Champions League news

Barcelona came close to missing the Champions League after UEFA threatened sanctions over financial fair play breaches. President Joan Laporta confirmed the club narrowly avoided sporting punishment by negotiating a reduced fine. The move highlights how far Barca have come financially, though challenges remain as the club continues rebuilding its economic stability.

Barcelona's new deal with Uber has sparked outrage among the city’s taxi unions, who accuse the club of betraying its founding values by aligning with what they call a "predatory" corporation. Elite Taxi has announced a total strike and mass protest to coincide with Barca's Champions League clash against Olympiacos in Montjuic next Tuesday, to cause maximum inconvenience.

Mathys Tel has revealed the pain of being left out of Tottenham's Champions League squad left him fuming, but has vowed to use the snub as motivation and prove his doubters wrong. Spurs' decision was due in part to the club's struggles to meet UEFA's homegrown player quota, which forced manager Thomas Frank to reduce the squad size from 25 to 22, meaning several players had to be excluded, including Tel.

Former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo has opened up on the "damned story" of AC Milan's Champions League final loss in Istanbul to Liverpool in 2005. Despite scoring twice in a 3-0 first-half lead, the Milan, Inter, Lazio and Parma legend admits the specific defeat is a major career regret and one that he still finds difficult to discuss.

Juventus are under investigation once again after UEFA opened proceedings into alleged financial irregularities between 2022 and 2025. The probe, which could lead to new fines or squad registration limits, adds to growing concerns over the club’s financial stability just a year after their European ban.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been handed a major boost in his bid to face former club Liverpool, with the Real Madrid defender’s recovery from a hamstring injury progressing ahead of schedule. The 27-year-old England international has returned to light training and could feature at Anfield on November 4, seven weeks after suffering an injury against Marseille.

Arda Guler was full of praise for Kylian Mbappe while describing his relationship with the Real Madrid talisman. The duo's chemistry on the pitch has led to comparisons with former Madrid stars Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Guler adding that Mbappe and him "understand each other perfectly." Real Madrid have won nine games out of 10 this season, thanks to the brilliance of Guler and Mbappe in attack.

Zinedine Zidane has revealed he has rewatched Real Madrid’s 2017 Champions League final against Juventus more than six times, describing the performance as “perfection.” The French legend called it the pinnacle of his managerial career, praising the team’s dominance in what was their second of three European successes under the Frenchman.

The Champions League has only just undergone a major shakeup with the introduction of the 'league phase' in 2024, but UEFA wants to keep evolving the competition and the next set of format changes coming into force the season after next are expected to make even more of the action accessible to fans. A big part of that is copying a season-opening tradition used in American sports.

Real Madrid have been urged to give up their hopes of forming a breakaway European league and told they will be welcomed back by the “football family” after years of conflict with governing body UEFA. The proposed European Super League (ESL) of 12 clubs collapsed within hours of its announcement in 2021 and Real are now alone in continuing to pursue the idea.

Seeing Ousmane Dembele lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or was a deeply emotional moment for Dayot Upamecano. The Bayern Munich defender, who grew up with the Paris Saint-Germain star in Evreux, admitted that watching his France teammate and childhood friend crowned the best player in the world after a sensational season brought him to tears.

Barcelona are working to repair their reputation and relationships after the controversial European Super League plan, which promised elite clubs guaranteed participation and massive revenues but quickly collapsed under widespread backlash. Under president Joan Laporta, the club is now focusing on rebuilding trust with UEFA, European Football Clubs (EFC) chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and the wider continental football community.

Gary Lineker never thought we'd see another player like Lionel Messi - until Lamine Yamal came along. "Just watching him, he makes it look so easy to beat a player. He goes past them almost as if they're invisible, like they're not there," the ex-England international enthused on the 'Stick to Football' podcast the morning after Barcelona's thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter on April 30.

UEFA is reportedly preparing a major shake-up of its broadcast deals that could see streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon bid for exclusive global rights to one Champions League match per round starting in 2027. The new “global first-pick” package is expected to generate around $5.9 billion (£4.3 billion) per season.

And then there was one. According to RAC1, Barcelona have withdrawn their support for the European Super League (ESL), leaving Real Madrid as the only remaining member of the original 'Dirty Dozen' still supporting the controversial project.

Ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole has taken aim at football's administrators, claiming that the over-saturation of the football calendar is putting stars at heightened injury risk, and diluting the quality of the overall product. Cole pointed towards PSG and Chelsea's current injury problems, as well Rodri's persistent fitness issues and Lamine Yamal's concerns, as examples of players being 'flogged for financial reasons'.

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has issued a stark warning to Barcelona despite praising Hansi Flick’s side as "the most attractive in Europe". The former midfielder believes the Blaugrana’s high-risk approach leaves them vulnerable in the Champions League, claiming fatigue and tactical rigidity could cost them deep into games.