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It has been a busy one in terms of European competition with three draws taking place.

We now know the ties for the last 16 of the Champions League with Arsenal facing Porto and Manchester City meeting FC Copenhagen.

The draws for the knockout play-off phase of the Europa League and Europa Conference League also took place in Nyon, Switzerland, although there aren't any British sides involved in those ties - catch up on how those draws have shaped up here.

And, of course, it's the busy festive period so there is some live action for you to enjoy tonight as Birmingham host Leicester in the Championship. You can follow that live text here.

There's plenty on the football index to enjoy too:

• Sunderland appoint Michael Beale
• Investigation into Maddy Cusack death finds no wrongdoing
• Eileen Gleeson appointed manager of Republic of Ireland women
• Met Police look into Ollie Watkins' fan abuse claim

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney says it is important their Championship game against Leicester City does not get "dragged into a sideshow".

It was set to be the first time he and Foxes striker Jamie Vardy had faced each other since the 'Wagatha Christie' legal battle between their wives, but Vardy will miss the game with injury.

Coleen Rooney won the court case, but her husband is focused on the football.

"It's Birmingham City v Leicester City," Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport.

Speaking before the announcement that Vardy would not be fit for the game, he said: "It's great that there is a global interest in Birmingham City playing Leicester City. [It is] a great platform for our players to show how good they are.

"But it's important that it doesn't all get dragged into a sideshow. Anything else should be about football. My job is just about Birmingham trying to win the game."

This evening's meeting between Rooney's mid-table team and Championship leaders Leicester will be the first time the Blues and the Foxes have met in the league in almost 10 years - not since Vardy's late winner at St Andrew's helped the Foxes complete a league double in January 2014.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Barcelona women's coach Jonatan Giraldez will leave his role at the Spanish club at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old was assistant to the team's previous manager Lluis Cortes from 2019 before becoming first-team manager in July 2021.

Giraldez has won the Champions League, two Spanish league titles, the Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups during his spell in charge.

"I informed the club I don't intend to renew my contract," said Giraldez.

"I want to leave them enough time to sort things out and find the best possible future."

Barcelona are top of Liga F on 36 points after 12 games, nine ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, and also lead their Champions League group after three wins from as many games.

Read the full article here.

Chelsea gained a three-point advantage in the Women's Super League title race by beating struggling Bristol City 3-0 in their final league match of the year.

Meanwhile, Arsenal squandered their chance to move top of the Women's Super League with defeat at local rivals Tottenham. Martha Thomas scored the only goal of the game in the second half to earn Spurs a first-ever WSL win over the Gunners.

Manchester City maintained their title push, as Khadija Shaw scored a hat-trick and missed a penalty in a comfortable 4-1 victory over Everton.

But Manchester United lost ground in the race as rivals Liverpool came away with a superb 2-1 victory at Leigh Sports Village.

Elsewhere, West Ham ended their five-game losing run with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City. and Aston Villa earned a narrow victory over fellow strugglers Brighton to distance themselves from the relegation fight.

You can read all of the WSL match reports from this weekend on their index.

Image source, Getty Images

An external investigation into the events leading up to the death of Maddy Cusack found no evidence of wrongdoing at Sheffield United.

Cusack, the first player to reach 100 appearances for the Blades, died in September at the age of 27.

Police did not treat her death as suspicious.

Despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing the Blades say they will "consider how processes and policies may be improved".

"The club is always looking for ways to evolve and will reflect on the outcomes and recommendations arising from the investigation," the club added.

Sheffield United said they had expanded the wellbeing support offered to their staff and increased "learning and development opportunities around language and culture, welfare and mental health awareness".

The investigation was carried out by an independent third party at the request of, and with co-operation from, Cusack's family.

Read more on the investigation here.

Image source, Getty Images

Eileen Gleeson, who was interim Republic of Ireland manager for the recent Women's Nations League campaign, has been appointed to the position on a full-time basis.

Gleeson assumed the temporary role in August after the Football Association of Ireland did not renew Vera Pauw's contract after the World Cup.

The Republic won all six Nations League games under her guidance.

That series of results earned the team promotion to League A.

Gleeson will now lead the team into the qualifying phase for the 2025 Uefa Women's European Championships, which will kick off in April following the draw on 5 March 2024.

Read more here.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

The various European draws have worked out quite well for the Premier League in their quest to get a fifth Champions League spot in next season's revamped competition.

England is currently trailing Germany and Italy - but just ahead of Spain - in the battle for their extra berth, with more points on offer the further you go in competitions.

The fact five of the eight Champions League last-16 ties involve combinations of teams from Italy, Spain, France and Germany evidently means they cannot all progress.

AC Milan and Freiburg both have French opposition in the Europa League knockout round, where England already have three teams into the last-16.

There are a lot of matches to play and it will probably be the quarter-final stage of the various competitions before we get a clear idea of where everyone is but England are not in a terrible situation despite the elimination of Newcastle and Manchester United last week.

• The last time Arsenal got past the round of 16 in the Champions League, they did so by beating FC Porto 6-2 on aggregate in the 2009-10 campaign. Nicklas Bendtner scored a hat-trick at the Emirates for the Gunners in that tie.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight major European games against Portuguese teams (W3 D5), all in the Europa League, since losing 2-0 to Sporting Braga in November 2010 in the Champions League.
• Arsenal have won all three of their home Champions League games against FC Porto by an aggregate score of 11-0, but are winless in all three away games (D1 L2).

There's still a long road ahead until we get to the pinnacle of European club football - the Champions League final.

Wembley hosts this season's showpiece on 1 June.

Of the eight previous finals on English soil, since the European Cup was founded in 1955-56, only twice has an English side managed to prevail - Manchester United in 1968 and Liverpool in 1978.

City are firm favourites to retain the trophy, holding a 30% chance, according to data compiled by Nielson's Gracenote, with Real Madrid (18%) and Bayern Munich (15%) in behind.

Arsenal, the only other English club remaining in the competition, look like they have a lot of obstacles to overcome if they are to lift the trophy for the first time.

Image source, Nielsen's Gracenote

• FC Copenhagen are the sixth different side to face both Manchester United and Manchester City in the same Champions League season after Real Madrid in 2012-13, FC Bayern Munich in 2013-14, Basel in 2017-18, Paris St-Germain in 2020-21 and Atletico de Madrid in 2021-22.
• Manchester City have progressed from the round of 16 in each of the last six seasons in the Champions League, while the last side to go out at this stage of the competition as the reigning champions was Liverpool in 2019-20 (2-4 on aggregate v Atletico Madrid).
• All three occasions of a Danish side facing the reigning champions in the Champions League have been against English opposition, with Aalborg BK in 2008-09 v Man Utd (D1 L1) and FC Nordsjælland in 2012-13 v Chelsea (L2) doing so previously in the group stages.

Nielsen's Gracenote have been analysing the data since the Champions League last-16 draw was made earlier today.

Holders Manchester City are given a 97% chance of reaching the quarter-finals as they take on FC Copenhagen who, according to the analysis, have just a 3% chance of advancing.

Arsenal (69%) come in just behind 14-time European champions Real Madrid (74%) with Bayern Munich, who boast the firepower of England captain Harry Kane, second on the list with an 87% chance of coming through their tie with Lazio.

Here's a reminder of the last 16 draw.

• FC Porto v Arsenal
• Napoli v Barcelona
• Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad
• Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
• PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
• Lazio v Bayern Munich
• FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
• RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

Image source, Nielsen's Gracenote

Image source, Getty Images

Saudi Arabia is using two stadiums, both in the city of Jeddah, to host a total of seven fixtures.

King Abdullah Sports City, which boasts a capacity of 62,345 - the home of Al-Ittihad - will host five fixtures, including the final, with two games set to take place at the 27,000-seater Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

Juventus and AC Milan met in the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana final at King Abdullah Sports City, while it has also hosted high-profile boxing events, including the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua when the Ukrainian won by split decision to retain his WBA (Super), WBO and IBF heavyweight titles.

The smaller Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium hosted Urawa Red Diamonds v Leon in the second round and the third-place play-off is also set to take place there.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

The World Leagues Forum, the worldwide organisation that represents many of the world's biggest competitions, including the Premier League, has written to FIFA to complain about the expanded Club World Cup.

The 32-team tournament finishes in the middle of July, just four weeks before the usual Premier League start date and three weeks before the Community Shield.

Manchester City and Chelsea have already qualified for the event in the United States.

It means they are likely to have virtually no pre-season build-up to the 2025-26 season once their players have been given the mandatory three weeks off.

The WLF feels Fifa is acting totally out of commercial self-interest.

Fifa believe they are developing a global competition that will benefit the whole of football. They did previously float the ideal of a biennial World Cup but scrapped that plan when it met with widespread opposition.

Image source, Getty Images

The last 10 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup have been won by European teams.

Since the competition started in 2000, 11 cubs have lifted the trophy with eight hailing from Europe and three from Brazil.

Brazilian rivals Corinthians and Vasco da Gama met in first final, with the former claiming victory via penalties after the match ended goalless. Corinthians also won the competition in 2012.

Sao Paulo (2005) and Internacional (2006) are the other two clubs from Brazil to have gone all the way.

Inter Milan were the first winners from Europe, beating Argentine outfit Boca Juniors 4-2 in an entertaining final in 2007.

Manchester United became the first English club to enjoy success when they overcame Ecuadorian outfit LDU Quito in 2008, while Liverpool and Chelsea were triumphant in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

Real Madrid ran out 5-3 winners against Al-Hilal in last year's final.

Los Blancos have won the Fifa Club World Cup on five occasions - more than any other team, with Barcelona (3) next on the honours list.

Manchester City

The final comment of the media conference came from Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, who said: "When you play this competition there is no tiredness. We are motivated to come here and play the competition.

"Almost all of us have never won it - and as a club we never won it - and we want to do it.

"First we have to play Urawa Red Diamonds and we will prepare well to do it."

Manchester City

On Manchester City being favourites to win the competition, Pep Guardiola said: "You have a responsibility to win all the games and all the competitions when you're at our level, we know how difficult that is but we’re used to the pressure.

"In the Premier League you always have another game. Here maybe it’s just once in a lifetime. The players want to try and perform well tomorrow."

Manchester City

On what it would mean to win the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola said: "First of all we have to be in the final to take this trophy an it’s a tricky semi-final.

"Of course we want to win it, it’s a trophy we don’t have. It will close a little circle in that we’ve won all the ones we can win.

"Saudi Arabia have made strong investments and attracted players. The players have decided to come and I’m looking forward to speaking to them and ask them how they’re getting on."

Manchester City

In response to a question on European teams being of a higher quality due to having a high economic status , Pep Guardiola said: "I don’t know the perception of the people around the world. For me it’s a pleasure and honour to be here and it shows the difficulty of reaching this point.

"We don’t want to take it for granted. It’s a privilege. It’s an honour.

"Of course economically Europe is stronger but that’s reality. I have no disrespect to the teams and other quality of managers but that’s why all players and managers want to go to Europe.

"You have to take your chance to play a good game tomorrow and get yourself to that final."

Manchester City

Speaking about Manchester City's recent form and how that affects them going into another competition, Pep Guardiola said: "It’s a different competition, so whatever happens here is different to the UK.

"We would prefer better results but we have to improve how we finish our games and be more aware of what we have to do in certain moments. Hopefully we can maintain our passion and desire to win and get time on the ball."