GM football fans. It’s Thursday, Apr. 17 - Champions League’s last four, the Premier League closes a PSR loophole, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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KEY FIXTURES

Europa League, Quarter-finals, Leg 2, 20:00 / 15:00. Manchester United vs. Olympique Lyonnais, Agg 2-2. United are unbeaten in 11 UEL knockout ties when drawing the first leg away from home. Meanwhile, Lyon have won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions. Athletic Club vs. Rangers, Agg 0-0. Athletic have won all five of their home games in this season’s competition, but Rangers are unbeaten in their last seven away matches. Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Agg 1-1. Frankfurt are unbeaten at home in Europe this season, winning all four games without conceding. Spurs have lost six of their last seven away European knockout games in Germany and have only progressed once in their last 10 ties after failing to win the first leg at home. See the UEL bracket here.

Editor’s note: A system glitch meant some readers received a draft copy of the newsletter yesterday. A stat was incorrect in that version–four clubs, not one, have overcome a 3+ goal deficit in the Champions League.

Results…

• Champions League: Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (Agg 1-5) (Report) | Inter Milan 2-2 Bayern Munich (Agg 4-3) (Report)

• Premier League: Newcastle 5-0 Crystal Palace (Report)

TOP TALKING POINTS

Champions League Semi-Finals

The Champions League semi-finalists have been confirmed: Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and Inter Milan. The ties will be played over two legs, with the first leg scheduled on Tuesday, 29 April. See the bracket here.

In the first leg, Barcelona host Inter. Opta’s prediction model leans towards Inter to knock out the competition’s top scorers this season, Barcelona, over the two legs (52.6%). Meanwhile, Arsenal host PSG in their opening fixture, with the Gunners holding a narrow edge of advancing to the final at 51.2%.

After knocking out Real Madrid, Opta’s model says Arsenal are now 28.7% favourites to win the competition, followed by Inter at 25.5%. PSG are third (24%) and Barcelona are fourth (21.8%).

Premier League Closes Loophole

The Premier League has rewritten parts of its profit and sustainability rules (PSR) to stop relegated clubs avoiding sanctions. This comes after Leicester City found a loophole that shielded them from punishment for allegedly breaching the league’s rules following their relegation in 2023.

In September, Leicester won a legal challenge when an independent panel found that the Premier League did not have jurisdiction to punish the club as it had been relegated to the Championship in May. Leicester filed their accounts on 30 June 2023, by which time they were no longer a Premier League member.

The panel concluded that the PSR rules were “far from well drafted.” The Premier League’s amendment now means that clubs are still under the league’s jurisdiction until they have satisfied everything under the rules for the season they were relegated. The change will not apply retrospectively to Leicester’s case.

Ligue 1 Crisis

Negotiations between Ligue 1 and its broadcast partner DAZN have broken down, leaving the French league in a tough financial position. The two parties met on Tuesday to resolve their contract dispute, but DAZN rejected the proposal.

In February, DAZN withheld a payment of €70m to Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), citing a lack of support in fighting digital piracy. Following this, the LFP voted in favour of breaking the contract and proposed a financial compensation package, whereby DAZN would pay the full amount it owes for this season, and up to €125m in compensation for breaching what was meant to be a €1.6b deal over four years.

DAZN rejected the plan during Tuesday’s meeting. Instead, it proposed continuing the deal through the end of the year without paying compensation or honouring the full four-year term, but with a variable fee structure based on subscriber targets.

Regardless, French clubs will receive less media-rights money than budgeted. Ligue 1’s broadcast deal is already worth considerably less than its major European rivals.

POLL

ON THE BALL

Europe

> American band Linkin Park will perform at the Champions League final pre-match live show on May 31 (More)

> Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min will miss his side’s Europa League second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt today with a foot injury (More) | Manchester City are reportedly willing to pay Bayer Leverkusen €150m for Florian Wirtz and offer the player a €25m-per-year salary (More)

> Barcelona defender Mapi Leon has been banned for two Liga F matches after she appeared to touch Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas’ groin (More) | Antoine Griezmann, 34, has signed a contract extension to see him at Atletico until 2027 (More)

> The English Football League (EFL) has released shortlists for its 2025 awards (More)

> Mary Fowler, Manchester City forward has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) (More)

Americas

> Fifa is in advanced talks to host the 2026 World Cup draw in Las Vegas; Washington, D.C. is also an option if President Donald Trump wants to participate extensively (More)

> Inter Miami, the Chicago Fire, NYCFC and D.C. United have all expressed interest in signing Kevin De Bruyne (More) (More/non-paywall)

> Carlos Tevez wants former teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to take part in his farewell game in Buenos Aires (More)

Rest of the World

> Cristiano Ronaldo is set to extend his contract with Al-Nassr; everything you need to know (More)

> Gabon international Aaron Boupendza has died at the age of 28 after reportedly falling from a building in China (More)

> The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has updated its salary cap structure to be implemented from season 2025-26 as part of a new financial sustainability framework model (More)

ROUTERS’ VOICE

Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think Club World Cup spots should be based more on sporting merit or commercial appeal?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🔨 Merit... (82%)

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🤩 Commercial appeal... (8%)

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (10%)

Your punditry takes:

• 🔨 S: “I already have tickets for one of the games originally scheduled for Leon. I want to see good teams play, and I hope the replacement is chosen by a merit system.”

• 🔨 J.P: “Can’t believe anyone would think commercial appeal is even considered as a qualification.”

• 🤩 V.B: “Normally, I’d say merit. But the CWC should be viewed as an all-star tournament where we see top players who don’t often play against each other. Might as well make it entertaining!”

• ✍️ L.K: “There should be very clear qualifications for a World Cup event that has such a large payout. I've tried to understand, but have no idea how, really, any of the teams actually qualified, other than Real Madrid and Man City.” (See how each team qualified for the CWC)

• ✍️ T.A: “Obviously, it should be based on merit, but no one cares about the tournament, so why not make up your own rules as you go?”

EXTRA TIME

Carvajal clashes with Saka in the tunnel. (video via X)

The first red card ever overturned.

How scouts spot hidden talent.

Chelsea’s WSL title run-in explored.

Man City’s Club World Cup kits leaked. (photos)

Every Championship club can mathematically go up or go down.

The reason Kane changed his penalty technique.

Analysing Premier League playing styles this season.

Sunday league best own goals. (via X)

GAME FACE ON

Question: Since Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge on Manchester United, which are the three Premier League teams to have conceded more than their 48 goals?

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

UEFA Europa League, QF

• Athletic Club vs Rangers (Agg 0-0) (20:00)

• Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur (Agg 1-1) (20:00)

• Lazio vs Bodo/Glimt (Agg 0-2) (20:00)

• Manchester United vs Olympique Lyonnais (Agg 2-2) (20:00)

UEFA Conference League, QF

• Fiorentina vs Celje (Agg 2-1) (17:45)

• Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Real Betis (Agg 0-2) (17:45)

• Chelsea vs Legia Warszawa (Agg 3-0) (20:00)

• Rapid Vienna vs Djurgarden (Agg 1-0) (20:00)

*All time in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.

Answer

Southampton (59), Tottenham (53) and Leicester City (53).