NYON, SWITZERLAND // Real Madrid's plea for Uefa to open new investigations into Barcelona players' Champions League behaviour has been rejected.
Uefa rejected fresh protests by both clubs, and said no new charges would be levelled following a bad-tempered semi-final first-leg match last Wednesday, which Barcelona won 2-0.
Instead, Uefa's disciplinary committee will meet on Friday to examine six charges against the two clubs — five for Real, one for Barcelona — including two for the Real coach Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho made offensive comments to match officials and said Uefa actively helped Barcelona reach Champions League finals.
Real reacted by asking Uefa to sanction Daniel Alves, Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Busquets for feigning injuries.
They also wanted Uefa to look again at a red card shown to Pepe for his tackle on Alves when the match was goalless after an hour.
"In the case of the behaviour of the Barcelona players, it was deemed that there was no common strategy to provoke the Real Madrid players, while in the case of Pepe, the referee's factual decision is upheld," Uefa said in a statement.
"As a result, the player Pepe is suspended for the Barcelona-Real Madrid match [being payed tomorrow]."
Mourinho also will serve a touchline ban at Camp Nou after being sent from the dugout last Wednesday.
Barcelona's additional complaint regarding Mourinho's post-match rant also was rejected by a single member of Uefa's disciplinary committee.
"Barcelona have been referred to the proceedings already brought against Jose Mourinho," the statement said.
On Friday, Uefa will consider charges against Mourinho plus Pepe for his sending off, and Real for their fans throwing missiles and invading the pitch.
Barcelona faces a single charge, for their unused substitute goalkeeper Jose Pinto receiving a red card for his part in a touchline fracas at half-time.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.