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      Man City’s FFP let-off was ‘a clear slap in the face for Uefa’, claims ex-Bayern Munich chief as he sparks fresh row

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      FORMER Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness has slammed the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to overturn Man City’s Champions League ban.
      The Citizens had been rapped by Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB) back in February and slapped with a two-year suspension from European competition and £25million fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

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      Uli Hoeness claims Man City’s FFP let-off was “a clear slap in the face for Uefa”
      But City scored a major victory by winning their audacious appeal.
      The Court of Arbitration for Sport verdict cleared the club of Uefa’s charge of “disguising equity funds”.
      However, they did agree that City had obstructed the investigation and thereby ordered them to pay a fine of £10m, rather than £25m.
      Hoeness reckons the decision undermines UEFA’s rules and he has blasted the governing body’s defence of the sentence.

      The 68-year-old told DAZN and Goal: “When I read the reasoning by the international sports court CAS why it withdrew this sentence, I have to ask myself what all this is about,
      “Ultimately, UEFA’s reasoning was simply weak. In principle, the CAS saw it the same way, but did not provide any solid evidence of Manchester City’s behaviour.
      “If the judges at CAS have come to the conclusion that UEFA did a poor job, one need not wonder what the result is.
      “The verdict was a clear slap in the face for UEFA. We still have to do with Manchester City – and the club can’t help it if things are poorly prepared.”

      Hoeness risks infuriating the Citizens again, given that the Manchester giants were angry at the way Bayern used the German media to turn the head of the Leroy Sane.
      Last summer they sent an angry letter to the Bundesliga giants to blast their courting of the 23-year-old, resulting in an apology.
      But the Bavarians finally got their man and agreed a £54.8m deal at the end of June, having chased the speedster Sane for months.

      Pep Guardiola confirms that Eric Garcia wants to quit Man City amid Barcelona transfer interest More

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      Gareth Bale decides NOT to play against Man City as Zidane refuses to elaborate on Real Madrid star’s reason why

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      REAL MADRID star Gareth Bale has decided NOT to play in the crucial Champions League clash against Man City on Friday.
      The Welshman did not feature in any of Los Blancos’ final seven games as they won La Liga.

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      Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has revealed Gareth Bale decided NOT to play against Man CityCredit: Reuters
      Reports in Spain say the relationship between Bale and Zinedine Zidane is ‘ completely broken’ and the pair won’t even ‘look at each other’.
      Bale raised eyebrows last month with some bizarre celebrations as Real lifted the title.
      Bale was left in Madrid for the trip to Manchester and French legend Zidane has claimed that it was the 31-year-old’s decision not to play – but refused to reveal anything else.
      Zidane said: “It was a personal conversation I had with him. He preferred not to play.

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      Bale did not feature in any of the final seven games of Real Madrid’s title-winning campaignCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “The rest remains between me and him but he said he didn’t want to play.”
      Zidane was pressed further on the matter but refused to elaborate.
      “I answered before to explain the situation and I don’t want to add anything else,” he added.
      “The rest is a private conversation between player and coach. There is nothing else to add.”

      Asked if Bale had a future at Real, Zidane said: “I don’t know. Now he is a current player at Real Madrid.
      “That has not changed. He is our player. I respect that and I respect him, like everyone else.
      “He preferred not to play. That is the only thing I can tell you.
      “The rest of us are all here, preparing for the game. The only thing we are concentrating on is the game.”

      Fans joke Gareth Bale tried to injure his Real Madrid team-mates as he kicks ankles in bizarre title celebration video More

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      Man City vs Real Madrid FREE: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for Champions League match

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      MANCHESTER City hold a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid, as they welcome the Spanish outfit for the second leg of their Champions League tie.
      Isco opened the scoring for Los Blancos back in February but Gabriel Jesus equalised before a Kevin De Bruyne penalty gave City a lead to take back to Manchester.

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      Man City can lay down a big marker by knocking out Real MadridCredit: AFP via Getty Images
      But Real Madrid have since lifted the La Liga title and boss Zinedine Zidane has never been knocked out of the Champions League as a manager.
      Pep Guardiola’s men were only able to finish second behind runaway leaders Liverpool in the Premier League but at least know they’ll be playing in this competition next season after their Uefa ban was overturned in court.

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      Real Madrid have to overturn the 2-1 deficitCredit: Soccrates Images/Getty Images
      What time does Man City vs Real Madrid kick off?
      Man City vs Real Madrid kicks off at 8pm BST.
      Los Blancos will be travelling to The Etihad in Manchester for the match.
      What TV channel is Man City vs Real Madrid on and can I live stream it?
      Man City vs Real Madrid will be live on BT Sport 1.
      To stream live, head to the BT Sport website or app.
      How can I watch Man City vs Real Madrid FREE?
      EE customers can get a FREE three-month BT Sport app trial by texting SPORT to 150.
      You can then cancel at any time.
      Team news
      Man City will be without Sergio Aguero due to his knee injury.
      Benjamin Mendy is also out following his yellow card in the reverse fixture.

      Real Madrid will be without captain Sergio Ramos, after the Spaniard picked up a red card during the first leg at the Bernabeu.
      Other notable absences include Gareth Bale, who told Zidane he didn’t want to play in the match.
      Latest odds
      Man City to win – 7/10
      Draw – 3/1
      Real Madrid victory – 13/4

      Benzema to have 3 or more shots and to score in the second half – 4/1

      *All odds are correct from Ladbrokes at time of publication More

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      Juventus vs Lyon FREE: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for the Champions League match

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      JUVENTUS welcome Lyon to Italy as we finally get to see whether Cristiano Ronaldo and co can overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit.
      Lucas Tousart scored the only goal back in March in France, before coronavirus wreaked havoc on the football calendar.

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      Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus will be desperate to turn their tie against Lyon aroundCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But the French side didn’t play again until last week’s French Cup final defeat on penalties to PSG, with the Ligue 1 season cancelled by France’s government.
      And they know they will have to win the Champions League to play in Europe next season after coming 7th on points-per game, while Juventus won a ninth straight Serie A title.

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      Lyon hold a 1-0 first leg lead against JuventusCredit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
      What time does Juventus vs Lyon kick off?
      Juventus vs Lyon kicks off at 8pm BST.
      Lyon head to Turin where the Allianz Stadium plays host to the match.
      What TV channel is Juventus vs Lyon on and can I live stream it?
      Juventus vs Lyon will air on BT Sport 2
      To stream live, head to the BT Sport website or app.
      How can I watch Juventus vs Lyon FREE?
      EE customers can get a FREE three-month BT Sport app trial by texting SPORT to 150.
      You can then cancel at any time.
      Team news
      Paulo Dybala is a doubt for the game with a thigh complication.
      The Argentine has missed the last two games of the Serie A season.

      Maurizio Sarri will also be missing Mattia De Sciglio and Douglas Costa.
      Latest odds
      Juventus to win – 4/9
      Draw – 10/3
      Lyon victory – 6/1
      Moussa Dembele To Score and Lyon To Win – 8/1
      *All odds are correct from Ladbrokes at time of publication More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo ‘ready to perform another miracle’ for Juventus in uphill battle vs Lyon, warns Szczesny

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is ready to “perform a miracle” for Juventus tomorrow, according to Wojciech Szczęsny.
      The Polish keeper is backing the Portuguese mega-star to help the Old Lady overturn their 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Lyon.

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      Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘ready to perform a miracle’ in Juventus’ Champions League tie with Lyon

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      Wojciech Szczęsny is backing the Portuguese star to help Juve overturn their first-leg deficit
      Ronaldo bagged a hat-trick at the same stage of the tournament last season to help the Italian giants overturn Atletico’s 2-0 first-leg advantage.
      Juve won the tie 3-2 on aggregate and Szczesny is backing the 35-year-old to do the same again in Turin tomorrow night.
      He told Tuttosport: “I see a team ready, there is an environment similar to last year before the match against Atletico Madrid.

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      “We can do it again this year, again Ronaldo’s hat-trick? Nobody in the world has doubts that Cristiano can do it again.

      “As usual at the decisive times he makes the difference, he is ready to perform another miracle.
      “We are playing for an important goal, finding the motivation is not difficult, we are all concentrated.

      “Lyon seem physically fit, they also seem ready to play, we’ll see who will reach the quarter-finals.”
      The winners will face Manchester City or Real Madrid in the quarter final in Lisbon.

      The Old Lady are looking to win their first Champions League since 1996.

      Eden Hazard joins Real Madrid stars on flight to Manchester ahead of Champions League clash but winger remains a doubt More

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      Hazard smiles as Real Madrid stars take private jet for Man City clash without Gareth Bale after Champions League axe

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      EDEN HAZARD flashed a smile as he joined Real Madrid stars in flying to Manchester on Thursday.
      Los Blancos are out to overturn a 2-1 deficit to Manchester City in their Champions League last-16 clash.

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      Eden Hazard smiled when pictured with Real Madrid winger Lucas Vazquez

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      Sergio Ramos travelled despite being banned from the second leg, with Marcelo fighting to be fit
      But Gareth Bale will not be able to help his side at the Etihad after being dropped from Zinedine Zidane’s travelling party.
      The 24-man squad includes rarely-used former City midfielder Brahim Diaz and the suspended Sergio Ramos – but not Bale or James Rodriguez.
      Neither player is thought to be injured with Colombian playmaker James reportedly set for Atletico Madrid and Bale an outcast under Zidane.
      The Welshman, 31, only played one game after the restart as Real scooped the LaLiga title.

      Perhaps Bale’s biggest contribution during the run-in was a series of prank gestures from the stands, at one point pretending to fall asleep under his face mask and making a binoculars motion in another game.
      The decision to leave out the winger comes despite a question mark hanging over Hazard’s fitness.

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      Thibaut Courtois will be in goal on his return to England

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      French pals Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema gave the thumbs up before the flight

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      Luka Modric faces a nervous wait to find out if he is in the XI for Friday’s game

      After undergoing an operation on an ankle injury at the start of the coronavirus shutdown, he has been in and out of the side amid fears of aggravating the problem.
      Should the 29-year-old start Friday’s crucial clash on the bench, Vinicius is primed to step in and partner Karim Benzema in attack.

      Marco Asensio is also set to get the call from coach Zidane with Rodrygo Goes and Isco vying to start.
      Eder Militao should feature alongside Raphael Varane in defence during Ramos’ absence while Luka Modric and Fede Valverde compete for the final spot in midfield.

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      How we expect Los Blancos to line up in the last-16 second leg

      James Rodriguez set for sensational Atletico Madrid transfer from Real Madrid for £13.5m with no future under Zidane More

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      How Real Madrid will line up vs Man City with no Hazard, Bale or Sergio Ramos for must-win Champions League clash

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      ZINEDINE ZIDANE must find a way to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Manchester City in the Champions League without two key players.
      Sergio Ramos, the club’s captain and second highest scorer this season, is suspended after his red card in the defeat at the Bernabeu.

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      And Eden Hazard is a major doubt after aggravating an ankle injury in June, having had surgery on the problem area during the coronavirus shutdown.
      That leaves coach Zidane with no obvious solution when setting out his attack in the last-16 second leg, with at least two goals needed thanks to the away goals rule.
      However, the Frenchman is highly unlikely to go hugely gung-ho with his XI and a 4-3-3 formation should remain his go-to setup.
      Marco Asensio, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius are all ready to step in for Hazard, who is set to settle for a role off the bench.

      None of the three have excelled in a scoring sense this season although Spain international Asensio only returned from a long-term injury in June.
      Vinicius may be Zidane’s more trusted option to support Karim Benzema and a decisive strike in March’s El Clasico win proved his mettle for big games.
      BALED OUT
      Two men who will not be helping reverse the deficit are Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.
      Neither outcast received the call for Real’s travelling squad to Manchester with Rodriguez reportedly heading to Atletico Madrid.

      Bale’s future is far murkier with the Welshman having little appetite to leave and Zidane refusing to play him.

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      Gareth Bale has been stuck on the bench since the restart but will not even travel to ManchesterCredit: Reuters

      Instead, the coach will be focused on fitting four into three in his midfield, with either Fede Valverde or Luka Modric likely to miss out on Friday night.
      Toni Kroos and Casemiro should start, with Isco also available.
      In defence, Eder Militao will line up alongside Raphael Varane due to Ramos’ suspension with Ferland Mendy trusted at left-back.

      Gareth Bale trolls Zinedine Zidane again with hilarious antics as he’s left on bench for Real Madrid More

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      Gareth Bale axed from Real Madrid’s 24-man travelling squad to Man City following Zinedine Zidane bust-ups

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      GARETH BALE will not feature in Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Manchester City after being left out the 24-man squad.
      Zinedine Zidane has selected his travelling party for the second leg of the last-16 tie, which City lead 2-1.

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      Gareth Bale’s season is over after being dropped from Real’s Champions League squad.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Despite Los Blancos’ need to score at least twice at the Etihad, Welsh winger Bale will not make the trip.
      Neither he, nor fellow absentee James Rodriguez, are thought to be injured.
      In their place, former City youngster Brahim Diaz makes the cut having only played ten games all season.
      Castilla defender Javi Hernandez comes in with Sergio Ramos travelling to Manchester despite being banned for the second leg.

      Zidane’s decision to leave Bale out marks the end of a torrid campaign for the 31-year-old.
      Almost sold to a Chinese Super League side last summer, he was kept in the first-team even though his relationship with the coach was at breaking point during his first spell in charge.

      REAL MADRID SQUAD TO FACE MAN CITY

      GK: Thibaut Courtois, Alphonse Areola, Diego Altube.
      DEF: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Sergio Ramos*, Raphael Varane, Nacho Fernandez, Marcelo, Ferland Mendy, Javi Hernández.*Suspended
      MID: Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Fede Valverde, Isco, Marco Asensio.
      ATT: Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez, Luka Jovic, Brahim Diaz, Vinicius, Rodrygo Goes.

      Struggling with a handful of injuries, Bale scored just three times in 20 appearances and played only once after the restart.
      While Madrid rampaged past Barcelona to scoop the league title, his biggest contributions came in his antics on the bench.

      In one game, he joked that he was asleep under his face mask before making binocular gestures to the pitch in another.
      Rumours are rife that Real will try and sell their one-time record signing with two years left on his contract.
      However, Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett says his client is happy in Spain and emphasised that it was Zidane’s decision to exile the winger.
      He told BBC Sport: “Gareth is fine. He has two years left on his contract.

      “He likes living in Madrid and he is going nowhere.
      “He is still as good as anyone else in the team. It’s up to Zinedine Zidane.
      “Of course there’s been interest but there’s hardly a club in the world which can afford him.
      “It’s a great loss that he’s not in the Real Madrid team at the moment but he will not leave.”

      Watch birthday-boy Gareth Bale’s half-hearted celebrations as Real Madrid win LaLiga title after latest Zinedine Zidane snub More