Gianluca Prestianni
February 2026
Benfica president Rui Costa defended Prestianni after UEFA suspended him for one match while investigating allegations linked to an exchange with Vinicius Jr. Costa said he was not on the pitch to know what was said, insisted Benfica trust the player’s account, and argued it is wrong to label him before the process is concluded.
Mark Clattenburg
February 2026
Mark Clattenburg apologised for “clumsy” analysis after suggesting Vinicius should have simply returned to position following his goal, during a match halted for 10 minutes under UEFA protocol after alleged racist abuse involving Prestianni. After Vinicius scored, an exchange with Prestianni at halfway led Vinicius to report the incident to referee Letexier and the match was paused. Clattenburg’s on-air remarks drew backlash, including criticism from Kick It Out’s Troy Townsend.
Harry Kane
January 2026
Bayern beat Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 to secure automatic Champions League last-16 qualification, with Kane scoring twice. Kim was sent off, and Kane later missed a hat-trick when his second penalty struck the crossbar in the closing stages. Kane headed in from an Olise corner, then converted a penalty after being fouled. Despite playing with ten, Bayern controlled possession and limited danger. The Sudkurve was empty because tickets were cancelled after UEFA punished pyrotechnics from prior matches.
Real Madrid
November 2025
A22 and Real Madrid are filing separate lawsuits worth a combined €4.5 billion against UEFA, claiming the governing body’s attempts to block the European Super League caused major financial damage to the project and violated competition rules established by recent court decisions. Citing the CJEU ruling that UEFA and FIFA acted unlawfully in blocking the Super League and a Madrid court’s refusal to overturn that judgment, A22 has sent Ceferin a formal letter demanding UEFA approve the revamped proposal within eight weeks, warning of further legal consequences if it resists.
Crystal Palace
November 2025
The FA issued a heavy fine to Palace for an offensive banner targeting Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. Tensions spiked after UEFA demoted Palace from the Europa League to the Conference League over multi-club ownership rules, with Forest taking their spot. Palace’s season began with on-field highs—FA Cup triumph over Manchester City and a Community Shield win—then veered into governance controversy. CAS dismissed Palace’s appeal, cementing demotion and inflaming fan anger that spilled into inappropriate match-day displays now punished by the FA.
FIFA
October 2025
FIFA is preparing to revise its global competition regulations to potentially ban domestic league matches staged abroad, following UEFA’s reluctant approval for Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami and AC Milan vs Como in Perth. FIFA’s legal team is now exploring whether a full prohibition is enforceable under international football law.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin emphasized the exceptional nature of the approvals, citing outdated FIFA rules from 2014 that lack clarity on such cases. FIFA aims to close loopholes by early 2026, amid concern that moving league fixtures overseas undermines home-fan access and distorts competition fairness. U.S. Soccer’s decision on hosting rights remains uncertain, with MLS reportedly opposing European league incursions.
Real Madrid, PSG
October 2025
Real Madrid remains the only major club still advocating a breakaway European Super League, while PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has invited the Spanish giants back into UEFA’s fold. The Paris club’s call for unity follows years of tension since the 2021 collapse of the original ESL project.
Florentino Pérez continues to argue that UEFA’s competition model is outdated and financially unsustainable. The rebranded “Unify League” proposal from A22 Sports includes promotion, relegation, and a women’s division, but has gained little traction. Barcelona president Joan Laporta signaled renewed willingness to “pacify European football,” leaving Madrid isolated in its pursuit.
Crystal Palace
August 2025
Palace issued a scathing statement after CAS upheld their ban from the Europa League, forcing them into the Conference League. The club accused UEFA of unfair rule enforcement and bias towards multi-club ownerships, calling the ruling a blow to smaller clubs’ ambitions.
Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid)
April 2025 (UEFA ruling ahead of April 8 UCL match)
Rudiger, Mbappe, and Ceballos have been fined but avoided bans for gestures made during the penalty win over Atletico Madrid. Vinicius was cleared.
UEFA found the players violated rules of decent conduct. Rudiger (€40k), Mbappe (€30k), and Ceballos (€20k) were each fined. Suspensions of one UEFA match were issued to Rudiger and Mbappe—but these are under a one-year probation. If either breaks UEFA conduct rules again during this period, the ban becomes active and they will miss their next eligible UEFA match.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid)
12 March (match), investigation announced 28 March
UEFA is investigating four Real Madrid players for alleged “indecent conduct” during celebrations after their UCL win over Atlético Madrid.
Mbappé was caught making a crotch gesture; Rüdiger danced on the pitch after scoring the winning penalty. UEFA has assigned a disciplinary inspector, with possible suspensions before the Arsenal quarterfinal.
