Manchester City s Raheem Sterling said social media companies have the technology to tackle online abuse but questioned whether they have the will to do so. Sterling was responding to the results of a Professional Footballers Association (PFA) report https://www.thepfa.com/news/2020/10/21/pfa-charity-ai-research-study into messages sent on Twitter to 44 current and former players in England. The report said that during the six weeks of "Project Restart", data science company Signify Group analysed 825,515 tweets directed at the players, identifying over 3,000 explicitly abusive messages. As much as 56% of all discriminatory abuse identified during the study was racist, with 43% of Premier League players in the group experiencing targeted and explicitly racist abuse. "I don t know how many times I need to say this, but football and the social media platforms need to step up, show real leadership and take proper action in tackling online abuse," Sterling told British media. "The technology is there to make a difference, but I m increasingly questioning if there is the will." The study, also backed by anti-discrimination body Kick It Out, called for stakeholders to fund a centralised artificial intelligence-driven system to monitor abusive users across social media. It recommended prosecutions, stadium bans and suspensions for abusers. "The recommendations we have announced today can make a real impact, but it needs everyone to work together to achieve change," PFA head of equalities Simone Pound said. In response to the study, a Twitter representative told Sky Sports the platform strongly condemned racist behaviour. "We want to reiterate that abusive and hateful conduct has no place on our service and we will continue to take swift action on the minority that try to undermine the conversation for the majority," the representative said. Facebook said it had recently partnered with Kick it Out on its Take A Stand campaign. "We ve also introduced technology to give people more control over their experience, including a setting for public figures to prevent people they don t know from messaging them," a Facebook representative said.

Moroccan football team Raja has been ordered to be quarantined for a week due to coronavirus infections, with the country’s health ministry deciding late Tuesday to abandon the team travelling to Egypt, leaving Saturday’s anticipated match against Zamalek in doubt. The Moroccan side was due to be hosted by the Whites at Cairo International Stadium in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semifinal. Zamalek earned a precious first-leg advantage, beating the hosts 1-0 on Sunday. Just 24 hours after the first leg, Raja officially announced that six players newly tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of infected players to eight, besides two from the technical staff. With the fate of Saturday’s scheduled match uncertain, Moroccan newspaper Al-Montakhab reported late Tuesday that the CAF, the African football governing body, is set to postpone the match. Zamalek’s president Mortada Mansour showed solidarity with the Moroccan side on Tuesday night, welcoming postponing the match until the recovery of Raja players. Zamalek are bidding for their sixth Champions League title, and the first since they defeated Raja 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final in 2002. Raja were recently crowned Moroccan champions after a breathtaking race with Wydad Casablanca, which was settled on the final day of the season.

The Premier League said on Monday that eight people had returned positive results in its latest round of COVID-19 tests conducted on players and staff last week. The league said the individuals who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus would now self-isolate for 10 days. "The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 12 October and Sunday 18 October, 1,575 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were eight new positive tests," the Premier League said in a statement here. A total of 42 people have tested positive for the virus in seven rounds of testing since the new campaign began on Sept. 12. There have been more than 750,000 COVID-19 infections and over 43,000 deaths in the United Kingdom, according to a Reuters tally.

Achraf Bencharki headed home in the first half as a disciplined Zamalek side snatched a 1-0 victory over Raja in Casablanca to close in on the African Champions League final on Sunday, following in the footsteps of Cairo rivals Ahly. The in-form Moroccan wizard, whose creativity has proved vital in Zamalek s path towards the semis, outjumped his marker at the far post to score what proved to be the winner on 18 minutes. He set a record in the process, becoming Zamalek s highest-scoring foreigner in African competitions with nine goals, surpassing former Burkinabe striker Abdoulaye Cisse even though he only joined Zamalek in the summer of 2019. Zamalek could have doubled their advantage on at least a couple of occasions after the break, with Bencharki masterminding their pacy counter attacks as Raja poured forward en masse to score an equaliser. The visitors also survived a late onslaught to claim a crucial win as they seek to reach the final for the first time since 2016. On Saturday, record eight-time winners Ahly defeated Raja s rivals Wydad 2-0 at the same Mohammed V Stadium, with the Egyptian duo now looking overwhelming favourites to reach the final of Africa s blue-riband club competition. The second legs will take place next weekend at Cairo s International Stadium. Compact Defence Zamalek were barely troubled in the first half, with their compact midfield and rearguard restricting Raja to some tame efforts. They relied on the pace and trickery of wingers Ahmed Zizo and Bencharki to unlock the high backline at the other end and both combined to score the opener on 18 minutes. Zizo skipped past his challenger down the right and whipped in a cross that keeper Anas Zniti misjudged, with Bencharki leaping above Ilias Haddad to head into an empty net at the far post. The closest Raja came to an equaliser before the break was a 42nd-minute header from Soufiane Rahimi that Zamalek keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal pushed away. In the second half, Zamalek had two more chances to kill off Raja s hopes, with Bencharki chipping the ball over Zniti before crossing low for deep-lying forward Youssef Ibrahim, whose shot struck a defender with the goal gaping. Another chip from lone striker Mostafa Mohamed over Zniti missed the target before Zamalek were pegged back in the latter stages, resorting to deep defending that allowed Raja to lay siege to their area. However, they held firm to come away with a valuable victory that put them in the driving seat for a place in the 6 November final.

Egypt s Ahly moved within touching distance of reaching the African Champions League final for the third time in four years, producing an impressive away display to down Morocco s Wydad 2-0 in the semi-final first leg on Saturday. An early goal from Magdi Afsha and a second-half penalty from Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul helped Ahly put one foot in the final as they chase a record-extending ninth triumph and their first in seven years. Wydad, who were hapless throughout at their own Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, appeared to be dearly affected by the absence of several key players, especially in defence, where natural midfielder Yahya Jabrane was repeatedly exposed. Jabrane, drafted as a central defender due to shortage of options at the back, was robbed by Afsha for Ahly s opener before blocking a shot from Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi with his arm shortly after the hour mark, with Maaloul tucking away the resulting penalty. Wydad, who beat Ahly in a two-legged final in 2017, have tasted their first home defeat in the competition since losing to the Cairo giants in 2016. The Red Devils will be firm favourites to advance to the final when they host Wydad next week at Cairo Stadium. Bold approach Ahly took Wydad by surprise in their early stages, adopting a bold approach and pressing the hosts high up the pitch. They opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when the hesitant Jabrane gave away possession as Afsha broke clear to calmly slot the ball past the keeper and into the bottom corner. Ahly were pegged back after going ahead and too many mis-placed passes in their own half allowed Wydad to mount pressure, although the Moroccans were still too lethargic to create openings. It took Wydad until the latter stages of the half to create some danger, with Walid El Karti mis-hitting a close-range volley and veteran winger Ismail El Haddad blasting high over from a good scoring position. They were then awarded a penalty after VAR review on 39 minutes when Ivorian striker Gbagbo Magbi appeared to have been felled by keeper Mohamed El-Shennawi after running onto a threaded pass, only for Badie Aouk to send a tame spot-kick down the middle and straight into the hands of the in-form goalie. There was more bad news for Wydad in a second half dominated by a composed Ahly side, whose fast breakaways unsettled their opponents shaky backline. After a well-worked counter attack, Jabrane conceded a penalty that Maaloul converted after sending keeper Reda Tagnaouti the wrong way, leaving Wydad with an uphill to climb. Ahly held firm in the latter stages and were barely troubled to secure a vital win on the road.

All Zamalek s players have tested negative for COVID-19 after undergoing PCR tests ahead of the game against Morocco s Raga in the semifinal of the CAF Champions League on Sunday. The White Knights are scheduled to face Morocco s Raja in the first leg of the competition s semis on Sunday, with the second leg scheduled to take place six days later in Cairo. "All Zamalek crew underwent PCR tests in Morocco and they tested negative for Coronavirus," read a statement on the club s official website. Zamalek s Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki joined the team s training session amid preparations for the crucial showdown after finishing his duty with the North African national team. "Bencharki will join the team s regular trainings on Thursday and he is fit for the game," the statement added. Meanwhile, Zamalek s Tunisian attacking midfielder Ferjani Sassi, who said on Wednesday he tested positive for COVID-19, will most likely miss the semi-finals despite being named in the team s squad that flew to Morocco on Tuesday. Zamalek s injured defender Mahmoud Alaa will undergo a rehab program ahead on Thursday to determine his availability for the game. The Cairo giants are bidding for their sixth Champions League title and the first since they defeated Raja 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final in 2002.

Neymar overtook Ronaldo and moved into second place behind Pele on Brazil’s all-time goalscoring list after notching a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory over Peru on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier. The Paris St Germain striker now has 64 goals, two more than Ronaldo and 13 behind Pele, who heads the list with 77, according to the count by world governing body FIFA. Brazil coach Tite was reluctant to compare his current star with past greats. “It’s unfair making comparisons,” he said. “What I can say is Neymar has this unpredictability. He is the bow and the arrow, he’s a player who both makes and takes chances. And he gets better and better, and more mature.” On Tuesday, Neymar equalled and then surpassed Ronaldo with two penalties either side of halftime before grabbing No. 64 in injury time at Lima’s National stadium. The 28-year old celebrated by holding up the number nine with his hands in what appeared to be a tribute to Ronaldo, the former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Corinthians striker. Neymar, who made his Brazil debut in 2010, scored his 64 goals in 103 games.

Masry’s Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi has announced his departure from the Port Said based club to join rivals Pyramids FC during the current summer transfer window. “I will miss Masry club a lot. I am grateful for all the benefits the club has added to my career,” Wadi told ON Time Sports on Tuesday. “I am thankful for the happy days I spent here. I have received huge support from the fans, and I am sad to be departing from Masry. The decision wasn’t such an easy one, but this is football,” added the player who joined the costal club two years ago from Jordan’s Al-Ahli. The 25-year old Wadi played 75 matches in different competitions throughout his whole career with Masry; netting 19 goals. “This is the future and ambition that I am searching for. Joining a big club like Pyramids FC is a challenge to deliver my best,” Wadi explained. “Once the deal is finalized, my main target will be securing both collective and personal achievements,” he concluded. Masry currently lie seventh in the league table with 42 points, 44 behind leaders Ahly who played one match more. Pyramids lies in third place with 64 points. Egypt s rising football powerhouse Pyramids FC recently announced the signing of several Egyptian Premier League stars like Ahly s duo winger Ramadan Sobhi and goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy. Pyramids are also set to sign another Ahly veteran in right-back Ahmed Fathi, whose deal also runs out at the end of the season. The big-spending club finished third in the Egyptian league last season and were strongly challenging Zamalek for the second spot, which earns qualification for the lucrative African Champions League, this term.

English Football League chairman Rick Parry has praised Liverpool and Manchester United for "showing leadership" after they came up with a radical plan to overhaul the Premier League that he believes will benefit the whole game. The controversial "Project Big Picture" includes proposals to reduce the Premier League from 20 to 18 teams and abolish the League Cup and Community Shield. The club finishing 16th in the Premier League would join the Championship play-offs while there would be greater voting rights for the nine longest-serving Premier League clubs. Under the plan, EFL clubs would receive an immediate £250 million ($325 million) rescue package and a 25 percent future annual share of Premier League revenue. Football in England has been played behind closed doors since March because of the coronavirus pandemic and lower-league clubs are facing financial calamity, with fans barred from stadiums. Parry insists the proposals -- which would be the biggest shake-up of English football in a generation -- offer the best chance of securing the future of clubs outside the top flight but they have been deeply divisive. The Premier League said the plans would have a "damaging impact on the whole game" while the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport criticised "backroom deals". - Liverpool, Man Utd praised - But Parry, a former chief executive of Liverpool and the Premier League, was fulsome in his praise for Liverpool and United, England s two most successful clubs. "It is two of our great clubs showing leadership when it is needed, exercising great responsibility, and from the EFL point of view it is making our clubs sustainable and bridging the gap between the top of the Championship and and the bottom of the Premier League," he said. "The cherry on the icing on the cake is the prospect of a £250 million rescue fund immediately, which does of course help, but the principal part of the story is the biggest reset since the formation of the Premier League which, all being well, will set up the pyramid for the next 25 years. "The proposal is designed for the greater good of English football." Parry said the Premier League has had plenty of opportunity to come up with plans of their own. "They could have come up with a plan like this at any time," he added. "How long has it taken to get a short-term rescue package even to the starting gate? Months." "The message from Liverpool and Manchester United and their ownership is they actually genuinely do care about the pyramid," Parry added. "This hasn t been rushed together, this isn t a Covid plan, it has been years in the thinking and months in the making." Salford co-owner and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said "there is too much good in this plan to dismiss it". "There are parts of the proposal that require negotiation," he said. "Let s get round the table please PL/EFL/FA/FSF (supporters group). If it suits 9 PL clubs and maybe 72 EFL clubs then let s work with the other 11." But speaking on Sky News on Monday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "If we keep having these backroom deals and all these other things going on we will have to look again at the underlying governance of football." The Football Supporters Association said it "notes the report with grave concern" and added: "As football s most important stakeholders, it is crucial that fans are consulted and involved in the game s decision-making."

All eyes will be on the game this Sunday between Egyptian Premier League champions Ahly and Pyramids FC, who are fighting to secure their runner-up place in the teams table. Pyramids FC are highly motivated to face Ahly in the 33rd matchday of the Egyptian Premier League as they are eager to snatch the game s points to stay in second place with four points over their rivals Zamalek. Pyramids FC are bidding to make their first ever appearance in the CAF Champions League next season if they finish as runner-up in the domestic league. The Cairo giants Ahly, wrapped up their record-extending 42nd Egyptian Premier League title this season with six rounds left after gaining an unassailable 20-point lead on top over second-placed Pyramids FC. A game of musical chairs is running between Pyramids FC and Zamalek as the latter lost two points after the goalless draw with Wadi Degla last week placing them at third place with only one point behind Pyramids FC. Ahly consider the game against Pyramids a crucial preparatory match for the Red Devils, against Morocco s Wydad, in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League which is yet to take place on 17, October. "The CAF Champions League games will be different from the games we played in the Egyptian league but Ahly are always ready for all competitions," Ahly s South African coach Pitso Mosimane said. The game against Pyramids FC is also considered quite the test for newly appointed South African coach Pitso Mosimane who managed to beat Arab Contractors 1-0 and Enppi 3-0 respectively in the league since his arrival. "Ahly players performed well during their match against Enppi as the back line introduced a cement defence alongside the superb performance of striker Marawan Mohsen who scored twice," said Mosimane at the post game s press conference. "I am doing my best to please Ahly fans by introducing a superb performance as well as positive results," he added. Since the goalless draw with Wadi Degla and losing the runner-up place to Pyramids, some Zamalek supporters took to social media and decided to support the team s arch rivals Ahly in their mission against Pyramids FC. Other Zamalek hard-core fans however, refused the idea despite they possibly being absent from the prestigious continental tournament next season. Pyramids FC will start the match with full capacity as winger Abdalla El-Saied, who always shines against his former club Ahly, is fit for the game after missing the last match between the two sides. The Red Devils welcome back the services of winger Ahmed El-Sheikh and Senegalese striker Aliou Badji after missing Enppi game due to injuries. Ahly defenders Rami Rabia and Ayman Ashraf are still unable to play due to injuries alongside the team s first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi, who missed the last game against Enppi, also due to an injury. Mosimane called up youth players to the first team to make up for the absences. Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul and Angolan winger Geraldo however, are not available because of international duties.

Each team will be able to register up to four foreign players in their squad for the 2020/21 season but that number will be trimmed the following season, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced on Wednesday. The EFA has kept the number unchanged for the new season, with each team also allowed to register an additional fifth player providing that he is Palestinian, Syrian, Tunisian, Moroccan, Algerian or Libyan. The EFA said fewer foreigners will be allowed to join league clubs in the following season, although it did not specify any number. Teams are still prohibited from signing any foreign goalkeepers, the EFA wrote in its regulations for the 2020/21 season. A significant change from the past seasons is that coaches who unilaterally terminate their deals with the clubs they manage will not be permitted to take charge of another team in the same season. A coach who is sacked will be allowed to take charge of one more team during the course of the season, the EFA added. Teams will be allowed to loan out up to five players every season, a decision that is likely to affect Cairo duo Ahly and Zamalek, who usually prefer to send most of their fringe players out on loan so they can gain first-team experience. The EFA also set dates for the summer transfer window, which will run from 10 October to 4 November, a few months later than usual after the league was suspended for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has played down reports linking him with a move to Barcelona. The 29-year-old was reported to be one of Ronald Koeman’s primary targets in the close season but Wijnaldum said there was “nothing concrete”. “I don’t think it was that serious,” he said. “Otherwise you would have read a bit more, or more would have happened. “The way it looks now, I will stay in Liverpool. My contract is valid for another 10 months and that can change. You never know in football.” Wijnaldum has played in all four of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season.

A spectacular strike from Ahmed "Zizo" El-Sayed in the 115th minute gave Zamalek a 2-1 victory against Smouha on Monday to reach the Egypt Cup quarter-finals. The Whites, who won six out of the past seven titles, will face FC Masr in November. After a scoreless and dour first half, Smouha turned on the style in the 54th minute when Salah Mohsen scored one of the best goals of the season, cutting from the left and producing a magnificent curling finish into the top corner. Second half substitute Emam Ashour grabbed the equaliser after intercepting a low cross from Zizo in the area and his deflected shot wrongfooted the keeper in the 81st minute. Going into extra time, Zamalek attacked en masse and got what they deserved with an outstanding shot from Zizo after a solo display in the 114th minute.

Egypt s Olympic Committee on Sunday suspended Zamalek president Mortada Mansour for four years and handed him an EGP 100,000 fine for repeatedly using an abusive language against many sports officials. The Olympic Committee said it acted upon complaints from a number of sports officials and organizations, including the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), the Handball Federation, the chairman of Cairo club Ahly and others.

Leicester s perfect start to the Premier League season ended with a 3-0 loss to West Ham in its fourth match on Sunday. With manager David Moyes still isolating with coronavirus, West Ham took the lead in the 14th minute through Michail Antonio. The forward took a quick free kick after he was fouled by Caglar Soyuncu out wide on the right. He switched play with a cross-field pass to Aaron Cresswell and made a run for the far post, where he was on hand to head home Cresswell s curling cross. Pablo Fornals doubled the lead in the 34th. Cresswell s long, high clearance forward was brought under control by Fornals, allowing him to advance into the penalty area and beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel down by his near post. Fornals set up the third in the 83rd. His pass behind the defense cut Leicester open again and Jarrod Bowen darted through to finish neatly past Schmeichel and ensure another emphatic victory for West Ham, following a 4-0 success against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. It denied 2016 champion Leicester the chance to open a season with four league wins for the first time in its history. Leicester s day was summed up in stoppage time when Jamie Vardy, who was largely anonymous for the entire match, finally got some decent service but clipped his finish over goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski. Harvey Barnes then had a goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside. West Ham has six points from four games.

Egyp s Ahly announced the departure of Swiss coach Rene Weiler on Thursday, naming South African Pitso Mosimane as his successor in a surprise shift from their traditional habit of bringing in European managers. "Mosimane signed a two-season contract starting on 2 October 2020, alongside his assistant crew including general coach and performance analyst," read a statement on the club s official website. "Assistant Coach Sami Komsan and Belgian Goalkeeping Coach Michel Iannacone will stay in their posts while Sayed Abdel-Hafiz to continue as the team s football director, the statement added.

Lionel Messi called for "an end" to arguments at Barcelona as he urged unity at the club he tried to leave before the season. The Barcelona captain spoke to Barcelona newspaper Sport in an interview published online late on Tuesday. "After so many disagreements, I would like to put an end to it," said Messi. "We must unite all Barcelona s people and assume that the best is yet to come." Messi referred to his attempt to force Barcelona to release him from the final year of his contract after the disastrous end to last season left the club without a trophy. "I take responsibility for my mistakes, that, if they existed, were only to make a better and stronger FC Barcelona," said the Argentine. "I wanted to send a message to all the club members and to all the fans. If any of them is bothered for a second by something I said or did, they should never doubt that I am always thinking about what is best for the club." "Adding passion and desire will be the only way to achieve our objectives, always united and pulling in the same direction," said Messi, who last Friday criticised the way Barcelona had let Luis Suarez go saying "the truth is nothing surprises me anymore."

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp hit back at television pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on Monday after the Irishman described the Premier League champions’ defending in a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Monday as “sloppy”. Liverpool have won all three of their league games so far this season, beating visiting Leeds United 4-3 and winning 2-0 at Chelsea, but while praising Klopp’s side Keane said they had shown the ability to win while not being perfect in defending. “Strangely enough if you look at Liverpool, they have been sloppy against Leeds, OK done well against Chelsea, sloppy again tonight, but they have got nine points, maximum points, so they will know they need to improve,” noted Keane. “It looks like they are capable of winning football matches without being at their best and that is a sign of a good team.” But Klopp pounced on Keane’s comments. “Did I hear it right, that Mr Keane said it was a sloppy performance tonight?” asked the German coach as he began a post-match interview with Sky Sports. “I could hear you already, did he say that?” After Keane attempted to explain his remarks, Klopp continued. “I just wanted to hear it. I’m not sure I heard it right, maybe he was speaking about another game... it cannot be this game, sorry! “That is an incredible description of this game, that was absolutely exceptional. Nothing was sloppy, absolutely nothing,” said Klopp, to the delight of Liverpool fans on social media, who relished the strong riposte to an old rival. “Alisson had to make one save, they had two balls in behind, you cannot avoid that. You need a goalie in these situations. Apart from that, the football we played was absolutely exceptional tonight,” added Klopp. “About this game tonight, there is nothing bad to say. It was the opposite of sloppy.” Arsenal had taken the lead through Alexandre Lacazette after a poor miscontrol from Andy Robertson in his own area and the French striker could have equalised in the second half when he was one-on-one against Alisson. Keane, known as a tough tackling player and tough talking pundit, appeared a little amused by Klopp’s reaction. “Very sensitive, Jesus. Imagine if he’d lost?” he said.

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.