Manchester City are the subject of a UEFA investigation over a potential breach of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

European football’s governing body announced on Thursday they have opened a formal investigation into the Premier League champions’ financial conduct amid a number of alleged recently-reported violations.

A UEFA statement read: “UEFA Club Financial Control Body opens investigation into Manchester City for alleged Financial Fair Play violations.

“The Investigatory Chamber of the independent UEFA Club Financial Control Body has today opened a formal investigation into Manchester City FC for potential breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

Manchester City are currently top of the Premier League

“The investigation will focus on several alleged violations of FFP that were recently made public in various media outlets.”

UEFA had been looking into allegations published in the Football Leaksseries by German magazine Der Spiegel that City systematically broke Financial Fair Play rules.

The revelations suggest City officials deceived UEFA over several years, including by disguising the source of revenue from sponsorship deals tied to the club’s owners in Abu Dhabi. The magazine also alleged City hid payments to former manager Roberto Mancini and artificially reduced their image-rights costs.

City have repeatedly declined to address specific allegations, and have not contested the authenticity of the documents.

But the club responded to UEFA’s announcement on Thursday, saying: “Manchester City welcomes the opening of a formal UEFA investigation as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails.

“The accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false. The club’s published accounts are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record.”

At the turn of the year UEFA’s chief FFP investigator and former Belgium Prime Minister Yves Leterme said: “If what has been written about Manchester City is true, there might be a serious problem.

“This can lead to the heaviest punishment – exclusion from UEFA competitions.”

UEFA gave no timetable for the case, stating it “will make no further comments on the matter while the investigation is ongoing.”

Source – Sky Sports

A row between the club’s president and their captain has left the future of the defender in doubt following a devastating week for the Spanish giants.

Photo by: Getty

Real Madrid have been left in chaos following an argument between Florentino Perez and Sergio Ramos that has left a deep divide between the club’s front office and the club captain, Goal understands.

The confrontation took place following the club’s loss to Ajax in the Champions League and has left the future of the defender in doubt.

Ramos and Perez were both left angered by a meeting they had following Tuesday’s loss in which Perez expressed his disappointment with the team and its current form.

Perez came into the Madrid dressing room following the loss and berated the players for their performances and lack of dedication to the club, leading to harsh feelings among the playing staff.

Then, following a meeting with manager Santiago Solari in which the Argentine could not be convinced to step down from his position, Perez and Ramos had a tension-filled exchange of their own that left both sides furious, the defender reportedly blaming the club’s hierarchy for poor planning.

The club are now upset with the attitude of their captain, while the defender is of the belief that he has always represented the club to the fullest and has given his all for Real Madrid.

Ramos believes he is being blamed with the bad performances of the team and with the situation they currently find themselves in and finds the criticism to be very unfair to him, leaving he and Madrid on the verge of a breakdown.

Ramos has a contract until 2021 and a buyout clause of €200 million (£171m/$224m), and the next few days will be key in player and club trying to rebuild their relationship.

Real Madrid are already set to move on from Solari, with Jose Mourinho in line to take over for the rest of the season.

Sunday is set to be the final match Solari takes charge of with a change expected to be made on Monday, in part to help stop the chaos the club find itself in, though the future for Ramos remains up in the air following his argument with Perez.

Source – Goal.com

Lionel Messi has been named in the Argentina squad for the first time since the 2018 World Cup.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina were beaten 4-3 by France in the World Cup last 16

The Barcelona forward, 31, has missed six international friendlies following defeat by eventual winners France in the last 16 in Russia in June.

He is part of a 31-man squad for friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco this month.

Paris St-Germain midfielder Angel di Maria, 31, has also been recalled for the first time since the World Cup.

There are four Premier League players in manager Lionel Scaloni’s squad – Manchester City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, Tottenham defender Juan Foyth, Watford midfielder Roberto Pereyra and West Ham playmaker Manuel Lanzini.

However, Spurs winger Erik Lamela and goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga have both been dropped.

Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has also been left out, having not played since 9 February because of an ongoing dispute with the Serie A club.

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea’s Gonzalo Higuain also remain absent, having last played for Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.

Argentina captain Messi, his country’s record scorer with 65 goals in 128 games, initially retired from international duty after Copa America final defeat by Chile in June 2016 before reversing his decision less that two months later.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing, having lost three Copa America finals and been beaten by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.

Argentina face Venezuela in Madrid at 01:00 GMT on 23 March before playing Morocco in Tangier on 26 March.

The 2019 Copa America runs from 14 June to 7 July in Brazil, with Argentina drawn in Group B alongside Colombia, Paraguay and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.

Source – BBC News

The former Manchester United manager is set to take on the managerial role for the Spanish giants until the end of the season.

Photo by: Getty Images

Jose Mourinho looks set to be named Real Madrid‘s interim boss as the sack looms for Santiago Solari.

Goal understands the former Manchester United manager is the favourite to take over following Sunday’s clash with Real Valladolid and is likely to be named manager through until the end of the season.

Real Madrid executives, headed by Florentino Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez, held a four-hour meeting on Thursday where they decided that Mourinho will be an option to be the club’s coach until the end of the season, with it also decided that Sunday’s match against Valladolid will be Solari’s final game in charge.

The call to sack Solari – who only replaced Julen Lopetegui in October – came in the aftermath of Madrid’s shocking Champions League defeat at the hands of Ajax on Tuesday evening, though they have spent the past 48 hours discussing whether to keep the Argentine in charge for the remainder of the campaign.

The hiring of Mourinho will not be on a full-time basis however, with Madrid still hoping to convince Zinedine Zidane to return to the club’s bench for next season.

Madrid would like to bring Zidane back now, but the French manager is not convinced he is in a position to step back in immediately, hoping instead to be available at the end of June.

Mourinho has been far more receptive to approaches from the Spanish giants, both in public and in private, making him the most likely option to take over for the closing run of the Liga season.

The believe a change must be made to stop the bleeding following a week that saw the club knocked out of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, along with losing a home Clasico to fall 12 points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga.

Mourinho and Zidane were joined by Germany boss Joachim Low on the list of possible managers club executives discussed on Thursday as potential full-time replacements though, like Zidane, it is understood that Low would not be available until the end of June.

With the change set to take place on Monday, the new manager will have just one week of training before facing Celta Vigo, though they would then have the benefit of an international break to try and find some answers for the club as they head into the final 10 matches of the season.

Los Blancos currently sit third in the table, five points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid and six clear of fourth-placed Getafe.

Source – Goal.com

ZURICH (Reuters) – FIFA is considering Oman and Kuwait as hosts of some matches at the 2022 World Cup if the tournament, to be staged in Qatar, is expanded from 32 to 48 teams, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

The logo of FIFA is seen in front of its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

The World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams in 2026 but FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed bringing forward the enlarged format to 2022.

World soccer’s ruling body did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

A decision is expected in June, although FIFA has already warned it would be difficult for Qatar to stage an expanded tournament alone.

Qatar has said it will not take a decision on expanding the tournament until it sees the details of a feasibility study from FIFA while a deep political rift in the Gulf complicates the prospects of sharing the competition.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt cut political, trade, and transport ties with Qatar in June, 2017. The countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, which it denies.

The UAE’s sports chief, Mohammed Khalfan al-Romaithi, said last month that his country, Kuwait and Oman could all stage matches in an enlarged tournament.

However, he said it would only be possible for the UAE to host games if the dispute with Qatar was settled.

“I know that if the crisis remains we cannot,” he said.

Source – Reuters

Gareth Bale is expected to return from an ankle injury in time for Wales’ first Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia on 24 March.

Gareth Bale scored twice in last season’s Champions League final against Liverpool

Bale, 29, suffered the injury during Real Madrid’s shock 4-1 defeat at home to Ajax in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

He was hobbling badly towards the end of the game and is set to miss Sunday’s La Liga match at Real Valladolid.

But sources close to Bale are confident he will be fit to face Slovakia.

Four days before that opening Euro 2020 qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium, Wales have a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago in Wrexham on 20 March.

Bale is in the midst of a difficult period at Real, having been jeered by some of the club’s fans during Saturday’s defeat by Barcelona. His agent described the reception as “nothing short of a disgrace”.

Against Ajax, the former Tottenham player joined the action – with his side already two goals down on the night – to a less hostile reception than he received from Real fans at the weekend.

Source – BBC News

The World Cup winner, who is a former Red Devils goalkeeper, has accused the Ligue 1 title holders of lacking humility following their last-16 exit.

Photo by: Getty

Fabien Barthez believes Paris Saint-Germain did not respect Manchester Unitedin their Champions League clash as the French giants bowed out on Wednesday.

PSG crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 following a stunning 3-1 second-leg defeat to United in Paris.

Marcus Rashford converted a 94th-minute penalty as United overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to progress on away goals .

Former United goalkeeper Barthez, who won two Premier League titles with the club in 2001 and 2003, criticised PSG afterwards.

“A lack of respect,” Barthez told Le Parisien  when asked why the French side lost.

“I think these are the first values of an athlete and a team [to respect the opponents].

“It is necessary in all circumstances to respect the adversary. Based on skills, Paris were better. They demonstrated that by winning the first leg against an English team that was even better armed than it was tonight.

“Paris lacked concentration. The players were not in the game. The club that make the difference in this type of meeting are the one that makes no mistake, not necessarily the one who plays the best.”

It was PSG’s third consecutive last-16 exit in the Champions League, having bowed out in the quarter-finals in the four seasons prior.

Asked if PSG had not learnt their lesson from 2017 when they surrendered a 4-0 first-leg advantage against Barcelona in an incredible 6-1 collapse, Frenchman Barthez – who refused to single out head coach Thomas Tuchel for blame – said: “They have stayed in the same lineage.

“Paris did not learn from their mistake. It is in these moments that we see the history and education of a club.

“They should have won this match on the values. Parisians lacked humility.”

Brazilian defender Marquinhos conceded after a thrilling tie in the French capital that PSG had not performed to the standard expected of them .

He said:”The game we played was unforgivable.

“We have to analyse, think and we have to be men. It’s a difficult moment.

“We had to give everything on the pitch. Now it’s over, we cannot say ‘You had to do that, you had to do this’.

“These are still details, and it’s always the case at the high level. I think it’s a good time not to talk too much. As we say in Brazil, it’s time to eat our own sh*t.

“It’s a sh***y moment and we have to keep working.”

Source – Goal.com

The prolific Bayern Munich striker worked under the current Reds manager at Signal Iduna Park and admits he initially found the going tough.

Photo by: Getty Images

Robert Lewandowski has admitted to initially finding life tough under Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, with the current Liverpool manager demanding high standards from his players.

A prolific Polish striker linked up with the German coach from Lech Poznan in 2010.

He quickly settled in the Bundesliga, but concedes that he had to work hard in order to reach the levels expected of him.

Klopp pushed his squad on the training field and Lewandowski felt there was a need for him to put in extra hours in order to meet the expectations of his manager and Dortmund team-mates.

Prior to leaving for Bayern Munich in 2014, the Poland international netted 103 times in 187 appearances.

Life was not easy, though, with Lewandowski telling BBC Sport of his time in Dortmund and life under a coach now chasing down the Premier League title at Anfield: “The first two years at Borussia Dortmund, my finishing was not like it is now.

“After every single training session I stayed on the pitch and practised with my left foot, my right foot and being systematic and repeating the movements was very important.

“It did not matter what I did with the team, I knew I had to stay after training to do things for myself.

“Sometimes I did it without a goalkeeper, who might have been tired or not have time for me, because I would stay on for two extra hours.

“I remember the first six months at Dortmund, the training was very hard under Jurgen Klopp. I was very young and wanted to show everyone I could give 110% in every training session.

“After two or three months, I was very tired and could not show all my skills. It was too much for me and I needed three months lighter training to get back to form.

“When I think about it now, I learned a lot.

“After the first few months my body was ready to work harder. Around November I scored a lot of goals and my team-mates said ‘Robert is back’, and I knew then I could show all my skills.”

Lewandowski has been reunited with Klopp in this season’s Champions League.

Bayern played out a goalless draw with Liverpool in the first leg of a heavyweight last-16 encounter in Europe’s elite club competition.

The return date of that tie, with a quarter-final spot still on the line, is set to be staged at the Allianz Arena on March 13.

Source – Goal.com

World Cup winner Sydney Leroux returned to pre-season training on Monday – despite being five and a half months pregnant.

Leroux and footballer husband Dom Dwyer already have a son, Cassius

The Orlando Pride striker is expecting a baby girl in July with husband and former Norwich City striker Dom Dwyer.

Leroux, 28, who has 75 caps for the US national team, suffered a miscarriage last year.

“I didn’t think I’d be starting off pre-season 5.5 months pregnant but here we are,” she wrote on Twitter.

“I just do non contact stuff. Ball work. Getting touches in,” the 2012 Olympic gold medallist added.

“I don’t put myself in situations where the ball can ricochet or I can get hit.

“No high intensity running and I listen to my OB [who knows more than people on Twitter telling me what I shouldn’t be doing with MY body].”

Leroux announced her pregnancy on Twitter in November.

Source – BBC News