La Liga

SPANISH footballer Hugo Mallo will stand trial this summer after being accused of sexually assaulting a team mascot.The former Celta Vigo captain, 32, allegedly “grabbed the breasts” of a woman under a parakeet costume as he led his side out for a top-flight match against Espanyol in April 2019.
Hugo Mallo will stand trial for sexual assault this summerCredit: 2023 Getty Images
Video footage purportedly shows the moment of the incident, which occurred at Espanyol’s Stage Front Stadium in Barcelona.
Former Spain U21 ace Mallo, who played 449 times for Celta Vigo, denies the accusations.
The alleged victim, who has upheld her right to anonymity but is referred to as ‘Ana’, made a complaint to Catalan police the day after the alleged incident.
According to the Mail, it read: “When Hugo Mallo arrived (to greet) the mascots, he gave his hand to the (male) parakeet (Periquito) as is usually done, but when he reached Ms. Ana, who at that time was playing the role of the (female) parakeet, he introduced his hands under the costume and touched her breasts.
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“According to the declarant, he grabbed her breasts with his hands and began to make movements.”
‘Ana’ then testified two months later in June 2019, with Mallo appearing in court in July 2019 to provide his own statement.
The defender, who now plays in Brazil for Internacional, requested that the case be thrown out.
But that was rejected, and two years later in May 2021 the case was instead deemed to constitute sexual assault.
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A judge said at the time: “Although it seems to occur quickly, it lasts longer than the rest of the greetings made previously to the mascot, so we do see that something is happening with the mascot (Periquita) and the player, since the mascot moves, (she) takes away (her) hand from the player and stands behind the male mascot.
 “And we can see from the position of the player that he may have incurred said touches.”
Mallo was initially due to stand trial in Barcelona last year.
However, the case was postponed and he will now appear in court in July – five years after the alleged incident took place.
‘Ana’ is reportedly requesting the sentence of a 24-month fine to the state, which is reflected in article 181.1 of the Penal Code.
She is apparently no longer working at Espanyol after leaving the club in 2021, having been there since 2006. More

GETAFE boss Jose Bordalas has called on Mason Greenwood to improve despite labelling him a “great player”.The Manchester United loanee, 22, joined the LaLiga side in September, seven months after charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control were dropped.
Mason Greenwood has impressed for Getafe in recent monthsCredit: Rex
Greenwood has now scored four LaLiga goals since joining Getafe

He has scored six goals and assisted four more in 20 appearances for Getafe.
That included the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Granada on Monday evening as he dribbled the ball to the edge of the area before curling a superb effort into the far corner.
But Bordalas insisted after the game that Greenwood, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, remains a work in progress.
As reported by The Metro, he said: “He is a great player but everyone has a job.
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“We are very happy with the work from Greenwood, Borja, Maxi, but without everyone’s work he cannot shine.
“Greenwood had a great first half, although not so much in the second half. But everyone has worked for the team.
“They were aware of the importance of the game and finally we achieved it.”
SunSport exclusively revealed last week that Greenwood is potentially on his way to the Nou Camp in the summer.
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A source said: “Barcelona want to sign Greenwood, and he wants to move there. The next step is for the clubs to come to an agreement.
“Manchester United want to sell the player and the manager has accepted Greenwood won’t be returning. The view is that it is best for all parties to have a clean break.
“As talented as Greenwood is, a return to the club when they are at the start of a new chapter, with new owners, is regarded as a backward step.
“A deal with Barcelona is likely to include a number of add-ons depending on games Mason goes on to play for them and possibly for England too.
“Mason is setting his sights on playing for his country again one day.
“Time will tell on that, but for the moment Mason is focused on further making a name for himself in LaLiga. He hit the ground running at Getafe and played well which is why Barcelona want him.
“They think he is a player who can help take them to the next level both in the domestic competitions and in Europe and is one for the future.
“They think Greenwood would also be an exciting signing for the fans. They’ve sent scouts to watch him six times this season and the reports have been overwhelmingly positive.”
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Along with Barcelona, Valencia and Real Sociedad are also “monitoring” the English forward, while Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are tracking his progress.
He has a contract with Man Utd until 2025. More

JOSE MOURINHO could make a surprise move to Barcelona as the club’s new manager.The reigning Spanish champions are searching for a new boss ahead of next season after Xavi’s decision to leave the club.
Jose Mourinho could make an astonishing return to BarcelonaCredit: AP
Xavi announced on Saturday he will step down as manager at the end of the season.
According to Spanish outlet ABC, Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes has offered him to Barca as Xavi’s successor.
The super-agent has the support of Barcelona sporting director Deco after his involvement in several recent transfers.
Former Portugal international Deco also played under Mourinho at Porto, where he won the Champions League in 2004.
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Mourinho is currently available after his sacking by Roma earlier this month and was previously a target for Barcelona in 2008 before taking over at Inter.
Prior to his first managerial role, the 61-year-old spent four years as a translator and assistant manager at Barca under Louis van Gaal and Sir Bobby Robson.
However, he has gone on to have several high profile clashes with the club, including during a three-year spell as manager of bitter rivals Real Madrid.
Mourinho was also involved in heated clashes with the Blaugrana whilst at the helm of both Chelsea and Inter.
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Mourinho’s Barcelona bust-ups
‘Illegal meeting’
After Chelsea beat Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 in 2005, Mourinho accused Frank Rijkaard of meeting with referee Anders Frisk at half-time.
He claimed the meeting impacted Frisk’s decision to send off Didier Drogba during the second half, with the official later retiring after receiving death threats from angry fans.
Meanwhile, Mourinho was handed a two-match touchline ban for his comments and labelled an “enemy of football” by Uefa referees chief Volker Roth.
2010 Champions League semi-final
Mourinho again knocked Barca out of Europe in the Champions League semi-finals in 2010, advancing 3-2 on aggregate despite a 1-0 second leg defeat at the Camp Nou.
He called the match “the most beautiful defeat of my life” and suggested Barca had been obsessed with reaching the final at the Santiago Bernabeu after the match.
Mourinho’s passionate on-field celebrations at full-time also led to a clash with goalkeeper Victor Valdes, whilst the Spanish press declared the match as the moment he passed the test to become Real Madrid boss.
Eye poke
A brawl erupted during the closing stages of the Spanish Super Cup in 2011 as Barca won 3-2 to claim the trophy 5-4 on aggregate.
During the brawl, Mourinho was spotted poking Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye, although he escaped punishment as the incident was not included in the referee’s report.
Mourinho doubled down after the match, though, claiming he did not know who “Pito” Vilanova was, with “pito” being Spanish slang for penis.
Ending the drought
Mourinho ended Los Blancos’ five-year wait for a victory at the Camp Nou in April 2012 as a 2-1 victory extended his side’s lead at the top of La Liga to seven points with just four matches remaining.
Although not as heated as his previous bust-ups, the win was a significant victory over Barca, as it also represented their first El Clasico defeat since 2008.
Then manager Pep Guardiola conceded the title to Real Madrid after the match.

During his managerial career, he has faced Barca 27 times, winning on eight occasions and losing 10 times.
As Real Madrid boss, he finished nine points clear of Barca to win the title in 2012 after finishing on 100 points.
Both his Chelsea and Inter sides knocked the Spanish giants out of the Champions League, with the Italians doing so on their way to winning the treble in 2010. More

LIONEL MESSI has been tipped to replace Xavi as the new manager of Barcelona.Club legend Xavi will step down as manager at the end of the season after winning the La Liga title last term.
Barcelona have been tipped to appoint Lionel Messi as their new managerCredit: Getty
Xavi will leave the Spanish giants at the end of the seasonCredit: AFP
He confirmed his exit during a fiery press conference following Saturday’s 5-3 home loss to Villarreal.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy has now called for Barcelona to hire Messi as his replacement.
He told talkSPORT: “I’d give it to Messi. The fans are on board straight away.
“Everything he touches turns to gold. He was put on this earth to do amazing things. It’s not going to stop in management.”
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During 21 years with the club as a player, Messi scored 672 goals and won 35 major trophies.
However, he has previously admitted he has no intention of going into management after retiring and instead hinted at becoming a sporting director instead.
Speaking to Star+ last year, the 36-year-old explained: “I don’t really intend to be a coach, but [former Real Madrid coach Zinedine] Zidane said exactly that and after that, he became a coach and won the Champions League three times.
“I like sporting director, team building, and accompanying coaches but I’m not entirely sure either.”
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Messi has previously explained he has no intention of going into managementCredit: Getty

Messi is currently gearing up for his first full season with Inter Miami, where he is contracted until the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, the fallout from Xavi’s bombshell announcement continues at Barcelona.
After the loss to Villarreal, which leaves his side fourth in the table, he told reporters: “I will leave Barcelona in June. We have reached a point of no return. It’s time for change.
“As a Culé, I think that it’s time to leave. I spoke with the board and the club today. I will leave on the 30th of June.”
The former midfielder had fallen under mounting pressure after falling 11 points behind La Liga leaders Girona and exiting the Copa del Rey.
He added: “I took this decision days ago. I already knew it. But it’s time to make it public.
Xavi announced his decision to leave the club during a fiery press conference on SaturdayCredit: EPA
“I think the players could not free themselves up. I don’t want to be a problem for the club, but the opposite.”
Xavi also referenced Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year tenure at Manchester United during his heated press conference.
The Spaniard continued: “You asked me many times if I’d be the Sir Alex Ferguson of Barça… the truth is that it will never happen here.
“You guys won’t allow it — being Barça coach is so difficult. You see how they kill you, they criticise you, it affects you. It’s a cruel job, it wears you down.
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“In Barcelona you always feel like you’re not valued, you’re mistreated – that’s how the club works. From a mental health level, it’s tough too.
“I’m a positive guy but the battery levels keep running out — and at some point, you realise there’s no point in staying.” More

BARCELONA fans have been left fuming after seeing Ronald Araujo smash a bottle instead of chasing down Villarreal’s last-minute goal.The Catalonian giants had a night they will want to forget after losing 5-3 to La Liga rivals Villarreal on Saturday.
Fans were left fuming after spotting what Ronald Araujo was doing before Barca conceded a late goalCredit: La Liga via X formetly Twitter
Araujo was spotted smashing a water bottle after losing possession in the boxCredit: DAZN via X formerly Twitter
The defender then missed the chance to chase down Villarreal’s fourth goalCredit: DAZN via X formerly Twitter
Alexander Soroth secured the winner for VillarrealCredit: La Liga via X formetly Twitter

The defending champions were thrashed by 14th-place Villarreal who put on a stellar performance against Xavi’s side.
Barca was leading 3-2 until the 84th minute when Goncalo Guedes’ strike leveled out the scoreline.
And things got too much for defender Araujo who by extra time had fans balmming him for Villarreal’s ‘go-ahead’ goal by Alexander Sorloth in the 98th minute.
As one fan said, “he’s finished” as they spotted the Uruguayan having an angry outburst and smashing a water bottle after losing possession of the ball in the box.
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Which many more Barca supporters believe cost his team a goal.
Another fan added: “Araujo was smashing water bottles instead of tracking back for the Villarreal goal.”
While another put: “He forgot the game is still on.”
Araujo has endured a tough run of games recently after being sent off in the Super Cup against Real Madrid earlier this month.
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Meanwhile, the 24-year-old has also been the center of transfer talks at Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich this month, alongside Manchester United.
The Red Devils have enquired about Araujo’s availability and have been told he will cost £69million this month.
At the moment, the Blaugranas are ten points away from the top in La Liga as Real Madrid and underdogs Girona look to be the title contenders this term.
And Barca boss Xavi recently announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract is up. More