Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the visitors fell behind after just 128 seconds in the Nou Camp as Lionel Messi shot through the legs of Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle.

Messi then set up Ousmane Dembele to hammer home the second after Cesc Fabregas lost possession.

Marcos Alonso hit the post for Chelsea with a free-kick before Messi’s 100th Champions League goal – after a mistake by Cesar Azpilicueta – took the hosts out of sight.

Alonso was then denied a penalty after a challenge by Gerard Pique as Barcelona joined La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Sevilla in Friday’s quarter-final draw.

Chelsea, meanwhile, join fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Tottenham in exiting in the first knockout round.

What next for Conte? 

Chelsea’s elimination by the five-time winners is bound to add to the speculation about manager Antonio Conte’s future.

The Blues’ hopes of retaining the Premier League title ended weeks ago, and they may not even secure the top-four finish they need to return to the Champions League.

Conte’s side are fifth in the table, four points behind Liverpool, with their next league game at home to third-placed Tottenham on 1 April.

They head to Leicester on Sunday for an FA Cup quarter-final knowing defeat will leave them without a trophy for the second time in three seasons.

Conte, who has been in charge since the summer of 2016, has a contract until the summer of 2019 but has had to deny reports of a rift with the club’s owners.

Speaking last month, the 48-year-old Italian said it is his “intention, will and desire” to stay at Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea have lost four of their past six league games, including back-to-back defeats by Bournemouth and Watford.

What’s next? 

Chelsea visit Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday (16:30 GMT). Barcelona return to the Nou Camp on Sunday (15:15) as they look to take another big step towards winning La Liga.

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Source: BBC

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Group winners: Manchester United (ENG), Paris (FRA), Roma (ITA), Barcelona (ESP), Liverpool (ENG), Manchester City (ENG), Beşiktaş (TUR), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

Group runners-up: Basel (SUI), Bayern München (GER), Chelsea (ENG), Juventus (ITA), Sevilla (ESP), Shakhtar (UKR), Porto (POR), Real Madrid (ESP)

Draw notes

• Two seeding pots will be formed: one of group winners and one of runners-up.
• No team can play a club from their group or their own association.
• Seeded group winners will be away in the round of 16 first legs on 13/14 and 20/21 February and at home in the return matches on 6/7 and 13/14 March.

Group winners

A: Manchester United (ENG)
Can play: Bayern, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar, Porto, Real Madrid
Group stage: W5 D0 L1 F12 A3
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (4)
Last season: Europa League winners
Previous European Cup best: winners x3 (1968, 1999, 2008)

B: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Can play: Basel, Chelsea, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar, Porto, Real Madrid
Group stage: W5 D0 L1 F25 A4
Top scorer: Edinson Cavani, Neymar (6)
Last season: round of 16
Previous European Cup best: semi-finals (1995)

C: Roma (ITA)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Sevilla, Shakhtar, Porto, Real Madrid
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F9 A6
Top scorer: Edin Džeko (3)
Last season: UEFA Europa League round of 16
Previous European Cup best: runners-up (1984)

D: Barcelona (ESP)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Chelsea, Shakhtar, Porto
Group stage: W4 D2 L0 F9 A1
Top scorer: Lionel Messi (3)
Last season: quarter-finals
Previous European Cup best: winners x 5 (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)

E: Liverpool (ENG)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Juventus, Shakhtar, Porto, Real Madrid
Group stage: W3 D3 L0 F23 A6
Top scorer: Roberto Firmino (6)
Last season: N/A
Previous European Cup best: winners x5 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005)

F: Manchester City (ENG)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Juventus, Sevilla, Porto, Real Madrid
Group stage: W5 D0 L1 F14 A5
Top scorer: Raheem Sterling (4)
Last season: round of 16
Previous European Cup best: semi-finals (2016)

G: Beşiktaş (TUR)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Chelsea, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar, Real Madrid
Group stage: W4 D2 L0 F11 A5
Top scorer: Cenk Tosun (4)
Last season: group stage
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (1987)

H: Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Can play: Basel, Bayern, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar, Porto
Group stage: W5 D1 L0 F15 A4
Top scorer: Harry Kane (6)
Last season: group stage
Previous European Cup best: semi-finals (1962)

Group runners-up

A: Basel (SUI)
Can play: Paris, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Beşiktaş, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W4 D0 L2 F11 A5
Top scorer: Dmitri Oberlin (4)
Last season: group stage
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (1974)

B: Bayern München (GER)
Can play: Manchester United, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Beşiktaş, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W5 D0 L1 F13 A6
Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski, Corentin Tolisso (3)
Last season: quarter-finals
Previous European Cup best: winners x 5 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013)

C: Chelsea (ENG)
Can play: Paris, Barcelona, Beşiktaş
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F16 A8
Top scorer: Eden Hazard (3)
Last season: did not play in Europe
Previous European Cup best: winners x 1 (2012)

D: Juventus (ITA)
Can play: Manchester United, Paris, Liverpool, Manchester City, Beşiktaş, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W3 D2 L1 F7 A5
Top scorer: Gonzalo Higuaín, Mario Mandžukić (2)
Last season: runners-up
Previous European Cup best: winners x 2 (1995, 1996)

E: Sevilla (ESP)
Can play: Manchester United, Paris, Roma, Manchester City, Beşiktaş, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W2 D3 L1 F12 A12
Top scorer: Wissam Ben Yedder (6)
Last season: round of 16
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (1958)

F: Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Can play: Manchester United, Paris, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Beşiktaş, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W4 D0 L2 F9 A9
Top scorer: Bernard (3)
Last season: third qualifying round
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (2011)

G: Porto (POR)
Can play: Manchester United, Paris, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur
Group stage: W3 D1 L2 F15 A10
Top scorer: Vincent Aboubakar (5)
Last season: round of 16
Previous European Cup best: winners x 2 (1987, 2004)

H: Real Madrid (ESP)
Can play: Manchester United, Paris, Roma, Liverpool, Manchester City, Beşiktaş
Group stage: W4 D1 L1 F17 A7
Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (9)
Last season: winners
Previous European Cup best: winners x 12 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017)

Source: UEFA

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Reinhard Rauball, the DFL president, wants to move the German deadline to August 1, after the Premier League’s clubs voted to move theirs to August 9, 2018.

The subject will be discussed at a meeting in December and, if the motion is passed, Rauball wants the deadline to be adopted across Europe and will consider putting forward proposals to UEFA.

Reinhard Rauball wants to push forward further proposals to UEFA

Rauball told SportBILD: “I will bring forward a motion to shorten the transfer period. If a corresponding decision is taken, it would be put to vote at the member’s meeting in December.

“If the majority of the 36 professors are in favour, a corresponding application will have to be sent to the international federations via the DFB.

“This year, there has been trading that is no longer justifiable. That’s why a peg must be put in. You can do it that way. ”

The DFB chief has also called for an examination of FFP rules

The December meeting will consist of the DFL, Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs and, like the Premier League, changes would come into effect for next summer.

Rauball has also called for Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules to be examined after Paris Saint-Germain, whose transfer dealings are being investigated by UEFA, signed Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

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Source: Sky Sports

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European football’s governing body introduced FFP ‘break-even’ rules in 2013, requiring clubs to balance their spending with their revenue.

PSG more than doubled the world record transfer fee when they spent 222m euros (£200m) to sign Neymar last month.

They have signed Kylian Mbappe on loan, and could pay £165.7m for him in 2018.

PSG have been owned by the Gulf state of Qatar, via its Qatar Sports Investments fund, since 2011.

The French club made made a profit of 10m euros (£9.2m) on revenue of 520.9m euros (£389.6m at the time of conversion) in the 2015-16 financial year, according to the most recent figures published by Deloitte.

The six-time French champions have failed to meet FFP rules before – receiving a fine, a spending cap and only being allowed to register 21 players for the Champions League in 2014.

Uefa’s FFP regulations were approved in 2010 and the first assessments began the following year.

The ‘break-even’ element states clubs can spend 30m euros more than they earn over a three-year period.

A Uefa statement said the investigation into PSG would “focus on the compliance of the club with the break-even requirement, particularly in light of its recent transfer activity”.

It added: “In the coming months, the investigatory chamber of the Uefa club financial control body will regularly meet in order to carefully evaluate all documentation pertaining to this case.

“Uefa considers financial fair play to be a crucial governance mechanism which aims to ensure the financial sustainability of European club football.”

In a statement PSG said: “The club is surprised by this approach given that it has constantly kept Uefa informed about the financial impact of all players’ operations carried out this summer, even though it wasn’t obliged to do so. The club is very confident in its ability to demonstrate that it will fully comply with Financial Fair Play rules for the fiscal year 2017-2018.

“Deputy CEO Jean-Claude Blanc met with UEFA experts including Andrea Traverso, responsible for Uefa Financial Fair Play, for more than three hours on 23 August at Paris St-Germain’s headquarters, where he demonstrated that the operations carried out with FC Barcelona and in progress at that time with AS Monaco followed the rules of Financial Fair Play for the financial year 2017-2018.

“On 31 August, the club’s general management again had exchanges with UEFA Financial Fair Play management to provide a more detailed account of how the transaction with AS Monaco would be integrated into the club’s accounts for this season, in terms of amortization and payroll, in compliance with French accounting standards.

“Furthermore, as for the summer of 2017, the club has already completed outgoing player transactions that helped improve club results by more than 104 million euros for the 2017/2018 season.

“The club also reminds, if necessary, that it has under contract many high valued players allowing the club to generate very significant capital gains in the next two transfer windows (January and June) of 2018.”

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Source: BBC

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The award will be presented at the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 24 August.

The shortlist of three players was selected by a jury comprising the 80 coaches of the clubs which participated in the group stage of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, along with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA’s member associations.

UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year Award recognises the best players, irrespective of nationality, playing for a club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the past season. Players are judged on their performances in all competitions – domestic, continental and international.

The final result was based on the total number of votes cast by the coaches and the journalists. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.

The players who make up the rest of the top ten are:
4: Luka Modrić (Croatia, Real Madrid)
5: Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
6: Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
7: Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
8: Kylian Mbappé (France, Monaco)
9: Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern München)
10: Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden, Manchester United)

Messi and Ronaldo have both won the award twice previously – Messi in 2010/11 and 2014/15, and Ronaldo in 2013/14 and last season. Other players who have won this accolade are Andrés Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona) in 2011/12 and Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern München) in 2012/13.

The UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award complements four new positional UEFA Champions League awards, which will crown the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward of the 2016/17 Champions League season. These awards will also be presented during the group stage draw on 24 August.

The following day, the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award will be presented at the competition’s 2017/18 group stage draw in Monaco. Three players, all from last season’s title-winners Manchester United, have been shortlisted – Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba.

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Source: UEFA

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All three were inspirational in Manchester United winning the competition last term, a triumph that completed the English giants’ set of major UEFA club trophies.

Mkhitaryan and Pogba were on target in the 2-0 victory over Ajax in the Stockholm final, while Ibrahimović had scored five goals, including a round of 16 hat-trick against Saint-Étienne, before sustaining a serious knee injury late in the quarter-final second leg versus Anderlecht.

Mkhitaryan’s strike against Ajax was one of six he managed in United’s successful campaign, despite not making his first European outing of 2016/17 until matchday four. Fellow midfielder Pogba started all 15 of José Mourinho’s side’s UEFA Europa League fixtures.

The award will be presented for the first time during the UEFA Europa League group stage draw in Monaco on 25 August.

How the players were shortlisted

The jury was composed of the coaches of the 48 clubs in last season’s group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA’s member associations. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.

Jury members selected their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The three players who received the most points, in alphabetical order, are:

• Zlatan Ibrahimović (Manchester United, currently unattached)
  Appearances: 11
  Goals: 5
  Assists: 4

• Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
  Appearances: 11
  Goals: 6
  Assists: 0

• Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
  Appearances: 15
  Goals: 3
  Assists: 1

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Source: UEFA

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Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal’s harsh 84th-minute dismissal was the first pivotal moment of a thrilling game, and then Ronaldo was clearly standing in an offside position to score Madrid’s second in extra time.

Needing at least two goals to progress, Bayern had led when Robert Lewandowski confidently drilled in a penalty.

Madrid struggled to find rhythm at a nervy Bernabeu before Ronaldo headed in Casemiro’s precise cross.

Bayern responded just 36 seconds later as Sergio Ramos’ own goal forced extra time, but then crumbled after Ronaldo illegally fired in Madrid’s second.

The Portugal captain tapped in the third – for his 100th Champions League goal – after Marcelo’s marauding run, with Marco Asensio sealing victory by firing into the bottom corner.

Madrid will discover their semi-final opponents when the draw is made on Friday.

Neighbours Atletico Madrid progressed after edging past Leicester City, while the other two ties – Barcelona against Juventus, and Monaco against Borussia Dortmund – take place on Wednesday.

Bayern see red in controversial exit

Anticipation was high when two of Europe’s biggest and most successful clubs were drawn together – and an enthralling tie did not disappoint.

However, it was somewhat tinged by Madrid benefitting from two debatable decisions by Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai and his officials.

Chile midfielder Vidal, already booked for an early foul on the edge of the Bayern area, was shown a second yellow card for what appeared to be a clean sliding tackle on Madrid substitute Asensio.

And then Ronaldo was standing at least a yard offside when he met Ramos’ pass and spun to fire Madrid 4-3 ahead on aggregate.

“In a quarter-final you have to put a better referee, or it is the moment to introduce video refereeing, which is what Uefa are trying, because there are too many errors,” Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

Nothing separated the two teams over 180 engaging minutes in Munich and Madrid, only for the German champions to finally run out of steam as they battled a numerical disadvantage.

Bayern also played the final 30 minutes at the Allianz Arena last week with 10 men after Javi Martinez’s dismissal.

Ancelotti’s side remained resolute in the first period of extra time – until the tiring visitors unravelled after Ronaldo put the Spanish league leaders ahead.

History-seeking Madrid get the rub of the green

Madrid are aiming to become the first club to retain the Champions League and moved a step closer by eventually seeing off Bayern.

For long periods, Madrid were edgy defensively and uncertain going forward – with Ronaldo guilty of wasting a number of chances in normal time.

Bayern knew they would have to become only the third side to overturn a first-leg home defeat in a Champions League tie to reach their sixth successive semi-final.

Fewer places are harder to achieve that than the home of the 11-time European champions.

Although only one away team had managed to leave the Bernabeu with victory in Madrid’s previous 33 home matches in all competitions, Bayern looked confident and organised as they quietened the home crowd.

Bayern top scorer Lewandowski, who missed the first leg with a shoulder injury, fired them ahead with a coolly taken penalty before Ramos’ bizarre own goal – the ball ricocheting off his right foot and spinning inside the near post – forced extra time.

But Madrid eventually wrestled control of the tie thanks to their numerical advantage and the decisions of the officials.

Sheer relief greeted the final two Madrid goals as their jubilant players wildly celebrated reaching a record seventh successive semi-final in Europe’s premier club competition.

“I don’t get involved if decisions are right or wrong,” said Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.

“Everyone has their own opinions, some might say it was not a second yellow card for Vidal, some might say it is.

“Cristiano’s goal might have been offside but it doesn’t change anything.”

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Source: BBC

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Alli was dismissed for a challenge on Brecht Dejaegere in the 2-2 draw. Should Spurs secure a top-three Premier League finish, Alli would miss half of their Champions League group campaign.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been fined £5,000 after some of their fans ran onto the pitch during the 5-1 Champions League home defeat by Bayern Munich.

Uefa has also fined Bayern Munich £3,000 after their supporters delayed the tie at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium by throwing rolls of paper onto the pitch in protest over ticket prices.

Spurs, who went out of the Europa League against Gent, are second in the Premier League with 10 games to play.

Alli also missed the final three games of last season’s Premier League after admitting a charge of violent conduct for punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob in the stomach.

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Source: BBC

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