UEFA has witnessed a rise of 8 per cent in its broadcast and sponsor sales due to which the prize money for the Champions League will grow for the next three years.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-portugal-relaxes-covid-rules-for-english-fans-at-champions-league-final-387840" hreflang="en">Football: Portugal relaxes COVID rules for English fans at Champions League final</a>

UEFA makes a total revenue of 3.5 billion euros ($4.27 billion) from its three club competitions. In an online conference on Thursday, UEFA revealed that the total revenue is set to rise by 250 million euros ($305 million) annually through 2024 compared to the 2018-21 period.&nbsp;

According to their statement, clubs part of Champions League will get a small increase while 235 million euros ($287 million) in prize money will be allocated to the Europa Conference League, which is a third-tier competition that launches next season.

The 32 clubs taking part in the coveted Champions League will now share over 2 billion euros ($2.44 billion), compared to 1.95 billion ($2.38 billion) each season from 2018-21.&nbsp;

The clubs will get a basic fee of 15.64 million euros ($19.1 million), compared to 15.25 million euros ($18.6 million) in each of the past three seasons.

Reaching the round of 16 of the Champions League will offer €9.6 million, the quarter-finals €10.6 million, the semi-finals €12.5 million and the final will result in teams pocketing €15.5 million. The winner goes from earning €19 million to €20 million.

However, Europa League will witness a drop from €510 million to €465 million. But a number of clubs competing in the tournament have also been cut from 48 to 32, which means clubs will earn a higher amount.

UEFA has witnessed a rise of 8 per cent in its broadcast and sponsor sales due to which the prize money for the Champions League will grow for the next three years.

UEFA has witnessed a rise of 8 per cent in its broadcast and sponsor sales due to which the prize money for the Champions League will grow for the next three years. ALSO READ: Football: Portugal relaxes COVID rules for English fans at Champions League final UEFA makes a total revenue of 3.5 billion euros ($4.27 billion) from its three club competitions. In an online conference on Thursday, UEFA revealed that the total revenue is set to rise by 250 million euros ($305 million) annually through 2024 compared to the 2018-21 period. According to their statement, clubs part of Champions League will get a small increase while 235 million euros ($287 million) in prize money will be allocated to the Europa Conference League, which is a third-tier competition that launches next season. The 32 clubs taking part in the coveted Champions League will now share over 2 billion euros ($2.44 billion), compared to 1.95 billion ($2.38 billion) each season from 2018-21. The clubs will get a basic fee of 15.64 million euros ($19.1 million), compared to 15.25 million euros ($18.6 million) in each of the past three seasons. Reaching the round of 16 of the Champions League will offer €9.6 million, the quarter-finals €10.6 million, the semi-finals €12.5 million and the final will result in teams pocketing €15.5 million. The winner goes from earning €19 million to €20 million. However, Europa League will witness a drop from €510 million to €465 million. But a number of clubs competing in the tournament have also been cut from 48 to 32, which means clubs will earn a higher amount.

Champions League winners to receive extra prize money after surge in sales

Portuguese authorities have relaxed COVID-19 safety rules for thousands of English fans coming to Porto for Saturday's Champions League final, no longer requiring them to stay in bubbles and lifting restrictions on movement.

"The borders are open. The city and the country are opening up little by little. Within what is possible, freedom (of movement) will not be conditioned," Porto police Superintendent Cardoso da Silva told a news briefing on Thursday.

"There are no restrictions of movement for fans."

However, with only two days to go until match day, Silva said the contingency plan in place was under constant re-evaluation and could still undergo some alterations.

A police source told Reuters Portuguese authorities did not have enough time to fully prepare for the final as UEFA only announced it would move the event to Porto from Istanbul around two weeks ago.

Eight British police officers specialised in dealing with football fans are in Portugal and will work with Portuguese police to help ensure public order.

There will be a "robust" police presence around the stadium and the city, Silva said, though he did not specify how many officers have been mobilised to patrol the streets.

London Metropolitan Police Superintendent Lysander Strong, who is in Portugal to coordinate the operation between the two forces, said the two clubs had sent recommendations to fans to follow social distancing rules and wear a mask.

Since May 17, British visitors have been allowed into Portugal with proof of a negative PCR test result.

Silva said that around 80 charter flights with English soccer fans were expected to land on Saturday for the clash between Manchester City and Chelsea. Around 180 buses will take fans to the stadium.

Under rules previously announced by the Portuguese government, passengers were to fly back within 24 hours. But police spokesman Marco Almeida said that now they can stay longer if they choose not to take scheduled return flights.

Portuguese authorities have relaxed COVID-19 safety rules for thousands of English fans coming to Porto for Saturday's Champions League final, no longer requiring them to stay in bubbles and lifting restrictions on movement.

Portuguese authorities have relaxed COVID-19 safety rules for thousands of English fans coming to Porto for Saturday's Champions League final, no longer requiring them to stay in bubbles and lifting restrictions on movement. "The borders are open. The city and the country are opening up little by little. Within what is possible, freedom (of movement) will not be conditioned," Porto police Superintendent Cardoso da Silva told a news briefing on Thursday. "There are no restrictions of movement for fans." However, with only two days to go until match day, Silva said the contingency plan in place was under constant re-evaluation and could still undergo some alterations. A police source told Reuters Portuguese authorities did not have enough time to fully prepare for the final as UEFA only announced it would move the event to Porto from Istanbul around two weeks ago. Eight British police officers specialised in dealing with football fans are in Portugal and will work with Portuguese police to help ensure public order. There will be a "robust" police presence around the stadium and the city, Silva said, though he did not specify how many officers have been mobilised to patrol the streets. London Metropolitan Police Superintendent Lysander Strong, who is in Portugal to coordinate the operation between the two forces, said the two clubs had sent recommendations to fans to follow social distancing rules and wear a mask. Since May 17, British visitors have been allowed into Portugal with proof of a negative PCR test result. Silva said that around 80 charter flights with English soccer fans were expected to land on Saturday for the clash between Manchester City and Chelsea. Around 180 buses will take fans to the stadium. Under rules previously announced by the Portuguese government, passengers were to fly back within 24 hours. But police spokesman Marco Almeida said that now they can stay longer if they choose not to take scheduled return flights.

Football: Portugal relaxes COVID rules for English fans at Champions League final

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on Thursday was left frustrated as he revealed that he has been subjected to racial abuse on social media following Manchester United’s 11-10 defeat (in penalty shootout) to Villarreal in the final of UEFA Europa League in Poland. <o:p></o:p>

Rashford missed one of the easiest chances for Manchester United and also got another couple of good chances to give the Red Devils an advantage in the game. However, with Manchester United ending up losing the match, Rashford was flooded with racial abuses on social media. <o:p></o:p>

The England international took to social media platform Twitter to express his disappointment as he said he received at least 70 racial slurs. He added that one of the fans who racially abused him was a mathematics teacher.<o:p></o:p>

"At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far. For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying," tweeted Rashford.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-22-kicks-and-1-miss-as-villarreal-defeat-manchester-united-11-10-in-europa-league-final-shootout-watch-387719" hreflang="en">Football: 22 kicks and 1 miss as Villarreal defeat Manchester United 11-10 in Europa League final shootout- Watch</a><o:p></o:p>

In another tweet, Rashford said, "I'm more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile."<o:p></o:p>

"He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence," he added.

<o:p></o:p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile. He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence…
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/1397709656240369665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Rashford has been one of the vocal voices who have called out social media giants to take stringent steps to stop online hate and racial discrimination. <o:p></o:p>

After Rashford's tweet, Manchester United also released a statement condemning the racial abuse.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-solskjaers-man-utd-rebuild-mission-laid-bare-by-europa-league-agony-387675" hreflang="en">Football: Solskjaer's Man Utd rebuild mission laid bare by Europa League agony</a><o:p></o:p>

"Following the Europa League final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse. If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, act and report it," United's official handle tweeted.

<o:p></o:p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Following the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse. 
 
If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, 𝗮𝗰𝘁 and 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeeRed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeeRed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/allredallequal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#allredallequal</a>
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1397709133613199360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea missed the 22 nd kick of the penalty shootout as Villarreal won it 11-10 to lift their first major European title. <o:p></o:p>

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on Thursday was left frustrated as he revealed that he has been subjected to racial abuse on social media following Manchester United’s 11-10 defeat (in penalty shootout) to Villarreal in the final of UEFA Europa League in Poland.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on Thursday was left frustrated as he revealed that he has been subjected to racial abuse on social media following Manchester United’s 11-10 defeat (in penalty shootout) to Villarreal in the final of UEFA Europa League in Poland. Rashford missed one of the easiest chances for Manchester United and also got another couple of good chances to give the Red Devils an advantage in the game. However, with Manchester United ending up losing the match, Rashford was flooded with racial abuses on social media. The England international took to social media platform Twitter to express his disappointment as he said he received at least 70 racial slurs. He added that one of the fans who racially abused him was a mathematics teacher. "At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far. For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying," tweeted Rashford. ALSO READ: Football: 22 kicks and 1 miss as Villarreal defeat Manchester United 11-10 in Europa League final shootout- Watch In another tweet, Rashford said, "I'm more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile." "He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence," he added. I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile. He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence… — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) May 27, 2021 × Rashford has been one of the vocal voices who have called out social media giants to take stringent steps to stop online hate and racial discrimination. After Rashford's tweet, Manchester United also released a statement condemning the racial abuse. ALSO READ: Football: Solskjaer's Man Utd rebuild mission laid bare by Europa League agony "Following the Europa League final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse. If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, act and report it," United's official handle tweeted. Following the #UEL final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse. If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, 𝗮𝗰𝘁 and 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 it.#SeeRed #allredallequal — Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 27, 2021 × Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea missed the 22 nd kick of the penalty shootout as Villarreal won it 11-10 to lift their first major European title.

Football: 'At least 70 racial slurs' - Marcus Rashford subjected to online abuse after Europa League final defeat

A decade on from when he last lifted the Champions League trophy, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is once again in the final and is looking to back up his claim to being the greatest coach football has ever seen.

Victory over Chelsea in Porto would take Guardiola level with Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti and Bob Paisley as the only men to win three European Cups as coach.

The 50-year-old's record in 12 seasons at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City speaks for itself. Among his 26 major trophies are nine league titles, three in each of Spain, Germany, England, and nine domestic cups.

At his boyhood club Barca he also conquered the Champions League in two of his first three seasons.

But since masterminding one of the greatest ever performances in a European final to sweep aside Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley in 2011, Europe's top club competition has been the one blot on Guardiola's record.

Newly-crowned European champions Bayern expected a dynasty when the Catalan arrived in Bavaria fresh from a year's sabbatical in 2013. Instead, Guardiola's Bayern suffered semi-final heartache to Spanish opposition in each of his three seasons in charge.

City's determination to create the perfect project to lure him to Manchester by appointing his former colleagues at Barcelona, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, to top jobs at the Etihad Stadium has been fully vindicated with three Premier League titles in the past four years.

"They have an incredible squad and the best manager in the world and that makes it a good recipe," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after City dethroned his side as English champions.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is also a Guardiola disciple, labelling City "the benchmark" for the Blues to aim for.

Guardiola has been so revered because he brings a style to go with the substance of hoarding trophies.

"He's had, arguably, the most positive influence of anyone, ever on our game," said former England striker Gary Lineker on how Guardiola has shaped a change of style in English football more reliant on technique than tenacity.

<h2>- Overthinking -</h2>

Yet the Champions League continued to bring out the worst in Guardiola as persistent tinkering and surprise team selections saw him labelled as a coach guilty of overthinking a series of knockout ties.

City did not even make it beyond the quarter-finals in his first four seasons in charge as a combination of wasteful finishing, defensive errors and controversial refereeing calls repeatedly combined to cost them.

That has all changed this season with the signing of Portuguese centre-back Ruben Dias helping City to boast the tightest defence in the Champions League, while Guardiola's use of a system without a natural striker has not stopped City scoring four goals in each of their knockout ties against Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

"We are quite a similar team from in the past when we were out," said Guardiola this week. "The margins are little details. This year it fell on our side when for many years it was the opposite.

"Now we are quite satisfied to get to the final but we know if you don't have a huge desire to win it, a huge desire to know what we have to do, it will not be possible to win the game, to win the Champions League."

Winning the Champions League has been the long-term goal for City's Abu Dhabi owners since Sheikh Mansour's takeover transformed the club 13 years ago.

In their 10th season in the competition, City have finally made it to the final. A decade of disappointment for both the the club and their manager will be quickly forgotten if they make history on Saturday.

A decade on from when he last lifted the Champions League trophy, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is once again in the final and is looking to back up his claim to being the greatest coach football has ever seen.

A decade on from when he last lifted the Champions League trophy, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is once again in the final and is looking to back up his claim to being the greatest coach football has ever seen. Victory over Chelsea in Porto would take Guardiola level with Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti and Bob Paisley as the only men to win three European Cups as coach. The 50-year-old's record in 12 seasons at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City speaks for itself. Among his 26 major trophies are nine league titles, three in each of Spain, Germany, England, and nine domestic cups. At his boyhood club Barca he also conquered the Champions League in two of his first three seasons. But since masterminding one of the greatest ever performances in a European final to sweep aside Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley in 2011, Europe's top club competition has been the one blot on Guardiola's record. Newly-crowned European champions Bayern expected a dynasty when the Catalan arrived in Bavaria fresh from a year's sabbatical in 2013. Instead, Guardiola's Bayern suffered semi-final heartache to Spanish opposition in each of his three seasons in charge. City's determination to create the perfect project to lure him to Manchester by appointing his former colleagues at Barcelona, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, to top jobs at the Etihad Stadium has been fully vindicated with three Premier League titles in the past four years. "They have an incredible squad and the best manager in the world and that makes it a good recipe," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after City dethroned his side as English champions. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is also a Guardiola disciple, labelling City "the benchmark" for the Blues to aim for. Guardiola has been so revered because he brings a style to go with the substance of hoarding trophies. "He's had, arguably, the most positive influence of anyone, ever on our game," said former England striker Gary Lineker on how Guardiola has shaped a change of style in English football more reliant on technique than tenacity. - Overthinking - Yet the Champions League continued to bring out the worst in Guardiola as persistent tinkering and surprise team selections saw him labelled as a coach guilty of overthinking a series of knockout ties. City did not even make it beyond the quarter-finals in his first four seasons in charge as a combination of wasteful finishing, defensive errors and controversial refereeing calls repeatedly combined to cost them. That has all changed this season with the signing of Portuguese centre-back Ruben Dias helping City to boast the tightest defence in the Champions League, while Guardiola's use of a system without a natural striker has not stopped City scoring four goals in each of their knockout ties against Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. "We are quite a similar team from in the past when we were out," said Guardiola this week. "The margins are little details. This year it fell on our side when for many years it was the opposite. "Now we are quite satisfied to get to the final but we know if you don't have a huge desire to win it, a huge desire to know what we have to do, it will not be possible to win the game, to win the Champions League." Winning the Champions League has been the long-term goal for City's Abu Dhabi owners since Sheikh Mansour's takeover transformed the club 13 years ago. In their 10th season in the competition, City have finally made it to the final. A decade of disappointment for both the the club and their manager will be quickly forgotten if they make history on Saturday.

Football: Guardiola on the brink of exorcising Champions League demons

Whatever happens in Saturday's Champions League final against Manchester City, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel can already claim a small bit of history by becoming the first coach to make it to the showpiece game in European club football in successive seasons with different clubs.

Tuchel's impact on Chelsea, at least up until the last few matches, has been little short of remarkable and, it can be argued, hardly reflects well on his old side Paris Saint-Germain.

The French giants' gratitude towards Tuchel for leading them to the Champions League final for the first time in their history last season was not enough to stop them sacking him in December.

PSG have since gone on, under Tuchel's replacement Mauricio Pochettino, to finish second in Ligue 1 to Lille while going out of the Champions League in the semi-finals to Pep Guardiola's City.

In any case Tuchel came out of that sacking with his reputation intact, in large part thanks to the job he did in taking PSG to last season's final where they lost narrowly to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

At Chelsea, he took over a team that was underperforming under Frank Lampard and had an immediate impact -- Tuchel has turned the London club into a supremely well-drilled machine with a three-man defence led by his old captain in Paris, Thiago Silva.

They kept 18 clean sheets in his first 24 matches in charge, culminating in the semi-final victory over Real Madrid.

<h2>- 'Great connection' -</h2>

"He came in and from the first minute the players felt a great connection with him, from the first meeting," said midfielder Mateo Kovacic this week.

"It was like he had been here for two years so it came quite naturally, everything.

"I think the team completely changed, how we approach games, like we were more confident, solid at the back, not conceding anything in the last two or three months."

After the difficulties of dealing with a Paris team built around Neymar, Tuchel has been effusive in his praise of the Premier League and the mentality of the players he inherited at Stamford Bridge.

"It is different here, it's like we play a Champions League game every weekend and I think in the end it means we are better prepared," Silva, who spent eight years at PSG, said after the Madrid semi-final.

Silva joined in August but when Tuchel came in, he took over a team that looked unlikely to qualify for next season's Champions League before leading them to a top-four finish.

Now they have the chance to cap it all if they can win Saturday's final in Porto to give Tuchel the medal he missed out on last year.

Chelsea have already beaten City twice under their new coach, a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory being followed by a 2-1 away success in the league.

It has not all been a bed of roses though, with Chelsea losing three of their last four games, including the 1-0 defeat by Leicester City in the FA Cup final.

"It concerns me because it always concerns me when we lose, and it's not so easy to get a grip on these losses and analyse them," Tuchel said this week.

<h2>- Back in Portugal -</h2>

Now he is back in Portugal, where he took PSG through two knockout ties against Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the 'Final Eight' last season before succumbing to Bayern.

Tuchel followed in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp when he took the coaching job at Mainz at the start of his career and again at Dortmund.

He is now hoping to match Klopp's achievement in winning the Champions League final in 2019 with Liverpool, 12 months after his side lost at the same stage to Madrid.

However, the 47-year-old is not convinced his experience last season means much to the players who will step out at the Estadio do Dragao against City.

"If I was a player, I am not sure I would love to hear the story from my coach who was there last year with a different team," Tuchel admitted.

"If we had it together as a team we would clearly use it but now we arrive for the first time together."

Whatever happens in Saturday's Champions League final against Manchester City, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel can already claim a small bit of history by becoming the first coach to make it to the showpiece game in European club football in successive seasons with different clubs.

Whatever happens in Saturday's Champions League final against Manchester City, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel can already claim a small bit of history by becoming the first coach to make it to the showpiece game in European club football in successive seasons with different clubs. Tuchel's impact on Chelsea, at least up until the last few matches, has been little short of remarkable and, it can be argued, hardly reflects well on his old side Paris Saint-Germain. The French giants' gratitude towards Tuchel for leading them to the Champions League final for the first time in their history last season was not enough to stop them sacking him in December. PSG have since gone on, under Tuchel's replacement Mauricio Pochettino, to finish second in Ligue 1 to Lille while going out of the Champions League in the semi-finals to Pep Guardiola's City. In any case Tuchel came out of that sacking with his reputation intact, in large part thanks to the job he did in taking PSG to last season's final where they lost narrowly to Bayern Munich in Lisbon. At Chelsea, he took over a team that was underperforming under Frank Lampard and had an immediate impact -- Tuchel has turned the London club into a supremely well-drilled machine with a three-man defence led by his old captain in Paris, Thiago Silva. They kept 18 clean sheets in his first 24 matches in charge, culminating in the semi-final victory over Real Madrid. - 'Great connection' - "He came in and from the first minute the players felt a great connection with him, from the first meeting," said midfielder Mateo Kovacic this week. "It was like he had been here for two years so it came quite naturally, everything. "I think the team completely changed, how we approach games, like we were more confident, solid at the back, not conceding anything in the last two or three months." After the difficulties of dealing with a Paris team built around Neymar, Tuchel has been effusive in his praise of the Premier League and the mentality of the players he inherited at Stamford Bridge. "It is different here, it's like we play a Champions League game every weekend and I think in the end it means we are better prepared," Silva, who spent eight years at PSG, said after the Madrid semi-final. Silva joined in August but when Tuchel came in, he took over a team that looked unlikely to qualify for next season's Champions League before leading them to a top-four finish. Now they have the chance to cap it all if they can win Saturday's final in Porto to give Tuchel the medal he missed out on last year. Chelsea have already beaten City twice under their new coach, a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory being followed by a 2-1 away success in the league. It has not all been a bed of roses though, with Chelsea losing three of their last four games, including the 1-0 defeat by Leicester City in the FA Cup final. "It concerns me because it always concerns me when we lose, and it's not so easy to get a grip on these losses and analyse them," Tuchel said this week. - Back in Portugal - Now he is back in Portugal, where he took PSG through two knockout ties against Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the 'Final Eight' last season before succumbing to Bayern. Tuchel followed in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp when he took the coaching job at Mainz at the start of his career and again at Dortmund. He is now hoping to match Klopp's achievement in winning the Champions League final in 2019 with Liverpool, 12 months after his side lost at the same stage to Madrid. However, the 47-year-old is not convinced his experience last season means much to the players who will step out at the Estadio do Dragao against City. "If I was a player, I am not sure I would love to hear the story from my coach who was there last year with a different team," Tuchel admitted. "If we had it together as a team we would clearly use it but now we arrive for the first time together."

Football: Tuchel earns second crack at Champions League glory with immediate impact on Chelsea

UEFA on Tuesday opened formal disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, the three clubs which are still refusing to give up the aborted Super League project.&nbsp;

"Following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the so-called 'Super League' project, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC for a potential violation of UEFA's legal framework," said the governing body of European football in a brief statement.

UEFA appointed "ethics and disciplinary inspectors" on May 12 to conduct a preliminary investigation.&nbsp;

The other nine promoters of the Super League escaped prosecution in exchange for light financial penalties.&nbsp;

UEFA, challenged in mid-April by the launch of the proposed private European tournament at the same time as it announced a major overhaul of its Champions League, has long preferred to negotiate the surrender of the rebels rather than crack down.&nbsp;

But having failed to obtain a surrender from the three holdouts, has opted for disciplinary measures without specifying what offences they have committed.&nbsp;

UEFA's statutes prohibit any "grouping or alliance" between clubs without its authorisation.&nbsp;

Among the range of sanctions UEFA rules allow, the most severe for the clubs are "exclusion from current and/or future competitions", as well as "banning from all football-related activities" for the directors.&nbsp;

By announcing their own private Super League on the night of &nbsp;April 18-19, the 12 clubs turned European football on its head and threatened the very existence of UEFA.&nbsp;

The gradual withdrawal of the six English participants after 48 hours led to the project being shelved. he two Milan clubs followed and the nine agreed in early May to pay a combined 15 million euros and to forgo five per cent of their European revenue for one season.&nbsp;

Real, Barcelona and Juventus meanwhile retaliated through a Commercial Court in Madrid which referred the matter to the European Court of Justice, asking if UEFA was abusing its "dominant position" by seeking to block a competing tournament.

UEFA on Tuesday opened formal disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, the three clubs which are still refusing to give up the aborted Super League project.

UEFA on Tuesday opened formal disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, the three clubs which are still refusing to give up the aborted Super League project. "Following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the so-called 'Super League' project, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC for a potential violation of UEFA's legal framework," said the governing body of European football in a brief statement. UEFA appointed "ethics and disciplinary inspectors" on May 12 to conduct a preliminary investigation. The other nine promoters of the Super League escaped prosecution in exchange for light financial penalties. UEFA, challenged in mid-April by the launch of the proposed private European tournament at the same time as it announced a major overhaul of its Champions League, has long preferred to negotiate the surrender of the rebels rather than crack down. But having failed to obtain a surrender from the three holdouts, has opted for disciplinary measures without specifying what offences they have committed. UEFA's statutes prohibit any "grouping or alliance" between clubs without its authorisation. Among the range of sanctions UEFA rules allow, the most severe for the clubs are "exclusion from current and/or future competitions", as well as "banning from all football-related activities" for the directors. By announcing their own private Super League on the night of April 18-19, the 12 clubs turned European football on its head and threatened the very existence of UEFA. The gradual withdrawal of the six English participants after 48 hours led to the project being shelved. he two Milan clubs followed and the nine agreed in early May to pay a combined 15 million euros and to forgo five per cent of their European revenue for one season. Real, Barcelona and Juventus meanwhile retaliated through a Commercial Court in Madrid which referred the matter to the European Court of Justice, asking if UEFA was abusing its "dominant position" by seeking to block a competing tournament.

Football: UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings against hardcore Super League trio

After Lisbon last year, now it is the turn of Porto. Once again Portugal has stepped in to save UEFA by offering to host the final of the Champions League, which for the second year running was forced to move away from Istanbul due to the ongoing pandemic.

With its Covid-19 crisis receding, a proven ability to organise the biggest match in European club football and a good relationship between its national federation the FPF, and the European game's governing body, Portugal turned out to be the only real option to stage Saturday's clash between Manchester City and Chelsea.

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"Once again we have turned to our friends in Portugal to help both UEFA and the Champions League and I am, as always, very grateful to the FPF and the Portuguese government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

It is unfortunate for Istanbul, which was initially supposed to stage the 2020 final only for UEFA to rearrange the latter stages of last season's Champions League in Lisbon in August, three months behind schedule.

The Turkish metropolis was told it would host this season's final instead, but that became impossible when the UK government put Turkey on its red list just after City and Chelsea ensured it would be an all-English affair.

UEFA has insisted that this season's showpiece game would be played in front of a sizeable crowd after Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz last year behind closed doors.

But with English fans essentially banned from travelling to Turkey, and playing the game in England ruled out because of the British government's refusal to ease its own quarantine rules for officials and media coming from abroad, another solution was required.

That solution is the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, where a total of 16,500 spectators will be able to attend Saturday's match, after Portuguese authorities said 33 percent of the stadium's capacity could be filled.

There will be 12,000 English fans in the ground, split evenly between the two clubs, with Portugal the only country in the European Union currently on the British government's green list for travel.

For the government in Lisbon, the choice of Porto is being seen as "international recognition that the measures taken to combat the pandemic have produced results", according to Portugal's foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva.

He described the health context in Portugal just now as "among the best in Europe".

That did not prevent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slamming the decision to move the final from Istanbul as "political".

With the next three finals already awarded to other cities, including Saint-Petersburg next year, UEFA has not yet promised a future final to Istanbul.

However, it did say it would "urgently look into future opportunities for the city".

Portugal, meanwhile, has come through a devastating wave of coronavirus infections at the beginning of the year and earlier this month moved into the final phase of its gradual easing of lockdown.

So far there has not been any significant rebound in the number of Covid-19 cases.

Nevertheless, fans arriving from England will have to respect the usual health protocols including requiring a negative coronavirus test to enter the country.

Porto was one of the main venues when Euro 2004 was staged in Portugal, and the northern city on the banks of the Douro River also hosted the 'Final 4' of the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

In addition, it is also notable that FPF president Fernando Gomes is a UEFA vice-president who is close to Ceferin.

"This is all possible because the Portuguese Football Federation and its president are highly regarded by UEFA," said Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the president of FC Porto, who call the Estadio do Dragao home.

"When they agree to host it, because they know FC Porto so well, UEFA puts its faith in them and is happy to come here."

After Lisbon last year, now it is the turn of Porto. Once again Portugal has stepped in to save UEFA by offering to host the final of the Champions League, which for the second year running was forced to move away from Istanbul due to the ongoing pandemic.

After Lisbon last year, now it is the turn of Porto. Once again Portugal has stepped in to save UEFA by offering to host the final of the Champions League, which for the second year running was forced to move away from Istanbul due to the ongoing pandemic. With its Covid-19 crisis receding, a proven ability to organise the biggest match in European club football and a good relationship between its national federation the FPF, and the European game's governing body, Portugal turned out to be the only real option to stage Saturday's clash between Manchester City and Chelsea. ALSO READ: Football: 16,500 spectators allowed in Porto for UEFA Champions League final "Once again we have turned to our friends in Portugal to help both UEFA and the Champions League and I am, as always, very grateful to the FPF and the Portuguese government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. It is unfortunate for Istanbul, which was initially supposed to stage the 2020 final only for UEFA to rearrange the latter stages of last season's Champions League in Lisbon in August, three months behind schedule. The Turkish metropolis was told it would host this season's final instead, but that became impossible when the UK government put Turkey on its red list just after City and Chelsea ensured it would be an all-English affair. UEFA has insisted that this season's showpiece game would be played in front of a sizeable crowd after Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz last year behind closed doors. But with English fans essentially banned from travelling to Turkey, and playing the game in England ruled out because of the British government's refusal to ease its own quarantine rules for officials and media coming from abroad, another solution was required. That solution is the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, where a total of 16,500 spectators will be able to attend Saturday's match, after Portuguese authorities said 33 percent of the stadium's capacity could be filled. There will be 12,000 English fans in the ground, split evenly between the two clubs, with Portugal the only country in the European Union currently on the British government's green list for travel. For the government in Lisbon, the choice of Porto is being seen as "international recognition that the measures taken to combat the pandemic have produced results", according to Portugal's foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva. He described the health context in Portugal just now as "among the best in Europe". That did not prevent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slamming the decision to move the final from Istanbul as "political". With the next three finals already awarded to other cities, including Saint-Petersburg next year, UEFA has not yet promised a future final to Istanbul. However, it did say it would "urgently look into future opportunities for the city". Portugal, meanwhile, has come through a devastating wave of coronavirus infections at the beginning of the year and earlier this month moved into the final phase of its gradual easing of lockdown. So far there has not been any significant rebound in the number of Covid-19 cases. Nevertheless, fans arriving from England will have to respect the usual health protocols including requiring a negative coronavirus test to enter the country. Porto was one of the main venues when Euro 2004 was staged in Portugal, and the northern city on the banks of the Douro River also hosted the 'Final 4' of the UEFA Nations League in 2019. In addition, it is also notable that FPF president Fernando Gomes is a UEFA vice-president who is close to Ceferin. "This is all possible because the Portuguese Football Federation and its president are highly regarded by UEFA," said Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the president of FC Porto, who call the Estadio do Dragao home. "When they agree to host it, because they know FC Porto so well, UEFA puts its faith in them and is happy to come here."

Football: Porto prepares as Portugal steps into the Champions League breach once again

He may shy away from the limelight, but there were few more popular members of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side than N'Golo Kante, who on Saturday will aim to get his hands on one of the few trophies that has so far evaded him when Chelsea face Manchester City in the Champions League final.

France supporters came up with a song for Kante during that triumphant summer in Russia, to the tune of the 1969 hit "Les Champs-Elysees" by Joe Dassin. As the song goes, "he is small, he is kind, he stopped Leo Messi".

It does take a ruthless streak to get to the very top in football as Kante has, winning two Premier League titles, the Europa League and the FA Cup as well as the World Cup.

Despite that, everyone who has encountered Kante since the start of his career in the Paris suburbs seems to agree there is no other player quite like the 30-year-old.

"Every time he comes back to Paris he comes to see us," Karim El-Moudkhil, Kante's former coach, tells AFP.

<h2>- Idolised -</h2>

"But he doesn't just stop by, he stays to eat with us, he agrees to have his photo taken with everyone, to play with the kids."

Kante, whose parents are of Malian origin, grew up in a large family on a quiet estate in Rueil-Malmaison, to the west of the French capital.

El-Moudkhil has endless anecdotes to tell as well as recent videos of Kante playing football with children in the neigbourhood who, not surprisingly, idolise him.

"In the summer, everyone comes out to play wearing the shirts of the teams he has played for: Caen, Leicester, Chelsea, France," says the coach.

Kante is widely liked and respected for his warmth and modesty, and as a player he has forged a reputation for being generous and discrete, with his on-pitch persona matching his personality off it.

"He has never become big-headed, he has never changed," says El-Moudkhil. "His brothers are the same. I would like to know how they have done it."

<h2>- Never angry -</h2>

When you ask his former coach if he can recall Kante getting angry during a game or showing any negative emotions, the question is met with an almost sorry response.

"I am trying to think of something but I honestly can't remember any. I have never seen him get angry as long as I have known him.

"And yet if anyone could have got angry it was him given the amount of times he used to get kicked while playing at Suresnes."

It was there, in a pleasant suburb by the Seine River, that Kante played as a youngster.&nbsp;

Unlike most modern-day superstars, Kante was never picked up by the youth academy of a professional club. He had talent, but his size and personality seemed to work against him.

"N'Golo is not somebody who tends to stand out, so at a trial he just wasn't visible," Pierre Ville, a director at Suresnes, told AFP in 2018.

His career did gradually take off as he moved to France's far north to sign for Boulogne-sur-Mer aged 19.

Soon he was playing for their first team in the third division, and he then joined Caen in 2013, helping them win promotion to Ligue 1.

After just one season in the French elite, Kante moved to Leicester aged 24 in 2015 and was one of the stars of their surge to the Premier League title in 2015/16.

He then left for Chelsea where he has continued to star, right up to being the man of the match in both legs of the Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid.

"As soon as he signed for Boulogne-sur-Mer I knew his career was taking off," says El-Moudkhil.

There, on France's Channel coast, Kante left behind nothing but good memories.

"What was really striking was his desire to keep progressing. He was like a sponge, absorbing all the advice he got from his coaches," remembers Christophe Raymond, who coached Kante in the club's reserve team between 2010 and 2012.

"We sensed he had potential but it would be lying to say we thought he could go as far as he has."

It is a view shared by his old coach back in Rueil.

"He has come on so much. Over the last few years he has taken more and more risks, he gets forward more, and he is now one of the best players in the world."

He may shy away from the limelight, but there were few more popular members of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side than N'Golo Kante, who on Saturday will aim to get his hands on one of the few trophies that has so far evaded him when Chelsea face Manchester City in the Champions League final.

He may shy away from the limelight, but there were few more popular members of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side than N'Golo Kante, who on Saturday will aim to get his hands on one of the few trophies that has so far evaded him when Chelsea face Manchester City in the Champions League final. France supporters came up with a song for Kante during that triumphant summer in Russia, to the tune of the 1969 hit "Les Champs-Elysees" by Joe Dassin. As the song goes, "he is small, he is kind, he stopped Leo Messi". It does take a ruthless streak to get to the very top in football as Kante has, winning two Premier League titles, the Europa League and the FA Cup as well as the World Cup. Despite that, everyone who has encountered Kante since the start of his career in the Paris suburbs seems to agree there is no other player quite like the 30-year-old. "Every time he comes back to Paris he comes to see us," Karim El-Moudkhil, Kante's former coach, tells AFP. - Idolised - "But he doesn't just stop by, he stays to eat with us, he agrees to have his photo taken with everyone, to play with the kids." Kante, whose parents are of Malian origin, grew up in a large family on a quiet estate in Rueil-Malmaison, to the west of the French capital. El-Moudkhil has endless anecdotes to tell as well as recent videos of Kante playing football with children in the neigbourhood who, not surprisingly, idolise him. "In the summer, everyone comes out to play wearing the shirts of the teams he has played for: Caen, Leicester, Chelsea, France," says the coach. Kante is widely liked and respected for his warmth and modesty, and as a player he has forged a reputation for being generous and discrete, with his on-pitch persona matching his personality off it. "He has never become big-headed, he has never changed," says El-Moudkhil. "His brothers are the same. I would like to know how they have done it." - Never angry - When you ask his former coach if he can recall Kante getting angry during a game or showing any negative emotions, the question is met with an almost sorry response. "I am trying to think of something but I honestly can't remember any. I have never seen him get angry as long as I have known him. "And yet if anyone could have got angry it was him given the amount of times he used to get kicked while playing at Suresnes." It was there, in a pleasant suburb by the Seine River, that Kante played as a youngster. Unlike most modern-day superstars, Kante was never picked up by the youth academy of a professional club. He had talent, but his size and personality seemed to work against him. "N'Golo is not somebody who tends to stand out, so at a trial he just wasn't visible," Pierre Ville, a director at Suresnes, told AFP in 2018. His career did gradually take off as he moved to France's far north to sign for Boulogne-sur-Mer aged 19. Soon he was playing for their first team in the third division, and he then joined Caen in 2013, helping them win promotion to Ligue 1. After just one season in the French elite, Kante moved to Leicester aged 24 in 2015 and was one of the stars of their surge to the Premier League title in 2015/16. He then left for Chelsea where he has continued to star, right up to being the man of the match in both legs of the Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid. "As soon as he signed for Boulogne-sur-Mer I knew his career was taking off," says El-Moudkhil. There, on France's Channel coast, Kante left behind nothing but good memories. "What was really striking was his desire to keep progressing. He was like a sponge, absorbing all the advice he got from his coaches," remembers Christophe Raymond, who coached Kante in the club's reserve team between 2010 and 2012. "We sensed he had potential but it would be lying to say we thought he could go as far as he has." It is a view shared by his old coach back in Rueil. "He has come on so much. Over the last few years he has taken more and more risks, he gets forward more, and he is now one of the best players in the world."

Football: N'Golo Kante, the quiet and unassuming superstar

UEFA on Tuesday announced that up to 16,500 spectators will be allowed to attend the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea on Sunday in Porto. The ticket sales for the match opened on Tuesday.<o:p></o:p>

The figure allowed by the Portuguese authorities stands at one-third of the capacity of the Estadio do Dragao, which took over the hosting after Istanbul was ruled out due to COVID-19 issues.<o:p></o:p>

UEFA has already allocated as many as 6,000 tickets to each Chelsea and Man City. <o:p></o:p>

To this will be added the traditional invitations, as well as "1,700 tickets reserved for the general public" which "will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis".<o:p></o:p>

Tickets for the UCL final cost from 70 euros to 600 euros -- against a range of 40 to 130 euros for Wednesday's Europa League final in Gdansk between Manchester United and Villareal.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-luke-shaw-wants-manchester-united-to-strengthen-the-squad-in-the-transfer-window-387314" hreflang="en">Football: Luke Shaw wants Manchester United to strengthen the squad in the transfer window</a><o:p></o:p>

Spectators will “require proof of a negative Covid-19 test" to enter the stadium. Fans coming from abroad "will have to comply with border entry restrictions and requirements that will be in force". <o:p></o:p>

With Portugal being on the green list of British government, players or fans won’t have to quarantine upon returning home.<o:p></o:p>

However, the UK, as a host, was ruled out due to entry restrictions and quarantine protocols for the media, officials, and guests – which was deemed as unpractical.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-cristiano-ronaldo-says-achieved-his-goal-at-juventus-387256" hreflang="en">Football: Cristiano Ronaldo says achieved his goal at Juventus</a><o:p></o:p>

Portugal also hosted the "Final 8" in 2020 which allowed the Champions League to finish in the pandemic.<o:p></o:p>

UEFA on Tuesday announced that up to 16,500 spectators will be allowed to attend the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea on Sunday in Porto.

UEFA on Tuesday announced that up to 16,500 spectators will be allowed to attend the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea on Sunday in Porto. The ticket sales for the match opened on Tuesday. The figure allowed by the Portuguese authorities stands at one-third of the capacity of the Estadio do Dragao, which took over the hosting after Istanbul was ruled out due to COVID-19 issues. UEFA has already allocated as many as 6,000 tickets to each Chelsea and Man City. To this will be added the traditional invitations, as well as "1,700 tickets reserved for the general public" which "will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis". Tickets for the UCL final cost from 70 euros to 600 euros -- against a range of 40 to 130 euros for Wednesday's Europa League final in Gdansk between Manchester United and Villareal. ALSO READ: Football: Luke Shaw wants Manchester United to strengthen the squad in the transfer window Spectators will “require proof of a negative Covid-19 test" to enter the stadium. Fans coming from abroad "will have to comply with border entry restrictions and requirements that will be in force". With Portugal being on the green list of British government, players or fans won’t have to quarantine upon returning home. However, the UK, as a host, was ruled out due to entry restrictions and quarantine protocols for the media, officials, and guests – which was deemed as unpractical. ALSO READ: Football: Cristiano Ronaldo says achieved his goal at Juventus Portugal also hosted the "Final 8" in 2020 which allowed the Champions League to finish in the pandemic.

Football: 16,500 spectators allowed in Porto for UEFA Champions League final

Last week, UEFA decided to move the Champions League final between English giants Manchester City and Chelsea to Porto from Istanbul so that fans from England could travel under COVID-19 restrictions. However, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that UEFA's decision was political.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kylian-mbappe-magic-sets-up-paris-saint-germain-for-french-cup-victory-386173" hreflang="en">Kylian Mbappe magic sets up Paris Saint-Germain for French Cup victory</a>

"A couple of years ago, we were notified that the final would be played in Turkey, but things took a sudden turn when two English clubs qualified to play the final," Erdogan said on Turkish television on Wednesday.

"We couldn't reach the UK&nbsp;Prime Minister in the meantime, he applied a lot of pressure on this issue."

According to Erdogan, talks with British ministers and UEFA failed to achieve any results and said that Istanbul was promised to host the Champions League final in 2023.

Earlier, Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium was scheduled to host the European Championship final, however, Turkey was put on &nbsp;Britain's travel "red list", due to which no English fans could travel to the country. UEFA stepped in and decided to relocate the finals and thus chose Porto's Estadio do Dragao fit to host it.&nbsp;

There had been discussions over moving the final to London's Wembley Stadium but UEFA said that despite "exhaustive efforts on the part of the (English) Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements".

(Inputs from Reuters)

Last week, UEFA decided to move the Champions League final between English giants Manchester City and Chelsea to Porto from Istanbul so that fans from England could travel under COVID-19 restrictions.

Last week, UEFA decided to move the Champions League final between English giants Manchester City and Chelsea to Porto from Istanbul so that fans from England could travel under COVID-19 restrictions. However, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that UEFA's decision was political. ALSO READ: Kylian Mbappe magic sets up Paris Saint-Germain for French Cup victory "A couple of years ago, we were notified that the final would be played in Turkey, but things took a sudden turn when two English clubs qualified to play the final," Erdogan said on Turkish television on Wednesday. "We couldn't reach the UK Prime Minister in the meantime, he applied a lot of pressure on this issue." According to Erdogan, talks with British ministers and UEFA failed to achieve any results and said that Istanbul was promised to host the Champions League final in 2023. Earlier, Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium was scheduled to host the European Championship final, however, Turkey was put on Britain's travel "red list", due to which no English fans could travel to the country. UEFA stepped in and decided to relocate the finals and thus chose Porto's Estadio do Dragao fit to host it. There had been discussions over moving the final to London's Wembley Stadium but UEFA said that despite "exhaustive efforts on the part of the (English) Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements". (Inputs from Reuters)

Turkey's Erdogan feels UEFA's decision to relocate Champions League final was political

Leicester have little time to bask in the glory of winning the FA Cup for the first time as they face Chelsea again on Tuesday in a Premier League clash of huge significance for who makes next season's Champions League.

The Foxes are in pole position to join the already-qualified Manchester City and Manchester United in Europe's premier club competition as they sit third in the table with two games to go.

However, Chelsea and Liverpool know victories in their final two games will likely be enough for both to move above Brendan Rodgers's men into the top four.

Leicester lead the Blues by two points and are three clear of Liverpool, but face the toughest run-in with Tottenham to come on Sunday after their trip to Stamford Bridge.

"We knew we didn't have any favours in the fixtures," said Rodgers on Monday.

"Everything is still in our hands. The players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point. We've got European football, we've got two games now to arrive into the top four."

Despite the disappointment of missing out on his first trophy in English football, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel did not shy away from suggestions that Tuesday's clash is more important than the cup final in the context his side's season.

"When I stepped into this club the task was let's try everything to be in the top four, not let's try everything to win the FA Cup," said Tuchel.

"Because the FA Cup, as big as it is, does not bring you to Champions League football next season. It's top four that brings us there. Tomorrow is another huge game."

Chelsea's strength in depth could prove vital given the quick turnaround from Wembley's energy sapping clash in front of 22,000 fans.

Tuchel's men were the dominant side on Saturday after he introduced Kai Havertz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ben Chilwell, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud off the bench in the second-half and the German is likely to make a number of changes.

Liverpool have on paper the easiest run in of the Champions League contenders as they visit Burnley on Wednesday and host Crystal Palace on Sunday.

However, the Reds needed a stunning stoppage time winner from goalkeeper Alisson Becker to see off already-relegated West Brom on Sunday.

"We still need six points to be in the Champions League and then we can maybe sit back with a bit of satisfaction," said Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson.

<h2>- Fans finally return -</h2>

Doors will be open to fans in the Premier League for the first time in 2021 for all 10 games over Tuesday and Wednesday.

Up to 10,000 supporters can attend or a maximum of 25 percent capacity as coronavirus restrictions across England were eased from Monday.

However, there may well be scenes of protest as well as celebration on their return.

Three of the Premier League six involved in the failed European Super League project -- Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea -- are at home this midweek.

The biggest protest is expected for United's clash with Fulham as supporters continue to vent their anger at the club's American owners, the Glazer family.

Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford on May 2 was postponed after supporters stormed the pitch, while more protests took place ahead of that fixture when it did take place last week.

"We've been waiting for a long, long time to welcome the fans back," said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

"It's never nice to see a club that is not united, fans with the team, so we're hoping that Tuesday is going to be a positive day that we move together."

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Tuesday&nbsp;

Manchester United v Fulham, Southampton v Fulham (both 1700), Brighton v Manchester City (1800), Chelsea v Leicester (1915)

Wednesday

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Everton v Wolves, Tottenham v Aston Villa (all 1700), Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1800), Burnley v Liverpool, West Brom v Fulham (both 1915)

Leicester have little time to bask in the glory of winning the FA Cup for the first time as they face Chelsea again on Tuesday in a Premier League clash of huge significance for who makes next season's Champions League.

Leicester have little time to bask in the glory of winning the FA Cup for the first time as they face Chelsea again on Tuesday in a Premier League clash of huge significance for who makes next season's Champions League. The Foxes are in pole position to join the already-qualified Manchester City and Manchester United in Europe's premier club competition as they sit third in the table with two games to go. However, Chelsea and Liverpool know victories in their final two games will likely be enough for both to move above Brendan Rodgers's men into the top four. Leicester lead the Blues by two points and are three clear of Liverpool, but face the toughest run-in with Tottenham to come on Sunday after their trip to Stamford Bridge. "We knew we didn't have any favours in the fixtures," said Rodgers on Monday. "Everything is still in our hands. The players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point. We've got European football, we've got two games now to arrive into the top four." Despite the disappointment of missing out on his first trophy in English football, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel did not shy away from suggestions that Tuesday's clash is more important than the cup final in the context his side's season. "When I stepped into this club the task was let's try everything to be in the top four, not let's try everything to win the FA Cup," said Tuchel. "Because the FA Cup, as big as it is, does not bring you to Champions League football next season. It's top four that brings us there. Tomorrow is another huge game." Chelsea's strength in depth could prove vital given the quick turnaround from Wembley's energy sapping clash in front of 22,000 fans. Tuchel's men were the dominant side on Saturday after he introduced Kai Havertz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ben Chilwell, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud off the bench in the second-half and the German is likely to make a number of changes. Liverpool have on paper the easiest run in of the Champions League contenders as they visit Burnley on Wednesday and host Crystal Palace on Sunday. However, the Reds needed a stunning stoppage time winner from goalkeeper Alisson Becker to see off already-relegated West Brom on Sunday. "We still need six points to be in the Champions League and then we can maybe sit back with a bit of satisfaction," said Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson. - Fans finally return - Doors will be open to fans in the Premier League for the first time in 2021 for all 10 games over Tuesday and Wednesday. Up to 10,000 supporters can attend or a maximum of 25 percent capacity as coronavirus restrictions across England were eased from Monday. However, there may well be scenes of protest as well as celebration on their return. Three of the Premier League six involved in the failed European Super League project -- Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea -- are at home this midweek. The biggest protest is expected for United's clash with Fulham as supporters continue to vent their anger at the club's American owners, the Glazer family. Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford on May 2 was postponed after supporters stormed the pitch, while more protests took place ahead of that fixture when it did take place last week. "We've been waiting for a long, long time to welcome the fans back," said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. "It's never nice to see a club that is not united, fans with the team, so we're hoping that Tuesday is going to be a positive day that we move together." Fixtures (all times GMT) Tuesday Manchester United v Fulham, Southampton v Fulham (both 1700), Brighton v Manchester City (1800), Chelsea v Leicester (1915) Wednesday Newcastle v Sheffield United, Everton v Wolves, Tottenham v Aston Villa (all 1700), Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1800), Burnley v Liverpool, West Brom v Fulham (both 1915)

Football: Chelsea eye Leicester revenge with Champions League riches at stake

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot.&nbsp;

Pirlo's side are fifth in the league table after securing just five wins in the last 10 matches. The only hope left for the team is to secure 3 points against Inter in the upcoming clash.&nbsp;

"Congratulations to Inter for the Scudetto, but we could have done more," Pirlo told a news conference on Friday.

"Inter have done better, have been more consistent and hungrier than us. There are some regrets for the players I didn't have available, but regret is part of the ambition.

"To see our opponents as Italian champions tomorrow must give us more motivation. Let's also not forget that we have a chance to qualify for the Champions League."

Juve lost 3-0 to AC Milan, however, they bounced back to winning ways after beating Sassuolo (on Wednesday) by 3-1.&nbsp;

"The performance suggests we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as we did at Sassuolo," Pirlo said.

"At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analysing the mistakes to not commit them again."

(Inputs from Reuters)

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot.

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot. Pirlo's side are fifth in the league table after securing just five wins in the last 10 matches. The only hope left for the team is to secure 3 points against Inter in the upcoming clash. "Congratulations to Inter for the Scudetto, but we could have done more," Pirlo told a news conference on Friday. "Inter have done better, have been more consistent and hungrier than us. There are some regrets for the players I didn't have available, but regret is part of the ambition. "To see our opponents as Italian champions tomorrow must give us more motivation. Let's also not forget that we have a chance to qualify for the Champions League." Juve lost 3-0 to AC Milan, however, they bounced back to winning ways after beating Sassuolo (on Wednesday) by 3-1. "The performance suggests we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as we did at Sassuolo," Pirlo said. "At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analysing the mistakes to not commit them again." (Inputs from Reuters)

'We could have done more': Andrea Pirlo feels Juve can redeem themselves by securing CL spot

The much-anticipated Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea has been shifted from Istanbul, Turkey, to Porto in Portugal, UEFA announced on Thursday.<o:p></o:p>

The most awaited UCL final on May 29 has been shifted to allow English spectators to attend the match with the travel between the UK and Turkey suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<o:p></o:p>

UEFA has further announced that up to 6,000 spectators each from Chelsea and Man City will be allowed to attend the Champions League final. <o:p></o:p>

"We accept that the decision of the British Government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atletico-edge-closer-to-la-liga-title-after-real-sociedad-win-384709" hreflang="en">Atletico edge closer to La Liga title after Real Sociedad win</a><o:p></o:p>

"After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don't have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season," he added.<o:p></o:p>

There were reports that the UCL final would be played at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium but the move fell out due to certain allowances including&nbsp;quarantine-free visits by media and other authorities. <o:p></o:p>

"The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen," Ceferin said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/champions-manchester-city-fans-take-to-streets-after-premier-league-win-384449" hreflang="en">'CHAMPIONS': Manchester City fans take to streets after Premier League win</a><o:p></o:p>

UEFA added that COVID-19 protocols in the UK made it difficult for the match to be held in the English capital. <o:p></o:p>

"UEFA discussed moving the match to England but, despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements," it said.<o:p></o:p>

The much-anticipated Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea has been shifted from Istanbul, Turkey, to Porto in Portugal, UEFA announced on Thursday.

The much-anticipated Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea has been shifted from Istanbul, Turkey, to Porto in Portugal, UEFA announced on Thursday. The most awaited UCL final on May 29 has been shifted to allow English spectators to attend the match with the travel between the UK and Turkey suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UEFA has further announced that up to 6,000 spectators each from Chelsea and Man City will be allowed to attend the Champions League final. "We accept that the decision of the British Government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement. ALSO READ: Atletico edge closer to La Liga title after Real Sociedad win "After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don't have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season," he added. There were reports that the UCL final would be played at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium but the move fell out due to certain allowances including quarantine-free visits by media and other authorities. "The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen," Ceferin said. ALSO READ: 'CHAMPIONS': Manchester City fans take to streets after Premier League win UEFA added that COVID-19 protocols in the UK made it difficult for the match to be held in the English capital. "UEFA discussed moving the match to England but, despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements," it said.

Man City vs Chelsea: UEFA Champions League final moved to Porto from Istanbul

European football body UEFA has launched a &nbsp;disciplinary investigation against the remaining three clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus) who are still a part of the breakaway European Super League.

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-fans-took-on-multi-billionaires-to-take-down-european-super-league-379039" hreflang="en">How fans took on multi-billionaires to take down European Super League</a>

The Super League, who originally consisted of 12 clubs (Six from Premier League, three from La Liga, three from Serie A), was launched as a means to ensure guaranteed income to the top clubs in Europe.

However, this breakaway was received extremely angrily by fans, politicians and respective domestic leagues. Due to this, all clubs except Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus decided to leave the league.&nbsp;

"UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary inspectors have today appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA's legal framework by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus in connection with the so-called 'Super League' project," UEFA said in a statement.

Juventus president and one of the ESL founders, Andrea Agnelli acknowledged it was an impossible task to proceed without the English clubs.

The Super League promised guaranteed entry for its founding clubs and billions of dollars in payments. Most of the clubs have huge debts and wage bills and suffered a sharp drop in revenues during the coronavirus pandemic.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and described the English clubs as "back in the fold".

"I said yesterday that it is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs made a big mistake," Ceferin said in a statement.

"But they are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game.

"The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together."

(With inputs from agencies)

European football body UEFA has launched a disciplinary investigation against the remaining three clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus) who are still a part of the breakaway European Super League.

European football body UEFA has launched a disciplinary investigation against the remaining three clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus) who are still a part of the breakaway European Super League. IN PICS| How fans took on multi-billionaires to take down European Super League The Super League, who originally consisted of 12 clubs (Six from Premier League, three from La Liga, three from Serie A), was launched as a means to ensure guaranteed income to the top clubs in Europe. However, this breakaway was received extremely angrily by fans, politicians and respective domestic leagues. Due to this, all clubs except Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus decided to leave the league. "UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary inspectors have today appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA's legal framework by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus in connection with the so-called 'Super League' project," UEFA said in a statement. Juventus president and one of the ESL founders, Andrea Agnelli acknowledged it was an impossible task to proceed without the English clubs. The Super League promised guaranteed entry for its founding clubs and billions of dollars in payments. Most of the clubs have huge debts and wage bills and suffered a sharp drop in revenues during the coronavirus pandemic. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and described the English clubs as "back in the fold". "I said yesterday that it is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs made a big mistake," Ceferin said in a statement. "But they are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game. "The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together." (With inputs from agencies)

UEFA conducts disciplinary investigation against remaining clubs in European Super League

Manchester City and Chelsea will play off for the biggest prize in European club football later this month, but there is plenty on the line for both clubs when they meet in a prelude to the Champions League final on Saturday.

City can wrap up a fifth Premier League title in 10 years with victory, cementing their place as the dominant force in English football over the past decade since money began flowing in from Abu Dhabi to build a dynasty on the field.

Chelsea's transformation under Thomas Tuchel has taken them to a third Champions League final since their own transformational takeover when Roman Abramovich bought the Blues in 2003.

However, the Blues are still paying for a slow start to the season under Frank Lampard with their place in next season's Champions League far from guaranteed.

Tuchel's men are fourth in the Premier League, three points clear of surprise top-four challengers West Ham.

But should City seal the title in style and lay down a marker for Istanbul, Tottenham and Liverpool are also not out of the running for the top four.

Chelsea ended City's quest for a quadruple of trophies when they last met just three weeks ago in the FA Cup semi-finals

However, that 1-0 win at Wembley was against a shadow City side as Pep Guardiola prioritised progressing in the Champions League.

A key to both clubs' success has been their strength in depth and both managers could make several changes this weekend after the exertions of seeing off Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in midweek.

A trip to City is only the start of a tough run-in for Chelsea, who also face Arsenal and third-placed Leicester in their final four league games of the campaign, with another meeting against Leicester in the FA Cup final in between.

Gareth Bale gave Tottenham a taste of what they have been missing with Wales forward on the bench for most of the campaign under Jose Mourinho, prior to the Portuguese coach's sacking, as he scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of&nbsp;already-relegated Sheffield United last weekend.

Victory for Spurs in Saturday's early game at Leeds would take Ryan Mason's men to within two points of Chelsea.

Liverpool are seven points off fourth, but have a game in hand after their clash at Manchester United was called off due to fan protests last weekend.

Last season's title winners host struggling Southampton at Anfield&nbsp;on Saturday needing a win to keep their chances of Champions League football next season alive.

West Ham have arguably the easiest run in of the top-four contenders, which begins with the visit of Everton to the London Stadium on Sunday.

"It would be an incredible achievement," said David Moyes, who succeeded in just keeping the Hammers up last season. "We're not far away from the Champions League positions. We've got to keep believing."

The battle to beat the drop is far less competitive and could be decided this weekend if Fulham and West Brom fail to win.

West Brom boss Sam Allardyce admitted his side need a "magic miracle and some fairy dust" to avoid the drop as they are 10 points adrift of safety with just 12 left to play for.

Allardyce has never previously been relegated from the Premier League in spells with Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Crystal Palace,&nbsp;Sunderland and Everton, but the great escape has been beyond him at the Baggies.

West Brom's fate could be sealed at Arsenal on Sunday, while Fulham host Burnley on Monday.

Manchester City and Chelsea will play off for the biggest prize in European club football later this month, but there is plenty on the line for both clubs when they meet in a prelude to the Champions League final on Saturday.

Manchester City and Chelsea will play off for the biggest prize in European club football later this month, but there is plenty on the line for both clubs when they meet in a prelude to the Champions League final on Saturday. City can wrap up a fifth Premier League title in 10 years with victory, cementing their place as the dominant force in English football over the past decade since money began flowing in from Abu Dhabi to build a dynasty on the field. Chelsea's transformation under Thomas Tuchel has taken them to a third Champions League final since their own transformational takeover when Roman Abramovich bought the Blues in 2003. However, the Blues are still paying for a slow start to the season under Frank Lampard with their place in next season's Champions League far from guaranteed. Tuchel's men are fourth in the Premier League, three points clear of surprise top-four challengers West Ham. But should City seal the title in style and lay down a marker for Istanbul, Tottenham and Liverpool are also not out of the running for the top four. Chelsea ended City's quest for a quadruple of trophies when they last met just three weeks ago in the FA Cup semi-finals However, that 1-0 win at Wembley was against a shadow City side as Pep Guardiola prioritised progressing in the Champions League. A key to both clubs' success has been their strength in depth and both managers could make several changes this weekend after the exertions of seeing off Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in midweek. A trip to City is only the start of a tough run-in for Chelsea, who also face Arsenal and third-placed Leicester in their final four league games of the campaign, with another meeting against Leicester in the FA Cup final in between. Gareth Bale gave Tottenham a taste of what they have been missing with Wales forward on the bench for most of the campaign under Jose Mourinho, prior to the Portuguese coach's sacking, as he scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of already-relegated Sheffield United last weekend. Victory for Spurs in Saturday's early game at Leeds would take Ryan Mason's men to within two points of Chelsea. Liverpool are seven points off fourth, but have a game in hand after their clash at Manchester United was called off due to fan protests last weekend. Last season's title winners host struggling Southampton at Anfield on Saturday needing a win to keep their chances of Champions League football next season alive. West Ham have arguably the easiest run in of the top-four contenders, which begins with the visit of Everton to the London Stadium on Sunday. "It would be an incredible achievement," said David Moyes, who succeeded in just keeping the Hammers up last season. "We're not far away from the Champions League positions. We've got to keep believing." The battle to beat the drop is far less competitive and could be decided this weekend if Fulham and West Brom fail to win. West Brom boss Sam Allardyce admitted his side need a "magic miracle and some fairy dust" to avoid the drop as they are 10 points adrift of safety with just 12 left to play for. Allardyce has never previously been relegated from the Premier League in spells with Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Everton, but the great escape has been beyond him at the Baggies. West Brom's fate could be sealed at Arsenal on Sunday, while Fulham host Burnley on Monday.

Man City eye Premier League title in Champions League final curtain raiser

Thomas Tuchel hailed the hunger of his "fantastic" Chelsea stars as they reached the&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;final with a 2-0 win against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked Chelsea's first&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;final appearance since they won the competition for the only time in 2012.

Tuchel's side will face Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;rivals Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29.

Chelsea's 3-1 aggregate victory was well deserved as they produced a commanding display in the semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge, stifling Real's sporadic attacks and repeatedly hitting them on the counter.

They could easily have won more convincingly and Blues boss Tuchel was impressed by their tenacious performance.

"It was difficult in the first half when they had a lot of possession and made us suffer," Tuchel said.

"We were dangerous on counter-attacks, but never lost the desire or hunger to defend.

"It was a fantastic performance in the second half and we could have scored more earlier to be safe.

"It is a fantastic achievement and big congratulations to the team."

Chelsea, who also have an FA Cup final date against Leicester on the horizon, have kept 19 clean sheets since Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in January.

That defensive efficiency will give them a chance against City, who they have already beaten in the FA Cup semi-finals this season.

Chelsea faces City again in the Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;on Saturday and Tuchel won't look further ahead than that.

"Ask me four days before the final," he said of Chelsea's chances in Turkey.&nbsp;

"It is too early to talk about the final because there can be injured players, out of form or whatever happens.

"We need to wait and see, hopefully, we arrive with the whole squad and in a good moment because it is not done yet.

"We want to go all the way, and that means arriving in Istanbul wanting to win."

<h2>'Should have scored five'&nbsp;</h2>

Tuchel also guided Paris Saint-Germain to last season's&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;final, where they lost to Bayern Munich, and he conceded it was a surprise to be back in the showpiece so soon.

"I am very happy that we have achieved this, I am very grateful and thankful to have this opportunity," he said.

"You can never be ahead of plan as a manager and as a player, it does not exist."

Mount's goal in the closing minutes was a well-deserved moment in the spotlight towards the end of a superb individual season for the England midfielder.

Mount has emerged as Chelsea's driving force as he silenced the critics who claimed he was given favourable treatment by former manager Frank Lampard.

Tuchel has quickly come to rely on the 22-year-old and he will have been impressed to hear Mount isn't ready to rest on his laurels.

"We should probably have scored about five, but the most important thing is we won tonight," Mount said.

"I can't put it into words. To get that goal late on, you can see by the celebrations, it was a massive goal and gave us breathing space.

"We haven't won nothing yet. We've got two massive cup finals and hopefully we can win them."

Thomas Tuchel hailed the hunger of his "fantastic" Chelsea stars as they reached the Champions League final with a 2-0 win against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked Chelsea's first Champions League final appearance since they won the competition for the only time in 2012.

Thomas Tuchel hailed the hunger of his "fantastic" Chelsea stars as they reached the Champions League final with a 2-0 win against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked Chelsea's first Champions League final appearance since they won the competition for the only time in 2012. Tuchel's side will face Premier League rivals Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29. Chelsea's 3-1 aggregate victory was well deserved as they produced a commanding display in the semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge, stifling Real's sporadic attacks and repeatedly hitting them on the counter. They could easily have won more convincingly and Blues boss Tuchel was impressed by their tenacious performance. "It was difficult in the first half when they had a lot of possession and made us suffer," Tuchel said. "We were dangerous on counter-attacks, but never lost the desire or hunger to defend. "It was a fantastic performance in the second half and we could have scored more earlier to be safe. "It is a fantastic achievement and big congratulations to the team." Chelsea, who also have an FA Cup final date against Leicester on the horizon, have kept 19 clean sheets since Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in January. That defensive efficiency will give them a chance against City, who they have already beaten in the FA Cup semi-finals this season. Chelsea faces City again in the Premier League on Saturday and Tuchel won't look further ahead than that. "Ask me four days before the final," he said of Chelsea's chances in Turkey. "It is too early to talk about the final because there can be injured players, out of form or whatever happens. "We need to wait and see, hopefully, we arrive with the whole squad and in a good moment because it is not done yet. "We want to go all the way, and that means arriving in Istanbul wanting to win." 'Should have scored five' Tuchel also guided Paris Saint-Germain to last season's Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern Munich, and he conceded it was a surprise to be back in the showpiece so soon. "I am very happy that we have achieved this, I am very grateful and thankful to have this opportunity," he said. "You can never be ahead of plan as a manager and as a player, it does not exist." Mount's goal in the closing minutes was a well-deserved moment in the spotlight towards the end of a superb individual season for the England midfielder. Mount has emerged as Chelsea's driving force as he silenced the critics who claimed he was given favourable treatment by former manager Frank Lampard. Tuchel has quickly come to rely on the 22-year-old and he will have been impressed to hear Mount isn't ready to rest on his laurels. "We should probably have scored about five, but the most important thing is we won tonight," Mount said. "I can't put it into words. To get that goal late on, you can see by the celebrations, it was a massive goal and gave us breathing space. "We haven't won nothing yet. We've got two massive cup finals and hopefully we can win them."

Tuchel salutes Chelsea's desire as Blues reach Champions League final

Real Madrid were not just beaten but outplayed, their defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday clear enough to spell the end of a team that has gone on and on but can no longer match the best in Europe.

After a historic run that has seen Zinedine Zidane's grandees win three consecutive&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;titles and four in eight years, Real Madrid can be under no illusions.

This is the third year they have failed to reach the final and the second in a row they have faced elite English opposition and been found wanting.

"Chelsea were the better team," said midfielder Casemiro. "We have no excuses."

Madrid were outclassed by Manchester City last season in the round of 16 and while the 3-1 aggregate score against Chelsea made the tie look competitive, they were fortunate to escape a thrashing.

The second leg could have been comparable to Barcelona's humiliation by Bayern Munich, if only Chelsea were less wasteful with the string of golden opportunities they created.

Barca were thrown into crisis by that 8-2 loss in Lisbon last season, jolted to begin a painful transition that required unpopular decisions about some of the club's leading players.

Madrid, in contrast, have resisted change, Zidane opting instead to extract every last ounce of experience, character and class from his trusted lieutenants, than begin to look to the future.

It has worked too, the club overcoming a year without a single signing, on the back of another in which they spent 100 million euros on Eden Hazard, money that now looks completely wasted.

Without signings and largely without Hazard, Zidane revived and cajoled the old spine of Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Karim Benzema to reset and win again.

They won La Liga last season and if they beat Sevilla on Sunday, they could be favourites to win it again, on the cusp of Zidane's third La Liga title in four full seasons in charge.

With a depleted squad, ravaged all season by injuries and lately drained by fatigue, that would be an immense achievement.

<h2>Real's reduced status&nbsp;</h2>

This Real Madrid era will deservedly go down as one of the greatest of all time, for whom winning mentality was not just an asset but the defining feature.

Yet increasingly the level needed to win in Spain appears significantly lower than what is required in Europe, where Paris Saint-Germain were too good for Barca and Chelsea have shown themselves superior to both Real and Atletico Madrid.

If any of La Liga's top three had come up against either Bayern or City, it is hard to imagine a different result.

Madrid's reduced status is not lost on the club's president Florentino Perez, whose passion for a European Super&nbsp;League&nbsp;is driven in part by desperation to prevent the gap getting bigger.

Perez said without the millions on offer from the breakaway, Madrid cannot afford the likes of Kylian Mbappe this summer, the kind of statement signing to launch a new cycle in one-fell swoop.

But there is change that could be slower and smarter, that does not involve buying only the best players in the world at the very highest price.

Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric are both out of contract this summer, with the future of Ramos particularly uncertain.

Yet it is the role of Zidane that could now come into sharp focus, not so much around his proven capabilities with this current team, but his suitability for ushering in a new one.

Some higher up the club have been frustrated by Zidane's reluctance to nurture younger talents.

Martin Odegaard was sidelined and allowed to leave, while Fede Valverde has succumbed to the regular midfield trio and Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo have only delivered in fits and starts.

Zidane's contract expires in 2022 but he has repeatedly refused to address questions regarding his future.

"I do not look beyond the day to day, I don't plan anything," he said in February.

The French national team is often mentioned as a natural next step, particularly as he has never envisaged a long managerial career. He has kept open the possibility of a return to Juventus too.

But if he stays another year, even Zidane -- whose loyalty to these players has been both a cause and product of their success -- may believe change is now essential.

Real Madrid were not just beaten but outplayed, their defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday clear enough to spell the end of a team that has gone on and on but can no longer match the best in Europe.

Real Madrid were not just beaten but outplayed, their defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday clear enough to spell the end of a team that has gone on and on but can no longer match the best in Europe. After a historic run that has seen Zinedine Zidane's grandees win three consecutive Champions League titles and four in eight years, Real Madrid can be under no illusions. This is the third year they have failed to reach the final and the second in a row they have faced elite English opposition and been found wanting. "Chelsea were the better team," said midfielder Casemiro. "We have no excuses." Madrid were outclassed by Manchester City last season in the round of 16 and while the 3-1 aggregate score against Chelsea made the tie look competitive, they were fortunate to escape a thrashing. The second leg could have been comparable to Barcelona's humiliation by Bayern Munich, if only Chelsea were less wasteful with the string of golden opportunities they created. Barca were thrown into crisis by that 8-2 loss in Lisbon last season, jolted to begin a painful transition that required unpopular decisions about some of the club's leading players. Madrid, in contrast, have resisted change, Zidane opting instead to extract every last ounce of experience, character and class from his trusted lieutenants, than begin to look to the future. It has worked too, the club overcoming a year without a single signing, on the back of another in which they spent 100 million euros on Eden Hazard, money that now looks completely wasted. Without signings and largely without Hazard, Zidane revived and cajoled the old spine of Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Karim Benzema to reset and win again. They won La Liga last season and if they beat Sevilla on Sunday, they could be favourites to win it again, on the cusp of Zidane's third La Liga title in four full seasons in charge. With a depleted squad, ravaged all season by injuries and lately drained by fatigue, that would be an immense achievement. Real's reduced status This Real Madrid era will deservedly go down as one of the greatest of all time, for whom winning mentality was not just an asset but the defining feature. Yet increasingly the level needed to win in Spain appears significantly lower than what is required in Europe, where Paris Saint-Germain were too good for Barca and Chelsea have shown themselves superior to both Real and Atletico Madrid. If any of La Liga's top three had come up against either Bayern or City, it is hard to imagine a different result. Madrid's reduced status is not lost on the club's president Florentino Perez, whose passion for a European Super League is driven in part by desperation to prevent the gap getting bigger. Perez said without the millions on offer from the breakaway, Madrid cannot afford the likes of Kylian Mbappe this summer, the kind of statement signing to launch a new cycle in one-fell swoop. But there is change that could be slower and smarter, that does not involve buying only the best players in the world at the very highest price. Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric are both out of contract this summer, with the future of Ramos particularly uncertain. Yet it is the role of Zidane that could now come into sharp focus, not so much around his proven capabilities with this current team, but his suitability for ushering in a new one. Some higher up the club have been frustrated by Zidane's reluctance to nurture younger talents. Martin Odegaard was sidelined and allowed to leave, while Fede Valverde has succumbed to the regular midfield trio and Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo have only delivered in fits and starts. Zidane's contract expires in 2022 but he has repeatedly refused to address questions regarding his future. "I do not look beyond the day to day, I don't plan anything," he said in February. The French national team is often mentioned as a natural next step, particularly as he has never envisaged a long managerial career. He has kept open the possibility of a return to Juventus too. But if he stays another year, even Zidane -- whose loyalty to these players has been both a cause and product of their success -- may believe change is now essential.

Champions League: Real Madrid outclassed by Chelsea as defeat raises fresh doubts around old guard

Ahead of the second leg of the semifinals clash against Chelsea, Toni Kroos commented that he had never lost sleep because of a Chelsea player. However, Chelsea knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League after beating them 2-0 (aggregate 3-1).&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hazardout-real-madrid-fans-fume-after-belgians-reaction-following-full-time-against-chelsea-383242" hreflang="en">#Hazardout: Real Madrid fans fume after Belgian's reaction following full time against Chelsea</a>

After progressing into the finals, Chelsea star Mason Mount hit back at Kroos for his comments and said: "I saw one of their players say before that he doesn't lose sleep over individuals. But as a team, they need to lose sleep over us as a team. We give so much, we defend for our lives. You saw that in not many chances that we gave away. We are solid and we need to keep that going."

"I can't put into words. Great performance tonight. It was a tough, tough game. They're going to come and give it everything but we worked hard. We should've probably had about five! But the most important thing is we won tonight. We want to go into every game winning it," he added.&nbsp;

"In my 15 years playing football, I never lost sleep," Kroos boldly said before Real Madrid's defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea put up a dominating performance against the Spanish giants and their counter-attacks kept Real Madrid in pressure.&nbsp;

Toni Kroos put up a poor show for Madrid and was trolled on social media after being nutmegged by Kai Havertz.&nbsp;

Ahead of the second leg of the semifinals clash against Chelsea, Toni Kroos commented that he had never lost sleep because of a Chelsea player. However, Chelsea knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League after beating them 2-0 (aggregate 3-1).

Ahead of the second leg of the semifinals clash against Chelsea, Toni Kroos commented that he had never lost sleep because of a Chelsea player. However, Chelsea knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League after beating them 2-0 (aggregate 3-1). ALSO READ: #Hazardout: Real Madrid fans fume after Belgian's reaction following full time against Chelsea After progressing into the finals, Chelsea star Mason Mount hit back at Kroos for his comments and said: "I saw one of their players say before that he doesn't lose sleep over individuals. But as a team, they need to lose sleep over us as a team. We give so much, we defend for our lives. You saw that in not many chances that we gave away. We are solid and we need to keep that going." "I can't put into words. Great performance tonight. It was a tough, tough game. They're going to come and give it everything but we worked hard. We should've probably had about five! But the most important thing is we won tonight. We want to go into every game winning it," he added. "In my 15 years playing football, I never lost sleep," Kroos boldly said before Real Madrid's defeat at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea put up a dominating performance against the Spanish giants and their counter-attacks kept Real Madrid in pressure. Toni Kroos put up a poor show for Madrid and was trolled on social media after being nutmegged by Kai Havertz.

Chelsea star Mason Mount slams Toni Kroos over 'never lost sleep' comments

Real Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after a 2-0 (aggregate 3-1) defeat to Chelsea in the second leg of their semi-final tie in the Champions League. However, what further infuriated Madrid fans was Real Madrid winger and former Blues Eden Hazard's reaction after the final whistle.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-real-madrid-outclassed-by-chelsea-as-defeat-raises-fresh-doubts-around-old-guard-383127" hreflang="en">Champions League: Real Madrid outclassed by Chelsea as defeat raises fresh doubts around old guard</a>

Several fans took to social media and criticised the Belgian player for his performance and final whistle reaction against Chelsea. As per Marca, Real Madrid were furious after seeing Eden Hazard laughing and smiling at full time as he greeted some of his former teammates.

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Eden Hazard couldn't help but be happy for his former club 🔵 
 
(🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/btsportfootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@btsportfootball</a>)<a href="https://t.co/xrCdFTG4BW">pic.twitter.com/xrCdFTG4BW</a>
— B/R Football (@brfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1390069325592154116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Eden Hazard, who left Chelsea to be a part of Real Madrid in a deal worth £100 million, is having a tough time with the Spanish club as he was ruled out for a lengthy period of time due to a knee injury. Hazard has failed to find some form in his game due to which several RM fans expressed their anger towards the player and urging them to sell him.&nbsp;

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Eden Hazard just got knocked out of the Champions League and this is his reaction after the game. This man doesn’t care 😂 <a href="https://t.co/bzLtcf14GH">pic.twitter.com/bzLtcf14GH</a>
— FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) <a href="https://twitter.com/FutbolBible/status/1390049134418317315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Eden Hazard in the chelsea lockeroom after full time 🥂 <a href="https://t.co/a6ToV7osTn">pic.twitter.com/a6ToV7osTn</a>
— ◣vs◢ (@SW6LORD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SW6LORD/status/1390058276230864899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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April 2012: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final 
April 2013: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final 
May 2021: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final 
 
Eden Hazard doesn't deserve to wear Real Madrid Jersey. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HazardOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HazardOut</a> <a href="https://t.co/9xbDhdToau">pic.twitter.com/9xbDhdToau</a>
— RMadridbabe (@RMadridBabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMadridBabe/status/1390058182882508801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Two players that doesn't deserve to be at my club! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HazardOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HazardOut</a> <a href="https://t.co/eQLW7jawBD">pic.twitter.com/eQLW7jawBD</a>
— Hazard Out ‼️ (@lucasvazquez_91) <a href="https://twitter.com/lucasvazquez_91/status/1390069093290569728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It's a shame that this player wears the Ronaldo, Raul Juanito jersey<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hazardout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hazardout</a> <a href="https://t.co/vsYknYJrEF">pic.twitter.com/vsYknYJrEF</a>
— oussama (@uss_lk) <a href="https://twitter.com/uss_lk/status/1390072516878782467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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2 Seasons 
4 Goals 
€146m Transfer fee (included additional fees) 
€15m Salary per season 
Gave him Iconic Number 7 
 
In Return, He's Laughing with his friends after UCL Elimination in Semi-Final. 
 
At least Show some RESPECT for the badge You Wear on your chest. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HazardOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HazardOut</a> <a href="https://t.co/j04eEBuwJS">pic.twitter.com/j04eEBuwJS</a>
— RMadridbabe (@RMadridBabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMadridBabe/status/1390239767376302081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Zinedine Zidane defended Hazard after putting a poor show against the Blues and said: "Eden has to get his confidence back and he needs to keep playing. Little by little, we have to make sure he recovers."

The coach also admitted record signing Hazard had been off the pace during the game but said the only way for the Belgian finally to thrive after two seasons with Real riddled with injuries was to keep playing.

"We were playing a semi-final and every player was ready, they wouldn't have played if they were not," Zidane told reporters.

"We can all be proud of the players, we gave it our best shot and we got here, to within one step of the final. Chelsea put in a great performance and you have to congratulate them."

Real Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after a 2-0 (aggregate 3-1) defeat to Chelsea in the second leg of their semi-final tie in the Champions League.

Real Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after a 2-0 (aggregate 3-1) defeat to Chelsea in the second leg of their semi-final tie in the Champions League. However, what further infuriated Madrid fans was Real Madrid winger and former Blues Eden Hazard's reaction after the final whistle. ALSO READ: Champions League: Real Madrid outclassed by Chelsea as defeat raises fresh doubts around old guard Several fans took to social media and criticised the Belgian player for his performance and final whistle reaction against Chelsea. As per Marca, Real Madrid were furious after seeing Eden Hazard laughing and smiling at full time as he greeted some of his former teammates. Eden Hazard couldn't help but be happy for his former club 🔵 (🎥: @btsportfootball)pic.twitter.com/xrCdFTG4BW — B/R Football (@brfootball) May 5, 2021 × Eden Hazard, who left Chelsea to be a part of Real Madrid in a deal worth £100 million, is having a tough time with the Spanish club as he was ruled out for a lengthy period of time due to a knee injury. Hazard has failed to find some form in his game due to which several RM fans expressed their anger towards the player and urging them to sell him. Eden Hazard just got knocked out of the Champions League and this is his reaction after the game. This man doesn’t care 😂 pic.twitter.com/bzLtcf14GH — FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) May 5, 2021 × Eden Hazard in the chelsea lockeroom after full time 🥂 pic.twitter.com/a6ToV7osTn — ◣vs◢ (@SW6LORD) May 5, 2021 × April 2012: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final April 2013: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final May 2021: Madrid Knocked Out of CL in Semi-Final Eden Hazard doesn't deserve to wear Real Madrid Jersey. #HazardOut pic.twitter.com/9xbDhdToau — RMadridbabe (@RMadridBabe) May 5, 2021 × Two players that doesn't deserve to be at my club! #HazardOut pic.twitter.com/eQLW7jawBD — Hazard Out ‼️ (@lucasvazquez_91) May 5, 2021 × It's a shame that this player wears the Ronaldo, Raul Juanito jersey#hazardout pic.twitter.com/vsYknYJrEF — oussama (@uss_lk) May 5, 2021 × 2 Seasons 4 Goals €146m Transfer fee (included additional fees) €15m Salary per season Gave him Iconic Number 7 In Return, He's Laughing with his friends after UCL Elimination in Semi-Final. At least Show some RESPECT for the badge You Wear on your chest. #HazardOut pic.twitter.com/j04eEBuwJS — RMadridbabe (@RMadridBabe) May 6, 2021 × Zinedine Zidane defended Hazard after putting a poor show against the Blues and said: "Eden has to get his confidence back and he needs to keep playing. Little by little, we have to make sure he recovers." The coach also admitted record signing Hazard had been off the pace during the game but said the only way for the Belgian finally to thrive after two seasons with Real riddled with injuries was to keep playing. "We were playing a semi-final and every player was ready, they wouldn't have played if they were not," Zidane told reporters. "We can all be proud of the players, we gave it our best shot and we got here, to within one step of the final. Chelsea put in a great performance and you have to congratulate them."

#Hazardout: Real Madrid fans fume after Belgian's reaction following full time against Chelsea

Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 to clinch a 3-1 aggregate success in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg.

Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked an all-Premier League showdown with Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Stamford Bridge clash:

<h2>Tuchel's Midas touch</h2>

Since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January, Thomas Tuchel has overseen a remarkable revival in Chelsea's fortunes and this was his finest moment yet.

Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge with a solid CV after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the French title and last season's Champions League final.

But few expected him to have such an immediate impact on under-performing Chelsea.

Mired in ninth place in the Premier League when Tuchel took charge, Chelsea have won 16 of their 24 games under the German, rising back into the top four and reaching the finals of the Champions League and FA Cup.

Defensive excellence has been the trademark of Tuchel's reign and once again he organised Chelsea superbly as they kept Real at bay and posed a sustained threat on the counter.

Thanks to Tuchel's tactical excellence, Chelsea are in their third Champions League final and their first since winning the competition for the first time against Bayern Munich in 2012.

Tuchel has already masterminded a victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and a repeat in Turkey would cap an incredible debut season.

&nbsp;

<h2>Redemption for Werner</h2>

After a turbulent first season at Chelsea, Timo Werner finally exorcised his demons with the goal that put Chelsea on course for the final.

An ever increasing litany of high-profile misses had raised serious doubts about the decision to sign Werner from RB Leipzig for £45 million ($62 million) last year.

Werner even received social media criticism from the wife of his Chelsea team-mate Thiago Silva after his close-range effort was saved by Real keeper Thibaut Courtois in the first leg.

It looked like being another frustrating night for Werner when the German striker allowed himself to be needlessly caught offside before slotting home Ben Chilwell's low cross.

But, for all his travails this season, Werner has refused to hide and his honest endeavour was rewarded in the 28th minute.

N'Golo Kante slipped a pass to Kai Havertz and when his chip rebounded off the bar, Werner was perfectly placed to grab the easiest goal of his career, heading into the empty net from virtually on the line.

The 25-year-old's 12th goal for Chelsea was only his second in his last 18 games.

It was also Werner's first Champions League goal in open play since September 2019, but the wait was worthwhile as he became the toast of the King's Road at last.

<h2>Hazard flops</h2>

Eden Hazard helped Chelsea win the Premier League twice in his seven-year spell with the club, but the Real Madrid forward's first return to Stamford Bridge was one to forget.

Making just his 18th appearance of another injury-ravaged campaign, Hazard looked a shadow of the player who dazzled in Chelsea blue.

When the 30-year-old left the Bridge in 2019, he was ranked among the world's best players after scoring 110 goals in 352 games for Chelsea.

Real had to pay £89 million to land the Belgian star, who was expected to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the new king of the Bernabeu.

Instead, Hazard turned up overweight for his first pre-season with the club and has been on a steep decline ever seen.

Given a chance to change the narrative against his former club, Hazard was completely anonymous.

Real boss Zinedine Zidane stuck with Hazard for 89 minutes, but he produced just one shot on goal when his low drive was blocked by Edouard Mendy as Madrid bowed out with a whimper.

Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 to clinch a 3-1 aggregate success in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked an all-Premier League showdown with Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29.

Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 to clinch a 3-1 aggregate success in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg. Goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount booked an all-Premier League showdown with Manchester City in the final in Istanbul on May 29. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Stamford Bridge clash: Tuchel's Midas touch Since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January, Thomas Tuchel has overseen a remarkable revival in Chelsea's fortunes and this was his finest moment yet. Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge with a solid CV after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the French title and last season's Champions League final. But few expected him to have such an immediate impact on under-performing Chelsea. Mired in ninth place in the Premier League when Tuchel took charge, Chelsea have won 16 of their 24 games under the German, rising back into the top four and reaching the finals of the Champions League and FA Cup. Defensive excellence has been the trademark of Tuchel's reign and once again he organised Chelsea superbly as they kept Real at bay and posed a sustained threat on the counter. Thanks to Tuchel's tactical excellence, Chelsea are in their third Champions League final and their first since winning the competition for the first time against Bayern Munich in 2012. Tuchel has already masterminded a victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and a repeat in Turkey would cap an incredible debut season. Redemption for Werner After a turbulent first season at Chelsea, Timo Werner finally exorcised his demons with the goal that put Chelsea on course for the final. An ever increasing litany of high-profile misses had raised serious doubts about the decision to sign Werner from RB Leipzig for £45 million ($62 million) last year. Werner even received social media criticism from the wife of his Chelsea team-mate Thiago Silva after his close-range effort was saved by Real keeper Thibaut Courtois in the first leg. It looked like being another frustrating night for Werner when the German striker allowed himself to be needlessly caught offside before slotting home Ben Chilwell's low cross. But, for all his travails this season, Werner has refused to hide and his honest endeavour was rewarded in the 28th minute. N'Golo Kante slipped a pass to Kai Havertz and when his chip rebounded off the bar, Werner was perfectly placed to grab the easiest goal of his career, heading into the empty net from virtually on the line. The 25-year-old's 12th goal for Chelsea was only his second in his last 18 games. It was also Werner's first Champions League goal in open play since September 2019, but the wait was worthwhile as he became the toast of the King's Road at last. Hazard flops Eden Hazard helped Chelsea win the Premier League twice in his seven-year spell with the club, but the Real Madrid forward's first return to Stamford Bridge was one to forget. Making just his 18th appearance of another injury-ravaged campaign, Hazard looked a shadow of the player who dazzled in Chelsea blue. When the 30-year-old left the Bridge in 2019, he was ranked among the world's best players after scoring 110 goals in 352 games for Chelsea. Real had to pay £89 million to land the Belgian star, who was expected to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the new king of the Bernabeu. Instead, Hazard turned up overweight for his first pre-season with the club and has been on a steep decline ever seen. Given a chance to change the narrative against his former club, Hazard was completely anonymous. Real boss Zinedine Zidane stuck with Hazard for 89 minutes, but he produced just one shot on goal when his low drive was blocked by Edouard Mendy as Madrid bowed out with a whimper.

Champions League: Three things we learned from Chelsea vs Real Madrid

Timo Werner admitted he was relieved to redeem himself with a goal against Real Madrid which helped put Chelsea into the Champions League final against Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Having missed a sitter when the semi-final first leg finished in a 1-1 draw in Madrid, Werner made amends in the return on Wednesday with the opening goal in a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge which put the Blues into the final with a 3-1 win on aggregate.

"We were the dominant team for two games. That's why I'm glad I was able to make up for my mistake like this," Werner told Sky.

"A childhood dream for everyone in the dressing room has come true."&nbsp;

After a season blighted by a litany of high-profile misses, Werner was widely criticised after the first leg when his close-range effort was saved in Madrid.

"In the first leg I was the fool because I didn't get the ball in from five metres," the Germany striker added.

"I put this one away from five metres, even though it was a bit easier as there was no goalkeeper.

"It would have been bad if I hadn't finished that one either."

He gave Chelsea the first-half lead when Kai Havertz's chip rebounded off the bar, presenting Werner with an easy header into an empty net just short of the line.

The 25-year-old's 12th goal for Chelsea was only his second in his last 18 games since signing from RB Leipzig for £45 million ($62 million) last year.

Chelsea booked their place in the Istanbul final on May 29 when Mason Mount tapped in their second goal five minutes from the final whistle.

Timo Werner admitted he was relieved to redeem himself with a goal against Real Madrid which helped put Chelsea into the Champions League final against Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Timo Werner admitted he was relieved to redeem himself with a goal against Real Madrid which helped put Chelsea into the Champions League final against Premier League rivals Manchester City. Having missed a sitter when the semi-final first leg finished in a 1-1 draw in Madrid, Werner made amends in the return on Wednesday with the opening goal in a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge which put the Blues into the final with a 3-1 win on aggregate. "We were the dominant team for two games. That's why I'm glad I was able to make up for my mistake like this," Werner told Sky. "A childhood dream for everyone in the dressing room has come true." After a season blighted by a litany of high-profile misses, Werner was widely criticised after the first leg when his close-range effort was saved in Madrid. "In the first leg I was the fool because I didn't get the ball in from five metres," the Germany striker added. "I put this one away from five metres, even though it was a bit easier as there was no goalkeeper. "It would have been bad if I hadn't finished that one either." He gave Chelsea the first-half lead when Kai Havertz's chip rebounded off the bar, presenting Werner with an easy header into an empty net just short of the line. The 25-year-old's 12th goal for Chelsea was only his second in his last 18 games since signing from RB Leipzig for £45 million ($62 million) last year. Chelsea booked their place in the Istanbul final on May 29 when Mason Mount tapped in their second goal five minutes from the final whistle.

Chelsea's Werner relieved by Champions League redemption

Chelsea and Real Madrid are set to lock horns at Stamford Bridge in what will be the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 semi-final. Both Real Madrid and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Madrid and will be looking to seal a spot in the UCL final where the winner of the clash will take on Manchester City in Istanbul.<o:p></o:p>

While Chelsea scored the first goal in the first-leg in Madrid, Karim Benzema equalised with a terrific volleyed goal later in the first half. Notably, the occasion will be the first time Real Madrid play at Stamford Bridge. <o:p></o:p>

However, both Chelsea and Real Madrid have played each other in 1971 and 1998 Super Cups. Both the encounters were won by the London club.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-three-things-we-learned-from-man-city-vs-paris-saint-germain-382936" hreflang="en">Champions League: Three things we learned from Man City vs Paris Saint-Germain</a>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">Here's all you need to know about the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match<o:p></o:p></h2>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">When and what time will the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match encounter begin?<o:p></o:p></h2>

The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match will begin at 12:30 AM on Thursday (May 6). <o:p></o:p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">Which channel will telecast the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match in India?<o:p></o:p></h2>

The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match encounter will be telecasted on Sony Ten2 and Ten2 HD in India.<o:p></o:p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">How to watch the live streaming of the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match in India?<o:p></o:p></h2>

The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match can be streamed live on the SonyLiv App and Website in India. <o:p></o:p>

Chelsea likely playing XI:<o:p></o:p>

Mendy, James, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Chilwell, Jorginho, Kante, Mount, Pulisic, Werner<o:p></o:p>

Real Madrid likely playing XI:<o:p></o:p>

Courtois, Valverde, Ramos, Militao, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Hazard, Vinicius Jr., Benzema<o:p></o:p>

Chelsea and Real Madrid are set to lock horns at Stamford Bridge in what will be the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 semi-final. Both Real Madrid and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Madrid and will be looking to seal a spot in the UCL final where the winner of the clash will take on Manchester City in Istanbul.

Chelsea and Real Madrid are set to lock horns at Stamford Bridge in what will be the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 semi-final. Both Real Madrid and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Madrid and will be looking to seal a spot in the UCL final where the winner of the clash will take on Manchester City in Istanbul. While Chelsea scored the first goal in the first-leg in Madrid, Karim Benzema equalised with a terrific volleyed goal later in the first half. Notably, the occasion will be the first time Real Madrid play at Stamford Bridge. However, both Chelsea and Real Madrid have played each other in 1971 and 1998 Super Cups. Both the encounters were won by the London club. ALSO READ: Champions League: Three things we learned from Man City vs Paris Saint-Germain Here's all you need to know about the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match When and what time will the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match encounter begin? The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match will begin at 12:30 AM on Thursday (May 6). Which channel will telecast the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match in India? The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match encounter will be telecasted on Sony Ten2 and Ten2 HD in India. How to watch the live streaming of the Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match in India? The Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League match can be streamed live on the SonyLiv App and Website in India. Chelsea likely playing XI: Mendy, James, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Chilwell, Jorginho, Kante, Mount, Pulisic, Werner Real Madrid likely playing XI: Courtois, Valverde, Ramos, Militao, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Hazard, Vinicius Jr., Benzema

Chelsea vs Real Madrid, UCL live streaming: When and where to watch CHE vs RMA, UEFA Champions League semi-final online?

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's first-ever&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;final had been five years in the making after Riyad Mahrez's double saw off Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on Tuesday to seal a 4-1 semi-final aggregate win.

The City will look to set the seal on a third Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;title in the past four seasons in the coming days as they remain on course for a treble, having already lifted the&nbsp;League&nbsp;Cup.

But their previous four&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;campaigns under Guardiola ended in anguish before the semi-final stage.

Guardiola has won the competition twice before as a coach during his time at Barcelona.

However, the Catalan has also endured a decade of disappointment in Europe's premier club competition since.

"It is for all of us and the club. I'm incredibly proud," said Guardiola. "Getting to the final now makes sense of what we have done in the past four or five years. Every day these guys have been consistent and this is remarkable."

Mahrez's goal also decided the first leg and the Algerian, who grew up in the Parisian suburbs, haunted his home town team again with two clinical finishes early in each half.

The final in Istanbul on May 29 against Real Madrid or Chelsea is the culmination of City's rise since an Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 transformed the club's fortunes.

Meanwhile, four years on from making Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the world's two most expensive players, PSG's wait for a first&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;title goes on.

Mbappe could only watch on from the stands due to a calf injury as, just like in last week's first leg, his side imploded after an excellent first-half performance.

The visitors were left to rue huge missed chances by Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria in between Mahrez's strikes before Di Maria lashed out at Fernandinho to leave PSG down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

"We started really well, creating chances and dominating Manchester City," said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino. "That's not easy. Not many teams can dominate a team like Manchester City."

However, the Argentine, who had to come onto the pitch to calm his players after Di Maria saw red, admitted his side's indiscipline had cost them.

Idrissa Gueye was also sent off late in the first leg for a shocking challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.

"Over the 180 minutes, for 40 or 45 minutes we played with 10 men," added Pochettino. "That's a massive advantage."

The French&nbsp;champions&nbsp;thought they had an early penalty to get back in the tie when Oleksandr Zinchenko was penalised for handball.

However, Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers rightly reversed his initial decision on seeing a replay of the ball bouncing off the Ukrainian's shoulder.

Zinchenko was heavily involved again when the opening goal arrived at the other end.

He raced onto City goalkeeper Ederson's thunderous long pass into the PSG area. Zinchenko's cut-back found Kevin De Bruyne and after the&nbsp;Belgian's shot was blocked, Mahrez pounced to slot home on his weaker right foot.

The tie was still far from over as PSG penned City back and should have been at least level on the night before half-time.

Marquinhos has made a habit of scoring big&nbsp;Champions&nbsp;League&nbsp;goals and the Brazilian was inches away from another when his looping header came back off the crossbar.

Ederson then nearly undid his good work as Di Maria intercepted his hurried throw to Bernardo Silva and flashed a shot inches wide with the Brazilian 'keeper stranded outside his goal.

<h2>Neymar nullified&nbsp;</h2>

Pochettino will wonder what could have been had Mbappe been fit with his replacement Icardi ineffective.

Neymar only ever showed flashes of his brilliance with City's impressive defence led by Ruben Dias able to focus on stopping the Brazilian without Mbappe to worry about.

Guardiola's men have always shown enough quality going forward and a clinical counter-attack killed off the tie in 63 minutes.

De Bruyne freed Phil Foden down the left and his inch-perfect cross was blasted high past, Keylor Navas, by Mahrez.

In a repeat of the first leg, PSG's discipline went with their hopes of reaching the final.

Di Maria needlessly stamped on Fernandinho to be shown a straight red card before Marco Verratti was lucky to escape seeing a second yellow.

"They lost their nerve and started to kick us," said Mahrez, rubbing salt in PSG wounds. "After the red card it was good for us."

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's first-ever Champions League final had been five years in the making after Riyad Mahrez's double saw off Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on Tuesday to seal a 4-1 semi-final aggregate win.

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's first-ever Champions League final had been five years in the making after Riyad Mahrez's double saw off Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on Tuesday to seal a 4-1 semi-final aggregate win. The City will look to set the seal on a third Premier League title in the past four seasons in the coming days as they remain on course for a treble, having already lifted the League Cup. But their previous four Champions League campaigns under Guardiola ended in anguish before the semi-final stage. Guardiola has won the competition twice before as a coach during his time at Barcelona. However, the Catalan has also endured a decade of disappointment in Europe's premier club competition since. "It is for all of us and the club. I'm incredibly proud," said Guardiola. "Getting to the final now makes sense of what we have done in the past four or five years. Every day these guys have been consistent and this is remarkable." Mahrez's goal also decided the first leg and the Algerian, who grew up in the Parisian suburbs, haunted his home town team again with two clinical finishes early in each half. The final in Istanbul on May 29 against Real Madrid or Chelsea is the culmination of City's rise since an Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 transformed the club's fortunes. Meanwhile, four years on from making Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the world's two most expensive players, PSG's wait for a first Champions League title goes on. Mbappe could only watch on from the stands due to a calf injury as, just like in last week's first leg, his side imploded after an excellent first-half performance. The visitors were left to rue huge missed chances by Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria in between Mahrez's strikes before Di Maria lashed out at Fernandinho to leave PSG down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes. "We started really well, creating chances and dominating Manchester City," said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino. "That's not easy. Not many teams can dominate a team like Manchester City." However, the Argentine, who had to come onto the pitch to calm his players after Di Maria saw red, admitted his side's indiscipline had cost them. Idrissa Gueye was also sent off late in the first leg for a shocking challenge on Ilkay Gundogan. "Over the 180 minutes, for 40 or 45 minutes we played with 10 men," added Pochettino. "That's a massive advantage." The French champions thought they had an early penalty to get back in the tie when Oleksandr Zinchenko was penalised for handball. However, Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers rightly reversed his initial decision on seeing a replay of the ball bouncing off the Ukrainian's shoulder. Zinchenko was heavily involved again when the opening goal arrived at the other end. He raced onto City goalkeeper Ederson's thunderous long pass into the PSG area. Zinchenko's cut-back found Kevin De Bruyne and after the Belgian's shot was blocked, Mahrez pounced to slot home on his weaker right foot. The tie was still far from over as PSG penned City back and should have been at least level on the night before half-time. Marquinhos has made a habit of scoring big Champions League goals and the Brazilian was inches away from another when his looping header came back off the crossbar. Ederson then nearly undid his good work as Di Maria intercepted his hurried throw to Bernardo Silva and flashed a shot inches wide with the Brazilian 'keeper stranded outside his goal. Neymar nullified Pochettino will wonder what could have been had Mbappe been fit with his replacement Icardi ineffective. Neymar only ever showed flashes of his brilliance with City's impressive defence led by Ruben Dias able to focus on stopping the Brazilian without Mbappe to worry about. Guardiola's men have always shown enough quality going forward and a clinical counter-attack killed off the tie in 63 minutes. De Bruyne freed Phil Foden down the left and his inch-perfect cross was blasted high past, Keylor Navas, by Mahrez. In a repeat of the first leg, PSG's discipline went with their hopes of reaching the final. Di Maria needlessly stamped on Fernandinho to be shown a straight red card before Marco Verratti was lucky to escape seeing a second yellow. "They lost their nerve and started to kick us," said Mahrez, rubbing salt in PSG wounds. "After the red card it was good for us."

Mahrez double takes Man City into first Champions League final

Manchester City reached their first Champions League final as Riyad Mahrez's double sealed a 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's semi-final second leg.

City, 4-1 winners on aggregate, will play Chelsea or Real Madrid in the final in Istanbul.

Here, AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Etihad Stadium clash:

<h2>Guardiola makes his point</h2>

Criticised for meddling with Manchester City's tactics with disastrous results in last season's shock Champions League quarter-final defeat against Lyon, Pep Guardiola enjoyed a moment of sweet redemption as his astute game-plan laid the foundations for their historic victory.

With a 2-1 lead to defend from the first leg in Paris, Guardiola needed to come up with the right approach to ensure his team didn't let PSG back into the tie.

Some believed Guardiola's desire to prove he could win the Champions League without Lionel Messi had affected him in the latter stages of the competition in the past as he tinkered with team line-ups unnecessarily.

But this time he struck just the right note, with a counter-attacking approach that set City up to take advantage of PSG's need to chase the game.

It worked to perfection with Riyad Mahrez's opening goal coming after a long pass from Ederson exploited the gaps left by PSG at the back.

"We approach this game like any other game," Guardiola had said ahead of the second leg, but even he knew the 289th match of his City reign was unlike any that had come before.

Guardiola last won the Champions League when he lifted the trophy for the second time in his Barcelona reign in 2011.

He hadn't been to the final since then, with City's Champions League campaigns littered with agonising exits in the Guardiola era.

At last, Guardiola and City can put their chequered European history behind them as they chase a remarkable Premier League, Champions League and League Cup treble.

<h2>Rock-solid Dias leads the way</h2>

Ruben Dias has made a superb impact since arriving at Manchester City from Benfica last year and this was the Portugal centre-back's finest moment yet.

After initially failing to fill the void left by Vincent Kompany's exit in 2019, City have finally found a worthy successor for the inspirational Belgian.

Dias was rock solid as PSG fought to get back into the tie, making a series of brave blocks and well-timed interceptions.

Twice, he denied PSG by putting his body on the line without a second thought, but the 23-year-old's tour de force came in the 62nd minute.

Ander Herrera's volley was flying towards goal, but Dias flung himself in the way, taking the ball flush on the face to stop the shot testing City keeper Ederson.

Dias wasn't the only defensive hero for City and when Oleksandr Zinchenko made a last-ditch block to deny Neymar inside the City area, John Stones hugged the left-back with unbridled joy -- a celebration that set the stage for the party to come at the final whistle.

<h2>PSG blunted by Mbappe injury</h2>

The glum look on Kylian Mbappe's face as he sat huddled on the PSG bench encapsulated a miserable evening for the France star and his team.

Mbappe wasn't fit to start after suffering a calf injury and he remained an unused substitute as PSG's final hopes faded away.

Brazil star Neymar had shouldered the burden when Mbappe was absent in the past, with PSG winning all five of their previous games under Mauricio Pochettino without the 22-year-old.

But Neymar was hounded into submission by City's tenacious defence and Mauro Icardi, starting in Mbappe's place, was unable to replicate the threat posed by the World Cup-winning striker, who has 37 goals in 43 appearances this season.

PSG had scored three at Manchester United, four at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season.

But five of those 10 goals came from Mbappe and his absence made it impossible for PSG to overturn the first-leg deficit.

Manchester City reached their first Champions League final as Riyad Mahrez's double sealed a 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's semi-final second leg.

Manchester City reached their first Champions League final as Riyad Mahrez's double sealed a 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's semi-final second leg. City, 4-1 winners on aggregate, will play Chelsea or Real Madrid in the final in Istanbul. Here, AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Etihad Stadium clash: Guardiola makes his point Criticised for meddling with Manchester City's tactics with disastrous results in last season's shock Champions League quarter-final defeat against Lyon, Pep Guardiola enjoyed a moment of sweet redemption as his astute game-plan laid the foundations for their historic victory. With a 2-1 lead to defend from the first leg in Paris, Guardiola needed to come up with the right approach to ensure his team didn't let PSG back into the tie. Some believed Guardiola's desire to prove he could win the Champions League without Lionel Messi had affected him in the latter stages of the competition in the past as he tinkered with team line-ups unnecessarily. But this time he struck just the right note, with a counter-attacking approach that set City up to take advantage of PSG's need to chase the game. It worked to perfection with Riyad Mahrez's opening goal coming after a long pass from Ederson exploited the gaps left by PSG at the back. "We approach this game like any other game," Guardiola had said ahead of the second leg, but even he knew the 289th match of his City reign was unlike any that had come before. Guardiola last won the Champions League when he lifted the trophy for the second time in his Barcelona reign in 2011. He hadn't been to the final since then, with City's Champions League campaigns littered with agonising exits in the Guardiola era. At last, Guardiola and City can put their chequered European history behind them as they chase a remarkable Premier League, Champions League and League Cup treble. Rock-solid Dias leads the way Ruben Dias has made a superb impact since arriving at Manchester City from Benfica last year and this was the Portugal centre-back's finest moment yet. After initially failing to fill the void left by Vincent Kompany's exit in 2019, City have finally found a worthy successor for the inspirational Belgian. Dias was rock solid as PSG fought to get back into the tie, making a series of brave blocks and well-timed interceptions. Twice, he denied PSG by putting his body on the line without a second thought, but the 23-year-old's tour de force came in the 62nd minute. Ander Herrera's volley was flying towards goal, but Dias flung himself in the way, taking the ball flush on the face to stop the shot testing City keeper Ederson. Dias wasn't the only defensive hero for City and when Oleksandr Zinchenko made a last-ditch block to deny Neymar inside the City area, John Stones hugged the left-back with unbridled joy -- a celebration that set the stage for the party to come at the final whistle. PSG blunted by Mbappe injury The glum look on Kylian Mbappe's face as he sat huddled on the PSG bench encapsulated a miserable evening for the France star and his team. Mbappe wasn't fit to start after suffering a calf injury and he remained an unused substitute as PSG's final hopes faded away. Brazil star Neymar had shouldered the burden when Mbappe was absent in the past, with PSG winning all five of their previous games under Mauricio Pochettino without the 22-year-old. But Neymar was hounded into submission by City's tenacious defence and Mauro Icardi, starting in Mbappe's place, was unable to replicate the threat posed by the World Cup-winning striker, who has 37 goals in 43 appearances this season. PSG had scored three at Manchester United, four at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season. But five of those 10 goals came from Mbappe and his absence made it impossible for PSG to overturn the first-leg deficit.

Champions League: Three things we learned from Man City vs Paris Saint-Germain