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    Barcelona forced to apologise after spokesperson says Vinicius Jr ‘deserves a SLAP’ and denies he suffered racist abuse

    THE deputy spokesperson for Barcelona’s board of directors has astonishingly denied that Vinicius Jr has been the subject of racist abuse.He has also claimed that the Real Madrid star “deserves a slap” for merely performing skill on the pitch.
    Vinicius Jr was the subject of a bizarre tweet by a Barcelona member of staffCredit: Getty
    Mikel Camps posted the now-deleted tweet about Vinicius JrCredit: FC BARCELONA
    The Barcelona staff member – named Mikel Camps – launched the stinging attack on Vinicius Jr in a now-deleted tweet.
    He wrote: “It’s not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown.
    “What do these unnecessary and meaningless stepovers represent in the centre of the field?”
    Following the tweet, Barcelona director Rafa Yuste admitted that Camps’ social media post was out of line.
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    He said: “If Vinicius is listening to me, I tell him that this will not happen again.
    “Even if it was a slip of the tongue it shouldn’t have happened. It was an unfortunate tweet.”
    Vinicius Jr has repeatedly been the subject of racist abuse from opposition fans during his time at Real Madrid.
    He was abused by home supporters during a match at Valencia in May, with the LaLiga club subsequently fined £23,500 and handed a three-game partial stadium closure.
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    The winger was racially abused again during last weekend’s match at Sevilla.
    After the fan was removed, a club statement read: “Sevilla FC condemns all racist and xenophobic behaviour and will work closely with the authorities to ensure that action is taken accordingly. This behaviour does not belong at Sevilla FC.
    “The individual will also be subject to the club’s vigorous internal disciplinary protocols and have their membership revoked.”
    Vinicius Jr later praised the Andalusian club for taking quick action.
    He wrote on social media: “Congratulations to Sevilla for their quick positioning and punishment in yet another sad episode for Spanish football.
    “Unfortunately, I had access to a video of another racist act in this Saturday’s match, this time carried out by a child.
    “I am very sorry that there is no one to educate you. I invest, and I invest a lot, in education in Brazil to form citizens with attitudes different from these.
    “The face of today’s racist is plastered on websites as on many other occasions.
    “I hope the Spanish authorities do their part and change the legislation once and for all. These people must be criminally punished too.
    “It would be a great first step in preparing for the 2030 World Cup. I’m available to help.
    “Sorry to seem repetitive, but this is isolated episode number 19. And counting…”
    Camps’ now-deleted tweet was posted with the latest El Clasico match on the horizon.
    Barcelona will host Real Madrid this Saturday, with Vinicius Jr set to be in action.
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    Real Madrid currently top the table with 25 points after ten games, level with high-flying Girona.
    Barca are third, a point behind the duo in front.
    The Brazilian was in action against Sevilla last weekendCredit: Getty More

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    Robert Lewandowski slumps over seat in despair after watching Barcelona team-mate’s awful free-kick in win over Shakhtar

    IT’S tough to say what was more shocking.A horrific free-kick from Ronald Araujo or the reaction in the stands from his legendary Barcelona pals Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie De Jong.
    Robert Lewandowski was stunned by Ronald Araujo’s poor effort and Barcelona team-mates were clearly also far from impressed

    Araujo frustrated watching Barca players with his free-kick woeCredit: Alamy
    Araujo spiralled a dead-ball so far over the top of the bar that it was more worthy of the rugby World Cup.
    Even the Uruguayan defender smiled bashfully – helped by Barca edging towards a 2-1 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
    But Araujo’s rueful response was nothing compared to the expressions from sidelined Nou camp heroes.
    Injured striker Lewandowski, 35, slumped forward in disbelief with his head over the seat in front and his hands spread wide.
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    And De Jong was almost as expressive.
    The perennial Manchester United target turned to Lewandowski laughing, then buried his head down into his hands.
    Other watching barca players were hardly more sympathetic.
    One fan wrote: “Frenkie, Gavi, laugh at Araujo freekick.”
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    And one observer noted how Barcelona have been spoilt over the years with dead-ball demons like seven-time ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.
    The nonplussed Nou Camp supporter posted: “Our free kick game has gone from the GOAT bending it into the top corner, to big Ronald Araujo smashing it into row Z. ”
    Victory gave Barca three straight wins in Group H.
    Ferran Torres and Fernin Lopez struck during a first-half stroll.
    But Georgiy Sudakov brilliantly cut the deficit for the Ukrainian visitors on 62 minutes – albeit in vain. More

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    LaLiga breaks silence with UK fans BANNED from watching Jude Bellingham’s El Clasico debut this weekend

    LALIGA have argued the TV blackout rule stopping UK fans from watching Jude Bellingham’s El Clasico debut should be scrapped.Bellingham and his Real Madrid side travel to Barcelona on Saturday.
    British TV viewers will be denied the chance to see Jude Bellingham take on Barcelona for the first time since his summer move to Real MadridCredit: Rex
    But the 3.15pm UK kick-off — scheduled so Asia-based fans can watch the game — means it cannot be shown live by Viaplay in this country.
    The blackout — from 2.45-5.15pm — was introduced in the 1960s to protect attendances and Prem clubs recently agreed to keep it in place until at least 2029.
    Keegan Pierce,  LaLiga’s UK and  Ireland MD, said: “We’re disappointed that British fans cannot watch El Clasico this weekend due to the UK’s self- imposed Saturday 3pm rule.”
    LaLiga believe many fans who want to watch England ace Bellingham   and Co would not otherwise go to UK games.
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    Pierce added:  “While we fully support  measures to promote attendance, we believe the blackout should be limited to the  televising of domestic football, not overseas competitions.”
    It comes as Bellingham, 20, continues to somehow make his £115million fee seem like a bargain.
    The midfielder has notched 11 goals in 12 games since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
    Spanish outlet Diario labelled him the “The New Boss of the Bernabeu” on their front page.
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    And Bellingham will again make the cover if he inspires LaLiga leaders Real to an El Clasico victory on Saturday.
    Girona are second on goal difference – with Barca a point behind in third place. More

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    RB Leipzig star Ilaix Moriba ‘cancelled flight’ to seal Man City transfer before Barcelona debut, his dad claimed

    THE father of Ilaix Moriba has revealed he cancelled his son’s flight to Manchester City so the teen could remain at Barcelona.Moriba, now 20, burst into Ronald Koeman’s team in 2019 and was tipped for a bright future with the Catalans.

    AFP OR LICENSORS

    Ilaix Moriba, now 20, was set to agree a deal with Man City before staying at Barcelona However, he chose to leave the Camp Nou in 2021 and joined RB Leipzig for around £16million after a row over his contract.

    He had a two-year spell on-loan with LaLiga giants Valencia, and his future is currently in limbo in Germany.

    Moriba was put up for sale in the summer, although there were no takers.

    But, Moriba came close to joining Pep Guardiola at City when doubts emerged over a Barca deal back in 2019.

    The Spain youth international, who plays internationally for Guinea, had even booked a plane ticket to the Etihad as he searched for his first professional contract.

    However, Moriba’s dad Mamady Kourouma cancelled the ticket on the morning of the flight after a breakthrough in contract talks with Barca.

    He told Sport: “With Barcelona, the negotiations did not advance. We met with Txiki Begiristain [City’s sporting director] and he explained his entire project to us.

    “We liked it because they bet a lot on him. A few weeks later we had the tickets to travel to Manchester and sign the contract.

    “I cancelled it the morning that we had to go there. I wanted Ilaix to be an example and a reference for the next generations of Barcelona.

    “His friends were gone. If he stayed, it was proof Barca was betting on the youth players. We managed to reach an agreement where we all came out winning.” More

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    Fans call Jude Bellingham ‘fantastic example of a young man’ for sweet gesture to Real Madrid fan at training ground

    JUDE BELLINGHAM was hailed as a “fantastic example” after he went above and beyond for one Real Madrid fan. The 20-year-old superstar left Borussia Dortmund this summer to join Real Madrid for £115m.
    Jude Bellingham has been praised for being so attentive to supporters
    The superstar is a favourite among the Real Madrid fanbaseCredit: Getty
    And Bellingham has not looked back since after firing in 11 goals in 12 games for his new club.
    But where he has really impressed those at the club is his mature personality and his willingness to learn Spanish. 
    And Bellingham made sure he left the training ground having done some good, by interacting with the Madrid supporters crowding his vehicle.
    The England star stopped to sign shirts from the passenger seat of his mother’s car, and spent time ensuring that he spelt one fan’s name correctly.
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    In the heart-warming clip, Bellingham struggles with the Spanish alphabet, as the female supporter begins spelling it out letter by letter.
    Footie fans were quick to react to the Read Madrid man’s actions with one saying: “Class.”
    Another wrote: “What a fantastic example of a young man.”
    And another said: “Respect Jude. He has a lot of respect.”
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    A third fan added: “Not only is he a great footballer, he also has the patience of a saint.”
    A fourth declared: “The patience Jude has really shows the type of bloke he is.”
    As has been historically documented, there is a necessity to find both your feet and tongue in La Liga.
    Foreign players are expected to learn the language and culture at the Bernabeu.
    Just ask Gareth Bale, Steve McManaman and Eden Hazard – who all faced gruelling criticisms for their perceived lack of effort.
    Bale – who did learn Spanish over his nine years in Spain – was routinely demonised by fans about his linguistic abilities.
    But Bellingham is not expected to face such scrutiny, after his defiant and effortless start to life at Real Madrid has made him a hero among fans.
    With Spanish media outlet Diario AS’ front page hailing him, “The New Boss of the Bernabeu”. More

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    LaLiga star reveals heartbreaking reason behind mystery absence in touching social media post

    SPANISH STAR Jonathan Viera’s partner has been suffering with a tumour, it has been revealed.The Las Palmas captain has been the subject of much speculation in Spain in recent weeks.
    Jonathan Viera skippers Las Palmas in LaLigaCredit: 2023 Quality Sport Images
    Viera, 34, shared this snap to InstagramCredit: Instagram @jonathanvieraramos21
    He was left out of their starting XI for matches against Celta Vigo and Villarreal, before being omitted entirely against Rayo Vallecano.
    Viera, 34, had hinted that there “wasn’t long left” for him in football.
    While Las Palmas club president Miguel Angel Ramirez claimed that Viera had earned the right to retire whenever he pleased.
    According to AS, his partner claimed on social media that a tumour had been detected on her uterus.
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    The tumour was subsequently removed “right on time”.
    Viera then posted a picture of himself with his partner, captioning it: “Always like this with a smile, That was always our best weapon.
    “I love you.”
    Footballers Kirian Rodriguez, Vitolo Machin, Alvaro Jimenez, Raul Navas, Oscar Pinchi and Oscar Clemente all commented with supportive messages.
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    Viera joined Las Palmas in 2015 from Club Brugge, initially staying for three years before moving to Beijing Gouan.
    He stayed in China for three years, later returning to Las Palmas in 2021.
    The attacking midfielder has made 265 appearances in total for the Gran Canaria club, scoring 77 goals and laying on 50 assists. More

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    Spanish TV host reveals she kicked LaLiga star out of bed after he bit her face ‘like a pit bull’

    SPANISH TV star Amor Romeira has revealed she kicked a LaLiga star out of bed after he bit her face like a pitbull.Romeira, who featured on Spain’s Big Brother, recounted the four-year-old story to her social media followers.
    Amor Romeira recounted a shocking tale from her sex lifeCredit: Getty
    The Spaniard took a LaLiga player home after a night out four years agoCredit: Instagram @amorromeira
    Romeira revealed the player bit her on the face while getting intimateCredit: Instagram @amorromeira
    She said she had no option but to kick him out of her houseCredit: Instagram @amorromeira
    She explained how she met the then Deportivo La Coruna footballer while partying in Madrid.
    But things got a little heated in the bedroom and she decided to kick him out of her house after he tried to bite her face.
    Romeira said: “I went out partying in Madrid and met a group of footballers who had come to party.
    “The desire arose. I really liked one of them and told him to come home. We arrived at my house and I loved it because it was very passionate.
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    “It was kissing, as well as throwing you on the couch and looking at you with a ‘I’m dying for you’ face. But it started to rise in level to hair pulling and spanking.
    “Suddenly he came up and bit me in the face, but as if he were a pitbull. Well… As I got, I kicked him out of the house.
    “How the bite hurt! And on top of that in the face! “I couldn’t believe it!”
    Romeira, 34, claimed the bite left a mark on her face, leading her friend to ask what happened.
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    She also revealed the footballer continued messaging her after the incident asking for forgiveness and the opportunity to patch things up.
    But she refused to give him a second chance and the pair went their separate ways. More

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    I’m a former England star – I was stunned when I joined Barcelona and was given wine in my pre-match lunch

    GARY LINEKER was shocked when he joined Barcelona and found out the team would drink wine pre-match.The former England striker played for the Catalan giants from 1986 to 1989.
    Gary Lineker was allowed to drink wine just hours before a big game at BarcelonaCredit: Getty
    And when Lineker arrived from Everton, he was left stunned by the Spanish drinking culture.
    The 62-year-old revealed that players would sit on tables of four and finish a bottle of wine the night before and again in the afternoon with lunch prior to going out at the Nou Camp.
    He told the Rest is Football podcast: “I remember we went down, me and Mark Hughes, and we sat at the table, saying: ‘There’s wine on the table, that’s a bit weird’.
    “It was the same routine every match. There was a salad put on the table, one of the players would mix that salad with olive oil, vinegar and salt.
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    “Then we would get our pre-match meal and you’d finish off the bottle between the four of you.
    “Hughes and myself just thought ‘imagine this at home’.
    “But the reasoning for it is that you’d have a glass-and-a-half each, then you’d have a two or three hour siesta because in those days the earliest you’d play would be five o’clock or later.
    “We just could not believe it. It can’t still be a thing now, I don’t imagine it is.”
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    Alan Shearer then joked: “I’d imagine half of my Newcastle team having a glass of wine with a pre-match meal – there’s no way they are staying at one glass.
    “Honestly, half the time they would have been p***ed.”
    Micah Richards also chimed in to say he did similar during his spell with Fiorentina.
    He was with the Italian side from 2014 to 2015 and revealed that the whole team would go for a glass of wine in the afternoon following a training session, with the players’ Wags even allowed to join them.
    And the night before a match he was also allowed to have a sip of booze.
    Richards said: “The lifestyle is completely different to what we are used to and it opened up my eyes.
    “People all ask me: ‘Why are you always so happy?’ Now I know how to enjoy life to the max.”
    The ex-Manchester City defender, 35, said: “I don’t tell lies, if I was on the bench I was having a bottle to myself.”
    Gary Lineker played for Barcelona for three seasonsCredit: Getty
    Micah Richards spent one season at FiorentinaCredit: Getty More