Page 2 - Fc Barcelona

UEFA Champions League: Full list of all group stage opponents for 36 teams

Barcelona will face Bayern at home, while Real Madrid will travel to Anfield for their match against Liverpool

Lamine Yamal help Barcelona secure 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao

Lamine Yamal got the better of fellow Spain star Nico Williams when Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Saturday in the players' first matchup since the two young talents led their nation to European Championship glory. Yamal opened the scoring before Robert Lewandowski provided the second goal to give Barcelona two wins in two games to start the Spanish league season. The Barcelona teenager struck in the 24th minute with a curling shot that was reminiscent of Lionel Messi's favorite moves. Yamal controlled a deflected ball, took two touches to skirt along the outside edge of the box before he found the angle to unleash a left-footed shot. The ball found the net after a deflection on Athletic player igo Lekue. Yamal and Williams chatted before and after kickoff. Yamal would not reveal in a post-game interview what they talked about, saying we are just good friends. But he did, perhaps half-jokingly, make a dig at his pal when he described his goal. I saw that Nico, who is not very

Barcelona drops players a year after arrival amidst financial troubles

If trying to compete with Real Madrid and newly arrived Kylian Mbapp wasn't daunting enough, now Hansi Flick's Barcelona squad is being thinned out by departures. Barcelona looks set to lose both Ilkay Gundogan and Vitor Roque in the coming days or even hours with both players reportedly close to exits. Gundogan appears set on returning to Manchester City a year after the midfielder left the serial winners to start a new chapter in Spain. That could be cut short because of Barcelona's need to trim its salary burden, leaving the team without one of its top playmakers from last season. Roque is also reportedly close to leaving on loan for Real Betis, although Portugal's Sporting has made inquiries. The young Brazilian forward cost Barcelona a 30-million-euro (USD 33-million) transfer last summer. He arrived in the winter transfer market but never earned consistent playing minutes despite the significant investment made to sign him. When their exits are made official, it will conf

Gundogan set for Man City return after reportedly agreeing to leave Barca

Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan look set to be reunited. The former Germany midfielder was pictured at the airport on Wednesday and was reportedly catching a flight from Barcelona to Manchester to wrap up his return to City on a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months. Neither City nor Barcelona have commented publicly on any deal for the 33-year-old Gundogan. Gundogan left City after the 2022-23 season, during which he was captain of the team that won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble. He spent seven years at the English club but decided to move to Barcelona for a new challenge, and was one of Xavi Hernndez's favourite players during his sole season with the Catalan club. But, Barcelona's delicate economic situation appears to have forced the new coach, Hansi Flick, to part ways with the veteran playmaker. Gundogan's exit should help Barcelona register new midfielder Dani Olmo, which it has so far been unable to do because of the Spanish league's ..

Lewandowski scores twice as Barcelona beat Valencia 2-1 in La Liga opener

Robert Lewandowski scored late in the first half and early in the second to give Barcelona a winning start in coach Hansi Flick's Spanish league debut. The goals by Lewandowski gave the Catalan club a 2-1 win at Valencia in its opening league match on Saturday. It was Flick's first official match in charge after he replaced former club great Xavi Hernndez at the end of last season. It was very important to debut with a victory," Flick said. We made some mistakes in the first half but we improved in the second. Valencia opened the scoring with a header by Hugo Duro in the 44th, but Barcelona rallied with goals by Lewandowski in first-half stoppage time and four minutes into the second half. The goal at the end of the first half was very important, Flick said. Duro's goal was initially disallowed for offside, but video review determined it should stand. Lewandowski's first goal came after an assist from teenager Lamine Yamal, whose father was stabbed on Wednesday after an altercat

Top 20 football transfers in 2024 and all-time highest transfer fees

Kylian Mbappe to Alvarez: Check top 20 football transfers in the summer of 2024 in world football here

Much-changed Spain beats Albania 1-0 at Euro 2024 to finish group stage

Spain changed almost its entire lineup and still kept up its victorious start to the European Championship with a 1-0 win over Albania, which was eliminated. With his team already assured of winning Group B, coach Luis de la Fuente changed 10 of his starters and Spain won all three group games at a Euros for the first time since 2008, when it went on to win the tournament. A 13th-minute goal from Ferran Torres and goalkeeper David Raya's stoppage-time save from Armando Broja ensured Spain completed the group stage without conceding a goal. Every player is ready to play in this first 11 and that's key. Anyone can decide a game for you and players coming off the bench are very important as well, Torres, who made his first start of Euro 2024, said through a translator. I will try to make things difficult for my coach so that he will have to play me. Torres scored with a deflection off the post from Dani OImo's pass, and put his fingers to his ears in his goal celebration. He said the

FC Barcelona brings down curtains on its football academies in India

World-renowned football club FC Barcelona has decided to shut down all its academies in India, 14 years after starting operations with an aim to train the country's kids in their famed 'La Masia (youth academy)' style. FC Barcelona did not provide any official reason for the closure. All its academies in the Indian cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune will cease to exist from July 1. "FC Barcelona have informed the families involved in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune will cease to operate as Barca Academies from 1 July 2024," the club said in a statement which it uploaded on its website. "Barcelona's presence in India began back in 2010 and since then thousands of youngsters have learned to play football in the Barca style and with the Club's values. "Furthermore, India was the venue for two Barca Academy APAC tournament in 2019 and 2020 and the academies have been an ever present in the 11 editions of the Barca Academy World Cup held in Barcelona during Easter Week,"

Real Madrid, Barca's hopes of European Super League are dealt fresh blow

A so-called European Super League was dealt a fresh blow on Saturday when Italian giant Juventus decided to rejoin the body of clubs opposing the controversial breakaway competition. Juventus had been with Real Madrid and Barcelona in pushing for a new competition that would replace the Champions League. But it will rejoin the European Club Association of 600 teams, which has fought strongly against attempts to create a Super League. They are back. It is great, ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. The club has an amazing history. We are proud they are back to their family. I also call the others to be back." Madrid and Barcelona are now the only two clubs trying to form a proposed Super League, which has already had one failed launch after angry fan protests in 2021. Madrid president Florentino Perez has been determined to push ahead with plans to create a breakaway, despite the majority of Europe's leading clubs rejecting the idea. His position appeared to be strengthened in ...

Uefa CL: Mbapp scores twice as PSG beats Barcelona to reverse 1st-leg loss

Playing with an extra man for more than an hour, Paris Saint-Germain rallied against Barcelona to reach the Champions League semifinals. Kylian Mbapp scored twice as PSG reversed its first-leg loss at home with a 4-1 win at Barcelona on Tuesday to advance 6-4 on aggregate and keep alive its hopes of a first European title in what is the France star's final season with the club. Former Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembl and Vitinha also scored for PSG, which took advantage of a 29th-minute red card to Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo after he fouled Bradley Barcola while trying to stop a breakaway. When it was 11 against 11 we were well organized. The sending off changes everything. The match changed completely, said Barcelona coach Xavi Hernndez, who was later sent off himself for complaining. We would have liked to play PSG 11 against 11. That should not have been a red card. Barcelona had gotten off to a good start and opened the scoring with a goal by Raphinha in the 12th, but the

Champions League QFs full schedule, live match time (IST), live streaming

Uefa Champions League 2023-24 quarterfinal draw: The first leg of the ties will be played on April 10 and 11 while the reverse leg will be played on April 17 and 18 respectively, according to IST

UCL today's match: Barcelona vs Napoli live match begins at 1:30 PM IST

Barcelona will take on Napoli at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on March 13, 2024 at 1:30 AM IST. The match will be telecast live on Sony Sports and can also be live-streamed on Sony LIV in India

Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault

Soccer star Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced to four years, six months in prison by a Barcelona court on Thursday. The ruling by the three-judge panel followed a three-day trial this month. Alves was summoned to the courthouse to receive the verdict and sentence. The victim's lawyer, Ester Garca, said this week that she and her client would not be present. The ruling considered it proven that the victim did not consent to sex and there was evidence, in addition to the defendant's testimony, that she had been raped. The court also imposed 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation for the victim and payment of costs by Alves. Once it concluded his sentence, the court ordered that Alves, aged 40, be monitored for five years and have no communication with or go near the victim. The court found Alves sexually assaulted his victim early in the morning of Dec. 31, 2022, when she said he raped her in a bathroom of an upscale Barcelona nightclub. Sta

Messi's first contract with Barca was signed on napkin, now up for auction

Lionel Messi's record-breaking career with Barcelona started with a contract written on a napkin. It's up for auction with a starting price of 300,000 pounds (USD 379,000). British auction house Bonhams is selling the napkin in an online auction from March 18-27 on behalf of Horacio Gaggioli, an agent from Messi's home country of Argentina who was part of the deal. The napkin, bearing the date December 14, 2000, bears the signatures of Gaggioli, another agent, Josep Maria Minguella and Barcelona's then-sporting director, Carles Rexach, who met at a tennis club in Barcelona. It outlines an agreement in principle to sign Messi and was intended to reassure his father, Jorge Messi, that the deal would go through. A more formal and detailed contract with the club followed soon after. "This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled. Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career," Ian Ehling, the head of fine books and

Vincius' hat trick helps Real Madrid beat Barcelona, win Super Cup in Saudi

Vincius Jnior did his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression in Saudi Arabia, scoring a hat trick and leading Real Madrid to a 4-1 rout of Barcelona and the Spanish Super Cup trophy. Vincius scored his three goals in the first half as Madrid beat Barcelona to lift its first trophy of the season on Sunday. After his first goal, the Brazil forward imitated the trademark celebration of the former Madrid great, with Ronaldo reportedly at the Riyadh stadium. It was for Cris, because he is my idol and now he is playing here, said Vincius, who was named the best player of the final. I'm very happy with myself and with my team. It's not easy to play against Barcelona and to win 4-1 is tough. We played an almost perfect match. Rodrygo also scored for Madrid, which now has 13 Super Cup trophies, one less than the Catalan club. It was Madrid's second Super Cup triumph since the tournament was moved to Saudi Arabia four years ago. Robert Lewandowski scored Barcelona's goal to make it 2-1 in the firs

Real Madrid, Barcelona still alone in fight for Super League despite ruling

Real Madrid and Barcelona are struggling to find allies in their fight to revive the Super League project. The Spanish powerhouses were quick to claim victory and praise the decision by the European Union's top court on Thursday to rule against the attempt by UEFA and FIFA to block plans for the breakaway competition. But as the hours passed, there were no signs that they would get anybody else to join their crusade despite the favorable ruling. Madrid and Barcelona faced an uphill battle trying to convincing other clubs to get back on board, but they were not likely to give up anytime soon. Allow me to tell the European clubs that we are at the dawn of a new era that will allow us to work freely, on the basis of constructive dialogue, without threats, without acting against anything or anyone, and with the aim of innovating and modernizing football in order to continue sustaining the fans' passions, Madrid president Florentino Prez said in a statement. The Super League deal would

Champions League round of 16 draw: City play Copenhagen, Arsenal face Porto

Following a thrilling couple of months of group-stage action, the focus now shifts to the knockout rounds where 16 teams will fight it out to win the ultimate crown

Champions League: Lazio goalkeeper scores late to earn draw versus Atletico

Barcelona's Joo Flix, Manchester City's Julin lvarez and Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbapp all scored as their teams made winning starts in the Champions League. But the wildest celebrations of the night came in Rome, where Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel headed in the team's equalizer in the fifth minute of injury time to earn a 1-1 draw with Atltico Madrid. It was the last action of the game. As the group stage began without either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2002-03, a 16-year-old almost scored on his competition debut for Barcelona. Lamine Yamal struck the side netting, then saw an effort saved by Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez after coming on as a substitute in Barcelona's 5-0 win over the Belgian team. Celtic finished with nine players in a 2-0 loss at Feyenoord that stretched the Scottish champion's winless streak in the group stages to 11 games. Here's a closer look at Tuesday's games: CITY HAS TO COME FROM BEHIND Manchester City started its

Late goals from Pedri, Torres help Barcelona win at its temporary new home

Barcelona found a way to win late and guarantee a housewarming celebration at its temporary new home for the season. With late goals from Pedri and Ferran Torres, Barcelona beat Cadiz 2-0 in the first official match at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, where the team will play while the Camp Nou undergoes an extensive makeover. Pedri opened the scoring in the 82nd minute and Torres scored in stoppage time. Barcelona secured its first win of the season despite the absence of coach Xavi and forward Raphinha because of red cards in the 0-0 opening draw at Getafe last weekend. Xavi was handed a two-game suspension for excessively complaining to the referee and Raphinha was sent off for elbowing an opponent. Xavi watched from the stands at the Olympic stadium and said he was happy with the team's new home. I really liked how the fans supported the team the whole time. This is very positive for the club, he said. The crowd responded nicely. It was a good start and they will

Neymar to leave PSG! Could choose between Al Hilal and Barcelona: Reports

Neymar, who was omitted from the first squad training before the Ligue 1 opener of PSG against Lorient, has not returned to training unlike Kylian Mbappe