La Liga

LAS PALMAS captain Jonathan Viera has caused a stir in Spain after going AWOL from his squad.Viera, 34, has been absent from Las Palmas’ last three matchday squads after being substituted early in their 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo last month.
Viera is regarded as the greatest Las Palmas player in historyCredit: Getty – Contributor
The exact reason for his absence is unclear.
Last week he came out and hinted there “wasn’t long left” for him in football after finding out that his wife had a tumour.
Las Palmas club president Miguel Angel Ramirez claimed that club legend Viera had earned the right to retire whenever he pleased.
According to AS, his partner claimed on social media that a tumour had been detected on her uterus.
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The tumour was subsequently removed “right on time”.
But it appears the saga of Jonathan Viera’s Las Palmas future has taken another twist.
Marca report that the midfielder has boarded a flight to Dubai in the search of sealing a transfer to the United Arab Emirates.
The Spanish paper report that Viera had already rejected a “multimillion-dollar” offer from Dubai earlier this summer.
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He had apparently been convinced to stay at Las Palmas by club president Angel Ramirez.
But Viera’s relationship with manager Garcia Pimienta has been strained in his absence from the squad and he now wants the transfer he did not get this summer.
Viera has flown to The UAE again this week and it appears that he will not play again for Las Palmas.
The 34-year-old began his career at the club in 2010 after coming through their academy.
He left to join Valencia in 2012 before returning to the Gran Canaria side again in 2015.
He left to join Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan in 2018 before returning to Las Palmas for a third stint in 2021 following the corona crisis.
He is widely regarded as the greatest Las Palmas player in history. More

BARCELONA have apologised to Ilkay Gundogan they had made him and his stunning Wag feel “abandoned”.The midfielder reportedly complained about the treatment of his family following his move to the club.
Barcelona have apologised for making Ilkay Gundogan and his wife feel ‘abandoned’Credit: Reuters
Gundogan joined Barca on a free transfer from Manchester City in the summer following seven years in England.
During that time, he won 14 major trophies including the treble last season.
As a result, Barcelona had made him a top transfer target, beating Arsenal to his signature.
However, Gundogan was left unhappy with the support given to him and his wife Sara Arfaoui following his arrival.
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According to SPORT, he had expected the club to help with housing and transport.
The report adds that Barca have responded to his complaint by issuing an apology to Gundogan and his family.
Gundogan has been joined in Spain by Sara, having married the TV presenter and model in 2022.
The couple also have a child together and were all smiles at his unveiling back in the summer.
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Gundogan complained about the treatment of himself and his wife Sara ArfaouiCredit: The Mega Agency
Sara had shared an emotional goodbye to Manchester on social media as the move was confirmed, despite previously blasting the quality of restaurants in the city.
Since signing for Barca, Gundogan has scored once and added four assists in 14 appearances for the Spanish giants.
He was left fuming after their El Clasico loss to Real Madrid at the weekend, though.
Speaking after the match, he criticised his team-mates’ reaction to the defeat in the dressing room at full-time.
Sara previously supported Gundogan at Manchester City before joining him in SpainCredit: Getty More

LUCA ZIDANE left Real Madrid to make his own way in football and step out of his father’s shadow.The son of French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane was handed his La Liga debut by his dad in 2018.
Luca Zidane left Real Madrid to step out of his father’s shadowCredit: Getty
The goalkeeper is the son of Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner Zinedine ZidaneCredit: AP:Associated Press
However, he would make just one more appearance for Los Blancos, which also came during his father’s time as manager.
An U17s Euros winner with France in 2015, Zidane progressed through Real Madrid’s academy having joined the club as a child.
Meanwhile, his dad had starred for the Spanish giants as a player, winning both the Champions League and La Liga before returning as manager.
Across two spells in the dugout, he won two more league titles and three consecutive Champions League on route to lifting 11 major trophies.
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Prior to arriving in Spain, the midfielder had also won the Ballon d’Or in 1998 off the back of winning the World Cup with France and Serie A at Juventus.
He was crowned ahead of fellow World Cup stars Davor Suker and Ronaldo.
For Luca, though, he would leave the Santiago Bernabeu in 2020 to join Rayo Vallecano, before later moving to Eibar last summer.
He spoke to Relevo about the impact of his dad’s reputation on his career back in April.
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Zidane came through Real Madrid’s academy before making two first-team appearancesCredit: AFP or licensors
The 25-year-old explained: “In the world of football I want them to see me as Luca.
“Let them judge the matches I’ve played so far. They don’t think more than that and don’t compare me.
“There are people who talk about me and don’t know me. It hurts. They say what they think and many times it’s prejudiced. They don’t know who I am.
“It’s difficult to hear things from people who have seen you play one or two games and don’t really know the person or the footballer you are.”
As for the pressure of his name, he told Sportstar in June: “I do not have much pressure to be the son of Zidane because I’ve had that all my life. So, I’m used to it.
“I have my own career – one that I’m trying to carve out for myself. And me and my father’s careers are two different things.”
Since joining Eibar, Luca has kept 16 clean sheets in 46 matches for the club.
After missing out on promotion to La Liga via the play-offs last season, Eibar are currently second in the table this term, with their French keeper playing every minute of the campaign so far.
The 25-year-old has played every minute for Eibar so far this seasonCredit: Getty More

THIS iconic stadium looks unrecognisable with a crane on the pitch and every single seat REMOVED.Barcelona’s Nou Camp is one of the most celebrated arenas in world football.
Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium looks unrecognisable as it undergoes a £1billion revampCredit: X/FCBarcelona
All near-100,000 seats have been ripped out of the arenaCredit: Getty
A giant crane now stands in the middle of the pitch, with the grass removed as wellCredit: X/FCBarcelona
First built in 1957, it’s played host to numerous legendary matches in front of a bumper crowd of nearly 100,000 people.
However, Barcelona are not playing at the Nou Camp this term.
That’s because construction work has begun to renovate it into a stadium fit for the modern era.
Building work started in June, with a £1billion project expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
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Barcelona have already unveiled CGI plans of how the Nou Camp will eventually look, with plans to expand the seating to 105,000 while adding a roof.
They have now moved into the 55,000 seater Estadi Lluis Companys, which hosted the 1992 Olympics.
But in the meantime, Barca’s old stadium looks a shadow of its former self.
The green grass of the field has been completely removed, leaving behind gravel and concrete.
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Barcelona hope their new stadium will be ready in time for the 2025/26 seasonCredit: Instagram / fcbarcelona
The new stadium, shown here partially finished in CGI, It will boast 105,000 seats and even a roof,Credit: Instagram / fcbarcelona
A video showed a large crane in the centre of the field, with numerous trucks and diggers driving around.
Most notably, the stands are now completely grey after every single seat was ripped up.
They are now being sold to fans as memorabilia.
And the outside of the Nou Camp also looked barren, with the surrounding earth completely dug up.
Fans reacted online to the latest video, with many predicting Barcelona’s new Nou Camp will be the best stadium around once completed.
One said: “Nou Camp will be the best stadium in the world.”
Another declared: “Biggest stadium on earth. Forca Barca.”
One noted: “It’s so grand, don’t you think?”
Another added: “Nice, we need our Nou Camp back as soon as possible.” More