Lionel Messi
Quique Setien: Barcelona yet to inform me of sack
Former Barcelona coach Quique Setien claims the Catalans have not compensated him for his early dismissal, or even called to inform of his contract termination three months on. Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in January signing on a contract until 2022 as the club hoped to reconnect with their philosophy of exciting, possession-based football. However, Setien’s time at Barça was marred with problems, from an apparently strained relationship with talisman Lionel Messi that reportedly spread to other members of the squad, to underwhelming results and performances on the pitch. The culmination of numerous issues at the club was the 8-2 humiliation by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final. The embarrassing result contributed to Messi’s desire to leave and effectively spelled the...
UEFA Announce Team of the Year Nominees
UEFA have revealed the nominees for the 2020 fans’ Team of the Year. The 50-man list is comprised of five goalkeepers, 15 defenders, 15 midfielders, and 15 forwards. Rather unsurprisingly, treble winners Bayern Munich are the most heavily represented side in the nominations, boasting ten candidates. Bayern completed the treble with a win over PSG in August Runaway Premier League champions Liverpool and Champions League finalists Paris Saint Germain also hold a high percentage of the nominees, possessing eight candidates each. It was a disappointing turn out from the La Liga giants, as Real Madrid and Barcelona only managed one nominee each, while Atletico Madrid had just two. Germany were the most represented nation with six, with France one behind. Argentina, Portugal, England, Brazil, Sp...
Lewandowski ahead of Liverpool and PSG stars in our FIFA Best POTY Rankings
Despite all the troubles of 2020, the past year of football has seen some exceptional stories. Bayern Munich dominated the scene and won the treble, Liverpool finally ended their 30-year wait for a league title, Leeds United made it back into the top flight on the 46281871th time of asking – we’ve seen it all. As is customary, individual awards are handed out at the end of the year, and arguably the most prestigious of them all is The Best FIFA Men’s Player prize. And, with the Ballon d’Or moved to 2021, it’s got even more of an edge to it. But who from the 11-man shortlist deserves the award the most? Let’s take a look. 11) Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich and Liverpool) Thiago was at the heart of Bayern’s success The former Barcelona man was a key player at the heart of Bayern’s midfield,...
Leeds, Liverpool managers shortlisted for FIFA men’s coach of the year
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp have been named on the five-man shortlist for FIFA men’s coach of the year. World football’s governing body has released the shortlist for its seven individual awards to be presented at The Best FIFA Football Awards on December 17. Bielsa was an eye-catching inclusion on the five-strong shortlist for Best FIFA Men’s Coach, with the Championship-winning manager named alongside Hansi Flick, Julen Lopetegui, Zinedine Zidane and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Future England manager Sarina Wiegman has been shortlisted for the women’s coach award along with Emma Hayes, who has three of her Chelsea players shortlisted for women’s player of the year. Ji So-yun, Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder are joined on the shortlist by Manchester C...
Lionel Messi’s father already in talks with PSG to negotiate in January – report
According to a report published by ESPN, Lionel Messi’s father and agent Jorge Messi is already in talks with PSG over a negotiation that can take place in January. Messi wanted to leave the club in the summer, but a move to Manchester City fell through after extensive legal proceedings regarding his contract and if he could leave the club for free. Now former President Josep Bartomeu blocked the transfer himself, saying that he could leave for no less than his €700 million – the release clause mentioned in the contract. The Argentine came out after that to speak about the saga, explaining his unhappiness, and how the only reason he did not leave was because he did not want to drag the club he loved into a legal battle. However, he can leave Barça in June, next year on a free transfer, and...
Barcelona: Ansu Fati to undergo surgery on knee injury
Ansu Fati is to undergo surgery on the torn meniscus he suffered in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Real Betis. The 18-year-old forward was substituted at half-time in Saturday’s contest at Camp Nou and Barca later confirmed that he had sustained damage to his left knee. “Fati had some discomfort in the first half and we replaced him at half-time so as not to take risks,” coach Ronald Koeman told reporters after the game. Fati is now set to have an operation on Monday, after which Barca said they will release further details about the possible length of his absence. A club statement read: “The first team player Ansu Fati will undergo surgery [on] Monday for the injury to the meniscus in his left knee by Dr. Ramon Cugat under the supervision of the club’s medical services. “Once this intervention ...
Barcelona boss explains decision to rest Lionel Messi for Real Betis win
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has confirmed he opted to leave Lionel Messi on the bench for their 5-2 La Liga win over Real Betis as a precaution. Messi started as a substitute at the Camp Nou after reports of a minor injury picked up in the 2-1 midweek Champions League win over Dynamo Kyiv. Koeman brought the Argentinian international on as a second half substitute against Manuel Pellegrini’s side with the 33-year old playing a vital role in their first win for a month. Messi’s dummy created a perfect chance for Antoine Griezmann to make it 2-1 to the hosts before he netted twice himself in the final half hour. “Since yesterday we talked and he had some discomfort from the game against Dynamo Kyiv,” Koeman told a post game interview with Marca. “We decided it was best to leave him on the b...
Biggest Football Boot Sponsorships
Modern football is a hugely lucrative business, with the top players able to earn staggering amounts of money during their careers. With regards to overall earnings, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to be the highest-paid football stars in the world. The pair have dominated the sport for more than a decade now and are extremely well rewarded for their on-field efforts. A significant proportion of their income comes from endorsements, with big brands eager to associate themselves with two of the greatest players of all-time. Read on as we take a look at how their biggest sponsorships compare with other money-spinning deals in the sport. Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil Neymar is currently third on the list of highest-earning footballers behind Messi and Ronaldo, but he i...
Koeman explains to Messi why he had to let Suarez go
New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has detailed his chat with Lionel Messi over the sale of his pal and teammate Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window. After spending six years at the Nou Camp, scoring 198 goals in 283 appearances, and helping the Catalan giants secure four La Liga titles, four Copas del Rey and the Champions League, Suarez was unceremoniously dumped by the club at the arrival of new boss Ronald Koeman. The 33-year-old forward was sold to Atletico Madrid during the summer transfer window and has made an immediate impact in the Spanish capital where he scored two goals and assisted one on his first appearance. Messi, who also tried to engineer a move out of Nou Camp, had publicly expressed his displeasure in the manner in which the ...
Barcelona, Jorge Mendes dispute length of Ansu Fati’s contract
Barcelona and agent Jorge Mendes are in dispute about the length of contract of their teenage star Ansu Fati, according to reports. Diario Sport build on a report from the ‘Tot Costa’ programme on Catalunya Ràdio that the Blaugrana believe they hold an option to extend the 17-year-old’s contract through to 2024, with Mendes adamant that the current deal is set to expire in 2022 with no extension. As reported earlier this month, the player’s release clause has moved from €170m to €400m after he was promoted to the club’s first-team squad for the current campaign. Fati was the star of the show in the Blaugrana’s first game of the 2020-21 campaign, with two goals in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Villarreal. The Spain international picked up where he left off from 2019-20, when he netted eight goals i...
Nigerian doctor named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world
TIME named Nigerian physician Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Mr Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Mr Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honour for the organisation’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020. “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabl...
Leo Messi assures Ronald Koeman of his commitment after first training
Ronald Koeman and Lionel Messi’s first meeting since the six-time Ballon d’Or winner decided to stay at Barcelona this season was very positive for everyone involved. Messi was set to leave the club this summer after becoming disillusioned with life at the Nou Camp but after being told he couldn’t leave for free he relented and has decided to stay this season. After missing training last week, the forward returned for his first pre-season session on Monday and met with the new manager before joining in. According to Mundo Deportivo, Koeman told the 33-year-old he was happy for him to be back but warned he only wanted players committed to the club. The newspaper reports that Messi told the manager he was committed and promised him that he’d return to his best form for the team this season. ...
