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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
David Byrom

UEFA executive expects Manchester United and Man City to be expelled from European semi-finals

Denmark FA chairman Jesper Moller says he expects the five rebel clubs that remain in European competition this season to be expelled from their respective semi-finals by the end of this week.

Manchester United and Man City booked their places in the semi-finals of the Europa League and Champions League respectively last week.

City's 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund secured a 4-2 victory on aggregate in the Champions League and prompted emotional scenes as they qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament for just the second time in their history, and the first under manager Pep Guardiola.

United, meanwhile, overcame Granada 4-0 on aggregate to advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Yet, after Sunday's announcement that the two clubs are part of the 12 breakaway sides who intend to set up a European Super League, those matches could be their last involvements in a UEFA competition.

Moller, who sits on the UEFA executive committee, told DR that he expects any of the 12 clubs still in Europe to be excluded by Friday at the latest.

Yet he admitted this puts UEFA in a strange position over the Champions League, with three of the semi-finalists among the breakaway clubs.

He said: "The clubs are going out and I expect that to happen on Friday, and then you have to see how to finish the Champions League."

Moller's words echo those of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who said those involved in the ESL could be banned 'as soon as possible' from all European competitions.

"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."

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