Brendan Rodgers hailed Leicester City’s talisman Jamie Vardy after his hat-trick in a 5-2 win against Manchester City on Sunday but has warned his side against relying too heavily on the English striker. Vardy, 33, drilled in a pair of penalties either side of a deft back-heel finish, with James Maddison and Youri Tielemans also getting on the scoresheet as Leicester romped to victory at the Etihad Stadium. Seven different players have found the net for Leicester and Rodgers hopes that will continue over the course of the season. “For me, it’s just having the possibility for numbers of players to score. Jamie’s the talisman up there at the top end of the field and gets his hat-trick, gets his goals,” Rodgers said. “But we have other players that can score. You see Harvey Barnes today, how close he was on a few occasions. Maddison came into the game, scoring. And Youri showed great composure. “All in all, it’s important to have various goalscorers. But of course, your guys at the top end of the field will always be up there to score.” Leicester, who are top of the table with three wins from three, face West Ham United in the league on Sunday.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola accused soccer authorities of not caring enough about player welfare as his team faces a busy schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic without several senior players due to injury and illness. City, who reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, ended their 2019-20 campaign in mid-August before returning to action in the Premier League on Monday. They face Leicester City later on Sunday. Guardiola’s side will be without Brazilian international Gabriel Jesus for at least a month because of a muscle issue while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo are all ruled out through injury. Ilkay Guendogan is self-isolating after a positive COVID-19 test and Aymeric Laporte has just returned to training having also contracted the virus. “The reality is what it is. It’s not just City, it’s all the clubs and countries. Nobody cares about the players. Everyone - the Premier League, UEFA, EFL - has defended their own business and position,” Guardiola told reporters. “The players had a two-week pre-season and now they have to play every three days for 11 months. We’ll not change anything saying the opposite. I understand it’s an exceptional situation for everyone - restaurants, theatres, cinemas, museums. “Everyone is struggling... We have to believe in what we’re doing, try and play a good game. We have three players who came back from national teams injured... They let them play two games in four days without preparation. They’re not machines.” After the Leicester clash, City face Burnley in the League Cup on Wednesday before a league match at promoted Leeds United next Saturday.

Egypt s Zamalek brought back Portuguese coach Jaime Pacheco for a second spell, replacing Frenchman Patrice Carteron with another defensive savvy boss as they bid to end their long wait for an African Champions League title. Zamalek s eccentric chairman Mortada Mansour, who remonstrated with a handful of coaches over the past six years and fell out with Pacheco in early 2015, made the announcement on the club s television channel in the late hours of Wednesday, bringing an end to a week-long saga. "Pacheco will sign a one-year contract," Mansour said. Carteron dropped a bombshell by leaving the Cairo giants last week, paying a release clause to terminate his deal and leaving the club in a dire situation, less than a month before their mouthwatering two-legged clash against Morocco s Raja in the Champions League semifinal. Zamalek embarked on a frantic search for a new boss and approached another former coach in Jesualdo Ferreira, who masterminded their rare domestic double in 2015. However, the veteran Portuguese manager turned down their offer. The club then turned to Ferreira s compatriot Pacheco, who replaced Hossam Hassan early in the 2014/15 season that eventually yielded a league and cup double. In a brief spell under his guidance, Zamalek won nine games out of 12, drawing twice and losing once before Pacheco suddenly quit the club on January 1, 2015 to take over at Saudi side Al-Shabab. Pacheco is a safe bet for Zamalek s supporters, given his over-reliance on defence, a feature that has been common last season and in this term. A cautious Zamalek side won the CAF Confederation Cup last season under Swiss boss Christian Gross after producing some solid defensive displays. It was the same story this term under Carteron, with the team mainly banking on their counter-attacking abilities as they reached the Champions League last four for the first time since 2016. Pacheco s main task will be leading Zamalek to their first Champions League title since 2002 and helping them finish as runners-up in the domestic league. The 62-year-old has been without a job since leaving China s Tianjin Teda in 2017.

Juventus have signed Spain striker Alvaro Morata on a one-season loan from Atletico Madrid for 10 million euros, the Italian champions said on Tuesday. The agreement also gives Juve an option to buy the 27-year-old at the end of the season for 45 million euros to be paid over three years, the Turin club added. They could otherwise take him on loan again for the 2021-22 season for another 10 million euro fee and then buy him outright in 2022 at a reduced cost of 35 million euros. Morata returns to the club where he spent two seasons between 2014 and 2016, including scoring in the Champions League final loss to Barcelona in Berlin in 2015. He spent just one season with Atleti, who had initially loaned him from Chelsea but then bought him outright in July last year at a reported fee of 65 million euros. Morata moved to Juve originally from Real Madrid and netted 27 goals in 93 games over two seasons. He went back to Real in mid-2016 but then joined Chelsea after one season. His latest move comes days after an abortive bid by Juventus to sign Luis Suarez from Barcelona and allows the Turin giants to rest 35-year-old talisman Cristiano Ronaldo more regularly. Juve, who are chasing a 10th successive Serie A title this season, visit AS Roma on Saturday although that match could come too early for Morata to feature. The Turin side, whose new coach Andrea Pirlo previously played alongside Morata, began their campaign with a 3-0 home win over Sampdoria at the weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is unsure when new loan signing Gareth Bale will return to full fitness but said the 31-year-old’s desire to play for “the club of his heart” again could speed up the process. Bale secured a loan move from Spanish champions Real Madrid back to his former team on Saturday but Spurs said he would only be ready for action after the October international break having injured his knee playing for Wales this month. “I don’t know when Gareth can be back,” Mourinho told the Evening Standard. “The only thing I know is that his motivation is high. He’s so happy to be with the club of his heart, he’s so happy to play for us. “And when a player has this motivation, many times you can short (reduce) the period of recovery, you can short the period of getting fit and ready to play. “We’re more than happy to have him and help him back to a level that made him one of the best players in the world.” Spurs are due to face Leyton Orient in the third round of the League Cup later on Tuesday but that contest was thrown into doubt after a number of the League Two (fourth-tier) side’s players tested positive for COVID-19.

Pep Guardiola says he is keen to extend his Manchester City contract but must first prove to the Premier League club’s owners that he is worthy of a new deal. Guardiola, who has guided City to two Premier League titles since taking charge in 2016, signed a contract extension to remain at the Etihad until 2021. “I would love to stay longer here,” the 49-year-old said ahead of City’s league opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers. “To extend the contract I have to deserve it and we are going to see if I deserve it this season, in terms of how the team goes forward and improves.” City finished 18 points behind champions Liverpool in the league last season and crashed out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals but Guardiola said his future at the club is not contingent on delivering major trophies. “They haven’t pushed anything since day one. They allow me to do my job as best as I can with my staff and players and this is going to continue,” added the Spaniard. “They didn’t tell me when what I have to win - they told me to play. I know the standards of this club, and I have to win and deserve to extend my contract.”

Ahly players basked in a fifth consecutive Egyptian Premier League title, saying they can now look forward to completing a remarkable season by winning the African Champions League. The Cairo giant wrapped up their record-extending 42nd title with six rounds left after gaining an unassailable 20-point lead on top. Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi thanked his teammates for their efforts all season, highlighting how winning the premier domestic competition had become customary for Egypt and Africa s most successful outfit. "We all know that the league is our preferred trophy and it s normal to win it every season," said El-Shennawi, who has been one of Ahly s best performers in another stellar campaign. "The remaining games in the league will be a good preparation for the Champions League." Ahly will face Morocco s Wydad next month in an anticipated two-legged clash in the Champions League semi-final. They have not won the continent s blue-riband competition since clinching the last of their record eight titles in 2013. "We will celebrate today before starting our preparations for the Champions League from tomorrow," El-Shennawi added. Ahly s right-back Mohamed Hani echoed his sentiment, saying his side are now fully concentrated on ending their African drought. The Red Devils came close to ending their barren run on two occasions, only to lose to Wydad and Tunisia s Esperance in the 2017 and 2018 finals respectively. Ahly s strike duo Marwan Mohsen and Aliou Badji share the burden of putting away the chances that come their way, and they are aware they must deliver in the Champions League. "We will do our best to reach our goal of winning the Champions League," Mohsen said. Senegalese Badji, who joined the team last January, said: "We will forget the league title now to concentrate on the Champions League. We will fight to win all the coming games."

Gareth Bale s move back to Tottenham Hotspur from Real Madrid will be completed this week, the player s agent Jonathan Barnett told AFP on Thursday. The final details of a complicated deal are now being finalised by Madrid and Spurs, with Bale expected to seal a return to the club he left for a world-record 100 million euros (today $118 million) in 2013. "We re getting there," Barnett told AFP. "I think it will be completed this week." Madrid have been pushing for a permanent transfer for Bale in the hope of being rid of his salary, worth around 30 million euros. But Tottenham are expected initially to take Bale on loan as part of a package that includes them paying around half of his wages, as well as some added fees depending on the Welshman s performances. That would mean the total deal could cost Spurs around 20 million euros for the season. Bale has scored 105 goals and made 68 assists in 251 games for Real Madrid while winning four Champions League titles and two in La Liga. But despite some dazzling moments, Bale s early years in Spain were disrupted by injuries while his role has been significantly reduced in recent seasons under Zinedine Zidane. The 31-year-old will join Jose Mourinho at Spurs, who reiterated on Wednesday that he tried to sign the forward while he was in charge of Real Madrid. "I tried to sign him during my time at Real Madrid and the president followed my instinct and knowledge and the season I left, he brought Gareth to the club," Mourinho said. "That s no secret and Gareth knows that." Tottenham are also close to completing the signing of Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon for around 30 million euros. Reguilon enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 season for Madrid but Zidane sent the 23-year-old on loan last year to Sevilla, where he helped them finish fourth in La Liga and win the Europa League.

Zamalek’s French coach Patrice Carteron has abruptly terminated his contract with the club, just a few weeks ahead of the club s anticipated clash with Raja Casablanca in the Champions League semis. Zamalek s TV channel announced on Tuesday that the Frenchman had informed the club that he would pay his USD 250,000-release clause, citing personal reasons for his sudden departure. The shock news will deal a huge blow to the Whites, whose recent form has fed dreams of the team’s first Champions League title since 2002. They are also in a tight race to secure a top two spot in order to qualify for next season s Champions League. The 50-year-old coach took charge of the team in December, succeeding Serbian coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic. Carteron had extended his one-year contract with the club for another season in May. The former TP Mazembe, Raja and Ahly coach made a great impact at the club, helping the White Knights win the African and Egyptian Super Cups in February, and gaining huge popularity in the process. Under his management, the club beat arch-rivals Ahly twice; in the Super Cup in February on penalties (4-3) and in the league in August 3-1. The club are set to face Moroccan side Raja for the Champions League semis on a two-legged tie on 18 and 24 October. Under Carteron’s guidance Zamalek have played 31 matches in all fronts, and have won 19, held nine and garnered three defeats. Zamalek are now second in the league table with 55 points, 17 points behind leaders Ahly who need two points from the remaining seven games to clinch a fifth successive league title and the 42nd in club history.

Ten-man Ahly were forced to wait at least another round to celebrate their fifth successive Egyptian Premier League title after they failed to break down a resolute Ittihad side in a 0-0 draw on Monday. In an intense yet unentertaining affair, Ahly wasted two chances before the break but had substitute Ahmed Fathi, a veteran right-back, dismissed for two bookable offences on the hour mark. Fathi collected the second booking after the referee adjudged him to have caught Mohamed Rezk in the face with his outstretched leg, with Ahly conceding a penalty in the process. However, keeper Mohamed El-Shennawi saved the penalty and was also on hand to deny Ittihad a shock winner at the death as Ahly s six-match winning run came to an end. Despite their fourth draw of the season, Ahly should find no difficulty wrapping up their 42nd title when they meet Maqassa on Saturday as they need just two points from their remaining seven matches. The runaway leaders have 72 points from 27 matches, a staggering 20 ahead of second-placed and perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek. Ittihad, who also held Zamalek to a 1-1 draw last month, are fifth on 37 points. Ittihad kept Ahly at bay for the majority of the first half, with the visitors creating their first real chances on the stroke of halftime when a header from Marwan Mohsen went just wide before striker partner Aliou Badji volleyed straight at the keeper when well-positioned to score. Fathi s red card looked to have turned the tide in Ittihad s favour but El-Shennawi guessed the right way to smother Ahmed Refaat s spot-kick on 62 minutes. The introduction of wingers Walid Soliman and Mahmoud Kahraba failed to spur Ahly into action, with Ittihad looking dangerous every time they poured forward in a breakaway. El-Shennawi thwarted a goal-bound effort in stoppage time to deny Ittihad a famous win, but it would be only a matter of time before Ahly make amends and romp to another league crown.

Frank Lampard says he was “amused” by Juergen Klopp’s comments on Chelsea’s transfer spending and that Liverpool’s heavy expenditure in previous years had laid the foundations for last season’s Premier League title triumph. Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, have spent around 200 million pounds ($256.36 million) to bring in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell. Klopp, who has only signed left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas from Olympiakos Piraeus this season, said Liverpool would not be spending a similar amount as they were a “different kind” of club, one “not owned by countries or an oligarch”. “I found it slightly amusing because when you talk about the owners of clubs, I don’t think it matters what line of business they come from,” Lampard told British media. “We are talking about some very rich owners in the Premier League. “Liverpool’s story is a fantastic story of a club over the five years that Klopp has been there that they have managed to get recruitment right to a really high level,” he added. “You can go through the Liverpool players, (Virgil) Van Dijk, Alisson, Fabinho, Keita, Sadio Mane, (Mohamed)Salah, incredible players that came at a very high price.”

Leeds United waited 16 years to get back into the Premier League in order to compete with the best and while they suffered a 4-3 loss to Liverpool, it was clear from Saturday’s showing that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are an exciting addition to the top flight. The promoted club came back three times to equalise against the champions, they enjoyed the majority of possession and played with a relentless verve and energy and without the slightest hint of stage-fright. The only pity was that this pulsating encounter took place, like every other game this weekend, in an empty stadium -- this was exactly the kind of clash that would have had Anfield on its feet. It can often come across as patronising when a winning manager praises defeated opponents but Juergen Klopp’s post-match comments were a sincere appreciation of Leeds’ approach to the game. “Leeds are special,” said Klopp. “I congratulated every one of their team, what a team they are. Unbelievable. I will watch them quite often during the season.” Beilsa’s side defended with a deep line but while other teams who have adopted that approach at Anfield have bunkered down for a long day of defending, Leeds took the game to Liverpool. It is an approach which stretches the field, creating open areas in midfield which can be very risky against a team of Liverpool’s quality. But it worked, for the most part, because Leeds covered so much ground with their impressive work-rate and because they had the skill and organisation to move the ball swiftly through the lines. “I said before the game, we will all struggle against them, 100%, because the way they play is just uncomfortable. It is different to all the other teams,” said Klopp. It was an approach which worked - forcing Liverpool away from their usual tactic of a high-press and leaving them needing to operate deeper. DEFENSIVE ERRORS “We cannot just press them in their own box always because that’s where they play out, it’s impossible... so we needed a compact formation,” said Klopp. Such has been the focus on Argentine Bielsa and his demanding system that the individual quality in the Leeds side, which won the Championship title last season, is often underplayed. But while they ultimately paid the price for defensive errors, there were some excellent performances from a team making their bow in the top flight. Full-back Luke Ayling powered up and down the right flank and Polish international Mateusz Klich added a well-taken goal to an outstanding all-round midfield display. Jack Harrison’s brilliant solo goal capped an excellent performance of inventiveness combined with aggressive pressing that epitomised Leeds’ approach. ADVERTISEMENT “They’ve made a real statement,” said former Liverpool player and manager Graeme Souness, now a pundit on Sky Sports television. “You can say that Liverpaool were not at their best but they were not allowed to be at their best. Leeds hunted them down for a large part of that game. I don’t think they enjoyed the experience. “Liverpool normally do that to teams that they play. They normally put teams under pressure and outwork them. Tonight, Liverpool were outworked,” he said. Bielsa was not joining in the praise of his team, however. “I can never be happy in defeat,” said the former Athletic Bilbao and Chile coach, who highlighted his team’s defensive errors and felt the champions had deserved their win. “There were periods when Liverpool dominated. There were loads of periods when the game was even. In some moments we were able to be superior. On the whole though Liverpool were superior.” A fair assessment but after watching their first outing of the season, other Premier League teams will not be looking forward to their encounter with Leeds.

This year s edition of the AFC Cup, Asia s second-tier club competition, has been cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the continent s governing body for soccer said in a statement on Thursday. The competition, in which teams from more minor nations in Asia participate, had been suspended since March due to the novel coronavirus crisis and was originally scheduled to resume this month in centralised venues. "In view of the logistics in coordinating the five zones of the AFC Cup and completing the Inter Zone matches, the Executive Committee agreed that the pandemic created complexities which constituted a Force Majeure event and led to the cancellation of the 2020 competition," the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said. The AFC Champions League, the continent s showpiece competition, has also been suspended since March but will resume in West Asia hub Qatar on Sept. 14. East Zone matches are scheduled to be played between Nov. 15 and Dec. 13, 2020. The final will be played in the West Zone on Dec. 19 as a standalone game rather than in the traditional home and away format. The AFC Futsal Championship has been pushed back by a month to December, while the AFC Solidarity Cup and AFC Futsal Club Championship UAE 2020 have been cancelled. "These are tough times for everyone connected with football. We are taking steps to ensure the financial well-being of the AFC and its member associations," AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said. "I am certain that with the unity and solidarity for which the AFC has become admired across football, we can overcome this latest challenge."

Egypt’s prosecutor-general has been requested to investigate the case of the trophies that went missing from the storehouse of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), said the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Wednesday. “The Ministry of Youth and Sports referred the file to the attorney-general based on the report of the ministry s committee charged with looking into the case,” read a statement published on the ministry’s Facebook page. “The committee is part of the ministry s inspection body that reports violations before referring cases to the prosecution to take the appropriate legal measures,” the statement added. The EFA announced on Friday some of the old trophies at the association s storehouse had gone missing. Media reports said the original trophy of the Africa Cup of Nations the Pharaohs had won following the unprecented treble in 2006, 2008, 2010 is among the missing items. The EFA found out some trophies were missing as it was preparing to renovate its headquarters and hold an exhibition of trophies to mark 100 years on the EFA s establishment. Egypt s sports minister Ashraf Sobhy said a ministerial committee will arrive at the EFA headquarters to join the investigation.

Defending Champions Ahly restored their 17-point lead at the top after a 2-0 win against Haras El-Hodoud on Monday to move one step closer to the title. The result put Ahly at 68 points from 25 games ahead of second-placed Zamalek, who have 51 points and now need only eight points from their next nine games to secure their 42nd league title. Two late strikes from second half substitutes Walid Soliman and Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi on the 85th and 96th minutes sealed a clinical but unconvincing win for the Red Devils. Swiss coach Rene Weiler maintained his 4-4-2 scheme for the third game in a row instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 scheme to provide new tactical solutions to his injury-hit squad. But playing with two strikers proved once again ineffective as Ahly were kept at bay during a dour first half. Senegalese forward Aliou Badji created the only threat in the opening 45 minutes, bursting clear of Haras El-Hodoud’s defence to send a low cross to Marwan Mohsen, who hit the side netting with the goal at his mercy. After the interval, both keepers were tested when Ahly s Mohamed El-Shennawi denied a clear-cut chance from Abdel-Latif Grindo, who ghosted past the Red Devils defenders while El-Hodoud s Ahmed El-Saadani saved a poor effort from Badji from point blank after dispossessing the last defender. Weiler reverted to his usual scheme after bringing in most of his key players, most notably veteran winger Walid Soliman, Nigerian winger Junior Ajayi and playmaker Afsha. Soliman proved his coach right as he produced a moment of individual brilliance after combining with Ajayi to fire a left-footed volley into the top corner of the net to put Ahly in the lead. As El-Hodoud threw men forward in the closing stages in an attempt to grab the equaliser, Ajayi broke the offside trap to send a cross to an unmarked Afsha in the area to volley in the roof of the net and secure the full points of the game.

A second-half goal from forward Youssef Ibrahim gave Zamalek a narrow 1-0 win over a plucky Talae El-Geish side as they made light of their injuries to go six points clear in the race to finish second in the Egyptian Premier League. Ibrahim headed home the winner 12 minutes into the second half as Zamalek claimed their third straight win in their pursuit of the last African Champions League qualifying spot. They have 51 points, six clear of third-placed Pyramids with nine matches remaining as they capitalized on the latter s surprise defeat by Gouna earlier on Sunday. However, Zamalek will be deducted three points at the end of the season for failing to show up for a Cairo derby meeting with Ahly in February. El-Geish lie 13th in the table on 26 points. Zamalek s Moroccan forward Achraf Bencharki, their standout performer this year, was injured in the warm-up while Tunisian midfield linchpin Ferjani Sassi was replaced seven minutes before the break after an apparent back complaint as fixture congestion continued to take its toll on the team. El-Geish had the better of the first half, with two shots from Karim Tarek and Ahmed Samir going just over the bar. Zamalek had a solitary chance on the stroke of halftime when Ibrahim was found by a defence-splitting pass from Moroccan winger Mohamed Ounajem, only to hit a poor shot wide of the post from inside the area. El-Geish pinned their illustrious opponents in their own half in the early stages of the second period but the White Knights found the net against the run of play. An inviting cross from diminutive left-back Abdallah Gomaa found Ibrahim unmarked to head home in off the post, with the goal taking the wind out of El-Geish sails as Zamalek dominated the remainder of the game. Zamalek winger Mostafa Fathi made his long-awaited return from injury after coming on in the 58th minute and could have scored when his curling effort narrowly missed the target in the 74th minute. El-Geish spurned a golden chance to equalise with four minutes remaining when a header from substitute Amr Gamal went just wide.

Fans of Wuhan Zall, the Chinese football club from the epicentre of the coronavirus, will Sunday attend their first match since lockdown -- and many were so excited they couldn t sleep. For some, like Gao Yajun, it is the first time they have left the central city of Wuhan since the coronavirus emerged there late last year. The 42-year-old is a Wuhan Zall fanatic who has her nails painted in their orange-and-white colours, an orange streak in her hair and a face mask with the team s fiery emblem. "I don t think I can fall asleep tonight, we couldn t even get to sleep last night because we were so excited," Gao said on the eve of the Chinese Super League (CSL) clash against title contenders Beijing Guoan in Suzhou, near Shanghai. "I saw that everyone else was awake too, chatting in the (online) group. "And then at 4:00 am someone said, Forget it, don t sleep, just get up and let s meet ." Gao, a drummer for the Wuhan fans, was among an advance party of about 50 chanting diehards who arrived in Suzhou by high-speed train on Saturday with flags and banners, including one that read: "Defend Wuhan." "We have hearts of absolute sincerity and stay united through the wind and waves," they sang after boarding a coach to their hotel. Along with Dalian, Suzhou is hosting games this season in the CSL, which has been reformatted and kicked off five months late because of the virus. The CSL has been slowly opening up to a very limited number of spectators in recent weeks, having started the season behind closed doors in July, as long as they pass a coronavirus test in the week leading up to the game. - Wuhan spirit - Fans going to football matches is more evidence of China s recovery from the coronavirus -- the number of new infections has plummeted since the country shut down in February. However, the return of Wuhan Zall supporters -- nine months after they last saw their team in the flesh in the CSL -- is especially significant. In late January, Wuhan and its 11 million people was the first city in the world to go on a coronavirus lockdown. It dragged on for 76 days and was especially harsh. "The entire city pressed the pause button," said Gao, describing how the streets were left deserted. "But now after the restart (of life) and our return to the stadium, we can show the spirit of the Wuhan people and our fans to other fans across the country, and even to the whole world." About 300 Zall supporters are expected to make the 750-kilometre (450 miles) trip eastwards to Suzhou for the Beijing game. The club is giving away tickets for free. A few "ultras" sneaked into a match at the start of the season but for most this is a moment they have been waiting a long time for. For 74-year-old Shi Anshi, a Wuhan native who has supported the team since its founding in 2009, it is his first time out of the city since coronavirus. "From last year until now I have been frustrated and yearn for football," said Shi, sporting an orange jersey with the signatures of players scribbled on it. "I don t care about the result against Beijing, I only want to feel the team s fighting spirit." - Cheer with us - Zall s coach Jose Gonzalez, whose side was stranded in Spain during pre-season because of the virus, told a pre-match press conference that having the fans in the stadium was "special". "I am very grateful to them and they can bring a lot of help to the team," said the Spaniard, who has overseen five victories in eight games this campaign. Zall will leapfrog Beijing into second place in the Suzhou group of eight teams with victory. Shi, who has had "several" coronavirus tests, and the others are aware that a stigma surrounds their city. He has a message: "Wuhan is definitely safe now, I hope you all come to Wuhan for sightseeing. "And if you are a football fan, come and cheer for the team with us."

Luka Modric blows out his cheeks. "It would be a huge loss," he says. "Like when Cristiano left. But you can t think about the past. It s football and that s it." Modric has faced Lionel Messi 21 times and is the only player since 2008 other than Cristiano Ronaldo to beat him to the Ballon d Or. He knows what it would mean if he leaves. "If it happens it will be a huge loss for the prestige of the league," he tells AFP. "But we need to go forward. Other players will become stars. "When Ronaldo left, the same thing happened, the life of Real Madrid went on without him and it will be the same for Barcelona and La Liga without Messi." After Ronaldo, Real Madrid needed two sacked coaches and the return of the old one to get back on their feet, a recovery still not complete as shown by a second consecutive exit in the Champions League last 16. Messi s departure, even his unhappiness, would give Madrid an opening, not only to win La Liga again but to establish their own period of supremacy in Spain. The first step is defending the title they won in July. "We don t have a young team but we have an experienced team," says Modric. "We have young players, who will get better. I don t know if we will buy players but even if it stays like this, we have enough quality. "We showed it in La Liga and we know we can do it again. After the suspension, we came back so motivated. We missed football, we missed winning games. "We had worked so hard, I think physically we were the best team in the league and that s why we won it. It was my second La Liga title and I want to win more." - Dressing room leader - Modric was arguably Real Madrid s best player during the 11-game run-in, perhaps benefitting more than anyone from the three-month pause, after a period when he found himself rotated. "I had two injuries that set me back and then other players took their opportunity," Modric says. "It wasn t easy for me, but maybe now Zizou sees it differently because I never gave up and in the end I was playing again. I feel well now, I feel fit, I feel motivated." He turns 35 next week but Modric still feels instrumental to this Real Madrid, his calm masking an inner-steel that is well-suited to Zidane and perhaps symbolic of the team as a whole. In his autobiography, My Game , released last month, Modric said Zidane urged him to be more of a leader and he has been supporting Eden Hazard during the Belgian s injury-ravaged opening year. "Eden is a great guy and a special player," says Modric. "But he was playing with pain and when you re on the pitch, people always expect the best. They don t care if you have little problems. "I spoke to him and said, Eden maybe you need not to play now and recover because next season we need you at your best. This is a season where you re getting to know everything but next season you need to be 100 per cent because if not, it s going to be difficult . "Hopefully he comes back without any problems and then I m sure he ll show his potential and why the club bought him because we will need him a lot." - Zidane one of the best - Hazard retains the confidence of Zidane but the same cannot be said for Gareth Bale, whose prospects look bleaker than ever if he stays. Modric has spent 12 years playing with Bale, four at Tottenham and eight with Madrid, and he is one of those closest to the Welshman in the dressing room. "Gareth is a great, great player," Modric says. "But his situation is not easy. He always has my support but he needs to decide what is best for him and what he wants to do now with his career. "It was not an easy season for him but it is what it is. Maybe now he needs to get back to his best. Maybe to fight or... We ll see what happens with him." Unlike Bale, Modric trusts Zidane absolutely, dismissing those who claim he is a motivator graced with good luck. "He just perfectly understands players," Modric says. "He is one of the best coaches, definitely. "What we have achieved is unimaginable and still people say it s because of luck or this or that, and they don t give him the recognition he deserves -- but he doesn t need it. His results speak for themselves." Modric recalls one of his first meetings with Zidane in 2016, which he cites as a turning point in his career. "I remember it word for word," says Modric. "He said, I see you as a player who can one day win the Ballon d Or . I d never even thought about the Ballon d Or before but when someone like Zizou tells you that, you feel so much confidence. "It s why we ve always had such a great relationship and I hope he stays at Madrid for a long, long time." Luka Modric s autobiography, My Game , was released on August 20 in the UK, France and Spain.

Lionel Messi s father arrived in Spain early Wednesday and is expected to meet with Barcelona club officials to discuss his son s future. Jorge Messi, who is also Lionel Messi s agent, landed in Barcelona from Argentina. He is expected to meet with club president Josep Bartomeu and other team officials, but it s unclear when then meeting will take place. ``I don t know anything, Jorge Messi said briefly after being questioned at the airport. Lionel Messi last week told Barcelona he wanted to leave the club and invoked a contract clause that allowed him to depart for free at the end of the season. But Barcelona claimed the clause expired in June and said he must see out his current contract until June 2021, or leave by paying the buyout clause of $700 million euros ($837 million). Barcelona has been saying it will not facilitate Messi s departure and will only negotiate a contract extension. The club has offered the Argentine a two-year extension that would keep him with Barcelona through the 2022-23 season. In addition to meeting with Messi s father, Barcelona said it also wanted to meet personally with the player to try to change his mind about leaving. The club said it has been doing everything to try to convince Messi to finish his career at the club where he started nearly 20 years ago. Lionel Messi hasn t met with club officials since announcing his decision to leave and hasn t said anything publicly since Barcelona s 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals on Aug. 14. The defeat that capped a difficult season for the club, its first without a title since 2007-08. The 33-year-old Messi had been outspoken against club officials during the season and he hasn t shown up at the club since the squad returned to training on Monday. He also skipped the required coronavirus tests the team underwent on Sunday. Lionel Messi s representatives claim he was allowed to invoke the clause to leave the club because this year the season was pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic. Barcelona is scheduled to begin its season against Villarreal in the Spanish league at the end of the month.

Marcus Rashford has formed a taskforce with some major food brands to help tackle hunger among children, the Manchester United and England forward said on Tuesday. Rashford had earned widespread praise after the 22-year-old successfully campaigned for school food vouchers to be provided over the summer holidays in Britain, revealing that he had relied on such support as a boy. Announcing the child food poverty group that includes Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Deliveroo, Sainsbury s and Kellogg s among others, Rashford wrote an open letter to parliament endorsing three policy recommendations of the National Food Strategy. The points include the expansion of free school meals to children whose families are on universal credit, expansion of holiday provision to all children on free school meals, and increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers. "I feel like at times people think they are being looked down on if they ask for help, and I think in this generation... that is something that should change," Rashford told the BBC. "You should feel free if you want to ask for help...hold your head up high and, if you need help, go and get help. "...we had to think about the best way to do it, to think about how these families can eat long term and not have issues. We wanted to do it the best way...introduce the best people into our group, and see if using them (we) can push it even more." Rashford had also helped to raise around 20 million pounds ($26.9 million) with charity Fareshare UK to supply meals to struggling families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former European football chief Michel Platini arrived for a meeting with the Swiss public prosecutor on Monday as part of proceedings investigating a two million Swiss franc ($2.2 million) payment he received in 2011. Platini was summoned to the Swiss capital Bern by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand. Sepp Blatter, the former president of the sport s world governing body FIFA, is due to meet the prosecutor on Tuesday as part of the same probe. Platini, the former head of European football s governing body UEFA, arrived at the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) complex in a taxi accompanied by his lawyer Dominic Nellen. Wearing a suit and blue shirt without a tie and carrying a blue folder, he said "hello" towards waiting journalists and smiled briefly as he went to the registration office. He briefly came out again to enter the main premises through a revolving metal gate. Platini and Blatter each face interrogation from the public prosecutor as part of the proceedings, which were opened in 2015. In June, Hildbrand formally added Platini to an investigation into the payment he received from FIFA in 2011 for an advisory job completed in 2002, on suspicion of "complicity in unfair management, embezzlement and forgery in securities". The 65-year-old former French football great now has the status of "accused" alongside Blatter. Platini said at the time that the OAG had "confirmed in writing in May 2018" that his case was closed. - Back pay - Two other former FIFA executives, Frenchman Jerome Valcke, the former secretary-general, and German Markus Kattner, the former financial director, are being investigated on "suspicion of unfair management", the OAG said. Kattner will be questioned on September 4. Platini said he was being persecuted by FIFA. "After five years, it is quite possible that FIFA will continue to harass me through complaints with the sole aim of keeping me out of football and smearing my reputation," he said in June. Blatter, who is 84, told AFP the payment was above board. "It was a back pay for work done by Michel Platini. The sum was validated by the finance commission. It cannot be a criminal offence," Blatter said, adding that he was "serene" ahead of the new hearing. FIFA deemed the sum a "disloyal payment" and suspended Blatter and Platini from all football-related activities, which prevented the former UEFA chief from running for the FIFA presidency in 2016. Platini appealed against his suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced it to four years, then the Swiss Federal Court and finally at the European Court of Human Rights. Hildbrand questioned Blatter in late July and early August in connection with a separate investigation into television rights contracts issued to the Caribbean Football Union.