Ex-Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has cited former rivals Barcelona as proof that money cannot buy success in the Champions League.

Ronaldo, who was in Madrid to pick up his Marca Leyenda lifetime achievement award, is hoping to become just the second player to win the Champions League with three different clubs.

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"It is always the year of Juventus, of Madrid, of Barca," he told Marca when asked whether the Bianconeri were among the favourites for the competition. "In a competition such as the Champions League, only one team can win.

"I'll use the example of Barcelona: look at how much money they have invested in the past five years in players and they have not won a Champions League. That is not how this works. Juve has brought in very good reinforcements and they are a team who are going to fight to win, as they always do.

"But it all depends upon many factors: the draw, the groups, the moments, the injuries, the luck. But, as I always say, you don't have to obsess over Champions League. Juve are going to win, if not this year, I hope it will be the next or in two years.

"And it will be because of our work ethic and because of the way the club is being set up. They have all of the ingredients to win it."

Meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez has said he will "forever" miss Ronaldo and dubbed him the best player in the world.

Ronaldo signed for Juventus for a transfer fee of €100 million after a nine-year spell at the Bernabeu where he won two La Liga titles and the Champions League four times.

Without the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Madrid endured a disappointing season -- knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 against Ajax and finishing 19 points behind Barcelona in La Liga.

"I'll miss him forever," Perez said at an awards ceremony. "I'm a Cristiano fan. He's the best and that's it. How was I not going to come [here]?"

Before moving to the Bernabeu, Ronaldo had enjoyed six years with Manchester United, where he won a Champions League title and the Premier League three times, but said that he missed Madrid more.

"I miss Madrid more than Manchester," he said at the ceremony. "This is due to life's circumstances because my children were born and grew up here and that is special."

Ronaldo also weighed in on the speculation surrounding Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Brazil international was left out of the PSG preseason squad to travel to China, but Ronaldo said he believes Neymar will remain in the French capital next season.

"He's a great player and I get on well with him," he said. "But there's a lot of talk about him with Madrid, Barcelona and Juve. It's the press' job because they need to sell, but I think he will stay in Paris."

Ronaldo, who helped Juventus secure an eighth consecutive Serie A title, said he left Madrid in order to reinvent himself as a player.

He added: "I needed more motivation after winning what I won. I needed a change to express myself as a footballer because I think I still have a lot to offer.

"I still feel motivated and I like what I do, but of course what I like most is winning titles."

Ronaldo scored the winning goal as Juventus beat AC Milan to claim the Italian Super Cup and he also won the Nations League with Portugal in the summer.

Juventus will face Atletico Madrid in their final preseason game on Aug. 10 before starting their domestic campaign away at Parma on Aug. 25.

Paul Pogba is a doubt for Manchester United's friendly with Kristiansund after missing training on Tuesday morning with a back problem, sources have told ESPN FC.

The midfielder, who has been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Juventus, sat out the light session at the Ullevaal Stadion just hours before kickoff against Kristiansund in Oslo.

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He is rated as 50-50 to be passed fit to face the Norwegian side in United's penultimate friendly of the summer before kicking off the season against Chelsea on Aug.11.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is already without striker Romelu Lukaku and defender Matteo Darmian after both failed to make the trip to Norway on Monday.

Lukaku, who is wanted by Inter Milan, is yet to feature in preseason after picking up an ankle injury during the tour of Australia and the Far East.

Darmian also missed the 2-1 win over Tottenham in Shanghai through injury. Both Pogba and Lukaku are keen to leave Old Trafford before the transfer deadline.

Pogba has said he wants a "new challenge" after three years at United.

Arsenal are expected to complete a five-year, €80 million deal for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe on Tuesday, according to ESPN FC sources.

Pepe is in London for a medical, the sources said, after Arsenal beat four other clubs for the 24-year-old's signature.

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Napoli, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid had all agreed on the fee with Lille for Pepe, but according to sources, he agreed personal terms with Arsenal, his preferred option.

Arsenal had also been linked with a move for Pepe's Ivory Coast teammate Wilfried Zaha but were unable to agree a deal with Crystal Palace, who were holding out for a deal worth £70m.

Unai Emery has so far welcomed two new additions for next season in Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli and Dani Ceballos, who joined on loan from Real Madrid.

Arsenal have also signed William Saliba from Saint Etienne, but have sent the defender back to his former club on loan.

Pepe joined Lille from Angers in 2017 and enjoyed an impressive first campaign with the Ligue 1 side as he hit 13 goals, despite battling relegation for much of the season.

However, he exploded into life in his second term as his 22 goals in Ligue 1 helped Lille finish runners-up to PSG.

Who are the best managers in the Premier League and what makes them better than the rest? Mark Ogden brings you ESPN FC's preseason Premier League Power Rankings, with each manager's trophy-winning record and career highlights part of the formula to determine this season's 1-20.

JUMP TO: Bruce | Dyche | Emery | Guardiola | Gracia | Farke | Hasenhuttl | Hodgson | Howe | Klopp | Lampard | Nuno Santo | Pellegrini | Pochettino | Potter | Rodgers | Silva | Smith | Solskjaer | Wilder

1 - Pep Guardiola, Man City

TROPHIES WON: 27 (including two Champions Leagues and eight domestic league titles)

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League Treble in first season as Barcelona coach in 2009

The Manchester City manager is arguably the No. 1 coach in the world right now. He's won domestic titles with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and at City, with two Champions League victories on his CV, too. But Guardiola is not just about trophies; he brings a playing style that has proved to be one step ahead of the rest for a decade since starting out at Barca in 2008-09. Guardiola is the complete manager, but European glory has eluded him in both Germany and England.

2 - Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool

TROPHIES WON: 6

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Champions League triumph with Liverpool in 2019

By guiding Liverpool to the Champions League title last season, Klopp proved himself to be one of the world's elite coaches and silenced the doubters who claimed his sides too often fell at the final hurdle. Klopp is a manager loved by players and supporters alike, and his high-intensity playing style has helped turn Liverpool into one of the most exciting teams on the planet, but to claim No. 1 spot, he has to win the Premier League at Anfield.

3 - Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham

TROPHIES WON: 0

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Guiding Spurs to 2019 Champions League final.

Five years at Tottenham has so far delivered no trophies, but Pochettino has transformed Spurs from underachievers to a club now established as a Champions League regular, making their first appearance in the final last season. The Argentine develops young players and has a track record for getting everything from those under his charge. The next time a superclub is looking for a new coach, Pochettino will be high on their list.

4 - Unai Emery, Arsenal

TROPHIES WON: 10

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Three successive Europa League titles with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016

The Arsenal coach has a tough job on his hands at the Emirates in terms of making the Gunners competitive again, but his track record is beyond doubt, having won six major trophies (including three Europa Leagues with Sevilla) during his time as a manager. The Spaniard faces the biggest challenge of his career at Arsenal, a team admittedly in a transition phase, but he is certainly qualified to take it on.

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5 - Manuel Pellegrini, West Ham United

TROPHIES WON: 10

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Premier League and EFL Cup double with Manchester City in 2014

Now managing the 14th club of his career, one that includes stints at Real Madrid and Manchester City, the Chilean has developed a reputation as a man who brings stability and order to whichever team he coaches. Three major trophies, including a Premier League title, were delivered during his three years in charge of City, and Pellegrini could be the man to take West Ham into the top seven this season.

6 - Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves

TROPHIES WON: 1

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Europa League qualification with Wolves in 2019 in first season in Premier League

The former FC Porto and Valencia coach has been a huge success at Wolves since taking charge two years ago. The former goalkeeper has guided the club to promotion to the Premier League and, last season, secured a Europa League spot in their first campaign back in the top flight. Having built an exciting, confident team at Molineux, Nuno is now attempting to push for Champions League qualification.

7 - Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City

TROPHIES WON: 9 (including Championship Playoff Final win with Swansea)

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Achieving a "Double Treble" with Celtic in 2017-18 -- the first time a Scottish club had won back-to-back trebles

The Leicester manager almost guided Liverpool to Premier League glory in 2014 after building an exciting team at Anfield. Subsequent success at Celtic, where he won eight major honours in three seasons, proved his ability to deliver trophies, but the Northern Irishman also develops attack-minded teams with flair. He now has the chance at Leicester to build a team capable of challenging for honours in England at an ambitious club determined to build on their 2016 title triumph.

8 - Sean Dyche, Burnley

TROPHIES WON: 1

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Guiding Burnley to seventh and Europa League qualification in the 2017-18 Premier League season

Now approaching his seventh year in charge at Turf Moor, Dyche has turned Burnley into an established Premier League outfit on a tiny budget after two promotion campaigns during his time at the club. Qualifying for the Europa League at the end of the 2017-18 season was a sporting miracle considering Burnley's resources, but Dyche has built a committed, hard-working team capable of upsetting the bigger clubs.

9 - Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace

TROPHIES WON: 12

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Taking Fulham to the 2010 Europa League final

The former England manager is the oldest coach in the Premier League and will be 72 in the first week of the new season, but he's proving that age is no barrier, having brought stability and consistency to Crystal Palace. Now in his 43rd year as a coach, Hodgson has managed Inter Milan and Liverpool in that time, and his career track record earns him a spot in the top 10.

10 - Eddie Howe, Bournemouth

TROPHIES WON: 1

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Three promotions from the fourth tier to the Premier League with Bournemouth

Bournemouth were facing relegation out of the Football League when Howe took charge as a 31-year-old in December 2008, but he guided them to safety and has since overseen three promotions to take the club all the way to the Premier League. Now established in the top flight, Howe is regarded as one of the best English coaches, having combined eye-catching football with results at the South Coast outfit.

11 - Javi Gracia, Watford

TROPHIES WON: 2

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Promotion to La Liga with Almeria in 2013

The Watford coach guided the club to their first FA Cup Final since 1984 last season, only to lose to Manchester City at Wembley. Gracia has turned the Hornets into a tough, physical side with ambitions of European qualification, having gained coaching experience in Spain, Russia and Greece. He was eyed by Chelsea before they appointed Frank Lampard as manager at Stamford Bridge.

12 - Marco Silva, Everton

TROPHIES WON: 3

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Greek Super League title with Olympiakos in 2016

The Portuguese coach is now in his third Premier League job after previously taking charge of Hull City and Watford. Silva has been tasked with making the Goodison Park outfit the best of the rest outside the top six, with the club harbouring long-term ambitions and aiming to qualify for the Champions League. Regarded as a coach who brings a short-term improvement, Silva now has the resources at Everton to do that over the long term.

13 - Daniel Farke, Norwich City

TROPHIES WON: 3

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Promotion to the Premier League with Norwich as Championship winners in 2018-19

Hired by Norwich in 2017 after two years in charge of Borussia Dortmund's reserve team, Farke overcame a tough first season in English football by guiding the club to promotion as winners of the Championship last term. The German has brought an exciting brand of football to Carrow Road as well as the success that saw the club return to the top flight.

14 - Dean Smith, Aston Villa

TROPHIES WON: 1

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Promotion to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2019

The Aston Villa manager secured promotion back to the Premier League last term for the club he supported as a boy after less than a full season in charge. Success in the lower leagues while managing on small budgets with Walsall and Brentford earned Smith the chance to take charge at Villa, and his team-building approach paid off with victory over Derby in last season's Championship Playoff Final.

15 - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United

TROPHIES WON: 3

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Back-to-back Norwegian titles with Molde in 2011 and 2012

A club legend as a player, Solskjaer must now prove his worth as a manager at Manchester United though his qualifications are less than impressive. Two league titles and a cup in his native Norway with Molde count for little in the Premier League, where he was relegated as Cardiff boss, so his credentials do not stack up like most managers in a job as big as United. He has the goodwill of the supporters, which a big tick in his favour.

16 - Frank Lampard, Chelsea

TROPHIES WON: 0

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Carabao Cup victory over Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in 2018-19

Arguably Chelsea's most illustrious former player, Lampard is an absolute rookie as a Premier League manager, with only one year's experience of management with Derby County in the Championship. Lampard narrowly failed to take Derby into the top flight last season, but he must now succeed at Chelsea after being given the challenge of replacing Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge.

17 - Chris Wilder, Sheffield United

TROPHIES WON: 3

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Guiding Sheffield United from League One to Premier League in three seasons

Wilder has been successful at every club he has managed, starting out in the non-league with Alfreton Town before winning promotions with Oxford, Northampton and Sheffield United. The 51-year-old is loyal to a core of British players at Bramall Lane, and though he faces a daunting task in the Premier League this season, his credentials as a manager are without question.

18 - Ralph Hasenhuttl, Southampton

TROPHIES WON: 1

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Guiding Ingolstadt to German Bundesliga for first time in club's history in 2015

Nicknamed the "Alpine Klopp" as a result of his success with unfashionable teams in Austria and Germany, the Southampton manager arrived at St Mary's last December tasked with keeping the club in the Premier League. Hasenhuttl succeeded with room to spare, despite winning only eight of 25 games in charge. He will be tested to the full in the season ahead.

19 - Steve Bruce, Newcastle United

TROPHIES WON: 2

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Promotion to the Premier League with Birmingham and Hull City

Now in his 11th job as a manager after being appointed Newcastle boss this summer, Bruce must overcome negativity and scepticism from his own club's fans before getting down to the business of keeping the team in the Premier League. Newcastle born and bred, Bruce at least knows how the supporters think, but having earned a reputation as a managerial firefighter, the former Manchester United captain will need all those skills at St. James' Park this season.

20 - Graham Potter, Brighton & Hove Albion

TROPHIES WON: 3

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Taking Ostersund to Europa League knockout rounds before losing to Arsenal in 2018

Having made his reputation as an Englishman abroad by guiding Swedish minnows Ostersund to three promotions in five years, Potter landed his first job in English football with Swansea 12 months ago. Despite a midtable finish in the Championship, Potter was hired by Brighton to replace the sacked Chris Hughton, so the 44-year-old goes into his first season as a Premier League manager with a club who narrowly avoided relegation last term.

The Hundred team based at Cardiff could be known as "Western Fire" rather than "Welsh Fire", in an appeal to Gloucestershire and Somerset's fans, ESPNcricinfo can reveal.

Sports law firm Onside Law, the ECB's primary legal advisor, has submitted a trademark application for the name, along with another for "Northern Superchargers", the likely name of the Headingley-based franchise.

The Cardiff-based franchise will be run by Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, and reports that it would have a Welsh identity provoked backlash from the West Country.

Vic Marks, the former Somerset and England allrounder, told BBC Sport: "With my West Country roots I've noted the possibility of Welsh Fire. I've also noted the cast-iron certainty that this will not greatly excite people in Bristol or Taunton.

"As far as the spectators are concerned, I think they do feel a bit alienated in the West Country of England. What they really enjoy is watching those guys play for Somerset at Taunton.

"Maybe it will catch fire in south Wales, I don't know, but I just have this feeling that you will not find any spectators crossing the bridge to watch Welsh Fire playing in Cardiff."

A similar response to the mooted Leeds team name was behind the switch to "Northern Superchargers", though the Evening Standard reported the team is likely to wear a yellow and blue strip, both colours associated with Leeds United Football Club.

The remaining six team names are likely to be Manchester Originals, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit (based at Lord's), Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave (Southampton), and Trent Rockets (Trent Bridge).

When approached for comment, an ECB spokesman said: "Team names will be announced officially in early October, before the men's player draft."

Zimbabwe's cricketers will play for free if need be in order to keep cricket in the country alive.

"We will play for free as long as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel," a senior squad member told ESPNcricinfo. "Our next assignment is the (T20 World Cup) qualifiers. I will play for free as long as we are assured that we will be paid eventually. We will play qualifiers for the sake of cricket staying alive and for free but to be paid late and not never."

The qualifiers remain the focus for Zimbabwe's cricketers - men and women - although they have been barred from taking part in those events under the terms of their suspension by the ICC. Four members of the national women's team were also dropped from the ICC's Global Development Squad, but their exclusion does not extend to all cricket.

Zimbabwe are still technically able to play in bilateral series while under suspension. It is understood that the ICC will still appoint match officials for bilateral series that Zimbabwe host. But, at the moment, that likely means players playing for free, and Zimbabwe Cricket is in any case unable to host incoming tours without ICC funding. The Sports and Recreation Commission, which has put an interim committee in place to run cricket in the country, has said there is a contingency plan to deal with player welfare while Zimbabwe are under suspension, but the details of this plan have not apparently been communicated to the players.

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Neither of the two senior national squads has been paid in the last two months, and the men were not paid match fees during their recent tour of the Netherlands and Ireland.

It appears increasingly unlikely that Zimbabwe will be able to take part in the women's T20 qualifiers in August, or the men's chapter in October. Zimbabwe were scheduled to host Afghanistan in August, before travelling to Bangladesh for a tri-series in September. The Future Tours Programme mentions that Zimbabwe will then host West Indies for a Test and five ODIs in October and November, before travelling to India for three T20Is in January next year. Zimbabwe have two Tests against Sri Lanka scheduled straight afterwards, before a trip to Bangladesh in March and a maiden Test against Ireland in Zimbabwe in April.

While these fixtures have not been cancelled outright, in reality there is no chance whatsoever of Zimbabwe hosting any cricket while under suspension, whether the players are paid or not. ZC is entirely reliant on ICC funding to host incoming cricket tours, which - apart from Indian visits - could end up as loss-making enterprises.

Mohammad Amir is expected to be named in Essex's squad for Thursday night's game against Hampshire, after his application for a UK sporting visa was belatedly approved.

Amir had signed for the majority of the Vitality Blast group stage, but his paperwork was delayed, leaving the club "extremely frustrated" as he missed two fixtures he had been expected to play.

John Faragher, the club's chairman, said the hold-up was an "unforeseen circumstance", and that Essex were in close contact with the Home Office.

And ESPNcricinfo understands his application has now been approved. Amir tweeted a picture of himself at Chelmsford on Tuesday, with the caption "Back to work".

Amir has regularly been left frustrated by hold-ups to his visas when playing in the UK, with several factors complicating the process.

Ahead of Pakistan's Test series in England in 2016, there had been concerns as to whether he would be granted a UK visa, on account of his six-month jail sentence relating to the 2010 spot-fixing case.

In the same year, Amir married a British citizen of Pakistani origin, and has since had an application approved for a spousal visa - though this alone is not sufficient to make a holder eligible to play professional sport in the country.

In 2018, Amir's departure ahead of the Test series against Ireland and England was again delayed by a week, though he did arrive in time to play in the first game of the tour.

Last week, Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket at the age of 27, in order to focus on white-ball cricket and ultimately prolong his international career.

Essex have started underwhelmingly in the Vitality Blast, with a win against Surrey, defeats at Middlesex and Kent, and a no-result again Gloucestershire.

They will also hope to bring Jamie Porter into their squad for Thursday, who played a Second XI game on Tuesday as part of his return from a back spasm suffered on England Lions duty.

India Test opener Prithvi Shaw has been suspended until November 15, 2019 for a doping violation. A BCCI release said Shaw had "inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups."

Not picked in the Test squad for the upcoming West Indies tour because of a hip injury, the suspension will also not let Shaw participate in the home Tests against South Africa in October as well as the first Test against Bangladesh which begins on November 14.

Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing programme on the day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Punjab on February 22 in Indore. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain Terbutaline. "Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances," the BCCI release said.

Shaw was then charged on July 16 under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) Article 2.1 and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. He admitted to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) but asserted it was "inadvertent, being caused by his ingestion of the over the counter cough syrup he had taken for his cough."

The BCCI was "satisfied" with the explanation that Shaw had taken "Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Respiratory Tract Infection and not as a performance-enhancing drug." The board considered all of the evidence and took "expert external advice" before accepting Shaw's explanation and agreed that a "period of ineligibility of eight months should apply, together with disqualification of certain results".

"Because Mr. Shaw promptly admitted his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start of the period of Ineligibility to the date of sample collection (22nd February 2019). However, the BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 also requires Mr. Shaw to actually serve one half of the period of ineligibility. Therefore, further to BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2, the eight-month period of Ineligibility will be deemed to have started to run on 16th March 2019, so that it will end at midnight on 15th November 2019," the BCCI statement said.

However, Shaw "may" return to train with his state team and/or to use the facilities of any club or other member organisation of the BCCI after midnight on 15th September 2019 because of the following provision: "Under BCCI ADR Article 10.11.2 a Cricketer may return to train with a team or to use the facilities of a club or other member organisation of a Signatory's member organisation during the shorter of:
(i) the last two months of the Cricketer's period of Ineligibility; or
(ii) the last one-quarter of the period of Ineligibility imposed.

More to follow...