MANCHESTER UNITED

The Super League collapsed before a ball was kicked in the European breakaway competition after being abandoned by the six English soccer clubs, leaving the Spanish and Italian participants stranded.

The proposed European Super League appeared dead in the water on April 21 after all six English clubs withdrew following a furious backlash from fans and threats from football authorities.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino told the 12 breakaway European Super League clubs on Tuesday that they could not be "half in, half out" of the established football system and must face up to the reality of their decision.

Ljubljana – The Slovenian Football Association (NZS) has responded to the decision of twelve major European clubs to establish the European Superliga, saying it fully supports the efforts of the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) for maintaining a balance in European football.

Twelve of Europe's most powerful clubs announced the launch of a breakaway European Super League on April 19 in a potentially seismic shift in the way football is run, but faced accusations of greed and cynicism.

Germany suffered a stunning 2-1 home loss to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday, while defending champions France edged Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 and England beat a Poland side missing the injured Robert Lewandowski.

The Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea will be played at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest, Romania, ruling body UEFA said on Wednesday.

The reason for the venue change is the entry restrictions in Spain for people coming from a high-risk countries such as Britain, where a new mutation of coronavirus has been discovered.

Pairs of the 1/8 of the Champions League:

Wolfsberger - Tottenham

Dynamo Kyiv - FC Brugge

Real Sociedad - Manchester United

Benfica - Arsenal

Red Star - Milan

Antwerp - Rangers

Slavia Prague - Leicester

Salzburg - Villarreal

Braga - Roma

French football powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) hammered Turkey's Medipol Başakşehir 5-1 in Dec. 9's UEFA Champions League match to win Group H.

PSG drew the first blood at their home Parc des Princes.

In the 21st minute, Brazilian superstar Neymar sent a curling shot outside the area to beat Başakşehir goalkeeper Mert Gunok.

Turkish football club Medipol Başakşehir have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League over Dec. 2's 4-3 loss against Germany's RB Leipzig in Istanbul.

Başakşehir lost at home but fought well, scoring 3 goals.

Istanbul club's Turkish midfielder Irfan Can Kahveci was on fire as the 25-year-old netted three goals to keep Başakşehir's hopes alive.