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Champions League

Champions League news

SL Benfica v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg

Alvaro Arbeloa urges UEFA action over Vinicius Jr abuse

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has thrown down the gauntlet to UEFA, demanding that European football’s governing body takes decisive action following the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian superstar was reportedly targeted by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during last week’s Champions League playoff first leg, a match that was halted for ten minutes after the incident. Ahead of the return leg at the Bernabeu, Arbeloa insisted that the time for empty gestures has passed and called for a meaningful investigation into the clash.

Real MadridA. Arbeloa
FC Internazionale v Juventus FC - Serie A

Juve set to hand Spalletti new deal and transfer power

Juventus are moving swiftly to secure its long-term future under Luciano Spalletti. Despite a period of mixed results on the pitch, the hierarchy in Turin has seen enough to double down on the former Italy national team head coach. The message coming out of the Allianz Stadium is clear: Spalletti is the man to lead the Bianconeri restoration, and he is about to be rewarded with more than just a piece of paper. The tactician is currently locked into a deal that runs until the end of June, but the club are eager to rub out any uncertainty regarding his position before the current campaign reaches its climax.

JuventusL. Spalletti
FBL-EUR-C1-BENFICA-REAL MADRID

Why Mbappe is out of Real Madrid's match with Benfica

Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League playoff with Benfica after succumbing to a knee injury in training. Los Blancos host the Portuguese giants at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Alvaro Arbeloa's men leading 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon.

K. MbappeReal Madrid
FBL-EUR-C1-ATLETICO MADRID-BRUGGE

WATCH: USMNT's Cardoso scores Champions League stunner

U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Johnny Cardoso made sure his first Atletico Madrid goal was an important one as he helped lead his side to a Champions League win on Tuesday. Cardoso's go-ahead goal gave his side the lead, helping them to a win in the second leg of Atleti's clash with Club Brugge.

USAJ. Cardoso
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mbappe

Arbeloa highlights 'game-changer' Mbappe's key strength

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe, describing the Frenchman as a "game-changer" ahead of Tuesday's pivotal Champions League showdown with Benfica. Despite lingering concerns over a knee injury that has hampered the forward since December, Arbeloa was quick to dismiss any doubts regarding the player's fitness or his suitability in a central role.

K. MbappeReal Madrid
Real Madrid CF v Real Betis Balompie - LaLiga EA Sports

'Deplorable!' - Courtois slams Prestianni & Mourinho amid Vini Jr racism row

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has called for a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, insisting that homophobia should be treated with the same severity as racism. The Belgian shot-stopper made the comments in the wake of a controversial Champions League clash against Benfica, where Gianluca Prestianni was hit with a provisional suspension for allegedly directing a discriminatory slur at Vinicius Jr. during Madrid's 1-0 win in Lisbon. While the initial accusations centered on a racial slur, reports have suggested the abuse may have been homophobic in nature, prompting Courtois to state that both are equally "deplorable" and have no place in the modern game.

BenficaReal Madrid
Alisson Liverpool 2025-26

Juve eye Alisson despite talks with Vicario

Juventus are preparing for a massive shake-up between the sticks this summer after losing faith in Michele Di Gregorio. The Bianconeri are reportedly scouring the Premier League for a high-profile replacement, with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker emerging as a shock target alongside Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario. While Di Gregorio arrived from Monza with high expectations, a nightmare run of form has left the Old Lady’s hierarchy convinced that a world-class upgrade is required to restore the club's traditional defensive solidity.

JuventusA. Becker
Vinicius Junior Prestianni Benfica Real Madrid

Benfica president slams 'unfair' Prestianni ban

Benfica president Rui Costa has launched a passionate defence of Gianluca Prestianni, labelling UEFA’s decision to suspend the winger for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid as 'unfair'. The Argentine youngster has found himself at the centre of a firestorm following allegations of racial abuse directed at Blancos star Vinicius Junior during a heated first-leg encounter at the Estadio da Luz. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the Portuguese giants are standing firmly behind their man as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Bernabeu.

G. PrestianniBenfica
FBL-EUR-C1-BENFICA-REAL MADRID

Ferdinand defends Mourinho over Vinicius storm

Rio Ferdinand has jumped to the defence of Jose Mourinho amidst a growing firestorm surrounding the Benfica manager's handling of racism allegations made by Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. The Manchester United legend insists the former coach is not a racist and believes he will regret his approach to the incident that marred last week's Champions League showdown.

BenficaReal Madrid

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Jose Mourinho Vinicius Jr

Mourinho 'f*cked up' with 'clumsy' Vini comments - Mikel

Jose Mourinho “f*cked up” with his “clumsy” comments on Vinicius Junior, claims former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel. The Portuguese coach attracted criticism following a Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid that sparked another racism row. Mourinho sought to defend his player, Gianluca Prestianni, while questioning the behaviour of Brazilian star Vinicius.

J. MourinhoVinicius Junior
Anthony Gordon Newcastle GFX

How Gordon found himself chasing Mbappe in UCL goal charts

Anthony Gordon's 2025-26 Champions League campaign is the greatest by any English scorer for an English club in the competition's history. That's a fact. With his four-goal haul for Newcastle in last week's 6-1 hammering of Qarabag, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Englishman for a Premier League side in a single Champions League season, taking his tally to 10 from nine games. Not even Alan Shearer managed such a number in those famous black-and-white stripes.

AnalysisNewcastle United
FC Internazionale v Torino - Coppa Italia

Chivu backs Bastoni after 'sh*tty week' as Inter eye comeback

Inter head coach Christian Chivu has pulled no punches when discussing the mental state of star defender Alessandro Bastoni ahead of their crucial Champions League second leg against Bodo/Glimt. The Nerazzurri are looking to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg, but the buildup has been dominated by the fallout from a controversial incident involving Bastoni during the recent Derby d'Italia against Juventus.

InterC. Chivu
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League

Juve eye Vicario to replace Di Gregorio

Michele Di Gregorio is facing an uncertain future as the number one at the Allianz Stadium less than a year after his arrival from Monza for €18 million. A string of high-profile blunders across the last fortnight against Lazio, Inter and Como has forced the Bianconeri to reassess their options as the lack of consistency required to follow in the footsteps of legends like Dino Zoff, and Gianluigi Buffon is becoming a major concern for the club’s leadership.

JuventusM. Di Gregorio
Liverpool FC v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4

Huijsen apologises following offensive social media post about China

Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after sharing offensive content to the Asian community. The 20-year-old Spain international sparked immediate backlash after reposting an image on his Instagram that featured derogatory comments. The controversial post, which has since been scrubbed from his profile, included a picture of an Asian person accompanied by captions that Chinese netizens slammed as racist.

D. HuijsenReal Madrid
Jose Mourinho & Vinicius Junior

Mourinho issues blunt response to Vinicius Jr racism questions

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has remained tight-lipped regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Gianluca Prestianni’s alleged racial abuse of Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior. As the Eagles prepare for a pivotal Champions League second-leg showdown at the Bernabeu, 'the Special One' insists his squad's focus remains entirely on their professional duties on the pitch.

J. MourinhoReal Madrid
Vinicius Junior Prestianni Benfica Real Madrid

Prestianni tells UEFA probe he used homophobic slur - not racist

Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni has already given his version of events in UEFA's investigation into his alleged use of racist language against Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. The incident followed Vinicius' stunning winning goal in Tuesday night's Champions League knockout play-off first leg in Lisbon, as the two players exchanged words before the Brazilian ran over to the referee to report something the Argentine said while he had his face covered with his shirt.

Vinicius JuniorG. Prestianni
Jose Mourinho & Vinicius Junior

Vinicius 'repulsed' by Mourinho's response to racism allegations

Vinicius Junior is said to have found Jose Mourinho’s response to the racism allegations that he levelled against Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni “repulsive”. Former Real Madrid manager Mourinho spoke with Brazil international Vinicius during an unscheduled break in play at Estadio da Luz. The Portuguese refused to condemn his player afterwards, leading to widespread criticism of the ‘Special One’.

Vinicius JuniorJ. Mourinho
Yamal shouldering too much at Barca.jpg

Yamal is shouldering too much responsibility at Barcelona

Uncle Ben's eternally wise 'with great power comes great responsibility' warning to Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, is also applicable to Lamine Yamal, a real life superhuman still at the beginning of his career. At the tender age of 18, the Barcelona wonderkid has already achieved more than most players dream of, and is held up as the beacon of excellence underpinning the Blaugrana's bid for another era of domestic and European success.

OpinionBarcelona
Jose Mourinho Vinicius Junior Vincent Kompany

📽️ | Kompany slams Jose for bringing Eusebio into racism row

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany has criticised Benfica manager Jose Mourinho for bringing Eusebio’s name into the Vinicius Junior racism row that has been sparked on the back of an eventful Champions League clash at Estadio da Luz. Ex-Real Madrid coach Mourinho has sought to defend his player, Gianluca Prestianni, and Portuguese supporters.

J. MourinhoV. Kompany

Frequently asked questions

Since the Conference League's inception in 2021, three teams have lifted the trophy: Roma, West Ham United, and the current champions, Olympiacos.

The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams, four more than in the previous format.

Mainz 05 midfielder Hong Hyun-seok and Gent captain Sven Kums have made 39 appearances each in the Conference League, making them the players with the most appearances in the competition.

As for top goalscorers, Arthur Cabral leads the list with 21 goals to his name, including those scored in the qualifying phase. However, without taking into account goals scored in the qualifying phase, three players have scored the joint-most goals in Conference League with 12 each to their names: Arthur Cabral, Eran Zahavi, and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Darian Males, Gavriel Kanichowsky, and Cristiano Biraghi have the most assists in Conference League history, registering eight assists each.

Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while playing for Villarreal in 2023, became the oldest player to feature in the Conference League at 40 years and 175 days.

Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi holds the record as the Conference League's youngest-ever player at the tender age of 16 years and 3 days.

Stars such as Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Tammy Abraham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins,Co Mario Gotze, Kasper Schmeichel, Cody Gakpo, Stephan El Shaarawy, James Maddison, Jonathan David, and Edin Dzeko have played in the Conference League.

Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Unai Emery, David Moyes, and Ange Postecoglou are among the most famous managers to have managed in the Conference League.

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