La Liga

SERGIO RAMOS has reportedly liked a damning post about him leaving Real Madrid.
Marca claims Ramos interacted with the Instagram picture uploaded by a fan four days ago.

Sergio Ramos has liked a damning post about him leaving Real Madrid

Reports claim Ramos is targeting a free move to Man Utd this summerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

It comes after weekend reports linking the Los Blancos captain with a stunning move to Manchester United when his contract expires this summer.
Ramos, 34, has been at the Bernabeu since 2005, going to score 100 goals in 668 appearances.
Ramos, who has also been capped an incredible 178 times by Spain, has led Real to numerous trophies including five LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues.
But reports claim he will finally end his stay in the Spanish capital when his contract expires this summer.

Real are yet to offer him fresh terms and have been linked with a free transfer for Bayern Munich’s David Alaba as a replacement.
Ramos himself has now indicated that time is up after liking an Instagram post lamenting his contract situation.
A picture of Ramos sitting down and staring at the ground was accompanied by a caption.
It read: “Real Madrid are now convinced that Sergio Ramos will LEAVE the club this summer. That’s how we treat our legends. Heartbreaking.”

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It now remains to be seen where Ramos ends up should his contract actually expire in July.
It’s been claimed he has his heart set on Man United after talking about the club with ex-Red Devil and former Real teammate David Beckham.
However, Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are also said to be weighing up a contract offer.
And French giants Paris Saint-Germain are reported to be in the running as well.

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LIONEL MESSI must ‘integrate into Catalan society and culture’ including by learning the language as part of his Barcelona contract.
However, the Argentine has the ability to trigger a free transfer should the Catalonia region become independent of Spain.

Lionel Messi must ‘integrate into Catalan society and culture’ including by learning the local language, his Barcelona contract statesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

These are some of the bizarre clauses in his current deal at the Nou Camp, as leaked by El Mundo.
The £492million contract – signed in 2017 and expiring this summer – was publicised at the weekend.
It is worth up to £123m per year – or £2.4m per week – and includes a £102m renewal fee for signing on the dotted line as well as a loyalty bonus of £69m per year for staying.
Now the Spanish newspaper, who obtained a copy of the 30-page confidential document, have unearthed more details of Messi’s contract which expires at the end of the season.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner agreed in article 1.2.7 of the first clause to an obligation to learn the Catalan language.
This was all part of Barcelona’s plan to cement his place as a man of the city rather than simply the football club’s greatest player.
On top of that, Messi must ‘adopt an adequate personal conduct and pace of life’ and not engage in doping, another clause adds.
He is also financially rewarded for playing 60 per cent of official Barcelona matches with a £1m bonus – although this does not include the Copa Catalunya where Barca tend to use their B-team players.

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But should Catalonia successfully break away from the rest of the country, that gives Messi the option to quit the club for nothing.
Messi’s bumper contract is the biggest in sporting history, trumping NFL star Patrick Mahomes’ £402m deal with Kansas City Chiefs.
However, the leak has sparked a backlash in Spain with the club and former president Josep Maria Bartomeu strenuously denying responsibility for the press getting hold of a copy.
Bartomeu told ESport3: “It’s a very serious issue and it’s totally illegal to leak professional contracts.
“Speaking on TV and making accusations is easy, but it’s not a joke and this will end up in court.”

What is clear is that there was a leak. If I win the election I will try to find out who is responsible
Joan Laporta

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta hinted who he thinks may have released the paperwork.
Laporta, who is the favourite to win March’s presidential candidate and believes Messi will stay at the Nou Camp beyond the summer, said: “What my suspicions are does not matter.
“What is clear is that there was a leak. If I win the election I will try to find out who is responsible. I will ring Javier Tebas (head of LaLiga) to see if he knows anything.
“There are only five people [at Barcelona] who have this contract in their custody: the president, the director general, the sporting director, the club’s legal advisers and human resources.”

Messi agreed to the terms and conditions when he put pen to paper on the deal in November 2017Credit: AFP or licensors

The details were released by Spanish newspaper El Mundo who obtained a copy of the documents

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REAL MADRID have confirmed that their president Florentino Perez has tested positive for coronavirus.
But Los Blancos have stressed the 73-year-old is not currently displaying any symptoms.

Florentino Perez has tested positive for coronavirusCredit: EPA

Real confirmed Perez will continue to be tested periodically to monitor his condition. 
However, they have offered no further information on potential knock-on effects at the Bernabeu.
Perez will spend the next 10 days in quarantine and will need to post a negative test following that period in order to return to work at the Bernabeu.
Perez is currently in his second spell as president of the Spanish giants.

He oversaw the infamous ‘Galactico’ period of the club in his first reign between 2000 to 2006.
The Spaniard returned to office in 2009 with the club winning the Champions League five times during his two reigns.
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane tested positive for Covid-19 a fortnight ago.
That was before their LaLiga clash with Alaves but he returned to the dug-out for their defeat to Levante at the weekend.

Madrid are suffering a miserable season on the pitch despite being level on points with arch-rivals Barcelona.
Both teams are currently ten points behind leaders Atletico Madrid in the title race.
If Diego Simeone can steer Los Rojiblancos to the title again, his first being in 2013/14, it will be just the second time neither of the El Clasico powerhouses have been crowned champs since 2004.
Real travel to Huesca on Saturday before hosting Getafe in the top-flight on Tuesday.

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LIONEL MESSI wants to stay at Barcelona next season, insists presidential candidate Joan Laporta.
The club captain, 33, is out of contract at the end of the season.

Lionel Messi wants to stay at Barcelona beyond this summer, according to Joan LaportaCredit: Rex Features

Messi came close to quitting the club last summer when he handed in a transfer request before being forced into a dramatic U-turn to honour the final year of his contract.
He stated in December he still ‘doesn’t know’ what he will do in the summer with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City battling to sign him on a free transfer.
Laporta, though, reckons he will go nowhere and remain at the Nou Camp – and made it clear Barcelona’s £1billion debt is not the Argentine’s fault.
The favourite to win the upcoming presidential election on March 7 said: “I have indications that he feels good at Barcelona and that he wants to stay here.

“Messi generates more revenue than the money he costs. We have carried out a study that shows that a third of what the club makes comes from him.
“‘It’s not Messi who has ruined the club, it’s the last board who lost their financial discipline back in 2015 and then lost their way after selling Neymar in 2017.”
Laporta was Barca chief between 2003 and 2010, overseeing Messi’s rise to superstardom and a hugely successful period for the club.
And his priority will be appeasing Messi after the public spat with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

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Asked what he would do if the six-time Ballon d’Or does try to force an exit, Laporta added: “I would ask him to reconsider. I would tell him that money is no guarantee of winning things.
“If Messi stays we can build a team around him.
“It’s also not true that he runs the club. Messi just wants the club to have a good project. It’s not economic it’s about emotion. It’s all that he has given this club.
“Eight out of ten shirts we sell are his. And seeing Messi at Barcelona frightens rivals. You cannot put a price on the sporting and emotional returns we get from him.
“We have been able to turn our situation around regarding the trophies we have won compared with our rivals. That is thanks to Leo. Without him we would not have been able to win as much.
“It’s clear that we have to do everything we can in economic and sporting terms to make sure he stays. We can’t be focused on him leaving; we have to focus on him staying.”

What is clear is that there was a leak. If I win the election I will try to find out who is responsible.
Joan Laporta

Details of Messi’s mammoth £492million contract at Barcelona – the biggest player deal in sport – was leaked over the weekend.
El Mundo obtained a copy of the 30-page confidential paperwork, which details a fixed salary, image rights, variables as well as the tax that Barcelona have had to pay.
The club and Bartomeu have both strenuously denied leaking the documents to the Spanish newspaper.
On the details being made public, Laporta said: “What my suspicions are does not matter.
“What is clear is that there was a leak. If I win the election I will try to find out who is responsible. I will ring Javier Tebas (head of LaLiga) to see if he knows anything.
“There are only five people [at Barcelona] who have this contract in their custody: the president, the director general, the sporting director, the club’s legal advisers and human resources.”

Laporta was Barcelona president between 2003 and 2010 and is favourite to win the March 7 electionCredit: EPA

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LIONEL MESSI’S Barcelona contract is worth just shy of £500million and is the biggest deal in sporting history, leaked documents suggest.
The Argentine great, 33, is coming towards the end of his latest four-year deal at the Nou Camp.

Leaked documents show Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract is worth up to £492m including bonuses over four yearsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

And Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported the total value is €555,237,619 – or £492m – after obtaining a copy of the 30-page confidential paperwork.
That is made up of a fixed salary, image rights, variables as well as the tax that Barcelona have had to pay and trumps NFL star Patrick Mahomes’ £402m deal with Kansas City Chiefs.
Messi’s bumper contract, therefore, is worth on average up to £123m per year with all the bonuses included.
One of those bonuses was a £102m ‘renewal fee’ simply for signing on the dotted line in November 2017.

He then pockets an extra £69m each year as a ‘loyalty bonus’ for staying at the club.
Barcelona released a statement on Sunday morning to deny leaking the documents and threaten legal action against El Mundo.
The club said: “In view of the information published today in the newspaper El Mundo, in relation to the professional contract signed between FC Barcelona and the player Lionel Messi, the club regrets its publication given that it is a private document governed by the principle of confidentiality between the parties.
“FC Barcelona categorically denies any responsibility for the publication of this document, and will take appropriate legal action against the newspaper El Mundo, for any damage that may be caused as a result of this publication.

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“FC Barcelona expresses its absolute support for Lionel Messi, especially in the face of any attempt to discredit his image, and to damage his relationship with the entity where he has worked to become the best player in the world and in football history.”
Messi tried to quit Barca last summer by attempting to trigger a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for free.
But after threatening legal action, he made a dramatic U-turn to see out the final year.
He is, though, expected to leave after 20 years this summer with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City among the mega-rich clubs hoping to land the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Speaking in December, he admitted he still ‘doesn’t know’ what he will do at the end of the season.

I don’t know if I’m going to leave, but if I do, I would like to leave in the best way possible
Lionel Messi

Messi, who is free to talk to other clubs now, said: “I know there are a lot of people at Barca who still love me, but I’m going to do what is best for the club and for myself.
“Besides, I want to live in Barcelona and be involved in the club in some way when I retire.
“I don’t know if I’m going to leave, but if I do, I would like to leave in the best way possible and be able to return to the club in the future.
“Barcelona are much bigger than any player. I hope that every time the club have to, they will do good things to lift important titles.”
The leaked information regarding Messi’s contract comes just days after Barcelona’s financial report revealed debts of £1billion.
That includes a short-term debt of £638m, £236m of which needs to be paid back to various banks and financial institutions before June 30.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo revealed the details on their front page

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