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Tag: Barca

  • Raphinha hits hat-trick as Barca thrash Valladolid

    Raphinha hits hat-trick as Barca thrash Valladolid

    Raphinha scored a hat-trick as Barcelona blew Real Valladolid away with a thumping 7-0 victory to maintain a perfect start to the new La Liga season.

    Hansi Flick’s side are the only team to win all four matches at the start of the campaign and moved seven points ahead of champions Real Madrid.

    It was the former Leeds winger who opened the scoring in the 20th minute at the Olympic Stadium.

    Striker Robert Lewandowski added a second goal just four minutes after the opener for his fourth of the season.

    Valladolid kept the Catalans at bay until stoppage time in the first half, when defender Jules Kounde secured a healthy lead after prodding home from a corner.

    Brazil’s Raphinha scored two in eight minutes to secure the match ball before new signing Dani Olmo added a sixth with his second goal for the club.

    Substitute Ferran Torres rounded off a fantastic display from Flick’s men ahead of the international break.

    BBC

  • Courtois sends Lunin message after Barcelona defeat

    Courtois sends Lunin message after Barcelona defeat

    Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois played down their defeat to Barcelona in New Jersey.

    Barca won the preseason tour match 2-1, with Pau Victor scoring twice. Nico Paz struck for Real.

    Courtois later said: “We have been competitive. We are not happy with the defeat, but it is preseason and nothing happens, we have to continue getting minutes.

    “I feel very good. The second goal is sad, because I calculated a little wrong. But it’s better that it happens now and not in the season, but I feel good.”

    Courtois also had a message for goalkeeper rival Andriy Lunin: “Everyone has to choose what they think is appropriate. Last year he played and I understand that he wants to continue playing. He has to choose his path and choose what is best for him.”

  • Xavi sacking was not easy – Barca president, Laporta

    Xavi sacking was not easy – Barca president, Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revisited the sacking of Xavi last season.

    After first reversing his resignation decision last term, Xavi was sacked by Laporta before the end of the campaign.

    At Hansi Flick’s presentation today, Laporta stated: “I also want to refer to Xavi Hernández. The decision not to continue I have to tell you that it was not easy. I assure you.

    “Making a decision so it affects someone you appreciate and has written in gold letters the history of Barça is very hard.

    “As a Board of Directors and I as President Barça’s interests must be put before other situations. Barça as an institution is always above. We do not have the absolute truth, but we believed that it was time to make a change and give a new impulse, to make a change that obeyed the interests of Barça.

    “Barça is always ahead of private interests. I want to thank Xavi and his staff for the good work, they took Barça at a time of maximum difficulty. We won a historic League and a Super Cup, and a very clear bet was made for La Masia players, whose successes we see now.”

  • Flick does not have Barca DNA – Xavi’s mentor

    Flick does not have Barca DNA – Xavi’s mentor

    Xavi’s mentor, Joan Vila, a former Barca player and youth coach has taken aim at new Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.

    He said of Xavi: “He has been a coach very dear and desired by everyone, he came at a very difficult time and lived a difficult season in a club with very big financial problems. His has been a somewhat troubled stage, not adequate to what he should have had, a true legend.

    “Hopefully he can come back someday when Barça works better than it is working now.

    “I have spoken to him and he is hurt by this situation, because after retraining on both sides, it was a decision that surprised him. They had mutually decided that there would be continuity and then a unilateral decision was made.”

    On Flick, Vila also said: “I don’t know him, only his past at Bayern and that of the German team. I’m sure he’s a top-notch coach, but surely he is not Barça DNA, I would be surprised if he continued this idea because he has not lived it. It is also true that there are not many people who know him and have experienced him.

    “When I talk about Barça DNA, it’s what home players contribute, they carry it inside and it is difficult to transmit to the players who come from outside. This does not mean that you cannot play with this DNA, but it is another way of playing, training and thinking. Our idea is difficult, but I think it will not be carried out by the new coach.”

    In closing, Vilà acknowledged, “I have seen this idea born and grow. There were many unbelievers, but our idea is still valid, I have no doubt. But you have to work on it and train it a lot. A great coach said he did not want to have the ball because he did not want to lose it. It is acceptable, but it is not our idea or that of the vast majority of Barça fans.”

  • I will try to convince Xavi to stay – Barca VP

    I will try to convince Xavi to stay – Barca VP

    Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste has declared he wants Xavi to continue.

    Yuste says he’ll try to convince Xavi to reverse his resignation decision.

    He said, “I’m going to try to convince Xavi but it’s a personal decision for him.

    “There are still Liga games left, the Champions League… we have to let him enjoy it. I hope and wish that he continues because we are talking about a project, not a season or two.”

    On Barca’s homegrown players, Yuste said: “The players carry Barça in their hearts. This is definitive. When they want to be here and live for Barça it is easier for them to stay here for many years.”

  • I chose AFCON and never played for Barca again – Cameroon keeper

    I chose AFCON and never played for Barca again – Cameroon keeper

    Nimes goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa says his commitment to Cameroon saw him sacrifice his career at Barcelona.

    Ondoa came through the La Masia system, but admits wanting to play for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations cost him his chance at Barca.

    He told Foot Mercato: “For us it has always been something extraordinary to be able to be two high-level Cameroonian goalkeepers. At La Masia I and André (Onana) we weren’t in the same category but we still lived together. I was able to train with the first team before him and I was able to explain to him how it worked. When it happened to him, he was already ready.

    “If I thought about becoming Barcelona’s number 1? I think I might have had my chance. I have an anecdote about it. When I signed my first professional contract with Barça, the former director of La Masia told me that I was the Martin Luther King of La Masia. He explained to me that I was the first African goalkeeper to have signed a professional contract with Barcelona. It’s something extraordinary and demonstrated the expectations that were placed on me.

    “Then decisions were made. I made some choices regarding the Cameroon national team. I had made it a priority and wanted to participate in the African Cup in 2015. This is what shook the system, I was made to understand. What was I really told? I was kindly reminded that I had been trained with the aim of eventually breaking into the first team. I was told it was a little early to reach Cameroon. I was professional because I played with Barça’s reserves, who were playing in the second division at the time.

    “As you know, this championship does not respect the FIFA calendar so when you go to the national team the championship continues. It was my big handicap. I won’t mention his name but when I started with Cameroon in 2014, I was in the second division with the B team. The reserve coach told me: ‘you’ve just won the Youth League, you’ve signed a professional contract. You have to play. If you go to Cameroon, I can’t guarantee you will play.’ I went to the national team and never played for Barcelona again.”

  • We’ll talk with Xavi again at season’s end – Laporta

    We’ll talk with Xavi again at season’s end – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reaffirmed hopes of Xavi reversing his resignation decision.

    Xavi is to step down at the end of the season.

    Laporta told Sport: “We have committed to Xavi who we will talk about at the end of the season. Sometimes decisions are reconsidered. Let’s imagine getting a title…

    “I think Xavi will think about it and tell us what he wants to do. If we win a title obviously I would like Xavi to continue, I’ve already told him that. I insist on saying that I accepted this formula because he is Xavi and since I know him, we have an excellent relationship. He was very skilled, he is a legend and has a lot of experience.

    “He knew he would do better this way, he felt stronger.”

  • UCL: Barca through to round of 16, City in comeback win over Leipzig, PSG, Newcastle share spoils

    UCL: Barca through to round of 16, City in comeback win over Leipzig, PSG, Newcastle share spoils

    Barcelona have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages for the first time under coach Xavi Hernández.

    The Blaugrana just need a point in their last group game of the season to finish the group stage as Group H winners thanks to a hard-fought and well-earned 2-1 win against FC Porto at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.

    Barça came from behind after Porto took the lead in the first half, but the Blaugrana showed mental strength and played a very good all-around team game to earn three big points and move on to the Round of 16 with a game to spare.

    Elsewhere at the Etihad, City dominated the early possession but Leipzig, lining up in a nominal 4-5-1, were happy to absorb the pressure and hit the champions on the counter-attack.

    Xaxi simons scored first for the visitors before Openda sped clear before finishing low beyond former Arminia Bielefeld man Ortega.

    Ruben Dias headed over Blaswich’s crossbar before Erling Haaland uncharacteristically miscued a handful of chances.

    Rico Lewis then blazed high on the half hour. Leipzig punished the profligacy soon after, with Openda scoring a better version of his opener, spinning Dias before dummying his way past former Leipzig man Joško Gvardiol and finishing low inside the near post. Lukas Klostermann nicked another Haaland chance off his toe and it was 2-0 at the break.

    City pulled one back early in the second half when Phil Foden slipped Haaland in for another chance which he steered into the bottom corner, and Foden went from maker to taker soon after when he latched onto Gvardiol’s low cross, controlled sharply, and steered home low beyond Blaswich. Benjamin Šeško and Fabio

    Carvalho entered the fray late on and both had good chances. The former stung Ortega’s gloves with a shot from the edge of the box, and the latter even had the ball in the back of the net, but the Liverpool-owned youngster’s effort was ruled out with the offside flag going up against him.

    In France, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) drew 1-1 with visiting Newcastle, the Swede Alexander Isak scored first in the 24th minute and the toons was  running away with three point but Mbappe’s last minute penalty ensured both sides would share the spoils.

     

     

  • Van Gaal is a liar – Barca legend, Stoichkov

    Van Gaal is a liar – Barca legend, Stoichkov

    Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov has taken aim at former coach Louis van Gaal.

    The Bulgarian legend played for Van Gaal at the Nou Camp.

    Stoichkov told Relevo: “I don’t even want to say his name out loud.

    “When it comes to him, I don’t I think of anything. He is a great professional, no one denies it, and his training methods were good, but I never liked him as a person.

    No one loves him. I’m not good at everything either, but I’m trying to improve these aspects. I sure don’t want to be like him: a liar with whom I don’t want to waste another minute.

    “It’s not worth it.”

  • Man Utd table contract offer to Barca defender

    Man Utd table contract offer to Barca defender

    Premier League side, Manchester United have made a firm move for Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso.

    Needing to find a new left-back signing before Friday’s transfer deadline due to an injury crisis, United are making a serious move for Alonso.

    Marca says a two-year contract has been tabled by United to Alonso.

    And Barca would be willing to allow Alonso to leave with the Spaniard yet to be registered with LaLiga due to Financial Fair Player issues.

    Alonso joined Barca a year ago from Chelsea.