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☆ Barcelona scrapes by Atlético Madrid 1-0 to remain in firm control of La Liga title race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —FC Barcelona scraped by Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Camp Nou to extend its lead at the top of La Liga over eternal rival Real Madrid to 11 points. Ferrán Torres’ goal in the 44th minute made the difference, ensuring Atlético continued its 17-year winless drought – with 8 draws and 15 losses – at the Camp Nou. Antoine Griezmann was Atlético's main offensive threat, but he was thwarted by the crossbar and Marc-André ter Stegen twice. Just when Barça’s domination of possession in the first half seemed to be fruitless, the first goal materialized near the stroke of half-time. The win means Barcelona remains in firm control in the La Liga title race with eight matches remaining and an 11-point lead ahead of Real Madrid.

☆ Real Madrid eases past Celta de Vigo 2-0 to put pressure on Barcelona
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Real Madrid eased past Celta de Vigo 2-0 on Saturday in what was a relatively calm and assured performance for Los Blancos to cut Barcelona’s lead atop La Liga to eight points ahead of Atlético Madrid’s visit to the Camp Nou on Sunday. Vinícius Jr. proved a dangerous threat to Celta throughout the match, including getting his 17th assist of the season across all competitions. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesThe 1-0 marked Asensio’s 11th goal of the season in all competitions and Vinícius’ 17th assist across all competitions. In the 48th minute, Asensio took a great corner into the area, where an on-rushing Militão powered a header into the bottom left corner for his fifth league goal of the season past a helpless Villar. Militão puts his powerful header into the bottom left corner of the net to make it 2-0.

☆ Getafe hold Barca to another goalless draw in LaLiga
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Leaders Barcelona were held to a second straight 0-0 draw in LaLiga after mid-table Getafe managed to take a point in a hard-fought game on Sunday. In the second half, Barca striker Robert Lewandowski, LaLiga's top scorer this season with 17 goals, had a header blocked while Getafe keeper David Soria also denied Raphinha with a fine save. Getafe nearly stole all three points at the other end on a counter-attack in the 87th minute when the ball fell to Borja Mayoral but the striker's shot from distance flew just wide of the post. Barcelona next host Atletico Madrid next Sunday while 15th-placed Getafe, who sit four points above the relegation zone, are away at Mallorca. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France already firing on all cylinders as new chapter begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Mbappe also set up Antoine Griezmann for the opening goal, soothing the Atletico Madrid player's disappointment after he was only named vice-captain. Eduardo Camavinga added: "His attitude hasn't changed, he's still the same, we're very happy that he scored that double. Deschamps wasted no time in installing Konate and Upamecano, 23 and 24 respectively, in central defence. France next face Ireland in Dublin on Monday. Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

☆ Atletico striker Morata calls for life bans for racist chants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The first time a person does that in a stadium he should be banned for life," Morata told ESPN on Wednesday before Real host Atletico at the weekend. LaLiga filed three legal complaints for racist insults during matches, including two aimed at Vinicius, it said on Wednesday. The league has now filed eight complaints for racist chanting or insults against Vinicius. Three complaints have been dismissed and another three are still being processed, including one when a mannequin wearing Vinicius' No. 20 shirt was hung from a bridge outside Real's training ground before last month's derby against Atletico.

☆ A future European Super League could have 80 clubs - A22 CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBERLIN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A future European Super League could include as many as 80 teams, Bernd Reichart, the chief executive of A22 Sports Management, a company formed to sponsor and assist in the creation of a breakaway soccer league, said on Thursday. "The vast majority of them share the assessment that the very foundation of European football is under threat, and it is time for change," A22 said. "Feedback suggests a European football league that is open, based solely on sporting merit, multidivisional with 60 to 80 clubs and a minimum of 14 guaranteed European matches per club." Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were among 12 clubs to announce a breakaway Super League in April 2021. "The walking corpse that is the European Super League twitches again with all the self-awareness one associates with a zombie," said FSA chief executive Kevin Miles in a statement.

☆ Cincinnati sign Colombia defender Arias
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - FC Cincinnati have signed Colombia defender Santiago Arias through the 2023 season, with an option to extend for an extra year, the MLS club said on Thursday. The 31-year-old, who recently played for Spanish second-tier side Granada on loan from Atletico Madrid, has joined Cincinnati on a free transfer, MLS said. "Santi brings an enormous amount of experience and ability to FC Cincinnati," Cincinnati General Manager Chris Albright said. Arias joined Atletico in 2018 after five years at PSV Eindhoven, where he won three league titles and two Dutch Super Cups. Arias has more than 50 caps and was part of the Colombia squad that finished third at the Copa America Centenario and also went to the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments.

☆ Chelsea smash British transfer record to sign Benfica's Fernandez
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Chelsea announced the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on Wednesday after days of complex negotiations between the clubs to secure the Argentina midfielder for a British transfer record 106.8 million pounds ($131.46 million). Premier League club Chelsea announced the signing on Wednesday 1000 GMT via a video on Twitter, which showed a clip of a clock ticking down, making a reference to race against time to sign the World Cup winner. It takes Chelsea's transfer spending in January alone to close to 300 million pounds and to more than 500 million pounds since last May's takeover by an investment group led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. His fee eclipses the 100 million pounds Manchester City paid Aston Villa for England midfielder Jack Grealish in 2021. On Tuesday, Chelsea sold experienced midfielder Jorginho to Premier League leaders Arsenal for 12 million pounds.

☆ Talking points from European soccer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:PIOLI UNDER PRESSURE AS MILAN SET UNWANTED RECORDSIt has been a rough start to 2023 for Stefano Pioli and AC Milan, with only one win in seven games. Pioli’s side have let in four goals in consecutive league games for the first time in the club’s history and on Sunday conceded five goals at home for the first time since 1997. BARCELONA SURVIVE THREE-GAME STRETCH WITHOUT LEWANDOWSKIBarcelona are in form on top of the LaLiga standings and extended their unbeaten streak to 13 games, even without key striker Robert Lewandowski. Despite struggling up front without Lewandowski, who is still LaLiga's top scorer on 13 goals, Xavi Hernandez's side managed to keep their momentum and even extended their lead over bitter rivals Real Madrid to five points. Fuellkrug, who at 29 was a surprise addition to Germany's World Cup squad back in November, is currently top of the scorers list with 13 goals.

☆ Atletico Madrid held to 1-1 draw by Almeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid were held to 1-1 draw by Almeria in LaLiga on Sunday in another disappointing showing for Diego Simeone's team who ended the match with 10 men after Sergio Reguilon was sent off in the dying minutes. Atletico, who have won only one of their last six LaLiga games, are fourth in the standings on 28 points, level with Villarreal and Real Betis. Almeria were arguably the better side for most of the match and climbed to 13th, three points clear of the relegation zone. Atletico started well and Angel Correa gave them the lead in the 18th minute. Toure almost gave Almeria the lead early in the second half but his close-range shot was blocked by a defender near the goalline.

☆ Felix red mist another blow for Chelsea and Potter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Graham Potter said "the hits keep coming" after his new signing Joao Felix was sent off on his Premier League debut as the Blues lost 2-1 at Fulham on Thursday. Felix, whose loan signing cost Chelsea a reported nine million pounds, is now set to miss the next three league matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham. "It was another blow, the hits keep coming, I thought he (Felix) was very good up until then," Potter told BT Sport. Carlos Vinicius scored the decisive goal in the second half after Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly had cancelled out Willian's opening strike. There's no other solution, keep focused go to the next match and try to get three points," Potter said.

☆ Felix sees red on debut as Chelsea slump at Fulham
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The win lifted Fulham above Liverpool and up to sixth in the Premier League standings on 31 points after 19 games. Potter had no complaints about the red card, describing Felix's challenge on Tete as a "forward's tackle". The second half wasn't at our best level," he said. They lost midfielder Denis Zakaria to injury, however, and Felix to a red card, the 23-year-old wildly lunging at Tete after losing the ball. Felix, whose loan signing cost Chelsea a reported 9 million pounds ($11 million), will miss the next three league matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham due to suspension.

☆ Wales captain Bale announces end of playing career
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bale played a Wales record of 111 games for his country and was a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid. "After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football," Bale said on Twitter. Bale made 12 appearances and scored six goals in the triumphant campaign, including in the 4-1 final win over Atletico Madrid. loading"The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales, has given me something incomparable to anything else I've experienced. "I don't think it will be the last time you see him in a Wales jersey," Wales coach Rob Page said after their elimination.

☆ Real Madrid slump to 2-1 defeat at Villarreal as Moreno shines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - LaLiga - Villarreal v Real Madrid - Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain - January 7, 2023 Villarreal's Gerard Moreno scores their second goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Pablo MoranoJan 7 (Reuters) - Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal on Saturday after a goal and assist from striker Gerard Moreno, giving leaders Barcelona a chance to move ahead in the title race. Real stay second, level on 38 points with Barca who visit fourth-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday, while Villarreal's third straight league win moves them up to fifth spot. Yeremy had the best chance of the first half after he was played through on goal by Moreno, but Thibaut Courtois was quickly off his line to block the shot. Madrid grew into the game following Villarreal's goal, with Benzema and Vinicius continuing to orchestrate the champions' attacking efforts. Moreno converted after Madrid's protests had calmed down, sending Courtois the wrong way to put his side back in the lead.

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Argentina look set to keep Julian Alvarez in attack for Sunday's World Cup final against France after he scored twice in a devastating combination with Lionel Messi in the semi-final. He scored his first goal for the national side in the World Cup quarter-final against the Dutch, which Argentina won on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Leandro ParedesA defensive midfielder with Juventus, 28-year-old Paredes has featured in four of Argentina's World Cup games - infamously booting the ball at the Netherlands' bench in the quarter-final. Rodrigo De PaulThe tough 28-year-old Atletico de Madrid midfielder has been a stalwart in Scaloni's World Cup starting lineup, even playing through injury against the Dutch. The 35-year-old Paris St Germain forward is on a mission to lift his first World Cup at his fifth and final attempt and has been simply magnificent, scoring five goals while creating others with his dribbling and passing wizardry.

☆ Key match-ups in World Cup final between Argentina and France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - Argentina v Croatia - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 13, 2022 Argentina's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring their second goal with Lionel Messi and Nahuel Molina REUTERS/Carl RecineDOHA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Argentina and France meet in Sunday's World Cup final at Lusail Stadium. Here are three of the key match-ups that are likely to have a strong bearing on the result:Kylian Mbappe v Nahuel MolinaMbappe is a candidate for the World Cup's player of the tournament, having led France to their second consecutive final. The jet-heeled 23-year-old forward has scored five times in six games, surpassing his tally from the 2018 tournament, and has now scored nine World Cup goals in 13 appearances across the two editions. Molina arrived at the World Cup having faced criticism after struggling in his first season with Atletico Madrid, but he has been solid during the tournament and started every match. Lionel Messi v Aurelien TchouameniOne of the most anticipated match-ups will be Argentina great Messi against France's rising star holding-midfielder Tchouameni.

☆ France and Argentina bring multiple plot lines to mouthwatering World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Standing in Messi’s way is his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé, as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup trophies. After a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in its opening group game, Argentina’s World Cup campaign got off to the worst possible start. When asked whether Sunday’s game will be his last at a World Cup, Messi replied: “Yes. Like Griezmann, the 36-year-old Giroud has had a renaissance in this World Cup, after failing to score a single goal in 2018. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

☆ FIFA, UEFA rules compatible with EU competition rules, EU court adviser says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Soccer bodies UEFA and FIFA's rules giving them the right to block clubs from joining a breakaway league and penalise players who do so are compatible with EU antitrust laws, an adviser to Europe's top court said on Thursday. The case centres on the dispute between UEFA, FIFA and the European Super League last year but could also impact other sports, clubs and players tempted by lucrative deals offered by rebel bodies and seeking to cash in during relatively short careers. The Super League took its case to a Spanish court which subsequently sought guidance from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). "The FIFA-UEFA rules under which any new competition is subject to prior approval are compatible with EU competition law," Advocate General Athanasios Rantos at the EU Court of Justice (CJEU), Europe's highest, said. While the Super League is free to set up its own independent football competition outside the UEFA and FIFA ecosystem, it cannot at the same time continue to participate in FIFA and UEFA football competitions without their prior authorisation, he said.

☆ As Mbappe takes back seat, old guard drives France on
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - As Kylian Mbappe was being muzzled by the England defence, it was France's old guard who took the defending champions through to the World Cup semi-finals in a nerve-racking 2-1 victory on Saturday. Griezmann capped his performance with two assists, the first for Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half thunderbolt, and the second for Giroud's 78th-minute winner. Griezmann has now set up 28 France goals, more than any other player, on his record 72nd consecutive appearance. It was, possibly, the biggest takeaway from France's victory. France next face Morocco, with Mbappe set to battle it out with club team mate and great friend Achraf Hakimi, as Les Bleus look to become the first team to retain their World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Morocco on the verge of history against Portugal as Kylian Mbappé’s France face England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Moroccans have become the darlings of the World Cup. At the first “Arab” World Cup, they became the first Arab nation to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup and, as the first African side to qualify for the quarterfinals in over a decade, they represent so much more than just their own nation. Born in Madrid, Achraf Hakimi scored the goal to knock Spain out of the World Cup. No team has scored more than Portugal’s 12 at the World Cup, but will the unstoppable Portugal be able to beat the immovable Morocco? Mbappé has already surpassed Cristiano Ronalo's World Cup goal scoring record and is level with Lionel Messi on nine.

☆ Chelsea reportedly loses $25 million crypto sponsorship deal as FTX's collapse hammers other platforms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto lender Amber will end its $25 million sponsorship of Chelsea soccer club, Bloomberg reported Friday. In March, Amber agreed to pay 20 million pounds ($25 million) for its flagship crypto exchange WhaleFin to become Chelsea's official sleeve sponsor. As the prices of digital asset prices surged last year, digital asset companies sealed sponsorship deals with top sports franchises. In addition to the job cuts and cutting the Chelsea deal, Amber will pivot to focus on institutional investors and wealthy individuals, per Bloomberg. Read more: FTX's rescue by Binance is a red flag for sports heavyweights that signed sponsorship deals with the crypto exchange

☆ Leave Ronaldo alone, says Portugal coach Santos ahead of quarter-final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Later, the country's football federation had to publicly deny reports that their skipper had threatened to leave during the tournament after talking with Santos. "He (Ronaldo) has never told me he wanted to leave our national team. It's high time to leave Ronaldo alone and acknowledge what he has done for Portuguese football," Santos said. "But we had a normal conversation where I explained my viewpoints and, of course, he accepted. We had a frank and normal conversation."

Interest in this niche breed of cryptocurrencies, typically linked to sports teams like Barcelona or Brazil, has been charged up by the soccer World Cup which began on Nov. 20. The token of Lionel Messi's Argentina side slumped 25% to $5.26 following the team's shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening World Cup game. The broader crypto market malaise is partly to blame for price drops, according to researchers who said the flighty assets were wilting as investors shunned risk. "But the first perception should never be that you're buying the fan token from a profit-generating standpoint." It facilitates trading of most fan coins, describing buying such tokens as joining a loyalty scheme with exclusive benefits and prizes.

☆ Neymar: Brazil looks to book place in knockout stage without injured star
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fortunately for them, the player who has become this generation’s talisman will be fit in time to play in the 2022 World Cup knockout stage, should Brazil qualify, after being diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Now 30, this World Cup will likely be his best chance at lifting the trophy. Group H’s other match pits Ghana against South Korea, with both teams desperate for a win to kickstart their World Cup campaigns. In Ghana, Korea knows it faces a team with an abundance of quality in the final third, as the match against Portugal proved. ETSouth Korea vs. Ghana: 8 a.m.

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