Manchester United and Man City have been given a huge boost in their hope of staying in European competitions this season.
After both United and City agreed to become founding members of the European Super League, there was speculation that they could be expelled from their European competitions before next week's semi-finals.
United are set to play Roma in the Europa League, with City playing PSG in the Champions League, yet comments from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin placed a huge question mark over whether these games would take place.
After previously threatening to ban teams involved in a Super League, Ceferin confirmed UEFA was assessing its options.
"We're still assessing with our legal team but we will take all the sanctions that we can and we will inform you as soon we can," he said.
"My opinion is that as soon as possible they have to be banned from all our competitions and the players from all our competitions."
Indeed, UEFA's executive member Jesper Moller said he expected rebel clubs to be expelled from their European tournaments by Friday.
"The clubs must go and I expect that to happen on Friday," he said.
Yet, as previously reported, United figures believe UEFA's plans are 'not lawful' and that both the Champions League and Europa League would be devalued if the breakaway clubs are immediately expelled.
This stance appears to have been backed up by leading sports rights expert Juan de Dios Crespo.
Speaking to Goal Espana, Crespo said it is likely that clubs will be barred from entering in future, rather than being expelled from an ongoing tournament.
"In the regulations of the Champions League, as in the Europe League, there is a procedure of admission, with established criteria," explained Crespo.
"They may not be expelled, but they may also not be allowed in.
"Once they are in this year, they cannot be kicked out, it will be the next year that they are not allowed to come in, at most."
The governing body has also threatened to ban any player competing in the Super League from playing international football and Crespo believes this is a more credible situation.
He said: "UEFA is formed through national federations and if the players are not registered with the federation, because they don't play in national competitions, then they cannot play with their national teams.
"If these clubs are expelled from the national competitions, that would mean that the players could not play for their national teams because they would not be registered."
