Manchester City under scrutiny from UEFA

Did Man City fans wreck their Champions League dream? Pep Guardiola's side were leading shootout before crowd kept hold of ball to knock Bernardo Silva 'out of sync' before he fluffed his lines
Arsenal dealt a heartbreaking lesson in Champions League knockout football by European royalty, writes SAMI MOKBEL
Mikel Arteta admits it could be YEARS until Arsenal win the Champions League after reality check against Bayern Munich - and says he 'can't find the words' to lift his devastated players
City's dream of a Double Treble is no more… which is bad news for Arsenal and Liverpool, writes OLIVER HOLT
Bukayo Saka's injury-time mistake 'summed up' Arsenal's 'very disappointing' performance against Bayern Munich, says Gunners legend Martin Keown as he insists Mikel Arteta's side 'didn't lay a glove' on Germans
PLAYER RATINGS: Erling Haaland is still goal-shy on the big nights… while Jude Bellingham covered every blade of grass
Premier League suffer HUGE blow in the UEFA coefficient rankings after Arsenal and Man City's quarter-final defeats... with Thursday's fixtures set to prove crucial in race for fifth Champions League spot
Leicester remain huge favourites to get promoted to the Premier League, with the Foxes still tipped to win the Championship title despite stuttering end to the season
Jurgen Klopp urges his Liverpool side to channel their miracle comeback against Barcelona in 2019... as the Reds bid to overturn a shock 3-0 deficit against Atalanta
Alejandro Garnacho's petulant dig at Erik ten Hag shows the ludicrous sense of entitlement among Man United's stars, writes SIMON JORDAN
Amanda Staveley 'appeals court order that could see her face BANKRUPTCY and removed from role at Newcastle'... as the Magpies director resigns from 20 companies linked to the club
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The Six Nations should look at promotion and relegation at all levels... struggling teams must not be allowed to bumble along without the feeling of pressure
PLAYER RATINGS: Bukayo Saka's performance hampered Arsenal in their Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich as another Gunners forward rates just 5.5/10
'What a fantastic way to lose': Pep Guardiola hails his players after dramatic defeat by Real Madrid... as Man City boss says they must lift themselves for FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea
Harry Kane revels in 'unbelievable win' over Arsenal and reveals what Bayern Munich said at half-time to inspire dominant second-half performance
Rio Ferdinand jokes Jude Bellingham is 'who you want your daughter to bring home' as he fawns over the England star's maturity after Real Madrid's penalty shootout win over Man City
THE NOTEBOOK: Bayern supporters aren't forgetting their UEFA fan ban in a hurry, Mikel Arteta's pre-match mind games continue - and Takehiro Tomiyasu offers Arsenal a silver lining
Man City fans are spotted taking selfies with Man United legend Rio Ferdinand prior to their quarter-final clash against Real Madrid... as rival supporters question the 'weird behaviour' outside the Etihad
THE NOTEBOOK: 'Spanish Mike Dean' is back to haunt Pep Guardiola, superstitious Carlo Ancelotti asks Real Madrid to change team hotel and Phil Foden shows the way to Wembley
Arsenal miss out on a place in next year's Club World Cup after suffering defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League - with FC Salzburg set to take final spot in the competition
Martin Odegaard screams at officials after Arsenal are denied a late corner in their defeat to Bayern Munich... despite the ball seemingly striking TWO of the home players
Barcelona's dressing room split: Ilkay Gundogan's dismantling of his team-mates is nailed down on to THREE big-name culprits - and 'other players support his criticism' - days before El Clasico
Sum of £2.5BILLION promised to Ukrainian war victims after Chelsea sale is STILL stuck in a bank account... as fears grow that funds could take years to be released
Cristiano Ronaldo 'wins legal battle against Juventus as court rules for Italian giants to pay former star £8.3MILLION' - after he deferred months of pay during Covid pandemic

Girona are set to become the latest foreign club to join the City Football Group
The La Liga side are currently owned by Pere Guardiola's company, Pep's brother
Manchester City and Girona will meet in a friendly in Spain on Tuesday evening
READ: Benjamin Mendy trains with City team-mates for first time since move

By Chris Wheeler And Jack Gaughan For Mailonline

Published: 01:55 EDT, 15 August 2017 | Updated: 03:07 EDT, 15 August 2017

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UEFA are monitoring Manchester City’s plans to invest in Spanish club Girona over concerns about a possible conflict of interest surrounding the deal.

Pep Guardiola’s side face the La Liga newcomers in an exhibition game in Catalonia on Tuesday as part of the tie-up that will see Girona become the latest foreign club to join the City Football Group.

The size of City’s stake in Girona remains unclear although it is known that Media Base Sports, the agency owned by Guardiola’s brother Pere, is the other major shareholder.

Pep Guardiola will take charge of his side in a friendly against Spanish side Girona on Tuesday

However, the deal is in danger of contravening UEFA rules that prevent clubs with the same owners playing in European competition – even if one is in the Champions League and the other in the Europa League.

If City and Girona both reached the Champions League next season, the one finishing lowest in the Premier League or La Liga would be forced to drop out under Article 5 of the competition’s rules.

Red Bull Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg have both been allowed to enter this season’s Champions League, but only after a UEFA investigation was satisfied that the drinks company are no longer owners of Salzburg and only sponsor the Austrian club.

City’s investment in Girona is unlikely to meet that criteria, and UEFA were keeping a close eye on developments last night.

Girona are set to join CFG’s global stable of clubs that includes New York City FC, Melbourne City, Yokohama F Marinos and Club Atletico Torque.

City have already sent four players – Douglas Luiz, Aleix Garcia, Pablo Maffeo and Marlos Moreno – on loan to Girona for the new season.

Manchester City will loan Olarenwaju Kayode to Girona after completing a deal for the winger

It emerged on Monday that a fifth player, Olarenwaju Kayode, is set to join them at the Montilivi Stadium after City agreed a deal with Austria Vienna for the 24-year-old Nigeria striker.

Last month, City defender Jason Denayer criticised the club for blocking a loan move to Lyon and ‘pushing’ him towards Girona.

Meanwhile, Ilkay Gundogan could return to action for City in Tuesday's game after being out of action for the last 10 months with a cruciate ligament injury.

Kyle Walker has been allowed to miss the three-day training camp and match for personal reasons while another new signing, Benjamin Mendy, has travelled and taken part in light training as recovers from a thigh injury.