the restart, due to injury sustained in training, against Mallorca on Saturday.

MARTIN ODEGAARD ( Real Sociedad )
The on loan 21-year-old Norwegian has been, without doubt, one of the stars of the 2019-20 LaLiga season. Currently on loan at the Basque club from Real Madrid, Ødegaard finally looks to be fulfilling the promise that drove Los Blancos to buy him as a 15-year-old. With a silky touch and an almost unrivalled ability to unpick defences with a single pass, Ødegaard will be key in Sociedad push to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2013. Real Sociedad currently sits fourth on the table, levelled on point with Getafe and 1 point above Athletico Madrid in 6th.

THIBAUT COURTOIS ( Real Madrid )
After enduring a turbulent first season in the Spanish capital, Courtois has cemented his reputation as one of the world’s best goalkeepers. With his imperial performance this campaign, the Belgian international has conceded just 0.67 goals per game, putting him top of the pichichi rankings for LaLiga’s top goalkeeper this term. Real Madrid sit just two points behind reigning champions Barcelona, and a watertight defence will be key in the remaining 11 games if Zinedine Zidane’s side want to overtake their eternal rivals in the standings.

LUCAS PEREZ (D. Alavés)
Alavés striker Lucas Pérez was having a terrific 2019-20 campaign before the break, having formed a highly effective partnership with Joselu in Alaves ‘ 4-4-2 system, and currently sits level with Levante’s Roger Marti and Villarreal CF’s Gerard Moreno on 11 goals in then race for the Zarra trophy, the award for the top Spanish goal scorer in LaLiga. Alavés have no natural backup for Pérez in their squad, meaning the Coruña native will need to keep performing at a high level from now until the end of the season.

MARCOS LLORENTE (Atlético de Madrid)
For many football fans, the last major footballing moment before the enforced break was Atletico de Madrid’s dramatic win over Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League. The star man for the Rojiblancos that night was Marcos Llorente, who came off the bench to score two goals from distance. The midfielder was really starting to find his feet before the break after a slow start to life at the Wanda Metropolitano and coach Diego Simeone will now be looking for a strong end of the season. Llorente is also one of the fittest and quickest players in LaLiga, so he’ll be a valuable asset for Atleti as the games come thick and fast.

Thank you for reading.

Dortmund see the departure of Jadon Sancho this summer as inevitable

Man Utd boost in attacker chase,The Evening Standard reports.
BVB are holding out for £116 million ($145m), which could be a stumbling block for interested clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea.

Rennes makes Salisu offer
Rennes have made an opening offer for Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu, according to RMC .

The centre-back has been one of the breakthrough stars in Spain this season and the Ligue 1 side have bid €8 million (£7m/$9m).

World Cup Winner Sidibe Target by Sevilla
Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe is being watched by Sevilla, RMC reports.
The French and 2018 World Cup-winning defender spent last season on loan at Everton , who will not take up the purchase option in the loan, but is set to be sold this summer by his parent club.

Pellegrini in Roma talks
Lorenzo Pellegrini is in talks with Roma over a fresh contract, Di Marzio reports.
The player has a strong bond with the capital club, but wants to see his commitment reflected by their offer.

Leicester Wants Clark as Chilwell replacement
Vitesse defender Max Clark has emerged as Leicester’s primary target to replace Ben Chilwell, the Daily Mail states.
Chilwell is set to sign for Chelsea this summer and the Foxes are now preparing for life without him.

Bayern Munich Karl-Heinz Rummenigge keeping a close eye on ‘curious’ transfer market
The German boss is expecting further financial hardship to come but hasn’t ruled out summer signings
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 seriously linked to Germany and Manchester City star Leroy Sane as well as Bayer Leverkusen ‘s Kai Havertz but Rummenigge tried to play down 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.
Bayern are seven points clear atop the Bundesliga table with four matches remaining this season. The current Bundesliga Champion 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.

Coutinho would not be a Bayern Player next Season.
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 Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle reportedly interested after Barcelona reported slash the player asking price.

Coutinho being chased Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle
Philippe Coutinho’s next destination is likely to be in the Premier League, France Football reports.
Currently on loan at Bayern Munich from Barcelona, Rummenigge has revealed the attacker, whom buy option has not been activated by the Bavaria, will not be retained and wants to try his luck in England, where he Excel with Liverpool, once again.

Tottenham and Everton are interested, while Coutinho’s representatives have been in touch with Newcastle to see if a move there will be possible.

Man United Backed to Make Kai Havertz Signing
Few days back, Mirror Sport reported that Jack Grealish is Manchester United’s priority transfer target for the summer and Solskjaer is prepared to push to hire his services.
More recently, the Red Devils have been backed to sign the Aston Villa skipper by a former striker.

Man United have made contact to sign star with £98.7million clause – Face competition
As per Michael Owen, Man United should get rid of Paul Pogba in the summer and should use the funds to sign Grealish to improve the squad.
The retired England international told Premier League Productions (via The Metro )
“Now he [Pogba] might just be dispensable if they get a big bid. If I was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer I could get big money bearing in mind they’ve got Fernandes now and then you could go and invest in someone like Grealish.”
“He might have the style that compliments Manchester United better than Pogba does at the moment.”
I kind of agree with Owen here. The 24-year-old star has been brilliant for Villa in the current campaign and he can effectively play in the central midfield.
As far as United record signing is concerned, Pogba has been a world class player since returning to Old Trafford back in 2016. The Les Bleus midfielder was a hit at the 2018 World Cup and he was a very consistent performer in Italy.
However, for Man United, the former Juve man has been highly inconsistent. Furthermore, He has spent majority of his time on the on the sideline.
Also, almost in every transfer window, he is linked with a move away from the Red Devils. So, I do not think that the United faithful would mind if we can sell him and then sign a top replacement in the summer.
As far as Grealish is concerned, the relegation threatened club are asking for a fee of £80million for their star. Mirror Sport reported.

The fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has long been overdue, boxing fans all over the world has been anticipating for the match between the two British men.

The wait is increasingly likely to happen sooner than expected after WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said on Twitter on Wednesday that his management team has agreed on financial terms for a two-fight deal beginning in 2021 for a unification bout with IBF-WBA-WBO champion Anthony Joshua.

Fury who still have a third fighting his contact with former champion Deontay Wilder whom he knocked out in the second fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, United States after the first fight ended in a draw at the on Dec. 1, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but said in a video he shared on social media that his manager, Daniel Kinahan of MTK Global, reached a deal with Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn.

It’s official FURY VS JOSUAR AGREED FOR NEXT YEAR, I got to smash @bronzebomber first then I’ll annihilate @anthonyfjoshua

MASSIVE THANKS TO DANIEL KINNERHAN FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.🙏🏻👍🏻 god bless pic.twitter.com/18FfVKfCax
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) June 10, 2020
“Hello there!” a shirtless Fury said. “I just got off the phone with Daniel Kinahan and he just informed me that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed. Big shoutout Dan. He got this done. Two-fight deal, Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua next year. One problem: I’ve just got to smash Deontay Wilder’s face right in, in my next fight, and then we go right into the Joshua fight next year.
“So there we are. The Gypsy King versus A.J. is on for next year but there is a hurdle in the road called the Bronze Bomber aka The Knockout King. I will get onto him and knock him spark out. Then we’ll get onto the big fight.”

Hearn told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that though financial terms with the fighters are agreed upon, there are other issues to resolve, including lining up a venue and a broadcast deal.
But he is optimistic that those can easily be overcome and that the Fury-Joshua fight will become a reality. It figures to be the most lucrative heavyweight fight in boxing history.

“The situation is that we have an agreement in place for how the deal structure for the fight should work over a two-fight deal,” Hearn said. “Obviously, there are still a number of obstacles to overcome in terms of the venue, in terms of a couple of broadcast details and of course both guys have a fight in between.

“But the good news is for the part of the deal which is notoriously more difficult, the financial elements, this is basically in principal agreed to. It’s good news, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a signed contract. It means that everybody is working in the right direction to make the fight.” Hearn added.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef, whose company co-promotes Fury with Frank Warren, said the goal is to get the Fury-Wilder fight done by the end of the year so that a Fury-Joshua fight could be held next year.

Fury is now 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts and is widely regarded as the No. 1 heavyweight in the world following his destruction of Wilder. Joshua is 23-1 with 21 KOs. He lost his belts on June 1, 2019, when he was shockingly knocked out by late replacement Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York, but he regained them on Dec. 7 by winning a decision over Ruiz in the rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Spanish LaLiga Smatbank sides Rayo Vallecano beat Albacete 1-0 in Madrid as the two teams contested the remaining 45 minutes of a match that was originally suspended back on December 15.

The second-tier fixture was called off at the interval before Christmas after Albacete’s former Rayo striker Roman Zozulya was subjected to chants by the home fans calling him a “Nazi”.

National socialism commonly known as “Nazi” is associated with Hitlerism in the Hitlers’ Germany of 1940s.

Rayo had the better of the play against a conservative Albacete, playing with 10 men due to the dismissal of Eddy Israfilov in the first half of the original fixture, and Peru international Advincula struck the winner after an hour (15 minutes on the night) with a powerful drive.

The rest of the game, which Zozulya started for Albacete, passed without incident in the absence of fans and was completed 178 days after it had started.

E. Israfilov saw red for Albacete in the 45 minutes of the match in Madrid.

According to reports, that makes it the longest match in history, while it will also be remembered for being the first to take place after the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen all football suspended in Spain since mid-March.

Rayo paid tribute to the victims of Covid-19 with a huge banner at Vallecas which read: “We will never forget you”.

The Gunners’ preparations for the restart of the Premier League hit a bump against the Championship squad, despite Mikel Arteta playing a strong team.

Arsenal player joined the black lives matter today when they take on Brentford in a match which ended in defeat for the gunners.

Having won 6-0 against Charlton in a behind-closed doors friendly on Saturday afternoon, Mikel Arteta’s side this time faced the promotion-chasing Bees.

Arsenal’s first chance of the game came when Nicolas Pepe swung in a cross from the right, only for Bukayo Saka’s contact to not prove substantial enough to find the net.

Joe Willock’s came close to scoring from a cross, but he was unable to get the needed contact to convert from Kieran Tierney’s cross.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then cut in from the left before stinging the palms of the Brentford goalkeeper.

The gunners broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval, with a low ball across the edge of the box finding Willock, who coolly slotted home.

Pepe went close to doubling Arsenal advantage when he hit the post with seconds remaining of the first half.

Mikel Arteta made five changes at the interval, with David Luiz, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette all coming on.

Bernd Leno would soon pull off an impressive save to deny Shandon Baptiste, before Shkodran Mustafi went close at the other end with a header from a corner.

Maitland-Niles and Lacazette then almost replicated the latter’s strike against Charlton, only for the France international to fire over.

Tarique Fosu levelled the scores with just under 20 minutes remaining when he sent a powerful rising strike past Emi Martinez.

We hit back straight away, with a neat swivel from Lacazette working the space for a low left-footed finish that beat goalkeeper Luke Daniels.

Shortly after, the visitors drew level again. Lacazette was robbed of possession in his own half before Halil Dervisoglu was sent through to send a low strike inside the far post.

The comeback was complete for the visitors few minutes away from the final whistle, when Baptiste converted after Brentford forced a turnover in possession.

Corentin Tolisso, an all-action 25-year-old midfielder, has been on the books of Bayern since the summer of 2017.

The Frenchman made the move to Bavaria side from long-time club Lyon, having established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most highly-regarded young talents.
And, though the German champions splashed out a then-club-record €41.5 million on his signature, Tolisso has since largely toiled at the Allianz Arena.

Though the World Cup winner has generally impressed when on the pitch, a host of injury problems have restricted Tolisso to a bit part role over the last couple of seasons.

After notching just a solitary league start in 2018/19, the midfield dynamo has since featured from the off in 7 of Bayern’s 30 Bundesliga outings to this point in the current campaign.

As such, though his ability has never been called into question, Tolisso’s dreadful luck on the injury front has led to inevitable speculation of late that Bayern could be ready cut their losses on the 25-year-old this summer.

The German heavyweight are expected to pursue deals for both Leroy Sane and Kai Havertz over the coming months, meaning they need to raise funds.
And, as outlined above, one club seemingly keen to take advantage of Tolisso’s precarious situation are Manchester United.

According to Mohamed Bouhafsi of French outlet RMC Sport, the Red Devils are expressing a keen interest in the Bayern man’s signature, with a €35 million price-tag touted.

In fact, Bouhafsi goes as far as to claim that the transfer chiefs at Old Trafford have already opened discussions with Tolisso’s entourage:

Manchester United have started discussions with the entourage of Bayern midfielder Corentin Tolisso. The 25 year old has a price-tag of just €35m! – Mohamed Bouhafsi tweeted.

Report also have it that Italian giants, Inter Milan are also interested in the Frenchman.

Mark Ogden of ESPN reports that, Arsenal are showing interest in Birmingham’s Jude Bellingham. Ogden reports that Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are also gunning for the 16 year old’s signature.

He reports that Birmingham are looking for £20 million upfront and if any interested party can stump up that amount, a deal could very well materialize.

Jude Bellingham made his competitive debut for the club in 2019 after joining Birmingham City as an under-8, and became the youngest player to ever play for the Blues, breaking a record that was set by Trevor Francis in 1970. He is also Birmingham City’s youngest ever scorer. He has started 25 games for the club in the Championship and plays primarily on the left side of a midfield two, while He sometimes played on the left wing.

Bellingham is aerially strong and known to be a good tackler. With 4 goals and 3 assists in his debut season, his attacking output is encouraging. He is considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in English football.

Arsenal’s transfer strategy has included signing young players with bags of potential at affordable prices. While £20 million for a 16 year old may not be considered affordable in today’s environment, could Bellingham be the next big thing to sign for the Gunners?

According to transfer expert Nicolo Schira (h/t Express), Chelsea have offered a five-year contract to Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.

The 20-year-old is one of the best young talents in world football. Having already signed Hakim Ziyech and with Timo Werner in the bag, it promises to be a window to remember.

According to Schira, “Leverkusen have a value of €80m for their prized asset. Chelsea, for their part, have offered Havertz a five-year deal worth €8m a year in wages.”

The youngster has enjoyed an excellent return to the Bundesliga last month. He has scored five times in four games as football has returned for the first time since March.

The German is a versatile player capable of playing a variety of attacking positions. He can also play as a centre-forward, a position he has thrived in of late.

“The club’s no-nonsense approach to the transfer window has caught a number of our opponents off guard. Chelsea have tabled a five year contract to Kai Havertz”

“Not only are we stealing a match on the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur but also denying the teams above us. By snatching Werner from the clutches of Liverpool, we have also prevented them from strengthening further.” Schira added.

If Havertz also joins Chelsea this summer, Frank Lampard will have a youthful and talented squad at his disposal capable of challenging for the top spot.

The Bundesliga outfit, Eintracht Frankfurt will wear the specially-designed limited-edition jersey in their German Cup semi-final tie against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night in order to show their solidarity.

Protests against systemic racism and police brutality have been held across the US and UK, as well as other parts of the world, following the death of African-American George Floyd in the process of his arrest by police last month.

Frankfurt will display the hashtag ‘#blacklivesmatter’ instead of their normal sponsor ‘Indeed’, which will feature in a smaller typeface below the message.

The shirt which has proved popular was sold out within a matter of hours.

“We have to point this out again and again, and also use the power and reach of football to forcefully deliver this important message to the world,” said Frankfurt board member Axel Hellmann.

“The history of Eintracht Frankfurt is shaped by cosmopolitanism and international understanding.
“These attributes are strongly anchored in the Eintracht DNA. Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia have no place within the Eintracht family and must not have a place in a liberal society.” Axel concluded.

Sporting director Fredi Bobic added: “As a team and as Eintracht Frankfurt, we stand together against all forms of racism and want to convey it accordingly.”

In its 228-page evaluation report released on Thursday, May 21, 2020, FIFA rated the joint-bid by Australia and New Zealand the highest of the three bids to host the ninth Women’s World Cup in 2023 ahead of rival bids from Japan and Colombia.

Giving each bid an overall mark out of 5, FIFA scored the Australia/New Zealand bid at 4.1 ahead of Japan with 3.9 and Colombia at 2.8. These scores will be the determining factor should the voting on 25 June be tied between bids.

Even though the report states that the Australia/New Zealand bid is by far the most expensive of the three, with costs estimated at $107.7m, up to $75.7m will come in from confirmed government contributions.

In spite of costing less than half as much, neither the Colombian nor Japanese bids have provided any such guarantees.

In its overall risk assessment, Australia scored low all in but one of the 17 categories, the Japanese low in all but two but the Colombian bid scored as a high-risk in its commercial ability to stage the tournament. Pointing to the low-ticket pricing model proposed by Colombia,

FIFA stated that “while the low cost associated with hosting the tournament in Colombia is a positive feature of the bid, the forecast revenue is also low”.

In terms of safety, FIFA also said of Colombia, “although there has been a significant reduction in domestic terrorism, some concerns remain in terms of the potential impact of crime on tournament stakeholders”.

Japan, the only one of the three nations to have won the FIFA Women’s World Cup, scored highly in the technical aspects of its bid. However, the country has proposed staging the tournament outside the designated window cleared by FIFA between 10 July and 20 August 2023 which coincides with the hottest and most humid part of the year. FIFA notes that “such a move would require amendments to the women’s match calendar, which was drawn up to help drive the professionalization of women’s football and protect the health and well-being of players”.

Talking about women not just in sport, our culture is beginning to recognise the fundamental role women play – and have always played – in modern life. In the world of sport, while women have been largely invisible in public-facing positions, they have nonetheless formed the backbone of the industry for generations, whether as athletes or as those who fed, clothed, drove, cleaned and cheered them from the sideline.

It is these women that Australia’s historic joint bid with New Zealand to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup acknowledges. That is why the presence of Johanna Wood, president of New Zealand Football and the only woman leader of any of the nominating bids, matters; by spotlighting the private contributions women have made to public life, the “As One” bid embodies the shift that both the sporting and cultural world is currently experiencing.

“It’s more than the game, isn’t it?” Wood tells Guardian Australia. “It’s the legacy we can leave. We’re modelling gender equality.

“New Zealand was one of the first football member associations that gave pay parity to the Ferns – that was March of 2018 – followed by Australia in November, 2019. And in terms of gender equality, New Zealand has led the way for a century, because we were also the first country to give women the vote.

“It’s about football both on the pitch and off the pitch. Players are at the centre of our bid, but it’s also about the leadership of the game, the governance of the game, the coaching of the game, the match officials, the administrators, the volunteers; there are a lot of women who’ve given time to the game. So it’s about creating that legacy and supporting and recognising women for what they do.”

Wood concluded that, Both governments in Australia and New Zealand are committed to the bid. They see it as a ground-breaking tournament. In terms of the impact of Covid, the prospect of hosting the World Cup brings huge economic and social benefits, from employment to tourism. It’s going to bring a positive to both communities across our countries.”

The Australian government agrees with Wood. In a statement, the federal minister for sport, Richard Colbeck, said: “The government […] recognises the significant additional benefits of hosting the Fifa Women’s World Cup – including improving attitudes towards gender equality in sport and strengthening Australia’s reputation as a world leader in the promotion of women’s sport and as a premier host of major international sporting events.

“The government also acknowledges the important role sport, in particular major sporting events, will play in reactivating the Australian economy as we transition to a Covid-safe environment. We remain committed to bringing major sporting events to Australia and the economic benefits they bring with them.”

In its report, FIFA states that within the Australia/New Zealand bid “it is evident that there is a strong overlap with the objectives and targets set out in the FIFA Women’s Football Strategy, and that hosting the tournament in Australia and New Zealand is viewed by the bidder as a catalyst to grow women’s football throughout the region”.

Shakur Stevenson, the WBO featherweight champion, dominated his non-title bout against the Puerto Rican veteran, Felix Caraballo capping the sport’s return to the world’s fight capital.

After a three-month break in major boxing competition, Top Rank staged five fights for ESPN in a fan-free room in the MGM Grand casino complex’s conference centre.

Although every bout was a mismatch of varying degrees, the favorites still provided entertaining performances for the sport’s starved audience.

There were no fans allowed into the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino conference centre because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a different atmosphere,” Stevenson said. “Losing the weight was different. Training in the gym was different. I couldn’t be around anybody.

“Even when fighting and there was no crowd was different. I would catch him with mean shots and there would be no ‘Ooohs’ or ‘Aaahs.'”

Stevenson also forced Caraballo to take a knee in the first round.
Stevenson said he injured his left hand in the fifth round but was still able to land solid blows.

Stevenson finished with precision midway through the sixth, opening up Caraballo’s defenses with a right hand to the side before putting a left hand directly into Caraballo’s solar plexus.

“I hit him with everything I could early. I wobbled him a bunch of times. He took a lot of punishment, and I started realizing that head shots weren’t going to get him out of here. So I started going to the body more,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson, who is black, wore a T-shirt reading “Black Lives Matter” for his post-fight interview.

“My people right now, they’re protesting and there’s a lot going on in our community, a lot of people trying to stand up for what’s right,” he said. “I couldn’t really go out there and protest with them because I had a fight coming up and I didn’t want to risk catching corona.

“Now that the fight is over, I’ll go out there and protest. Mask up, gloved up, I’ll go out there and help my people out.”

Stevenson, who turns 23 years old later this month, and heavyweight Jared Anderson both wore T-shirts reading “Black Lives Matter” in the ring.

Stevenson also walked out to “Changes,” the Grammy-nominated anthem of social change written by Tupac Shakur, after whom the boxer is named.

Following the killing of an African-American man two weeks ago at the hands of police in Minneapolis, there has been calls from all corners for equal opportunity for everyone irrespective of colour. Protests in response to both Floyd’s death, and more broadly to police violence against other black people, quickly spread across the United States and internationally.

Manchester City star, Raheem Sterling has joined the protest for equal opportunity for men of all races without descrimination based on colour.

“I always refer back to football, the coaching staff you see around clubs. I’ll give a perfect one. There’s Steven Gerrard, your Frank Lampards, you have your Sol Campbells and you have your Ashley Coles,” Sterling told the BBC .

“All had great careers, all played for England. At the same time, they’ve all respectfully done their coaching badges to coach at the highest level and the two that haven’t been given the right opportunities are the two black former players.”

Follow up on comments made by Manchester City star Sterling, Manchester United Legend, Dwight Yorke has also reveal being black is making bursting into management difficult.

He revealed that despite receiving recommendation from Former Legendary Manager Sir Alex Ferguson he was not able to get Aston Villa job.

“It’s a fact that Sir Alex Ferguson, who’s been tremendous and like a father figure – I’ve always said and to this day remains – when I applied for the Villa job, I went into his office and told him exactly what I was trying to do,” Yorke told beIN Sports .

“He gave me some experience, he told me what I needed to do and I picked his brain. At the same time, he picked the phone up and rang [Aston] Villa for me to give his recommendation.”

“He’s always said to me, if I need anything, any recommendation to break into management, he would vouch for me. Even to this day. With his help, I still can’t get an interview. I still can’t get an interview to this day. That is what we are facing today.”

Yorke added that he believes white former players are given a ‘platform’ that their BAME counterparts are not, and pointed to the lack of black, Asian and ethnic minority coaches currently working within the Premier League.

The three-time Premier League winner added “You have seen, on the other hand, white players given that platform with very little experience, straight into management,”

George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, aged 46, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S, by four police men. One of the police men, Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds during Floyd’s arrest, was upgraded from third-degree murder to second-degree murder and a judge in Minnesota put the bail of Derek Chauvin at $1m, the bail was recent increased by 25% to $1,250,000. The other three police men has been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The “Golden Boy” award is one of the most prestigious individual prizes in European football.
The award was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 and voted for by journalists and the public. It is presented to the player under the age of 21 adjudged to have had the most impressive calendar year.
The current holder of the award is Juventus/Netherlands defender, Matthijs de Ligt.

Alphonso Davies — FC Bayern Munich/Canada
Age: 18
Position: Winger
Davies has begun to establish himself as a regular feature at Bayern Munich this season, making four appearances and scoring one goal. The Canadian international have scored 3 goals making 9 assists in 37 matches so far this seasons.

Matthijs de Ligt — Juventus/Netherlands
Age: 20
Position: Defender
Last year winner, and former Ajax golden boy was one of the star of the team in 2018/19 season. The stellar performance earned him a big money move to Juventus.

Gianluigi Donnarumma AC Milan/Italy’s
Age: 20
Position: Goalkeeper
It’s hard to believe Gianluigi Donnarumma is just 20, given as he has already made 170 appearances for AC Milan, and 14 for Italy. The tall goalkeeper has been wonderful this term and his performance earn him a place on this list.

Phil Foden Manchester City/England
Age: 19
Position: Defender
Manchester City’s Phill Foden has been a revelation. Despite being a defender the England international has 3 goals and 7 assists in 26 matches, that is not so bad for a defender.
Pep Guardiola described Phil Foden as the “most talented player” he’s ever seen, according to the BBC, That’s quite a compliment if you consider the fact that Pep have managed Lionel Messi.

Matteo Guendouzi Arsenal/France
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
Guendouzi is arguably the best midfield general Arsenal have craved since the departure of Patrick Vieira back in 2005, having become a regular and important figure in Unai Emery’s and now Mikel Arteta new-look side.

Erling Braut Haland — Red Bull Salzburg& Dortmund/Norway
Age: 19
Position: Striker
Just few people knew that Erling Braut Håland is the son of former Nothingham Forest, Leeds and Manchester City defender Alf-Inge Håland. Alf-Inge Håland also won 34 caps for Norway. The son, Erling Braut Haland has already scored 13 goals in 14 games appearance since joining Borussia Dortmund from Red bull Salzburg. The young striker is no dought one of the hottest property in Europe.

Kai Havertz Bayer Leverkusen/Germany
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
His country’s next big thing, Havertz has already been hailed as “world-class” by ex-Germany international Mattias Sammer, as well as “exceptional” by current Mannschaft coach Joachim Low, according to Bundesliga.com. The striker have scored 15 goals in 41 matches for Leverkusen, while making 10 assists in the process.

Joao Felix Athletico Madrid/Portugal
Age: 20
Position: Forward
The world’s most expensive teenager ever — Joao Felix cost Atletico Madrid $137 million from Benfica this summer. Tipped as Portuguese soccer’s biggest talent since Cristiano Ronaldo. He was bought by Athletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, to fill the void left by Antoine Griezmann, who joined Barcelona in that year. However, it’ll be hoping he will prove to be worth the money.

Dejan Joveljic — Eintracht Frankfurt/Serbia
Age: 21
Position: Striker
Eintracht Frankfurt will be hoping summer signing Joveljic, who was signed last season from Red Star Belgrade last, hoping he can fill the boots of Luka Jovic this season after his transfer to Real Madrid.

Moise Mean Everton/England
Age: 20
Position: Striker
Juventus’ loss was Everton’s gain after Marco Silva’s side secured the signature of the promising Italian for $32.8 million. He scored seven times in 17 appearances last season. Though, he has been struggling this season.

Vinicius Junior Real Madrid/Brazil
Age: 20
Position: Winger
Vinicius is phenomenal in the literal sense of the word. Phenomenally good, yes — that’s a decent beginning. He possesses the power and balance of the young (Brazilian) Ronaldo, only his “beat” is the wing (preferably the left) rather than rampaging down the middle of the opponents’ half toward the penalty area. Vinicius was bought by Perez when Madrid mossed out on the signing of Neymar.

Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool/England
Age: 21
Position: Defender
The Liverpool right-back, born and raised in the city, has progressed through the club’s youth system since he was spotted by local talent scouts at 6 years old. Since making his Liverpool senior debut he has established himself as arguably the best right back in the premier league. Blessed with pace, strength and an athletic physique, Alexander-Arnold has become a key figure in Jurgen Klopp’s team. His development the past two years has seen him become a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Jadon Sancho Borussia Dortmund/England
Age: 20
Position: Forward
The 19-year-old Londoner was originally spotted by Watford, who had Sancho on their books from the age of 7 before losing him to Manchester City as a 14-year-old. City identified the forward as one of the first players to emerge from their academy, but having grown frustrated by a lack of opportunities at the club, he made the bold move to leave England for Germany by signing for Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017. Sancho has since taken the Bundesliga by storm, even pushing Pulisic to the subs’ bench. The English international’s pace down the wing and ability to create chances has made him one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe.

Reports have it that Chelsea want to sign Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
Leverkusen have not received a formal offer for the 20-year old but it is believed Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have held talks with the club.

Uefa is already proposing the postponement of the transfer window from August to October to give clubs the much needed time to make player transfers.

Leverkusen have said that they have not received formal offer for the youngster but it is believed that both Real Madrid and Bayern are keen on Havertz who have take the bundesliga by storm this season.

It is believed that Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich is willing to Chelsea coach, Frank Lampard significant backing in the transfer market this summer.

Chelsea have already make official the signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax Amsterdam, and are also looking to sign Leicester full back, Ben Chilwell when the transfer market opens.

Zealadmol sport blog understands that Jadon Sancho is Manchester United’s top transfer target this summer, while Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham are also on radar. Ajax’s Donny van De Beek and Kai Havertz have also been heavily linked in recent days, as Solskjaer prepares his players for the Premier League’s resumption.
Although, the chief executive of Ajax, Edwin Van Dar Saar has reteriate Ajax desire to keep Van De Beek beyond the current season, United looks optimistic they can land the England international, and a end of the season transfer for Kai Havertz also looks unlikely.
Manchester will look to sign players in the image of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his coaching staff during the summer transfer window, United’s manager confirmed.
“I did feel that I was professional and did feel privileged to play for Manchester United. I wouldn’t be able to look at myself if I didn’t know I’d given everything for my team-mates and my manager,” Solskjaer said in a recent interview .
“That’s what I also now look for in players that we sign or we bring up from the youth team. You have to have a good personality and that you are professional because one rotten apple in the basket will make the others rotten.” Solksjaer concluded.

Lionel Andres Messi will be looking to break so many records when the 2019/2020 season resumes. The father of three will take to the pitch with his Barcelona team when they face real mallorca on the 13th of this month. Their are so many records the Argentina magician will set his sight on. The records that he may as well broke this season.

Player with the most goal for a single club
Pele holds the record for the player with the most goals scored for a single club. He scored a total of 643 goals in Santos colour. Messi, who has scored 627 goals wearing Barca colours need just 17 goals to set a new records.

On his way to winning Pichichi number 17.
The six times Ballon d’or winner is currently the leading goalscorer in Laliga and if he wins the award at The end of the season, he will go one ahead of the great Telmo Zarra.

Other records he can break this season
Messi can become the player with most trophies won for a single club. The record is currently held by Manchester United and Wales legend Ryan Giggs with 36 trophies for the red devils, while Messi is on 34.
If Barcelona wins this season league title, Messi would have won his ninth liga troghy in 12 years and eleventh of possible 16.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton