Sport

UEFA to ban six clubs from Champions League, Europa League

Two Portuguese clubs, FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon, are among eight clubs that have been fined and six threatened with exclusion from European competitions over unpaid debts.

The clubs have been adjudged to have breached UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, due to their their “non-compliance with the ‘no overdue payables’ requirement”.

UEFA’s newly-established ‘First Chamber of Club Financial Control Body’ handed out all the punishments.

The clubs affected are: Astana (Kazakhstan), CFR Cluj (Romania), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Mons Calpe (Gibraltar), Real Betis (Spain) and Clube Desportivo Santa Clara (Portugal).

As well as the fines, six of the teams will be banned from the next European competition they qualify for, if the debts are not settled by January 31, 2022.

Only Astana and CFR Cluj don’t have that additional sanction hanging over them.

Sporting have already qualified for this season’s Champions League knockout stage, while Porto will progress if they beat Atletico Madrid next week.

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EPL: Man United board’s agreement with Rangnick over Cristiano Ronaldo revealed

Ralf Rangnick              Cristiano Ronaldo

Ralf Rangnick reached an agreement with Manchester United board that Cristiano Ronaldo would be a key member of his squad before he was 

offered the job.

Rangnick’s appointment as Man Utd interim boss was confirmed last week and the German got his work permit on Wednesday and will be in charge of the game against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 63-year-old German gaffer has worked with several Bundesliga clubs such as Hannover, Schalke, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig.

In his first meeting with the English media on Friday, Rangnick spoke about the legendary Portugal captain, saying, “Seeing Cristiano at 36… I’ve never seen a player that is physically fit at that age.”

And popular sports journalist, Fabrizio Romano said the new manager had already agreed with the club’s board to find a way Ronaldo could be active in his team.

“Ralf Rangnick told the Man United board in his first conversation that Cristiano Ronaldo’s gonna be considered ‘key player’ without any doubt – despite fake speculations,” he tweeted.