Champions League

UEFA has decided to remove pending yellow cards once the Round of 16 is completed for the 2019-20 season. This applies to both the Champions League and the Europa League.

The decision amends articles in the Regulations of the Europa League and the Champions League where yellow cards had been suspended after the quarterfinals.

Manchester City struggles to prevent the best teams from scoring against them and their central defenders could be targeted in Friday's Champions League clash against Spanish champions Real Madrid, former England skipper Wayne Rooney said.

Pep Guardiola's City leads Real after they won the away leg of their last-16 tie 2-1 in March, before Europe's elite club competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANCHESTER, England — UEFA's claim that Manchester City "disguised equity funding" from their owners was "unsubstantiated" but the club showed "blatant disregard" to the Financial Fair Play investigation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday.

The CAS panel that heard Premier League City's appeal published their full reasoning for overturning the English club's two-year ban from European football earlier this month.

The decision allows City to compete in next season’s elite Champions League competition.

Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz has tested positive for COVID-19, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday, casting doubt on his participation in their Champions League tie at Manchester City next week.

Real said in a statement that tests were conducted on the squad on Monday and that though Diaz was in "perfect health," he would be self-isolating at home.

In Neymar ($255 million) and Kylian Mbappé ($150 million) Paris Saint-Germain boasts the two most expensive footballers ever. By the time Neymar arrived in the summer of 2017 the club had already established itself as the best in France by winning four of the last five Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Coupe de Frances. 

What Neymar and Mbappé were lavishly acquired for was to take the next step in Europe, where PSG had suffered four straight quarterfinal defeats before La Remontada — that infamous Round of 16 loss to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona. 

Domestic leagues are wrapping up their respective competitions at a frantic pace, clearing the way for the return of European football. It’s been many a moon since Marcos Llorente silenced Anfield, so before Champions League matches return, let’s do a quick recap and preview of things to come.     

Where were we?

The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organizers France Football magazine said on Monday.

The prestigious award, voted for by journalists, is an annual prize given to the best male footballer in the world since 1956. The women's Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 2018.

Manchester City's two-year suspension from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday, allowing the club to compete in next season's elite Champions League competition.

CAS ruled that City did not breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising equity funding as sponsorship. Sport's highest court also reduced a fine for failing to cooperate with UEFA to $11.3 million from $34 million. 

Bayern Munich will face Barcelona or Napoli in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, if it can defend its three goal lead against Chelsea in its last-16, second-leg game.

The Champions League will resume in August after being halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 'Final Eight' tournament being held in Lisbon after the remaining second-leg games from the last 16 ties are decided.