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      Robert Lewandowski out for four weeks with knee injury and could miss potential Champions League semi against Man City

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      ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI could miss Bayern Munich’s potential Champions League semi-final against Manchester City after being ruled out for FOUR weeks with a knee injury.The superstar striker, 32, suffered the setback playing in Poland’s World Cup qualifier win against San Marino on Sunday.
      Robert Lewandowski is out injured for four weeks – and could miss a potential Champions League semi-final clash with Man CityCredit: Reuters
      Lewandowski was quickly ruled out of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Gareth Southgate’s England.
      But the hitman is now expected to miss at least another month, massively impacting Bayern Munich’s season.
      It means Lewandowski will definitely miss both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, who Bayern beat in last year’s August final.
      The Pole will also be sidelined for the crunch Bundesliga title clash against RB Leipzig, with just four points currently separating them at the top of the table.
      Should Bayern beat PSG, they would face either Man City or rivals Borussia Dortmund in the semis.
      The exact first leg date is yet to be confirmed, but the first leg will be on either Arpil 27 or 28.
      Lewandowski is now in a race against time to be fit, with a potential clash against former boss Pep Guardiola on the cards.
      However, Lewandowski could be fit to feature in the second leg of the semis, which take place on May 4 o r 5.
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      The ace will now be looking to recover as soon as possible after straining the ligaments in his right knee.
      Bayern will miss their star man in attack, with Lewandowski already on 42 goals this season in just 36 matches.
      Bar his first season in Bavaria, Lewandowski has netted at least 40 goals each term for the German giants – including 55 in the last campaign.
      And Bayern will now have to contend against Kylian Mbappe and Neymar without their own superstar striker in the side.
      Candidates to replace Lewandowski up front include Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, although neither are natural No9s and are usually deployed in the same XI as the Polish ace in supporting roles.
      Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski delighted with FIFA award after outstanding year More

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      Europa League-type contest for women’s game among new ideas floated by European club chiefs

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      OFFICIALS representing the biggest football teams in Europe are mulling over proposals for a Europa League-style tournament for the women’s game. The idea for the competition and a women’s Club World Cup are among a raft of exciting new suggestions being considered by the European Club Association.
      European football chiefs are considering plans for a new club competition in addition to the Women’s Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      Bigwigs from the body backed by Uefa and representing 232 clubs included the proposals in their ‘Be a Changemaker’ strategy launched today.
      The plan aims to provide opportunities to boost revenue for the women’s game and support the creation of new women’s football clubs. 
      Claire Bloomfield, the ECA’s head of women’s football said: “We have a responsibility to explore all opportunities that can help grow the competition landscape, both on a European level with a second-tier competition and then on a much more global scale, with a possible Club World Cup.”
      The Women’s Champions League is currently the only club contest in the sport involving sides from across Europe. 
      From next term, up to three English sides will be able to compete in the Champions League in a new structure to include a group stage and a round of 16 for the first time.
      ECA chief Charlie Marshall suggests a women’s Club World Cup may soon be established as part of plans to support the international growth of the game.
      In men’s football, the Club World Cup has been going since the year 2000, with winners of the biggest competitions from different continents going head-to-head.
      German giants Bayern Munich are the current defending champions after beating Mexican outfit Tigres in February.
      ECA chief Marshall said: “The prospect of a Club World Cup, fairly soon in the women’s game, assuming that calendars can be resolved, is a really exciting one and I know FIFA is very keen on it as well
      “In the women’s game, there is much more potential, much more quickly, to develop global competitive balance.”
      The women’s game could soon have its own Europa League-style competitionCredit: PA

      Chelsea boss Emma Hayes believes the ECA’s new plans could help level the playing field between women’s football and the men’s game. 
      Hayes, whose team are due to play Wolfsburg said: “Our success on the pitch can be helped by winning off the pitch and ECA’s bold new plans can drive an even higher performance culture throughout the women’s game.
      “The standards in elite women’s football should not be any different from the men’s and this strategy has the potential to start closing the gap.”
      A Club World Cup for the women’s game has been included in proposals developed by the ECACredit: Getty
      Emma Hayes gets stuck into Chelsea training More

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      Chelsea, Liverpool & Man City fans could attend Champions League final as Uefa ‘plan for 9,000′ at Istanbul clash

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      CHELSEA, Liverpool and Manchester City fans have received a boost over potentially attending the Champions League final.The Premier League trio are all still involved in Europe’s most prestigious cup competition.
      Uefa are planning for 9,000 fans to be in attendance for the Champions League final at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic StadiumCredit: Getty
      And should they advance all the way through to the showpiece event, then there is a possibility that a small number of their supporters could be there to cheer them on.
      The Daily Mail state that Uefa are planning for fans from both finalists to be in attendance at the final in Istanbul.
      They hope to sell smart tickets to supporters on their mobile phones.
      The capacity has yet to be decided for the final on May 29 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
      But the eight quarter-finalists have been informed that at least 9,000 fans should be able to attend.
      That allocation would be split 50/50 between the two clubs.
      The Turkish government will make the final decisions regarding capacity and on international visitors, although Uefa are optimistic it will get the green light.
      The governing body have devised a system of smart access involving selling non-transferable tickets to fans via mobiles.
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      Just seven players have managed to score a hat-tricks of CL hat-tricks

      It is hoped that will limit the risk of Covid-19 spreading at the ground and also eliminate any potential touting.
      The Ataturk holds 75,415 fans and Uefa are also confident that the final attendance may yet be increased to 30 or even 50 per cent.
      The arena was supposed to host the Champions League showpiece last season before the coronavirus outbreak was switched to Lisbon.
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      Champions League quarter-final draw sees Liverpool take on Real Madrid and Man City face Borussia Dortmund More

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      Gary Neville slams ‘obscene’ gap between rich and poor clubs with warning that it’ll widen with Champions League revamp

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      GARY NEVILLE and former FA chief David Bernstein have warned the ‘obscene’ gap between Europe’s rich and poor clubs will only be widened by Uefa’s planned Champions League revamp.And they also fear the Carabao Cup and FA Cup will be sacrificed on the altar of the financial demands of Europe’s wealthiest elite.
      Gary Neville is part of Our Beautiful Game GroupCredit: Getty
      Neville and Bernstein are leading members of the Our Beautiful Game Group which is calling for the establishment of an independent regulator to run English football. 
      And in its latest submission, the group revealed its deep concerns over the impact of Uefa’s proposals to expand the Champions League from 125 matches per season to 225.
      That concept for the post-2024 shape of the European game is expected to be confirmed by the end of next month and the Group said: “Uefa’s planned reforms are likely to accentuate and embed the deep financial inequality already existing.
      “The gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ will grow with broadcasting rights skewed even more towards the very top clubs.
      If there is further and negative impact on the domestic Premier League and EFL broadcasting deals, this can only surely weaken competition within those leagues.
      “The current dangerous and damaging power imbalance consuming English football will threaten the wider community game.
      “And the obscene gap between rich and poor will widen still further. 
      “Such an event will merely reinforce the hegemony of the top six clubs and it is hard to see how our existing football calendar in England could survive.
      David Bernstein is also part of Our Beautiful Game GroupCredit: AP:Associated Press
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      “Threats to the very existence of both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup as we know them would be very real.”
      The Group criticised the FA and Prem for its silence over the imminent decision.
      It added: “Debates about the future are right and must continue at home and beyond. 
      “European football matters hugely. But so does the future of our game at all levels as well.
      “We believe that the potential impact of the current proposals in England is substantial but yet again nobody appears to be speaking about them on behalf of English football as a whole.
      Where is the governing body of the game, the Football Association?Our Beautiful Game Group
      “Nobody seems to be seeking to mitigate their excesses and explaining how the proposals are positive for clubs outside the top six.
      “Where is the governing body of the game, the Football Association?
      “It is hard to think of a better example why the game urgently needs a truly Independent Regulator. 
      “We need someone to speak with authority on the seismic issues impacting our national sport, to stand up for the interests of ALL the game at ALL levels and bring fairness and sustainability to football in our country.”
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      Champions League quarter-final draw sees Liverpool take on Real Madrid and Man City face Borussia Dortmund More

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      Liverpool plan to scout Real Madrid star Nacho when teams meet in Champions League as Klopp eyes new defender

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      LIVERPOOL will take the opportunity to scout Nacho when they meet Real Madrid in the Champions League, it has been claimed. The Spaniard has been vital in Madrid’s recent eight game unbeaten run in the league, playing every match.
      Nacho has become key in Real Madrid’s defence recentlyCredit: Rex
      It comes while Sergio Ramos is sidelined with injury, and Nacho is expected to keep his place in the squad even upon the captain’s return to fitness.
      That will see the centre-half play against Barcelona domestically and Liverpool in Europe.
      And according to AS, the English champions, along with Roma, have both been interested in Nacho before.
      So, with two legs to watch the 31-year-old in action, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp can take a better look at him.
      Klopp was in the market for defenders in the winter window, with regular pair Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez injured.
      They settled for a shock £2million deal for Ben Davies from Preston and then secured a loan for Ozan Kabak of Schalke.
      But both have failed to hit the ground running, with Liverpool on an unwanted run of six straight home losses in the league.
      It leaves Klopp again open to further signings to strengthen his backline.
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      Arsenal have the easiest run-in based on the league position of their final nine opponents

      Nacho’s contract runs out next summer, but his recent run of performances have raised speculation he will be offered a new deal.
      And even when Ramos, 34, returns, manager Zinedine Zidane is said to be considering a back three, to keep Nacho and Raphael Varane’s partnership.
      The LaLiga holders used that formation against Elche and Atalanta recently, while Ramos briefly returned before suffering another knock.
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      Chelsea ‘hungry’ to end English drought in Women’s Champions League, says Blues star Magda Eriksson

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      MAGDA ERIKSSON reckons Chelsea are “hungry” to end English clubs’ trophy drought in the Women’s Champion League. And the Blues skipper believes the WSL could become an even bigger draw for overseas talent thanks to the big bucks TV deal announced this week. 
      Magda Eriksson and her Chelsea team-mates hope to win their first Champions League trophy this seasonCredit: Getty
      Eriksson, 27, was speaking ahead of Chelsea’s quarter-final duel with Wolfsburg at the Szusza Ferenc Stadium in Budapest, Hungary.
      And Emma Hayes’ aces are out to avenge a hat-trick of losses to the German giants who have won the competition twice in 2013 and 2014. 
      Eriksson said: “The Champions League is the biggest thing and there are not a lot of us who have been in a final. 
      “I think the hunger within the squad for this is massive and I think this is what drives us on a daily basis in training and what drives us to be better all the time. 
      “We know Wolfsburg’s background. They’re an amazing team with a great history in women’s football. 
      “It’s exciting to play a team that you have played before, just to see where you’re at now.
      “I think it’s going to be very tight, but we have a really good chance of going through this time.” 
      Wolfsburg, who had Pernille Harder as their top-scorer last term before her high-profile Chelsea switch, are currently second in the Women’s Bundesliga. 
      The Denmark ace, who could start against her old side later, netted 27 goals in 21 top tier games ahead of her September move.
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      Chelsea’s Champions League quarters clash with Wolfsburg will see Pernille Harder face her former teamCredit: Getty

      And Eriksson believes the WSL’s broadcast agreement with Sky Sports and the BBC could see more top internationals eager to head to these shores.  
      Eriksson added: “I can only speak from a Swedish point of view.
      “I know a lot of Swedes are talking about moving to England as the first option because there are so many teams to choose from and the league is so good.
      “Having this kind of a TV deal just amplifies that really.”
      The first two clashes in Europe between the Blues and Wolfsburg ended in 4-1 aggregate defeats for Hayes’ side in 2016 and 2017.   
      And the Women’s Bundesliga champs thrashed the champs 5-1 in the contest’s semis in 2018.
      However, Hayes believes there is enough talent in her squad to “hurt” her opponents with the Blues aiming to become the first English side to triumph in the tournament since Arsenal in 2007. 
      Emma Hayes believes her WSL champs have the talent to overcome WolfsburgCredit: Getty
      Hayes, 44, said: “We’re completely respectful of our opponent, and the qualities that they have.
      “But we completely believe in what we are doing and how we are progressing.
      “With the way we’re planning, I’m sure we’ve got qualities that will hurt Wolfsburg.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Emma Hayes gets stuck into Chelsea training More

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      Man Utd and Liverpool WILL play European away legs in Spain after government lift ban on flights from UK

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      LIVERPOOL and Manchester United will play their European quarter-final first legs in Spain after that country’s Government eased flight bans.The Reds visit Real Madrid’s Estadio Alfredo di Stefano ground in the Champions League on April 6 while United travel to Granada in the Europa League two nights later.
      Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man Utd can now play their European quarter-finals as normal, home and awayCredit: PA
      Both Premier League giants have had earlier games in the tournaments switched due to the coronavirus restrictions.
      When Liverpool twice beat RB Leipzig 2-0 in the last-16 for a 4-0 aggregate success, each leg was at the neutral Puskas Arena in Budapest.
      United’s last-round tie with AC Milan in the lesser tournament went ahead as normal at Old Trafford and the San Siro.

      But their away last-32 leg with Real Madrid and Granada’s LaLiga rivals Real Sociedad was switched from Spain to Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin
      Now, though, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says his government will lift restrictions on flights from the United Kingdom.
      Spain’s Council of Ministers banned arrivals by air and sea from the UK between December 22 last year until next Tuesday, March 30.
      And that ban has been extended six times in the last three months.
      Meanwhile, ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy claims United will sack boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer unless they WIN the Europa League.
      Pundit Murphy told talkSPORT: “They can’t be blaming tiredness for a loss at Leicester in the FA Cup and their squad not being strong enough.
      “Not progressing in the Champions League was a massive, massive blow for them.
      “Yes, they’re going to get in the top four… but so they damn should!
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      “He’s in a position for me where the Europa League, for me, has become monumental for him and the club.
      “I like him and I’m not one who wants to see managers sacked and I do think they’ve made some strides forward, but Manchester United have to be doing better.
      “If they don’t win the Europa League and only finish in the top four then I think they’ll make a change.”
      Danny Murphy says Man Utd will sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if he fails to win Europa League this season More

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      Chelsea leave Porto legend ‘disgusted’ after claims players celebrated drawing Portuguese side in Champions League

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      CHELSEA have been called out for ‘celebrating’ being drawn against Porto in the Champions League.The Blues will face the Portuguese side in the quarter-finals after Sergio Conceicao’s team knocked out Juventus.
      Paulo Futre has hit out at suggestions of Chelsea players celebrating their quarter-final drawCredit: Getty
      The Blues beat Atletico Madrid to earn their place in the last-eightCredit: AP
      Thomas Tuchel has warned his stars against complacency when the teams meet next month, but Porto legend Paulo Futre learned of a different reaction.
      The 55-year-old claimed the Premier League side already thought they had qualified for the next round after the draw, and has called on his old team to ‘sweat blood’ to win the tie.
      He told Portugal’s CMTV, via Record: “It’s in the English press and I called later to confirm. Porto players have to run like never before in these two games.
      “They think they have already won the tie. They celebrated!
      “When I spoke to the person who told me, I was disgusted and would give anything to play against Chelsea.
      “Porto’s players have to die on the pitch, [Chelsea] think they are already in the semi-finals.
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      Porto can qualify, but they have to sweat blood.Paulo Futre
      “They celebrated in the morning when they saw that Porto were drawn against them. [Porto] can qualify, but they have to sweat blood.”
      Futre knows what it takes to go all the way in the competition, having won the European Cup with the Portuguese giants in 1987.
      The former winger also won two Primeira Liga titles in his three years with the club.
      Despite Futre’s claims, Chelsea figures have been keen to distance themselves from the favourites tag ahead of the tie.
      Boss Tuchel said: “Clearly many people will maybe now make us the favourites against Porto.
      “That will not help us. You can ask in Turin what the opinion about this is, and if helps to be favourites.

      “But we are self-confident, and that is strongly connected with our performances.”
      Ex-goalkeeper Petr Cech, now Chelsea’s performance adviser, added: “It’s an opponent we need to respect.
      “They have history in the Champions League and European Cup. It’s a team we will be prepared for and ready to play against.”
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      Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals More