Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Barcelona forward Luis Suarez is in line to return from a long injury lay-off when La Liga resumes next week behind closed doors in the heat of the Spanish summer after a three-month coronavirus shutdown. Suarez, 33, was sidelined for four months in January after undergoing surgery on his right …
Read More »‘Everything clouds over and goes dark’ – Iniesta on depression at Barcelona
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Andres Iniesta has described his struggle with depression while playing for Barcelona, which his mother says was a “bottomless pit” that caused her 25-year-old son to ask to sleep with his parents. Iniesta recalls his experience with the illness in a Rakuten TV documentary, ‘Andres Iniesta …
Read More »Barca and Madrid seek boost in crisis Clasico between giants in decline
Madrid, Spain | AFP | La Liga’s most important Clasico for years might also be the most mediocre on Sunday as Barcelona and Real Madrid each fight to lift the gloom by deepening the other’s sense of crisis. Two points separate the league’s leading pair, making this weekend’s meeting at the …
Read More »Griezmann earns Barcelona 1-1 draw at Napoli
Naples, Italy | AFP | Antoine Griezmann struck to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw at Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday. Frenchman Griezmann struck just before the hour mark for Barca in Naples after Dries Mertens had put the hosts ahead in the 30th minute with his …
Read More »Barcelona and Real Madrid knocked out of Copa del Rey
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Barcelona and Real Madrid both crashed out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night as Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad pulled off a shock Basque double to reach the semi-finals. Barca were beaten 1-0 by Bilbao at San Mames, where Inaki Williams scored a dramatic …
Read More »Messi demands Abidal name names after dressing room criticism
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Lionel Messi has hit back at Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal after the Frenchman blamed slackness in the dressing room for the departure of recently-fired coach Ernesto Valverde. In an interview with Spanish daily Sport Abidal said that under Valverde, who was sacked in mid-January, many players had been unhappy, …
Read More »Talking points in European football this weekend
Paris, France | AFP | Barcelona won their first game under Quique Setien, Erling Braut Haaland enjoyed a dream debut with Borussia Dortmund and Juventus ominously extended their lead at the top of Serie A at the weekend. AFP Sport looks back at some of the main talking points from around …
Read More »Barcelona sack Valverde and appoint Setien as successor
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Spanish champions Barcelona have sacked their coach Ernesto Valverde and appointed Quique Setien as his replacement, the club announced on Monday. The decision to remove Valverde was confirmed following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours at Camp Nou on Monday afternoon. Barca are …
Read More »Barcelona, Real stalemate in politically-charged Clasico
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Barcelona and Real Madrid could not be separated on Wednesday in a Clasico that was briefly interrupted by Catalan independence protests, when dozens of yellow beach balls were thrown onto the pitch at Camp Nou. After being postponed in October, there were renewed fears of …
Read More »Barcelona and Real Madrid get set for politically charged Clasico
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Barcelona and Real Madrid will travel to the Clasico on Wednesday from the same hotel as part of a large-scale security operation aimed at reducing the impact of Catalan independence protests. The fixture had to be postponed in October due to violent demonstrations and there are …
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