GENEVA: The Abu Dhabi investors in Manchester City and Girona have been offered divestment options by UEFA to let both compete in the Champions League next season by complying with integrity rules for teams that share owners.
Girona have made a stunning run to a guaranteed top-four finish in Spain’s La Liga, with three key players either loaned or sold via Man City’s influence including Brazilian star Sávio.
On merit, Girona will join Man City, the 2023 Champions League winner which will finish in the top two of the English Premier League.
But the teams have severely tested UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership that guard against collusion in games.
Failing to comply with UEFA’s rules with a proposal by June 3 should see one of the two teams, likely Girona, demoted to the second-tier Europa League. The team finishing higher in their domestic league take priority.
According to a UEFA document seen on Tuesday by The Associated Press, two options are open to City Football Group (CFG), the Abu Dhabi-created operation with stakes in 13 clubs worldwide including 100 percent of Man City and 47 percent of Girona.
CFG could solve the problem by selling shares to an independent third party that reduces one ownership stake to below 30 percent, or transfer all shares in one club to a blind trust overseen by a panel appointed by UEFA.
The trustee could be picked by CFG in a UEFA-approved model that applied this season in a compliance deal for AC Milan, Toulouse and their United States investor Red Bird Capital.
The multi-club ownership issue for UEFA and CFG has loomed since Girona’s league-leading fast start in September.
UEFA declined comment all season pending Girona’s confirmed qualification in the Champions League this month.
On Tuesday, UEFA’s club finance monitoring panel wrote to soccer stakeholders to clarify updates to its multi-club rules for entry to European club competitions that were first drafted in the 1998-99 season.
Man City and Girona drew scrutiny for CFG having “decisive influence” over both because the Abu Dhabi operation holds at least 30 percent of the shares in both, and because of the clubs’ transfer dealings this season.
Girona seemed to meet the UEFA panel’s criteria for clubs that “transferred, permanently or temporarily, three or more players with the other club, directly or indirectly via related parties, during the season.”
Girona have two players on their squad who belong to other CFG clubs: Right back Yan Couto, on loan from Man City, and winger Sávio, on loan from French club Troyes.
Sávio is the revelation of the season in Spain. His dribbling and speed on the left flank has caused mayhem in opposing defenses. The 20-year-old has scored 10 times and is one of the league’s top assist-makers with nine passes for goals.
Couto has excelled in joining in the attack from his position of right back, delivering eight assists. Both are in Brazil’s squad for the end-of-season Copa America in the US
After completing a loan at Girona, City also then sold Venezuela midfielder Yangel Herrera to their sibling club last July.
Man City was bought in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family.
The CFG was formed five years later, with Man City — by now a Premier League champion for the first time — acting as the flagship club in a worldwide portfolio that soon contained teams across multiple continents.
First came New York City in 2013, then Melbourne City in Australia’s A-League, Girona in Spain, Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, Sichuan Jiuniu FC in China, Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay and Mumbai City in India joined the group, which also had a “collaboration agreement” with Venezuelan team Atletico Venezuela.
In recent years, the CFG has acquired stakes in European clubs Lommel in Belgium, Palermo in Italy and Troyes.
Abu Dhabi owners of Man City and Girona given options to meet Champions League entry rules
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Abu Dhabi owners of Man City and Girona given options to meet Champions League entry rules
- The teams have severely tested UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership that guard against collusion in games
- Failing to comply with UEFA’s rules with a proposal by June 3 should see one of the two teams, likely Girona, demoted to the second-tier Europa League
Foden, Wirtz and Yamal among players to light up Euro 2024
LONDON: EURO 2024 will take place across 10 world-class stadiums in Germany from the Olympiastadion Berlin to the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.Here is a look at some of the players expected to light up the European Championship in Germany which kicks off on June 14.
Phil Foden (England)
Nurtured with care by Pep Guardiola, Foden has taken some time to break through to world-class level. He’s there now — and the Manchester City forward is heading into a major international tournament as a certain starter for England for the first time and as the Premier League’s best player this season. While defenses occupy themselves with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, it might be Foden who benefits the most with his quick feet and eye for goal. Where he starts — as an attacking central midfielder or on one of the wings — will be interesting to see. But he will start, and that’s exciting for England fans who have been waiting for Foden to blossom.
Florian Wirtz (Germany)
A player in the mold of Foden — and maybe another Man City player in Jack Grealish because of his low-slung socks — is Wirtz, who has established himself as a standout in the German league at newly crowned champion Bayer Leverkusen. At age 21, Wirtz is a No. 10 with amazing balance, technical ability and creativity who dovetails that with a relentless pressing game – something demanded of attacking players in the modern era. Once the youngest scorer in Bundesliga history (at age 17), he was one of the youngest ever players for Germany and scored against France after seven seconds in March. It was thought to be the fastest international goal ever before that record was broken later that day. This is his first major international tournament — a knee injury ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup — and surely won’t be his last.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
The old saying “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough” certainly applies to Yamal, the Spain winger who was 15 years, 9 months and 16 days when he made his debut for Barcelona and will still be 16 when Euro 2024 begins. Yamal, born near Barcelona to a mother from Equatorial Guinea and a father from Morocco, is the latest prodigy to come out of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and he hasn’t stopped breaking records. The youngest player to debut — and score — in the Spanish league, the youngest to start in the Champions League, the youngest to score for Spain’s national team and the youngest to score in a European Championship qualifier. Fast and direct, Yamal already has quite a presence despite his age.
Rafael Leao (Portugal)
Portugal will one day arrive at the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era and the team will need an attacking star to build around. Leao has the ability to be that player, even if his standout performances have been rarer than many at AC Milan would have wanted this season. Leao’s talent is clear — he is one of the world’s most exciting wingers and few are able to run with the ball with such pace, power and athleticism. A reported release clause of €175 million ($190 million) is testament to that but there’s certainly room for improvement with Leao, particularly when he hasn’t got space to run into and he is tasked with breaking down packed defenses.
Modric converts penalty as Croatia beats Portugal 2-1 in Euro warmup while Ronaldo rests
- It was Croatia’s last game before it opens the tournament against three-time winner Spain on June 15
- Modric beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to open the scoring in the eighth minute at Portugal’s National Stadium near Lisbon
BARCELONA: Luka Modric scored a penalty to help Croatia beat Portugal 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday as they prepare for the European Championship.
It was Croatia’s last game before it opens the tournament against three-time winner Spain on June 15. They are in a tough Group B along with Italy and Albania.
Portugal has one more friendly — against Ireland on Tuesday — before it starts the competition against Georgia on June 18. Portugal is the favorite in Group F that also includes Turkiye and the Czech Republic.
Cristiano Ronaldo never left Portugal’s bench, with coach Roberto Martínez tapping Gonçalo Ramos to spear his attack.
Ronaldo joined Portugal on Friday after finishing his club campaign with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The 39-year-old is set to make a record sixth appearance at the European Championship. Men’s soccer all-time leading scorer with 128 goals, Ronaldo helped Portugal win the European title in 2016.
Modric beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to open the scoring in the eighth minute at Portugal’s National Stadium near Lisbon. The 38-year-old Real Madrid midfielder was sent to the penalty spot after Vitinha fouled Mateo Kovacic in the area.
Halftime substitutes Diogo Jota and Nelson Semedo linked up to equalize for the hosts in the 48th, with Semedo assisting the Liverpool forward to tap in.
Ante Budimir restored Croatia’s advantage in the 56th after the Osasuna striker headed in a rebound of a strike by Mario Pašalić that Costa had done well to push onto the crossbar.
Costa twice denied Nikola Vlašić to save Portugal from a heavier defeat.
Modric was substituted in the 54th. His contract with Madrid is set to expire at the end of the month following a season when he lost his starting role in Carlo Ancelotti’s side. But the former Ballon d’Or winner seemed to indicate he wants to continue playing for the Spanish club when he told its fans in the celebrations of Champions League title No. 15 that he would see them “next season.”
Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday when host Germany plays Scotland.
England drop last friendly against Iceland before Euro 2024. Hosts Germany beat Greece
- Thorsteinsson left defender John Stones standing as he scored for Iceland in the 16th minute to bring back memories of one of England’s lowest points of recent years
- Poland beat neighbor Ukraine 3-1 with three goals in the opening 30 minutes and Scotland drew 2-2 with Finland
LONDON: England were booed by some of their own fans after losing 1-0 to Iceland on Friday in their last friendly before the European Championship, while host nation Germany recovered from a goal down to beat Greece 2-1.
Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson left defender John Stones standing as he scored for Iceland in the 16th minute to bring back memories of one of England’s lowest points of recent years, its 2-1 elimination by Iceland at Euro 2016.
England created few clear-cut chances against Iceland and nearly conceded a second goal when a promising Icelandic counterattack ended with Thorsteinsson slipping as he shot.
“We learned a lot and we know the performance wasn’t good enough,” England manager Gareth Southgate told broadcaster Channel 4. “Equally we needed the game; there’s a lot of players that we’re managing their minutes and it was obviously a disjointed and disappointing performance and we didn’t show enough character.”
England, who beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 on Monday, get their tournament under way June 16 against Serbia in Group C.
Germany needed substitute Pascal Gross’ 89th-minute goal to secure the win over Greece a week before they open Euro 2024 against Scotland in Munich.
Georgios Masouras gave Greece the lead in the 34th on the rebound after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer failed to hold a shot from Christos Tzolis. Arsenal forward Kai Havertz leveled in the 56th when he shot on the turn and it went in off Manolis Siopis.
After Benjamin Henrichs sent a shot off the bar in the 83rd, Germany finally took the lead when Gross hit a fierce shot from outside the box.
With a flat first-half performance and a late recovery, the win over Greece continues a mixed bag of form for Germany, who beat France and the Netherlands in friendlies in March but have also lost to Japan, Turkiye and Austria within the last 12 months.
Neuer’s error for the Greece goal came shortly after Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed he was cutting Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel as he finalized the 26-player squad for the tournament. Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann are the two other goalkeepers in the squad.
Nagelsmann committed in March to having Neuer as his first-choice goalkeeper for Euro 2024, even though injuries meant the Bayern Munich goalkeeper only played his first game under Nagelsmann for Germany in Monday’s 0-0 draw with Ukraine.
Also Friday, Poland beat neighbor Ukraine 3-1 with three goals in the opening 30 minutes and Scotland drew 2-2 with Finland after giving up a 2-0 lead.
Romania failed to beat one of Europe’s smallest nations, Liechtenstein, in a 0-0 draw. The Czech Republic cruised to a 7-1 win over Malta. Albania beat Azerbaijan 3-1.
Saudi footballers train in Riyadh ahead of qualifier against Jordan
RIYADH: Saudi footballers trained in Riyadh on Friday ahead of their match against Jordan in qualifiers for the World and Asian cups.
Coach Roberto Mancini, who conducted the training session, opted to give his starters some recovery exercises after their convincing 3-0 win over Pakistan in Islamabad on Thursday.
The rest of the squad carried out regular training at Mahd Academy fields.
Defender Hassan Al-Tambakti was still working with medical staff in a bid to bounce back from injury.
The Green Falcons will play Jordan at Al-Awal Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Saudi time).
Both teams progressed to the third round of qualifications for the joint 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.
The Green Falcons will have another session on Saturday evening.
Vardy signs new one-year deal with Leicester
- The 37-year-old striker, who joined the Foxes in 2012, scored 20 goals in 37 appearances during their 2023/24 Championship-winning campaign
- Vardy is third on the club’s all-time goalscoring list
LONDON: Jamie Vardy has signed a new one-year contract at Leicester, recently promoted back to the Premier League, the club announced on Friday.
The 37-year-old striker, who joined the Foxes in 2012, scored 20 goals in 37 appearances during their 2023/24 Championship-winning campaign.
Vardy, who has won the Premier League and FA Cup during his time at the King Power Stadium, is third on the club’s all-time goalscoring list, with 190 goals in 464 games.
“To get the numbers that I did (last season), I’m delighted with it, but there’s still more to come,” said the former England international.
“I look after myself. I’ve always said that age is just a number. My legs feel fine so that’s why I carry on until my legs say, ‘That’s it, game over’. There will be a day when that comes, but that’s not right now.”
Leicester are searching for a new manager after Enzo Maresca, who guided the club to the Championship title in his first season in charge, left to join Chelsea earlier this week.
