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      Barcelona charged with corruption over claims they paid off referees for 17 YEARS as Real Madrid call emergency meeting

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      BARCELONA have been charged with corruption over claims the Catalans paid off the head of Spain’s refereeing committee for 17 YEARS.The Spanish giants are accused of syphoning more than £6million to a company owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who served as the committee’s vice-president between 1994 and 2018.
      The LaLiga side have been charged with corruptionCredit: Getty
      Barcelona are said to have made the payments between 2001 and 2018, including the four-year spell they were coached by Pep Guardiola — although there are no suggestions the Manchester City boss was aware of the agreement.
      Spanish LaLiga chief Javier Tebas turned the matter over to state prosecutors because the alleged payments were outside his competition’s statute of limitations.
      And now Barca, former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and Negreira have all been hit with official corruption charges.
      Last week Tebas said current Barca president Joan Laporta would have to resign if the charges were proven.
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      He added: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Barcelona or anybody else  — this is about the reputation of LaLiga.
      “We are acting on the criminality side of this with the Spanish government.
      “Barcelona have to explain a lot about those payments.”
      Club chief Laporta has denied any impropriety.
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      Laporta insisted: “Let it be clear. Barca have never bought referees and Barca have never had the intention of buying referees — absolutely never.”
      Real Madrid have responded to Barcelona’s charges by calling for an urgent board meeting to determine their response.
      The reigning LaLiga champions’ board will meet at noon tomorrow to decide on their next steps.
      Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez has called an urgent board meetingCredit: EPA More

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      Man Utd and Newcastle both scouting Gabri Veiga as transfer buyout clause in Celta Vigo midfielder’s deal is revealed

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and Newcastle are both interested in Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga, according to reports.The Spaniard has shone in LaLiga this term, gathering plenty of interest.
      Gabri Veiga is attracting interest from the Premier LeagueCredit: Rex
      He is contracted at Celta until 2026, although the Spanish side are desperate to renew his deal.
      As is customary in LaLiga, Veiga’s contract possesses a release clause.
      It is currently set at £35million, although Celta want to double this sum in a contract extension.
      According to the Mirror, United and Newcastle are among a host of Prem teams admiring Veiga.
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      They could face competition from Germany, however, with Bundesliga clubs also looking at Veiga closely.
      The 20-year-old is represented by super-agent Pini Zahavi, the man tasked with handling his future.
      Veiga is a product of Celta’s academy.
      He has made 23 league appearances this season, bagging eight goals and laying on three assists from an advanced midfield role.
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      His performances saw him land international recognition in 2022.
      In November last year, Veiga earned his Spain Under-21s debut.
      He came on as a late sub as La Roja beat Japan 2-0 in Seville. More

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      Away fan loses FINGER in horror fall before Europa League clash as club doctor rushes him to hospital

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      A REAL SOCIEDAD fan lost his finger in a horrible accident before the Europa League clash against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.Jose Mourinho’s side beat Sociedad 2-0 in the first leg of their Last 16 tie thanks to goals by Stephan El Shaarawy and Marash Kumbulla.
      A horror accident took place at the Olimpico before a Europa League clashCredit: Getty
      A Real Sociedad fan lost his finger before the Europa League game with RomaCredit: Getty
      But the game was marred by a horrible accident that saw a supporter of the visiting team being rushed to hospital with the help of Real’s doctor Javier Barrera.
      According to Mundo Deportivo, a 49-year-old man had the ring finger on his left hand partly amputated.
      AS report that another fan picked up the severed finger and stored it in a bag of ice that was immediately sent to hospital for surgery.
      He spent Thursday night in hospital after a four-hour operation and was cleared the next day to fly back to Spain.
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      The same report suggests the accident occurred outside the stadium before the game started.
      He climbed a fence to get a better view of something and that is when disaster struck.
      The fan unfortunately lost his footing and fell with his finger getting hooked.
      Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay and the team doctor visited the supporter on Friday after the game with Roma.
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      The club also got him a seat on the team’s charter flight for a quicker return home.
      The LaLiga giants offered him a jersey worn in the game by Takefusa Kubo as well.
      The fan appeared to be in good spirits after landing as he showed “good humour” at the airport. More

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      Real Madrid ‘ready to turn to Haaland and trigger £177m Man City release clause if Mbappe doesn’t push for transfer’

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      REAL MADRID are reportedly ready to move on from Kylian Mbappe and instead target Erling Haaland.The LaLiga giants have been trying to sign the French attacker for the last couple of years but have been rejected in each attempt.
      Real Madrid will reportedly drop their interest in Kylian Mbappe if he does not push for moveCredit: Getty
      Madrid could instead move for Erling HaalandCredit: EPA
      They hoped that he would join the club last year, only for the World Cup golden boot winner to sign a new two-year deal at PSG running until 2024.
      Marca say they remain desperate to sign the 24-year-old but accept they will need him to pressure PSG to convince them to sell.
      The report adds that Mbappe does not want to exercise a clause in his contract to extend it by a further year, which means he would be free to leave the club at the end of next season.
      This could lead to PSG be willing to sell him this summer in order not to lose him for nothing.
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      But Mbappe would have to lower his expectations and “do much more” for the club to get a move to the Spanish capital.
      If he does not do this then the Spanish giants will opt for Man City’s Haaland and pay his reported £177million release clause in the summer of 2024.
      Haaland joined the Citizens last summer and has excelled with his goalscoring form.
      The Norweigan international has already netted 33 goals for the club in only 32 appearances this season.
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      Madrid are believed to be still interested in signing the World Cup winner as a replacement for Karim Benzema.
      The Madrid star has struggled with injuries this term which has limited his time on the pitch.
      The report suggests that this has been factored into Los Blacnos’ transfer strategy as they try to find his replacement. More

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      Real Madrid ‘plot Erling Haaland transfer this summer’ – and move would be huge blow to Man Utd and Chelsea

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      REAL MADRID are plotting an ambitious bid for Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, according to reports.The reigning Prem champions won the race for Haaland last summer, but Madrid are growing in confidence that they can make his City stay a brief one.
      Erling Haaland has scored 27 goals in 25 games for Man CityCredit: Rex
      Madrid president Florentino Perez is trying to regenerate his side by targeting the globe’s top young talent – with Haaland’s former Borussia Dortmund pal Jude Bellingham also fitting the bill.
      According to the Independent, they see Haaland as the perfect replacement for 35-year-old Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
      The red-hot 22-year-old has scored 27 goals in 25 games for City and is happy at the Etihad.
      But Madrid know that he is unlikely to stay at any club for an extended spell, and reckon it’s at least worth a try to prise him away from Pep Guardiola’s side after just one season.
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      They had initially planned to wait until 2024 to make a swoop, but reckon that uncertainty surrounding City amid alleged financial breaches could help their cause.
      Another factor that could attract Haaland may be the possibility to link up with Bellingham again.
      The duo starred together at Dortmund, and would bolster a formidable young Madrid core already including the likes of Vinicius Jr, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde – as well as incoming starlet Endrick.
      Should Bellingham decide to join Madrid, it would be a huge blow to other would-be suitors including Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and even City themselves.
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      The LaLiga champions were initially thought to be prioritising Kylian Mbappe over Haaland.
      But key figures at the club felt stung by Mbappe’s decision to pen a contract extension at PSG last year – causing them to turn their full attention to Haaland.
      Boss Carlo Ancelotti could leave Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season, and has been linked with the Brazil post.
      Haaland and Jude Bellingham previously starred for Dortmund togetherCredit: Alamy
      Carlo Ancelotti could leave Real Madrid at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Why does Real Betis star Borja Iglesias paint his nails?

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      REAL BETIS forward Borja Iglesias will be licking his lips as his side host a wounded Manchester United in the Europa League – and eagle-eyed fans have noticed a change in his appearanceIglesias has ten goals in La Liga this season and will be hoping to take advantage of the United backline’s recent shambolic performance at Anfield.
      Borja Iglesias is set to lead Real Betis’ front line against Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      Who is Borja Iglesias?
      The 6ft 2in striker was born in Santiago de Compostela in Spain in January 1993.
      He has played all of his professional playing career in the Spanish leagues.
      Borja Iglesias has scored 51 goals in the Spanish top flight, most of those goals playing in the colours of current side Real Betis.
      He has represented Spain just once in a 2-1 loss to Switzerland at the Nations League in 2022.
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      Why does Borja Iglesias paint his nails?
      The Spanish striker started painting his nails before matches back in June 2020.
      Iglesias paints his nails in an act of solidarity
      The 30-year-old initially started doing it as an act of solidarity when the Black Lives Matter protests began in 2020.
      He later painted his nails multicoloured as the message also became about fighting homophobia as well as racism.
      Borja Iglesias has also openly spoken about mental health issues and the obstacles he has had to overcome in his life.
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      Iglesias is also a big fan of Marcus Rashford’s work off the pitch, as he has often used his platform to give visibility to societal issues.
      The Spaniard believes football should be responsible to “create a safe space” and hopes younger generations bring a “more open mentality.” More

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      Reason behind Barcelona’s new shirt logos for El Clasico having already worn Drake’s Owl symbol this season

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      BARCELONA will reportedly feature the logo of Spanish singer Rosalia in the El Clasico against Real Madrid this month.The Catalonian side have already featured Drake’s owl symbol on their shirt this season as part of their agreement with Spotify.
      Barcelona have already had Drake’s logo on their shirt this seasonCredit: Getty
      The club could now have Rosalia’s logo on their shirtCredit: The Mega Agency
      This is what the shirt could look like with the Spanish singer’s logoCredit: SPORT
      Spotify will be removed as the shirt sponsor for the match and will be replaced with Rosalia’s logo, according to Catalan radio station Rac 1.
      The image from her third album – Motomami – is believed to be the design for the shirt.
      It has been chosen to mark the one-year anniversary of its release.
      She has won multiple awards in her career including two Grammys and eight Latin Grammys.
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      The 30-year-old singer has also been named as Spain’s most influential woman on two occasions by Forbes.
      Barcelona have said that the agreement with the music streaming service is to help create “innovative experiences for football fans” as well as help the club “reach new audiences though music”.
      Drake was given the treatment when he became the first artist to reach 50 billion streams of his songs on the platform.
      His owl logo was printed on the club’s shirts for the first El Clasico of the season back in October.
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      Barcelona lost the game 3-1 as Real Madrid dominated the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
      The agreement between the club and Spotify started last June and will run for the next four years.
      As part of the deal, the club’s iconic stadium was renamed the Spotify Camp Nou.
      Rosalia has twice been named Spain’s most influential womanCredit: The Mega Agency
      Barcelona’s stadium was renamed the Spotify Camp Nou as part of the dealCredit: Alamy More

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      Man Utd and Arsenal transfer target Ansu Fati ‘offered to half of Europe by Jorge Mendes’ as Barcelona exit draws nearer

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      BARCELONA star Ansu Fati has allegedly been offered to “half of Europe” by his agent Jorge Mendes.We reported last month how a trio of Premier League clubs had allegedly been in contact with the ace over a potential summer transfer.
      Clubs chasing Ansu Fati have received a boost with a fresh report from SpainCredit: Getty
      Super-agent Jorge Mendes has allegedly offered him to ‘half of Europe’Credit: Reuters
      The trio of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are all circling for Fati, whose current deal contains a world record €1billion (£898million) release clause.
      The Spanish international forward, 20, has a contract at Barcelona until 2027.
      However, their president Joan Laporta has announced that he wants to sign another forward this summer but one will have to depart.
      With Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele being first-choice, then that would leave Fati, Raphinha or Ferran Torres as the likely ones to be sold.
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      Fati announced a fortnight ago that he wanted to stay at the Nou Camp – but Catalan journalist Joan Fontes claims that the youngster could be sold.
      He says that the ace feels he should have a bigger role at Barcelona, only his manager Xavi Hernandez disagrees.
      And that has led to Ansu’s agent Mendes offering his client to “half of Europe”’ as he tries to find him a new club.
      Fati was considered the next rising star when he made his senior debut at the tender age of 17 in 2020.
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      However, persistent knee problems have hampered Fati’s development.
      He has 18 goals in 63 top-flight appearances for the club in total since his breakthrough.
      He has played over 30 times this season, but only ten of those have been starts. More