UEFA has fined Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt after charging both clubs with racist or discriminatory behaviour following Champions League matches earlier this month.

Juventus' charge comes following the 2-1 defeat in their Champions League opener at Paris Saint-Germain on September 6, after which social media footage appeared to show visiting fans making discriminatory gestures.

The Bianconeri have now been hit with a €15,000 fine and have seen a partial stadium closure suspended for one year.

Eintracht, meanwhile, were issued with several charges after crowd trouble marred their Champions League trip to Marseille the following week.

The Bundesliga outfit released a strong statement distancing themselves from an individual who appeared to give a Nazi salute at the State Velodrome, but were charged with racist behaviour and three other offences.

Eintracht have been fined a total of €45,000 by UEFA, as well as receiving the same suspended punishments as Juventus. 

Marseille, who were charged with the throwing of objects, lighting of fireworks, use of laser pointers, crowd disturbances and blocking of public passageways after the same match, have been ordered to play their next home Champions League game behind closed doors.

The French outfit had already been handed a suspended stadium closure in June, meaning their next European home game – against Sporting CP on October 12 – will take place without supporters present.

Marseille must also close the Virage Nord stand at the Stade Velodrome for their game against Tottenham on November 1.

Ligue 1 rivals Nice have been ordered to play a Europa Conference League match behind closed doors after being charged over incidents at each of their two matches in the competition this season.

After crowd trouble marred the team's draw with Koln earlier this month, Nice's furious president Jean-Pierre Rivere said: "We've had enough of this. 

"I'm not in the habit of leaving a ship when things are rocking. But when you see that, you inevitably say to yourself: 'What am I doing here?'."

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has shut down rumours the governing body could take Champions League games out of Europe.

Media reports emerged this week suggesting UEFA's executive committee were exploring options to stage marquee group stage encounters in neutral territory, such as the United States, China and the Middle East.

These proposals would come on the back of a dramatic revamp of the competition from 2024 onwards, which would see the group stage replaced by a league format.

But plans to take matches further afield are hokum, according to Ceferin, who shot down such suggestions when asked during a press conference on Wednesday.

"With all due respect to the media, it is impossible to imagine what kind of news can get out there," he stated. "We never discussed this.

"But suddenly we can read in certain media that this will happen, although this was never mentioned. Go and ask UEFA directly.

"I would be in the know if there were any discussions about playing Champions League games outside Europe, and I do not know anything about it."

Real Madrid are the defending Champions League holders after edging Liverpool at the end of last season.

UEFA president Aleksander Cerefin has shut down rumours the governing body could take Champions League games out of Europe.

Media reports emerged this week suggesting UEFA's executive committee were exploring options to stage marquee group stage encounters in neutral territory, such as the United States, China and the Middle East.

These proposals would come on the back of a dramatic revamp of the competition from 2024 onwards, which would see the group stage replaced by a league format.

But plans to take matches further afield are hokum, according to Cerefin, who shot down such suggestions when asked during a press conference on Wednesday.

"With all due respect to the media, it is impossible to imagine what kind of news can get out there," he stated. "We never discussed this.

"But suddenly we can read in certain media that this will happen, although this was never mentioned. Go and ask UEFA directly.

"I would be in the know if there were any discussions about playing Champions League games outside Europe, and I do not know anything about it."

Real Madrid are the defending Champions League holders after edging Liverpool at the end of last season.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has vowed to seize the chance of a "fresh start" at Chelsea after the appointment of Graham Potter.

The Spanish goalkeeper was dislodged as Chelsea's first choice by Edouard Mendy when the Senegal international joined from Rennes in September 2020, and he has played a bit-part in the first team ever since.

Kepa played just 15 games last season, including two appearances as a substitute, but posted an impressive save percentage of 80.8, with Mendy managing just 70.8 per cent in his 49 games.

Mendy began this season as Thomas Tuchel's preferred choice between the sticks, but the sacking of the German head coach and subsequent appointment of Potter may mean there is a clean slate.

Now Kepa is hoping there is a chance for him to assert himself as a contender to keep the jersey, after playing in back-to-back Champions League games due to Mendy being injured.

"Last season, when I played I felt really well, but it was just 15 games or something like this," Kepa said, quoted on Chelsea's website. "It's not a big amount, so now when I have the opportunity, I try to do my best and to help the team like I do in the last games.

"I'm happy with my performances and happy again to enjoy the Champions League games on the pitch, so it's a fresh start, and I'm happy, and I will take it."

Chelsea have begun their European campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, followed by a home 1-1 draw with Salzburg in Potter's first game, so results could be better.

The Salzburg result on Wednesday was a blow, given Chelsea led their Austrian visitors but were pegged back by a Noah Okafor equaliser.

"There is frustration a little bit because we drew when we needed these points," Kepa said, "but we are improving, and it's just the beginning."

The arrival of Potter from Brighton and Hove Albion has come at a time when Chelsea's Premier League campaign has been put on hold, with fixtures against Fulham and Liverpool postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

It means the head coach must wait for his first league game at the helm, which should come at Crystal Palace on October 1. In the meantime, Potter is working behind the scenes on trying to lift the team.

Kepa said: "He is very positive in his mind, and he tries to give us this positivity. It's been two or three training sessions with the new manager, so it's just the beginning, but it's been a positive beginning and a good point to start."

Erling Haaland and Casper Ruud are flying the Norwegian flag high at the top of their sports, with Brighton and Hove Albion Women's new recruit Elisabeth Terland inspired by her compatriots.

Norway international Terland left SK Brann for Brighton in August and will hope to make her Women's Super League debut on Friday against Arsenal.

The 21-year-old, who has 13 international caps, referenced the rapid start Haaland has made to life at Manchester City, where he has scored 13 goals in just nine appearances since leaving Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland enjoyed a reunion with his former club on Wednesday, netting a sublime acrobatic finish to take his tally to 26 goals in 21 Champions League appearances – a strike every 62 minutes on average.

With City's new recruit taking the Premier League by storm, Terland hopes to emulate her fellow Norwegian as she prepares for a new challenge in England.

"The things he's doing at the moment are sick. It's just cool to see how a player can come into a new league and come into a new team and just perform time after time," she told Stats Perform. 

"Of course, it's inspiring. Everybody from Norway is really proud of him and what he's doing. Everybody is supporting him. He's a good product of our country."

While Haaland has made a flying start at City, tennis player Ruud reached his second major final of the season at the US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz proved a step too far for Ruud in the battle for the world number one spot at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, but the 23-year-old is another compatriot serving as inspiration for Terland.

"I did watch a little bit [of the US Open final]. It was quite late. Of course, it's just as inspiring to see people doing well in [other] sports," she added.

"That makes you want to do well in sports as well. [He is] a great athlete and does it time after time as well. Hopefully, next time he will win."

UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Celtic over banners on display during their Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk.

A number of banners referencing the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II could be seen in the Celtic end at Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw, where the sides played out a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.

Celtic now face potential sanctions, with UEFA confirming to Stats Perform on Thursday that disciplinary proceedings are under way.

However, Celtic's rivals Rangers will not face any punishment for defying UEFA's orders by playing the national anthem in tribute to the Queen before their 3-0 loss to Napoli.

A spokesman for the European football governing body said: "The incident is not the subject of any UEFA disciplinary proceedings."

Diogo Jota is determined to find his best form for Liverpool now that he is back from injury.

The striker made his first start of the season in Tuesday's Champions League victory over Ajax, having previously been out with a hamstring issue.

Jota provided an assist for Mohamed Salah's opener in the 2-1 win at Anfield, which also saw Joel Matip head in an 89th-minute winner to give Liverpool their first points in Group A.

Speaking to the club's website, the Portugal international outlined his frustration at starting the season injured, but he wants to make up for lost time after seeing his team-mates struggle in the opening weeks.

Liverpool's win against Ajax was just their third victory in eight games since the season began, having drawn three and lost one of their six Premier League fixtures, and they also lost their opening Champions League group game 4-1 at Napoli last week.

"Coming back from injury, [you] always wish for a different scenario and everything is rolling and we are winning the games comfortably, but it is what it is," Jota said.

"We need to think and to deal with the situation and I think I did that [against Ajax], and the team did that, so all good."

Jota initially sustained an injury on international duty at the end of last season, and then suffered a recurrence almost immediately in pre-season, meaning he could only make his first appearance as a late substitute in the recent 0-0 draw at Everton.

"It was the first time in my career that happened, but we cannot change that," the former Wolves player said. "I think I need to do my best from now on. Obviously [the] coach knows that as well. I've been playing gradually more and more so I can be ready to play 90 minutes soon."

Manager Jurgen Klopp had spoken of some strong words being shared among the players following their chastening defeat in Naples, and Jota believes the team responded with their performance against Ajax.

"Our last game was not good enough so it was a big improvement," he said. "Not perfect, obviously – but a very good game from our side.

"I think we didn't deserve the goal we conceded [to Mohammad Kudus], that's football. I think we reacted [in] the way that was possible and, in the end, we got the result that we deserved."

Massimiliano Allegri told his Juventus players to internalise their frustration and focus on training harder after defeat to Benfica put their Champions League hopes in peril.

A 2-1 loss in Turin followed last week's defeat by the same scoreline at Paris Saint-Germain, leaving the Bianconeri six points behind both of their early conquerors after two rounds of Group H games.

Allegri, in the second season of his second spell as Juventus head coach, appeared to point to the mental fragility of his team after the final whistle, saying they "collapsed" after going 2-1 behind in the 55th minute.

He has said he does not fear for his job, nor is he willing to engage in drawn-out public discourse about how the Turin giants might get back on track.

It is simple, according to Allegri, who believes working beats talking in a time of crisis.

"I knew when I came back that it would take time to rebuild," he said. "But unfortunately I did not think that at this moment we would lose two games in a row [in the Champions League]."

Juventus won nine consecutive Serie A titles before failing to make it 10 in a row during Andrea Pirlo's single season in charge.

They laboured to fourth place under Allegri last term, and the coach says finding an instant winning formula was always going to be difficult.

"But this is something the club knows, we all know it, but the important thing is to try to do well, to stay in the Champions League," Allegri said. "And these two games p***** us off.

"This does not mean that everything is compromised in the Champions League, but at the moment talking is useless. Plus the less we talk, the better it is, because we waste less energy."

With his team sitting eighth in Serie A after two wins and four draws so far this season, Allegri's words sounded worrying after Wednesday's defeat.

Juve had no response to the dominance of Benfica, who had previously lost 10 of their last 12 visits against Italian clubs.

"In these moments I think there are few explanations to give," Allegri said, "because in any case after we went 2-1 down, the game was over because it was in their hands. On a psychological level we had collapsed and therefore, in this moment, we can only remain silent, work and take little step after little step to get back up."

He pinpointed Sunday's Serie A game against Monza as a chance to bounce back, but whatever the result of that game it will do nothing to repair the early damage to Juve's European hopes.

"At this moment, going to look for and talk about the problems that exist does not make sense," Allegri said.

"The Champions League in this moment is complicated. This doesn't mean that it is already over, but at the moment the closest thing is Monza. So we have four days to better prepare for the match in Monza at a mental level."

He added: "I don't want to blame the lads for anything. It is normal that there must be a sense of responsibility on the part of everyone and everyone needs to do something more – not overdo, but do."

Christophe Galtier was relieved to see his Paris Saint-Germain side bounce back from an "average" first half to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in Champions League Group H on Wednesday.

The Ligue 1 champions fell behind to Tjaronn Chery's strike midway through the first half, but they went in at the break level thanks to Lionel Messi's close-range finish.

The Argentinian's goal saw him move clear of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the player to have scored against the highest number of opponents in the Champions League (39).

It also meant he became the first player in history to score in 18 different Champions League seasons.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar added to Messi's goal in the second half as PSG won their opening two matches in a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2019-20 under Thomas Tuchel, when they went on to reach the final.

While Galtier was unimpressed with his side's below-par display in the first half, he praised his players for the way they reacted to his instructions after the break.

"We had two or three big situations in the first period and they had some too; they pushed hard in what was a big atmosphere," he told RMC Sport 1.

"We were not well organised and we were quickly cut in two. It made for a very difficult first period. We had to rectify things and after the break we were much more compact.

"The opponents are always of very good quality in the Champions League. We had to react after the first period which was average, especially on a tactical level.

"We were cut open, our team block was low and Maccabi pushed high. From the moment the front three went down to get back in the block, we were better.

"It was not a question of lack of effort, but a question of poor analysis of the pressure between our midfielders and our attacking trio."

Mbappe's strike means he has now scored 30 goals in 46 Champions League games for PSG, taking him level with Edinson Cavani as the club's highest scorer in the competition.

Like his coach, the 23-year-old was not impressed with PSG's first half and says they need to improve quickly. 

"We fell asleep a bit and we conceded this first goal," he told Canal+. "Then we reacted well. We started to install our game and make differences. We were able to score the second and seal the win at the end with the third. 

"We have to improve. We will have to work. We work during the week but now we have to get results quickly because the important things will happen quickly, like the World Cup."

Pep Guardiola described Jude Bellingham as "exceptional" after the England international gave an impressive performance in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.

City were staring at a shock Champions League defeat when Bellingham met Marco Reus' left-wing delivery to nod the Bundesliga outfit ahead in the second half on Wednesday.

But John Stones' long-range strike beat Alexander Meyer in bizarre fashion with 10 minutes left, and Erling Haaland had the last word against his former club when he produced a terrific acrobatic winner.

Speaking after seeing his City team maintain their perfect start to the Champions League campaign, Guardiola singled out Dortmund's teenage midfielder for praise.

"I was impressed two seasons ago when he was 17. Now he's 19... he was good at 17, imagine now at 19," Guardiola said.

"He's able to follow [Ilkay] Gundogan, Kevin [De Bruyne], win the duels, transitions are fast, to have the sense in the box for the goal he scored. 

"So yes, an exceptional player. I think everybody knows it, not because the manager of Manchester City says it, everybody knows it."

Bellingham has now scored four Champions League goals – the most ever managed by an English teenager in the competition. Meanwhile, his 18 appearances in Europe's premier club competition is a record among English players under the age of 20.

Half of the midfielder's Champions League goals have now come against City, after he opened the scoring in the second leg of the club's quarter-final defeat to Guardiola's men in 2020-21.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was also keen to highlight the quality of his performance, saying: "Jude, like all the other players, gave a great performance in offensive and defensive terms. 

"He blocked so any passes and crosses and also got forward… once again, he was very good against Manchester City."

Giovanni van Bronckhorst claimed the scoreline did not offer a true reflection of Rangers' performance after they succumbed to a 3-0 Champions League defeat at home to Napoli.

Second-half goals from Matteo Politano, Giacomo Raspadori and Tanguy Ndombele condemned Rangers to a third consecutive defeat on Wednesday after James Sands was dismissed for two bookable offences. 

The defeat could have been heavier had Allan McGregor not twice denied Piotr Zielinski from the penalty spot following a VAR check for encroachment. 

Politano then tucked away his opener from 12 yards, as Napoli became just the third side to be awarded multiple penalties in back-to-back Champions League fixtures (after Chelsea in 2020 and Salzburg in 2021).

Despite Rangers' defensive shortcomings, Van Bronckhorst believes they competed well before being reduced to 10 men.

"I think we were well organised, we were good in the game, the players were giving everything to get a good result," he said.

"It was a nice battle to see, Napoli against Rangers, but of course with the sending off you knew it was going to be difficult.

"Allan saved us twice with the penalties, which was fantastic, but the first goal we conceded made me change the way we were playing because we needed to attack. 

"In the end I think the 3-0 defeat didn't reflect the difference in quality today and how the game went on."

This is just the second time Rangers have begun a Champions League group-stage campaign with back-to-back defeats, also doing so in 1996-97 under Walter Smith.

But Van Bronckhorst saw a clear improvement following last week's 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Ajax, adding: "We will learn with every single game we play in the Champions League, if you see the comparison between the first game against Ajax and today, I think we played so much better, with so much intensity, so much character.

"I think we learned from the game last week, the level, the speed of thinking needs to go up. I think we equalled that today when 11 against 11.

"The quality Napoli has with one extra, it was very difficult for us. We wanted to stay in the game longer but the first goal made us change the personnel. You have to always end with 11 in Europe, otherwise it's a difficult task."

Rangers are also five points adrift of rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, having slipped to a 3-0 defeat in the first Old Firm derby of the campaign earlier this month.

Despite being impressed with their performance against Napoli, Van Bronckhorst knows they must arrest their slide quickly, adding: "Of course, you're always concerned when you concede too many goals, but every defeat is a defeat.

"The manner of the defeat today was different to the first two defeats. But in the end, it's still a defeat, and we cannot accept three defeats in a row." 

Erling Haaland's sensational winner against Borussia Dortmund echoed two greats in the form of Johan Cruyff and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Haaland netted with an acrobatic 84th-minute volley from Joao Cancelo's expert centre to seal three points for City against his former club in the Champions League on Wednesday.

It marked a fine turnaround after John Stones had already cancelled out Jude Bellingham's opener with a fierce long-range hit at the Etihad Stadium.

For City boss Guardiola, Haaland's athletic effort drew comparisons to Cruyff's famous strike for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in 1973 – often referred to as the 'ghost goal' due to the scarcity of the available quality footage.

"Maybe the people who know me, you know the influence Johan Cruyff had in my life, as a person, an educator, a manager and mentor, everything," Guardiola said.

"Johan Cruyff, years and years ago at Camp Nou he scored an incredible goal against Atletico Madrid. It was quite similar. The moment he scored the goal I thought, Johan Cruyff.

"It was quite similar. It was a really good one. The pass from Joao is exceptional, he has the ability to do this kind of thing. Simple things, every ball he has, he has to make this kind of action, I know he can do it. That's football, you cannot force it. He made an incredible assist pass and the finishing from Erling was exceptional."

While Guardiola idolises Cruyff, he had a much tenser relationship with one of European football's modern greats, Ibrahimovic.

The striker spent just a season at Barcelona during Guardiola's tenure and the two did not see eye to eye.

Yet Guardiola sees the similarities in skill level between Haaland – who is now the youngest player in Champions League history to score for and against the same side in the competition – and the Milan forward, though he could not resist a sarcastic quip.

"The first impression that I had, I remember a little bit my friend, my dear friend Ibrahimovic, had this incredible ability to pull back in the air, you know, and Erling is quite similar on that," Guardiola added with a smile.

"He is elastic, flexible and to have that ability to make the contact to put it in the net. He is mature, and he has that flexibility."

The game marked Guardiola's 150th Champions League match as a manager, and he brought up his 95th win. Only two managers have won more games in the competition’s history – Alex Ferguson (102) and Carlo Ancelotti (100).

However, it was not an easy ride, with City performing well below their level until Dortmund took the lead. Indeed, their two goals came with their first two shots on target.

"We had a lot of problems to get our rhythm, we were so passive, our movements to be aggressive," explained Guardiola, who compared the match to the last time City met Dortmund, in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2021.

"Yes, we struggled, we played in the wrong gear. We are who we are, win or lose, the way we played in the last 30 minutes, when we realised we were 1-0 down. We gave it another rhythm.

"The Champions League doesn't wait, it doesn't forgive you. They defended really well, hopefully we can learn the lesson for Saturday, against one of the toughest opponents we've had in the last few years against Wolves, and hopefully it will help us against Dortmund in the [return match]."

Christophe Galtier was relieved to see his Paris Saint-Germain side bounce back from an "average" first half to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in Champions League Group H on Wednesday.

The Ligue 1 champions fell behind to Tiaronn Chery's strike midway through the first half, but they went in at the break level thanks to Lionel Messi's close-range finish.

The Argentinian's goal saw him move clear of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the player to have scored against the highest number of opponents in the Champions League (39).

It also meant he became the first player in history to score in 18 different Champions League seasons.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar added to Messi's goal in the second half as PSG won their opening two matches in a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2019-20 under Thomas Tuchel, when they went on to reach the final.

While Galtier was unimpressed with his side's below-par display in the first half, he praised his players for the way they reacted to his instructions after the break.

"We had two or three big situations in the first period and they had some too; they pushed hard in what was a big atmosphere," he told RMC Sport 1.

"We were not well organised and we were quickly cut in two. It made for a very difficult first period. We had to rectify things and after the break we were much more compact.

"The opponents are always of very good quality in the Champions League. We had to react after the first period which was average, especially on a tactical level.

"We were cut open, our team block was low and Maccabi pushed high. From the moment the front three went down to get back in the block, we were better.

"It was not a question of lack of effort, but a question of poor analysis of the pressure between our midfielders and our attacking trio."

Mbappe's strike means he has now scored 30 goals in 46 Champions League games for PSG, taking him level with Edinson Cavani as the club's highest scorer in the competition.

Like his coach, the 23-year-old was not impressed with PSG's first half and says they need to improve quickly. 

"We fell asleep a bit and we conceded this first goal," he told Canal+. "Then we reacted well. We started to install our game and make differences. We were able to score the second and seal the win at the end with the third. 

"We have to improve. We will have to work. We work during the week but now we have to get results quickly because the important things will happen quickly, like the World Cup."

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar took to social media swiftly after the 3-1 victory over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League to complain about his booking.

The Brazilian scored PSG's third in Israel, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both already on the scoresheet as Christophe Galtier's side responded after Tjaronn Chery had given the hosts a surprising lead.

Neymar was left frustrated with German referee Daniel Siebert though, who elected to issue a yellow card for his antics after finding the back of the net – despite it being his customary celebration.

The 30-year-old wasted no time in expressing his feelings on the matter, taking to his Instagram account to unleash his thoughts under a caption of "football keeps getting more annoying!"

"Another victory, congratulations, but we move on right? There it is; a celebration is a yellow card, another one for the list for NJ (Neymar)," he said.

"It's only with me that these things happen to. Next time I will warn the referee's that I am going to do it."

Neymar then took his views to Twitter in a series of posts, writing: "I'm asking now, okay?

"Total lack of respect for the athlete. This kind of thing can't happen. I take the yellow for simply not having done anything and I continue to be harmed.

"And the judge? He will not even say he was wrong. A lot of lack of respect."

He then posted a clip of his celebration alongside the name of Siebert, adding the use of emojis to reflective of his antics.

Massimiliano Allegri insisted he has no fears for his Juventus job as he urged the Bianconeri to put worries aside to respond to their Champions League defeat to Benfica.

Juve are without a point in the Champions League after two Group H games, falling to a 2-1 defeat after Joao Mario cancelled out Arkadiusz Milik's opener before David Neres scored a second-half winner.

That marked the first time Juve have opened a Champions League group stage with two losses, while they suffered three straight defeats in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since September 1972.

With just one win in seven games amid a poor run in Serie A, pressure continues to grow on Allegri but the Juve coach remains confident he is the right man to take the Bianconeri forward.

"Absolutely yes, we have a bit of difficulty but there are a few players missing," Allegri responded to Amazon Prime Video when asked if he felt he could turn things around.

"We must work with calmness and with the responsibility of all."

Juve have won just one of their last seven games in Europe against Benfica, who moved level at the top of Group H with Paris Saint-Germain after the Ligue 1 side downed Maccabi Haifa 3-1 on Wednesday.

The Bianconeri had no response to the dominance of Benfica, who had previously lost 10 of their last 12 visits against Italian sides, leading Allegri to call on a response from his players.

"It is difficult to explain what happened but after going 2-1 down, the match is over. The performance would have been bad too [even if we got] a draw," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"Now we don't need to talk, just work and think about on the pitch. I told the team that in football these moments happen and you have to get out of them as a collective.

"In the Champions League it's hard, but it's not finished. I understand the difficult moment for the team. We don't have to think about worries, we just have to do."

Juve will hope to respond when they visit Monza in Serie A on Sunday, with their next Champions League clash coming against Maccabi Haifa at home on October 5.