Napoli qualified for the Champions League group stage by winning 3-0 at Bologna on Wednesday and two goals from Mario Balotelli kept AC Milan on course for the qualifying round with a 4-0 victory at Pescara.
Be it at Inter Milan, Manchester City or AC Milan, striker Balotelli has grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons. This season, the striker walks the same, shameful road. The Italian's tryst with trouble continued when he was handed a three-match ban for his sending-off at the end of Sunday's 2-1 home defeat by Napoli. As Balotelli keeps jumping from one controversy to another, Rediff.com brings you a quick recap of episodes involving the 'indisciplined Italian'.
The result left Milan in third place in the Serie A league.
Three time European champions Inter Milan were stunned 2-0 at home by Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Manchester United were floored by a late goal from Feyenoord as the Europa League group stage got underway on Thursday.
Extra spice was added to Tottenham's clash with Chelsea on Saturday after Andre Villas-Boas said he went into management when his coaching ambitions were thwarted by Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
"I have put all my efforts and energy into finding solutions to a situation that a footballer often experiences, but there has been no will on the other side. Some moments are difficult to assimilate."
"Everything will not be complete if we don't win the Champions League now. We have done some incredible seasons."
Chelsea captain John Terry has criticised the standard of UEFA's elite referees following his side's elimination from the Champions League by Inter Milan last week.
Pep Guardiola is expected to take a sabbatical after quitting Barcelona but there are plenty of clubs who would be eager to entice him back to football.
Lukaku used his goal after 10 minutes in St Petersburg to send a message of support to Eriksen, who dropped to the ground during Denmark's opening Euro 2020 game against Finland in Copenhagen and was given CPR on the pitch earlier in the day.
After a week of controversy caused mainly by FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments about racism, UEFA will hope that action on the pitch dominates this week's Champions League headlines as the group stage reaches crunch time.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Juventus goal since October to rescue a 2-2 Serie A draw against Sassuolo
AC Milan are battling to sign Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic after their disappointing pre-season but the Swede is unlikely to be on board for Sunday's Serie A opener at home to promoted Lecce.
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Thursday he was joining Manchester United, the highest-profile signing to date by new manager Jose Mourinho. "Time to let the world know. My next destination is @ManUtd," Ibrahimovic said on Twitter.
Carlos Tevez could stay at Manchester City until the end of the season even though he has not kicked a ball for them since September and is unlikely ever to do so again.
Metz draw at Marseille to end losing streak
Juventus moved a step closer to a second successive Serie A title after winning 2-1 in a pulsating "derby of Italy" at Inter Milan on Saturday, while Edinson Cavani came off the bench to inspire Napoli to a thrilling 5-3 win at Torino.
Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho said that he should be labelled the "Only One" instead of the 'Special One', after becoming the only coach to win the top three leagues in European football.
Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss his club's title showdown with AC Milan next month.
A summary of the concluding day's action in the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Saudi Pro League.
AC Milan's match against Torino was abandoned as fans clashed.
Andriy Shevchenko failed at Chelsea because he was too used to being treated like a prince at AC Milan, according to his former coach Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese, who will come face to face with Shevchenko again in this season's Milan derbies, said the striker was not his first choice in the transfer market.
Former Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan manager Claudio Ranieri has been appointed as Monaco coach as the club from the wealthy principality look to regain their top flight status, the Ligue 2 side said on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho has agreed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid which ties him to the club until 2016, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.
Inter Milan manager Rafa Benitez delivered another of his famous statistically-led retorts on Monday to prove that his team were not suffering more than their fair share of injuries.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
IMAGES from the Europa League matches played on Thursday
Italian Referees Association hopes match officials will be treated with greater respect if and when Serie A returns following the coronavirus stoppage.
AS Roma's Brazilian midfielder Mancini has become Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho's first major signing, the Italian champions said on Tuesday.
Manchester City have one just victory from their last 10 games across all competitions.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho breezed back into the San Siro like a rock star on Tuesday but the ice cool Portuguese said sentiment had nothing to do with the serious business of reaching the Champions League last 16.
Samuel Eto'o said on Thursday he was considering a move from Inter Milan to the Premier League.
With Mbappe on the left flank of France's attack, he will cross paths with right-back Hakimi, the player he took under his wing when the Moroccan joined PSG from Inter Milan in 2021.
With United unable to sign a replacement, the pressure will be on 21-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford to deliver the goals in a more central role than he has previously operated in.
Argentina's injured captain Lionel Messi has been named in a squad missing the suspended Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain for next month's World Cup qualifier against South America's bottom side Paraguay.
LaLiga leaders Barcelona's pursuit of a 27th Spanish title gained momentum after a 2-1 comeback win over Real Madrid.
Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan can strengthen their cases to be World Player of the Year with more stellar performances in Friday's European Super Cup.
Lukaku's comments on being unhappy at Chelsea 'unhelpful': Tuchel
Later on Monday, Lukaku's brace helped Inter to a win over Napoli, taking them atop the standings on goal difference from Juventus.
