TheNewsGuru

Tag: Barca

  • Don’t blame Koeman, blame Griezmann – Barca legend

    Don’t blame Koeman, blame Griezmann – Barca legend

    Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov has been unimpressed by Antoine Griezmann this season.

    Stoichkov insists former Barca teammate Ronald Koeman has been let down by the France attacker.

    “Now everyone says ‘Koeman, it’s Koeman’, but it’s not all his fault,” Stoichkov says.

    “It is the eleven (players) who play, and in Barcelona it is not about how to play against such teams (middle teams).

    “He (Griezmann) has not scored against Liverpool, Juventus, PSG, Real Madrid or Atletico, and he cost a lot of money…”

    Griezmann has scored twelve goals in 35 appearances for La Liga this season.

    Stoichkov played 255 games for Barcelona and scored 117 goals during his time at the club.

  • Barca president Laporta secures €500M loan

    Barca president Laporta secures €500M loan

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has secured the club a loan worth €500m, all from investment bank, Goldman Sachs.

    Barcelona have been facing financial Armageddon after the Josep Maria Bartomeu era, and there have been concerns over whether the club would be able to both pay their players and recruitment new ones in the summer.

    L’Esportiu reports the club obtained the loan on Tuesday morning, with the money likely going towards refinancing part of the debt, easing the short-term pressure on the club hierarchy.

    “This credit will give air and stability to the club, we can be calm this season and next season,” Barcelona sources explained to the newspaper.

    “We have looked at what could be the worst-case scenario, that fans don’t enter the stadium throughout next season. Even so, we can be calm after this operation.”

    In the same report it was claimed that the American investment fund had offered the club favourable conditions with regards to repayment, far better than any normal bank would offer.

  • Barca approach Tottenham for Harry Kane

    Barca approach Tottenham for Harry Kane

    Barcelona have approached Tottenham about a price for Harry Kane.

    It’s emerged this week that Kane has informed Spurs he wishes to be sold this summer.

    A move within the Premier League has been mooted, with Manchester United and Manchester City both preparing big money offers.

    However, The Times says Barca could offer a continental route out of London to Kane after making an enquiry.

    The Catalans are serious about taking Kane to Spain this summer. However for the moment, England’s captain is favouring staying in the Premier League.

  • Oshoala wins UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barca

    Oshoala wins UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barca

    Super Falcons’ striker Asisat Oshoala on Sunday won the 2020/2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League with FC Barcelona Ladies.

    The Spanish title-holders defeated their Chelsea counterparts 4-0 in the final of the tournament in Gothernburg, Sweden to lift their first European trophy.

    An own goal by Melanie Leupolz after 30 seconds of play as well as a penalty kick successfully taken by Alexia Putellas 13 minutes later contributed to Chelsea’s early woes.

    Aitana Bonmati, the player of the match, extended FC Barcelona Ladies’ lead in the 21st minute as Caroline Hansen sealed the victory with a goal in the 36th minute.

    The Spanish side have now become the first team to win both the men’s and women’s Champions League title.

  • La Liga: I feel unfairly treated – Barca coach

    La Liga: I feel unfairly treated – Barca coach

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman admits he’s been unhappy with his treatment by the media over the past fortnight.

    Koeman says he feels badly treated over the past few weeks as Barcelona’s title bid collapsed.

    “I feel a little bit (mistreated) in the last two weeks,” said the coach in a news conference on Saturday. “If you analyse a season, you must analyse the changes to the team, the young players, that we won the cup, that we had 13 points [less than Atletico] in December and we’re still fighting for the league, even though it’s a small possibility.

    “That’s what you need to analyse. And if I heard the media in the last few days, it looks like we did a really bad job and I don’t agree.

    “I feel supported by the players and the team has a big future. If we can sign what we think we lack to take the next step, I think we can be very excited about the team next season.”

  • Barca board consider 14-player clearout

    Barca board consider 14-player clearout

    Barcelona management are preparing a massive clearout this summer – with as many as 14 players slated for the transfer list.

    Mundo Deportivo says there will be a ‘revolution’, with up to 14 players departing the club.

    Barcelona’s perilous financial position has been well documented, so if they want to strengthen any areas of the squad, they will first need to find suitors for some out-of-favour players.

    The likes of Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic, Martin Braithwaite, Junior Firpo, Neto and Matheus Fernandes will all be put up for sale, but there could also be some big-name players that are made available.

    In addition to disappointing on the pitch, Barcelona want to move some of them on – namely Coutinho, Umtiti and Pjanic – due to their high salaries, yet this is exactly why it will not be an easy task.

    Meanwhile, Barcelona remain confident that Lionel Messi will end up putting pen to paper on a new contract, but president Joan Laporta and his board of directors are aware that they will need to sell a winning project to the Argentine in order for him to commit his future to the club.

    The 33-year-old is happy with the progression that Barcelona’s youngsters are making, yet he wants some elite players to come in that can hit the ground running and improve the quality of the squad.

  • Barca president to close Aguero deal ‘in coming days’

    Barca president to close Aguero deal ‘in coming days’

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta is on the brink of signing Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.

    Off contract in June, Aguero will leave City this summer after ten years with the club.

    A Bosman move to Barca has long been suggested and El Chiringuito’s Jose Alvarez reports Laporta is about to complete an agreement with Aguero. The operation is expected to be closed in the coming days.

    It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to retain Lionel Messi, who would have demanded the arrival of his compatriot and close friend.

    Like Aguero, Messi also comes off contract at Barca next month.

  • Barca reach agreement to sign Man City defender

    Barca reach agreement to sign Man City defender

    Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Manchester City defender Eric Garcia, according to Goal.

    Garcia will move to Camp Nou on a free transfer when his current contract at City expires at the end of June.

    The 20-year-old rose through the youth ranks at La Masia before moving to Manchester in 2017, but will return to Barcelona ahead of the 2021-22 season.

    Goal has learned that Garcia’s switch to Barca will be made official before this summer’s European Championship, where he is set to represent Spain.

    The centre-back has agreed to a wage 40 per cent lower than the club’s original contract offer in January due to the precarious financial situation Barca find themselves in amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    Garcia has always dreamed of representing Barca at senior level and made City officials aware that he did not wish to sign an extension at Etihad Stadium at the start of the year after hearing of their interest in his services.

  • Two La Liga giants and Seria A club refuse to leave Super League

    Two La Liga giants and Seria A club refuse to leave Super League

    Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have issued a joint statement refusing to abandon the Super League, despite what they claim to be ‘unacceptable pressure and threats to do so, and will continue to pursue similar concepts in the future’.

    After fans pressure forced the competition’s collapse with 48 hours of is launch, nine of the original 12 clubs that signed up to join the failed Super League have now agreed to sanctions imposed by UEFA and pledged their future commitment to existing international and domestic club competitions.

    Those that have accepted punishment for their actions that threatened the very nature of sport are Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Inter AC Milan and Atletico Madrid. But Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have refused to back down.

    UEFA say they will face ‘appropriate action’, while the others have already agreed to giving up 5% of revenue from one seasons’ worth or European competition and an aggregate donation of €15m.

    The stubborn trio continue to claim the Super League was for ‘the good of football’, despite concentrating ridiculous wealth in what was intended to be virtually a closed competition, and that it would ‘reinforce global interest’ in football.

    They say they will ‘reconsider the proposed approach’ but claim it would be ‘highly irresponsible’ to abandon the project altogether because of what they call a ‘systemic crisis’ in the football industry.

  • Barca list three midfielders to replace Busquets

    Barca list three midfielders to replace Busquets

    Barcelona management are ready to sell Sergi Busquets and replace him with a younger version.

    Barca president Joan Laporta has approved the the midfielder’s sale this summer, despite him being a first-choice for coach Ronald Koeman.

    Mundo Deportivo says there are three young players on Barça’s shortlist as they consider a direct replacement.

    Eduardo Camavinga (18, Rennes), Manuel Locatelli (23, Sassuolo) and Mikel Merino (24, Real Sociedad).

    Busquets is still tied to his formative club until 2023.