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      If Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona then club needs to change its NAME, claims Eto’o amid fear over superstar’s exit

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      SAMUEL ETO’O has sensationally claimed Barcelona will need to change their name should Lionel Messi depart the club.
      The humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich sent shock waves not only around the world, but in the Blaugrana boardroom.

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      Samuel Eto’o has urged Barcelona to do all they can to keep Lionel MessiCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Boss Quique Setien was swiftly sacked following the Champions League exit, with club legend Ronald Koeman set to take charge.
      And Barcelona have been rocked by the news that Messi is keen to leave the Nou Camp as he enters the final year of his contract.
      The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is believed to harbour dreams of winning the European Cup for a fifth time.
      Spanish football expert Graham Hunter has stated that Messi is seriously considering his future in Catalonia.

      Messi’s former team-mate Eto’o has urged Barca to do everything they can to keep the Argentinian international.
      And should the unthinkable happen and Messi ends up leaving, Eto’o has bizarrely claimed Barcelona have to change their name.
      Speaking to TyC Sports via Marca, he said: “There’s a need to do everything possible to ensure Messi finishes his career at Barcelona.
      “I hope that those who take the decisions do so for the good of Barcelona.

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      Man City are the favourites to sign Messi this summer

      “I love Leo as if he were my son. Barcelona is Messi. I always want the best for Messi, but the club is Messi.
      “If he decides to leave then we need to try to find another name for the club.
      “We’re lucky that we currently have the best player of all time.”

      Former French international defender Frank Leboeuf says Lionel Messi should leave Barcelona ‘to have no regrets in his life’ More

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      How Barcelona blew £940m on transfers in five years and failed to win the Champions League

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      BARCELONA may just be the WORST football club in the world when it comes to transfers.
      For a club that can seemingly lure any superstar in the world to the Camp Nou – you’d think they’d be better at it by now.

      But in truth, Barca haven’t invested their money wisely since 2015… FIVE years ago.
      In the summer of 2014, the club realised they needed to strengthen the spine of their team to keep on competing.
      Barcelona splashed out £150million on Luis Suarez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ivan Rakitic – all star players in the past few years.
      But since then, the LaLiga giants have spent a staggering £940m on a whole host of flops.

      Of near-billion pound spend, £535m has been searching for a third forward to join Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
      Check out where it all went wrong, below…
      2015-16

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      Barcelona’s 2015-16 signings were thoroughly underwhelmingCredit: EPA
      Arda Turan, Aleix Vidal
      AFTER spending big – and with huge success, at that – a season before, Barcelona opted against any mega transfers in 2015-16.

      They instead looked to bolster their squad with useful role players – Turan and Vidal.
      Both flopped badly at the Camp Nou – with Vidal sold to Sevilla and Turan in the midst of a two-year loan at Istanbul Basaksehir with a view to being sold for good this summer.
      Having won the Champions League a year earlier, the Blaugrana were surprisingly knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.
      2016-17

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      Andre Gomes was one of half a dozen dodgy dealings by Barcelona in 2016Credit: Reuters
      Andre Gomes, Paco Alcacer, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Jasper Cillessen, Denis Suarez
      AFTER a dreadful year in the transfer market a year earlier, Barcelona looked to rebuild once again in the summer of 2016.
      Instead, what they signed were a now-Everton duo, an Arsenal flop, a back-up stopper now at Valencia and a striker now at Villarreal via Borussia Dortmund.
      The only decent signing – from Barcelona’s point of view – that summer was Umtiti… and even he isn’t always a first choice centre-back these days.
      Once again, the quarter-finals proved as far as the Catalans could go in Europe with an impressive Juventus exacting revenge for their 2015 final defeat.
      2017-18

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      Coutinho and Dembele both signed for over £100m – and have both struggled at BarcelonaCredit: EPA
      Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, Paulinho, Nelson Semedo, Gerard Deulofeu, Yerry Mina, Marlon
      TWO appalling transfer markets in the book, Barcelona saw only one way out… spend, spend, spend.
      The £142m signing of Coutinho was a disaster, with the Brazilian sent on loan to Bayern Munich and looking certain to be sold this summer.
      Dembele, also signing for over £100m, could be off after an injury-plagued stay at the Camp Nou.
      Semedo has been solid since arriving, but Paulinho, Deulofeu, Marlon and Mina all proved disastrous and have already been sold.
      Despite a 4-1 win over Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg, Barcelona managed to lose the second leg 3-0 as serious questions were asked about the direction of the team.
      2018-19

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      Malcom never came close to finding his top form in SpainCredit: Splash News
      Malcom, Clement Lenglet, Arthur Melo, Arturo Vidal, Jean-Clair Todibo
      ANOTHER dud year in the transfer market behind them, Barcelona chiefs had high hopes for 2018-19.
      Signing Malcom looked to be a no-brainer thanks to his electric form at Bordeaux, they thought.
      They were wrong.
      But in big-name Vidal, Barcelona would surely have a superstar centre-mid for years to come.
      Wrong again.
      Todibo has barely had a chance, viewed more as one for the future – while Arthur and Lenglet have been solid first-team players since arriving.
      But now Arthur has been shipped off to Juventus, with the club aiming to do better with Miralem Pjanic after their swap deal.
      In Europe, it was a case of being on the wrong end of another mad comeback as Liverpool overturned a three-goal first leg deficit in the semi-finals.
      2019-20

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      Griezmann has struggled since swapping Atletico Madrid for BarcelonaCredit: Reuters
      Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie De Jong, Neto, Martin Braithwaite, Junior Firpo, Emerson, Pedri
      SIGNING proven world-class forward Griezmann was meant to solve everything.
      Finally the Messi-Suarez tandem would have a third leg to push them to bigger and better things.
      Then there was the signing of Ajax wonderkid De Jong – meant to help propel the Barcelona midfield into the 2020s.
      Both have failed to replicate their form from their former clubs.
      Meanwhile, 16-year-old Pedri has been bagged while former Middlesbrough flop Braithwaite was arguably the shock signing of the season.
      Emerson, Neto and Firpo have all struggled to get a game – with the former spending the season on loan at Real Betis – before the season ended at the hands of Bayern Munich and an 8-2 rout in the Champions League last-eight.

      2020-21

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      Can Miralem Pjanic break Barcelona’s market hoodoo?Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Miralem Pjanic, Francisco Trincao
      Another transfer window, another attacker as Barcelona look to the Portuguese top-flight for Braga hotshot Trincao.
      How much impact the 20-year-old has next season may depend on whether they can bag top target Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan.
      Following the nightmare 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich and Quique Setien’s sacking, a dose of midfield calm will arrive in experienced playmaker Pjanic.
      Big names for big money, smaller names for smaller money – it doesn’t seem to matter… Barcelona just can’t get it right in the transfer window at the moment.

      Watch Lionel Messi IGNORE Barcelona No2 as row with coaches rages on and boss Setien now set to leave after bust-up More

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      in Soccer

      Lazio chief says he has ‘no respect for David Silva as a man’ as he breaks silence on shock Real Sociedad transfer

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      LAZIO chief Igli Tare has revealed that he does not “respect” David Silva “as a man” after the Spaniard snubbed his side for Real Sociedad.
      The Manchester City legend was due to travel to Rome to undergo a medical with the Serie A side after agreeing a three-year deal.

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      Silva was unveiled by Real Sociedad this weekCredit: https://www.instagram.com/realsociedad/
      But having blanked Lazio’s calls last week, Silva found himself the subject of strong interest from Real Sociedad.
      The LaLiga outfit sensationally hijacked the deal, agreeing a two-year contract with the 34-year-old.
      And Tare, 47, gave a furious, albeit brief response to the situation via Lazio’s official website:
      He wrote: “I learn about David Silva’s transfer to Real Sociedad. I have great respect for the player, but not for the man.”

      With Silva having been due to give Lazio his final word last Monday, the Italians were still left waiting by the weekend.
      And on Sunday they gave him an ultimatum… before his move to Sociedad was officially announced a day later.
      While he’s not the most popular man in Rome at the moment, Silva will eternally be remembered at Man City for his exceptional service in sky blue.

      Pep Guardiola’s side have announced that they will erect a statue in his honour outside the Etihad Stadium.

      In addition to this, a pitch at their training facility will also be named in his honour.
      Having signed from Valencia in 2010, Silva made 436 appearances and helped City win 14 trophies.

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      The Man City legend will have a statue erected in his honour at the EtihadCredit: AFP – Getty

      And upon announcing his statue, chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak said: “David has put his stamp on the team, on this club, it’s history and even the Premier League as a whole.
      “In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it. He has inspired everyone around him.
      “David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this club with great dignity.”

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      Silva made a low-key final appearance for City on SaturdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      How Barcelona could line up under Ronald Koeman with new transfers including Van de Beek, Martinez and Richarlison

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      IT’S set to be a summer of upheaval at Barcelona in the wake of their 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich on Friday night.
      Quique Setien has packed his bags, and former Everton and Southampton boss Ronald Koeman is set to become the club’s third manager of 2020.

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      Ronald Koeman will be desperate to rebuild at Barca

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      The ex-Everton and Southampton boss is set to take charge at Camp NouCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Dutchman, a legendary player at Barcelona, will have a job on his hands to turn things around at Camp Nou – with the club on the brink of a crisis.
      His first job will be convincing Lionel Messi that he can win the Champions League by staying at Barca, amid talk that the Argentine wants to leave the club and their boardroom mess behind.
      Koeman, 57, will also be eager to bring in some fresh talent – so how will his new side line up next season?
      FOLLOWING TRADITION
      As a player Koeman featured under the legendary Johan Cruyff at both Ajax and Barcelona, making him perfectly positioned to understand the philosophy of his compatriot.

      This means that he will seek to restore the club’s ideals built by Cruyff, starting with the club’s 4-3-3 formation.
      Setien tried a most un-Barcelona-like 4-4-2 diamond against Bayern, with disastrous consequences.
      Koeman will get Barcelona back on the path to playing in his former mentor’s image – as they did in relatively recent years under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique with great success.
      Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains the perfect goalkeeper for playing out of the back, but will hope for greater organisation in front of him as he seeks to start moves and help his side negate opposition pressing.

      Nelson Semedo and Jordi Alba should continue as roving full backs for Koeman.

      And while Gerard Pique offered to leave in the wake of the Bayern humbling, his experience of coming through at La Masia and winning countless trophies with successful Barcelona sides would be invaluable.
      Alongside him could be a man that has taken a similar path to that of Pique in his young career.
      Eric Garcia, 19, left La Masia in 2017 for Manchester, as Pique did, bursting into the Manchester City team towards the end of this season.
      While his game time prospects appear brighter than Pique’s did at Manchester United all those years ago, Garcia is refusing to put pen to paper on a new deal, and Barca have already tested the water with a £14million bid to bring him back to Camp Nou.
      Miralem Pjanic has already been recruited from Juventus, and could gradually take control of the slot at the base of Barca’s midfield from the ageing Sergio Busquets.
      THE DUTCH CONNECTION
      To one side of the Bosnian will be last summer’s marquee signing Frenkie de Jong, who under his compatriot could fully reach his potential in red and blue.
      And he could even be joined by former Ajax team-mate Donny van de Beek, with the attacking midfielder having been linked with Barcelona this summer.
      Koeman will be desperate to talk Messi round, and if he does so could united him with a new attacking duo up front.

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      Eric Garcia could head back to BarcelonaCredit: Reuters

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      Donny van de Beek could be reunited with Frenkie de Jong at BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez caught the eye yet again last night with his brace against Shakhtar Donetsk, and Barcelona see him as a key target this summer.
      To the left, Everton star Richarlison was surprisingly linked with Barcelona earlier this season, and could be brought in to finally work with ex-Goodison boss Koeman – who was sacked prior to the Brazilian’s arrival under Marco Silva.
      The likes of Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig will continue to be developed – although the Barca futures of Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite and Philippe Coutinho look bleak.

      Quique Setién sacked: ESPN’s Sid Lowe discusses what went wrong for former Barcelona manager More

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      Lionel Messi ‘wants to quit Barcelona in search of team who can win Champions League and NOT motivated by money’

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      BARCELONA have been rocked by the prospect of Lionel Messi leaving the club this summer.
      The Argentine was left furious by the 8-2 disgrace suffered at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Friday night.

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      Messi was left furious by Friday night’s defeatCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And with just one year left on his contract, Messi is said to be seriously considering leaving Camp Nou.
      Journalist Marcelo Brechner, who broke Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, has even claimed that the 33-year-old is actively seeking a move away this summer.
      But Spanish football expert Graham Hunter believes that at this stage of his career, any move would be motivated by success on the pitch, rather than by trying to earn more money.
      He told Sky Sports: “If he is motivated and fit there is every reason to argue he could be exceptional for another three or four years, he just turned 33 in June.

      “His contract no longer has that get-out-of-jail-free clause wherein every May the last two or three seasons he could have informed the club he wanted to leave for free.
      “This board, for as long as they stay in power, and I think that will be until at least March, will not want to be tainted by being the ones that let Messi escape, as well as being tainted for being known as the board which failed to bring the best out of the final golden years of Messi.

      He doesn’t want to leave for more money or just to be out of the mess that is going on around him, he wants to win the Champions League.
      Graham Hunter

      “Clubs who want him are suddenly going to be asked for 100million euros for a 33-year-old, and it’s possible there might be one or two willing to pay that, but he then has to look around and say if I’m disrupting my life and taking my family out of a place where I’ve always said I wanted to stay, will he be joining a winning franchise.
      “He doesn’t want to leave for more money or just to be out of the mess that is going on around him, he wants to win the Champions League. It’s a very complicated equation to work out how he leaves, or to where he might go.

      “Of course, he is waiting to see the developments and whether he believes that might make a difference to him staying and winning at Barcelona.”

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      Man City are the favourites to sign Messi this summer

      Ronald Koeman is set to be the man tasked with convincing Messi that Barcelona can win Europe’s biggest prize next season, with the former Southampton and Everton manager to take charge following Quique Setien’s dismissal.
      Gerard Pique was frank in his assessment of Friday night’s bleak result, admitting that no player’s position is safe after the humiliation.
      Sporting director Eric Abidal could also face the chop, having been criticised by former team-mate Messi earlier this season.

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      Ronald Koeman is set to take over at FC BarcelonaCredit: Reuters

      Quique Setién sacked: ESPN’s Sid Lowe discusses what went wrong for former Barcelona manager More

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      Barcelona rebel Arthur ‘charged with drink driving after crashing Ferrari into street lamp’ ahead of Juventus transfer

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      BARCELONA midfielder Arthur Melo has reportedly been charged with drink driving after crashing his Ferrari.
      According to Diari de Girona, the Brazilian mounted the kerb at 4am on Monday morning and drove into a street lamp – but escaped unharmed.

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      Arthur, seen here at Barcelona’s training ground earlier this month, is preparing to move to Turin with JuventusCredit: EPA
      The incident is said to have happened in the city of Palafrugell, 90 minutes north-west of Barcelona.
      While driving down Carrer del Suro into the city centre, the footballer crashed and was spotted by a passing police car.
      A standard breathalyser test was carried out and, according to reports, gave an alcohol measurement of 0.55 mg/litre. The legal limit in Spain is 0.5mg/litre.
      No one in the car was described as hurt with the Ferrari only experiencing minor damage.

      AWOL ARTHUR
      Arthur has been in open rebellion against his club, Barcelona, ahead of his exit to Juventus.
      The 21-year-old is expected to head to Turin for the start of pre-season training on Monday having agreed a £65million transfer back in June.
      After the exit, effectively a swap deal for Miralem Pjanic, was signed off, tensions between the Blaugrana and Arthur reached boiling point.
      Sport reported last month that he had refused to turn up for training, telling Barcelona that he would not play for the team again.

      The AWOL playmaker is set to be slapped with legal action for allegedly breaching his contract having demanded his stay in Catalonia be ended early.
      Furious at being forced out of the Camp Nou, Arthur was not selected for any of Barcelona’s final six LaLiga games or their short Champions League campaign – which ended in an ignominious 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
      During a shock loss to Osasuna in July, the player even appeared to fall asleep in the stands with his saga just one of many engulfing the Spanish giants this summer.

      Barcelona star Arthur ‘pulls a Gareth Bale’ as he yawns and looks bored on bench during Osasuna loss More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo ‘asks Juventus to sign Karim Benzema’ as he eyes transfer reunion with Real Madrid striker

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO wants Karim Benzema to sign for Juventus to reignite the spark of their Real Madrid days, according to reports.
      Despite winning another Scudetto, the summer is expected to involve plenty of turnover for the Bianconeri with Andrea Pirlo replacing Maurizio Sarri as coach.

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      Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, together with Gareth Bale, formed the fearsome BBC trio in MadridCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Even Serie A MVP Paulo Dybala’s future is up in the air with Ronaldo also potentially available for £54million.
      But La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that improving the frontline is on the agenda with Benzema eyed by his old Real colleague.
      The French forward ended the season in terrific form, guiding Los Blancos to their first LaLiga title without Ronaldo since 2008.
      And although he was unable to singlehandedly push Madrid to more Champions League glory, he comfortably finished as the club’s top scorer with 27 goals.

      Whether Real are ready to let the 32-year-old go is widely doubted with two years left on the striker’s contract.
      But few expected Ronaldo to make the switch to Turin and the pair did enjoy a very productive relationship in Spain, combining for four Champions League crowns and a pair of league titles.

      Juventus’ ability to sign Benzema is also under threat by the coronavirus pandemic.
      Wobbling club finances helped push through the sale of Miralem Pjanic, effectively a swap transfer for Arthur Melo and his cheaper wage packet.

      A new contract for Dybala is also under threat amid reports he wants £260,000-a-week to finally end talk of a transfer away.
      And Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has reportedly been touting his client around in a bid to grab the 35-year-old another Champions League winners’ medal.

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      Cristiano Ronaldo ‘got Real Madrid youngster Manu Hernando axed’ for flooring Portuguese superstar in training More

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      Zinedine Zidane mulls over Real Madrid future while on yacht with family amid fears he could quit this summer

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      ZINEDINE ZIDANE has been snapped basking in the Spanish sunshine amid speculation regarding his Real Madrid future.
      The 48-year-old has been pictured on board a yacht with his family in Ibiza as he relaxes following the hectic 2019/20 season.

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      Zinedine Zidane revealed last month he is unsure over what the future holds for himCredit: Splash News
      It was a mixed season for Los Blancos who won their first LaLiga title since 2017.
      But they then crashed out at the last 16 stage of the Champions League after losing 4-2 on aggregate to Manchester City.
      And Zidane has wasted no time in trying to forget about the disappointing European exit as he went on holiday with his family in Ibiza.
      Along with Zidane, his wife Veronique was pictured on the yacht, along with their sons Luca and Enzo.

      They were also joined by Luca’s girlfriend Marina Muntaner, with the group caught on camera chilling in the Mediterranean Sea.
      But even though Zidane tried to relax, his future remains a talking point after he revealed he doesn’t know what it holds for him.
      Speaking last month, he said: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future.

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      Zidane and his wife Veronique (left) relaxed on board a yacht in IbizaCredit: Splash News

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      Zidane’s son Luca and his girlfriend Marina Muntaner basked in the Ibiza sunshineCredit: Splash News

      “I never talk about next season, or the following year. 

      “I’ve got a contract and I’m happy. You never know what will happen in the future.
      “Things can change overnight in the world of football and I have no idea what the future holds.”

      Pep Guardiola has private chat with Zinedine Zidane after Man City’s win over Real Madrid More