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Tag: Barcelona

  • Besiktas eager to send Pjanic back to Barca

    Besiktas eager to send Pjanic back to Barca

    Besiktas want to cut short the loan of Miralem Pjanic and send him back to Barcelona next month.

    The midfielder joined the Turks in August on a season-long loan, but has struggled to make a positive impact.

    Zurnal says such is Besiktas’ frustration that there’s consideration inside the board room to end the loan arrangement early.

    There’s now active discussion being held about sending Pjanic back to Barca next month.

    For ther part, Barca are likely to be reluctant to accept ripping up the deal given their delicate financial situation.

  • Memphis Depay better on Instagram than on pitch – Wagner

    Memphis Depay better on Instagram than on pitch – Wagner

    Former Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner has slammed Barcelona ace Memphis Depay.

    After watching him in Barca’s Champions League defeat at Bayern, Wagner let ripped at the Dutchman.

    Depay sent 44 passes against Bayern and only managed to win 27 percent of his duels against the German record champion.

    “That is far too little if you want to be the number one striker at Barca,” Wagner said critically. “A duel percentage of 27 percent is a monstrosity. Depay is currently stronger on Instagram than on the field.”

    The body language of the 27-year-old Dutchman is also not appealing to Wagner.

    “You can do something about that attitude, that negative, that waving and acting like you’re really cool. I don’t like that about him.”

  • Unbelievable, Barcelona crash out of Champions League, drop to Europa

    Unbelievable, Barcelona crash out of Champions League, drop to Europa

    Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday as their 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich saw the Spanish giants fail to reach the last 16 for the first time in 18 years.

    Goals by Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane gave Bayern a 2-0 half-time cushion in falling snow at the Allianz Arena, which was devoid of spectators due to high numbers of Covid-19 cases in Bavaria.

    Teenager Jamal Musiala grabbed Bayern’s third in the second half to seal Barcelona’s fate.

    Bayern, who also beat Barca 3-0 at the Camp Nou when the sides met last September, had already qualified for the knock-out stages as Group E winners.

    They now join Liverpool and Ajax with a perfect six victories from six games in the group stage.

    However, for the first time since the 2003/04 season, Barcelona will not be in the draw for the last 16.

    Benfica’s 2-0 win at home to Dynamo Kiev means Barcelona finish third and drop to the Europa League.

    It was almost eight years to the day since Bayern lost a home Champions League game in the group phase and the Bundesliga leaders were in no mood to be generous.

    Xavi Hernandez, 41, who took charge of struggling Barcelona four weeks ago, has now suffered back-to-back defeats after his first loss as head coach against Real Betis last weekend.

    Bayern were not even at full strength.

    With Joshua Kimmich quarantining after a positive Covid test and Leon Goretzka injured, 18-year-old Musiala played out of position alongside Corentin Tolisso in defensive midfield.

    Barcelona made a bright start but faded after losing Jordi Alba to injury with half an hour gone, just before Mueller headed Bayern into the lead.

    Robert Lewandowski found space on the left of the box and flicked a pass to Mueller whose looping header flew beyond the reach of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

    It was a double blow to the Barca bench who had just learnt Benfica were 2-0 up against Dynamo.

    Things went from bad to worse for the Spanish visitors when Sane hit the net with a powerful long-range shot that deceived Ter Stegen.

    Sane should have put the result beyond doubt when Bayern attacked just after the break.

    Instead of tapping the ball into the empty net, he poked the ball into Ter Stegen’s grateful arms.

    Alphonso Davies, who also ran Barcelona ragged in Bayern’s historic 8-2 drubbing in the 2020 quarter-finals, again caused havoc down the left flank.

    The fleet-footed Canadian created Bayern’s third when he pulled the ball back for Musiala to tap home from close range on 62 minutes.

    With 20 minutes left and the contest effectively over, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann started taking off first-choice players.

    First to go were wingers Davies and Kingsley Coman.

    Then followed star striker Lewandowski and centre-back Niklas Suele, yet still Barcelona could not threaten Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal.

  • UCL: Barca team capable of winning at Bayern – Xavi

    UCL: Barca team capable of winning at Bayern – Xavi

    Barcelona coach Xavi recognises it’s all or nothing on Wednesday night against Champions League opponents Bayern Munich.

    Barca need to defeat unbeaten Bayern Munich in their own backyard, but Xavi doesn’t believe they’ll need a miracle to do so.

    The Blaugrana’s task is certainly a big one as the German champions have looked unstoppable in Europe this season, but the Catalan coach believes his team can beat anyone.

    “It’s in our own hands and we’ll give it everything we’ve got. After the game, we’ll see,” said Xavi in his pre-match press conference.

    “I don’t see it as a miracle.

    “It’s one game and we can beat any opponent.”

    Of course, Xavi is aware that Bayern aren’t just any opponent and Barcelona will have to be at their best to get anything in the Allianz Arena.

    “We have to be patient,” said Xavi.

    “This [process] isn’t overnight.

    “[On Wednesday] we have a test against an opponent who have been better than us in our last meetings.”

    The other game in the Group E, where Benfica host Dynamo Kiev, could also have a big say in Barcelona’s post-Christmas European destiny. If Benfica fail to win, it doesn’t matter what happens in Munich, but Xavi prefers not to think about that.

    “If we don’t win, we’re depending on that game,” said Xavi.

    “I want to think that it’s more important to rely on ourselves than on others.”

  • Thomas Tuchel blocks Ziyech, Werner move to Barca

    Thomas Tuchel blocks Ziyech, Werner move to Barca

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is set to block Spanish giants Barcelona from signing attackers Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech in the January transfer window.

    The two out of favour superstars are being linked with loan moves to the Catalan club, who are struggling financially.

    Spanish reports had claimed that Barca will turn to Werner and Ziyech in the winter, as they are being priced out of a move for Manchester City’s Ferran Torres.

    However, Sport suggests that Chelsea boss Tuchel was blocking any loan moves for Werner or Ziyech.

    He wants to maintain a deep squad for the various competitions they are competing in for the rest of the season.

  • Transfer: Chelsea captain in advanced talks with Barca

    Transfer: Chelsea captain in advanced talks with Barca

    Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is in advanced talks with Barcelona over a move this summer, according to reports in Spain.

    The Spaniard, who arrived in London in 2012 from Marseille, sees his contract run out at the end of the current season.

    That would allow clubs outside of the UK to sign a pre-contract agreement with the Spaniard next month.

    And according to El Nacional, talks are already advanced between the Blues captain and the Catalan outfit.

    The paper states that Xavi is personally pushing for the deal to go through, with club president Joan Laporta agreeind to his wish.

    Any move for Azpilicueta, though, would spell the end of Dani Alves’ short-term return.

    The Brazilian re-signed for Barcelona earlier this year, but is not able to make his debut until January.

    If Azpilicueta’s free transfer is finalised, it would mean no contract renewal for Alves, according to the publication.

    The 32-year-old has appeared in just one of Chelsea’s last seven Premier League matches, being made to watch from the bench for the six which he has missed.

  • UCL: Barca, Bayern clash all or nothing – Memphis Depay

    UCL: Barca, Bayern clash all or nothing – Memphis Depay

    Barcelona striker Memphis Depay admits he needs to deliver against Champions League opponents Bayern Munich.

    Depay is yet to score for Barcelona in the Champions League since signing in summer and will look to get off the mark in the final group game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

    If Barcelona are defeated in Munich and third-placed Benfica win against Dynamo Kiev then the Blaugrana will be knocked out of Europe’s premier club competition at the group stage.

    “It’s our last chance to progress to the knock-outs, it’s like a final,” Memphis told Barcelona’s official website.

    “We have to mentally prepare ourselves to give our all and get the result.”

  • I never asked Messi to play for free – Laporta

    I never asked Messi to play for free – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sought to put his side of claims around Lionel Messi being requested to play for free this season.

    Laporta admitted the prospect was raised before Messi left for PSG earlier this season.

    But he has since told TV3: “I want this to be clear. In a radio show, I was told: ‘If Messi could have stayed for free?’ For free … I don’t know if it would have been possible, but I understand that it could have been.

    “And for a while I was like, well, it could have been. But I never asked Messi to play for free and in that Messi is right because, other than that, he is the best player in the world. We knew he had a big offer and that was nonsense. Anyway, it had to come from him, not from me. I never said that and a controversy was born which is distorted at the source.”

  • Man Utd striker welcomes interest from Barcelona

    Man Utd striker welcomes interest from Barcelona

    Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani is ready to join Barcelona.

    The Times says Cavani’s deal expires in the summer, and he has ambitions of playing in La Liga before calling time on his career.

    The Uruguay international believes he still has two years left at the top level, and wants to link up with Xavi at Barcelona.

    Cavani joined the Red Devils in 2020 and signed a one-year extension in the summer.

    But he seems unlikely to put pen-to-paper on another extension at Old Trafford with a move to Barcelona on the cards.

    And with cash-strapped Barca targeting low-cost transfers, the free signing of Cavani is an attractive prospect.

  • Barca in talks with Chelsea for Ziyech and Werner

    Barca in talks with Chelsea for Ziyech and Werner

    Barcelona are maintaining contact with Chelsea for attacking pair Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

    Sport says there has been contact between the clubs in recent days and the Blues are open to talk about Werner or Ziyech leaving, and under conditions that suit Barcelona. Negotiations are open.

    Barcelona contacted Chelsea in October to ask about the options. The second, Ziyech, seems to fit better but Barcelona have contacted representatives for both players. They want to have more minutes and feel more important for their teams.

    Werner and Ziyech are not regulars for the Blues although both did start against Man United.

    Chelsea drew at home and the players were not particularly impressive. The Blues might even be willing to pay some part of their salaries if they leave.