The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Barcelona

  • Spain’s prosecutor seeks five-year jail for Xavi Alonso on tax fraud

    Spain’s prosecutor said on Wednesday it was seeking a five-year jail sentence and a fine of 4 million euros (£3.5 million) for former soccer player Xavi Alonso over accusations of tax fraud.

    The prosecutor said in a statement Alonso is accused of defrauding the Spanish state some 2 million euros between 2010 and 2012.

    The prosecutor called for the same sentence to be applied to Alonso’s financial advisor Ivan Zaldua Azcuenaga and the administrator of consultancy shell company, Ignasi Maestre Casanova.

    Read Also: Alonso: Gerrard good enough for Spain team

    The Spanish government has been clamping down on footballers who are found guilty of either evading or avoiding tax.

    Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo were recently prosecuted for similar offenses.

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  • Messi scared of post retirement life

     

    There is no sign that Lionel Messi is about to retire soon, but the Argentina international is already having goose pimples over what life will be like in retirement whenever it eventually comes.

    As if that is not enough the state of insecurity and other vices in his country is another source of migraine.

    Messi moved to Barcelona from his home town of Rosario in Argentina as an 11-year-old, with the club’s willingness to pay for expensive growth hormone treatments well-documented.

    Those injections helped Messi to develop like any other child would have and, although he remained more diminutive than many of his contemporaries, his physical stature eventually stopped being a weakness and he blossomed in La Masia.

    He has since gone on to win a record five Ballons d’Or and become arguably the greatest player of all time, while he his record of 542 official goals for the club is 310 more than anyone else has ever managed at Barca.

    But, at the age of 30, Messi is approaching the twilight of his career and his thoughts of what to do upon retirement have started to take root, even if he remains entirely undecided on absolutely everything.

    “Everyone says it is very difficult and I have no doubt about that,” he said during an appearance on America TV’s La Cornisa.

    “It is very difficult not to have the routine of training, playing. I do not know what I’m going to do, where to live.

    “I would like to do everything that I could not, but I do not know if it’s going to be in Barcelona, ​​Rosario. I do not know what I’m going to do.”

    Part of Messi’s uncertainty appears to stem from the current social problems in Argentina.

    “I suffer and I feel sorry that today Argentina is as it is,” he added. “The reality of the country, the insecurity.

    “I look at the future, I think about being able to return to Rosario and enjoying my city because I could not do so as a kid, I had to come here, something I do not regret, but I’m worried.

    “Robberies are all over the world, but it’s crazy that something more could happen to you.

    “I know it’s impossible [these days], but I remember that I went out all day to the street and nothing would happen.”

  • Barcelona knock out Chelsea

    Barcelona thumped Chelsea 3-0 at Camp Nou on Wednesday in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, to move into the quarter-finals.

    Bayern Munich also qualified for the quarter-finals on Wednesday, after beating Besiktas 3-1, to amass an aggregate 8-1.

    The Catalans who held Chelsea 1-1 in London two weeks ago, won 4-1 aggregate, with Lionel Messi scoring the first goal in the third minute.

    In the 20th minute he opened the defence for Ousmane Dembele to score the second goal. In the 63rd minute, Messi had his second goal of the day.

    Barcelona, champions in 2013/14 and quarter-finalists in the last two editions, were the last team to qualify for the next stage.

    They will now wait till Friday to know their quarter-final opponents, after the draw by UEFA in Lyon, Switzerland.

    Messi becomes only the second player to reach the milestone in Europe’s premier tournament, following Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 117 goals in 152 games.

    By the end, the Argentinian’s scintillating breakaway in the build-up to Dembele’s first Barcelona goal had become little more than a footnote to what was another Messi masterclass.

    The match capped a remarkable five days for the 30-year-old, who sat out Saturday’s La Liga win over Malaga to attend to the birth of his third child.

    At the finish, Chelsea coach Antonio Conte left the field with his arm around the forward, perhaps with nothing to add but congratulations.

    Conte’s team had chances, particularly in the first half, but the sense was once Barcelona were in front they were content to sit back and counter.

    With Manchester United dumped out by Sevilla and Tottenham outmanouevred by Juventus, Chelsea’s exit means for all the talk of a Premier League resurgence, Liverpool and Manchester City are its only two representatives in the quarter-finals.

    Spain have three, after Real saw off the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain.

  • Busquets completed 128 passes against Chelsea

    Busquets completed 128 passes against Chelsea

     

    Sergio Busquets’ metronomic passing ability has never been in doubt but he took it to new levels in Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Tuesday night.

    The Spanish midfielder completed a whopping 128 of the 139 he attempted.

    That gave him a 92 per cent pass accuracy during a pulsating Champions League knockout tie at Stamford Bridge.

    Lionel Messi’s late equaliser cancelled out Willian’s opener for the hosts and gave Barca a crucial away goal ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp next month.

    The Blues will go to the Spanish league leaders on March 14 needing to better this week’s result if they are to make it through to the quarter-finals.

    But if Busquets can dominate possession again as he did on Tuesday, Antonio Conte’s side will face a steep task.

    Rakitic also completed 106 against Sporting Lisbon in December, the same amount managed by Busquets against Valencia earlier this month.

    The Spaniard capped off his evening in typical style by picking up a late yellow card.

    But his performance, which included 152 touches of the ball, drew plenty of praise from the BT Sport studio pundits.

    He said: ‘He plays in second gear and I mean that in a really positive way because everything is so easy for him. One touch, two touch.’

    Steven Gerrard added: ‘It’s his calmness as well. Having played against him, in the end you stop pressing him because you can’t get near him.

    ‘You can’t get close, if you come out of your position to press him he pops it round you. He’s an absolute nightmare to play against. He didn’t break sweat.’

    He could go out there in a pair of velvet slippers and perform,’ added Rio Ferdinand.

    TOP FIVE BARCELONA PASSERS THIS SEASON

    Date         Team       Player      Opponent        Passes Successful

    20/02/2018      Barcelona        Sergio Busquets      Chelsea   128

    18/10/2017      Barcelona        Paulinho  Olympiakos     111

    20/02/2018      Barcelona        Rakitic, Ivan    Chelsea   110

    05/12/2017      Barcelona        Rakitic, Ivan    Sporting Lisbon106

    08/02/2018      Barcelona        Sergio Busquets      Valencia C106

     

     

     

     

  • Bayern hammer Besiktas, Chelsea hold Barcelona

    Bayern hammer Besiktas, Chelsea hold Barcelona

    Bayern Munich did not spare their visitors Besiktas from Turkey in the first leg of the UEFA Champions Round of 16 at the Allianz Arena, as they banged five goals behind them.

    In London, Chelsea and Barcelona ended up 1-1, with Lionel Messi seizing on a defensive error to put the Catalans at an advantage in the second leg at Camp Nou.

    Four of Bayern’s  goals were scored in the second half, with Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski recording a brace each.

    Mueller had opened scoring in the 43 minute, 27 minutes after Besiktas defender  Domagoj Vida had been red-carded after tripping Bayern’s striker  Lewandowski.

    Vida was sent off for the foul because he was the last man to contain the Bayern offensive.

    Eight minutes after play resumed in the second half, Kingsley Corman scored for Bayern, making the scoreline 2-0.  Mueller struck again in the 66th minute for his brace of the day and Bayern’s third. Then Lewandowski slammed two goals in the 79th and 88th minute.

    The hosts dominated the match, with 66 per cent possession and 12 shots on target. Besiktas, playing with 10 men for 74 minutes,  only managed one shot on target. And it was in vain.

    At London’s Stamford Bridge,  Lionel Messi struck for the first time in nine games against Chelsea.

    Willian’s fine strike just after the hour mark had put Chelsea in command after earlier hitting both posts in the first half.

    However, one moment of carelessness cost Chelsea dear as Andres Iniesta intercepted Andreas Christensen’s pass to tee up Messi to swing the balance of the tie in Barca’s favour 15 minutes from time.

    The English champions must now score when they travel to the Camp Nou on March 14 to have any chance of making the last eight.

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte sprang a surprise before kick-off by leaving out both Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata with Eden Hazard instead operating in the middle of a front three featuring Willian and former Barca winger Pedro Rodriguez.

    And it was Hazard who sent the first warning that Barca were in for an uncomfortable evening when he fired just over from 20 yards five minutes in.

    Antonio Rudiger also headed just wide in a positive opening from the hosts, but it was Barca who had the first clear chance on 16 minutes.

    Chelsea constantly tried to surround Messi with three or four blue shirts to limit the Argentine’s threat, but he dug out a cross to the far post where an unmarked Paulinho headed wide.

    Barca then went on to dominate possession for a large spell of the first half with their control of the ball reaching 80 percent at one stage.

    However, the visitors lacked penetration before the break and were lucky to go in level at half-time.

  • Iniesta ‘ll not be made welcome at Stamford Bridge

    Iniesta ‘ll not be made welcome at Stamford Bridge

     

    Cesar Azpilicueta has warned Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta to expect a hostile reception from the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

    Iniesta stunned Blues supporters with a sublime stoppage-time strike to earn a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their 2008-09 Champions League semi-final, sending 10-man Barca through to the final on away goals.

    It was a hammer blow for Chelsea, who saw multiple penalty claims turned down by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo in an outcome that still rankles with the club’s faithful.

    Iniesta last week said it will be “special” to return to Stamford Bridge, but Azpilicueta thinks it is unlikely he will be made to feel welcome.

    “I remember that I was in Osasuna when he scored that goal to take Barcelona to the final in Rome,” the versatile defender told AS.

    “That changed his history so much and I think the Chelsea fans still feel that in their hearts.

    “I think Andres continues to generate nightmares and I do not think we will get a good reception.”

    With Chelsea 19 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City, the Champions League and FA Cup represent the Blues’ only remaining chances of ending the season with some silverware.

    “I can tell you that we are very excited to get to the quarter-finals, although it will not be easy,” said Azpilicueta.

    “It’s always interesting to play against a team that has many of the best players in the world. Barca play well, they know what to do at all times and the challenge is exciting.”

    On what Chelsea need to do to stop Lionel Messi making the difference, he added: “By playing the game of our dreams and being together. There is no other way. He is a different player from the rest.”

  • Conte wants ‘perfect game’ from Chelsea against Barcelona

    Conte wants ‘perfect game’ from Chelsea against Barcelona

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said, the Premier League club must play the perfect game to beat a formidable Barcelona in Tuesday’s first leg of the Champions League last 16 ties.

    The Premier League champions have recovered from a poor run of form, winning consecutive matches over West Bromwich Albion in the league and Hull City in the FA Cup.

    However, Chelsea’s Italian coach is not getting carried away.

    “On one hand you know this team is one of the best in the world – maybe they are favourites to win this competition,” Conte told British media.

    “On the other hand we must be excited because we have a great opportunity to play a massive game against a really strong team and to show which our level is.

    “… We have to try to have the perfect game, the perfect game to try to make the best decisions. For this type of team.

    “They have fantastic characteristics with the ball. But they can have weaknesses without the ball and we have to try and exploit this.”

    Barcelona’s star forward Lionel Messi has never scored in eight matches against Chelsea and Conte is eager for his team to maintain that record.

    Read Also: How Antonio Conte Transformed Chelsea and Won the Title

    Chelsea last defeated the Spanish side in 2012 as the London outfit marched to their first Champions League title.

    Midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona in 2014, is confident that Conte’s side can repeat the feat.

    “They try to put the first pressure very, very high – (they) always work towards the ball,” Fabregas said.

    “If we can (get) past this first phase of their pressure, then we have the content to do that, and not put ourselves under too much pressure, then I think we can hurt them because they will leave a lot of spaces at the back.

    “Hopefully we can give a good image of what we can do and do a good performance.”

    Chelsea next travel to second-placed Manchester United in the league on Sunday.

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  • Iniesta may walk away as Tianjin upgrade offer

    Iniesta may walk away as Tianjin upgrade offer

     

    Andres Iniesta looks increasingly likely to walk away from Barcelona at the end of the season after a glorious career spanning 15 years and producing 30 trophies.

    China Super League club Tianjin Quanjian have stepped up their interest and with the arrival of Philippe Coutinho,

    Iniesta, who will be 34 this May, sees this season as a good time to leave.

    He has always maintained that he would find it impossible to play against the team he joined as a 12-year-old so the options of Qatar, the MLS and China have always been the most likely and China has emerged as his favoured destination.

    Barcelona paper Diario Sport claimed on Friday that Tianjin Quanjian have made the player a £31million-a-season offer.

    Iniesta signed a ‘contract-for-life’ last year at the Camp Nou but it was a non-binding deal that merely laid out plan for the player and the club to sit down and decide the future at the end of every season.

    Sport claims Iniesta will make his final decision before this summer’s World Cup. With Barcelona still on for a treble and

    Spain one of the favourites for the tournament in Russia the midfielder could sign off in extraordinary fashion.

     

    If Iniesta moves on, Coutinho will finally get a settled birth in the team having been moved from position to position since he joined.

    But Barcelona are also keen on another player who has been likened to Iniesta. Gremio midfielder Arthur looks set to sign at the end of this season although the 21-year-old might delay his arrival until 2019.

  • Barcelona face team dilemma in visit to tiny Eibar

    Barcelona face team dilemma in visit to tiny Eibar

    FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde faces a dilemma before his side’s potentially tricky trip to in-form Eibar on Saturday, having watched his side’s seemingly unassailable La Liga lead grow smaller.

    The lead has been cut to seven points from 11 in the last two weeks.

    The advantage would normally give the coach room to rotate his squad in order to keep his side fresh for the visit to Chelsea in the Champions League three days later.

    But tiny Eibar’s consistency means such a move risks his side falling closer to second-placed Atletico Madrid.

    Eibar hail from a town of 27,000 inhabitants in the Basque region and are the smallest team in the top flight.

    Five years ago they were in the 80-team regional third tier.

    They have overcome a rocky start to the season to grow into genuine contenders for a European spot, rising to seventh place in the standings by losing only one of their last 12 games.

    That run has included impressive 5-0 and 5-1 thrashings of Real Betis and Sevilla respectively, as well as victory over high-flying Valencia.

    They have also developed a knack for edging tight games, snatching a 1-0 win at Leganes in their last outing with an injury-time goal.

    It is a remarkable turnaround from their dismal form at the start of the season when they lost seven of their first 11 games.

    Read Also:Barcelona bids Mascherano emotional farewell

    However, Coach Jose Luis Mendilibar said his side had barely altered their style, which is based on pressing high, no-nonsense defending and frequent crosses into the opposing box.

    “We’ve changed nothing, we don’t care which team we play, we’ll keep doing what we believe we do well,” the coach said.

    “It’s easy for any analyst to see what we do in every game; we change hardly anything so it should be easy to play against us. It’s extraordinary to be in this position at this stage as no-one would have expected that when the season started.”

    Barca have found it easy to play against Eibar, winning all seven of their games since the side were promoted and thrashing them 6-1 at the Nou Camp last September.

    Lionel Messi seems to enjoy playing them too, having scored 12 goals in six meetings, including four in the last fixture.

    The Catalans remain the only unbeaten team in Europe’s top five leagues but head to the tiny, 7,000-capacity Ipurua stadium following unconvincing draws against Espanyol and Getafe.

    They will be boosted by the return of first-choice centre-backs Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti, however.

    Atletico Madrid have won their last three league games and will be looking to keep the pressure on Barca when they host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, while champions Real Madrid visit Real Betis.

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  • Barca ‘spoils’ Dembele to stay in spain

    Barca ‘spoils’ Dembele to stay in spain

    Ousmane Dembele is on verge of living like a real king in Spain as everything is being done to make him as comfortable as possible

    Barcelona’s attempts to help big money signing Ousmane Dembele settle in Spain have extended to them providing for his every need – including his own chef.

    Dembele moved to the Nou Camp from Borussia Dortmund in the summer for a fee that could rise to £135m, supposedly as a replacement for Neymar.

    However a serious thigh injury soon after required surgery and ruled Dembele out for months and he has only just started to return to the first team picture.

    According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are doing their best to settle Dembele in after his disrupted start to life at the

    Nou Camp, given the pressure on a 20-year-old signed for nine figures to replace one of the world’s best players.

    In order to take care of his diet, Barca has provided a chef for Dembele’s use, so that the French forward does not become reliant on fast food.

    Dembele also reportedly requested a barbecue in order for him to cook in the garden of his home, which has been provided.

    Barcelona have also paid for a security guard at Dembele’s home, as well as arranging for doctors and physios to visit him and help his recovery.

    The pampering seems to have worked, with Dembele coming off the bench in Barcelona’s latest home game against Getafe, which ended 0-0.

    Although Dembele did not score, he provided the cross which led to Luis Suarez testing Getafe keeper Vincent Guaita with a header – the closest Barca came to scoring – to hint at his potential.

    On 25 August 2017, La Liga side Barcelona announced that they had reached an agreement to sign Dembélé for €105 million plus a reported €40 million add-ons On 28 August, he had his medical and signed a five-year contract, with his buyout clause set at €400 million