#champions-league

#champions-league

Benfica categorically denies that player Prestianni communicated to the squad or the club's management that he had uttered a racist insult against Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior. As has already been made public, the player apologised to his teammates for the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid, regretting its magnitude and consequences and assuring everyone, as he has done from the very beginning, that he is not racist.

I was sometimes surprised at how everything turned out. But I always thought I could do it. So I persevered and worked hard. I'm very satisfied, but of course there's always room for improvement. Hopefully I can score more goals, provide more assists, and deliver even better performances.

Real Madrid have banned a club member for performing the Nazi salute during the Champions League playoff second-leg against Benfica, a game already overshadowed by allegations of racism. Madrid said in a statement that it had urgently requested the club's disciplinary committee to start an immediate expulsion procedure for the member, who was caught on TV cameras doing the gesture in the stands before kickoff.

He [Beckham] messaged me on Instagram about it. That was crazy, because he had some of the biggest moments ever with free-kicks. I remember the first time I met Beckham was in Qatar. We all approached him. Every player was like, he was a god, you know, because it's Becks.

Of course, I had to settle in first. I had an adjustment period, so things didn't quite go as planned on the pitch at the beginning. I had to get to know my teammates, and they had to get to know me - how to interact on the pitch, how to play together. That took a little while. But now, in the last few games, I'm very happy with my performances and how I've played.

The holders recovered from 2-0 behind to win the opening match of their knockout phase play-off last Tuesday, when substitute Desire Doue scored twice. Monaco, who beat PSG 1-0 at home in Ligue 1 on November 29, were reduced to 10 players in the 48th minute of the first leg when midfielder Aleksandr Golovin was sent off.

At 12:45 pm ET, Atalanta takes on Borussia Dortmund at New Balance Arena in Bergamo, Italy. Borussia Dortmund took the first match 2-0. In their last matchup, Borussia Dortmund got goals from Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier.

Behind the scenes, the Bayern star is following a daily extra training program designed by specialists and physiotherapists, all with one clear objective: a full return to his best level. Per a report captured by @iMiaSanMia, the 21-year-old is pushing to be fully available again as soon as possible. But there is no recklessness in the process.

If you still have the energy to tackle another round after that last brainteaser, we have curated a fresh selection of challenges to see if your footballing knowledge is truly top-tier, all courtesy of Kwizly. From the prestige of the Champions League to the unpredictable world of reality television, there is plenty here to keep your brain working overtime. We'll start with a look at the elite clubs of the continent.