Real Madrid turned up the pressure on La Liga president Javier Tebas, demanding his immediate resignation after accusing him of using “propaganda techniques” associated with the Nazis in a comparison to Joseph Goebbels. The club’s hard-line response quickly became the standout development in Spain, where Madrid also secured another major piece of business with Jude Bellingham agreeing to a new multi-year contract.

Manchester City’s financial case remained the dominant talking point around the Premier League champions. City are trying to overturn a guilty verdict and are leaning on what has been described as “irrefutable evidence,” with the appeal hinging on whether the panel is prepared to reject the Abu Dhabi government’s account. Wider claims about possible UEFA sanctions and other punishments stayed in the realm of unconfirmed scenarios. Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, said City’s cheating cost him his job at Manchester United.

At Old Trafford, Michael Carrick pushed back on suggestions of a fractured dressing room, saying the issue around Lisandro Martinez’s criticism of the hierarchy is over and that the squad is moving on. Carrick insisted United are “in a good place” despite poor results and said Martinez could be used against Leeds United. Off the field, United’s finances remain a concern, with the club viewed as unlikely to match the Premier League’s biggest spenders for several years because of heavy historic debt.

Leeds, for their part, have reached an agreement in principle on a new contract with manager Daniel Farke ahead of Sunday’s meeting with United at Elland Road.