Guardiola hails clinical hat-trick hero Aguero

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola praised Sergio Aguero's natural goalscoring ability after his hat-trick on Wednesday helped defeat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0 in their opening Champions League Group C match at the Etihad Stadium.

Aguero opened the scoring on eight minutes with a clinical finish and added a second just before the half-hour mark from the penalty spot.

The Argentina striker netted his ninth goal in five games this season when he slotted past visiting keeper Yann Sommer in the 77th minute.

Guardiola, who joined City in the close season from Bayern Munich, refused to take any credit for Aguero's blistering start to the campaign, but said he is encouraging the striker to work hand in hand with his team mates.

"Sergio is good because he is good. He was good with (former City manager) Manuel (Pellegrini) and he is good with the national team," Guardiola told reporters.

"He just has a talent to score goals that is natural, I cannot teach him that.

"What I can tell him is there is a team behind him that is going to help him. I want to convince him to help them and if it happens in that way he's going to score a lot of goals, just like Kele (Kelechi Iheanacho) and all our strikers."

Guardiola was thrilled with the cultured debut in midfield of Ilkay Gundogan, who was the Spaniard's first signing for City but was making his first appearance after suffering a dislocated knee.

Gundogan replaced David Silva in City's starting lineup.

"That shows how good he is, to play like that after three or four months out. We spoke with him (before the game) and he said 'I am ready'," said Guardiola, who added that Spain playmaker Silva has a minor injury and may not be fit for Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth.

"He is so intelligent, he knew how to control his efforts. I thought he wasn't ready to play 90 minutes but he did it because he is so intelligent. He doesn't lose the ball, he can arrive in the box, he has quality in both feet."/ShikoNews

Conte's Chelsea get early chance to top Premier League

The Premier League table has returned to familiar type after last season's delightful anomaly featuring Leicester City, with Manchester City and Chelsea now setting the pace and Manchester United back in the top four.

Between them, those three teams have won the title in 11 out of the past 12 campaigns and are already marked out as favourites to contest the title this time round too.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea have an early chance to set the weekend pace with the Friday night visit of Juergen Klopp's Liverpool, who return to London for the third time in five games after winning at Arsenal and drawing with Tottenham Hotspur.

Stamford Bridge will be the backdrop to an intriguing subplot involving two of the most excitable managers in the league and goals should trigger wild celebrations on the touchline.

On their day, Klopp's side are a match for the 'big three' and arrive on the back of the 4-1 demolition of last season's champions, Leicester. Although he did not score at Anfield, Daniel Sturridge looked back to his best and produced a stunning assist to set up Sadio Mane.

Not surprisingly, Klopp is looking for more of the same. Asked on Wednesday how they would reach the same high pitch, the German said it was a case of "staying greedy".

"The movements were brilliant. Daniel was involved in three or four goals. For the first one, it was a brilliant run," he added.

Liverpool know they must nullify the threat of Diego Costa, who has scored four goals in as many Premier League games, but the Brazilian Oscar has been almost as influential in Chelsea's strong start.

Statistics released this week by oulala.com show that since being handed a more deep-lying role by Conte, Oscar has made more successful passes and tackles and created more chances than in any of his four previous seasons with the Londoners.

Victory would only put Chelsea top for less than 24 hours should Manchester City, still defending a 100 percent record since Pep Guardiola took the reins, then defeat Bournemouth, a team they have never lost to, at the Etihad on Saturday.

Everton sit just behind Chelsea in third place and will be favourites to pick up another three points against Middlesbrough, particularly now that Romelu Lukaku, who scored a hat-trick against Sunderland on Monday, is back among the goals.

At 35, Everton's Gareth Barry is expected to become only the third player to play 600 Premier League games, with only Frank Lampard (609) and Ryan Giggs (632) ahead of him.

Leicester will hope their debut Champions League victory in Bruges in midweek will give them impetus to push their way back up the table after a poor start to their title defence as they entertain promoted Burnley.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will be looking for an early response from his players, whom he felt lacked the right mentality to win last week's Manchester derby.

A trip to Watford, who were buoyed by last week's stirring comeback win at West Ham United, will test their mettle.

Stoke City's Mark Hughes and West Bromwich Albion's Tony Pulis are the managers most in need of wins, against Crystal Palace and West Ham respectively, as early-season pressure begins to build./ShikoNews

Mourinho: United's league bid tougher due to Europa League

Manchester United's chances of winning the Premier League could be hindered by their Europa League campaign, manager Jose Mourinho has said.

United face Dutch league leaders Feyenoord in their opening group game in Europe's second-tier competition on Thursday, with Mourinho opting to rest the likes of captain Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw for the trip to Rotterdam.

The Portuguese, who lifted the trophy with Porto in 2003 when it was the UEFA Cup, said the congested fixture list was not ideal for his side to challenge for their 21st English league title.

"It's more difficult, yes (to win the Premier League when you are playing in the Europa League)," Mourinho told reporters.

"It would be better if we had the privilege of playing on a Monday after a Thursday game to have one day (recovery) but we didn't get that privilege.

"In fact, the gift we have is to play Liverpool on the Monday before, not the Monday after. So (next month) we play Liverpool on the Monday, Fenerbahce on the Thursday and Chelsea on the Sunday.

"So we know that we are not going to have any kind of support on that."

United missed out on a Champions League spot after finishing fifth in the league last season, and the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager said that the three-time European champions would respect the Europa League.

"It is not a competition that United wants. It is not one I want or the players want but it is a competition where we are and that is the reality," Mourinho added.

"I think you can see by our selection that we come to respect our opponent and we come to win the game. We want to win the competition."/ShikoNews

Sampaoli: Sevilla played a great game given the opponent and stage we're at

After a credible 0-0 draw against Juventus in Italy, Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli was extremely happy with the performance of his side given it was arguably their toughest Champions League Group H game.

Playing in a more conservative way than is usual with Franco Vazquez isolated for most of the game, and the Rojiblancos registering one shot on target during the 90 minutes, Sampaoli had warned that his team can adapt to different opponents and situations.

"Against the team we were playing, we didn't do ourselves a disservice," Sampaoli told the press. "We played with a high intensity. We had control of play but without much to show for it.

"The point is worth a lot to us, but so is how it was earned. The truth is that the value of this result will be seen at the end of the group stage.

"We defended like every ball was our last. The changes made at the beginning of the game were to minimise the workload on our players."

Goalkeeper Sergio Rico made a number of excellent saves throughout, particularly at the death when he denied Alex Sandro with his outstretched hand.

"He [Rico] was very mature, confident with his feet and calm," the coach went on. "He made a very important save at the end and encapsulated the strength of the team."/ShikoNews

Allegri: Juventus would have beaten Sevilla on another night

Despite a poor display against Sevilla at the Juventus Stadium, Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri felt his side could have easily won the game on another night, and urged fans not to get depressed with the 0-0 result.

Juventus had won each of their last 21 games at home, yet failed to create the number of chances a team with the likes of Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain should.

"The performance was good," Allegri told the press. "In the first half we tried hard, but when trying to get the ball back, we struggled.

"We pressed a lot at the start then fell away in the second half, and we must work to improve on that.

"I'm sorry the score was only 0-0 as everyone expected a 3-0 win. In Europe you have to stay calm, but here you can go from euphoria to depression, and they didn't even have a shot on target."

When pressed on who exactly goes from euphoria to depression whether that be the fans, players or press, Allegri became irate and defended the showing of his team and played down expectations after Juventus spent over 150 million in the summer.

"Juventus haven't won the Champions League for 20 years," he went on. "We have had an excellent transfer window, but because we have spent a lot, it doesn't mean we will win all the time.

"There were seven excellent chances, which we would normally have scored, and as a result won the game.

"The team shouldn't be disappointed with this performance, or the result. It is the first time we haven't won the opening game [in the Champions League] which might be a good thing."/ShikoNews

Rooney rested for Feyenoord clash in Europa League

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been rested for Thursday's Europa League clash with Feyenoord, manager Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday.

Rooney has played in all of United's Premier League games this season and also captained England in their World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia earlier this month.

Mourinho said he wanted to keep his 30-year-old captain Rooney fresh for Sunday's league game at Watford.

"He (Rooney) has played every game since the start of the season. He has also played 90 minutes for the England team," Mourinho said.

"I want him to be fresh for the next Premier League match. In the position he plays, I have lots of solutions and people that it has been really hard to have a chance."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard, who were taken off in the first half of United's 2-1 defeat by Manchester City in the league on Saturday, have also missed out on the trip to Rotterdam.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah was included in the squad as key defenders Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia were also left out.

Mourinho said striker Marcus Rashford would start for the first time this season while Memphis Depay, Ashley Young and Michael Carrick have also been included in the 20-man squad./ShikoNews

Alderweireld hails Simeone influence

Although the 2013/14 season was a memorable one for both Atletico Madrid and Toby Alderweireld, the defender failed to make a great impression at the LaLiga champions, and yet the Belgian claims to have learned a lot during his stay in Spain.

After being awarded a league winners' medal and appearing in the Champions League final, Alderweireld looks back fondly on his time working under Diego Simeone.

"It was a privilege to work with Simeone, he taught me a lot," the centre-back told.

"I was very happy at Atletico, I did not play much but I was always ready. I would have preferred to participate more, yet I was certainly part of the team.

"We managed to win LaLiga and I played in the Champions League final, and although we lost it was a great experience and I was very proud."

Having achieved success in England with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, the defender is happy to be settled into Premier League life.

"After the season in Madrid I needed to play and prove myself at the highest level" explained Alderweireld.

"In Southampton things went well and it became clear I could sign for Spurs, many others were interested but I was clear in my intentions.

"I became a better player [in LaLiga] but the Premier League is fantastic and I'm happy. You never know [about a return to Spain]."

Next up for Alderweireld his first Champions League outing since that night in Lisbon, as Spurs face Monaco at Wembley Stadium to kick off their Group E campaign./ShikoNews

Klopp expects tough challenge at resurgent Chelsea

Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp enjoyed the first win of his Premier League career at a stumbling Chelsea last October but expects a much tougher challenge when his side return to Stamford Bridge on Friday.

Liverpool have been buoyed by the 4-1 thrashing of Premier League champions Leicester City last weekend but Chelsea now have Italian Antonio Conte in charge and have made a strong start after last year's slump.

"I'm very excited, games against Chelsea are always special things in the Premier League," said the German, whose team won 3-1 in west London last year with Philippe Coutinho scoring twice.

"They're a strong side and in a good moment. They're competitive, physically strong (and have) learned from the experience of last year.

"Last season was not a Chelsea season, obviously, and now they are back on track and that's how it is and so we need to be ready for a real challenge."

Former Juventus and Italy coach Conte, dubbed the 'Pep Guardiola of Turin' by Klopp, joined Chelsea after Euro 2016 and has led the former champions to three wins in four league games this season putting them second in the table.

The Italian, like Klopp, has become renowned for his goal celebrations and in his case also volcanic eruptions even at near-misses.

"I don't know Antonio well enough to say why, but he looks quite emotional when they don't score," said Klopp, who last weekend urged his own supporters to stop chanting his name until the game was over.

The German was confident Liverpool, who are three points behind Chelsea in sixth place, could surprise Conte's side but said there would be plenty of mutual respect.

"We have a challenge and we want to go there and create real problems for them," he told a news conference. "I feel good when I think about it. That doesn't mean anything, unfortunately, but I'm looking forward to it."

Liverpool's Croatia defender Dejan Lovren will return to the squad after missing the Leicester game with a bruised eye but midfielder Emre Can is still returning to fitness after an ankle injury sustained in August.

"Emre is not injured any more, which is good, but now he needs to train, so that's how it is," said Klopp./ShikoNews

Emery: PSG on the right path despite slow start

Paris St Germain's 1-1 home draw with Arsenal is not the kind of result they wanted in their Champions League opener but coach Unai Emery is confident his team are on the right path despite their stuttering start to the season.

The former Sevilla coach took over from Laurent Blanc in the close season as the French champions hope to get past the quarter-finals in Europe's premium club competition after four successive exits at that stage but PSG have yet to shine.

They started brilliantly against Arsenal with Edinson Cavani scoring after 44 seconds but the Uruguay striker wasted several other chances the visitors eventually equalised through Alexis Sanchez in the 78th minute of the Group A clash.

"I am happy with the work of the team," said Emery, who led Sevilla to three successive Europa League titles. "I want all our players to play the way we did today. The players ran, worked, made good use of the ball."

It was probably a veiled reference to forward Hatem Ben Arfa, whose defensive work has not been sufficient and who was left out of the squad for Tuesday's game at Parc des Princes.

"I hope we will do better next time but we are on the right path. It's the team that I want, a team with guts."

Emery has made many changes to his starting team in four games in Ligue 1, where PSG have managed just seven points, and he made more alterations on Tuesday, notably replacing ever-present goalkeeper Kevin Trapp with Alphonse Areola.

In the first half, PSG were all over Arsenal, pressing high, looking solid and creating chances, unlike in their first league outings. "It's the game that gives us an identity," said Emery.

But PSG have to solve their finishing problems after Cavani missed a couple of sitters that would have killed off Arsenal.

Emery believes the Uruguayan just needs more confidence, having lived in the shadow of Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for Manchester United this season.

"He's creating chances. It's the first step. Then, with confidence and hard work, he's going to score goals," he said.

PSG's next Champions League game is away to Bulgarian champions Ludogorets on Sept. 28 while they visit Caen in Ligue 1 on Friday hoping to move up from seventh place./ShikoNews

Arsenal's Giroud blames Verratti for sending off in PSG draw

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has blamed Paris St Germain midfielder Marco Verratti for tricking the referee after they were both sent off in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League draw.

Giroud, who was a second-half substitute, and Verratti were each shown a second yellow card by Hungarian official Viktor Kassai following an off-the-ball incident in stoppage time.

The Frenchman also said PSG defender Marquinhos pushed him during the incident at the Parc des Princes.

"I'd already been booked so didn't want to make trouble. I made a small challenge on Verratti but he threw himself on to the ground," Giroud said.

"I didn't understand, so I asked him: 'What are you doing? Then he got up quickly and Marquinhos pushed me from behind. I don't know how Verratti fell over a second time."

"I didn't go looking for trouble so it's frustrating. I think that the referee was tricked. Verratti was also on a yellow, so I was surprised by his behaviour," Giroud added.

The France striker will miss Arsenal's next Group A game at home to FC Basel on Sept. 28, while Verratti will be sidelined for PSG's match away to Bulgarian champions Ludogorets./ShikoNews

Ceferin: Cristiano Ronaldo's battle with Messi is good for football

The successor to Michel Platini at the president's desk in UEFA's Nyon office has been confirmed as Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin.

Winning by 42 votes to 13, the 48-year-old has fought off competition from the likes of Dutch FA head Michel Van Praag and now the unassuming lawyer has the biggest job in European football.

MARCA sat down to chat with the new UEFA president.

Why did you want to become UEFA president?

"I think I can do important things for football. I'm not here for revolution, not even close, but I think football needs an evolution. When some presidents of the domestic FAs told me that UEFA needed changes, I thought it was time to help football. I can do that."

What is your opinion of Michel Platini?

"He was a good president, doing many good things for football such as solidarity and bringing football to all countries. I am a lawyer and will not go over what's happened [with his suspension]. He was a very charismatic president."

What do you think of Angel Maria Villar, your rival until the last week of elections?

"I respect Villar, a person who has been fighting for football for many years. He took the UEFA presidency [as acting president] at a difficult time and has done well. I never criticised or belittled him when he wanted to stay."

How will your evolution take shape?

"UEFA will bring together the federations, as they need to play a more important role. We must limit the number of mandates; for example 24 teams in the European Championship is nice but having more than one country as a host leads to unnecessary travel. There is no sense there so from 2024 I will change it."

"I do not like that small countries find it harder to reach the Champions League, that's not fair, and communication has been lacking in these changes."

Are you not surprised that Slovenia send less teams to European football?

"We're a small country but can get results. We have no problems with anyone and are well placed."

Who's your team?

"The Slovenian national team. My club was Hadjuk Split when Slovenia was Yugoslavia, but they're now Croatian. I'm more about the players than the teams."

For example?

"Ronaldo Nazario. He's the best, awesome."

And today, is the best Ronaldo or Messi?

"They're both good for football, one has certain things better than the other. Ronaldo is pure power, strength, determination, whereas Messi is more of an artist. Who is better? It's the same as question for Real Madrid or Barcelona. They're both good for world football."

Do you mind Spain's domination of European football?

"It only bothers me when Atletico and [Slovenian goalkeeper, Jan] Oblak don't win (laughs). If you are the best, then you win."/ShikoNews

Wenger: Ospina to retain Arsenal place after PSG heroics

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger suggested that David Ospina will retain his place in the team's next Champions League clash following the goalkeeper's heroics in Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Paris St Germain.

Ospina, who made his first appearance for the Premier League club this season, pulled off a string of fine saves to thwart the French champions at the Parc des Princes.

Wenger said Colombian Ospina, who made an error in Arsenal's Champions League defeat by Olympiakos Piraeus last season, has silenced his critics.

"He showed his detractors, those who doubted him, that he is a very good goalkeeper. Last year he made a mistake in the Champions League and everyone jumped all over him," Wenger told British media.

"On what he delivered, he has the right to stay in the team for the next Champions League game."

Opsina played just four league games last season, with Petr Cech the first-choice in goal since joining from Chelsea last June.

Wenger expected Ospina to feature more for the club this season.

"He showed what he's about. I have two world-class goalkeepers. I can give them both games. If they do not play, you can't keep two world-class goalkeepers. We have a rule that the keepers know," Wenger added.

"It's important to have clear rules like that. They know what the rules are for the season. It's down to performances."

Arsenal will host Basel on Sept. 28 in their next Group A Champions League game./ShikoNews

German FA boss condemns Beckenbauer's 2006 sponsor payment

Germany's Football Association (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel sharply criticised Franz Beckenbauer on Wednesday over payment from a sponsor of the 2006 World Cup the football great had headed.

Beckenbauer, who led the organising committee for the World Cup in Germany and had said he had done the work on a voluntary basis, received 5.5 million euros (4.66 million pounds) from a deal involving event sponsor Oddset.

He had not been paid directly by betting company Oddset but through the DFB as part of a deal that was only revealed on Tuesday.

"It was known that Franz Beckenbauer had been active in advertising for Oddset during the 2006 World Cup. It was not known to us that he received the noteworthy sum of 5.5 million euros out of the organising committee pot," Grindel told reporters.

"With this background one can certainly not claim that his activities within the organising committee were on a volunteer basis," Grindel, speaking on the sidelines of a UEFA meeting in the Greek capital, said.

Beckenbauer, who also faces a criminal investigation over the awarding of the World Cup, has not been available for comment.

The former World Cup winning coach and player appeared in adverts for Oddset during the tournament but had always insisted his work for the organising committee was unpaid.

Grindel took over in April following the resignation of his predecessor Wolfgang Niersbach late last year over another World Cup 2006 scandal.

"For me it is incomprehensible why the organising committee insisted on that for so long," Grindel said.

"For me this frustrating issue is more proof the organising committee of the World Cup wanted to block out things, that there was no transparency there and that the public was partly misled. I condemn that."

Beckenbauer is already under investigation by Swiss authorities, who have opened criminal proceedings against him and two former presidents of the DFB in connection with its successful bid for that World Cup.

The Swiss Attorney General's office said the proceedings relate to allegations of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation.

Earlier this year, the DFB commissioned a report into alleged irregularities over the awarding of the World Cup.

The report, published in March, said that, while there was no evidence of Germany paying world football's governing body FIFA members in return for votes, payments were made to at least one former FIFA official.

These were made through a web of accounts involving several other firms or individuals, including Beckenbauer.

Beckenbauer, who captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title and was coach when they won again in 1990, has previously admitted to making mistakes but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing./ShikoNews

Wenger lauds Arsenal's resilience after Paris revival

Manager Arsene Wenger hailed Arsenal's resilience after they recovered from a dreadful start to draw 1-1 at Paris St Germain in their Champions League Group A opener on Tuesday.

Edinson Cavani netted for PSG after 44 seconds and had the Uruguay striker not been wasteful in front of goal, the home team would have finished the Londoners off before the break.

Arsenal improved as the game went on and equalised with one of their few chances when Alexis Sanchez fired home 13 minutes from time.

"We did not start so well and ... could have conceded a second goal on several occasions but we stayed in the game mentally," Wenger told reporters. "To our credit we came out strong in the second half.

"We also benefited from the fact PSG were not as good in the second half. In the first half we were drowning.

"When you start so badly against a team with such qualities, if you have no experience you can be caught out. But we did not panic, we showed resilience and it's linked to experience."

PSG coach Unai Emery, who has had a tough start since taking over from Laurent Blanc in the close season, was satisfied with him players.

"It's not the best result but I'm happy with the game my team played. We deserved to win, having had seven clear chances," Emery said.

PSG took one point from their previous two Ligue 1 games but looked better against Arsenal.

"The fact that we created those chances is the most important thing for me," Emery said.

"I have full confidence in Edinson. He presses well, the whole team must trust him."/ShikoNews

Slovenia's Ceferin elected as UEFA president

Slovenian football boss Aleksander Ceferin was elected as the new head of European football's governing body UEFA at an extraordinary Congress on Wednesday.

Ceferin, 48, beat Dutchman Michael van Praag, the only other candidate, by 42 votes to 13 and will succeed Frenchman Michel Platini, who resigned in May after being banned from football for four years for ethics violations.

Ceferin, who is not a member of UEFA's executive committee, was little known outside his own country until he announced his intention to run in June.

"I am not a showman, I have no ego issues and I am not a man of unrealistic promises," he told delegates before the vote. Each of UEFA's 55 member associations had one vote in the election. He added that the "wind of change" was blowing through European football.

Both candidates had promised to help the smaller countries and leagues in the face of a growing divide between a handful of rich clubs and everyone else

Both agreed that the process which led to last month's reformulation of the Champions League in favour of clubs from big countries was flawed and said they would fight any attempt to set up a breakaway Super League.

Ceferin did not say, however, whether he would review the decision.

The Slovenian did say though that he would look again at the new structure of the European Championship, with matches spread across several countries leading to semi-finals and final in one place, which comes into place in 2020 and was the brainchild of Platini.

"It's a great honour but at the same time a great responsibility," said Ceferin after the decision was announced by acting president Angel Maria Villar.

"My small and beautiful Slovenia is very proud about it and I hope that one day you will also be very proud about it."

Van Praag said: "Alex and myself have the same goal, look at our programmes. He wanted to do it his way and I wanted to do it my way and today democracy has spoken."/ShikoNews

Platini says he has done nothing wrong in UEFA farewell speech

Disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini insisted he had done nothing wrong and said his conscience was clear as he gave a farewell speech to European football's governing body at their extraordinary Congress on Wednesday.

The Frenchman, who resigned in May after being banned for from the sport for four years for ethics violations, was given a round of applause by the delegates but did not get a standing ovation.

"Thank you. Thank you for these nine years. I think we did a great job... Friends of football, farewell," said Platini, who was first elected in 2007, at the end of his seven-minute speech.

His replacement will be Slovenia's Aleksander Ceferin, who beat Dutchman Michael van Praag.

Despite Platini's ban, FIFA's ethics committee said an exception had been made for the event as a "gesture of humanity."

"It's very emotional for me to be here but I'm also delighted to be here because this will be my last speech to a UEFA Congress," Platini began.

"You are going to continue this wonderful mission without me for reasons I don't want to go into today.

"I have a clear conscience, I am certain not to have made any mistake and will continue to fight this in the courts."

One of the finest players of his generation who went on to become a powerful sporting official, Platini was suspended over his dealings with fallen world football chief Sepp Blatter during the scandal which shook the sport's global governing body last year.

Platini was banished along with Blatter over a payment of two million Swiss francs (1.57 million pounds) made to the Frenchman by FIFA with Blatter's approval in 2011 for work done a decade earlier.

Platini said that football was "a game rather than a product, a sport rather than a market, a show not a business."

"There isn't one football for large nations and one for small nations, there is a single football, a single sport, it doesn't belong to FIFA or UEFA, it belongs to the whole world," he said.

"That is why I wanted to come today to say thank you and, friends of football, farewell."/ShikoNews

Europe to rally against Spanish dominance

Champions League football kicks off again on Tuesday night and 28 of the 32 teams involved have one common objective: to put an end to the Spanish dominance.

LaLiga has had a monopoly on European success over the past few seasons, having produced half of the Champions League semi-finalists in the past five seasons, half of the finalists in that time, and the past three winners.

Spooling back to consider the previous decade, the Iberian Peninsula nation's dominance was not quite as complete, but it is true that half of the past ten winners have been Spanish.

That's not to mention the success of Sevilla in the Europa League, a team which qualifies for the premier tournament this campaign, having defeated Liverpool in last season's Europa League final.

As such, there are four Spanish teams in the group stages - although there could have been five had Villarreal won their play-off qualifier with Monaco.

The Yellow Submarine miss out, along with other historic names such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter and AC Milan, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic return.

Ultimately, however, there are only seven clear contenders for next May's glory: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico will be looking to bring the trophy back to Spain, while Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Juventus are also in the mix.

From Tuesday onwards we'll see if the rest of Europe can prize the trophy away from Spanish football's tight grasp, as we saw happen several times in MARCA's look back at the 25 greatest Champions League moments./ShikoNews

The Champions League is back!

Alfredo Di Stefano, a member of that all-conquering side, always claimed that the playing field was more levelled during the competition's early days, when it was restricted only to the champions of a country's respective top league. The traditional knock-out format also ensured that there was minimal room for error due to the risk of elimination in the two-legged play-off.

Real has since extended their domination to a record-breaking 11 titles, including two of the last three finals as they and Barcelona have seen LaLiga dominate the competition. Los Blancos' most recent triumphs were also all-Spanish finals with Atletico Madrid providing the opposition on both occasions, in 2014 and 2016.
The Champions League in numbers
16 titles and 11 runners-up Spanish teams have achieved more in the competition than the rest of Europe combined.
1.3 billion euros.Those competing in the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup have the chance to win part of a bumper 1.3 billion euros prize fund. Winners of the competition can earn up to 56.7m.
158 matchesIker Casillas currently holds the all-time record for appearances. Behind him stand Xavi (157), Ryan Giggs (151), Raul (144), Paolo Maldini (140) and Cristiano Ronaldo (131).

Spain's grip on the Champions League is undisputable; with 16 trophies won and 11 runners-up, while the competition's three highest scorers - Cristiano Ronaldo (94), Lionel Messi (93) and Raul (71) - all belong to LaLiga. The same can be said of its record appearance holders in Iker Casillas (158) and Xavi (157) while Real's total of 47 seasons in the competition outstrip those of Bayern Munich (33) and Barcelona (27).

Problems retaining the title

Successful defences of the Champions League, however, have become easier said than done since the competition's advent in the 1992/93 campaign. Despite Real and Barcelona becoming the leaders of the tournament, with a combined seven titles between them, neither has managed to achieve the feat since Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan retained their title in the 1989/90 season.

That hoodoo threatens to loom over Real's hopes of securing a third European crown in four years by reaching this season's final at Cardiff's Milennium Stadium.

Increased prize money

The rewards associated with the competition will also increase this season with 1.3 billion euros set to be distributed to those vying in the Champions League thanks to increased broadcast revenues.

Providing they can top the group stages, the eventual winners can reap as much as 56.7m euros - 2.5m on last season - in revenue. The 32 clubs taking part in the group stages can expect to receive up to 12.7m euros from participating, equating to 1.5m per win and half that figure for a draw. Reaching the knock-out stage is worth 6m euros per club, with the figure rising to 6.5m for quarter-finals, 7.5m for the semi-final while the winners receive 15.5m and 11m goes to the runners-up.

Shares of the 507m euro revenue from broadcasting is distributed among participants in relation to the TV audience of clubs in the competition.

Half will be split on the league positioning which allowed the club to qualify for the Champions League and the other half dependent on the number of matches in which they participated.
LaLiga trio among favourites

Real, Barcelona and Atletico are among this season's favourites alongside the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

Fellow LaLiga rivals and Europa League holders Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Napoli all find themselves in the second tier of the competition's expectations.

But the greatest challenge to Spain's current dominance lies in Bayern, now under the tutelage of former Real coach Carlo Ancelotti and armed with the arrival of Renato Sanches to strengthen an already formidable attacking line.

Juventus, too, have strengthened with the captures of Gonzalo Higuain, Dani Alves and Miralem Pjanic while Pep Guardiola's appointment at City will see the two-time Champions League winner attempt to add a third to his CV./ShikoNews

Mourinho: City more dangerous without Aguero

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester City could be a more difficult proposition without suspended Sergio Aguero than with him in Saturday's eagerly-anticipated Premier League derby.

The Manchester United manager made the curious comment during a news conference ahead of Saturday's lunchtime kickoff when he also played down the significance of a match in which he will lock horns with City boss Pep Guardiola for the 17th time.

Both managers have enjoyed 100 percent starts in their new posts, winning all three games in the Premier League.

But while Mourinho has a full cast list at his disposal, Guardiola will be deprived of Aguero's lethal firepower after he was banned for three games following an elbowing incident against West Ham United.

Aguero, top scorer for City every year since joining in 2011, has scored six goals this season and has seven career goals against United, but Mourinho refused to accept his unavailability tipped the balance his side's way.

"Yes it changes because it is more difficult," Mourinho said. "When Aguero is available we know that he plays, we know their formation and their dynamics - nobody has doubts.

"If he is ready, he will play. But now he doesn't play, they have an amazing squad in terms of options and there are many things (Guardiola) could do."

Leroy Sane, the 20-year-old winger signed for 37 million pounds ($49 million) from Schalke, is one option for Guardiola who has suffered only three defeats to Mourinho teams.

The Portuguese knows Guardiola will have something up his sleeve, but insists that players, not managers, will decide the outcome of the game.

"He could decide to play with (Kelechi) Iheanacho or (Raheem) Sterling," Mourinho said.

"He could decide to play with Silva as a fake number nine between the lines. It is clear that they have many options," Mourinho added.

"That for us, in the preparation of the game, makes us have to go step-by-step with every situation because we are trying to reduce the unpredictability of the game.

"To try to do this now is more difficult."

Mourinho said that so early in a long season no match, even one against City, was more important than any other.

But landing an early jab on the chin of Guardiola would be an irresistible carrot for the Portuguese who has transformed the mood at Old Trafford since his arrival, following the departure of the unpopular Louis van Gaal.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic amongst the goals and Paul Pogba adding much-needed zest to United's engine room, they look slight favourites to take the points.

"We are ready, we are waiting," Mourinho said, refusing to get drawn on the inevitable spotlight at the renewal of hostilities between himself and former Barcelona boss Guardiola.

"I know what the derby means to the fans but I have to stay under emotional control," he added./ShikoNews

Guardiola: Bravo ready to start in goal against United

Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo could be given a baptism by fire by making his Manchester City debut against Manchester United in Saturday's derby clash after manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Chilean was fit to play.

Bravo was signed from Guardiola's former club Barcelona in the close season after City's new manager professed himself unconvinced by England international Joe Hart's ability with the ball at his feet.

"Claudio is OK, he had a little bit of a problem in his leg but he's trained the last two days," Guardiola told reporters on Friday, while dismissing the notion that nerves might affect the keeper in the febrile atmosphere of a derby showdown.

"Bravo is fit and ready - he's 32, 33 years old - he has experience. No problem with that. He has to save the goals."

Much of the build-up to the game in the media has focussed on Guardiola renewing his rivalry with Jose Mourinho in the opposition dugout, but the Spaniard was at pains to insist that the relationship between the two managers is cordial.

"I said it many times - I have a lot of respect for Mourinho, I always try to learn from all of my colleagues - it's the same with him," Guardiola added.

"The rivalry is more from the media and we can't control that... Of course, I'll accept a glass of wine after the game if he invites me."

City captain Vincent Kompany is back in full training with the squad, but Guardiola said the Belgium defender was unlikely to be risked on Saturday given his recent injuries problems.

The manager also issued a word of warning to his team about the threat posed by United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a player Guardiola sold when he was in charge of Barcelona.

"There's no doubt about Ibrahimovic's quality," Guardiola said.

"I have a lot of respect for what Zlatan has done for football.

"He's one of the best players and of course the best players impact the way they arrive in the clubs with the talent immediately. Some players have to understand the league - the best players do it quickly and he's one of the best ones."/ShikoNews