La Liga

Subterms

    More stories

    • 250 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Luis Suarez planning to take swipe at Barcelona board with goal celebration if he scores on return with Atletico Madrid

      by

      LUIS SUAREZ has revealed he will ‘point to those responsible’ for his Barcelona exit if he scores against them next month.
      The striker, 33, signed for Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid last month after being ditched by the Nou Camp bosses.

      3

      Luis Suarez ended a six-year spell at Barcelona in September Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Suarez, 33, revealed he was reduced to tears after he was booted out of the Barcelona squad.
      And he will make his feelings towards the club’s board known if he scores against them on November 22.
      As reported by The Mirror, Suarez said: “I will not shout ‘goal’ but I will point to those responsible.
      “I spent six years there and felt I had earned respect.

      “I deserved to know my fate before I found out from the press.
      “Also the coach Ronald Koeman came to me saying that he doesn’t count on me.
      “But that was after the leadership of the club had already there was going to be a change of players.
      “That raises doubts about whether it was the coach’s decision or a directive from above.”

      3

      Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu offloaded the striker last monthCredit: AFP or licensors

      It is expected he will be pointing in the direction of the club board, including president Josep Maria Bartomeu, if he gets on the scoresheet.
      The striker has already found his feet at Atletico after scoring twice on his debut.
      Suarez joined Barcelona from Liverpool in a £74million deal in 2014.
      He went on to score 198 goals, win four La Liga titles and four domestic cups in six years.
      The former Liverpool man revealed he was booted out because of his close friendship with Lionel Messi.
      But in a shock turn of events, new Barca boss Koeman has insisted Suarez could have stayed.
      Koeman said: “In the case of Suarez, it had become very difficult for him to start playing and I made that known to him.

      3

      Ronald Koeman has insisted Luis Suarez could have decided to stayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “He found it difficult, but I never had any trouble with him at all.
      “He trained normally, trained well. He finally made the reason to leave and I said: ‘If you don’t leave, for whatever reason, then you are just one of the group, then you can prove that I was wrong’.
      “He could have stayed, yes.”

      New Atletico Madrid signing Luis Suarez says the fans and the coach are a huge motivation for joining the club More

    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Two fans arrested after stealing Mallorca club van and using stadium’s pitch as a skid pan – wrecking the turf

      by

      SPANISH police arrested two vandals for driving a club van over the pitch at Mallorca’s stadium in Spain.
      Yobs allegedly nicked the vehicle which was parked on site and left tire tracks all over the turf at the 23,000 capacity Son Moix stadium.

      4

      Two vandals were arrested for driving a van onto Mallorca’s pitch

      4

      Tire tracks and skid marks could be seen on the turf at the Son Moix Stadium

      The pair were reportedly part of a group of six who launched an assault on the Segunda Division side’s stadium in the early hours of this morning..
      Images show the surface at the stadium has been butchered by their actions.
      And fans online were disgusted by the move.

      Huge bald patches could be seen all over the field.
      And tire tracks zig-zagged across the turf so the lines on the pitch were barely visible.
      Alberto wrote: “I would put them to sow the lawn and pay for everything.”
      However, not everyone joined in the outrage – instead questioning the state of the pitch before the incident.

      Javier pointed out a slight flaw in the anger when he said: “The grass was hardly a carpet before.”

      4

      Huge bald patches and areas of damage could be seen

      4

      The turf had reportedly only been planted recently

      Nevi also quipped: “The act of vandalism has consisted of not watering it in weeks.”
      Hades added: “There are roundabouts in my town with better quality than that lawn.”
      The Balearic club hopes to repair the damage caused to the recently planted turf ahead of the visit of Albacete on October 21. 

      Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘absolutely ruins’ England team-mates including Harry Maguire with stunning training goal More

    • 225 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd boost in Dembele transfer hunt with Barcelona desperate to offload Frenchman in January for cut-price £45m

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED have received a boost in their pursuit of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.
      United failed to land the Frenchman this summer as an alternative to Jadon Sancho but Barca are reportedly still desperate to offload him in January.

      1

      Barcelona want to sell Man Utd target Ousmane Dembele in JanuaryCredit: Rex Features

      The winger, 23, knows he has no future under Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.
      And the Red Devils were eager to bring Dembele to Old Trafford after failing to agree a fee for England international Sancho.
      Frenchman Dembele reportedly snubbed United on deadline day in a bid to force a move to Juventus.

      But that also failed to materialise and Barcelona are furious the ex-Borussia Dortmund speedster did not leave, according to ESPN.
      The Catalans were desperate to offload the winger to fund a move for Lyon wideman Memphis Depay.
      And they are still eager to get him out the door in the January transfer window for £45million, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
      Dembele’s Barcelona contract expires in 2022.

      And the Nou Camp club have made it clear to the France international he will be sold in January to ensure they recoup as much money as possible.

      Dembele joined Barca from Dortmund in 2017 for a staggering £132m.
      But he has been an unused substitute in every game this season.
      His time in Spain has not been a success despite landing two LaLiga titles and one Copa del Rey.
      Dembele made just NINE appearances in all competitions last term after suffering TWO hamstring tears.
      Despite his struggles, he was also linked with a move to Liverpool.
      But any hopes of an Anfield switch ended when Jurgen Klopp splurged £40m on Wolves winger Diogo Jota.

      Marcus Rashford reveals he’s ‘proud’ to take mum Melanie to meet the Queen after being awarded MBE More

    • 288 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      From Neymar and Martinez to De Ligt and Depay, Bartomeu failed to sign an entire team’s worth of stars as he faces axe

      by

      BARCELONA’S president Josep Maria Bartomeu is facing the Nou Camp axe.
      The man who was at war with superstar captain Lionel Messi during a spectacular summer transfer saga, will face a vote of no confidence.

      14

      14

      Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu Credit: AFP or licensors

      More than 16,000 fans signed a motion against the Catalan giants’ hapless chief to trigger a referendum.
      Bartomeu is guaranteed to be out by March with a presidential election scheduled and the 57-year-old unable to seek another term.
      Despite Messi reluctantly being convinced to stay this season, Bartomeu’s stewardship has been slated for a number of failed signings.
      SunSport casts an eye over a whole team of stars whose moves never materialised.

      Andre Onana

      14

      Ajax keeper Andre Onana has been linked with BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Ajax shot-stopper Andre Onana has caught the eye with some impressive performances between the stick and was previously linked with a move to Chelsea.
      But Spanish outlet Sport claims Barcelona have been targeting the 24-year-old.
      A former youth star at Barca, Onana is yet to be lured back to the Nou Camp.

      Inigo Martinez

      14

      Inigo Martinez’s move to Barcelona collapsedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      In 2017 Barcelona were monitoring defender Inigo Martinez with then boss Ernesto Valverde keen on poaching him from Real Sociedad.
      A five-year deal was in place before Sociedad president Jokin Apperibay pulled the plug.
      Martinez fumed at Apperibay for going back on his word as Barca missed out on another class operator at the back with the player sold to Atheltic Bilbao in January 2018.
      Matthijs De Ligt

      14

      Matthijs de Ligt chose Juventus over BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      After excelling in the heart of Ajax’s defence in 2019, centre-back Matthijs de Ligt was high in demand.
      The ball-playing defender won the Golden Boy gong in 2018 and became the Dutch club’s youngest ever aged just 19.
      But Barcelona lost out in a head-to-head transfer battle with Juventus as De Ligt opted for Serie A to become a ‘more complete player’.
      Eric Garcia

      14

      Eric Garcia has long been linked with a return to BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The Manchester City centre-back has refused to pen a new deal with his heart seemingly set on a return to Catalonia.
      After cutting his teeth at La Masia, the 19-year-old has consistently been linked with a move back but a transfer has yet to transpire.
      Although he is likely to arrive for nothing when his City deal expires next summer, Barca have made hard work of bringing him back into the fold.

      Marco Verratti

      14

      Marco Verratti turned down Barcelona to stay at PSGCredit: AFP or licensors
      Barcelona reportedly had looked at landing Marco Verratti in a big-money deal in 2016.
      The Catalan club wanted him to fill the void left by Xavi but despite offering a huge pay day, they failed to land their man and he remained at PSG.
      Adrien Rabiot

      14

      Adrien Rabiot joined Juventus after a Barca move fell throughCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Like De Ligt, midfielder Adrien Rabiot plumped for Juventus over a move to Barca.
      In the summer of 2019 he had looked certain to arrive after running down his PSG deal.
      But a move collapsed with some reports claiming he saw himself playing further up the field than a No6 role and an alleged disagreement over a signing-on fee.
      Willian

      14

      Willian left Chelsea for Arsenal rather than the Nou CampCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Brazilian Willian, 31, ditched Chelsea for Arsenal this summer on a free but could easily have left Stamford Bridge for the Nou Camp.
      Bartomeu is said to have had TWO bids for the wideman – a £50m offer in 2018 before Chelsea rejected the £20m put on the table in January.
      Memphis Depay

      14

      Barcelona could not get a deal for Lyon’s Memphis Depay over the lineCredit: Reuters
      The former Manchester United flop looked set to reunite with his former international boss Ronald Koeman at Barca.
      But the Lyon skipper’s £25m move to Spain came unstuck largely thanks to Barcelona’s dire financial state.
      With the club unable to offload Ousmane Dembele’s hefty wages to United in a loan deal, Depay’s move fell through.
      Neymar

      14

      Neymar is yet to return from PSG to BarcelonaCredit: AFP or licensors
      Ever since he joined PSG from Barca for just shy of £200m in 2017, Neymar has been linked with a dramatic return.
      And Messi is thought to have urged the board to bring back his old MSN pal.
      But despite the speculation, the French giants held firm – refusing to sell their prized asset.
      Lautaro Martinez

      14

      Barcelona failed to poach No1 target Lautaro Martinez from Inter MilanCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez was Barca’s No1 target to fill the void left by Luis Suarez’s departure this summer.
      But the skint Catalan giants balked at his £90m price tag and were forced to end their pursuit of the 23-year-old Argentine.
      Rodrigo

      14

      Leeds signed Rodrigo ahead of BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Before Leeds star Rodrigo was firing in equalisers against Manchester City, he was another man linked with Barca.
      Valencia reportedly wanted £50m for the striker in January which was too much for Bartomeu and Co.
      And Leeds snapped up the 29-year-old Spaniard for £35m in the summer window.
      Manager – Xavi

      14

      Barcelona legend Xavi manages Qatari side Al Sadd Credit: AFP or licensors
      Club legend Xavi was linked with a fairytale return to replace Quique Setien at the helm.
      Bartomeu hinted the Al Sadd boss would be on his way back ‘sooner or later’.
      But he signed a new deal with the Qatari side and Ronald Koeman was brought in instead.

      Watch as furious Barcelona fans break into Nou Camp in support of Lionel Messi and demand president Bartomeu resign More

    • 213 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Luis Suarez explosively reveals he was booted out of Barcelona due to close friendship with Lionel Messi

      by

      LUIZ SUAREZ sensationally revealed he was pushed out by Barcelona… because of his close friendship with Lionel Messi.
      The Uruguayan striker, 33, saw himself shoved through the Nou Camp exit door this summer.

      3

      Luis Suarez reckons he was booted out by Barcelona because of his close friendship with Lionel MessiCredit: Instagram / @leomessi

      He joined LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid but reckons the Catalan giants wanted him out to weaken support of Messi, who himself was trying to leave.
      Suarez told ESPN: “I think they wanted to remove me from Messi’s side.
      “Maybe it annoyed them that I had a good relationship with Leo. Perhaps they didn’t want him to be with me so much.
      “I can’t find any reason to think that would damage the team, though.

      “We looked for each other constantly on the pitch, but for the good of the team. Maybe they wanted him to play with more team-mates.
      “That could have something to do with it. I can’t find any other reason to want to separate us because we got on well on the pitch.”
      Suarez and Messi had a close bond on the pitch for Barca but it was off it they were particularly tight.
      Their families spent plenty of time together both in Barcelona and on various holidays.

      3

      The pair formed a brilliant partnership up front together for the Catalan giantsCredit: AFP or licensors

      3

      The two stars and their partners regularly hung out together outside of football and often went on holiday with their familiesCredit: Instagram / @antonelaroccuzzo

      Messi took to social media to express his anguish at seeing his pal leave after six years.
      And his wife Antonela reduced Suarez’s partner Sofia to tears with her own heartfelt goodbye.
      Unlike Suarez, Messi stayed put at Barcelona this summer, making a U-turn and deciding to see out his contract with the club he joined 20 years ago.
      The ex-Liverpool frontman, however, reckons the board should have honoured the Argentine’s wishes.
      He added: “They should have respected his decision to leave.
      “Maybe there’s the possibility that he plays for another club, but if he feels comfortable and happy and a new board come in, he will want to stay at the club.
      “As a friend, I will be happy if things go well for him there, but also if he has to go to another club.”
      Suarez is the third-highest goalscorer in Barcelona’s history with 198 strikes after signing in 2014.

      But he was left ‘hurt’ and crying by the way he was treated this summer and Ronald Koeman’s handling of his situation.
      The Atleti star said: “It really hurt me and my family the way they did it.
      “It wasn’t right that a coach [Ronald Koeman] comes in and says he doesn’t count on me when the board had already said there were going to be big changes generates doubts.
      “Koeman called me to tell me that I wasn’t in his plans, but I’d known what was coming for ten days. He just confirmed what I’d seen in the media.
      “I always said the club needed a young striker, but they never brought anyone in to compete with me even. For years, they’ve wanted to bring more forwards because they wanted to kick me out.
      “It had been coming but I at least deserved for them to phone me and explain before learning of it through the media.”
      Suarez did not take long to prove he still has plenty to offer in Spain’s top flight.
      Despite only coming on for the final 20 minutes in his debut against Granada, he scored twice and set up another in a 6-1 thumping.

      Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez reunited for first time since striker’s Barcelona axe as they arrive at airport together More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Man City already lining up free transfer swoop for Lionel Messi next summer, reveals chief Omar Berrada

      by

      MANCHESTER CITY are already lining up a summer transfer swoop for Lionel Messi, the Etihad’s top brass has revealed.
      City were heavily linked with a move for the Barcelona great over the summer when he signalled his intention to quit the Nou Camp.

      2

      Manchester City are plotting their summer transfer swoop for Lionel MessiCredit: Rex Features

      But after two weeks of negotiations and uncertainty, Messi eventually performed a U-turn and agreed to stay put for the final year of his contract.
      Now, though, City are plotting their move to land the ‘best player in the world’ for free at the end of the season.
      Chief operating officer Omar Berrada told the Manchester Evening News: “He’s an amazing talent, he’s somebody that can make a significant impact at any club in the world on and off the pitch immediately.
      “He’s the best player in the world, he’s the best player of his generation.

      “I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team.
      “The fact that it was commented that he wanted to come to play for City just shows you how far the team has come over the last years where the best talent of his generation potentially saying he wants to come and play for us.”
      Messi will turn 34 a week before his Barcelona contract expires and would therefore be an exception to City’s usual transfer policy.
      But with a goal and two assists in his first three LaLiga games this season, there is no doubt the six-time Ballon d’Or winner would be a major addition to any squad.

      2

      Messi could be reunited with former boss Pep Guardiola at the EtihadCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Berrada added: “It’s hard to guess what could happen. If you think back to those two weeks where everything played out at Barcelona, it’s almost impossible to guess what will happen next summer.
      “Messi is a generational talent, he’s the best player in the world and probably an exception to potential investments that we’d do out of the ordinary but our planning has been done with this current squad and it is being considered with the current opportunities that we have.
      “For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but at the same time I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment [in a striker] when required.
      “That’s what puts us in a position where we feel comfortable that we’ll be able to take the right decision because it also doesn’t mean that we’ll have to rush into anything.
      “First because Sergio [Aguero] and Gabriel [Jesus] are performing very well, they are two of the best strikers in the world right now, and when we do decide to bring in potentially someone else, whether it is next season or the one after that then we will be in a financial position to do it for the right price.”

      Lionel Messi trains with the Barcelona squad More

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Jack Wilshere reveals he wants LaLiga or Serie A transfer despite Rangers talks after West Ham ripped up his contract

      by

      JACK WILSHERE says he would like a crack at LaLiga or Serie A after his contract with West Ham was terminated this week.
      Wilshere has been left in the wilderness as a free agent after agreeing to have the final year of his contract paid up by the Hammers having played just 19 times in two years.

      2

      Jack Wilshere has left West Ham after having his contract terminatedCredit: PA:Press Association

      The 28-year-old has spoken with former England team-mate Steven Gerrard about a move to Rangers – but admits he fancies doing something few of his contemporaries have done by playing on the continent.
      Speaking to talkSPORT, Wilshere said: “I’m open to anything really. I think I want to try something different, I’m leaning towards that.
      “Maybe LaLiga, Italy, something a little bit different and not many English players have done.

      “I was in this position when I left Arsenal. What I learnt from that is take your time and make sure it’s right for you.
      “I’m not saying I have regrets going to West Ham because in my head things would have turned out differently but that’s football – but this time I’m going take my time and find something that suits me
      “I just want to be happy and be playing football again. Honestly, I can’t tell you the last time, probably when I signed for West Ham, the first three games before I picked up an injury. That was probably the last time I was happy playing football.
      “I just want to be happy, going back on the pitch, get a smile on my face, play 20-30 games a season where I’m an important player for a team.

      “Obvoiously it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to and I was frustrated about that but that’s football.

      2

      The best free agents available to clubs now the window has closed

      “At the end of the day the manager picks a team and once he’s got his team it’s very difficult to get him to change that, especially the last season when we was fighting for survival.
      “I thought maybe I’ll get more of a chance this year but he made it clear to me that I wasn’t, that it was probably in my best interest I left and tried to find something else so I did.
      “That is all you ask for, honesty, and that is what he was with me and we came to a decision and it’s probably the best for everyone.”

      Jack Wilshere in ‘advanced talks’ with Rangers over shock free transfer for former Arsenal and West Ham star More