الأحد، 31 مارس 2019
Where does Messi’s goal against Betis rank among his greatest?
There’s a huge selection to choose from
Looking back on this campaign, several moments come to mind immediately, the 1-0 win against Madrid in La Liga, the 3-0 win in the Copa del Rey against Real again, and then the 5-1 demolition of Lyon in the Champions League.
But the most triumphant moment of this year must be Barcelona’s 4-1 win against Betis – a game in which Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick. All three goals were astonishing, especially the last, which had me thinking… where does it rank among Messi’s top five goals in his career for club? Here’s my list, in no particular order.
Maradonaesque Run Against Getafe
Who can forget the run that made Messi known as one of the best, so strikingly similar to that of Diego Maradona’s and that was just named Barcelona’s best ever goal? Of course, I know you’ve seen it – but it’s always good to watch it again.
Chip Goal Against Bayern Munich
Year? 2015 and the season of Barcelona’s treble-winning campaign. Playing against the former gaffer, Pep Guardiola, and a strong Bayern Munich team. Messi flipped the game upside down and did something worse to world-class defender Jerome Boateng.
Goal Against Real Betis
The aforementioned game and of course, the aforementioned goal. Messi received a ball from Ivan Rakitic and the conventional mind expected a dribble, or an instant cross. Not for the magisterial Argentinian though, Messi took a one-time shot, a beautiful chip right over the head of the Betis goalie. The goal was magnificent and even the Betis’ fans recognized the greatness in front of them – rising up from their seats and applauding him.
Free-Kick Against Atletico Madrid
A free-kick so perfect and almost unexplainable that it left one of the world’s best goalies baffled. Messi lined up against Atletico Madrid and instead of taking the route most players would have; Messi stunned everyone in the stadium.
Copa del Rey Goal vs Athletic Bilbao
Who can forget the marauding run against Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey? Messi bamboozled five defenders and even left his own team-mates speechless and picking their jaws up off the ground. The stage, the situation, and of course, the man himself delivered
How did I do with my selection? Tell us all about your favourite Messi goals in the comments below. Visca Barca!
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FC Barcelona News: 31 March 2019
Messi double brings derby joy (2-0) | FC Barcelona
Barça may have dominated the possession in Saturday’s Derbi Barcelonés, but it was a long wait before they finally found a way through Espanyol’s rock-solid defending. They got there in the end though, and once again it was Leo Messi who put the ball in the net. Twice!
Leo Messi breaks 40 goal mark for the 10th consecutive season | FC Barcelona
It was a performance that ensured he reached the figure of 40 goals this season, a mark that he has achieved for the last ten years consecutively. In the 2009/10 season he managed 47 goals in all competitions (2008/09 saw 38), and since then he has always passed 40. The 73 goals he scored during 2011/12 is a historic record, 50 of those coming in La Liga.
The referee awards Leo Messi his free-kick goal against Espanyol | Sport
The Argentine star took a free-kick which was headed over his own line by Victor Sanchez, although the ball was already heading in. The referee confirmed that Messi will have the goal, writing that he scored it in his report.
Messi’s brilliance no longer surprises Barcelona team-mates, says Busquets | Goal
Sergio Busquets was not surprised to see Lionel Messi overcome a pelvic injury to inspire Barcelona to a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol. Messi revealed this week that he has been managing a fitness concern since December, explaining his absence from Argentina’s friendly against Morocco.
Messi equals Casillas for most wins in La Liga | FC Barcelona
After the win against Espanyol, the Argentine now has 334 victories in the league and draws level with the former Real Madrid goalkeeper
Valverde rules out wholesale changes for season run in | Football Espana
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has ruled out any major squad rotations as his squad prepares for a crunch run of games in the coming weeks. The former Athletic Bilbao boss praised his side as they maintained their ten point lead at the top of the La Liga table, with a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol and he confirmed that he will only look to make small changes to his side.
Barça B 2-1 CD Teruel: Looking up | FC Barcelona
Barça B earned a crucial 2-1 victory over Teruel at the Miniestadi, bouncing back after conceding early to pick up three points and keep dreaming of a playoff berth.
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Malcom proves his worth again to Barcelona
The Brazilian was electric after coming on against Espanyol
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
That saying has been applied so many times to Lionel Messi we’ve lost count, and though the Argentinian was the headline grabber again on Saturday, substitute Malcom has to get a decent share of the praise on offer.
Barca were lethargic for the most part against Espanyol. Not exactly devoid of ideas, but without the energy to execute them.
Cue the young Brazilian.
Coming on for countryman, Arthur, we saw a player once again taking the chance afforded to him with both hands. In a 30-minute cameo he was sensational.
Felt Malcom changed the game for Barça today. Constantly asking for the ball, moving to find space and trying to break lines when he recieved possession. Surely deserves a chance?
— Lee Roden (@LeeRoden89) March 30, 2019
In some quarters, Blaugranes are already shipping him off to the Premier League, Serie A or back to Ligue 1.
I have one question. Why?
Here’s a youngster with the majority of his career ahead of him, who is still learning the trade and, most importantly, hasn’t been given too much of a look-in so far this season.
It’s shameful how Barça have been treating Malcom. Disgusted.
— Fiaz Hamzath (@fiaz_hamzath) March 30, 2019
When he has, he’s proved beyond doubt that he has what it takes to flourish long-term in this team. All he needs is minutes - consistently.
I don’t really want to get into the Philippe Coutinho debate, but for the purposes of the argument, the former Liverpool man has been given chance after chance after chance to prove himself, and by and large he hasn’t done that.
Malcom did more in twenty minutes than Coutinho in the entirety of 2019, he’s earned a starting place until Dembélé returns.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) March 30, 2019
Malcom, by contrast, has been a spark almost every time he’s come on, and his contribution has often been game-changing (see Inter, Real Madrid and now Espanyol as a start point).
Make no mistake, if the derby wasn’t quite getting away from Barca, they were making heavy weather of it, and, frankly, didn’t look like scoring.
Malcom’s introduction made all the difference.
Malcom needs more playing time. That goal doesn't happen if he isn't there. Brilliant Messi finish, but don't sleep on that Malcom run, pass
— kevinwilliams (@kevvwill) March 30, 2019
Those darting runs in behind, a turn of pace that defenders hate, little give and goes... he was always available, and would’ve had another assist to Luis Suarez if he could’ve just wrapped his foot around the ball a little more.
With some extra maturity to his game, and a broader understanding of the Barca style, there’s no reason why Malcom can’t be a valuable member of the squad for many seasons to come.
Malcom's situation is all the more heartbreaking because we can all SEE the potential. Imagine what this guy could do with regular minutes. Every time he plays he has an impact - and that's after not playing for weeks!
— TalkFCB (@FCBNewsRoom) March 30, 2019
I see no value in putting a price on him, as that only encourages potential bids. If he’s sold, then what? What would the club actually gain by moving him on for a like-for-like replacement?
Genuine pace is a nightmare for defenders, and there is already the genesis of a reasonable partnership with Jordi Alba down the left hand side.
If he’s allowed time to develop further, there’ll be a fair few made to eat their words.
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السبت، 30 مارس 2019
De Ligt says he could move to Juventus
And he hasn’t spoken to Frenkie de Jong about Barcelona
Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer but says he could join Serie A champions Juventus.
A host of Europe’s top clubs are believed to be keen on the talented 19-year-old, and he admitted there’s plenty of interest in his services.
“[A move to Juventus] could happen, but there are others who are also interested,” he said.
“We’ll see at the right time. At the moment I’m fully focused on Ajax and my agent Raiola is taking care of the rest.
“Also, [Frenkie] de Jong hasn’t spoken to me about a move to Barcelona.
Source | Tuttosport (via Goal)
Barcelona have already secured Frenkie de Jong’s signature, but De Ligt is believed to be their top priority for the summer transfer window.
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Valverde ‘had no idea’ what Messi was going to do with free-kick
The captain opened the scoring in style against Espanyol
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde admitted he had no idea what Lionel Messi was going to do with the free-kick he scored against Espanyol.
Messi pulled off another bit of magic with a chipped effort over goalkeeper Diego Lopez to put Barcelona ahead and surprise his manager.
“I had no idea what he was going to do,” he said. “I’d love to say it’s something we plan but it’s not like that, he did not pay attention to me and scored a goal.
”I suppose the goal will be awarded to Messi. It is not easy to beat the wall being so close to the goal.
“Some rivals put a player on the ground; others put a player on the goal line. For now, we are doing well like that.”
Source | Goal
Messi went on to score Barcelona’s second late on to secure the win with his 41st goal of the season so far in all competitions.
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Messi matches Iker Casillas’ La Liga win record
No-one has won more Spanish top-flight games
Lionel Messi’s double against Espanyol on Saturday not only saw him surpass 40 goals for the season, he also matched a La Liga record for most wins.
The Barcelona captain has now tasted victory 334 times in Spain’s top flight, level with Iker Casillas at the top of the standings:
334 - @FCBarcelona_es ’s Leo Messi is now the player to win more games in LaLiga history (334, alongside Iker Casillas). Myth. pic.twitter.com/xsL2yLcnZK
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 30, 2019
Messi can now move out on his own with 335 wins with victory over Villarreal on Tuesday night in Barcelona’s next game.
Barca beat Villarreal 2-0 at the Camp Nou back in December, and the Yellow Submarine have endured a pretty tough season and are battling relegation.
They come into the game after a tough result on Saturday. Villarreal went 2-0 up against Celta Vigo but were beaten 3-2 and are just a point above the drop zone.
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Busquets says Espanyol were ‘ultra-defensive’ but ‘justice was done’
Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners at the Camp Nou on Saturday
Sergio Busquets admitted Barcelona found it tough going against Espanyol on Saturday, before two Lionel Messi goals gave them victory over their local rivals.
Barcelona had to wait until the second half to break the deadlock, with Messi opening the scoring with a brilliant free-kick.
He secured the points late on with Barcelona’s second goal, and Busquets felt it was a deserved win.
“Espanyol had an ultra-defensive game plan which makes it difficult to find spaces,” Busquets said. “And when we did have chances, they didn’t go in.
”In the end, while we had to work for it, we took our chances and we won. The result was justice for what happened on the pitch.”
Source | Sport
The victory keeps Barcelona well on course to retain their La Liga title at the start of a busy week with games against Villarreal and Atletico Madrid to come.
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Messi hits 40 goals for 10th consecutive season
More GOAT antics from the captain
Lionel Messi was at it again on Saturday, scoring twice for Barcelona in a 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Camp Nou.
The first goal saw him invent the Panenka free-kick for his 40th goal of the season yet again:
Leo #Messi reaches 40 goals for the 10th season in a row!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 30, 2019
2009/10 ✅
2010/11 ✅
2011/12 ✅
2012/13 ✅
2013/14 ✅
2014/15 ✅
2015/16 ✅
2016/17 ✅
2017/18 ✅
2018/19 ✅ pic.twitter.com/BbKKnEQ7bJ
He certainly seems to love a good free-kick against Espanyol:
6 - Messi has scored six direct free kick goals versus @RCDEspanyol in all competitions, more than against any other team in his career . Overriding. pic.twitter.com/ClxTO81YY0
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 30, 2019
The second was a low strike after great work from substitute Malcom to seal the win and move Barca 13 points clear at the top of the table.
It’s incredible consistency from Messi, particularly given he had a month out with a broken arm, as he continues to set all kinds of records with his continued brilliance.
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Barça 2-0 Espanyol: Derby Double
Tough game, but strong performance and a big win!
Barcelona are now 13 points clear at the top of the La Liga table thanks to a 2-0 win over Espanyol in Saturday’s Catalan Derby at Camp Nou. The Blaugrana needed to be patient against a very well organized defense, but a great substitute performance from Malcom and another two goals from Lionel Messi gave Barça three big points and a season sweep of the local rivals.
FIRST HALF
The first half followed a simple script: Espanyol parked the bus with nine players behind the ball at all times, while Barça had possession and tried to create chances. The home team was actually pretty good with the ball, passing well and moving to find spaces and create opportunities. Lionel Messi found himself in great positions to score, but the captain was strangely wasteful and missed some big chances.
The visitors didn’t offer much when they got the ball back, but when they did the Barça defense was pretty solid and never had any trouble. It was really all about the offensive efficiency, and Barça didn’t show much of it in the first 45 minutes.
At halftime, Barça were playing quite well at times but still needed improve their finishing to get the win in the second half.
SECOND HALF
The first 15 minutes of the second half were pretty boring, with Barça having more trouble with Espanyol’s defense than they did in the first while the away team was more than OK with keeping the clean sheet and not really attacking. Sergi Roberto and Malcom came on as Ernesto Valverde tried to add something different to the offense, and the changes made Barça more dangerous and decisive with the ball.
Both full-backs were pushing forward, three strikers were in the box at all times and the midfield pressed the ball high up the pitch with purpose. The Blaugrana went all-in to get the winner, and then Lionel Messi went through three defenders and won a free-kick at the edge of the box; the captain then lifted the ball over the wall, and despite Victor Sánchez’s best efforts to stop the ball from going in, Barça had the lead.
Espanyol’s plan of parking the bus to get a 0-0 draw went out the window, and they had no Plan B and couldn’t create any chances to score the equalizer despite sending a lot of bodies forward. They left spaces in behind as well, and paid for it when Ivan Rakitic played a sensational pass to Malcom, who was free to run with the ball and wait for the right moment to assist Lionel Messi’s second goal of the afternoon to make it 2-0 and kill the game.
Shortly after Messi’s goal came the final whistle to end another Catalan Derby triumph for the leaders. Up next, Villarreal away, the final test before what will pretty much be the title decider against Atlético Madrid next weekend. Good job, boys!
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo (Roberto), Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur (Malcom); Messi, Suárez, Coutinho (Vidal)
Goals: Messi (71’, 89’)
Espanyol: López; Rosales, López, Naldo, Hermoso, Pedrosa; Granero, Sánchez (Semedo), Roca; Melendo (García), Iglesias (Wu Lei)
Goals: None
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FC Barcelona News: 30 March 2019
PREVIEW: FC Barcelona - RCD Espanyol | FC Barcelona
LaLiga is back with a bang this weekend, as Spanish top flight action gets underway again following the international break. FC Barcelona have an always intense Catalan derby against RCD Espanyol on Matchday 29, as they look to earn local bragging rights and another 3 points for their title quest.
The squad to face Espanyol | FC Barcelona
After the recent break for international matches, the league return this weekend with the Catalan derby between Barça and Espanyol. Coach Ernesto Valverde has announced the following 18 man list for the Saturday’s 4.15pm CET kick off: Ter Stegen, N. Semedo, Piqué, I. Rakitic, Sergio, Coutinho, Arthur, Suárez, Messi, Malcom, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Prince, S. Roberto, Aleñá, Vidal, Umtiti and Iñaki Peña.
Barça v Levante kick off time confirmed | FC Barcelona
The clash comes after the visit to Mendizorroza to take on Alavés on the ‘Dia de Sant Jordi’, the day that celebrates Catalonia’s patron saint and before the trip to Balaídos to take on Celta the following weekend. The game also comes just before a possible Champions League semi final first leg should the blaugranes get past Manchester United in the quarter finals.
Espanyol far above Pique ‘nonsense’, says Rubi | Goal
Rubi said Espanyol are “far above this nonsense” in response to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique’s claims he has more money than their budget for the season. Pique stoked the fire ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga derby at Camp Nou after telling Movistar+ show ‘La Resistencia’: “I have more money than the budget of Espanyol this year. Nope, not just €57million, it’s plenty more than that.”
Barcelona’s Messi: Even son questions why I receive so much criticism in Argentina | ESPN
After four days off, he returned to training with Barcelona on Wednesday, which led to a slew of abuse in his native Argentina about his decision to miss the friendly match against Morocco. ”I’m used to what they say about me, they are always making things up about me,” the Barca forward told Radio 94.7. “Nothing surprises me.
Messi: I miss having Ronaldo in La Liga | Goal
Lionel Messi says he misses facing rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the former Real Madrid forward gave “prestige” to La Liga. After helping Madrid win a fourth Champions League title in five years, Ronaldo left the club to join Serie A giants Juventus in July.
Barcelona closer to Bayern Munich defender David Alaba
Barcelona’s hopes of signing Bayern Munich defender David Alaba have increased following Lucas Hernandez’s move to the Bavarians, say Mundo Deportivo. The Austrian international is predominantly a left-back and the Catalan giants are keen to add competition for long-term full-back Jordi Alba.
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Barça vs Espanyol: LIVE BLOG!
Join us to follow and comment a huge Catalan Derby at Camp Nou!
WELCOME TO CAMP NOU!!! The Greatest Stadium on Earth is the home of a giant Catalan Derby between Barcelona and Espanyol in what promises to be a very tough La Liga match for the champions. Barça are 10 points clear of Atlético Madrid and the title seems to be getting closer, but we can’t afford to slip up in any game. This will be difficult and Espanyol are always super annoying to play against, especially at Camp Nou, so we need a really good performance. And you can join us to follow and comment all the action. LET’S LIVE BLOG!
(Note: the comments will be open only when the team news come out, because our commenter people love commenting and sometimes there are too many comments in the comments section)
MATCH INFO
Competition/Round: 2018-19 La Liga, Matchday 29
Date/Time: Saturday, March 30, 2019, 4.15pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 3.15pm GMT (UK), 11.15am ET, 8.15am PT (USA), 8.45pm IST (India)
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande
HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA
How to watch on TV: beIN SPORTS (USA, Canada, Spain), SuperSport 7 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India), others
How to stream: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (USA, Canada, Spain), others
Matchday Thread Rules
We don’t have a lot of rules here, but there are a few things to keep in mind when joining our matchday threads:
Even if the referee sucks or we lose the game, no swearing. It’s just unnecessary. Also, don’t discuss illegal streaming links. Those who do it will be warned, and those who post links will be instantly banned. Finally, be nice to each other. This is a Barcelona community and we don’t need to offend one another.
Have fun with the game! Forever and ever, no matter the competition, VISCA EL BARÇA!
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الجمعة، 29 مارس 2019
Barça squad named for Espanyol
Ernesto Valverde has called up 18 players for Saturday’s Catalan Derby
The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana are back after the international game with a big Catalan Derby against Espanyol in La Liga, and Ernesto Valverde has called up the following 18 players to be in uniform on Saturday:
Goalkeepers: 1. Marc-André ter Stegen, 30. Iñaki Peña
Defenders: 2. Nélson Semedo, 3. Gerard Piqué, 15. Clément Lenglet, 18. Jordi Alba, 23. Samuel Umtiti
Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 7. Philippe Coutinho, 8. Arthur, 20. Sergi Roberto, 21. Carles Aleñá, 22. Arturo Vidal
Forwards: 9. Luis Suárez, 10. Lionel Messi, 14. Malcom, 19. Kevin-Prince Boateng
The international break brought some good news and bad news for Valverde: Luis Suárez used the two weeks off to recover from the ankle injury suffered against Real Betis, and is back in the squad; but Cillessen hurt his hip while playing for the Netherlands and is out indefinitely, which means Barça B keeper Iñaki Peña will be Ter Stegen’s backup. Also missing the Espanyol game through injury are Ousmane Dembélé (hamstring) and Rafinha (knee), while Jean-Clair Todibo, Jeison Murillo and Thomas Vermaelen are out per the manager’s decision.
Predicted starting XI (4-3-3):
Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suárez, Coutinho
The match kicks off at 4.15pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 3.15pm GMT (UK), 11.15am ET, 8.15am PT (USA), 8.45pm IST (India), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action with our live blog.
VISCA EL BARÇA!
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Barça vs Espanyol: Preview
The champions face a very difficult local Derby at home, but a win would get them even closer to the title
FC Barcelona (1st, 66pts) vs RCD Espanyol (13th, 34pts)*
*Points and positions at the time of writing on Friday
Competition/Round: 2018-19 La Liga, Matchday 29
Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Ousmane Dembélé, Jasper Cillessen, Rafinha, Jeison Murillo, Jean-Clair Todibo, Thomas Vermaelen (out)
Espanyol Outs & Doubts: Sergi Darder, Facundo Ferreyra, Javi Puado (out)
Date/Time: Saturday, March 30, 2019, 4.15pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 3.15pm GMT (UK), 11.15am ET, 8.15am PT (USA), 8.45pm IST (India)
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande
How to watch on TV: beIN SPORTS (USA, Canada, Spain), SuperSport 7 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India), others
How to stream: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (USA, Canada, Spain), others
After the last international break of the 2018-19 season, Barcelona return to action and start the home stretch of the campaign with a huge Catalan Derby against Espanyol at Camp Nou. Before the break, Barça had a dream weekend with a dominant win away to Real Betis combined with Atlético Madrid losing at Athletic Bilbao, which gave the Blaugrana a 10-point lead with 10 matches to go in La Liga.
The title is very much in Barça’s hands, and this week can pretty much clinch the championship: after the Espanyol game, Barça travel to Villarreal and play Atlético Madrid at the Greatest Stadium on Earth. If Barça win all three games, they’ll be at least 13 points clear at the top of the table with seven games to go and a very favorable schedule the rest of the way, which would give the team a chance to focus solely on Manchester United, and then (most likely) Liverpool in the Champions League.
To put it simply, the Espanyol game starts a three-game week that will win Barça La Liga if they get nine points. The first hurdle is a tough one to jump since Espanyol lost 4-0 to Barça at home earlier this season and are hungry for revenge, which means they’ll be extremely physical and borderline violent at times. It’s the only way they know how to win against Barça, and there’s no doubt they’ll try again.
The champs need to be focused and careful. A win is big, but staying healthy is also important. But they love to beat Espanyol themselves, and they know how big this week is. This should be a great game.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suárez, Coutinho
Espanyol (4-4-2): López; Rosales, Naldo, Hermoso, Dídac; Melendo, Sánchez, Granero, Roca; Iglesias, Wu Lei
PREDICTION
Sometimes, and it’s very few times, beating Espanyol feels better than winning El Clásico for me. This is one of those times, since the win means a lot for the title race and they’ll come to Camp Nou looking for revenge. Let’s give them another reason to be angry and sad: 4-1 Barça.
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Ighalo turned down Barca loan move because ‘I deserve better’
The striker didn’t fancy being a back-up at the Camp Nou
Odion Ighalo says he was offered the chance to join Barcelona in the January transfer window but turned it down because he “deserves better”.
The Nigeria international moved to Changchun Yatai from Watford in 2017 and then signed for Shanghai Shenhua in February.
However, he could have been playing at the Camp Nou for the rest of the season but didn’t fancy playing back-up to Luis Suarez.
“My agent spoke to me about a loan interest from Barcelona. The club wanted a striker with La Liga experience and someone who understands Spanish football,” he said.
”It was meant to be a six-month loan and strictly as a back-up striker. It was nice to hear that Barcelona were interested and any footballer would be more than happy to take it.
”But with due respect I had just finished as the second top scorer in China with 21 goals, I deserve better and didn’t want to be a short-term player somewhere.
”We rejected it, it was an easy decision to make and I chose to stay in China by joining Shanghai Shenhua on a longer contract,” Ighalo added.
Source | BBC Sport
Barcelona ended up signing Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan from Sassuolo, although the deal hasn’t really worked out too well. Boateng’s only made two starts and has frequently struggled to even make the squad.
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Valverde talks Messi, Suarez and Dembele ahead of Espanyol
The latest from the Barcelona boss
Ernesto Valverde was back before the press on Friday talking about all things Barcelona ahead of Saturday’s La Liga clash with Espanyol.
Much of the talk revolved around injuries, in particular Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.
Here are the best bits:
Valverde on Messi
We think [he’s 100 per cent]. Leo has had these niggles for a while and we are taking care of that. Before Christmas he had these problems and we have been working with him to resolve them.
The process with the national team is the same. Now he is back and he feels better for the coming games. Leo was spectacular before the international break, then he went away and got injured, it’s just a circumstance.
We’re managing this in a natural way. I was talking to him before as he had a little problem in training but we’re all connected, the physios and the players to find out how players are.
Valverde on Luis Suarez
He’s good, we’re taking precautions with him as there is a risk of a little scare. He could suffer another knock, but the break has been good for him.
Valverde on Ousmane Dembele
I don’t know if he will be back next week, we will try to be careful with his injury.
Valverde on Espanyol
We’re aware that it’s a derby, which is very motivating for us and for them. After this break is the decisive part of the season and we have three games this week.
We know what we’re up against. Each match has a lot of importance and there’s less time to recover.
Valverde on Pique’s Espanyol comments
I haven’t seen it, but it’s inevitable to hear about it. There isn’t a lot to comment about, he was on a comedy show, about humour, so it was a bit more light-hearted and that’s okay.
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Messi slams Argentina critics, talks injury and Ronaldo
The Barcelona captain has had his say
Lionel Messi has given a pretty revealing interview to Argentine radio show Club Octubre 94.7 FM where he’s talked about a range of topics.
The Barcelona captain has hit back at the media for the way he’s been treated while playing for Argentina, spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo and his current injury situation.
Messi on Argentina critics
It’s crazy that people say my father managers the national team. They also say that he has the power in the Argentine FA. My family suffers as a result of this.
I have friends and family that suffer as a result of the lies told. Anybody can say anything, people buy into this and then I’m the bad guy.
A lot of people were saying that I shouldn’t come back and my son even asked me why they crucify me in Argentina.
Messi on injury
It became customary for people to say things about me, inventing… The truth is that I’ve had pain in my pubic area from before the December break and I would train a little, not play all of the matches.
Messi on Ronaldo
Today, Neymar, Mbappe, Suarez, Aguero Today, they can be the best in the world. Cristiano, I take him out an put him with me, a part. I swear to you, I am being honest.
I miss Cristiano in Spain. It was nice to have him although it was difficult to see him left titles. It would have been nice to still have him here.
There’s loads more too, a full translation is available at the good people at Mundo Albiceleste.
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Pique says Messi is one of the biggest trolls he knows
Gerard Pique has come out in praise of Lionel Messi’s humor. The Barcelona duo have been team-mates for a while now and apparently Messi is a pretty big troll. The big stars that are quiet are always the ones to watch out for. Former NBA star Tim Duncan was notoriously quiet, and yet a troll.
Messi has very ironic humour, he’s one of the biggest trolls [I know].
Gerard Pique | Source
I look forward to years from now when perhaps we’ll get some great Messi troll stories from former team-mates.
This isn’t related to Pique’s Messi quotes at all, but at the end of this interview, he decided to throw some amazing shade at Espanyol.
“I have more money than the budget of Espanyol this year”.
Just a few days ahead of their Catalan derby this is one of the better quotes I’ve heard.
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Barca rumors: Coutinho, Umtit, Griezmann and Jovic latest
The latest gossip from around Europe
Coutinho considering leaving Barcelona
Today’s rumors start with Philippe Coutinho and an ‘exclusive’ from Sport who reckon the Brazilian is considering leaving Barcelona.
Apparently he’s already spoken to team-mates about the possibility of moving on, as he thinks it could be the best thing for his career.
Coutinho’s had a really tough season at Barcelona and thinks he may need to move to get back to the sort of form he showed at Liverpool.
Umtiti a top summer target for Arsenal
Samuel Umtiti’s future at Barcelona continues to make headlines, and the latest comes from England and The Independent.
They report that Arsenal see Umtiti and Bayern Munich’s David Alaba as their top transfer targets for the summer.
Arsenal want to strengthen defensively and believe Barcelona need to “drastically reduce their wage bill” and could sell Umtiti, particularly with Matthijs de Ligt expected to arrive.
But....Umtiti has no intention of leaving
However, it’s a different story altogether in Marca, who report that Umtiti has absolutely no intention of leaving the Camp Nou this summer.
The Frenchman has enjoyed great success with Barcelona and believes he can now get his place in the starting XI back after returning to full fitness.
He enjoys living in Barcelona, has just bought a new house and thinks he can be the “main man” in defence once Gerard Pique retires.
Real Madrid in talks with Luka Jovic
Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Luka Jovic, and so it was only a matter of time before Real Madrid’s name entered the fray.
According to El Chiringuito (via AS), Jovic’s agent (who is also Miralem Pjanic’s agent) was at Real Madrid’s training ground this week to meet general manager Jose Angel Sanchez.
Pjanic is wanted at the Santiago Bernabeu by Zinedine Zidane, but Jovic was also discussed as the club do want to strengthen their attack.
Griezmann deal is done, says former PSG man
And finally today we end with news that a deal to take Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona has already been signed, sealed and delivered, according to Jerome Rothen.
The former PSG winger told RMC that “I can tell from a reliable source, Antoine Griezmann will go to FC Barcelona next summer.”
The Griezmann rumors have been picking up steam recently, although the Atletico star has said “he’s a little bit fed up” with the speculation. You and me both Antoine.
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FC Barcelona News: 29 March 2019
Messi’s goal against Getafe is the best in Barça’s history according to the fans | FC Barcelona
The uncertainty is over. The best goal in Barça’s history according to the fans is Lionel Messi’s spectacular slaloming run against Getafe in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey 2006/07. The goal from the No.10 took the crown ahead of 63 other goals in a competition that started at the end of December 2018, and that has seen more than 500,000 votes cast in the past three months.
Messi one of the biggest trolls I know - Pique reveals Barca star’s ‘ironic’ sense of humor | Goal
Argentina and Barca’s all-time leading goalscorer to go with his five Ballons d’Or and other honours, Messi is perceived to be a shy character. However, Pique – who is often outspoken – made a revelation about the Barcelona captain.
Inter return with offer for Barcelona forward Malcom | Football Espana
Inter want to sign out-of-favour Barcelona forward Malcom this summer and are considering a loan with an obligation to buy, say reports. Corriere dello Sport say the Nerazzurri have been in touch with the Brazilian player’s agent and have improved on their latest offer, meaning they are committed to a permanent deal.
Arsenal and Unai Emery want to sign Samuel Umtiti this summer | Sport
Samuel Umtiti is facing an unusual situation at FC Barcelona after losing his place in the side to Clement Lenglet. This has seen other sides from Europe enquire about the defender’s situation and the last one was Arsenal. According to ‘The Independent’, Unai Emery has asked the club to do everything in their power to sign the French centre back.
UEFA hit FC Barcelona with a 1,500 euros fine | Sport
FC Barcelona were paying close attention to goings on at UEFA today. The Disciplinary Commission were discussing incidents on the agenda and two of those were related to the Camp Nou club. The first was in relation to their supporters using flares against Lyon in the Champions League. The ‘Boixos Nois’ were the ones adjudged to have thrown the flares after clashing with the local police.
Barcelona accidentally mail promising teen’s contract renewal to local rivals Espanyol - sources | ESPN
Barcelona almost ruined promising midfielder Ilaix Moriba’s contract renewal when they sent their final offer to Espanyol instead of his agent, sources from both clubs have confirmed to ESPN FC. Espanyol were left “gobsmacked” at the figures being offered to the 16-year-old -- and a source jokingly told ESPN FC that the teenager “will earn more than some of their first team players.”
Barça “not willing to do anything crazy” to sign Antoine Griezmann | Sport
FC Barcelona’s vice president, Jordi Mestre, spoke on the Catalunya Radio programme ‘Tot Costa’ today where he spoke about a potential move for Antoine Griezmann in the summer. It’s worth remembering that last season the French forward released a documentary where he eventually announcd that he would stay at Atletico Madrid and turned down Barça’s offer.
Barcelona chiefs argue over Griezmann transfer - sources | ESPN
While Barca’s management structure, which includes Pep Segura, Eric Abidal and Ramon Planes, insist that Griezmann is not a priority for next season, other sources say that Bartomeu is keen on doing a deal.
Spanish FA imposes limit on La Liga kick-off times | Football Espana
From now on, no matches can commence before 7.30pm local time between May 20 to September 15 – ruling out lunchtime and afternoon matches. The Spanish FA have said this arrangement has been approved by all levels of their organisation following a consultation process that had begun last year.
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الخميس، 28 مارس 2019
Deulofeu: Barca need to be careful against Man Utd
The winger looked ahead to the Champions League tie
Gerard Deulofeu has told Barcelona they will need to be careful against Manchester United in their quarter-final clash in the Champions League.
The winger knows his former club will be favourites to progress to the semi-finals but says the Red Devils are on the up under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“Barça are the favourites because they have a better team and have the best player in the world who is Messi,” he said.
“But in the Champions League we’ve already seen that anything can happen and they need to be careful against Manchester United because they’ve improved a lot.
”It looks like things in the dressing room weren’t going well. Now that’s changed and they’ve working better as a team. They’ve got great players and are a dangerous team.”
Source | Sport
Deulofeu’s Watford side face Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday at Old Trafford. The Red Devils then play Wolves on Tuesday and then have eight days without a game before they take on Barca.
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Messi’s goal against Getafe named Barca’s best ever
The GOAT has topped another list
Barcelona have been having a bit of a competition to crown the greatest goal in their history and have decided on Lionel Messi’s fabulous strike against Getafe as the winner.
The Argentine’s effort is one in a catalogue of brilliant strikes by the GOAT and saw him beat what seems like the entire Getafe team before slotting the ball home.
So, let’s have another look at it:
And the Barça Best Goal Ever is.... pic.twitter.com/MMhis02OZg
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 28, 2019
Messi had a message for fans who had chosen his goal as the club’s greatest:
Leo #Messi has a message for you!#BarçaBestGoalEver pic.twitter.com/PHOXJvIbII
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 28, 2019
The other finalists were Sergi Roberto’s unforgettable late goal against against PSG, Messi’s goal against Athletico Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final and his strike against Real Madrid in 2010/11.
What’s your favourite Barcelona goal of all time? Let us know in the comments below!
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Barcelona plan on managing Messi’s minutes
The club are keen to avoid injury
Barcelona management plan on managing Lionel Messi’s minutes moving forward as the club chases the treble, according to Sport. Messi just came back from the international break with a groin injury that ruled him out of Argentina’s second game.
The biggest part of Barcelona’s season is ahead of them. They sit ten points ahead of Atletico Madrid in La Liga and have the Champions League quarter-finals and Copa del Ray finals in the coming weeks.
The highest priority for Barcelona is the Champions League, so Messi can probably expect to take a few matches off in La Liga as they lead into CL matches.
Messi is working on recovering and managing a groin injury so not aggravating the injury is the highest priority for Barcelona staff.
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Griezmann prepared to take pay cut to join Barcelona - report
The Atletico Madrid star is still being linked with Barca
Antoine Griezmann has been linked with Barcelona again. This time it’s a report from Mundo Deportivo that the Atletico Madrid forward is willing to join Barcelona at a reduced rate.
The forward makes an annual salary of €23 million, and Barcelona reportedly offered him €16m a year ago, which he would now apparently be willing to accept.
Of course the Frenchman has already come out and played down links to Barca. Which, to be fair, he’s had to do for years and has stayed at Atletico each time.
“It’s the same every year, and I am used to it and tired of it.”
Antoine Griezmann | Source
If I were giving Griezmann advice, I would say that in order to completely eliminate these annoying rumors of him leaving Madrid for Barcelona he needs to just shut them down.
The best way to do that is to simply join Barcelona at a reduced cost and help them win the Champions League once again. That easy.
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FC Barcelona News: 28 March 2019
Valverde has everyone back except Vidal as Espanyol preparation continues | Sport
The latest to return were Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto, Murillo, Coutinho and Arthur Melo -- the coac his just waiting on Arturo Vidal now. Riqui Puig also trained with the first team. Valverde had recovered Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Semedo, Rakitic, Todiblo, Messi, Aleñá, Umtiti and Vermaelen on Wednesday.
When and where to watch Barça - Espanyol | FC Barcelona
Barça’s next Liga fixture is at home to Espanyol on Saturday 30 March at 4.15pm CET. What time is that where you are? Well, this page should help you to work that out and also see who has the rights to screen the game in each country.
Barcelona handed Messi, Suarez injury boosts but Dembele a doubt to face United | ESPN
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez should both be fit for Barcelona’s game against Espanyol on Saturday but Ousmane Dembele is still a couple of weeks away from making his first-team return. Messi was back in training with Barca on Wednesday after missing Argentina’s win against Morocco on Tuesday with a groin problem.
International week: player x player | FC Barcelona
That’s it for the final international break between now and the end of the season, so it’s time to analyse how the different Barça players fared for their different countries.
Umtiti doesn’t intend to leave Barcelona this summer | Marca
Barcelona are going into the summer market with the need to sell some of their staff in order to move for various signing targets they have in mind. In recent weeks, that talk has centred on several names. When the purchase of Frenkie De Jong was finalised, all eyes were on a potential exit for Ivan Rakitic.
Barcelona demand 70 million euros for Malcom | Marca
Malcom’s future at Barcelona remains uncertain but the Blaugrana have no intention of letting the forward leave on the cheap, having set a 70-million-euro price tag on him. The Brazilian has not enjoyed much playing time under Ernesto Valverde and despite the 41 million euros that the club paid to sign him, a satisfying offer may see him depart.
Antoine Griezmann ‘to accept wage cut’ to join Barcelona | Football Espana
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is willing to take a salary cut to join Barcelona, according to El Mundo Deportivo. The report claim the French forward is on a net annual wage of €23m at Los Rojiblancos, as opposed to the €16m the Blaugrana offered him a year ago.
Barcelona face Bayern Munich competition for Jovic, who they’ve watched 20 times - sources | ESPN
Jovic, 21, is one of the attackers Barca are following as they eye a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez, who is 32. Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who is out of contract in 2020, is another option but the Catalans liken their chances of landing the England international to dating Cindy Crawford.
Barça want to loan Miranda, Oriol Busquets and Riqui Puig to Ajax | Sport
Barcelona have plans for their youngest players who still haven’t made it in the first team. Juan Miranda (left-back) and midfielder Oriol Busquets and Riqui Puig could all go on loan to Ajax, according to Catalunya Radio. Jean Clair Todibo, signed from Toulouse in January, could also head to the Dutch club as part of a deal for centre-back Matthijs de Ligt to come the other way.
Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes ‘has found solitude’ | Football Espana
Former Barcelona goalkeeper and Spain international Victor Valdes has admitted he is enjoying life away from the media spotlight. In a rare interview on Spanish radio, the 37-year-old talked about tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in March 2014 against Celta Vigo – which effectively ended his career at Barcelona.
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Umtiti to leave Barcelona if De Ligt arrives?
It’s not out of the question
It’s a headline I never thought I’d write, a question that I’d never considered needed to be asked.
Big Sam on his way out of Camp Nou? Surely not.
But let’s not beat around the bush here... there are a certain set of circumstances that could see it happen.
Take Clement Lenglet’s outstanding season as a start point. Umtiti’s countryman has clearly grasped his opportunity with both hands, to the extent that you could legitimately argue that Umtiti’s starting place is no longer a given.
The former has shown no sign of being overawed by the competition, meeting the challenge of forcing his way into the side head on. Bravo!
Unpopular opinion: Lenglet has a much higher ceiling than Umtiti and will surpass him as a CB very soon. That's if he hasn't already surpassed him. pic.twitter.com/ranaoFhAI7
— sm (@TacticoModerno) March 18, 2019
Umtiti hasn’t helped himself either by continuing to adopt a holistic approach to his knee injury, allegedly going against the explicit wishes of the club’s medical team.
That wouldn’t normally be something to raise an eyebrow, but in his current situation it has been more of a hindrance to him than a help.
It’s allowed doubt to seep into the minds of the technical team, and that, potentially, has implications.
Harsh to label umtiti as injury prone, only reason his knee injury kept him out for much of these season was cause he refused to be operated on and preferred it healing on its own
— BENNY (@culerate) March 27, 2019
Perhaps the biggest issue facing the Frenchman is the hire of Matthijs de Ligt. From what we know, there is a genuine desire on the part of both player and club to get a deal done.
From a Barcelona perspective, it’s easy to understand why they’d want to procure the services of the youngster.
Though age would normally be a factor in such a deal, and there’s an argument that Barca’s purpose might be better served by acquiring him in a year or 18 months, when talent like that becomes available, particularly if his express preference is to join the Catalans, then you go all in.
It seems like Matthijs de Ligt will be joining his bestfriend Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona after turning down a number of Europe's biggest clubs. Bartomeu is making Barça Dutch again. [@MHChehade] pic.twitter.com/Hwhyn47ggi
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 20, 2019
De Ligt’s style is perfect for the Blaugranes. Schooled in much the same way at Ajax, he’s already proven beyond doubt that he has the capabilities to pass any ‘exam’ with flying colours, but whether he plays immediately or not would be a matter for Ernesto Valverde.
The other part of this equation to touch on is money. The Dutchman won’t come cheap and salaries are already at a dangerously high level.
Quite clearly therefore, someone has to go, and the sale of Umtiti will allow Barca to command a big fee. The player’s supposed courting of Manchester United a while back has seen the Red Devils apparently showing their hand again.
Manchester United have contacted Umtiti according to Mundo Deportivo
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) March 27, 2019
With a good case made for why Umtiti could be moved on, is it too much to suggest that he has just 10 La Liga matches (maximum) and a handful in Europe to save his Barcelona career?
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الأربعاء، 27 مارس 2019
Baraa ask Puig, Miranda & Oriol Busquets about Ajax loan - report
The trio could leave in search of regular football
Barcelona are considering the futures of Riqui Puig, Juan Miranda and Oriol Busquets and could send the youngsters on loan to Ajax next season to gain valuable playing time.
According to Catalunya Radio, the trio and also Jean-Clair Todibo could all be used as part of a plan to bring Matthijs de Ligt to the Camp Nou.
Barca have already spoken to the players about the possibility of joining the Dutch side.
Puig and Busquets are said to be thinking about it, while Miranda is reportedly the most reluctant.
Barcelona’s problem seems to be that they want the players to be playing regularly at the highest level but can’t see them getting that much action at the Camp Nou next season.
The club have a pretty good relationship with Ajax and would be happy for the youngsters to continue their development on a temporary basis in the Netherlands.
Would loaning the trio to Ajax for the season be a good idea? Or should they stay at Barcelona? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Malcom’s agent says ‘we’ve had no contact with Inter’
The Serie A side have been linked with the Brazilian
Malcom’s agent has responded to rumors of interest from Inter Milan and says he’s not been in contact with the Serie A side.
There’s been fresh speculation that Inter remain interested in Malcom, but Leonardo Cornacini has played down talk of a move to the San Siro.
“We respect Inter very much and we have a good relationship with their sporting director, but for now we have not had any contact with Inter,” he said.
“Malcom is interesting for any European club, although he has a long contract with Barça and he is adapting well. We are convinced things will be much better next season.”
Source | Calciomercato
Malcom’s only made four starts for Barcelona since joining in the summer, and his lack of game time is likely to mean plenty more rumors ahead of the summer transfer window.
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Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi likely to play against Espanyol this weekend
The two players are getting over niggling injuries
Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi are recovering well from their respective injuries and are looking likely to play this weekend when FC Barcelona take on Espanyol.
Messi has been complaining of a problem in his pelvis for a bit now and that was the official reason why he did not play against Morocco, a match Argentina ended up winning 1-0. However, he is back to doing normal training. Rumors say Messi’s injury was always very minor.
Suárez has been out with a longer layoff and a slightly more serious problem. He had to be substituted against Real Betis towards the end of the match due to an ankle problem. He missed both of Uruguay’s friendlies while recovering. He has done part of the training with the group but he is not 100% yet.
Both forwards could feature for Ernesto Valverde in the Barcelona derby, but the coach could choose to rotate a bit with a tough fixture list on the horizon. However, a lot of players are just returning from their international teams, while Messi and Suárez have been in Barcelona for longer. That may also influence Valverde’s choices.
Another player returning from injury is Ousmane Dembélé. The winger has been out of action since Barcelona’s win over Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Champions League. Reports say he is in a race for fitness to be ready to start against Manchester United in the Champions League quarterfinals.
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Aleix Vidal: I might still be a starter at Barcelona if not for my injury
The current Sevilla player admitted he doesn’t know for sure
Aleix Vidal has spoken about his time at Barcelona, where he struggled for various reasons to play many games, in an interview with SFC TV.
Vidal’s career took an interesting path as he played for several academies, including Barcelona’s, and then various other teams throughout his professional career, before landing at Sevilla. He signed to Barcelona in 2015 but returned to Sevilla just 3 years later.
Vidal was unable to play the first half of his maiden season at Barça because the club was banned from registering new players. After that, he struggled to take the place of Dani Alves in the starting XI.
In his second season, his competition for the right-back spot was Sergi Roberto, who had converted from midfield. Despite Vidal’s best efforts, Luis Enrique preferred Roberto most of the time.
“At Barcelona, in the first year and a half I almost didn’t play,” Vidal admitted, saying he started getting low on confidence. “When I did, if I made a mistake, the fans put a lot of pressure on me.”
Eventually, however, Vidal took advantage of an injury to Roberto to play a few matches and get into a good rhythm. “When I got a string of three or four games, I owned the position until I injured myself.”
He suffered a dislocated ankle in the last minutes of a win over Deportivo Alavés that ruled him out for the rest of the season.
“Perhaps if I don’t injury myself, today I am still the starter at Barcelona. Perhaps not,” he reflected.
Vidal did score a memorable goal in el clásico among other notable moments in Ernesto Valverde’s first season in charge. However, Nélson Semedo and Roberto locked down the right-back spot, meaning Vidal was used infrequently as a backup winger. He was told to look for another club last summer. He ended up returning to Sevilla, the team that gave him one of his biggest breaks in his career.
Vidal admitted that despite a lot of heartbreak, he was very thankful for his career so far:
“I went from wanting to retire and go back to my hometown (Valls, in Catalonia), to arriving at Sevilla, winning the Europa League, debuting with the Spanish national team, and playing along with the best in the world at Barcelona. It took me a while, but you never know what life has in store for you.”
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Barcelona could use Coutinho or Malcom to try to get Rashford
Manchester United could be tempted by a deal involving a swap of players
FC Barcelona are interested in Marcus Rashford, but the message from Manchester United so far is that he’s not for sale. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barça could tempt the Red Devils if they were to include one of two players in a potential swap.
The one that clearly interests United most is Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is going through a rough patch of form, but he was one of the Premier League’s best players when he was at Liverpool. United would be hoping that he regains his top level once he returns to England. In this case, Barça would be operating from a position of power since Rashford is not valued as highly as Coutinho. United would have to give the young English forward up in addition to some transfer fee to make this sort of deal happen.
Another option is Malcom. The winger has had trouble getting minutes under Ernesto Valverde, but he is young and many teams think he’s on the rise and will be a star soon. However, United’s interest in the player is less strong than in the Coutinho case. This would make this particular deal trickier for Barcelona.s going through a roug
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Boateng picks Ibrahimovic over Messi for best player he’s played with
The pair were team-mates at AC Milan
This week Kevin-Prince Boateng said Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the best teammate he ever played with. Boateng and Ibra were teammates at AC Milan earlier this decade.
Boateng of course made a move to Barcelona in January and is now teaming with the man that most players would say is the best in the world, Lionel Messi. The reality is that Boateng just arrived at the Camp Nou and hasn’t teamed with Messi for that long.
When you’re asked about the best teammate you’ve had at a job you often say the one you have good memories with and helped perform at the highest level. Boateng reached the highest levels with Ibrahimovic. Perhaps once Boateng sees Messi in the later rounds of the Champions League this year, his answer will change.
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Messi returns to training ahead of Espanyol clash
The captain has recovered from a groin problem
Lionel Messi returned to Barcelona training on Wednesday after recovering from a groin injury picked up on international duty with Argentina.
The Barcelona captain was back along with a host of other players who have been away with their national teams over the international break.
⚽ Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Semedo, Rakitic, Todibo, Messi, Aleñá, Umtiti and Vermaelen all back at work this morning!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 27, 2019
#ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/16Q9UTRFxB
Luis Suarez also did part of the session with the group as he recovers from a sprained ankle picked up against Real Betis.
@LuisSuarez9
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 27, 2019
#ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/9zsv4OPg6E
Barcelona now face a busy week of La Liga fixtures before they take on Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
The play Espanyol on Saturday, Villarreal on Tuesday and then welcome Atletico Madrid to the Camp Nou.
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FC Barcelona News: 27 March 2019
Real Sociedad and Alavés kick off times confirmed | FC Barcelona
The Spanish Football League have announced the kick off time for the game between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Camp Nou. The week 33 fixture will be played on Saturday 20 April at 8.45pm CET and will be the return fixture from week 4 when second half goals from Luis Suárez and Dembélé gave Barça victory after the home side had gone ahead through Elustondo.
Gerard Pique condemns anti-Spain chants in Catalonia win | Football Espana
“I went to tell them to be quiet, because (as players) we must be the example,” Pique told reporters after the match, as cited by Diario Sport. “There was no need for what was being said, it was a lack of respect and we should not have to tolerate this.
Lopez Rekarte: There has not been anyone as good as Messi | Marca
Luis Lopez Rekarte, who played for LaLiga Santander sides such as Barcelona and Real Sociedad, has insisted that current Barcelona captain Lionel Messi is the best player that he has ever seen. The retired left-back played alongside legends such as Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona, yet he believes that Messi is another level above.
France Football: Bayern Munich’s Alaba back on Barcelona’s radar | Sport
David Alaba’s name has been added to the list of left-back options as Barcelona look for competition for Jordi Alba. According to France Football, the Austrian is on the Catalan club’s radar along with Nacho Monreal, Alberto Moreno, Filipe Luis and Ferland Mendy.
Ajax hope to stop Onana from returning to Barcelona | Marca
Barcelona are aware that Jasper Cillessen will likely leave the Camp Nou in the summer of 2019 and Andre Onana, a former La Masia graduate and one of their leading candidates to replace him, is considered so important by Ajax that they’ll fight to keep him.
Antoine Griezmann ‘tired’ of links to Barcelona | Football Espana
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is ‘tired’ of the speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona: “It is the same every year.” A report in El Mundo Deportivo outlined how Griezmann’s ‘proven quality and fixed price of €120m’ – relating to the forward’s release clause – is why the Blaugrana are interested in a summer deal.
Barcelona interest in Manchester United’s Rashford like ‘wanting to date Cindy Crawford’ - sources | ESPN
Barcelona are closely following Marcus Rashford’s contract situation but are realistic about their chances of landing the Manchester United forward, sources have told ESPN FC. Rashford, 21, has been on Barca’s radar for a long time. His deal at Old Trafford expires in 2020 and the Catalan club are waiting to see if he ends up committing to an extension.
Lo Celso not thinking about Madrid or Barca as transfer speculation mounts | Goal
Giovani Lo Celso says he is unconcerned by interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid as he continues to make his way during his loan stint with Real Betis. The Argentinian international was loaned to Real Betis in August as he joined the La Liga club on a season-long deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
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Carles Puyol: “Gerard Piqué is better than me or Sergio Ramos. He’s the best in the world.”
The retired defender was full of praise for his ex-teammate
Carles Puyol has declared his former defensive partner Gerard Piqué as the best centerback in the world in a recent interview with Diario MARCA. Puyol played alongside Piqué in multiple triumphs, notably in La Liga and UEFA Champions League-winning campaigns for FC Barcelona and the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Spain.
“Gerard is better than me or Sergio Ramos. He’s the best in the world,” he said.
“He is key for Barcelona in everything he adds, his leadership, how he competes... he is a phenom and a great friend.”
The former Barcelona captain also weighed on some current players.
On Lionel Messi: “When you have the best in history, it’s logical that you depend on him. But around him, there are great players that together are making history and can keep going for a while.”
On Ousmane Dembélé: “He is a great, great player. But sometimes you can have a setback. You have to let him work, and let him know that all of us, when we are young, have made mistakes. He is in the best place. He should capitalize on the chance. With his qualities, he can make history.
And finally, on Arthur: “He is showing an enormous personality and similar qualities, but comparing him with Xavi is a lot. We are talking about one of the best midfielders in history. You have to go step by step, let him work and congratulate him for how he is playing. He should focus on Xavi, watch his videos and learn from him.”
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الثلاثاء، 26 مارس 2019
Pique explains why he’s playing so well for Barcelona
The centre-back has been in fine form
Gerard Pique has been talking about his fine form for Barcelona this season and reckons he’s performing so well because he’s no longer playing international football.
The centre-back retired from Spain duty after the 2018 World Cup which has allowed him to rest over the international breaks.
He did turn out for Catalonia’s friendly win over Venezuela on Monday but says that will not affect his rest too much.
“It’s not just me, but others [who don’t play international football], but it’s obvious in my case I am performing better for Barça since I left [the Spanish team],” he said.
“The decision has been made and I do not regret it. The people that don’t want to understand it aren’t going to understand [my international retirment] but I explained it all at the time.
”It was the right moment to leave the Spanish national team. I needed to rest. The Catalan national side only needed me for on day. The two things have nothing to do with each other.”
Source | Sport
Pique’s international retirement has also allowed him to play every minute of the La Liga season so far, the only player in the top flight to do so.
The defender was back in training with Barcelona on Tuesday and should be fresh for Saturday’s La Liga clash against Espanyol.
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