The “expansion of European club competitions” has led to there being just one game on 26 December in the English top flight, says the Premier League.
Boxing Day fixtures have been a long-standing tradition in English football but this year the only Premier League game will be Manchester United’s home match with Newcastle United (20:00 GMT).
While confirming the schedule for this year’s festive fixtures, the league’s communications manager George Haberman said: “The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.
“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.”
Who: Real Madrid vs Juventus What: UEFA Champions League Where: Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain When: Wednesday, October 22 at 9pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 6pm (16:00 GMT) before our live text commentary streams.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid host Italy’s Juventus at the Bernabeu Stadium, with both sides looking to improve their UEFA Champions League (UCL) ladder position in the Matchday 3 showdown.
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Real, who are one of just six unbeaten sides remaining in the UCL and sit second on the ladder behind Bayern Munich, would want nothing less than three points against Juventus before their next fixture against English champions Liverpool on November 4.
Juventus are languishing in 23rd position in the group phase standings – near the elimination zone – with only two draws so far against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. They desperately need a victory against Los Blancos on Wednesday to keep pace with the leaders.
Here is all to know before their high-stakes encounter:
How did Real Madrid and Juventus fare in their domestic leagues this past weekend?
Kylian Mbappe extended his goalscoring streak to 11 consecutive games to help Real Madrid reclaim top spot in La Liga with a 1-0 victory at nine-man Getafe on Sunday.
After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Real with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso’s side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend’s Clasico.
Juventus lost 2-0 at Como in Serie A on Sunday, another disappointing result after five successive draws in all competitions for Igor Tudor’s side.
Juve slumped to seventh position in the standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan.
Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz reacts after a Como goal in their Serie A fixture at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como, Italy, on October 19, 2025 [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]
How many times have Real and Juventus won the UEFA Champions League?
Real Madrid have won the UEFA Champions League 15 times, making them the most successful team in history. They most recently won the title two years ago, in the 2023-24 season, beating German side Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
Juventus have won the trophy twice. Their most recent title was in 1996 against the Dutch side Ajax. Juve did make the UCL final as recently as 2017, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Juventus?
The two mega clubs last played on July 2 at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Real won the round-of-16 showdown 1-0, edging Juventus in a tight affair to reach the quarterfinals thanks to a second-half strike from Gonzalo Garcia.
The last time Real and Juventus clashed in the Champions League was on April 11, 2018, when Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic 98th-minute penalty sent Madrid through (4-3 on aggregate) to their eighth consecutive UCL semifinal.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo scores the winning goal against Juventus from a penalty in their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal in Madrid, Spain, on April 11, 2018 [Susana Vera/Reuters]
Real Madrid team news
Alonso will continue to be without several starting-calibre players heading into Wednesday’s contest against Juventus.
Defender Dean Huijsen, who suffered a micro-tear in his left calf muscle during international duty for Spain in early October, is out of the squad. Initially diagnosed as a strain, the injury now threatens his availability for the Clasico fixture against Barcelona on October 26.
Austrian international David Alaba limped off during Sunday’s game against Getafe with a calf issue, and the 33-year-old is a game-time decision. If he is unavailable, then Raul Asencio would likely move into the starting XI.
The side is further weakened by the ongoing absence of four other defenders, as Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy are all sidelined.
Juventus team news
Coach Tudor will be without centre back Gleison Bremer as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery, with the Brazilian expected to be out until mid-November.
Also missing from the defence line is left back Juan Cabal, who continues to rehabilitate a thigh injury suffered in Juve’s 2-2 draw against Villarreal in the Champions League on October 1.
Winger Edon Zhegrova is questionable to play against Real Madrid after he reinjured his hip.
It is unclear which formation Tudor will deploy against Real after he ditched his preferred 3-4-2-1 setup during their upset loss to Como on Sunday.
Brazilian international Bremer, the stalwart of the Juventus defensive line, will be unavailable for action against Real Madrid as he continues to recover from knee surgery [File: Daniele Badolato/Juventus FC via Getty Images]
Michele Di Gregorio (goalkeeper); Pierre Kalulu, Daniele Rugani, Lloyd Kelly, Andrea Cambiaso; Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Teun Koopmeiners; Francisco Conceicao, Jonathan David, Kenan Yildiz
Head-to-head
Real Madrid and Juventus have faced each other 21 times in the Champions League, with Los Blancos having the slight advantage in total victories.
Previous meetings: 21
Real Madrid wins: 10
Draws: 2
Juventus wins: 9
Form guide:
Real Madrid: W-L-W-W-W (All competitions, most recent result last)
Juventus: D-D-D-D-L
Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior will be hoping to score his first goal of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League season against Juventus at the Bernabeu on Wednesday [File: Thomas Coex/AFP]
Uefa explained its ruling executive committee had “reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis” the requests from Spain and Italy, citing a lack of rules to prevent the games being switched.
But Euro chiefs pledged to work with Fifa to “uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities”.
Ceferin said: “League matches should be played on home soil.
“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent.
“Our commitment is clear – to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”
Prem chief Richard Masters has emphasised his total opposition to the prospect of English games being played overseas.
However, that policy could change if 14 of the 20 top flight clubs voted to explore the option.
Fan group Football Supporters Europe said: “We regret the decision to allow the requests but all 55 national associations have committed not to make further requests for domestic matches abroad without first consulting UEFA.
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“The onus is now on FIFA to plug this regulatory gap. We welcome UEFA’s commitment to work with FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions.”
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Ceferin doesn’t want more European domestic games played in foreign countriesCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Uefa says it consulted stakeholders and found “widespread lack of support” for league matches to be played abroad, echoing concerns raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions.
But it said world governing body Fifa’s regulatory framework is “not clear and detailed enough” for it to block the plans.
Fifa set up a working group last year to look at the impact of playing competitive domestic matches overseas.
Last year, La Liga said it wanted to hold Barcelona v Atletico Madrid in Miami before dropping the idea because of time constraints.
In 2019, Barcelona also planned to stage a league match against Girona in Miami, but the idea was scrapped after opposition from Spain’s football association and its players’ union.
Other one-off matches, such as the Italian Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup, have been held abroad in recent years.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said in August there are no plans to play an English top-flight match abroad.
The idea of the Premier League playing an extra round outside England – the so-called ’39th game’ – was raised in 2008 but shelved after criticism from fans and media.
ARSENAL under-19s midfielder Louie Copley was handed a straight red card in his team’s Uefa Youth League match against Olympiacos today.
The team skipper was sent off for a crunching tackle on Argyrios Liatsikouras just 15 minutes into the game at Boreham Wood’s Meadow Park.
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Arsenal youth midfielder Louie Copley got sent off against Olympiacos in the Uefa Youth LeagueCredit: Getty
Copley, 18, who signed a professional deal with the club in July, could have few complaints with Italian referee Matteo Marcenaro and it certainly changed the game.
Fellow midfielder Harrison Dudziak took the captain’s armband but Arsenal struggled and conceded twice in the first half to trail 2-0.
Ethan Cortes and Christos Filis were on target for the Greeks.
Olympiacos seemed a lot more pumped-up for the game but Arsenal did improve in the second half despite only having 10 men.
And with seven minutes left, Arsenal sub Josh Ogunnaike pulled one back.
The 17-year-old almost got an equaliser with just seconds left to play, but his effort was saved.
The attempted fightback proved to be unsuccessful for the hosts as they went on to lose 2-1 at Meadow Park.
Pressure is growing on football’s governing bodies to take action against Israel’s national football team over the war on Gaza.
Turkiye has become the first member of European football’s governing body, UEFA, to publicly call for Israel’s suspension from all football competitions, as pressure ramps up on the sport’s organising bodies to take action over the ongoing war on Gaza in advance of the World Cup 2026.
Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Friday sent a letter to international football leaders urging that “it is now time for FIFA and UEFA to act” – referring to the world and European football governing bodies.
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“Despite positioning themselves as defenders of civic values and peace, the sporting world and football institutions have remained silent for far too long,” Haciosmanoglu said, according to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
“Guided by these values, we feel compelled to raise our deep concern regarding the unlawful (and more importantly, completely inhumane and unacceptable) situation being carried out by the State of Israel in Gaza and its surrounding areas,” he added.
UEFA is moving towards a vote on whether to suspend Israel, whose men’s football team is in the middle of attempting to qualify for next year’s World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The 20-member UEFA ruling committee is expected to secure a majority to exclude Israel from games if a vote is called.
Unease has grown regarding the apparent double standard of Israel’s treatment and that of Russia, whose national team was banned by both UEFA and FIFA in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Also on Friday, a coalition of 48 high-profile professional athletes called on UEFA to suspend Israel from all football competitions over its assault on Palestinians in Gaza.
France midfielder Paul Pogba and English cricketer Moeen Ali were among 48 signatories to a statement calling for Israel’s suspension, published under the banner of Athletes 4 Peace.
“As professional athletes of diverse backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs, we believe sport must uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and humanity,” read the statement.
“We, the signatories of Athletes 4 Peace, call upon UEFA to immediately suspend Israel from all competitions until it complies with international law and ends its killing of civilians and the widespread starvation,” the athletes added.
The statement also cited the death last month of Suleiman al-Obeid – known as the Palestinian Pele – who, according to the Palestine Football Association, was killed when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza.
Israel has been a full member of UEFA since 1994 after being expelled from the Asian Football Confederation two decades earlier in a vote initiated by Kuwait and backed by other Arab countries.
It has only qualified for one men’s World Cup – the 1970 competition held in Mexico – when it was knocked out in the group stage without winning a game.
On Thursday, the US Department of State said it would “absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national football team” from next year’s World Cup.
Though UEFA is able to stop Israel from participating in games related to European competitions, it cannot stop Israel from competing in FIFA-run World Cup qualifiers.
The head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has warm relations with President Donald Trump – visiting the US leader at the White House in March – and so is seen as unlikely to back a move to suspend Israel.
Infantino will chair a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council next Thursday in the Swiss city of Zurich.
While in the Europa League, Nottingham Forest subbed out injured Ola Aina for Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Uefa stunned clubs with a surprise announcement this month, revealing it had agreed an “amendment” to registry regulations.
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The governing body announced clubs will be allowed the “temporary” replacement of one outfield player “with a long-term injury or illness.”
Uefa added: “The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”
It remains to be seen whether Slot decides to recall Chiesa though.
Young centre-back Rhys Williams was also left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
And he could get the nod if Slot feels his squad is light on defenders.
CHELSEA have made a last-ditch change to their UEFA squad ahead of their game against Bayern Munich tomorrow.
With a long-term injury to Dario Essugo, who is out for a minimum of 12 weeks with a thigh injury, the Blues have taken him down from their UEFA squad list on the UCL website.
The £18.5million midfielder had surgery after tearing a thigh muscle on international duty, in a major blow for Chelsea, who have now been left with a lack of cover for Moises Caicedo with Romeo Lavia also often injured.
Essugo has been replaced by loan signing Facundo Buonanotte in the UEFA list on the official site, who started the 2-2 draw away at Brentford on Saturday night, impressing Enzo Maresca on his debut.
Previously, they wouldn’t have been able to make the change, but can do so thanks to a new UEFA rule which was brought into action last week.
Buonanotte said when he signed: “It’s a great step in my career. I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge.”
So it was a shock when he was left off the UEFA A and B lists for Chelsea’s league phase fixtures, which begin in Bavaria on Wednesday, where they will face off against former striker Nicolas Jackson.
In a shock move, Uefa’s ruling executive committee announced it had agreed an “amendment” to regulations for the three club competitions.
Under the new rules, clubs are now allowed to make a “temporary” replacement of one outfield player with a long-term injury or illness” up until the sixth competition match day in December – when the Conference League initial phase will end.
Uefa said: “The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”
Chelsea have become the first team to take advantage of the rule, while Federico Chiesa and Mathys Tel of Liverpool and Spurs remain out of their respective squad lists.
With a growing list of injured players at Stamford Bridge, which has already included Levi Colwill, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer this season, the Blues will be grateful to be able to call upon the likes of Facundo Buonanotte in the Champions League this season.
Portugal earned a 3-2 victory at Hungary in their UEFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, with Joao Cancelo scoring a late winner, two minutes after the hosts had equalised, to put them in control at the top of Group F with two away wins from two.
The visitors came from behind to lead thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, but almost let the three points slip when conceding late on before Cancelo’s goal rescued the win to add to their 5-0 success in Armenia on Saturday.
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Hungary took the lead in the 21st minute when Barnabas Varga met Zsolt Nagy’s inch-perfect cross into the box with a header which went in off the upright, before Portugal drew level 15 minutes later through Bernardo Silva’s close-range effort.
Portugal went in front after Varga handballed a Ronaldo flick-on in the area, and the 40-year-old buried his spot kick into the bottom corner.
The goal took Ronaldo level with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz as the joint-top scorer in World Cup qualifiers on 39. He also extended his international record to 141 in 223 games.
Hungary, who drew 2-2 away to Ireland on Saturday, looked to have done the same in Budapest when Varga headed his second of the night six minutes from time, but the hosts were unable to hold on.
Two minutes later, Cancelo struck a first-time shot from outside the area after a Bernardo Silva pass to leave Portugal top of the group standings on six points.
“It’s never easy once you fall behind, and we showed a lot of character, just like against Germany and Spain [in the Nations League] in June when we were losing but managed to come back,” said Silva.
“Today, once again against a tough team, we managed to come back. Even when they scored after 80-something minutes, we still managed to score the winner.”
Armenia, who beat Ireland 2-1 earlier on Tuesday, are second with three points, with Hungary and Ireland on one point.
Ronaldo scores Portugal’s second goal from the penalty spot on September 9, 2025 [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]
Norway register double-digit win against Moldova
Norway’s Erling Haaland scored five goals and substitute Thelo Aasgaard added four more as they hammered hapless Moldova 11-1 to take another huge step towards qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
With five games played, the Norwegians top Group I on 15 points, six ahead of second-placed Italy, who have a game in hand. Moldova’s worst defeat leaves them bottom of the group with no points.
The group winners qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup, while the runners-up go into a playoff.
Haaland’s beautifully cushioned pass teed up Felix Horn Myhre to break the scoring deadlock with a sixth-minute tap-in, and Martin Odegaard should have made it two a minute later, but he blazed the ball over from close range.
The Norwegians did not have to wait long for another goal as Haaland rattled home in the 11th minute, snapping up a loose ball in the box and sweeping it into the far corner.
Haaland slotted home his second to round off a Norwegian counterattack in the 36th minute and completed his hat-trick before halftime.
Moldova keeper Cristian Avram forced him to go wide, but Haaland recovered the ball and chipped it brilliantly in at the far post to make it 4-0.
Odegaard netted a fifth in first-half stoppage time, and seven minutes into the second half, Haaland struck again, scoring his fourth with a header as Norway ran riot in front of their home fans.
Substitute Aasgaard struck twice, either side of an own goal by Leo Ostigard, and he got his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 79th minute before Haaland added the 10th, his ninth goal in five World Cup qualifiers.
Aasgaard completed the rout with a flicked finish in second-half stoppage time to complete a rare double-digit margin of victory.
Norway’s Erling Haaland scores their fourth goal to complete a hat-trick against Moldova in their UEFA World Cup qualifying match at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway, on September 9, 2025 [Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via Reuters]
England dominate Serbia
England took a huge step towards automatic qualification for the World Cup, with captain Harry Kane paving the way for an impressive 5-0 victory away to main Group K rivals, Serbia.
Criticised for a laboured home win over Andorra at the weekend, England produced their best display under Thomas Tuchel to take full advantage of a timid Serbia display and maintain their 100 percent record in the group without conceding a goal.
Kane headed England’s opener from Declan Rice’s corner in the 33rd minute, and minutes later Noni Madueke scored his first senior international goal to double the lead.
Seven minutes after the break, it was Ezri Konsa’s turn to open his England account and put the visitors in cruise control with a close-range finish.
Serbia’s night went from bad to worse when Nikola Milenkovic was sent off in the 73rd minute for a foul on Kane, and from Rice’s resulting free kick, Marc Guehi arrived to make it 4-0.
Substitute Marcus Rashford rounded it off with a late penalty after a foul on Ollie Watkins as England moved to 15 points from five games and a seven-point lead over Albania.
Serbia’s first defeat in the group leaves them third on seven points, with a game in hand.
The group winners qualify for next year’s finals, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.
England’s Marcus Rashford scores their fifth goal from the penalty spot against Serbia on September 9 [Andrew Boyers/Action Images via Reuters]
Who: Armenia vs Portugal What: UEFA qualifiers for FIFA 2026 World Cup Where: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia When: Saturday, September 6 at 8pm (16:00 GMT).
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
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Portugal begin their quest to reach the FIFA 2026 World Cup when they travel to Armenia on Saturday for their UEFA qualifying match, but much of the focus is on the first match for the Portuguese since the passing of their forward, Diogo Jota.
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves will wear the number 21 jersey of his late friend, Jota, during games for the national team and has revealed a tattoo on his left calf in honour of the former Liverpool striker, who died in July.
“I and the entire national team will do everything we can to keep Diogo here with us, on our team,” Neves said late Tuesday at a ceremony at Portugal’s training base held ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Hungary. Republic of Ireland are the other team in Group F
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car accident on July 3.
Neves, who plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, was very close to Jota – they played together at English club Wolverhampton and Portugal – and spoke on behalf of the Portugal squad about his former teammate at the ceremony, which was also attended by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Luis Montenegro, the recently appointed prime minister.
The Portuguese federation posted a video on X of Neves with a tattoo that shows him embracing Jota, who was wearing the number 21 jersey.
Tuesday’s ceremony was also a tribute to Jorge Costa, the former Portugal international who died last month of cardiac arrest.
Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, described Jota and Costa as men “who loved football; who loved their country; who loved their national team; men who defended, with courage and dedication, the colours of our flag”.
Jota and Costa were posthumously honoured as Commanders of the Order of Merit and awarded medals, which were accepted by family members.
The federation said the squad was made up of “23 (+1)” players – in another nod to the memory of Jota.
Why have Portugal not played any World Cup qualifiers yet?
Portugal, along with 23 other teams, are only joining the qualifying programme for the World Cup now due to the progress of some of the top seeds in the 2025 Nations League, which culminated in June.
Portugal beat Germany in the semifinal, while Spain overcame France. The rest of the qualifiers for the latter stages of that tournament are also only entering the World Cup qualifiers now.
Head-to-head
This is the seventh meeting between the countries, with four Portugal wins and two draws recorded previously.
The last meeting came in a Euro qualifier in 2015, which the Portuguese won 3-2 in Armenia.
Armenia team news
Narek Grigoryan is injured, while Norberto Briasco misses out due to a family issue.
Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos are both, however, back in the first-team plans.
Portugal team news
Rafael Leao is out with a calf injury, while Diogo Dalot has a muscle problem and has been forced to withdraw.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored five goals in four games against Armenia, including a hat-trick in the last meeting between the sides.
Violent action unfolded in Wrocław’s historic square
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Police separated the fans, before allegedly also arresting fans away from these scenes
The fighting spilt over when fans started kicking and throwing flares into each other’s camps, chairs were flying through the air, and fans squared up to each other before police, some armed with guns, came to split them up.
However, AWAY from that drama, according to the Football Supporters Association, ten Chelsea fans were wrongfully arrested and detained without any access to legal representation or allowed contact with relatives for 24 hours.
It’s claimed that these fans were not at all involved with the disorder elsewhere in Wrocław’s historic square.
Those involved allegedly had their hands cable-tied by police wearing masks, and held in vans with no ventilation, food or water for hours, before being taken to a police station.
There, they claim to have been mocked, strip-searched, and coerced into signing documents without the benefit of any translation or legal explanation.
One of the detainees said, “One individual suffered a panic attack and was nearly unconscious before officers permitted minimal bathroom access.
“When we arrived at the station, detainees were mocked by officers, denied phone calls, and strip-searched in front of mixed-gender officers.”
Another fan said: “We were presented with documents written entirely in Polish and were coerced into signing them without the benefit of any translation or legal explanation whatsoever.
“Although I was presented with my rights in English, I was barely given any time to read them before being taken to my cell. When I asked if I could take the document with me to read it properly, my request was denied, and this form remained unsigned.”
The fans involved were then supposedly released over 24 HOURS after the initial upset, missing the entirety of their team’s European final in which Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1, while Polish police claim the fans were ‘misidentified’ and released as ‘witnesses’ without apology.
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While the group are pursuing legal advice and hoping to receive compensation for how they were treated, they have been backed by the Chelsea Supporters Trust and called on Chelsea and UEFA to look into the incident further.
The fans involved said: “We ask that Chelsea treat these matters with the seriousness they deserve and stand firmly against the injustice committed against innocent supporters.
“We hope Chelsea FC will support its fans and take appropriate steps to defend those who did nothing wrong.
“The treatment that some Chelsea supporters received from the Polish authorities in Wroclaw before the Conference League Final in May was utterly appalling.
“The treatment of these supporters was unacceptable, and the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will continue to assist and support those supporters in their ongoing dispute with all authorities involved.”
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Police used tear gas on fans in the main square
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Gun-wielding officers took to the streets as fans looked on in fear
An estimated 70,000 fans arrived in the city earlier in the week with many drinking and eating in close proximity to rival supporters.
A statement from Lower Silesian Police in Wrocław said 28 people had been arrested on Wednesday over the violent scenes.
They said at the time: “After 5pm on the Wrocław Market Square, in connection with the previous negative behaviour of fans and the clash of several hundred people from both teams, arrests of fans involved in this incident are ongoing.
“The police quickly took action and restored the violated legal order, and now they continue to act so that others can safely participate in this great celebration of sports.
“At this moment, we can confirm the arrest of 28 participants in the incident.
“No one will escape legal responsibility and the police will react decisively and appropriately to the situation.”
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Tottenham forward Mathys Tel says the online racist abuse he received after the club’s recent defeat in the Uefa Super Cup will not “bring him down”.
The 20-year-old Frenchman was the target of abusive messages on social media after Spurs lost the match 4-3 on penalties after letting a two-goal lead slip in normal time.
Tel came on as a substitute in the 79th minute and was one of two Spurs players who failed to convert from the spot in the penalty shootout.
Spurs said they were “disgusted” by the abuse and those who sent the messages to Tel, who joined the north London club from Bayern Munich permanently in the summer, were “nothing but cowards”.
Speaking for the first time since the incident in a post on his Instagram account, external Tel said he wanted to say “thank you” for all the “messages of support” he had received.
“I was also disappointed about Wednesday night but racism has no place in our society. Every day is a learning curve, and every day is a lesson,” Tel said.
“I know where I come from, where I started and none of this will bring me down. With work and humility, respect reigns.”
Tel’s comments come in the wake of racist abuse suffered by Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo in their opening match of the Premier League season against Liverpool at Anfield.
Last Friday’s game with the current champions was briefly halted in the 29th minute after Semenyo flagged it up to the referee.
A 47-year-old man from Liverpool, who was arrested by Merseyside Police on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, has been conditionally bailed.
French forward Mathys Tel was one of two Tottenham players to miss their penalties in the UEFA Super Cup defeat by PSG.
Tottenham has slammed the “cowards” who racially abused French forward Mathys Tel in the wake of the team’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup after a penalty shootout.
The 20-year-old Tel, who is Black, was one of two Tottenham players who failed to convert their penalties as they lost the shootout 4-3 to PSG after a 2-2 draw.
“We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat,” Tottenham said in a statement.
“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.”
Tottenham said the club will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take “the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify”.
“We stand with you, Mathys,” Spurs added.
Tel, who joined the team on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich in the offseason after a loan spell last season, went on as a substitute in the 79th minute when Tottenham was 2-0 ahead.
BBC Sport pundit Julien Laurens believes Lucas Chevalier recovered well from his early mistake in his PSG debut and has dealt with the pressure of replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma, as the French goalkeeper saved a penalty to help PSG beat Tottenham Hotspur win the UEFA Super Cup in Udine.
