The Monaco draw split the giants: Arsenal get Real Madrid and Bayern in the same group

The league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League was drawn at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, and the English clubs have nothing to celebrate. Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal get Real Madrid at home and Bayern Munich away - two clubs that between them hold 21 titles in this competition. Manchester City, in their first season without Pep Guardiola on the bench, face PSG and Barcelona. Manchester United return to the elite after a break and immediately draw Atlético Madrid and Bayern. Eight matches, and almost nobody has an easy schedule. The first round runs from 8 to 10 September, and the league phase does not finish until 27 January 2027.

Aston Villa take Jackson from Chelsea despite the rule that was supposed to stop it

This is a story in which football is secondary. Aston Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for 117 million pounds - a record for a British player - while Alejandro Garnacho went the other way on loan. UEFA has a 45-day rule that exists precisely to stop two clubs from selling players to each other and prettying up their books in the process. Now Villa are paying 65 million pounds for Nicolas Jackson from that very same Chelsea, and the rule is not stopping the transaction. UEFA's explanation is that the timing of the two transfers is only one of the factors. When a rule is worded that broadly, the question asks itself: what is it for? Unai Emery has wanted Jackson since his Villarreal days, but the signature on the contract is written by the accounting department, not the coach.

Gakpo wants out of Liverpool, and the destination is the Etihad

Cody Gakpo has turned down Tottenham and settled on Manchester City, reports journalist David Ornstein. The Dutchman is 27 and signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool only in August 2025 - meaning the club is now considering letting go of a player it tied down to 2030 barely a year ago. The numbers are on his side: 50 goals and 23 assists in 180 matches for the "Reds", three goals at this summer's World Cup for the Netherlands, a goal against Newcastle in the opening round and an assist for Isak against Nottingham Forest. Liverpool bought him from PSV for an initial 37 million pounds. If he leaves, a hole opens on the wing - and Liverpool are a club that already has too many open fronts this season.

Pelister take their first win in Ǵorče Petrov, but the penalty opened a debate

The Bitola side recorded their first win of the new Macedonian Second League season, beating Makedonija ǴP away 0:1. The decisive moment came in the 81st minute - a penalty for Pelister, and Ivanovski took the responsibility and crowned his debut in the green-and-white shirt. Parts of the Macedonian media immediately disputed the referee's call, and it is a scene our football knows far too well: the win is remembered for three days, the argument about the penalty runs for three weeks. In the same round, Osogovo and Novaci finished 0:0, Rabotnički beat Euromilk GL 1:0 through Bogdanovski's goal, and Brera were better than Kajmani, winning 2:1.

Bardi spent two minutes on the pitch and finished with a straight red

Macedonian international Enis Bardi came on at half-time in Konyaspor's match against Kocaeli, and by the 48th minute he was already walking to the dressing room. A sharp challenge with the studs showing, and the referee produced a straight red without hesitation. Konyaspor had been leading until then, but fell apart a man down - Kocaeli scored twice and completed the turnaround for 2:1. For Bardi this is exactly the start to the season he did not need: he has not started any of the first three matches and has accumulated a total of 40 minutes on the pitch. A player with his experience in the Turkish league should be racking up minutes, not red cards.