Global Sports News

Qatar World Cup: FIFA writes to teams and says 'focus on the football... not ideological or political battle that exists'

Global Sports News has exclusively seen the full letter from FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, and the governing body's secretary general, Fatma Samoura, that has been sent amid growing pressure on players to be activists around the tournament.

It has been a World Cup build-up dogged by concerns about the suffering of low-paid migrant workers to build the infrastructure in the tiny Gulf nation and discriminatory laws that criminalise same-sex relations.

"Please, let's now focus on the football!" Infantino and Samoura wrote to the 32 football nations contesting the World Cup.

TRANSFER NEWS LIVE UPDATES: Follow here
for the latest news and done deals from the
Premier League and across Europe...
Saturday August 5
Barca want Paulo Dybala
10:09: Barcelona are preparing a £108m bid to
sign Paulo Dybala.
Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport claim
Barca are determined to land the Argentine this
summer.
Juventus don’t want to sell but Barca have the
funds to secure a deal after offloading Neymar
onto PSG for £200m.
Gazzetta dello Sport suggest Barca could offer
Andre Gomes and Rafinha as part of a player-
plus-cash deal.
Mendes wants Costa at Milan
09:04: Jorge Mendes is trying to convince Diego
Costa to join AC Milan.
Costa wants to move to Atletico Madrid but the
La Liga club would not be able to play him for
six months due to their transfer ban.
Milan are interested in Costa and Chelsea are
keen to sell - although a loan move may also be
acceptable.
Calciomercato claims Mendes has told Costa to
forget about Atletico and secure a move to Milan
so he can play a full season of football before
the World Cup next summer.
Mendes has already met with Milan’s directors to
discuss how a deal could be secured.
Man Utd's Perisic latest
08:36: Inter Milan are eyeing a deal for Angel Di
Maria as a replacement for Ivan Perisic.
Manchester United want to sign Perisic but Inter
will not let their star go unless they have a
replacement.
And Italian journalist Giorgio Micheletti says Di
Maria is the man on Inter’s wish list.
Inter are not willing to sell Perisic until a deal for
Di Maria is in the pipeline, meaning United may
have to play the waiting game to get their top
target.
Chelsea's Diego Costa has been urged to join AC
Milan
Conte on new Chelsea deals
08:03: Antonio Conte wants more signings at
Chelsea and is seeking competition for Victor
Moses.
Moses will miss the start of the Premier League
season due to suspension.
And Conte says he would like to strengthen the
right-wing back position.
“For now we haven’t an alternative to Moses. We
are trying to find the right alternative.
“It is very important to improve our squad.
“On the numerical aspect we have a small
squad. Only one player is not enough. We need
more players to improve our squad. Now we are
only a few players.”
Liverpool push for Lemar among others
05:50: Liverpool and Barcelona have made their
interest in Thomas Lemar known in recent hours,
according to French newspaper L’Equipe.
The Monaco winger is said to be a target for the
Reds, having been chased by Premier Leaguer
rivals Arsenal.
Manchester City are also now keen too, but
Barcelona have seriously positioned themselves
in the race.
As a result, it is said Lemar is intrigued by
Barca’s desire to sign him, with Arsenal losing
their grip on the situation.
Liverpool, meanwhile, face an uphill battle with
Barcelona carrying the biggest appeal to Lemar.
Arsenal and Liverpool on red alert for
Lucas Vazquez
05:10: Lucas Vazquez is ready to quit Real
Madrid if Kylian Mbappe joins from Monaco this
summer.
The 26-year-old Spain international wants regular
game time this season ahead of the 2018 World
Cup.
And should Mbappe arrive at the Bernabeu,
forward Vazquez will leave Madrid, according to
Spanish outlet Don Balon.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle and Roma are all
said to have offers on the table for Vazquez.
And the Premier League trio are keen on
securing his services.
Mourinho urges Bale to go public
03:50: Jose Mourinho wants Gareth Bale to go
public on leaving Real Madrid this summer so
Manchester United can sign him, according to
stunning reports in Spain.
Madrid are looking to make room and raise funds
for the arrival of Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe.
According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, Mourinho
has apparently sent a message to Bale to help
speed up his proposed switch, urging the Madrid
forward to step forward and publicly discuss his
desire to quit the Bernabeu.
That would leave United in a strong position to
negotiate with Madrid.
It is claimed the Red Devils intend to close a
deal for about £90million, which is close to what
Madrid paid Spurs back in 2013.
While Madrid are apparently encouraging the
move for a player who has struggled with injuries
during his time at the club, much is said to rely
on Bale speaking out.
Jose Mourinho wants Gareth Bale to help speed
up a move to Manchester United from Real
Madrid
Borthwick-Jackson has Leeds medical
02:10: Manchester United defender Cameron
Bothwick-Jackson is having a medical at Leeds.
According to Sky Sports, the 20-year-old left-
back is on the verge of securing a season-long
loan move to Elland Road.
A switch could be confirmed as soon as today.
Chelsea's Costa to Liverpool - Thompson
01:40: Liverpool legend Phil Thompson would
love to see wantaway Chelsea striker Diego
Costa join on loan.
“Dare I say it: Diego Costa signs for Atletico
Madrid and then gets loaned out to Liverpool?”
Thompson told The Irish Examiner.
“It would be quite a dream, wouldn’t it? I’d take
him for six months.
“Going back three or four years when Liverpool
were in for Costa, I think we offered 20 million. It
was 25 million and the deal never got done. I
was amazed. If we’d have had Suarez and Diego
Costa, God, they’d have frightened everybody.
“You love these players. Every other supporter
moans at them but you know as a Chelsea fan
how much Costa will fight for you, do the battling
for you. Good skills too. Good technique.
“Is Morata going to be (as effective) when you
get into battles in the Premier League? It didn’t
matter whether you were playing against Hull
City or Manchester United, you knew what you’d
get off Costa.”
Wenger - Sanchez wants title with
Arsenal
00:50: Arsene Wenger is convinced Alexis
Sanchez will fight to win the title for Arsenal this
season.
Asked whether he was confident that Sanchez
will give everything to the team if he remains at
the club this summer, Wenger replied: "Of
course. Why not?
“If you look at it, it's always in your interests,
even if you have a short contract, to do well.
“And the kind of character he is [also convinces
me].
"He is a winner. When he goes on the football
pitch, he wants to win.
Friday August 4
Drinkwater to Chelsea closer
23:35: Chelsea are reportedly closing in on
Leicester star Danny Drinkwater.
According to the Mirror, Chelsea hold a serious
interest in landing the 27-year-old.
The Blues were keen to bring him to Stamford
Bridge last summer along with N’Golo Kante.
However, it is said Leicester would not sanction
the departure of both their centre-midfielders
following the Foxes’ title success.
Now, though, Chelsea are ready to return for
Drinkwater, and he is also eager on the move.
Drinkwater is prepared to tell Leicester he wants
to join Chelsea this month, with Conte impressed
by his work rate and intelligence.
Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater is keen to
join Chelsea
Advocaat backs Van Dijk
22:40: Virgil van Dijk has received support from
international boss Dick Advocaat in his fight to
quit Southampton.
The Holland manager understands the reasons
behind Van Dijk’s desire to join one of the
Premier League’s elite this summer.
Liverpool and Chelsea are in the hunt for his
signature, with the 26-year-old having this week
reiterated his wish to go.
Jurgen Klopp has long pursued Van Dijk, but
Liverpool’s alleged illegal approach means they
are having to tread carefully.
Meanwhile, The Times have claimed Chelsea
now believe they can get a deal done by next
weekend.
On the defender’s situation, Advocaat said: “You
can condemn it (Van Dijk’s actions), but come
on, if you can earn five times as much at a top
English club then I understand that.”
Real okay Bale to Utd
20.45: Real Madrid have sanctioned the sale of
Gareth Bale to Manchester United, according to
Spanish outlet Don Balon.
The report says Real president Florentino Perez
has okayed the deal providing they get David de
Gea in return.
The La Liga champions will reportedly ask for a
player-plus-cash deal for Bale.
Real are reportedly keen to offload the
Welshman to make room for Monaco's Kylian
Mbappe.
Barca agree Dembele deal?
17:12: Barcelona have apparently agreed in
principle a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund striker
Ousmane Dembele to replace Neymar.
Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri claims Barca
have agreed personal terms with Dortmund
wonderkid Dembele to replace Neymar after his
£200m move to PSG.
And Palmeri added the Spanish giants are
making a £72m bid for the 20-year-old.
“Barcelona have reached an agreement on
personal terms with Dembele and have decided
to bid €80million for him,” he tweeted.
Conte coy over Matic
16:00: Antonio Conte has suggested Chelsea
sold Nemanja Matic to Manchester United
wihtout his blessing.
Matic join United in a £40m deal after being left
out of the club’s pre-season tour of the Far East.
And when questioned about Matic today, Conte
said: “You have to ask the club about this.
“Now for us its very important to try to improve
our squad – in the numerical aspect – we have
a small squad.
“I think only one player is not enough to improve
our team, we need more players.”
PA
Coutinho + Dybala to Barca
14:45: Barcelona are said to want to sign
Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho and Juventus
ace Paulo Dybala for a combined £216m.
TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Enzio Bucchioni
claims Barcelona will use the £200m from
Neymar’s sale to PSG to bring Coutinho to the
Nou Camp.
He said: “With €222m (£200m) in hand, to be
spent, Barcelona are knocking on multiple doors
and talking with more players.
"Liverpool are set to [lose] Coutinho. The deal
with the player is there.
"The English have said no to €100m (£90m), but
the offer will rise soon [to] around €120m
(£108m). Still [they] cannot say no.
"But Coutinho cannot be enough, the other great
goal is [Paulo] Dybala. No secret, [the]
Argentinean has always been liked. Barcelona
prepares a bid of €120m (£108m)."
Happy Hazard
13:50: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has
dismissed speculation surrounding the future of
Eden Hazard.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a
move for the Belgium playmaker, but Conte has
reiterated that Hazard is happy in West London.
He told reporters: "Eden is very happy to stay
with us."
Mavididi close to Preston deal
13:30: Arsenal youngster Stephy Mavididi is on
the verge of joining Preston.
The 19-year-old spent six months with Charlton,
but only made five appearances before
sustaining a serious hamstring injury.
News Shopper claim Arsenal prevented League
One Charlton from re-signing Mavididi, who will
play in the Championship next season.
Zidane wants Eden over Mbappe
13:17: Zinedine Zidane would prefer to sign Eden
Hazard ahead of Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The Champions League winners have been
heavily backed to sign Mbappe, who's also
attracted the attentions of rivals Barcelona.
But Spanish publication Don Balon claim the Real
boss wants Chelsea's Hazard.
Zidane is also thought to be growing tired of
delays in the club's attempts to sign Mbappe.
Done Deal: Villa sign Onomah
13:15: Tottenham's highly-regarded England
Under-21 midfielder Josh Onomah has joined
Aston Villa on a season-long loan.
Onomah has played for every England age group
from Under-16 upwards and was a member of
the squad that won the Under-20 World Cup
recently.
He played 12 times for Spurs last season,
including a Champions League appearance as a
substitute against Bayer Leverkusen.
Done Deal: Phillips extends Leeds
contract
13:05: Kalvin Phillips has extended his contract
at Leeds United.
The midfielder's new deal will run until 2021.
Phillips, 21, made his Leeds debut in 2014 after
progressing through the club's academy.
He made 40 appearances for the Elland Road
side last season.
Darmian future in doubt
13:30: Barcelona and Bayern Munich are sniffing
around Manchester United full-back, Matteo
Darmian.
Italian publication Calciomercato claim the
heavyweights are looking to bolster their
defensive ranks.
And view the versatile Italy international as the
ideal candidate.
Darmian, 27, initially struggled to break into Jose
Mourinho's starting XI, but became a regular
towards the end of the season.
Aubameyang back on Klopp's radar
12:55: Liverpool could go back in for Pierre-
Emerick Aubameyang if Philippe Coutinho leaves
for Barcelona.
Liverpool were interested in Aubameyang earlier
this summer but were put off by Borussia
Dortmund's £60m asking price.
The Reds would prefer to keep Coutinho heading
into the new season but Barcelona suddenly
have £199m to spend after selling Neymar to
PSG and need a replacement striker.
The Sun claim that Barca sign Coutinho then
Aubameyang will be the likely target for manager
Jurgen Klopp.
Transfer News: Manchester United handed
Gareth Bale hope
Bale to Manchester United hope?
12:30: Manchester United have been handed
fresh hope in signing Real Madrid superstar
Gareth Bale, according to journalist Miguel
Delaney.
Real are reportedly considering selling the Wales
international in order to raise funds for Monaco
wonderkid Kylian Mbappe this summer.
And The Independent's Delaney claims United
have been handed 'new encouragement' in their
pursuit, but added a deal is unlikely to happen.
Delaney was asked by one of his followers on
Twitter: "Heard anything about Bale today?
Always been a dream signing of mine so excited
but sceptical."
And Delaney replied: "It is still lingering, and
there's talk United have been given new
encouragement but I can't see it now."
Chelsea to hijack Liverpool's Van Dijk
move?
12:00: Chelsea reportedly think they can pip
Liverpool to the signature of Southampton
defender Virgil van Dijk by the start of the new
Premier League season.
Van Dijk looks destined to leave Southampton
after handing in a transfer request.
The Holland international has spent the summer
angling for a move to Liverpool, who have
spearheaded the race for his signature.
But The Times claim Chelsea Antonio Conte has
told members of the club's hierarchy that,
though he has already signed Antonio Rudiger
from Roma, Van Dijk is still wanted.
Arsenal handed Lemar boost
11:30: Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has
admitted he cannot guarantee Arsenal target
Thomas Lemar will be a Monaco player this
season.
The Gunners are said to have made two bids for
the 21-year-old France international, both of
which have been rejected out of hand by
Monaco.
However, while manager Jardim is keen to keep
hold of his remaining star players, he has
admitted the club could be forced into more
unwanted sales.
"All the players who were important last season
are important to keep for the club,” Jardim told
reporters.
"But it has sbeen shown over the years that it's
not always possible to keep the players, and you
know how our project works.
"So our goal is to work well with players who will
stay here after the transfer window closes."

RESULT OF ALL THE MATCHES PLAYED
Nottingham Forest 1 - 0 Millwall FT Sunderland 1 - 1 Derby County
England - FA Cup:: qualification August 4
FT Flackwell Heath 5 - 0 Burnham FT Heanor Town 0 - 1 Aylestone Park FT Potton United 0 - 0 Biggleswade United
FT Sholing 1 - 2 Alresford Town FT Crowborough Athletic 2 - 0 Lingfield
Germany - 2nd Bundesliga August 4
FT Sandhausen 1 - 0 Ingolstadt
FT Union Berlin 4 - 3 Holstein Kiel FT Kaiserslautern 1 - 1 Darmstadt
Germany - 3rd Liga August 4
FT FSV Zwickau 1 - 1 RW Erfurt
Germany - Regionalliga Bayern August 4
FT SpVgg Bayreuth 0 - 1 Greuther Fuerth II FT VfB Eichstatt 3 - 2 Augsburg II FT 1860 Rosenheim 1 - 1 FV Illertissen
FT Bayern Munich II 2 - 1 FC Schweinfurt FT Burghausen 2 - 3 Ingolstadt II FT TSV Buchbach 2 - 0 SV Seligenporten FT FC Memmingen 1 - 2 VfR Garching
Germany - Regionalliga Nord August 4
FT SV Drochtersen/Assel 3 - 2 Luebeck
Germany - Regionalliga Südwest August 4
FT Kickers Offenbach 2 - 0 TSV Steinbach
Germany - Regionalliga West August 4
FT Bonner SC 1 - 0 KFC Uerdingen FT Borussia Moenchengladba... 2 - 0 Oberhausen
France - Ligue 1 August 4
FT Monaco 3 - 2 Toulouse
France - Ligue 2 August 4
FT AC Ajaccio 2 - 1 Brest
FT Bourg en Bresse Peronnas 1 - 2 Paris FC FT Chateauroux 0 - 1 Valenciennes FT Clermont Foot 2 - 0 Tours FT GFC Ajaccio 0 - 0 Lorient FT Le Havre 4 - 1 Auxerre
FT Lens 1 - 2 Nimes FT Nancy 0 - 0 Niort FT Quevilly 1 - 1 Sochaux
France - National August 4
FT Boulogne 1 - 0 Avranches FT Chambly 0 - 1 Lyon la Duchere FT Concarneau 0 - 1 Laval FT Creteil 0 - 5 Cholet FT Dunkerque 3 - 2 Marseille Consolat
FT Entente SSG 0 - 3 Grenoble FT Les Herbiers 0 - 1 AS Beziers FT Red Star 1 - 1 Pau
Belgium - First Division A August 4
FT Standard Liege 2 - 1 Genk
Belgium - First Division B:: 1st stage August 4
FT KFCO Beerschot-Wilrijk 3 - 0 Union St.-Gilloise
International - Club Friendlies August 4
FT Velez Sarsfield 2 - 1 San Martin San Juan FT Defensa y Justicia 1 - 1 Gimnasia LP FT Torino 2 - 2 Huddersfield Town FT West Ham United 0 - 3 Manchester City
FT Osmanlispor FK 1 - 2 Karabukspor FT Balikesirspor 2 - 1 Bursaspor FT Genclerbirligi 1 - 0 Yeni Malatyaspor FT Eibar 2 - 3 Sporting Gijon FT Barcelona B 2 - 2 Girona
FT Gimnastic 1 - 1 Barcelona FT Leicester City 2 - 1 Borussia Moenchengladbach FT Castelvetro 0 - 5 Sassuolo
Denmark - Superliga August 4
FT AC Horsens 1 - 0 Silkeborg
Denmark - 2nd Division:: group 2 August 4
FT Dalum 1 - 4 Kolding IF
Denmark - 2nd Division:: group 3 August 4
FT Kjellerup 2 - 1 Odder IGF
Sweden - Superettan August 4
FT Degerfors 3 - 0 Oergryte FF
Finland - Veikkausliiga August 4
FT FC Inter 3 - 0 HIFK
Finland - Ykkonen August 4
FT IF Gnistan 1 - 0 TPS
Austria - Erste Liga August 4
FT Austria Lustenau 2 - 3 Wiener Neustadt FT BW Linz 2 - 3 FC Liefering
FT Ried 3 - 2 Floridsdorfer AC FT Wattens 3 - 1 Kapfenberger SV Aband. Hartberg 2 - 0 FC Wacker Innsbruck
Switzerland - Challenge League August 4
FT FC Rapperswil-Jona 0 - 1 Servette
Ireland - Airtricity League August 4
FT Bohemian FC 0 - 0 Bray Wanderers FT Drogheda United 0 - 1 Cork City
FT Dundalk 3 - 0 Limerick FT Finn Harps 1 - 3 Galway United FC FT Shamrock Rovers 0 - 2 Derry City
Ireland - 1st Division August 4
FT Athlone Town 1 - 1 Wexford FC FT Cabinteely 1 - 1 Waterford FC FT Shelbourne 1 - 1 UCD
Luxembourg - National Division August 4
FT US Hostert 2 - 1 F91 Dudelange
Czech Republic - 2nd league August 4
FT Usti nad Labem 2 - 1 Sokolov FT Znojmo 1 - 3 Hradec Kralove
Slovakia - Fortuna League August 4
FT FK Senica 1 - 1 Slovan Bratislava FT Tatran Presov 0 - 4 Nitra
Russia - Premier League August 4
FT Anzhi Makhachkala 0 - 1 FC Rostov
Russia - 2nd Division:: south August 4
FT Akademia Rostov 2 - 2 Druzhba
FT Biolog Novokubansk 2 - 1 Angusht Nazran FT Dinamo Stavropol 3 - 3 SKA Rostov FT Legion Dynamo 3 - 3 Spartak Vladikavkaz FT Afips Afipsky 2 - 0 Chernomorets Novorossiysk FT Armavir FC 2 - 0 Mashuk-KMV
FT Chayka 1 - 1 Spartak Nalchik
Poland - Ekstraklasa August 4
FT Piast Gliwice 1 - 1 Slask Wroclaw FT Wisla Plock 0 - 1 Wisla Krakow
Poland - 1st Liga August 4
FT Ruch Chorzow 0 - 1 Chrobry Glogow
Poland - 2nd Liga August 4
FT Rozwoj Katowice 2 - 0 Wisla Pulawy FT Siarka Tarnobrzeg 1 - 3 Radomiak Radom FT ROW Rybnik 1964 3 - 1 Olimpia Elblag
Croatia - 1st League August 4
FT NK Istra 1961 1 - 2 NK Lokomotiva
Serbia - Super Liga August 4
FT Napredak 1 - 2 FK Radnik Surdulica
Slovenia - 1st SNL August 4
FT Aluminij 2 - 2 NK Celje
Romania - Liga I August 4
FT ACS Poli Timisoara 2 - 1 Juventus Bucuresti
FT FC Voluntari 1 - 3 Botosani
Bulgaria - First Professional League:: 1. stage August 4
FT Slavia Sofia 1 - 4 Beroe FT Pirin Blagoevgrad 1 - 1 Cherno More Varna
Estonia - Premium liiga August 4
FT Tammeka 3 - 1 JK Sillamae Kalev FT Trans Narva 1 - 2 Tulevik Viljandi FT FCI Tallinn 1 - 2 Nomme JK Kalju
Moldova - National Division August 4
FT FC Sfintul Gheorghe 4 - 3 FC Spicul Chiscareni FT Speranta 1 - 0 Zimbru
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Premijer Liga August 4
FT Siroki Brijeg 4 - 0 Celik Zenica
Brazil - Serie B August 4
FT Criciuma 1 - 2 Brasil de Pelotas
August 5
FT Goias 0 - 2 Oeste FC FT Nautico 1 - 0 Luverdense FT CRB 2 - 1 America MG
Bolivia - Primera Division:: clausura August 5
FT Jorge Wilstermann 3 - 0 Guabira
Chile - Primera División:: Transición August 5
FT Universidad de Chile 2 - 1 Deportes Temuco
Colombia - Primera A:: clausura August 5
FT Envigado 3 - 1 Tolima
Ecuador - Serie A:: clausura August 5
FT Barcelona SC 0 - 1 Universidad Catolica
Paraguay - Division Profesional:: clausura August 4
FT Deportivo Capiata 2 - 3 Luqueno
August 5
FT Libertad 0 - 0 Guarani
Mexico - Primera Division:: apertura August 5
FT Monarcas Morelia 1 - 1 Santos FT Tijuana 0 - 3 Monterrey
USA - National Women's Soccer League August 5
FT Sky Blue FC 1 - 4 Washington Spirit
FT Boston Breakers 2 - 2 FC Kansas City
Singapore - S.League August 4
FT Hougang United FC 0 - 1 Warriors FC
Georgia - Umaglesi Liga August 4
FT Dinamo Tbilisi 5 - 0 Dila Gori
Indonesia - Liga 1 August 4
FT Madura United 2 - 1 Persela Lamongan
FT Bhayangkara Surabaya Uni... 2 - 1 Arema
Iran - Pro League August 4
FT Zob Ahan 3 - 0 Gostaresh Foolad FC FT Esteghlal 0 - 0 Esteghlal Khuzestan
FT Padideh FC 4 - 0 Sepahan FT Pars Jonoubi Jam Bushehr 3 - 2 Paykan

Champions League Play-off
round draw:-
We are one step away from the Champions League group stage with the play-off round
The five seeded clubs in each route (champions route and league route) were drawn against the other five teams in that route. Therefore, there are ten ties in total.
Two ties stand out particularly with Napoli taking on Nice who are in their first European Cup campaign since 1960 – and only their third
overall. Both previous efforts were ended in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Real Madrid. Jurgen Klopp returns with Liverpool to Germany to face Hoffenheim. English clubs have 100% record in UEFA Champions League play-offs.
Here is the complete draw:
Champions route draw:
Qarabağ (AZE) v København (DEN)
APOEL (CYP) v Slavia Praha (CZE)
Olympiacos (GRE) v Rijeka (CRO)
Celtic (SCO) v Astana (KAZ)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) v Maribor (SVN)
League route draw:
İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) v Sevilla (ESP)
Young Boys (SUI) v CSKA Moskva (RUS)
Napoli (ITA) v Nice (FRA)
Hoffenheim (GER) v Liverpool (ENG)
Sporting CP (POR) v FCSB (ROU)
The first legs will be played on 15/16 August, with the returns taking place on 22/23 August.

MONACO 3 TOULOUSE 2:
MBAPPE LIMPS OFF AS
CHAMPIONS WIN THRILLER:-
A late injury for Kylian Mbappe will cause concern for Monaco, who won an entertaining Ligue 1 opener at home to Toulouse.
Kylian Mbappe suffered a late injury as
Monaco twice came from behind to beat
Toulouse 3-2 in a home thriller to open the
new Ligue 1 season, a day after Neymar
joined title rivals Paris Saint-Germain.
Radamel Falcao and Kamil Glik scored
second-half headers which proved decisive
on Friday after the visitors had threatened to
cause a major upset.

Arsenal have reportedly had a bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele turned down.

While focus ahead of this weekend’s Community Shield was on the future of Alexis Sanchez, Spanish reports claim Arsene Wenger is making a move for the Bundesliga star.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been linked to the Frenchman.

Mundo Deportivo say Arsenal have joined the race but been rebuffed.

Roma to 'make bid for Mata:-
Roma have made it no secret this summer that they want Riyad Mahrez.

But Leicester are clinging onto the former PFA Player of the Year for dear life.

They’ve done so well in fact that the Serie A club is looking at alternatives and Italy’s media reckon Manchester United have the man they could want.

Juan Mata has emerged among their targets, claims Calcio Mercato.

Chelsea facing Costa legal war:-
Diego Costa’s lawyer has vowed to “hold Chelsea accountable” for forcing the striker out of the club.

Ricardo Cardoso has threatened legal action and a transfer request after the champions vetoed a loan move to AC Milan, ahead of his January return to Atletico Madrid.

Cardoso said: “We will use all legal mechanisms to hold Chelsea accountable for this behaviour, making it possible for Diego Costa to leave.”

Antonio Conte will not have Costa near his squad, having axed the striker by text two months ago. The Spain star trained alone in Brazil while the Blues were on pre-season in the Far East.

Neymar departs Barcelona for PSG unveiling:-
Neymar has departed Barcelona for Paris ahead of his unveiling parade following his £199million transfer.

The Brazilian forward obliterated the world transfer record to seal his move to PSG on Thursday.

He will be seen in a PSG shirt for the first time on Friday afternoon when he if officially presented to the supporters in the city.

Neymar was greeted by supporters - including a young fan in a Barcelona shirt - as he arrived at the airport in early hours of Friday morning.

The 25-year-old has paid his goodbyes to his Barcelona team-mates and offered an emotional farewell message on social media following the completion of his move.

Neymar’s representatives paid the release clause in full on Thursday afternoon and he rubber-stamped the switch by the evening

Chelsea ready to launch £50m Van Dijk bid:-
Chelsea are ready to rival Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk with a £50million bid.

Van Dijk did not travel with Southampton to their pre-season tour of France last week after telling manager Mauricio Pellegrino of his desire to quit the club for Liverpool.

Southampton have insisted that Van Dijk is not for sale but the Dutchman could continue to sit out of action in a bid to force through a move.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has been a long-term admirer of Van Dijk and has finally convinced Stamford Bridge chiefs to submit a bid.

Conte is hopeful that he can still secure up to three more additions before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Liverpool had been leading the race, but Chelsea are hopeful that they can land Van Dijk before the big Premier League kick-off next weekend.

West Ham looking to bag Kone deal:-
West Ham are ready to make Sunderland defender Lamine Kone their fifth summer signing.

Sunderland are understood to want up to £20million for their 28-year-old centre-back.

But the Hammers believe a deal could be agreed at just over half that for a player controversially pinpointed by team-mate Darron

Gibson as no longer wanting to play for the Black Cats.

Everton, Burnley and West Brom have also had an interest in Kone.

Perisic in line to remain at Inter:-
Manchester United target Ivan Perisic could be set to stay at Inter Milan after the Serie A club opened negotiations regarding a new contract, report the Manchester Evening News.

United had hoped to conclude a deal for the 28-year-old winger before Inter flew to China for their pre-season tour in mid-July but Perisic was included in coach Luciano Spalletti’s squad.

Jose Mourinho said he had ‘no idea’ about how advanced United’s negotiations with Inter, who rejected a £39million bid, were after the Real Salt Lake friendly on July 17 and Perisic has since returned from Asia ahead of the new Serie A season.

Now Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has claimed the Nerazzurri are negotiating an extension to Perisic’s current deal, which expires in 2020.