Javier Tebas
La Liga chief: Impossible for Barca to keep Lionel Messi without departures
Barcelona must considerably reduce their wage bill in order to keep Lionel Messi, LaLiga chief Javier Tebas said on Thursday, adding that the club would not be shown any leniency when it comes to obeying the league’s strict financial control rules. Messi, Barca’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker, ended his 21-year association with the club last month and is currently a free agent as the Catalans cannot offer him a new deal due to their financial predicament. President Joan Laporta said last month that Messi was keen to remain at the club but giving him a new deal was being held up by the league’s Financial Fair Play regulations. Spanish media reports had suggested LaLiga could relax the rules to allow the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay at Barca but Tebas said there was no chan...
Barcelona supremo: European Super League a ‘necessity’
Barcelona president Joan Laporta described the European Super League as a “necessity” on Thursday but said the final decision would be given to the club’s members. Barca, Real Madrid and Juventus are the only clubs yet to withdraw officially from the breakaway competition, which lasted just 48 hours before the project imploded. Nine of the 12 clubs involved have pulled out. With total debts of more than a billion euros, Barcelona are struggling to keep up with Europe’s elite, making the prospect of a hugely lucrative new tournament particularly attractive. But Laporta said Barca’s members would have to approve the idea in a vote. “We understand it is a necessity but on the other hand, the members will have the last word,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio. “It is absolutely necessary the big cl...
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid ordered to further tighten belts by La Liga
FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will have to cut down the costs of their squads by more than 35 million euros ($42.14 million) following new salary limits imposed by La Liga on Tuesday to cope with the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures, published twice annually following each transfer window, dictate how much teams can spend on players, coaches, support staff and their youth teams. They are calculated in line with revenues, which have been obliterated by coronavirus restrictions preventing fans from attending matches for 12 months while depressing the transfer market and reducing income from merchandising. Barcelona are the club most acutely affected by the new limits and will be forced to reduce their costs by an additional 35.7 million euros, to 347 million. League ...
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City deserve an apology
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his team deserved an apology, after their two-year UEFA ban from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) — a verdict he called “a good day for football”. Guardiola said the club’s reputation had been damaged by the furore around allegations that they broke Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and fired back at comments from rival managers Jose Mourinho and Juergen Klopp. Mourinho had described the CAS decision to fine City 10 million euros ($11.39 million) for non-cooperation with the investigation as “disgraceful”. “Maybe. The thing about the money, maybe. But Jose and all the managers should know that we were damaged. We should be apologised (to). Because, like I said many times, if we did something wrong, we will...
Javier Tebas: La Liga could return with Sevilla-Betis derby on June 11
La Liga president Javier Tebas is hoping to resume the 2019-20 season on Thursday, June 11 with the Seville derby. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed on Saturday that the Spanish top flight had been given permission to resume behind closed doors from June 8 following the coronavirus-enforced hiatus in March. Previous reports had suggested the first match would be played on June 12, exactly three months after the suspension started, with Sevilla’s home match against bitter rivals Real Betis said to be the chosen match. While Tebas confirmed the derby to be his desired fixture, he revealed on Sunday that he is hoping to resume a day earlier, with kick-off to be set at 22:00 local time due to the intense heat in Andalusia’s capital. Speaking on the Partidazo show, Tebas said: “The...
Casemiro: Football can prove a return to normal is possible
Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro says it is “important” that football can return in Spain and that if it does, it will demonstrate that society can eventually return to normal after the coronavirus pandemic. Football fans had their first top-level live games to watch on Saturday with the return of the Bundesliga and, while the situation around the game was far from normal, the games were a source of entertainment and comfort to plenty. Spanish football is hoping to get the green light to resume as well, with La Liga chief Javier Tebas currently aiming for June 12 as the date when games can go on. “It’s a really significant step, not just for football but for society too, to show people that it is possible,” Casemiro told Real Madrid TV. “It’s not just about playing football, it’s about peop...
