Europe's top leagues and UEFA have vowed to do everything in their power to block a so-called European Super League and urged others to boycott what they describe as a "cynical project founded on the self-interest of a few clubs".
Inter and Ludogorets will clash in the second leg of their last-32 tie at San Siro on Thursday without any supporters present due to concerns over the spread of the virus in Italy, where there have been more than 300 cases and 11 deaths.
The confirmation of the match taking place behind closed doors was taken on Tuesday and followed the clash between Antonio Conte's side and Sampdoria being one of four Serie A fixtures postponed on Sunday.
But there will be no restrictions for attending supporters or alterations to fixtures for any of the other Europa League matches on Thursday or the two Champions League contests taking place on Wednesday.
"All other UEFA matches scheduled this week will go ahead as planned and at this time there are no restrictions for attending supporters," read UEFA's statement.
"UEFA will continue to closely monitor the situation regarding Covid-19 and to liaise with relevant authorities in this respect."
Nine of the original 12 founding teams involved in the controversial project – including all six English clubs – have renounced the competition and promised to take all possible steps to remove themselves from it.
They all agreed a peace accord with UEFA last week that saw them recommit to the current structures of club and international football.
As part of the deal, those nine teams also accepted light punishments including goodwill payments to UEFA and a small portion of their prize money being withheld.
But Barca, Juve and Madrid are yet to terminate their involvement and on Saturday insisted the breakaway project was lawful, hitting out at "intolerable" pressure and vowing to persevere.
When announcing their agreement with the nine clubs who came back into the fold, UEFA said it would "take whatever action it deems appropriate" against the remaining three.
That process has now begun, as UEFA released a statement on Wednesday confirming the disciplinary probe.
It read: "In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA disciplinary regulations, UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspectors have today been 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.
"Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course."
Speaking last week, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin discussed the recent developments, praising the nine clubs for stepping back from the Super League.
"I said at the UEFA Congress that it takes a strong organisation to admit making a mistake especially in these days of trial by social media," he said.
"In accepting their commitments and willingness to repair the disruption they caused, UEFA wants to put this chapter behind it and move forward in a positive spirit.
"The measures announced are significant, but none of the financial penalties will be retained by UEFA. They will all be reinvested into youth and grassroots football in local communities across Europe, including the UK.
"These clubs have done just that, recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football.
"The same cannot be said for the clubs that remain involved in the so-called 'Super League' and UEFA will deal with those clubs subsequently."
Ronaldo and Messi are considered as two of the greatest players of all time, though who exactly stands alone as the best is often debated.
Barcelona captain Messi has won a record six Ballons D'Or, compared to Juventus superstar Ronaldo's five, while the pair have claimed numerous other club and individual honours.
Dutch great Van Basten, however, weighed in on the debate and made it clear who he thinks is the superior footballer.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, but those who claim that he is better than Messi don't understand anything about football or say it in bad faith," Van Basten told Corriere della Sera.
"Messi is unique, inimitable and unrepeatable.
"Players like him appear every 50 or 100 years.
"As a child he fell into the pot of football genius."
Ronaldo is enjoying another fine season, with the 35-year-old's goal tally already at 25 across all competitions.
The Portugal captain scored 21 Serie A goals in his first campaign in Turin, and he has already matched that figure through 21 matches this term.
Messi, meanwhile, has scored 23 goals in all competitions for LaLiga champions Barcelona in 2019-20.
Ahead of Sunday's Clasico against bitter rivals Real Madrid, Messi has managed 18 league goals in 20 appearances.
Vlahovic enjoyed a breakout season in 2020-21, scoring 21 Serie A goals, and his exploits have sparked reported interest from Premier League champions City and LaLiga holders Atletico.
Tottenham, Arsenal and Serie A champions Inter have also been linked with the 21-year-old Serbia international, who is contracted to Fiorentina until 2023 and valued around €70-80million (£59-68m).
Commisso remains unwilling to part with the forward sensation, at least not until the end of the 2021-22 campaign as he urged Vlahovic to re-sign in Florencia.
"I have never put Vlahovic on the market and I offered him the biggest contract in the history of Fiorentina,” Commisso told TGR RAI Toscana.
"So he should sign the renewal and then we'll see what happens next year."
Vlahovic scored seven goals in 35 minutes during a pre-season fixture, while he netted twice in Fiorentina's 4-0 Coppa Italia rout of Cosenza last week.
"Vlahovic has never been put up for sale by Fiorentina, even if everything is happening around him with agents and the clubs that want to do deals in the final stages of the transfer session," Commisso added.
"It's therefore true that there is news 'about' Vlahovic, but the right offer has never arrived. And even if it did arrive, I don't think he will leave this season."
"Look, we're talking about a lot of money here, the biggest salary package ever offered by Fiorentina," he continued.
"I am happy for him, but he needs to extend this contract, then if the lad wants to go elsewhere, we can talk about it next year. But not now.
"He has to understand and recognise that it was Rocco, his family and Fiorentina who brought him to where he is now."
Vlahovic and Fiorentina open their Serie A campaign against Jose Mourinho's Roma on Sunday.
The Ligue 1 club had options to sign each of the players as part of the loan agreements.
However, they confirmed on Tuesday that Wague, Ounas and Durmisi would be returning to Barcelona, Napoli and Lazio, respectively.
Wague, who joined from Barca in January, made five appearances in Ligue 1 before the season was suspended and later brought to an end due to the coronavirus pandemic.
His final appearance was in Nice's last game before the league was halted, in which he set up Kasper Dolberg to secure a 2-1 win over Monaco.
Durmisi played in four league games after joining from Lazio, while Ounas registered four goals and four assists in 19 domestic matches after arriving on loan last year.
Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1 after the final standings were determined on an average-points-per-game basis.
The 34-year-old's Camp Nou contract is set to expire on July 1, leaving him free to move on from the club where he has spent the entirety of his 17-year professional career thus far.
Fortunately for Barca, that outcome looks unlikely, with recent reports suggesting that the Argentina great is on the verge of agreeing fresh terms.
Should Messi put pen to paper on that extension, it will increase the possibility of him joining the ranks of players who spent their whole careers at just one club.
Here, we take a look at five of football's most celebrated one-club men.
Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Indisputably one of the greatest defenders of all-time, Maldini made his Milan debut as a 16-year-old in 1985 and spent the next quarter of a century at San Siro, winning seven Serie A titles and five Champions Leagues.
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Like Maldini, Giggs progressed from prodigious young talent to distinguished elder statesman as he represented United from 1990 to 2014. Two Champions Leagues and 13 Premier League titles sit among an astonishing 34 honours amassed by Giggs across 963 senior United appearances.
Francesco Totti (Roma)
Totti bid an emotional farewell to Roma at the end of the 2016-17 campaign after 786 competitive appearances and 307 goals – matching Maldini's record of appearing in 25 Serie A seasons.
Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
A long-time team-mate of Messi's and the captain of Pep Guardiola's mesmeric treble winners of 2008-09, Puyol won six LaLiga titles and three Champions Leagues. With 593 appearances for Barcelona to his name, the defender sits fifth on the club's all-time list behind Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and the outright leader Messi on 778.
Matthew Le Tissier (Southampton)
A mercurial forward with a knack for scoring improbably audacious goals, Le Tissier was regularly linked with the leading lights of English football during his 1990s heyday. He remained loyal to boyhood club Southampton to cement icon status on the south coast, although a mere eight appearances for England provides a talking point about what might have been possible had he not resisted offers from bigger clubs.
Inter have handed Young, 34, a contract until the end of the season, though the deal includes an option for it to be extended by a further year.
The full-back underwent a medical in Milan on Friday and will hope to play an important role in the Nerazzurri's push for the Serie A title – they sit two points adrift of reigning champions Juventus at the midway point.
"Manchester United can confirm that Ashley Young has completed his transfer to Inter," read statement from the Old Trafford club.
"The 34-year-old captain, who joined in 2011, made 261 appearances for the Reds, scoring 19 goals.
"Everyone at the club would like to thank Ashley for his many seasons of service and to wish him well for the future."
The former Aston Villa star won four major trophies during his time in Manchester, including the 2012-13 Premier League title.
The England international made 41 appearances in all competitions in 2018-19 but has been used sparingly by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season.
Young has played in 12 league games, three Europa League matches and three times in domestic cup competitions.
A full-back for much of the past three seasons, his opportunities for regular first-team football have been limited by the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the emergence of Brandon Williams as competition for Luke Shaw at left-back.
Young joins former United team-mates Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez under Antonio Conte at Inter and is the third Englishman to play for Inter.
The 34-year-old was a part of the England team that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and he is far from the only Three Lions star to try his hand in Italy's top flight.
Here, we take a look back at some of the famous English names to have sampled Serie A.
David Beckham
United and England great Beckham caused consternation among LA Galaxy fans by joining Milan on loan for the second half of the 2008-09 season. Motivated in part by his Three Lions recall and the need to retain fitness for World Cup qualifying matches, Beckham proved a hit, chipping in with two Serie A goals for the Rossoneri. He returned a year later as South Africa 2010 beckoned, but an Achilles injury ended the dream.
Ashley Cole
A 33-year-old Cole headed to Italy's top-flight following a distinguished Premier League career, so arguably provides a handy parallel for Young. However, a man who once had a solid claim on being the best left-back in world football struggled at Roma, most notably when he was substituted at half-time during a 7-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich with the score 5-0. After 16 appearances over the course of 18 months, Cole was released from his contract in January 2016 and joined LA Galaxy.
Joe Hart
After being jettisoned from Pep Guardiola's first-team plans at Manchester City on the eve of the 2016-17 campaign, Hart needed a quick solution. Torino were his unlikely saviours and the England goalkeeper endeared himself to supporters in Turin over the course of a season-long loan, despite some high-profile errors. It certainly proved a more successful post-City excursion than his subsequent spells at West Ham and Burnley.
Chris Smalling
If Young needs an example of a success story when swapping Old Trafford for Italy, then he need look no further than long-time colleague for club and country Smalling. Deemed surplus to requirements by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the arrival of Harry Maguire, the 30-year-old has been a revelation at Roma, performing superbly across 14 Serie A appearances and scoring twice. Smalling has made such an impression at the Stadio Olimpico that he narrowly missed out in a fan vote for Roma's team of the decade.
Micah Richards
Hart's long-time City team-mate Richards made a loan switch to Fiorentina for the 2014-15 season after falling out of favour with Manuel Pellegrini. The right-back made 19 appearances in all competitions but the injury problems that would force an early retirement aged 31 had already started to take a significant toll.
Paul Gascoigne
The breakout star of the Italia 90 World Cup, Gascoigne's move to Lazio became something of a saga – delayed by 12 months after he damaged knee ligaments launching into a wild challenge on Gary Charles during Tottenham's 1991 FA Cup final victory over Nottingham Forest. Once Gazza arrived in Rome, it was never anything but eventful. His first goal brought pandemonium as he headed a late equaliser in the derby against Roma, with moments of brilliance vying with fitness struggles thereafter. A broken leg suffered in training ruined his final season before joining Rangers in 1995.
David Platt
Platt did not have to contend with Gascoigne's goldfish bowl existence and the goalscoring midfielder carved out a fine career in Serie A. Signed by Bari a year after his breakthrough performances at Italia 90, Platt went on to earn moves to Juventus and then Sampdoria. He won the UEFA Cup at Juve and the Coppa Italia with Samp and, by the time he headed back to England to join Arsenal in 1995, Platt boasted 31 goals from 100 Serie A games.
Paul Ince
Way before Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku and Young made it cool, Paul Ince was swapping United for Inter in the mid-1990s. For two seasons from 1995-96, Ince starred for a Nerazzurri side during the early stages of its transformation under Massimo Moratti's ownership. He formed an impressive midfield partnership with Nicola Berti and had 10 goals from 54 Serie A outings before returning to the Premier League with Liverpool in 1997.
Martinez is reportedly Barca's prime transfer target as the LaLiga champions look to sign a long-term replacement for veteran forward Luis Suarez.
Also linked to Real Madrid and Manchester City, Martinez had scored 16 goals in 31 games across all competitions before the coronavirus pandemic brought sport to a standstill.
Zanetti was asked about Martinez during an Instagram Live session with former Inter striker Christian Vieri and he said: "I will be sincere. When we took him, we knew he was one of Argentina's most promising young men.
"Now with the work of [head coach Antonio] Conte, at just 22 years old, he can give a lot. Right now here, with everything that is happening, we are not thinking about what he will do.
"Then we'll see, but now I see him very happy here at Inter. And with Lukaku he is great."
Martinez swapped Racing Club for Inter in 2018 and he has quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after forwards in European football.
The Argentina international has scored 25 goals in total since joining Inter from Racing Club.
It was announced at the end of August that Ibrahimovic would stay with Milan, where he had made a strong impact in a half-season spell.
His 10 goals in 18 Serie A appearances last term helped to transform a struggling side, and the veteran Swede has stepped up to new levels in 2020-21, with 10 goals in just six league games.
But it appears Ibrahimovic was up for grabs before he committed to another year with Milan, given Raiola says his client could have gone to champions Juventus.
With Andrea Pirlo freshly installed as head coach of the Turin giants, Raiola felt Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo could have been the strike combination to take Juventus to European glory.
In an interview with Tuttosport, Raiola said of Ibrahimovic: "This summer, when he was free, everyone made a mistake not to take him, including Juve.
"He would have been the ideal man to team up with Cristiano Ronaldo and go together to storm the Champions League. Putting two prima donnas together wouldn't have been a problem.
"Think, what a trio: Pirlo, Ibra and Ronaldo."
Juventus, for whom Ibrahimovic played two seasons from 2004 to 2006, last won the Champions League in 1996.
This season, they are chasing Milan's shadow in Serie A, with Ibrahimovic's goals fuelling confidence and an early-season run at the top of the table.
Milan sit five points clear of nearest rivals Inter, and six ahead of Juve.
"Deservedly. The Rossoneri are the team to beat, I say it and repeat it," Raiola said. "Zlatan is a priceless player. Always top scorer in Serie A, with two goals more than Ronaldo, despite being still injured. But now his return is imminent."
Ibrahimovic has scored at a startling rate of one goal every 52.9 minutes in Serie A this season, but Ronaldo is not far behind with one every 58.75 minutes on the pitch.
Of players to have scored more than once this season, they are first and second in the minutes-per-goal standings, with Ibrahimovic also having hit the woodwork once and Ronaldo having done so twice.
Nobody has had more touches in the opposition penalty area than Ibrahimovic (63, level with Roma's Henrikh Mkhitaryan), who has made his presence felt in devastating fashion.
Raiola added the grand claim that Ibrahimovic is "the most complete player ever in football history", boasting he possesses "the talent of Messi and the willpower of CR7 [Ronaldo]".
He said there was no rush to extend the striker's contract and speculated that a public vote for the Ballon d'Or, which is not being awarded this year because of COVID-19, would have seen Ibrahimovic come out on top.
Raiola represents a string of top-level stars, including Ibrahimovic's Milan team-mate Gianluigi Donnarumma, the 21-year-old Italy goalkeeper whose contract in San Siro is due to expire at the end of this season.
"At the moment he's with Milan, then we'll see," Raiola said.
"What is certain is that Gigio is no longer what he was four years ago and there are many who ask about him. But I'll stop here. I don't want it to become a media renewal like in the past."
The Bologna boss, who was a coach at Inter during Ibrahimovic's time there, claims he has received assurances from Ibrahimovic that he will once again be a free agent when his short-term deal at San Siro expires.
Ibrahimovic has scored three times in eight appearances since returning to Milan in January after two years in MLS with LA Galaxy.
"He called me a few days ago and we'll see what he decides to do in the summer," Mihajlovic told Serbian show Vece sa Ivanom Ivanovicem.
"He certainly won't remain at Milan, it remains to be seen whether he'll join us or return to Sweden."
The 38-year-old began his career at Malmo before moving to Ajax and he has a statue outside his first club's stadium.
However, his relationship with Malmo's fans has been soured due to Ibrahimovic's part ownership of rivals Hammarby and the striker's monument has been vandalised on numerous occasions.
A move to Bologna could therefore be appealing to Ibrahimovic, with Mihajlovic not expecting to encounter the type of problems ex-Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola had with the brash Swede.
"Ibra treats me differently from the others, he watches what he says and how he behaves," Mihajlovic added.
"That's because dangerous people recognise each other!"
Ibrahimovic is due to be out of contract after the 2019-20 Serie A concludes, though there is an option to extend the deal by another year.
The veteran striker signed a short-term deal to return to Milan in January but it appears increasingly unlikely Ibrahimovic will still be at San Siro next season.
Ibrahimovic had been linked with Bologna before he joined Milan, largely due to his relationship with the club's head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic - who was on the backroom team at Inter when the forward was with the Nerazzurri, and reports of a renewed attempted to sign the Swede surfaced in recent weeks.
But, speaking last month, club director Walter Sabatini seemed to quash the idea and sporting director Riccardo Bigon has also now said there is no chance of bringing Ibrahimovic to Bologna.
"I understand the media interest in making this a story, as he is such an important name at the top level, but Ibrahimovic is not a possibility," Bigon told RAI Radio 1 of the 38-year-old.
"We are no longer in contact. He had spoken to Mihajlovic in the winter, then made his choices and from then we haven't taken the situation into consideration."