Tag: UEFA

UEFA has given Barcelona the go-ahead to play Champions League matches at their partially rebuilt Camp Nou stadium, the La Liga giants said on Wednesday.

The news comes just a couple of days after Barcelona announced their long-awaited return to league action at the stadium, which had been beset by construction chaos, after more than two years in exile.

The Spanish champions will host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Camp Nou on December 9, just over two weeks after reinaugurating the stadium against Athletic Bilbao in domestic action on November 22.

Barcelona said in a statement that “UEFA accepted the request, considering that all the necessary requirements have been met.”

The Camp Nou return will end a messy saga in which Barcelona repeatedly had to postpone their announced reopening of the stadium as construction delays and a failure to secure safety licences curtailed their plans.

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The Catalans were humiliatingly forced to play two matches at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff training ground stadium in the first weeks of the season after failing to get the permit they needed for Camp Nou, because of safety reasons.

They have since then been playing in the 55,000-seater Olympic stadium on Montjuic hill.

Barcelona will open the Camp Nou against Bilbao with a temporary capacity of 45,401 spectators, with space for 105,000 when the top tier is eventually completed.

They opened the stadium up for 23,000 fans to watch a training session earlier in November as a test event in the reopening process.

The delay in the work represents a huge financial loss for the club, which needs the revenue generated by its stadium to regain stability.

Financially troubled Barcelona are estimated to be spending 1.5 billion euros ($1.74bn) on the rebuild.

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PARIS: UEFA itself bears “primary responsibility” for failures which “almost led to disaster” at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid, a report commissioned by the European football body said Monday.

The report also claimed the policing model was influenced by a view of Liverpool based on the deadly 1989 Hillsborough disaster on incorrect assumptions that the city’s supporters were a threat to public order.

The report said that the panel “has concluded that UEFA, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster.”

The panel also said it was astonished that the policing model was influenced by a view of Liverpool hooliganism based on Hillsborough.

“The safety, security and service model laid out in the Saint-Denis Convention was ignored in favour of a securitized approach,” the report said.

Real Madrid’s 1-0 win at the Stade de France on May 28 was overshadowed by events surrounding European football’s showpiece event.

Kick-off was delayed by 37 minutes as fans struggled to access the stadium after being funnelled into overcrowded bottlenecks on approach.

Police then fired tear gas towards thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter to the stadium.

UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis made an apology for the lapses that led to a breakdown in the organisation of the crowd and thanked Dr Brandao Rodrigues and the panel who created the report for their work.

“On behalf of UEFA, I would like to apologise most sincerely once again to all those who were affected by the events that unfolded on what should have been a celebration at the pinnacle of the club season,” Theodoridis said.

“In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of Liverpool FC…. for the messages released prior to and during the game which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off.”

The independent review was commissioned May 30, 2022, and published Monday at a cost of almost 500,000 euros to date.

“UEFA is committed to learning from the events,” the apology said, promising to work more closely with stakeholders to assure they can enjoy the game in a safe, secure and welcoming environment.

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BUDAPEST: Italy, who will miss a second consecutive World Cup, again found consolation in Europe as they won 2-0 in Budapest on Monday to edge Hungary for first place in their Nations League group.

Giacomo Raspadori, who scored the winner against England on Friday, poked the ball home after Wilfried Gnonto had pounced on a poor Hungarian back pass to give Italy the lead in the 27th minute.

“We needed these matches to restore enthusiasm, even if the World Cup remains an open wound and we can not go back,” said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“We have to start again, we have to do it for all of Italy.”

Hungary, who started the final round of games top of Group A3, fought hard but Donnarumma made two miraculous saves in quick succession in the 50th minute from Loic Nego and Adam Szalai.

Two minutes later, Federico Dimarco met a Bryan Cristante cross at the back post to smash in his first international goal and Italy’s 1,500th.

Donnarumma produced another outstanding to keep out a header from Callum Styles (55th).

Italy held on to follow the Netherlands and Croatia into the Nations League final four scheduled for June 2023.

“We were excellent for 70 minutes, the last 20 I didn’t like too much,” said Italy coach Roberto Mancini.

“We’re happy, it’s important to have reached the Nations League final four for the second time.”

Spain or Portugal meet on Tuesday to decide the last ticket for a chance to succeed France as champion.

Italy, who fell to a low point in March, less than a year after their Euro 2020 title, when they failed to qualify for the World Cup, have a another European final tournament to look forward to.

Hungary’s surprising run through the group had recalled some of the triumphs of the feats of the Magic Magyars of the 1950s.

They gained a first competitive victory over Germany since 1954 and a first win away to England since 1954 but still have not beaten Italy since 1955.

The defeat also brought to an end the international career of Hungary captain Adam Szalai, who had said he is retiring from international football at 34 and received an ovation as he went off after 75 minutes.

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ISTANBUL: Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas were rewarded for outstanding seasons by winning the UEFA men’s and women’s player of the year prizes at a ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday.

France striker Benzema captained Real Madrid to victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final and scored 15 goals in the competition, while Putellas was the top scorer in the Women’s Champions League, helping Barcelona reach the final which they lost to Lyon.

Benzema took the men’s honours ahead of club team-mate Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, succeeding Chelsea midfielder Jorginho who won the award last year.

The 34-year-old scored hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the Champions League knockout rounds and netted three times across the two legs of the semi-final against Manchester City.

He struck 44 times in 46 games altogether as Real also won the Spanish title.

Putellas, 28, claimed the prize for a second straight year despite suffering a serious knee injury that ruled her out of Euro 2022.

She finished ahead of England forward and European champion Beth Mead, the joint leading scorer at the tournament, and young Germany midfielder Lena Oberdorf.

Carlo Ancelotti was named best men’s coach for his success with Real, with Dutchwoman Sarina Wiegman crowned best women’s coach after leading England to Euro glory on home soil last month.

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NYON: European Football Association (UEFA) has announced a friendly competition named “Euro Unity Cup” featuring eight teams across Europe comprised of mixed Refugees.

UEFA announced on its official Twitter account that the association and UN Refugee Agency had launched a new friendly competition that would take place next place, as part of its Refugee support program.

🤝 ICYMI: UEFA and @Refugees have launched a new friendly competition – the EURO UNITY Cup – with eight mixed teams to play next week.

❤️ That's because we believe football is for everyone, and can play a vital role in building a brighter future.#WithRefugees #WorldRefugeeDay

— UEFA (@UEFA) June 21, 2022

Eight mixed refugee teams of Europe will take part in the action along with ambassadors of the footballing world at Colovray Stadium in Nyon, scheduled on June 29.

Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Malta, the Republic of Ireland, and Switzerland will participate in the competition comprising 70 percent refugee and 30 percent non-refugee players, announced UEFA on its website.

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MADRID: The Spanish League LaLiga has filed a complaint to UEFA against Paris Saint-Germain for the breach of financial fair play rules adding to a similar complaint it had filed earlier against Manchester City, it announced on Wednesday.

LaLiga believed that the French Club have broken the financial fair play regulations when it offered a new multi-million pounds contract to its striker Kylian Mbappe, which convinced him to decline the offer of the Spanish club Real Madrid.

The Spanish League has already filed a similar complaint against Manchester City in April, objecting that club has continuously failed to comply with the rules.

Since then, the Premier League club has also confirmed the signing of Erling Haaland for £51.2m from the German club Borussia Dortmund. Real Madrid was also interested in signing Haaland.

“LaLiga considers that these practices alter the ecosystem and the sustainability of football, harm all European clubs and leagues, and only serve to artificially inflate the market with money not generated in soccer itself,” the Spanish league said in a statement.

LaLiga further alleged that the irregular financing of both the clubs was carried out either through direct money injection or through sponsorship or other contracts that did not correspond to market conditions or made economic sense.

The Spanish league had already tried to sanction PSG and Man City by UEFA in the past. In 2017 and 2018, it also filed charges against them for violating financial fair play guidelines.

UEFA sanctioned Man City a two-year ban from the Champions League in 2020 for “serious breaches” of FFP rules following an investigation. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban.

Meanwhile, UEFA closed another financial fair play investigation against PSG in 2018 without imposing any sanctions. In 2014, both Man City and PSG were fined 20 million euros by the football’s governing body following the FFP breaches.

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PARIS: France failed to retain the title of UEFA Nations League as their hopes to qualify for the final four were shattered after a home defeat by Croatia in a Group A1 match, here at Stade de France Stadium on Monday.

France’s eagerness to secure their first win in the competition remained unfulfilled as Croatia avenged the World Cup Final loss to rule the World Champions out of the League.

Luka Modric scored the penalty in the fifth minute after Ante Budimir was knocked down inside the area by Ibrahima Konate, which remained the lone goal of the match as Karim Benzema’s side failed to take down the lead.

France have now lost two and drawn two games in the competition to finish at the bottom of Group A1 with two points.

Meanwhile, Denmark top the group on nine points – two points ahead of Croatia – after a 2-0 win over Austria.

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LISBON: Portugal secured a comfortable 2-0 win against the Czech Republic in their UEFA Nations League encounter with defender Joao Cancelo and winger Goncalo Guedes scoring two goals in the first half to seal the fate of the away side, here on Friday.

Portugal cemented their position on the top spot of Group A4 with seven points after the home win.

The opening goal in the 33rd minute put Portugal ahead of their opponent in the game after Benardo Silva assisted with a through ball to Cancelo who shot with the right foot to the bottom left corner of the nets.

Within the next minutes, Goncalo scored another goal from a similar spot followed by an assist again from Silva, enabling their side to dominate the game in front of the home crowd.

Portugal will now travel to Geneva for their next game against Switzerland next Sunday, whereas, the Czech Republic will face Spain in an away game.

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MUNICH: England forced a dramatic draw against Germany in a thrilling clash as Harry Kane scored a late penalty to become the second English footballer to score 50 international goals after Wayne Rooney, in a Group three match of the UEFA Nations League.

Tottenham star was awarded a penalty shot after German center-back Nico Schlotterbeck brought down Kane in the penalty area. Kane netted the ball in the 88th minute to equalize 1-1, securing a point for his team.

Kane with his late equalizer relished the England team and its manager Gareth Southgate, who faced immense pressure after an upset at the hands of Hungary 1-0 in their first encounter of the Nations League campaign.

German midfielder Jonas Hofmann scored the opening goal of the match as he beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a powerful shot, clinching a lead for his team in the 50th minute.

The vital 1-1 draw helped England to take a point home in their first two games of the UEFA Nations League.

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LISBON: Portugal secured a home win against Switzerland as Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice to thrash the away side 4-0, in Group B match of League A in UEFA Nations League.

Ronaldo put on a phenomenal show as he reached 117 international goals with the double strikes in the game. The Manchester United star remained the leading goal scorer in the international games.

Portugal scored their opening goal in the 15th minute as the mid-fielder William Carvalho tapped the ball into the nets after a freekick.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo then netted the ball twice in the 35th and 39th minute to take his team towards a comfortable lead in the game before the halftime.

After superb work from clubmate Bernardo Silva, it was the Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo who took the scoresheet to 4-0 by putting the ball past the onrushing Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobell and into the empty net.

Previously Portugal finished in a tie with Spain 1-1 in their first game of the UEFA Nations League.

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