Paris police chief Didier Lallement has apologised to Liverpool fans for using tear gas at the Champions League final and his wrong estimation of the number of fake tickets that were in circulation.

The European showpiece in Paris was twice delayed due to what UEFA initially described as "security reasons" outside the Stade de France due to crowd congestion.

Real Madrid went on to lift the trophy by defeating Liverpool 1-0 after the match started 36 minutes late at 21:36 local time, but it was events outside the ground that dominated the headlines.

Liverpool fans had complained of heavy-handed policing outside the stadium, with video footage showing tear gas being used on supporters.

UEFA blamed ticketless fans trying to force entry and fake tickets, but Liverpool demanded an investigation and European football's governing body apologised to spectators and opened an inquiry.

The UK's culture secretary Nadine Dorries suggested fans had been "treated like animals" at the match, contrary to the suggestions by French ministers that had pinned the blame on supporters.

Lallement, speaking at the French Senate on Thursday, admitted to making mistakes and acknowledged the overuse of tear gas was not necessary.

"It is obviously a failure. It was a failure because people were pushed around and attacked. It was a failure because the image of the country was undermined," he said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also said that much of the blame lay with Liverpool fans and that 30,000 to 40,000 arrived without valid tickets.

Darmanin's claims were met with widespread backlash, with Reds' supporters group Spirit of Shankly questioning the "incompetence" of the organisation around the final.

Lallement has acknowledged that the basis for the ticket estimation was unfounded.

"The figure has no scientific virtue but it came from feedback from police and public transport officials," Lallement added. "Maybe I was wrong, but it was constructed from all the information harvested.

"Whether there are 30,000 or 40,000 people, it doesn't change anything. What matters is that there were people, in large numbers, likely to disrupt the proper organisation of the filtering.

"But that we count them precisely to within 5000, it doesn't change much."

Richarlison has reportedly informed Everton of his desire to leave the club, naming a top side from each of England, Spain and France as his preferred landing spots.

The Brazil striker arrived from Watford in 2018 and, after scoring 10 Premier League goals this campaign, he has now scored at least 10 league goals in three of the past four seasons.

He closed this term with six goals in his last nine appearances, helping Everton avoid relegation, but he now has his sights set on Champions League football.

TOP STORY – RICHARLISON DESIRES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MOVE 

The 25-year-old has reportedly narrowed his list down to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and he is expected to command a fee of around £65million.

Also mentioned in The Sun's report is Everton majority owner Farhad Moshiri's plan to balance the books after recording losses significant enough to jeopardise the club's financial fair play status, which will likely see both Richarlison and fellow striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin leave Goodison Park for more than a combined £100m.

Once considered a front-runner to land the star forward, Arsenal are no longer said to be in play after finishing fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror claims in-demand Benfica striker Darwin Nunez is hesitant to join Manchester United due to his desire for Champions League football, while the Daily Star insists Liverpool are now his preferred English club.

– According to RMC Sport, United and Chelsea will compete for Leicester City's 21-year-old defender Wesley Fofana.

– La Repubblica is reporting that Chelsea are not against allowing Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter, but they want either Lautaro Martinez or Alessandro Bastoni in return.

– West Ham are open to the idea of selling Said Benrahma, with hopes of bringing Jesse Lingard to the club after a successful loan stint in 2020-21, according to The Sun.

– The Times is reporting Manchester City have offered Gabriel Jesus to Tottenham, after strong interest was shown by Arsenal.

The seemingly never-ending 2021-22 season may be ongoing, with a number of big international fixtures still to be played this month, but plenty of focus is already on the next campaign.

This month's conclusion will mark the end of an era for many players as their contracts come to an end – though for some it will provide a much-needed opportunity to begin a new chapter elsewhere.

For others, becoming a free agent simply provides more bargaining power when negotiating fresh terms with their current employers, at a time when most clubs cannot spend as frivolously on new players as they once could.

While some big-name freebies have already moved clubs, and others are reported to have signed pre-contract agreements elsewhere – such as Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen at Barcelona – others remain on the market.

Here, Stats Perform picks out some of those who are on the lookout for a new club.

Player: Paul Pogba
Current club: Manchester United
Rumoured suitors: Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain

United last week announced the departures of six players, with Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Pogba among them. While the first three of those will undoubtedly be of interest to teams across the continent, Pogba is arguably the most in-demand free agent around.

Juventus reportedly lead the way for the France international, who won eight trophies in four seasons with the Serie A giants prior to rejoining United in 2016. Whichever side of the divide you stand – that Pogba has too often been used out of position or is just simply not good enough – there is no denying his second spell at Old Trafford has not gone to plan.

Still, with 67 goals and assists in the Premier League since the start of 2016-17, United are waving goodbye to a player who has been involved in 17.5 per cent of their goals across that period – only Marcus Rashford (21.9 per cent) has directly contributed to more.

Player: Gareth Bale
Current club: Real Madrid
Rumoured suitors: Cardiff City, Getafe, MLS clubs

As the winner of 16 trophies across nine seasons at Madrid – one of those spent on loan at Tottenham – and still aged just 32, you would imagine Bale would have the pick of the world's top clubs to choose from in the upcoming transfer window.

But that is not quite the case, with hometown club Cardiff City and Madrid-based Getafe now considered the two favourites to land the Wales international. That does come with a caveat of sorts, though, as Bale's main focus is on entering November's World Cup with Wales in peak fitness, rather than adding to his trophy collection.

The forward has had a number of injury setbacks in recent years but, wherever he plies his trade next season, he will want to play more football than he did in 2021-22 when available. He featured in just seven of Madrid's 56 matches, totalling 290 minutes on the field, and started only four of those – seven per cent of all minutes Madrid played.

Player: Ousmane Dembele
Current club: Barcelona
Rumoured suitors: Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool

Barcelona were eager to get Dembele off their books in January, so much so that director of football Mateu Alemany publicly told the France international to find a new club "immediately". Five months on, after a strong second half to the 2021-22 season, Barca would like nothing more than to retain Dembele's services.

The former Borussia Dortmund attacker assisted 11 LaLiga goals between the start of 2022 and the end of the season, a tally that no other player across Europe's top five leagues could match, with Lionel Messi next best on 10 with PSG in Ligue 1.

Re-signing Messi has been touted, but that seems fanciful a year on from his emotional exit, so Barca may well focus on tying Dembele down to a new deal before PSG – who also have another ex-Barcelona favourite in Neymar on their books – add to a star-studded frontline.

Player: Paulo Dybala
Current club: Juventus
Rumoured suitors: Arsenal, Tottenham, Barcelona

Juventus are coming off the back of their first trophyless season in a decade, and with it comes the end of an era in many ways as Giorgio Chiellini is departing after 18 years in Turin, while Federico Bernardeschi is also on his way out and seemingly set for Napoli.

However, the name on everyone's lips right now is Dybala's, even if the Argentina international has not fully lived up to the admittedly huge hype following his arrival at Juve from Palermo in a €40million transfer seven years ago.

Dybala can still be pleased enough with his goalscoring return at the Allianz Stadium, having netted 115 goals in 293 appearances in all competitions, making him the club's third-highest foreign goalscorer of all time behind David Trezeguet (171) and John Hansen (124).

Player: Angel Di Maria 
Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
Rumoured suitors: Juventus, Barcelona

Di Maria signed off from PSG in the near-perfect manner with a goal and an assist in his final game for the club against Metz last month, though his importance clearly diminished following the arrival of Messi as he started just 19 Ligue 1 games last term, down from 23 in the two previous campaigns.

That performance against Metz, albeit in a dead-rubber, highlighted Di Maria's quality when used and it is perhaps little surprise that some big-name clubs are interested. A move to Juventus seemed a certainty not so long ago, but Barcelona are supposedly now the frontrunners for the 34-year-old.

Di Maria is not the only South American attacker available to sign on a free next month, either, as the aforementioned Cavani and Uruguay international team-mate Luis Suarez are also on the lookout for a new club following their exits from United and Atletico Madrid respectively.

Gareth Bale can still "definitely do a job in the Premier League", according to his former Wales team-mate Joe Ledley.

Bale will officially become a free agent at the end of this month when his contract at Real Madrid, where he has spent the past nine seasons, expires.

The 32-year-old is on the lookout for a new club to maintain his fitness after inspiring Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years with victory over Ukraine on Sunday.

That ended any talk of an early retirement, with a number of clubs being credited with an interest in Bale, including hometown team Cardiff City, Getafe and sides in Major League Soccer.

Ledley, who played with Bale for Wales until 2018, believes English top-flight clubs should be eyeing up a move for him, one year on from his loan spell with Tottenham.

Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform, Ledley said: "I'd love obviously to see him back home in Cardiff, but the Championship is way too much; that's too many games.

"You're playing Saturday, Tuesday. The only benefit would be to have the Welsh medical team on his doorstep which is for me one of the best medical teams around - and that would benefit him.

"But the World Cup is not far away. I don't think he'll be missing many games wherever he signed.

"He can definitely do a job in the Premier League, without a shadow of a doubt.

"We'll see what happens but I'm sure after these few games [for Wales] he will have a rest for a month or two and decide his future."

Bale won 16 trophies during his time with Madrid, but he barely played in the 2021-22 campaign, which ended with Los Blancos winning a LaLiga and Champions League double.

He featured in seven of Madrid's 56 matches in all competitions – 13 per cent – with just four of those being starts.

Ledley thinks Bale was harshly treated by the Spanish giants, yet believes the club and their supporters are already starting to appreciate what he achieved during his time there.

"I thought they were very harsh on him considering what he achieved," he added.

"Then you look at how grateful they were to him near the end of his last appearance at the Bernabeu [when he was applauded by supporters]. They appreciate what he's done and sometimes this happens in football.

"Once they've gone you appreciate them more, but during his time I thought they were very harsh considering some of the other signings and other players that they've had.

"They got away with a little bit more than Gareth did considering what he's achieved there.

"But that's football and people say maybe he didn't help yourself and stuff like that, but, for me, he's one of the most dedicated footballers and professionals. He's never been in the papers for the wrong things."

There had been speculation Bale could retire if Wales did not qualify for Qatar 2022, but Ledley hopes the Dragons' success means he keeps going for a while yet.

"I'm sure he's dedicated to trying to play for Wales as long as possible," he said.

"The one thing you miss is playing for your national team because we've got that sort of unique camp where everyone just loves meeting up for Wales and I think he would miss that.

"I'm just grateful he's still got another year hopefully inside him and he hasn't decided to retire because football is better with him."

Getafe president Angel Torres has claimed that the LaLiga side have been offered the chance to sign Gareth Bale following the forward's Real Madrid departure.

Bale will officially become a free agent at the end of this month when his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he has spent the past eight seasons, officially expires.

The 32-year-old is on the lookout for a new club to maintain his fitness after inspiring Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years with victory over Ukraine on Sunday.

That ended any talk of an early retirement, with a number of clubs being credited with an interest in Bale, including hometown team Cardiff City and sides in Major League Soccer.

However, Bale may yet remain in the Spanish capital with LaLiga club Getafe, who finished 15th in 2021-22.

Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Getafe president Torres told reporters: "I spoke with the representatives of Gareth Bale about 45 minutes ago.

"They have offered him to us. But we will have to study it with our technical staff and also the sports management team."

Bale won 16 trophies during his time with Madrid, but he barely played in the 2021-22 campaign, which ended with Los Blancos winning a LaLiga and Champions League double.

He featured in seven of Madrid's 56 matches in all competitions – 13 per cent – with just four of those being starts.

Confirming his departure from Madrid last week, Bale tweeted: "I arrived here nine years ago as a young man who wanted to realise my dream of playing for Real Madrid. 

"To wear the pristine white kit, to wear the crest on my chest, to play at the Bernabeu, to win titles and to be part of what it's so famous for, to win the Champions League.

"I can now look back, reflect and say with honesty that this dream became a reality and much, much more.

"To be a part of this club's history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget.

"I also want to thank president Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez and the board for giving me the opportunity to play for this club.

"Together we were able to create some moments that will live forever in the history of this club and football. It has been an honour."

Luka Modric has agreed to extend his trophy-laden Real Madrid stay to over a decade by signing a one-year contract extension.

The European and LaLiga champions on Wednesday confirmed that Modric will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu for another season.

Modric joined Los Blancos from Tottenham in August 2012 and has made over 400 appearances for the club.

The 36-year-old midfielder pulled the strings as Carlo Ancelotti's side completed a Champions League and LaLiga double in a glorious 2021-22 season.

Modric has won the Champions League five times, three LaLiga titles, lifted the Club World Cup on four occasions and the Copa del Rey once during his long spell in the Spanish capital.

The Croatia captain also has three European Super Cup winners' medals and has celebrated Supercopa de Espana success four times.

Modric, who won his 150th cap for his country in a 1-1 Nations League draw with France on Monday, will go in search of more honours next season after putting pen to paper on a new deal.

Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland are the three most valuable players in world football, according to research group CIES Football Observatory.

Mbappe comes in as the most valuable having had a stellar season with Paris Saint-Germain, with 60 goal involvements (39 goals, 21 assists) in 46 games in all competitions.

Vinicius won the LaLiga and Champions League double with Real Madrid, while Haaland is soon to make a lucrative move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City after scoring 86 goals in 89 games during his time in Germany.

Mbappe turned down a move to Madrid to sign a new three-year deal with PSG last month, and the France international and World Cup winner is valued at an estimated €205.6million (£175.7m) by the CIES.

Vinicius is second at €185.5m (£158.3m), while Haaland supposedly has a value of €152.9m (£130.4m) despite costing City just €60m (£51m) thanks to a release clause.

The rest of the top 10 includes Barcelona trio Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres, City's Phil Foden and Ruben Dias, Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Liverpool's Luis Diaz.

CIES' research is based on a range of measures such as age, value of club, level of player performance and inflation.

The CIES report states: "The statistical model to estimate the transfer values for players from teams of the five major European leagues was built from a sample of 1,790 paid transfers carried out between July 2012 and January 2020.

"The correlation between the sums paid and estimated is greater than 80 per cent. This shows that the variables taken into account explain more than four-fifths of the gaps in the level of fees paid for transfers included in the model."

Top 10 valued players in world football (according to CIES Football Observatory)
1. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) - €205.6m (£175.7m)
2. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) - €185.5m (£158.3m)
3. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - €152.9m (£130.4m)
4. Pedri (Barcelona) - €135.1m (£115.4m)
5. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) - €133.7m (£114.2m)
6. Phil Foden (Man City) - €124.0m (£105.9m)
7. Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) - €112.5m (£96.1m)
8. Luis Diaz (Liverpool) - €110.1m (£94.0m)
9. Ruben Dias (Man City) - €109.6m (£93.6m)
10. Ferran Torres (Barcelona) - €109.5m (£93.5m)

Hollywood actor and Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has suggested the Welsh club may be interested in signing Gareth Bale…although his tongue may have been firmly in his cheek.

The Wales international, who helped his nation qualify for their first World Cup in 64 years on Sunday with a 1-0 playoff win against Ukraine, is out of contract at Real Madrid at the end of this month.

Bale said after the game in Cardiff that he has already received a number of offers for next season, and McElhenney - who co-owns Wrexham with fellow Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds - hinted that one may have come from the non-league club.

Wrexham were denied promotion from the National League after a dramatic 5-4 defeat to Grimsby Town in the playoff semi-finals, but could an audacious move for Bale from the ambitious owners be on the cards?

Quote-tweeting ESPN UK, who asked: "Where will we see Gareth Bale next season?", McElhenney wrote: "I've got a few ideas."

It seems somewhat unlikely that the man who has scored 107 goals in 258 games for Madrid will be turning out at the Racecourse Ground next season, but stranger things have happened, especially when Hollywood is involved.

Roger Federer's coach called for Court Philippe-Chatrier to be named after Rafael Nadal and Real Madrid paid tribute to the legendary Spaniard after he won a staggering 14th French Open title.

Nadal produced yet another masterclass at Roland Garros, beating Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0 to secure a record-extending 22nd grand slam title on Sunday.

There have been concerns the 36-year-old may be forced to retire due to a foot injury, but one of the all-time greats vowed to fight on after completing the Australian Open and Roland Garros double in the same year for the first time.

Nadal was imperious as he moved two clear of Federer and Novak Djokovic's haul of major crowns.

The 'King of Clay' has won an astonishing 112 French Open matches and suffered only three defeats in one of the most astonishing sporting dominances.

Ivan Ljubicic, Federer's coach, called for the main show court at Roland Garros to be named after Nadal.

He tweeted: "Not many PLAYED 14 @rolandgarros tournaments. He won it 14 times. There is no word to describe this feat. Don't think good old Philippe would mind if his court changes the name to Rafael Nadal - statue is not enough."

Karim Benzema has decided to drop his appeal against a one-year suspended sentence handed out after he was found guilty of complicity in the attempted blackmail of Mathieu Valbuena, his lawyer has said.

The Real Madrid striker was handed the sentence along with a €75,000 fine back in November over an extortion case that dated back to 2015 in relation to a sex tape, and saw him exiled from the France national team until his recall last year.

Benzema, who has consistently denied the accusations, was one of five people who stood trial in a case that rocked French football, and it was initially reported he would appeal against the verdict with the hearing set to have taken place over June 30 and July 1.

The 34-year-old's lawyer, Hugues Vigier, told L'Equipe that his client will withdraw the appeal but will continue to maintain his innocence.

"My client is worn out by this process,” he said. "This withdrawal endorses a ruling of condemnation and apparently guilt. It is a judicial truth. 

"But this is not the reality. Karim Benzema will always claim his innocence in this case and he never wanted to participate in a blackmail operation against Mathieu Valbuena."

Benzema had been accused of helping the four other men blackmail former Les Bleus team-mate Valbuena over an intimate video that had been taken from Valbuena's mobile phone.

He had originally been expected to attend the Versailles court himself at the appeal. French agency AFP reported that the Versailles court of appeal will notify the relevant parties of the withdrawal order on Tuesday.

Benzema was on target as France were beaten 2-1 by Denmark in the Nations League on Friday.

Jose Mourinho declared a year in Rome has changed him as a man, saying: "I have become a much less egocentric person."

The Roma head coach delivered a trophy in his first season when the Giallorossi beat Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final on May 25.

Mourinho will turn 60 next January and says his priorities are shifting. The self-declared 'Special One' retains a desire to be successful, but he claims he no longer worries about climbing the coaching ladder, which was once an obsession.

Having made his name as a Champions League winner with Porto, the Portuguese bossed Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham before ending up at Roma.

Speaking on Friday at the Faculty of Human Kinetics, a part of Lisbon University, Mourinho told Portuguese reporters his debut season with Roma gave him a fresh perspective.

He made a point, when Roma triumphed 1-0 in the Tirana final, of holding up five fingers to signal his five European trophy successes: Porto's UEFA Cup and Champions League, Inter's Champions League, Manchester United's Europa League and Roma's cherished success.

Mourinho said he marked the occasion in such a way because he wanted to serve a reminder of his achievements down the years.

"The way I celebrated has only one reason: I'm not what I was, I'm not the young man worried about his ascent, growth and having to prove on a daily basis what he was," he said.

"I have become a much less egocentric person, who lives more for others than for himself and who is in a club that has no history of winning, with incredibly passionate fans."

He said the European victory for Roma "was our Champions League".

"Possibly my emotion at the end of the game was not only their joy, but also my taking a deep breath, because for two months I had been hearing every day, 'Please bring the cup, please bring the cup'," Mourinho said, quoted widely in the Portuguese media.

"I was happy as ever because the club is huge. But winning there is a sad story. Great players and coaches passed through Roma, but winning there became culturally difficult."

Mourinho spoke of how mentor figure Manuel Sergio, a former visiting professor in Lisbon, helped to shape his understanding of coaching.

"In 20 years of my career, Professor Manuel Sergio was always by my side and on the other end of the phone," Mourinho said. "He once told me that I did not coach football players and that doesn't exist, but that I used to train young people and men who play football.

"It may seem trivial, but it's great. This made me become a better person and a better coach. They'll have to put up with me for a few more years."

UEFA has apologised to spectators at the Champions League final for the "frightening and distressing events" in the build-up to last Saturday's contest.

The European showpiece in Paris was twice delayed due to what UEFA initially described as "security reasons" outside the Stade de France due to crowd congestion.

Real Madrid went on to lift the trophy by defeating Liverpool 1-0 after the match started 36 minutes late at 21:36 local time, but events outside the ground appeared of greater concern.

Liverpool fans had complained of heavy-handed policing outside the stadium, with video footage showing tear gas being used on supporters.

The Premier League club called for an investigation into the ongoings at the final, while UEFA blamed ticketless fans trying to force entry and supporters using fake tickets.

Reds supporters group Spirit of Shankly responded by hitting out at the "incompetence" of the organisation, and Liverpool reiterated their demands for a full probe into the issues.

The UK's culture secretary Nadine Dorries followed suit by stating fans had been "treated like animals" at the match, contrary to the suggestions by French ministers that had pinned the blame on supporters.

UEFA subsequently announced an investigation into the matter, and has since issued an apology to the spectators on Friday.

"UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris, on a night, which should have been a celebration of European club football," the statement read.

"No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again."

UEFA also reaffirmed its plans for an investigation, with the independent review led by Dr Tiago Brandao Rodrigues from Portugal.

"The review will seek to establish a full picture and timeline of what occurred during the day, both within the stadium and the surrounding areas, including examining spectator flows to the stadium via the various access points," the statement continued.

"It will also examine all relevant operational plans related to security, mobility, ticketing, as well as others at the discretion of the chairman of the Review, and will examine the planning and preparedness of the involved entities for the staging of the final, including at additional sites such as the Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF fan meeting points.

"The independent review aims to identify any issues or gaps in the implementation and running of operations and assess the roles and responsibilities of all the entities involved and the adequacy of their response to events, in order to make recommendations on best practices for the future for UEFA and the relevant stakeholders.

"The review will engage with UEFA and all relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to, fan groups including Football Supporters Europe as well as those of the two finalist clubs; the finalist clubs themselves; general spectators; the French Football Federation; the police and other public national and local authorities, and the stadium operator.

"The findings of the review, conclusions, and recommendations will be set out in detail in the report and will be those of Dr. Tiago Brandao Rodrigues and the experts who will support him.

"The review will start immediately and should be concluded within the shortest possible timeframe needed to produce a comprehensive review of the events."

Mesut Ozil will not be rescued from the Fenerbahce wilderness by Jorge Jesus, the new boss of the Turkish giants said on Friday.

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid playmaker Ozil has a contract that runs to the end of the 2023-24 season but was banished from first-team duties in March.

Reports claimed that decision came after a dispute with interim head coach Ismail Kartal, and Ozil may have hoped the appointment of Jesus would change his circumstances.

Yet a return to action for Fenerbahce seems as far away as ever after former Benfica and Sporting CP boss Jesus declared Ozil does not figure in his plans.

"What you have achieved in the past in football is very important. Mesut Ozil has a very important past, but the club has made a decision about him, and he will continue in the same way," Jesus said at a news conference held to announce his arrival.

Jesus added, according to Turkish news outlet Hurriyet: "The important thing here is not Jorge Jesus, Mesut Ozil or any other person. Fenerbahce is important."

Fenerbahce signed Ozil from Arsenal in January 2021 after he fell out of favour with the Premier League club, with the deal considered a major coup at the time.

After a second-placed finish in the 2021-22 Super Lig, Fenerbahce are hoping to bring in four or five new players, said club president Ali Koc, who added: "We will focus on players who will be decisive offensively."

They might have hopes of offloading Ozil, but the 33-year-old former Germany international said this week he has no intention of leaving the Istanbul giants.

Ozil wrote on Instagram: "I repeat with emphasis; I will not end my career in a team other than Fenerbahce.

"This decision is very clear and final. As per the requirements of professional life, if our management takes a decision about me, I will only respect this attitude. I will work hard and always keep myself ready."

Real Madrid have called for "answers and explanations" regarding the security breakdown at last week's Champions League final in Paris, demanding organisers be held accountable for the unsavoury scenes that ensured.

The start of the match – played at the Stade de France in Paris' Saint-Denis suburb – was delayed by over half an hour as supporters struggled to enter the stadium. 

Widely circulated social media footage has since shown Liverpool fans being tear gassed by local police and placed at risk of a crush ahead of kick-off, with reports also suggesting Spanish supporters were pickpocketed and assaulted outside the venue.

While UEFA has commissioned an independent report on the events, the French government has been heavily criticised for blaming supporters in possession of counterfeit tickets for causing the scenes.

On Thursday, Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan hit out at "disgraceful" comments from French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, who suggested Liverpool fans "pose public order problems" on European excursions. 

European champions Madrid have now joined their final opponents in calling for match organisers to be held accountable for the breakdown of security in Paris, saying fans displayed "exemplary" behaviour amid the chaos.

Los Blancos also corroborated reports their own supporters had been subjected to violence in Paris, as well as questioning the decision to hold the match at the Stade de France after UEFA had stripped Saint Petersburg of hosting rights after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

A statement on the club's website began: "In light of the unfortunate events which took place on the 28th of May in the surroundings of and at access points to the Stade de France, and even inside the stadium itself, Real Madrid C. F. wishes to express the following in defence of our fans, who were victim to said events.

"We would like to know the reasons which led to this venue being chosen to host the final and the criteria used, taking into account the experiences of the day.

"Furthermore, we call for answers and explanations in order to determine those responsible for leaving the fans abandoned and defenceless. Fans who, in general terms, showed exemplary conduct at all times. 

"We believe something which should have been a wonderful festival of football for all fans who attended the game, quickly turned into a series of unfortunate events which have caused a sense of outrage around the world. 

"As was evident in the revealing images published by the media, several fans were attacked, harassed, assaulted and robbed in violent fashion. 

"These occurrences continued as they moved in their cars or buses, causing concern for their physical wellbeing. Certain fans even had to spend the night in hospital as a result of injuries. 

"Football has transmitted an image to the world which is far away from the values and goals which it should pursue.

"Our fans and supporters deserve a response and those responsible to be held accountable in order for events like these to be eradicated from football and sport in general."

Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan has called comments from a French minister relating to the chaos at Saturday's Champions League final "disgraceful".

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin and sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera have repeatedly insisted that Liverpool fans were to blame for troubles outside the Stade de France that led to kick-off being delayed by 36 minutes as thousands of fans struggled to enter the stadium, with widely circulated social media footage showing supporters, including young children, being targeted with tear gas by police and placed at risk of a crush.

Speaking to the French Senate on Wednesday, Darmanin doubled down on his accusations, saying "It is clear, all the security services notes say so, that the people of Liverpool pose public order problems. Not all its supporters, but a small part of its supporters."

Both ministers claim fans with fake tickets and without tickets caused the problems, suggesting 30,000 to 40,000 Liverpool fans were trying to gain access to the stadium without a valid ticket, claims which have been strongly denied by fan groups and Merseyside Police.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner demanded an apology from Oudea-Castera for her prior comments, which he labelled as "irresponsible, unprofessional, and wholly disrespectful".

UEFA announced an independent report into the events but, speaking to Liverpool's website, Hogan says a report is not enough and wants an investigation into what took place.

"My response to the French minister's comments again, as I said earlier in the week, is just one of disbelief frankly," he said. 

"Folks are probably aware that the Senate Committee meeting yesterday was three hours, so there's still quite a bit for us to unpack in all of it. But, overall, given the body of evidence through video, photographs, personal experiences – and this is not just from Liverpool fans but from all fans that attended the match; media; English politicians; folks who travelled from literally all corners of the world to be at this match – which people have seen now across social media and other media channels, it's just utter disbelief.

"In regard to the accusations again that the numbers – 30 to 40 thousand fans – turning up at the stadium, this is the reason why we just keep asking for an open and transparent investigation into the details.

"I said this earlier in the week, people are talking about details which haven't been shared. We haven't had the opportunity to have that open investigation. And I just don't think it's appropriate for people to be making accusations until we've got all the facts.

"And with regard to the fact that this is only Liverpool fans, I spoke to my counterpart at Real Madrid yesterday, who made it clear that their fans also had issues. They had major concerns with the matchday operation, including the policing operation around the match.

"We spoke for a while about this yesterday, I know they're equally concerned about making sure this, again, is an independent and open investigation. My understanding is that Real Madrid are going to be putting some details out across their channels about this as well.

"We at Liverpool have been calling for an investigation into what happened in Paris on Saturday, not a report. I think those are two very different things. We've written to UEFA again today and we've raised specific questions – 13 specific questions – that we'd like them to clarify around the details of this investigation.

"We need clarity around what those points we are asking, the questions we've asked, to fully understand the proposed process. We just feel it's incredibly important that we get this investigation going, frankly that we get it launched immediately and that there are clear specifics around the process and how it’s going to work."

Hogan further expressed his disbelief at Darmanin's comments to the Senate Committee, calling them "disgraceful".

"I really empathise with our fans," he added. "Nobody should go through what they have gone through on Saturday.

"I mentioned this earlier in the week – both accessing the stadium as well as leaving the stadium, it was an absolute disgrace. The pain, the grief, the harm, the hurt that they suffered on Saturday, and now to be told by a French minister that only Liverpool fans have been a problem, it's just disgraceful.

"Real Madrid have made it clear their fans suffered as well. So all I can say is I have a tremendous amount of empathy for our fans, I don't think it's fair what's being said and we're just in disbelief."

Hogan also detailed the information the club has been able to gather in recent days, making a form available for those who attended to fill in and detail their experiences in Paris.

"We have opened up the form and I just want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed their experiences," he continued.

"We now have over 6,500 individuals who have gone through the pain of reliving that experience and putting it down in writing, as well as quite a number of photographs that have been submitted as well.

"Again, thank you to those of you who have taken the time to do that, I know it hasn't been easy."