Cole Palmer scooped the PFA's Young Player of the Year on Tuesday but emphasised that helping Chelsea win trophies is more important than individual accolades. 

Palmer, who scored 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, beat off competition from Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo to claim the award. 

The 22-year-old is the third Chelsea player to win the award after Scott Parker and Eden Hazard, signing a contract extension last month that will keep him at the club until 2023.

Palmer recorded the most goal contributions in the league last season (33), while also converting all nine of his penalties for the Blues. 

And despite missing out on the PFA Player of the Year crown to former team-mate Phil Foden, Palmer was happy to be acknowledged by his fellow professionals. 

"It is really special [to win the award] and I just want to say thank you to all of the players for recognising me," Palmer said.

"I have never really done anything like that before but it is a special award and it was a reminder to keep going no matter what. It was something I wanted to win."

Palmer was involved in Gareth Southgate's England team that reached the final of Euro 2024 last month, scoring the equaliser against Spain in the showpiece match. 

He returned to Cobham later than many of his Chelsea team-mates and played 45 minutes in their final pre-season encounter against Inter before being thrust into the starting line-up in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day of the new season. 

Palmer said he set the Players' Player of the Year trophy as his telephone wallpaper last season as motivation but emphasised that his focus is on team success.

"The (last) whole season was a great season for me personally and hopefully, we can kick on this season," Palmer told Sky Sports.

"I want to win trophies with Chelsea, that is the main thing, and then the individual awards are nice. It's on me to produce for Chelsea and that's what I plan to do.

"[The picture] was on my phone as a reminder every day of something to work towards so to win this award is nice."

Villarreal have signed Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Junior from Portuguese club Famalicao, the LaLiga side announced on Tuesday.

Junior, who kept eight clean sheets in 33 Liga Portugal appearances last season, has signed a six-year deal for a reported £10.2m transfer fee. 

The 23-year-old made 111 saves last year, a total only bettered by Boavista's Joao Goncalves (112) and Farense's Ricardo Velho (140). 

He conceded 39 times in the league, averaging a save percentage of 73.47%, the second highest of any goalkeeper to make over 30 appearances last year.

Junior made 140 appearances for Famalicao, keeping 42 clean sheets and conceding 178 goals across his four-year stint with the club. 

The Brazilian will replace Filip Jorgensen at Villarreal, who joined Chelsea last month in a £20.7m deal on a seven-year contract. 

Villarreal return to LaLiga action on Friday following their opening day draw with Atletico Madrid at the Estadio de la Ceramica, travelling to take on Sevilla. 

Rodri predicted Phil Foden could go on to become England's greatest-ever player after he was crowned PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.

Foden added the top men's PFA prize to the Premier League Player of the Season award he won in May, having inspired Manchester City to their fourth straight league title last term.

He scored 19 league goals and added eight assists in 2023-24, including vital hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa and a stunning final-day strike versus West Ham.

Rodri was also considered among the contenders for the PFA prize after going unbeaten through all 34 of his Premier League appearances last season (27 wins, seven draws), but the Spaniard believes his team-mate was a worthy victor. 

"I'm so, so happy about Phil. To be honest he's a very good kid, a very shy kid. For me, he has the ability to be the best English player in history when he finishes his career," Rodri said at Tuesday's award ceremony. 

"He needs to keep the level up in his game, already he's one of the best players in the league and in Europe.

"I think he could get even better. The quality, ambition and hard work he has every day listening to old people like me is very important. 

"He was outstanding last season and it's the first season I saw him carrying the team on his back."

Foden is the first Englishman to win the PFA Player's Player of the Year award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, and the first to do so in the same year as winning the Premier League title since John Terry in 2005.

Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland, who joined Rodri and Foden in being voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, was also effusive in his praise for the England man.

"He's a great guy, I really enjoy playing with him and joking with him," Haaland said. 

"Phil is unbelievable, some of the stuff he does in training that no one sees is also incredible, I'm lucky to play with him."

Juventus have revealed midfielder Khephren Thuram and winger Timothy Weah both suffered hamstring injuries in their season-opening victory over Como in Serie A.

Juve began their first campaign under former Bologna coach Thiago Motta with a 3-0 win over Cesc Fabregas' newly promoted side in Turin.

Forward Samuel Mbangula put the Bianconeri ahead with a fine solo goal before Weah blasted home off the underside of the crossbar to make it 2-0 shortly before half-time.

However, the United States wideman was substituted at the break after appearing to suffer a hamstring strain, while Thuram – signed from Nice last month – was also withdrawn before Andrea Cambiaso added a late third.

The Italian giants have now confirmed both players sustained hamstring issues and will be reassessed in around 10 days, ruling them out of Monday's trip to Verona and potentially the September 1 clash with Roma.

"Following muscular problems suffered during last night's match, Khephren Thuram and Timothy Weah underwent diagnostic tests this morning at the J Medical Centre," a club statement said. 

"They revealed for the former a low-grade hamstring injury in his left thigh and for the latter a low-grade hamstring injury in his right thigh. 

"New examinations are scheduled for both players in approximately 10 days' time."

Phil Foden and Cole Palmer won the top men's prizes at the PFA Awards for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.

Foden took home the Players' Player of the Year award for the first time, while Palmer was named the Young Player of the Year.

Two-time Young Player winner Foden had already been announced as the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Following the midweek ceremony, he has now also been recognised by his fellow professionals after starring in Manchester City's fourth straight title triumph.

Ex-City man Palmer had likewise been nominated for the top award after an outstanding first season at Chelsea, in which he netted 22 league goals.

However, Palmer was not included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Foden made the cut alongside City team-mate Erling Haaland and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in attack.

There were four City players included, with Kyle Walker and Rodri selected, but the champions were outnumbered by Arsenal's five representatives.

David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard earned recognition, with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk completing the XI.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year included both Players' Player of the Year Bunny Shaw and Young Player of the Year Grace Clinton.

Shaw was one of six City stars in the XI despite her side being pipped to the title by Chelsea, who could count only three players in the team.

Jonathan David and Edon Zhegrova again came up with potentially pivotal goals to put Lille in control of their Champions League play-off tie against Slavia Praha on Tuesday.

Both David and Zhegrova had netted against Fenerbahce in the previous round, with the Canada forward's extra-time penalty eliminating Jose Mourinho's men, and the pair were on target once more in a 2-0 win at Valenciennes' Stade du Hainaut.

It initially looked as though this might not be David's night, with last season's 19-goal Ligue 1 star passing up two very presentable openings in the first half.

David would have been particularly disappointed with the second of those, firing over after Zhegrova's effort was blocked by Antonin Kinsky, but he made amends in the 52nd minute when a first-time finish from a Hakon Haraldsson pass crept past the goalkeeper into the bottom-right corner.

The scorer of the first turned provider for the second, albeit David's flick to Zhegrova left the winger with plenty to do as he shimmied into the box and calmly shot beyond Kinsky.

It was not all one-way traffic in the second period as Slavia twice had the ball in the net, but Igoh Ogbu's scrambled goal shortly after the opener was struck off for handball, then substitute Mojmír Chytil's response to Zhegrova's dazzling second was ruled out for offside.

Data Debrief: Slavia slowed

Lille have the stronger team on paper, but Slavia had form on their side, unbeaten in 14 matches, with seven of those coming since the start of their domestic season last month. The Czech side had won their previous six games.

Ultimately, however, Lille's quality told – particularly in the case of Zhegrova.

He accounted for six of Lille's 16 shots and three of seven on target, also creating two chances as he was eventually rewarded for his endeavour with a 77th-minute strike.

Slavia will hope to recover their momentum in the return match in Czechia next Wednesday, with hopes of a place in the Champions League's new league phase waning.

Phil Foden and Cole Palmer won the top men's prizes, while Reggae Girlz and Manchester City striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw won the top women's prize at the PFA Awards for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.

Foden took home the Players' Player of the Year award for the first time, while Palmer was named the Young Player of the Year.

The women's Players' Player of the Year honour went to Shaw, with the Young Player of the Year award copped by Grace Clinton.

Two-time Young Player winner Foden had already been announced as the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Following the midweek ceremony, he has now also been recognised by his fellow professionals after starring in Manchester City's fourth straight title triumph.

Ex-City man Palmer had likewise been nominated for the top award after an outstanding first season at Chelsea, in which he netted 22 league goals.

However, Palmer was not included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Foden made the cut alongside City team-mate Erling Haaland and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in attack.

There were four City players included, with Kyle Walker and Rodri selected, but the champions were outnumbered by Arsenal's five representatives.

David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard earned recognition, with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk completing the XI.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year included both Players' Player of the Year Shaw and Young Player of the Year Clinton.

Shaw was one of six City stars in the XI despite her side being pipped to the title by Chelsea, who could count only three players in the team.

Bruno Fernandes believes Manchester United's transfer business is arming them to "compete with the best", which was his aim before agreeing to a new contract at Old Trafford.

Midfielder Fernandes is the captain and star man at United and committed his long-term future to the club last week ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.

This was despite United falling to eighth last season, their lowest finish in the Premier League era.

Erik ten Hag's men did win the FA Cup, beating Manchester City in the final, but they were unable to consistently compete with their rivals at the top of the table.

That needed to change for Fernandes to remain happy in Manchester, but he is encouraged by the early signs, with United signing Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

Zirkzee scored a dramatic winner on his debut against Fulham on Friday, ensuring United made a victorious start to the new campaign.

"The club knew that I want to compete with the best teams," Fernandes told MUTV. "They knew that we needed to improve the team. I think we're doing that.

"Obviously, I said to them: 'I don't need you to promise me that we're going to win the league'. No-one can promise that.

"But at least that we will have a team to compete and be competitive through the season, to try to achieve silverware and to compete in the highest levels.

"I think the club is doing that, trying to bring people in to get more players with quality in the team, to get more competitive, so everyone is fighting for your place.

"But my first choice was always to stay at the club. It was not even demands, but the things that I wanted to see: the club going forward, so I could see a future on that.

"To be honest, I look now and I see that the club is making an effort for that."

Southampton have completed a £12.8million move to bring Sporting CP midfielder Mateus Fernandes to the Premier League.

Fernandes, who has been capped seven times by Portugal at under-21 level, spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Estoril, making 28 Primeira Liga appearances and scoring once.

The 20-year-old, who came through Sporting's youth system, has penned a five-year deal with Southampton, who began their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Newcastle United. 

Fernandes is the 14th arrival at St Mary's since their promotion back to the top flight, with Flynn Downes, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Cameron Archer among their more expensive acquisitions. 

"I'm very happy to be here, it's a dream come true to come to England and play in the Premier League," Fernandes told the club's website. 

"It's the best league in the world, in my opinion. It has the best coaches, the best players, the best teams. It's good for me, for my growth and I'm happy."

Fernandes ranked second among all Estoril players for chances created in the Portuguese top flight last season, with 39, also leading their charts for successful passes in the opposition half (534).

Mason Mount has been backed to improve on a disappointing first season at Manchester United by Dimitar Berbatov, who feels the midfielder needs to take more risks in his play.

Mount joined the Red Devils from Chelsea in a £60million move last year but failed to make an impact in his first campaign at Old Trafford, which was marred by injuries and inconsistency.

He only made 14 Premier League appearances in 2023-24, being limited to five starts and just 513 minutes as United finished a disappointing eighth in the Premier League.

Mount only managed one goal involvement in those matches – a goal in a 1-1 draw at Brentford in March – and created just six chances.

Berbatov, who won two Premier League titles, the EFL Cup and the Club World Cup with United between 2008 and 2012, expects more of the midfielder this campaign.

"The first season was disappointing for him and something to forget. But he can learn from that and what he can learn is to get better," he said in an interview with Futbin.

"If you give him the opportunity he has to go out and give the best he can. He didn't manage to do that last season, unfortunately. 

"But the talent and the quality are there. Everybody saw what he did at Chelsea, but he didn't produce it at United."

Berbatov does feel Mount needs to show greater self-confidence if he is to nail down a spot in Erik ten Hag's team, adding: "My only wish for him is to get through the thought that he is new and that he doesn't want to take responsibility.

"It is his second season now and he needs to have a good season. This is the moment to make or break, so he has to go out there and be brave. 

"Take some chances and risks. He has the quality, so don't be afraid, Mason."

Jamie Carragher believes a repeat of Liverpool's third-place finish in their final season under Jurgen Klopp will represent a success in Arne Slot's first campaign at the helm.

Liverpool fell off at the tail end of 2023-24 to finish third behind Manchester City and Arsenal, before former Feyenoord boss Slot took the reigns from Klopp.

The Dutchman's first league game at the helm ended in a 2-0 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday, with the Reds producing an impressive second-half display.

Liverpool created the highest expected goals figure (2.65 xG) of any team on matchday one of the Premier League season, registering 15 shots and 43 touches in the Ipswich area after half-time as goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah handed them victory.

Despite a positive start to Slot's reign, Carragher believes Liverpool's supporters will be forgiving if he fails to deliver silverware in his first season.

Speaking in his role of Sky Sports pundit, Carragher said: "I don't think Liverpool supporters are expecting the world in the first season. 

"They realise the situation he is coming into, I think Liverpool replicating what they did last season would be enough.

"I was really impressed with a couple of things from the weekend. I was impressed with how decisive he was at half-time, he identified a problem and dealt with it.

"When I was watching Liverpool play out from the back, we've all played in those games on a dry pitch, the opposition are onto you.

"I liked what he said, that you don't need to keep playing short passes in those situations, you can go a bit longer. 

"He's the total opposite of Klopp, the crowd were chanting his name at the end and he shied away from it."

Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl says that Leon Goretzka will not be exiled if he stays at the club after the transfer window closes.

Under Thomas Tuchel last season, Goretzka started in 25 of his 30 Bundesliga appearances, winning 23 of his 41 tackles, only ranking sixth highest in the Bayern squad. 

The midfielder looks to have slipped down the pecking order since Vincent Kompany's arrival, playing a bit-part role during pre-season.

Goretzka, who has made 221 appearances since joining from Schalke in 2018, was left out of the squad for their 4-0 win over Ulm in the first round of the DFB-Pokal last Friday.

However, he did start Tuesday's 4-0 friendly win over Grasshopper Club Zurich, playing just over an hour as he filled a gap in defence after it was confirmed Josip Stanisic will miss the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Goretzka's future is no clearer heading into the start of the season, with only tentative links to Liverpool or Barcelona being reported.

The German is reportedly keen to fight for his place in Kompany's squad, and Eberl says that will be a possibility if he is still at the club at the end of the transfer window.

"At Bayern Munich, there's no second training group," he told Sky Sports Germany. "Leon is a great player and played well today. If he stays, he will be a full member of our squad."

While speaking to Abendzeitung, he said: "We never spoke badly about Leon. He has done great things for FC Bayern.

"Competitive situations are quite normal in football. Leon is a full member of the team. We only hinted that it could be difficult."

Bayern's final pre-season game ended in another dominant win, with Michael Olise, Harry Kane, Mathys Tel and Thomas Muller netting the goals.

They will begin their season against Wolfsburg on Sunday, and Eberl noted the importance of the extra preparation before they launch a title challenge.

"It was important that we had another test to get fit, to internalize the processes and new ideas," Eberl told Bayern's media channels.

"It's a positive result, we didn't concede a goal. We are satisfied

"We have a new coaching team that brings new energy into the dressing room. We showed decent performances in the preparation, and now we want to win every game."

Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz and Bermuda extended their unbeaten runs in their respective Tiers of the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series on Monday.

The Jamaicans, through goals from Davion Clarke (28th) and Corlando Morris (37th), blanked host Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in a crucial Tier I Group A clash at Dwight Yorke Stadium.

It was the third win on the trot for the young Reggae Boyz, who sit atop the group on a maximum nine points, three ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (six points), while St. Kitts and Aruba are on one point each in the development tournament, which sees games played over 70 minutes.

The young Reggae Boyz dominated proceedings from the off as they bossed possession and were more threatening in open play. They inevitably broke the deadlock when a Kyle Hussey pass found Clarke, who drove past Christian Tefler in goal for Trinidad and Tobago.

Bermuda versus St. Lucia.

Though they continued to create chances, the Jamaicans had to wait until the 37^th to add to their tally as Morris capitalized on a defensive error and slotted home early on the resumption.
Trinidad and Tobago’s first real opportunity came in the 61^st minute when Lucas Shaw's long-range cross forced Jamaica's Marcodean Spence into a save. Still, Jamaica continued to dominate and should have won by a wider margin but failed to make the most of their chances.

With 10 goals to their tally so far, the Jamaicans, who have yet to concede, will be aiming to keep their perfect record intact heading into the next round, when they face Aruba in the final group game on Tuesday at 5:30pm Jamaica time at the same venue. Trinidad and Tobago will face St. Kitts and Nevis.

Guyana versus St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Meanwhile, Bermuda completed their Tier II Group C play with a 1-0 win over St. Lucia at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

The win, a fourth for the Bermudans in as many games, puts them atop the group on 12 points.

It was a game of many chances, the best of which fell to Bermuda as they applied consistent pressure to their St. Lucian counterparts but couldn’t beat the glove of goalkeeper Brial Nelson for most of the way.

Bermuda eventually found the go-ahead goal in the 63^rd through captain Z-ani Jennings, who dismissed two defenders to make space for a delightful strike from about 25 yards out.

Having completed all of their group stage matches, Bermuda awaits their opponents in Friday’s semi-finals. St. Lucia play their final group match against Grenada on Tuesday.

Monday’s Results

Tier I Group A

Jamaica 2, Trinidad and Tobago 0

St Kitts and Nevis 2, Aruba 2

Tier I Group B

St. Martin 0, French Guiana 5

Puerto Rico 0, Curaçao 0

Tier II Group A

St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Guyana 1

Antigua & Barbuda 3, Cayman Islands 3

Tier II Group B

British Virgin Islands 3, US Virgin Islands 1 

Dominica 0, Anguilla 0

Tier II Group C

Bermuda 1, St Lucia 0

Grenada 1, St. Maarten 1

Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake produced two stunning saves to assist Philadelphia Union to a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Liga MX side Mazatlan in the 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

Blake’s heroics were required after Mikael Uhre’s late first-half goal was cancelled out by Alonso Escoboza just shy of the hour mark, as the teams played out a 1-1 stalemate in regulation and extra-time.

The 33-year-old Blake, who won the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup Golden Glove, showed his class with two diving saves in the shootout to send Philadelphia Union to the semi-finals.

Interestingly, the other semi-finalists—Columbus Crew, Los Angeles FC, and Colorado Rapids—are also Major League Soccer (MLS) outfits, and with the top three Leagues Cup finishers guaranteed a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, it means that all three qualifiers will be United States-based MLS teams.

Columbus Crew, a 2024 Champions Cup finalist, moved closer to a Champions Cup return as they too registered a close 4-3 penalty shootout win over New York City FC.

Both teams played out a 1-1 stalemate as Alonso Martinez gave New York FC a first minute lead, which was cancelled out by Cucho Hernandez. Like Blake, Columbus Crew’s custodian Patrick Schulte also produced a stop in the shootout to help secure his team’s passage.

Elsewhere, 2020 and 2023 Champions Cup finalists Los Angeles FC powered their way into the final four with a commanding 3-0 victory over the 2022 Champions Cup winners Seattle Sounders. Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara logged first-half goals, before Denis Bouanga completed the win with an early second-half strike.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of thrills in the final match of the evening as Colorado Rapids slipped past seven-time Concacaf champions Club America of Mexico 9-8 on sudden-death penalties after they battled out a scoreless encounter.

The Liga MX giants were poised to win the shootout on their fifth kick, but Rapids’ goaltender Zack Steffen denied Igor Lichnovsky. The two teams then converted their next four kicks each, before Steffen scored his kick from the 12-yard spot, while his counterpart Luis Malagon hit wide and handed Colorado Rapids the victory.

If the words of former FIFA vice president Austin “Jack” Warner are anything to go by, then Trinidad and Tobago is basically grasping at straws where qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is concerned.

In fact, Warner, known for his blunt personality, is of the view that the Twin Island Republic will not make another appearance at the global showpiece anytime soon, as it lacks a proper football structure and, by extension, competence from a coaching perspective.

Even with the increased opportunity opened up by United States, Canada, and Mexico securing automatic berths as hosts, Warner believes this offers very little hope for the Soca Warriors chances. Three teams will qualify directly to join the hosts as Concacaf’s representatives at the World Cup, while another two will have a second chance at qualification through an inter-confederation playoff. 

Trinidad and Tobago’s lone FIFA World Cup appearance to date was in Germany in 2006.

“Let me tell you this, and who is vex well, vex. We will not see a World Cup final in football in our collective lifetime, not even for the one coming up (2026), and remember, I have told you so,” Warner told Andre Errol Baptiste on the ISports radio program last Friday.

“We have gotten more chances and more slots to qualify, but our chances will not be better but worse. First of all, we don’t have the talent at the top, and in terms of coaching, we don’t have that will to allow our football players to succeed. We don’t have the competition at the bottom. Ask the average Trinidad and Tobago footballer to name five footballers in the country. He can’t. The average Trini cannot, and something is wrong,” he added.

Former Soca Warriors Angus Eve (left), then assistant Derek King (centre), and goalkeeper coach Clayton Ince.

The recent sacking of Angus Eve and the hiring of his assistant Derek King on an interim basis, Warner said, doesn't help the situation.

“I know Derek King very well; he used to coach my club called Joe Public. I know him very well, but Derek King is out of his league. Derek King does not understand the nuances of coaching at the World Cup level, and that is the difference I am talking about. Derek King is not in Leo Beenhakker’s class, so to speak, and England got rid of Gareth Southgate, so what are we doing in terms of this?” Warner questioned. 

Though it is argued that the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) lacks the adequate finances to compensate a high-calibre coach, Warner, a former Minister of National Security, alluded to the possibility of the current government shifting funds around to provide more support for sports.

“If you get the money to pay a top-class coach, you will spend less money in the judiciary and less money in national security. The money that you will save from national security, you can pump back into sports. It follows that you have to prioritise and see what is important to you, and if sport is the vehicle for national unity and development and for people’s pride, put the money where it is,” Warner argued.

“I recall where sportsmen and sportswomen had to spend their own money attending to injuries. It does not help until we get serious about sports. Nothing from nothing will leave nothing,” he noted. 

While taking a swipe at corporate companies in Trinidad and Tobago that refuse to render assistance until after the fact, Warner used the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) hiring of Englishman Steve McClaren to drive home his point about national pride.

“They will not get corporate support. They (corporate TT) only come at the end. They come at the end, not at the beginning, where they are badly needed,” Warner stated.

He continued: “There is no local coach that can take Trinidad and Tobago to the World Cup at this time, and I mean that sincerely, and that is not a criticism. That is a realistic statement; we don’t have it; we just don’t have it.

“Jamaica is looking for a top-class coach; they have never considered Dwight Yorke. Look where Jamaica has gone. They don’t have the energy and oil we have, but they have the pride. We don’t have that, and that is the difference.” 

On another note, the former Concacaf boss expressed optimism that   his legal battles regarding a 2015 indictment for corruption, will be behind him soon.

“The matter will be thrown out, but it takes time in Trinidad and Tobago. All the colleagues that have been arrested and imprisoned in the United States have since appealed based on the Supreme Court statement and judgment (that prosecutors in the US overreached their boundaries when they applied laws of the United States to groups of people, many of whom are foreign nationals).

“I am now waiting to see what will come out of these appeals, and I will take it from there, but I don’t want to say too much on that at this stage, except to say, I am very optimistic,” Warner ended.