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☆ Real Madrid concedes four goals in heavy defeat to Girona as La Liga title hopes fade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Real Madrid’s hopes of catching Barcelona at the top of La Liga were all but extinguished on Tuesday as Los Blancos suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Girona. Valentín Castellanos had the match of his life, scoring all four goals in the victory to become the first player in more than 75 years to score four times in a single La Liga match against Real Madrid. Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty ImagesReal Madrid remains 11 points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga, but Xavi’s side can extend its lead to 14 points with victory over Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday. Real Madrid could concede more ground to Barça in the title race. Vinícius replied to a description of the incident on Twitter with “La Liga” accompanied by two sweating emojis.

☆ Barcelona stunned by Rayo Vallecano in surprise 2-1 defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, April 26 (Reuters) - Barcelona wasted a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday thanks to goals in each half from Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia. With seven games to play, Barca are top of the league on 76 points, 11 ahead second-placed Real Madrid, who were also stunned 4-2 at lowly Girona on Tuesday. Rayo Vallecano are ninth on 43 points, four adrift of the European qualification spots. Rayo halted Barca's seven game unbeaten streak in the league with a gutsy performance in front of their fans at a sold-out Estadio de Vallecas. Camello missed another great chance in the 64th minute and Unai Lopez also wasted another opportunity to extend Rayo's lead a little later.

☆ Barca's Putellas back in squad after long-term knee injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas has returned to Barcelona's squad for Thursday's second leg of their women's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea after a knee injury sidelined her for almost 10 months. Putellas, who returned to training at the end of March, last played for Barca in their 6-1 cup final win over Sporting de Huelva in May 2022, before she tore her anterior cruciate ligament and was ruled out of the women's European Championship. The 29-year-old has received the green light to return, Barcelona said on Wednesday, and has been named in the 26-player squad for Thursday's game. Barcelona edged Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after Caroline Graham Hansen's early strike. Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Barca edge closer to title with 1-0 win over Atletico
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BARCELONA, April 23 (Reuters) - Forward Ferran Torres struck late in the first half to give Barcelona a 1-0 home win over third-placed Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday as they tightened their grip on top spot and moved one step closer to a 27th LaLiga title. With eight-games remaining, Barca moved to 76 points and extended their lead at the top of the standings to 11 points over rivals Real Madrid in second place. Atletico remain third on 60 points. Barcelona halted Atletico's 13-game unbeaten run thanks to a quick counter-attack in the 44th minute. Raphinha controlled a long ball down the right channel and crossed to Torres on the edge of the area and he calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

☆ 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.

☆ A corruption scandal, accusations of favoritism and Franco’s regime: Real Madrid and Barcelona in war of words over Spain’s fascist past
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More than eight weeks after the scandal emerged, FCB President Joan Laporta went out to bat for the Catalan club on Monday. General view of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Getafe CF on April 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. But Laporta finished by saying that Real Madrid is “a club considered the team of the regime,” a reference to the club’s reported historic ties with Franco during his fascist dictatorship. “We are talking about a club [Real] that has historically close ties to political, financial and sporting power,” Laporta said. In total, Real won 14 league titles to Barcelona’s eight under Franco, while the Blaugrana won nine Copas del Generalísimo to Real Madrid’s six.

☆ Inter relishing dream run to semi-final showdown against Milan - Inzaghi
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, April 20 (Reuters) - Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi described their run to the Champions League semi-finals as a dream and said they will give it all they have got against city rivals AC Milan as they battle to become the first Italian finalists for six years. "It's historic, because of what they are doing, reaching both the Champions League and Coppa Italia semi-finals. "We know that some points were left on the road in the Italian league, but it's most because of a crazy schedule. The Milan teams have met twice in the Champions League knockout stages, the 2002-03 semis and 2004-05 quarter-finals with AC Milan, seven-times European champions, winning both ties. Inter and AC Milan will clash at the San Siro in the first leg on May 10 and on May 16 in the second leg.

☆ 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.

☆ Real will attack Barcelona with title on the line - Ancelotti
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BARCELONA, March 18 (Reuters) - Real Madrid will not hold back in El Clasico against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday as they bid to close a nine-point gap their arch-rivals at the top of LaLiga. Without taking risks, we will go out on attack," Real manager Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference on Saturday. They suffered a little more than usual but won that game," Ancelotti said. Coach Xavi Hernandez expects his back line will be tested by Real but is confident of causing them problems. "I think Real Madrid will be more aggressive and attack more than usual because of the situation that they are facing, nine points behind us," Xavi told a news conference.

☆ 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.

☆ 'We have an idea' - Ten Hag concocting plan for blockbuster Barca clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANCHESTER, England, Feb 22 (Reuters) - While keeping his cards close to his chest, Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag insisted he has an "idea" that will help his team get the better of Barcelona in their blockbuster clash in the Europa League on Thursday. Ten Hag is not resting on his laurels and is relishing keeping United competing for four trophies, with a League Cup final to come on Sunday. "What we do different you will see tomorrow on the pitch," Ten Hag told a news conference on Wednesday. We have to keep in the same mindset that every day we want to give a better version of ourselves." Ten Hag also added that captain Harry Maguire and Brazilian forward Antony have returned to fitness and could feature against Barca, but French striker Anthony Martial is still out.

☆ Too late to sanction Barca over ex-refereeing official payments: LaLiga president
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 17 (Reuters) - LaLiga President Javier Tebas said it would be too late for the league to sanction Barcelona over payments made to a company owned by a high-ranking official of Spain's refereeing body, though it may be possible on a "criminal level". Spanish prosecutors said they are investigating around 1.4 million euros ($1.49 million) in payments made by Barcelona. The club have said they "hired the services of an external consultant" that supplied them with "technical reports related to professional refereeing". "It won't be possible for Barcelona to receive disciplinary sanctions," he said. "Five years have gone by and (the period to hand out) these types of sanctions expires after three years.

☆ 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.

☆ Substitute Pedri earns Barcelona 1-0 win at Girona
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GIRONA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Pedri celebrated his 100th match for Barcelona as he came off the bench and scored from close range in the second-half to give the LaLiga leaders a hard-fought 1-0 win at Girona on Saturday. With forwards Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres suspended and midfielder Pedri recovering from muscle discomfort, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez opted to rotate his side on a chilly afternoon at Montilivi. Despite having almost 70% of possession in the first half, Barcelona struggled to break the deadlock against Girona’s low block. Barcelona finished the match with only three shots on target, having made the most of their only clear opportunity. "I believe that in these games you have to win it in any way possible," Barcelona defender Jules Kounde told DAZN.

☆ Barcelona ease to 3-1 victory over Real Madrid to win Super Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Barcelona were crowned Spanish Super Cup champions after goals from Gavi, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri earned them a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Barcelona were dominant in every aspect of the game and took advantage of three mistakes by Real Madrid to score. Lewandowski extended the lead 12 minutes later on the counter when defender Dani Carvajal was caught out of position and left Gavi alone on the left wing. Real Madrid, who had no shots on target in the first half, spent most of the second in panic mode, trying to avoid a bigger defeat. Substitute Dani Ceballos lost the ball in midfield and Gavi sprinted forward and crossed for Pedri to fire point-black into the empty net.

☆ Messi headlines shortlist for FIFA Best Men's Player award
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Messi, along with his Paris St Germain team mate Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland, were among the 14 players shortlisted for The Best FIFA Men's Player award, the world governing body said on Thursday. Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, who won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, is also in the shortlist. Sarina Wiegman, who led England to last year's European Championship title, is joined on The Best FIFA Women's Coach shortlist by Chelsea's Emma Hayes and Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Liverpool's Alisson Becker, Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois and Aston Villa's Martinez are among the nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award. FIFA also announced an 11-player shortlist for this year's Puskas Award for the "most beautiful" goal of the year, with Mbappe's spectacular volley against Argentina in the World Cup final among the nominees.

☆ 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.

☆ A second chance: How Messi's Argentina reached the World Cup final again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Messi scored a 10th minute penalty in the first half where Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside before the Saudis struck twice in the second half to stun the South American champions. If Argentina could take any solace from the result, it was that when they lost their group opener to Cameroon in 1990 they still reached the final. Substitute Enzo Fernandez scored with another sublime strike to seal the points and set Argentina on their way amid an electric atmosphere at Lusail Stadium, the biggest arena in Qatar. "Today starts another World Cup for Argentina," Messi had said after admitting they were poor in the first half. LAST 16: ARGENTINA 2-1 AUSTRALIAThe stars seemed to align for Messi in a physical last-16 clash with Australia as he scored in his 1,000th match to move past Maradona's World Cup tally.

☆ Argentina outclass Poland despite Messi penalty miss to advance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Despite the miss, Messi ran the show for Argentina in a match where the two skippers represented Barcelona's past and present. It's a dream come true," Mac Allister told reporters. But Argentina got what they wanted -- leapfrogging Poland to take top spot in the group and avoid an early knockout fixture against the mighty France. Poland, meanwhile, will be relieved to reach the last-16 for the first time since 1986. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Doha, Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ No January signings for Barca due to financial fair play, says Laporta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Tuesday that the club may not be able to sign players in the January transfer window due to LaLiga's financial fair play rules. "But despite that, according to the rules of financial fair play of the Spanish league, we can not sign. Barcelona recorded a profit of 98 million euros for the 2021-22 financial year, it said in September. read moreTo offset losses and comply with LaLiga's financial fair play rules, the club sold 25% of their domestic television rights and a 49% stake in Barca Studios for more than 700 million euros. He insisted, however, that the financial fair play "should be harmonised" in all European leagues "because there are inequalities in this regard".

☆ Fati in but Thiago and De Gea left out of Spain World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MADRID, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Spain included Barcelona's Ansu Fati but left out Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea from their 26-man World Cup squad on Friday. But the forward is fighting his way back from four surgeries to repair an injury to his left knee, suffered in November 2020. "Youth gives you freedom because you are not yet aware of the consequences," Luis Enrique said. "There's no one outside of Spain who rules out Spain as a candidate to be among the best. Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernandez (Manchester City), Gavi (Barcelona), Carlos Soler (Paris St Germain), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona), Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid).

☆ Barcelona: Gerard Piqué and Robert Lewandowski sent off as Barça fights back to defeat Osasuna
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Gerard Piqué’s football career ended in ignominious fashion as he was red carded from the substitute’s bench, but Barcelona nevertheless secured an important 2-1 victory against Osasuna. With Robert Lewandowski also red carded in the first half, Barça fought back from a goal down to move five points clear of rival Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Osasuna took an early lead in the sixth minute of Tuesday’s game when David García headed in from a corner. Lewandowski reacts after being given his marching orders against Osasuna. “Our team’s shown the most maturity since I’ve been here,” Barça manager Xavi told reporters after the game.

☆ FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué announces retirement, five months after split from Shakira
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Piqué announced his retirement on social media Thursday at the age of 35. The defender, who recently split with Colombian singer Shakira, has won the Champions League three times with FC Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain in 2010. Gerard Pique during a match between Valencia CF and FC Barcelona, in Valencia, Spain, on Oct. 29, 2022. According to the club, Piqué joined FC Barcelona’s youth category at the age of 10. Gerard Piqué and Shakira in Barcelona, Spain, on May 30, 2015.

☆ Gerard Piqué: Barcelona defender announces retirement at age 35
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué has announced his retirement from football, saying Saturday’s game against Almería will be his last. The defender played 615 games – including 396 in the Spanish league and 126 in the Champions League – with Barcelona, winning eight La Liga title and the Champions League three times. This season, Piqué has fallen down the pecking order as Barcelona attempt to transition to a new era, meaning he’s found his playing time limited. Outside of football, Piqué became the owner of Andorran club, FC Andorra, in 2018. Last season, the club – which plays in the Spanish league system – was promoted to the second tier of Spanish football for the first time in its history.

☆ Barcelona Bet Its Financial Future on the Champions League—and Lost in the Group Stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Earlier this month, the president of FC Barcelona stood before the club’s members and made a momentous announcement. After two years of relentless turmoil, Joan Laporta said, “Together we have saved the club.”The process of climbing out from more than $1.4 billion of debt had been brutal, but through a series of commercial maneuvers that included renaming Barça’s historic stadium, the club had just about steadied itself. As long as it could count on the lavish prize money and television payments from playing in the Champions League, everything would be fine.

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