Nice

The PSG star has endured something of a slow start to the Ligue 1 season, scoring just once in seven games, but his prior exploits with Barcelona and Argentina were enough to secure another accolade.

The 34-year-old's performances for Argentina at the Copa America, helping his country to a first major trophy in 28 years, were likely what gave him the edge over Robert Lewandowski.

Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, who Messi claimed should have been awarded the cancelled 2020 Ballon d'Or, was once again in the running after breaking Gerd Muller's long-standing record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season.

But Pochettino insists his Argentinian compatriot was the most deserving of the award for yet another outstanding year in which he has also managed 32 goals and 12 assists across 40 club appearances.

"Firstly, I want to publicly congratulate Leo and his family," Pochettino told reporters at Tuesday's pre-match news conference ahead of the visit of Nice. 

"Winning seven Ballons d'Or is an extraordinary achievement. I hope he takes advantage of it and that it's the first day to work on getting the eighth.

"To have players with six and seven Ballon d'Or is something extraordinary and we are delighted to have him here every day. 

"We hope at the end of the year to also have collective trophies beyond the individual trophies."

Asked about the criticism of the Argentina international's victory, Pochettino responded: "Messi completely deserved it and there is no debate. 

"Of course, in other countries there may be criticism, but he completely deserved it."

Ahead of Wednesday's clash with Nice, PSG lead Ligue 1 by 12 points after winning 13 of their opening 15 games, a total surpassed only once at this stage in the competition by PSG themselves in 2018-19 (14/15).

The league leaders may be without Messi for the clash at Parc des Princes, though, after the former Barcelona forward, along with Leandro Paredes, did not train on Tuesday due to a stomach bug.

PSG will decide on the fitness of the pair on the morning of the Nice game, while they will definitely be without Neymar, who is expected to be out for six to eight weeks due to an ankle injury sustained against Saint-Etienne.

Rangers stunned the Ligue 1 outfit with three first-half strikes as Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande and Hamza Igamane took advantage of some poor defending by the hosts. 

Igamane notched his second of the game nine minutes after the restart, with the hosts pulling a goal back in the 83rd minute courtesy of Badredine Bouanani's stunning free-kick. 

The result moved Rangers up to eighth in the 36-team standings, leapfrogging Tottenham into the automatic spots late on thanks to Mats Hummels' equaliser for Roma. 

They also scored four or more goals in an away major European game for just the eighth time, with this the first time they’d done so since a 4-2 win at Borussia Dortmund 2022.

"We did big performances in Bucharest and Malmo too but knowing the level of this this is probably the best performance of the season. The season is still young," Clement said. 

"Young squad, new players, many on the pitch today who have not been at the club for long. We have become stronger and stronger."

Clement showered praise on two-goal Igamane, who impressed on his first start in the competition with top scorer Cyriel Dessers dropped to the bench. 

The Moroccan grabbed the assist for Cerny's opener, while he also ended the contest with the most touches in the opposition box (eight) along with creating more chances (three) than any of his team-mates. 

"He came in with an injury and missed preparation. He doesn't have experience at this level," Clement added. 

"We're working hard with him to make him stronger but also technically doing the right things for the team.

"I saw the good things the last few weeks and that's why I gave him the chance today.

"It's my job to give chances and see what the player can bring but you never know with young players. You need characters, you can't be affected by the big occasion."

Rangers' attention now turns to the Scottish Premiership, aiming to bounce back from their 1-1 draw with Dundee United last time out. 

Clement's side find themselves third in the table, 11 points behind rivals Celtic, and the Rangers boss believes their win over Nice can be the catalyst for their domestic campaign.

 "We need to win. That's clear. We need to perform well on Sunday, but also on Wednesday and then at the weekend again.

"I don't want to see players in satisfaction mode, I want to see hungry players who want to be better and better."

The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed on Wednesday that Fontaine had passed away overnight in Toulouse.

A minute's applause will be held in tribute to Fontaine at all French football grounds this week, starting with Wednesday's Coupe de France ties.

In a statement on their official website, the FFF described Fontaine as "the eternal goalscorer" and "a legend of world football".

FFF interim president Philippe Diallo added: "The death of Just Fontaine plunges French football into deep emotion and immense sadness.

"He wrote one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the French team."

Fontaine's greatest achievement came in 1958 when scoring 13 goals in just six matches for France at the World Cup as Les Blues went on to finish third.

That remains the highest number of goals scored in a single edition of the tournament, while his tally of 13 goals overall has been bettered by only three players in history.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: "Just was a footballing icon and his tremendous performance in 1958 cemented his legacy as one of the greatest World Cup players ever.

"Scoring 13 goals in a single World Cup is a record which, to this day, has never been equalled. 

"The mark he left on world football will forever be remembered, and this record will probably never be beaten. My deepest condolences to Just's loved ones at this difficult time."

Fontaine scored 30 goals in 21 appearances for France between 1953 and 1960 in a career that was cut short by injury at the age of 28.

Current France head coach Didier Deschamps said: "The loss of Just Fontaine saddens me, as it will inevitably sadden all those who love football and our national team. 

"'Justo' is and will remain a legend of the France team.

"As a player and then coach, I had the chance to meet him on several occasions.

"In particular at his home, in Toulouse, in September 2017. He was a man of great kindness, very respectful of generations that succeeded his with Les Bleus. 

"His attachment to the France team was strong and sincere."

At club level, Fontaine won the Coupe de France and Ligue 1 with Nice before joining Reims.

He won three more league titles with Reims, the Coupe de France and was twice victorious in the Trophee des Champions, while also reaching the 1958-59 European Cup final.

"A star of French football, an outstanding striker, a legendary Reims player," his former club said in a statement.

Fontaine scored 164 goals in 200 Ligue 1 matches.

He reached the 100-goal mark in the competition by the age of 24 years and eight months, which only Herve Revelli (23y 5m) and Kylian Mbappe (22y 3m) have bettered.

Fontaine later moved into coaching and took charge of Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and the Morocco national side.

During his time with PSG, he guided the club to their only promotion to Ligue 1 – they have not been relegated since.

"A thought for Just Fontaine. An icon of French football who has left us," PSG tweeted.

Schneiderlin, 30, signed for Everton in January 2017, joining the Toffees from Manchester United in a deal reportedly worth up to £24million.

The former Southampton midfielder initially impressed at Goodison Park under Ronald Koeman, but struggled to keep up that form and found himself a bit-part player under Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti.

He will now join Patrick Vieira's Nice, who finished fifth in the shortened Ligue 1 season in 2019-20, following the official opening of the international transfer window.

Adams, who appeared 22 times for France, was left in a coma from the age of 34 after undergoing what should have been a routine knee operation.

But Adams never awoke from surgery, anaesthetic-related errors by hospital staff in Lyon led to his brain being starved of oxygen and causing him to slip into a coma.

Adams died at the Nimes University Hospital on Monday.

Tributes have followed from his former clubs Nimes, Nice and PSG, as they all pay respects to a pioneer who paved the way for French-African footballers.

Nimes, who Adams made 84 appearances for, expressed their "most sincere condolences to his loved ones and his family", and Nice promised a tribute before their next home game against Monaco on September 19.

PSG, too, released a statement echoing similar sentiments, adding that Adams' "joie de vivre, charisma and experience commanded respect".

The Senegal-born footballer returned home to Nimes the year after the botched operation and was cared for by his wife Bernadette up to his passing.

Galtier joined Nice ahead of the 2021-22 campaign after winning the Ligue 1 title with Lille, but he stayed at the Allianz Riviera for just one year before making the move to PSG.

Speaking on RMC show 'After Foot' on Wednesday, ex-Nice director of football Fournier suggested Galtier's exit came down to more than just football reasons.

"It's common knowledge that the relationship I had with Christophe was quite chaotic from the start of the season," said Fournier, who himself left for Parma in July 

"Quite honestly, if I explain the real reasons we argued, Christophe would no longer be allowed in a locker room, neither in France nor in Europe.

"But it was not about football matters. These are much more serious things from my point of view. It was indirectly linked to football. These are things that affect me deeply. 

"We finished the season and we, him and I, were as professional as possible to limit the negative impact that it could have had on the team. Then there was the separation."

Galtier was asked about those remarks at a pre-match press conference on Thursday ahead of his first meeting with Nice since joining PSG.

"He is pretentious," Galtier told reporters. "I am not surprised at the way he expressed himself. I don't want to get tired of debating on everything that was said.

"If we do that, the way it works means we create one debate after another. I'm not surprised about what I heard knowing the character. That's all I've got to say."

Galtier won 23 of his 43 matches in charge of Nice last season and guided the club to a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1.

He departed with the best points-per-game record of any coach in Nice's Ligue 1 history, with his return of 1.76 marginally better than current incumbent Lucien Favre's 1.67.

Galtier's Nice went unbeaten against PSG last season and were the only side to keep clean sheets in both matches against the Parisians.

However, PSG welcome the Eagles to Parc des Princes on Saturday having won seven of their opening eight matches, scoring 26 goals and conceding only four in the process.

Asked if his side are prepared for the challenge on the back of a two-week international break, Galtier said: "We have to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

"We've worked for the past 10 days with five players. This is the first game in a long series. There are 13 games to go before the World Cup and we are preparing carefully."

PSG were forced to come from behind to maintain their unbeaten start to 2024-25, with Nuno Mendes cancelling out Ali Abdi's opener early in the second half.

The French champions were unable to find a winner despite enjoying 71.1% of the possession and attempting 19 shots to Nice's eight. Nice's possession share of 28.8% was their lowest in Ligue 1 since December 2011 (28.7% versus Lille).

The result leaves PSG second in the table with 17 points, two adrift of Monaco.

It is the second season in a row that PSG have not led Ligue 1 after seven matchdays, having sat fifth at this stage last term. They topped the table after seven games in five of the previous six campaigns (second in 2020-21).

"We are at the beginning of the season. The start seems promising to me. I like what I see. I think it's a much better start than last season," Luis Enrique told a press conference on Sunday.

"Grades are given at the end of the season. When the season is over we'll see the grade... 

"The important thing is to win the league. The most important thing is to be in contention for all the titles."

The Spaniard did add, however, that simple errors had proven costly, saying: "There was a level of inaccuracy from most of the players that was not usual and a lot of very simple technical actions, easy passes, situations that we normally solve, a very high number of unusual mistakes.

He was, though, proud of his players' reaction to falling behind midway through the first half.

"I am especially proud after a bad first half. A really bad one. I'm proud of their spirit. They concentrated on the game, on trying to turn the game around," he said.

PSG face Strasbourg in their next league game on October 19, before taking on PSV in the Champions League three days later. 

Greenwood converted from 12 yards with just a minute of normal time remaining, moving Marseille up to second in the table and ahead of Monaco on goal difference.

The spot-kick was awarded for a handball from full-back Christian Mawissa as Marseille ended a three-game winless run against Monaco in the league.

Valentin Rongier's poor pass in the first half had earlier allowed Aleksandr Golovin to counter-attack and open the scoring with just his second Ligue 1 goal of the campaign.

Luis Henrique subsequently levelled before the hour, capitalising on some fine work from Neal Maupay, before Greenwood snatched victory for Roberto De Zerbi's side.

At the other end of the table, bottom side Montpellier salvaged a 2-2 draw with fourth-placed Lille thanks to Arnaud Nordin's last-gasp leveller in an ill-tempered clash.

Jonathan David had earlier scored a penalty in either half for the visitors, with Issiaga Sylla on target for Montpellier on the stroke of half-time to level after the Lille forward's first spot-kick.

Montpellier head coach Jean-Louis Gasset was sent off late on before Tanguy Coulibaly and Mitchel Bakker were both dismissed in a chaotic ending.

Coulibaly prompted the altercation by kicking the ball against Lille head coach Bruno Genesio, with Bakker and the Montpellier man taking the punishment for the clash that subsequently followed.

Far less drama ensued in Lyon's routine 4-1 victory over Nice as Alexandre Lacazette's hat-trick helped his side move into fifth place.

Sofiane Diop managed an equaliser for sixth-placed Nice after Lacazette's opener, only for the Lyon striker to put the visitors to the sword along with a goal from midfielder Jordan Veretout.

Sunday marked the seventh time Lacazette has scored three or more goals in a Ligue 1 game, more than any other Lyon player in the competition's history.

He also scored his 149th, 150th and 151st Ligue 1 goals. In the 21st century, only Kylian Mbappe (191) and Wissam Ben Yedder (161) have scored more in the top-flight.

Arteta has been praised since taking the helm in December last year, having lost just two of 15 games in charge.

Former Arsenal captain Vieira, who was also linked to the job, hailed Arteta for his work so far at Emirates Stadium.

"When you're a Gunner, always a Gunner, so I'm watching them all the time, I watch their games," the Nice head coach told Ian Wright in an interview for Adidas.

"What is really interesting with Arteta is that he brings the energy back and it looks like they are playing for the club, but for the manager as well, and I think that is really important."

Vieira has been at the helm of Nice since 2018, and was linked with a return to Arsenal after Unai Emery was sacked last year.

The Frenchman said he wanted to manage a big club, but he is happy at Nice.

"I really don't know what the future will be, but doing this job it was like being a player," Vieira said.

"I wanted to play at a high level, I wanted to play for the national team, I wanted to go to the World Cup, I wanted to play with the best players and there is no doubt as a coach I have the same kind of ambition.

"I would want to manage a team that will have a chance to win the Champions League, to play the Champions League competition.

"But at the moment, honestly, right here at Nice I am in the perfect place, perfect place because I can fulfil my ambitions, the club is really ambitious and the club give me the tools to grow as a manager, but to be a part of a winning team and to play good competitions as well.

"The team is growing up really fast, really quick and hopefully I can get my ambitions with OGC Nice."

Dylan Batubinsika's own-goal in the fourth minute was an unfortunate sign of things to come for Olivier Dall’Oglio's side. 

Youssoufa Moukoko's braced followed by strikes from Tanguy Ndombele, Mohamed-Ali Cho and Evann Guessand gave the hosts a comfortable half-time advantage. 

Nice increased their lead after the interval through Sofiane Diop, with Pablo Rosario's penalty four minutes from time rounding off a convincing triumph. 

It was the third time Saint-Etienne had conceded eight goals in a Ligue 1 game after an 8-0 loss to Lille (1946) and a 9-0 defeat to Bordeaux (1951). 

Saint-Etienne have now conceded 15 goals after five league games this season, their highest tally ever at this stage of a top-flight campaign.

"There's no analysis. It's a disgrace what we did," Petrot told DAZN after the defeat. 

"We should be ashamed of ourselves, for our supporters and for all the work we put in," 

"To concede eight goals, to be non-existent in our state of mind and in duels. I don't know what to say."

Petrot said Saint-Etienne would try to put this result behind them as soon as possible ahead of taking on Nantes next week. 

"We've got 10 days to work really hard. We'll be looking ahead to the next game very quickly," Petrot concluded. 

Fourth-placed Marseille and Nice, who occupy eighth spot, were due to return to action at Stade Velodrome this weekend following the international break.

The fixture will instead be staged later in the season due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club from the Cote d'Azur.

A statement released by Ligue 1 on Tuesday said: "Following the advice of the National COVID FFF Commission, which noted the unavailability of more than ten players on OGC Nice's 30-man squad list - due to positive RT-PCR tests - for the Round 11 Ligue 1 match against Olympique de Marseille, the LFP's Competitions Commission, acting under article 2. 4.2.2 of the protocol for the organisation of matches for the 2020-21 season, has decided to postpone the match, initially scheduled for Saturday 21 November 2020 at 21:00, to a date yet to be determined."

Meanwhile, the French Football Federation (FFF) has postponed the eighth round and last-32 Coupe de France matches due to be staged next month and in January due to the pandemic.

The decision came following the suspension of amateur competitions on October 29 and the FFF is working with regional leagues to come up with alternative dates for the ties to be played.

Nice started brightly and caused havoc as PSG struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages. Ali Al-Abdi soon took advantage of their visitors' lacklustre start, opening the scoring six minutes before half-time with a powerful strike from a corner.

Ousmane Dembele, who was dropped in midweek for the Champions League, orchestrated their equaliser, picking out Mendes, whose deflected shot beat the keeper to hit the back of the net seven minutes after the break.

They almost had a second moments later, Marquinhos rising high to meet Lee Kang-in's cross, only to see his powerful header rebound off the post.

Nice held firm despite the late pressure from PSG as goalkeeper Marcin Bulka kept out good efforts by Vitinha and Dembele.

It leaves PSG two points behind leaders Monaco heading into the international break.

Data Debrief: PSG's total dominance does not come to fruition

It has been a fairly disappointing week for PSG, who suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League, and failed to re-close the gap to Monaco at the top of the league by dropping points. 

They had 19 shots against Nice, with 14 of those coming in a dominant second half. Seven of those after the break were on target, while Gianluigi Donnarumma did not face a single effort at the other end. 

However, they only managed 0.97 expected goals (xG) - Mendes' goal came from a strike worth just 0.05 - and they could not find a late winner despite their best efforts.

The result moved Rangers up to ninth in the new 36-team league standings and just outside the automatic qualification places on goal difference with three games remaining. 

After surviving an early VAR review, which saw three separate incidents looked at, Rangers took the lead in the 35th minute through Vaclav Cerny, with his strike aided by a deflection from Pablo Rosario. 

Rosario was involved again in Rangers' second, allowing Dujon Sterling's searching pass to go over his head, which resulted in Mohamed Diomande stealing in and brilliantly lifting the ball over Marcin Bulka. 

It got even better for Philippe Clement's side in first-half stoppage time when Mohamed Abdelmonem's poor back pass was picked up by Igamane, who finished comfortably after rounding Bulka. 

Nice's defensive woes continued shortly after the break when Rosario saw his pass cut out by Igamane, who powered towards goal and slotting his second of the game into the bottom left corner. 

Badredine Bouanani's stunning free-kick seven minutes from time reduced the deficit, though Rangers should have scored their fifth soon after, only for substitute Cyriel Dessers to fire wide from close range. 

Data Debrief: Igamane shows his worth

Ahead of kick-off, eyebrows were raised when top scorer Dessers was named among the substitutes, but Rangers were able to showcase the plethora of attacking options at their disposal, none more so than Igamane. 

He grabbed two goals and an assist, while also recording more touches in the opposition box (eight) and creating more chances (three) than any of his team-mates. His expected goals (xG) tally of 0.53 was a total only bettered by Dessers (0.74) for Rangers.

Igamane also became the youngest Rangers player (22 years, 26 days) to score two goals in an away major European game since David McPherson netted four against Valletta in Malta back in September 1983, aged 19.

Rangers scored four or more goals in an away major European game for the eighth time, with this the first time they had done so since a 4-2 win at Borussia Dortmund in February 2022.

Favre returned to the Ligue 1 club for a second stint in charge in June 2022 as they invested ahead of the new season.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss had guided Nice to Champions League qualification in 2016-17, but his latest spell did not yield the same success.

Despite making a series of high-profile signings, including Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley and Kasper Schmeichel, Nice are down in 11th in Ligue 1.

The final straw for Favre was Saturday's cup elimination at the hands of lower-league opposition, with Nice winless since the World Cup break.

Didier Digard will take charge of Nice "until further notice", with a Ligue 1 double-header against Montpellier and Reims this week.

A Nice statement added of Favre: "As the two parties now go their separate ways, everyone at the club would like to show him the utmost respect, as he will remain a special member of the Rouge et Noir family, with the 2016-17 season having left an indelible mark in the hearts of Le Gym fans everywhere."

Favre became the second Ligue 1 coach to be removed from his post on Monday, following Julien Stephan's dismissal at Strasbourg.

Marcin Bulka was the hero as he denied Leandro Paredes and Xavi Simons in the shoot-out to send the visitors through to the quarter-finals.

The PSG loanee ended the holders' 14-match winning run in the competition, while halting their quest for a third straight triumph.

Mauricio Pochettino's side also failed to score in a Coupe de France tie for the first time since losing 1-0 to Lille in the 2011 final.

Unbeaten in their eight previous meetings with Nice in all competitions, PSG welcomed Lionel Messi back into the starting line-up for the first time in a month.

The Argentina skipper was involved in the hosts' best chance of the first half as he combined with Ander Herrera to tee up Marco Verratti, who swept a shot just wide of the far post.

At the other end, Amine Gouiri tried his luck with an ambitious effort from distance, but it flew straight into the arms of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Italy international was also called into action just after the restart, producing smart reflexes to deny Justin Kluivert from a tight angle.

Having watched his side register just a single shot on target, Pochettino introduced Kylian Mbappe in the 63rd minute for his 200th PSG appearance.

But it was the visitors who went close to snatching a dramatic winner, Danilo Pereira blocking Kluivert with five minutes remaining, while Jean-Clair Todibo got in the way of Messi's goalbound effort at the other end.

The first five kicks of the subsequent shoot-out were successful before Bulka kept out Paredes' tame effort, although Donnarumma immediately denied Andy Delort in return.

Dante's timely Panenka put Nice in control as it went into sudden death, before Simons' attempt was beaten away by Bulka.

What does it mean? More shoot-out woes for PSG

PSG's last Coupe de France disappointment also came after a penalty shoot-out, when they were beaten by Rennes in the 2019 final.

This reverse was also their first in 12 matches across all competitions since going down 2-1 against Manchester City in November.

Nice, who last won this title in 1997, will face Marseille in the last eight.

Bulka heroics

The PSG loanee came back to haunt his parent club as he produced brilliant saves to deny Paredes and Simons from 12 yards.

The goalkeeper only had two saves to make against the lacklustre hosts in 90 minutes. Nevertheless, he provided a calming presence between the sticks throughout the contest before stepping up when it mattered most.

Another quiet day for Icardi

Once again, Icardi failed to inspire PSG and was substituted just after the hour mark.

The former Inter forward did not register a single shot on goal, while his tally of six touches was the lowest for any PSG player to play at least 45 minutes of a match since Opta began collecting data across all competitions in 2014-15.

What's next?

PSG return to Ligue 1 action when they travel to Lille on Sunday, the same day that Nice welcome Clermont in the top flight.

Runaway Ligue 1 pacesetters PSG were denied victory at Parc des Princes for the first time this season in all competitions following Wednesday's stalemate.

PSG registered 22 shots on goal – their highest tally without scoring in Ligue 1 since March 2016, with Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe going closest to finding the back of the net, but were unable to break down their stubborn opponents.

Indeed, it was the first time in 18 Ligue 1 meetings that Nice had prevented PSG from finding the net.

But Pochettino – who has been heavily linked with Manchester United – felt PSG's performance was worthy of more than a share of the spoils as Lionel Messi fired a blank after claiming a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or.

"We got chances, but we didn't score. We deserved to win," Pochettino said. "It happens sometimes; the ball doesn't go in, sometimes there's a good goalkeeper. 

"These are things that you have to accept throughout the season. I am satisfied with the defensive performance of the team. 

"We are improving little by little. We are first in Ligue 1 and qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. 

"We must continue to improve to be ready for the decisive moments."

Messi attempted six shots (one on target) against Nice, his highest tally without scoring in the league since April 2021 (seven with Barcelona against Real Madrid).

PSG conceded their first 0-0 home draw in Ligue 1 since February 2017 (against Toulouse). This is their first home draw in the top flight since November 2020 (2-2 against Bordeaux), ending a run of 20 games at home without sharing points (W16 L4).

The first round of matches will take place on the weekend of August 22-23, with the season set to conclude on May 23 next year.

PSG were awarded their seventh top-flight title in eight seasons after the 2019-20 campaign was abandoned and decided on a point-per-game basis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The abandonment move has since been questioned amid other elite divisions in Europe successfully resuming their seasons behind closed doors.

An LFP vote sealed Amiens and Toulouse's relegation, with Lorient and Lens promoted from Ligue 2 in their place.

Lorient host Strasbourg on the opening weekend, while Lens are on the road at Nice.

The first Classique of the season comes in the third round of fixtures, with PSG welcoming Marseille to the Parc des Princes in mid-September. The return is billed for February 7.

Marseille start at home to Saint-Etienne, with Bordeaux and Lille hosting Nantes and Rennes respectively.

Lyon begin on the road at Montpellier, with the first of their always feisty clashes against Marseille coming at Groupama Stadium on October 4. The rivalry is then scheduled to resume at the Stade Velodrome on February 28.

Ligue 1 2020-21 – Opening weekend fixtures in full:

Lorient v Strasbourg
Nimes v Brest
Dijon v Angers
Bordeaux v Nantes
Monaco v Reims
Montpellier v Lyon
Nice v Lens
Lille v Rennes
Marseille v Saint-Etienne
PSG v Metz

The two-time Portugal international, 24, left Monaco for Sevilla last year, but made just 14 appearances for the LaLiga side in 2019-20.

Sevilla announced on Wednesday that Lopes was joining Nice, who have an option to buy the attacker at the end of the loan.

Lopes signed a five-year deal at Sevilla when he arrived in 2019.

The Blues are destined to miss out on the Premier League's top four this season, thus will not qualify for the Champions League via the league.

As a result, there appears a lack of urgency as they look to get back on the right direction after sacking both Potter and Thomas Tuchel this term under new owner Todd Boehly.

TOP STORY – BLUES MULL OVER ENRIQUE, NAGELSMANN AND CONTE

Fabrizio Romano reports Frank Lampard will take over as Chelsea's interim manager, but that ex-Spain boss Luis Enrique is 100 per cent interested in the permanent position.

Enrique has flown into London for talks on the role, while the Blues will also continue talks with ex-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann who is the leading candidate.

The Independent claims the Blues are also considering a shock return for Antonio Conte after initial contact between intermediaries.

ROUND-UP

– Football Insider reports Manchester United are keen on Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. United may take advantage of the Saints' possible relegation to bolster their midfield with the 28-year-old free-kick specialist. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also interested in him.

– Liverpool are willing to cough up €40 million (£35m) for Atletico Madrid's Argentinian World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul to bolster their midfield next term, reports Fichajes. Inter Live claims Tottenham are also interested in De Paul.

– Arsenal are pondering an off-season move for Lazio midfielder Sergei Milinkovic-Savic who will be a free agent in 2024, claims Gazzetta dello Sport. The reported fee would be around €40m.

– Luka Modric is disgruntled with his contract situation at Real Madrid, with his future not yet resolved with only a few months left on his deal, claims Goal.

– Fichajes claims West Ham, Leeds United and Nice are all circling for Real Madrid's Mariano who will be available on a free transfer at the end of this season.

– Leicester City have shortlisted Ralph Hasenhuttl, Jesse Marsch and Oscar Garcia for their vacant managerial role according to Fabrizio Romano. The Independent's Miguel Delaney claims the Foxes are also interested in experienced pair Martin O'Neill and Rafa Benitez.

Chiesa, 22, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Serie A club, where he came through the youth system.

And the Italy international could be on his way to the Premier League.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD GETTING CLOSER TO CHIESA

Manchester United are pushing for Chiesa and their latest offer could be enough to start proper negotiations, according to La Nazione.

Chiesa has also been linked with Juventus and Inter with his contract in Florence running until 2022.

A 17-time Italy international, Chiesa has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 26 games this season.

ROUND-UP

- Joao Felix has yet to hit top form at Atletico Madrid. Goal reports the LaLiga club turned down a £135million (€150m) offer from a Premier League side earlier this season.

- Chelseacould yet strengthen further. The Daily Express says they are in talks to sign Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, who is said to be valued at £80m. Chelsea will have Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner arrive at the club ahead of next season.

- David Luiz's future at Arsenal remains uncertain following his horror show against Manchester City on Wednesday. According to the Daily Mail, the Brazilian defender wants a two-year deal, rather than the one being offered. Luiz is coming out of contract at the end of the month.

- Could Edin Dzeko's time at Roma be coming to an end? Corriere dello Sport reports Roma need to qualify for the Champions League to keep the striker at the club. Dzeko is contracted until 2022, while Roma are three points behind fourth-placed Atalanta in Serie A.

- Morgan Schneiderlin is set to return to France. RMC Sport says the midfielder will leave Everton to join Nice, returning to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2008.

- Staying at Goodison Park and Everton have joined the race for Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu, according to the Mirror.