The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Barcelona

  • Messi reveals name of third child

    Messi reveals name of third child

     

    Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo are preparing to welcome another little boy into their family.And that little boy now has a name.

    Barcelona icon Messi took to Instagram on Wednesday, sharing a video of his wife’s bump alongside the caption: ‘Baby Ciro’.

    Messi and his childhood sweetheart already have two sons — Thiago, five, and Mateo, two — with No 3 Ciro expected to arrive late this month or in early March.

    She shared a photo of Thiago kissing her belly in November next to the words: ‘The sweetest older brother’.

    Life away from football appears to be going swimmingly well for Messi, who is continuing to excel on the pitch too.

    The Argentina star has providied 20 goals and 10 assists in 22 La Liga appearances this season.

    He has also netted three times in four Champions League starts.

    Meanwhile team mate Luis Suarez enjoyed some home comforts on Wednesday as the Barcelona striker drunk some traditional South American tea over breakfast at his personal restaurant.

    The Uruguayan posted a photo of himself with ‘mate’ tea at his Barcelona breakfast spot Chalito Rambla which is based in the city centre.

    Suarez drank the beverage with a straw as he displayed his personalised flask which featured photos of himself and his family.

    Suarez’s restaurant, which was launched in October, specialises in barbeque and roast meat and is located in the heart of Barcelona’s tourist district.

    His team-mate Lionel Messi is also a fan of the caffeine-rich drink and last month enjoyed a mug with his pregnant wife Antonella Roccuzzo.

    The South American favourite is particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay and is traditionally consumed through a straw and held in a gourd.

    Suarez is gearing up for Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Valencia at the Mestalla on Thursday evening.

    Holders Barcelona are 1-0 up on aggregate from the first leg thanks to Suarez’s second-half winner last week at the Nou Camp.

    Ernestro Valverde’s side were held to a 1-1 draw with Catalan rivals Espanyol last time out as Gerard Pique’s equaliser eight minutes from time rescued a point.

    Barcelona remain nine points clear of second-placed Valencia at the top of La Liga with holders Real Madrid languishing in fourth place, 19 points off their rivals.

  • Pique pens new deal with £441m buyout clause

    Pique pens new deal with £441m buyout clause

     

    Gerard Pique hopes to see out his playing days at Barcelona after signing a contract extension that ties him to the club until the summer of 2022.

    The Spain international will be 35 when this contract extension expires and insists he only ever saw his future at the Nou Camp, saying it is ‘Barca or nothing’.

    Pique’s new deal includes a buyout clause of £441.6m, but that is academic to a player who never wants to leave.

    ‘I’m very happy to have renewed my contract and I hope it will not be the last,’ he said on Monday. ‘If I complete my contract I will have been at Barca for 14 years, plus another six or seven in the youth teams.

    ‘I’ve been a socio (member) since I was born, Barca feels like home, it’s the club of my life. I always felt that I was going to stay and I never thought about anything else.

    ‘And I hope to stay for life. Obviously I’ve thought about my family and my kids, who don’t want to move. But in the career I’ve had here, we’ve almost always won something and we’ve competed until the end.

    ‘And I hope we continue being competitive until I retire.

    ‘I’m not interested in playing for another team. If I wasn’t wearing the Barca shirt, I would have given up. I play football because I play for Barca. It’s Barca or nothing.’

    After signing his new deal, he summed his love for the club up by saying it is ‘Barca or nothing’

    Having come up through the youth ranks with Barcelona, Pique returned to his home-town club in 2008 after four years on

    Manchester United’s books and in the last decade has won 24 titles with the Catalan giants.

    The former Barca youth player – who began his junior career in 1997, aged 10 – moved to Old Trafford in 2004 before spending time on loan at Real Zaragoza. He rejoined his boyhood club under Pep Guardiola in 2008.

    At Barca he has scored 37 goals from 425 appearances and has won three Champions Leagues, six La Liga titles, five Copa del Reys, five Spanish Super Cups, three Club World Cups and two European Super Cups.

    The defender also won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Barcelona bids Mascherano emotional farewell

    Barcelona bids Mascherano emotional farewell

     

    Javier Mascherano has been honoured with a special farewell ceremony by Barcelona after it was announced the defender had completed his move to China

    Barcelona held the ceremony on Wednesday morning after confirming the defender would move to Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune.

    Mascherano was visibly moved by Barcelona’s gesture and appeared to be fighting back tears as Lionel Messi and Co watched on.

    The Argentine was given a warm hug by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who presented Mascherano with with a photo of himself alongside the 18 trophies he won during his eight years at the Nou Camp.

    Messi also embraced his compatriot and former team-mate as Mascherano was given a grand send-off ahead of his January transfer.

    The likes of Messi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets were all in attendance alongside current Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde.

    Mascherano is set to say his farewells to Barcelona supporters at Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg with Espanyol.

    Mascherano has lost his place in the Barcelona first team this season with Ernesto Valverde preferring Samuel Umtiti to partner Gerard Pique at centre back.

    Umtiti’s recent injury saw Barcelona bring forward the signing of Yerry Mina and the Colombian defender’s arrival further increased the competition at centre back.

    Mascherano made 334 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions and scored once, a penalty against Osasuna back in April.

    The 33-year-old announced in October that he would retire from international duty with Argentina at the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    Mascherano signed for Barcelona from Liverpool back in 2010 and won 18 trophies across his time at the Nou Camp, including four La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.

    The defender had previously played for River Plate in his homeland, Brazilian side Corinthians and West Ham in the Premier League before his move to Liverpool.

    Mascherano has amassed 141 caps for his country Argentina, scoring three goals, since making his international debut in 2003.

  • Arda joins Basaksehir on loan until 2020

    Arda joins Basaksehir on loan until 2020

     

    Barcelona have confirmed that Arda Turan has joined Istanbul Basaksehir on a loan deal through to the end of the 2019-20 season.

    This week, the Turkish Super Lig leaders stated that a move for Arda was close to being finalised.

    And Barca announced that the 30-year-old will make the move on loan for the remainder of his contract.

    LaLiga’s leaders also stated that they retain the right to sell Arda during this period, with Basaksehir holding an option to buy – although a price was not confirmed for this clause.

    Arda opted to join Barca from LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid in July 2015, but a transfer ban imposed on the club meant he did not debut until the following January.

    During his time at Camp Nou, Arda won medals in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana, but failed to hit the same high standards he produced at Atleti.

    Barca’s club-record purchase of Philippe Coutinho further diminished his chances of regular first-team football and Arda opted for a return to Turkey, having previously won the domestic title in his home country during his time at Galatasaray.

    As he the Turkey international proceeds on loan his remarkable effort following his debut for Barca remains relevant.

    Turan played his first Liga match with Barcelona on 9 January 2016, the 17th matchday of the season against Granada. The match ended 4–0, with Turan assisting Lionel Messi’s opening goal.On 17 August 2016, Turan scored twice and Lionel Messi once as Barcelona earned a 3–0 second-leg victory over Sevilla to win the 2016 Supercopa de España 5–0 on aggregate.

    On 7 December 2016, Turan scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona during a Champions League group stage match against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He became the sixth player in Barça history to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, after Messi, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Samuel Eto’o and Neymar.This also marked Turan’s first hat-trick in European competitions.

  • Messi goes traditional with Mate drink

    Messi goes traditional with Mate drink

     

    Lionel Messi has been spending some quality time with his pregnant wife as the pair enjoy a sip of ‘mate’.

    The Barcelona star has often been seen with a cup of mate, a South American beverage which is popular with his team-mates.

    With the Catalan club nine points clear in the race for La Liga and with the Argentine the current top scorer in the league, we may have found his secret to their success.

    Mate is a caffeine-rich drink, similar to tea, which has become popular in South America- notably Argentina and Uruguay. It is consumed through a straw and traditionally held in a gourd.

    The 30-year-old was pictured at home enjoying the drink ahead of Barcelona’s second-leg against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey.

    His pregnant wife Antonella Roccuzzo was also pictured drinking it with the distinctive mug – personalised with her name – balanced on her baby bump.

    Messi is not the only Barca star who enjoys a sip of mate. Team-mate Luis Suarez is also a fan and has frequently been seen enjoying a mug or two.

    We may be seeing new signing Philippe Coutinho holding a cup of mate soon enough, with the playmaker securing his much-anticipated move to the Nou Camp.

    The £145million man is however expected to have a delayed debut at the Nou Camp after it was revealed that he has a thigh injury that will keep him on the sidelines for at least three weeks.

    Coutinho nonetheless thanked Barcelona fans for their warm welcome as he was presented on the pitch at Camp Nou on Monday.

    The Brazil international completed his move from Liverpool to Barca earlier in the day by undergoing a medical and signing a five-and-a-half-year contract.

    Coutinho then ventured out onto the playing surface for the first time and, despite the thigh injury that is set to keep him out for three weeks, performed kick-ups to the delight of the thousands of fans in attendance.

    “I’m happy to be here because of the history of the club and the players that have played here through history,” he said.

    “I want to thank everybody for the great welcome, especially on social media.

    “I hope to be able to play soon and live up to the high expectations.”

  • Barca new sign Coutinho out for three weeks

    Barca new sign Coutinho out for three weeks

     

    Barcelona have revealed new signing Philippe Coutinho will be sidelined for around three weeks after sustaining a thigh injury.

    Coutinho signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Barca to finalise a transfer that could be worth up to £142million to Liverpool.

    However, Barca fans will have to wait to see their new signing in action after they confirmed an absence due to injury of around three weeks.

    The Brazil international missed both of Liverpool’s opening two games in 2018 with a thigh problem and Barca have confirmed he is now set to be sidelined for the rest of January.

    A club statement read: “Coutinho has an injury to his right thigh and he is expected to be out for around three weeks.”

    The thigh injury did not derail his move to the runaway LaLiga leaders, though, and he put pen to paper on his contract before being officially welcomed to the club by president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

    Bartomeu said on his club’s website: “We’re delighted to present Philippe Coutinho, a player who we’ve tried to get to come and play for us since last summer.

    “We knew it was not going to be easy to get him here, we’ve been talking and working for months on this but one of the important aspects was he wanted to come here. And he helped make an effort, and he was patient, and that was been key in him coming here.

    “And I’m very pleased to announce the signing of one the world’s star players and he will be here for many years.

    “I also want to thank Liverpool, one of Europe’s biggest clubs, for allowing him to leave and come here.”

    Making a brief comment before getting ready to head out on to the Nou Camp pitch for a photo shoot in front of the club’s supporters, Coutinho said: “I want to thank the president and everyone who has made the transfer possible.

    “I’m very happy, as I’ve said it was my dream. I hope to live up to expectations on the pitch.”

  • Valdes retires from football to focus on family

    Valdes retires from football to focus on family

     

    Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has retired from football and has deleted all of his social media accounts.

    The decision came on New Year’s Day as the 35-year-old revealed he now wants to focus on his family following his decision to hang up his gloves.

    Valdes enjoyed a stellar career with Barcelona and the Spain national team but has been without a club since leaving Middlesbrough in May last year.

    The Spaniard reportedly had offers to continue his career, which featured unsuccessful spells at Manchester United and Standard Liege.

    Despite this, he took to social media one final time to say ‘thanks for everything’ before deleting his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

    And Valdes is a man of his word after he announced in 2015 that he would delete his social media accounts once his playing days came to an end to focus on his family.

    He told RAC1: ‘When the light goes out someday, then it will go out and I’ll be with my children, teaching them about life.

    Valdes’ most successful part of his career came at Barcelona, where he won the Spanish league title six times, the Champions League three times and the Copa del Rey twice in his 12 years at the club.

    He also helped the Catalan giants to their historic Treble in 2009, with Barcelona becoming the first Spanish team to do so.

    The 35-year-old was prolific when on international duty after helping Spain win the World Cup in 2010 and then the European Championship two years later.

    Valdes left the Nou Camp after persistent knee problems but left his mark as one of the club’s greatest goalkeepers.

    He then completed his move to Manchester United in 2014 but struggled to replicate the success he had in Spain.

    The Spaniard left the Red Devils two years later after having a difficult relationship with Louis van Gaal before ending his career with Middlesbrough. Valdes who played for Barcelona from 2002 to 2014 made 387 appearances and claimed the following titles:

    La Liga titles: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13

    Champions League winner: 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11

    Copa del Rey winner: 2008-09, 2011-12

    Supercopa de Espana: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013

    UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011

    FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011

    La Liga Goalkeeper of the Year: 2009-10, 2010-11

  • Penalties: I am still below par says Messi

    Penalties: I am still below par says Messi

     

    Despite his basketful of awards, Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi says he is still not an all rounder admitting that penalty misses when it mattered most have been a source of worry for him.

    Messi who bared his mind Tuesday, said he needed to practice more to achieve his heart desire of becoming a perfect penalty taker.

    Messi, now 30, is regarded by many to be the finest player to ever grace a football pitch, with his unmatched dribbling abilities, other-worldly vision, deft first-touch and frankly ridiculous cool in front of goal combining for a package as close to footballing perfection as fans are likely to witness over the course of their lifetimes.

    The Argentine has racked up 8 La Liga titles, 5 Copa Del Reys, 6 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Champions League crowns, 3 Uefa Super Cups and 3 FIFA Club World Cups with Barcelona, as well as a record-equaling 5 Ballons d’Or on an individual level.

    He has also notched over 500 goals at club level, and a national record 61 for Argentina.

    Messi has attempted 104 penalties, of which he has netted 81, and missed 23, a conversion rate of just under 78% .

    While a conversion rate of almost 4 in 5 would certainly be an acceptable ratio for most players, it just doesn’t quite cut it for one of the most technically-gifted stars of all-time.

    Messi himself was questioned on how he can still improve as a footballer during an interview with Blic, and the South American legend was quick to point to his profligacy from the penalty spot:

    ‘I want to be perfect and yet there are some parts of game I have to improve to reach the maximum level. Which part? Penalties, I have to practice them more.’

    Messi who will be expected to lead Argentina to the World Cup in Russia, will certainly not be practicing for perfection for the good of Barcelona but also for Argentina who have been drawn against Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia at the forthcoming world cup in Russia. Argentina and Nigeria will lock horns on June 26 at Krestovsky Stadium. Nigeria be going to their sixth world cup and have been pitched against Argentina in four editions with the Russian edition making it the fifth time both countries will be clashing at the Mundial.

  • Who succeeds Clasico maestro Iniesta?

    Who succeeds Clasico maestro Iniesta?

     

    In a matter of hours, it will be yet another El Clásico, the usual clash between perennial rivals Real Madrid and F. C Barcelona known to arrest massive attention across the globe. One man that has made so much impact in that ritual is Andres Iniesta.

    Iniesta didn’t manage an hour on his comeback game against Deportivo La Coruna, but it was 56 minutes featuring some of the finest midfield play you are likely to see.

    The Barcelona captain, who missed the win over Villarreal, played a brilliant pass to help his side to their first goal in the 4-0 win and created chances for Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba during his impressive outing.

    He was substituted to a standing ovation – hardly a rarity at home, but something he has also received at the hands of Juventus and Valencia fans in away matches this season, not to mention the Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016. As Catalan daily Sport wrote after the Depor match: “When he’s on the pitch, the sun shines at Camp Nou”.

    These days, though, that sun appears to be setting. Iniesta has only managed a full 90 minutes once this season, his game-time carefully managed by head coach Ernesto Valverde. Even the applause from the fans has the air of a curtain call about it.

    At 33, Iniesta’s time at the top is beginning to draw to an end, which is bad news for fans of Barca and Spain and spectators of the Clasico. The diminutive maestro often reserves his best performances for those meetings with Real Madrid.

    With that in mind, there is an opportunity emerging for someone else to seize the limelight as the Clasico’s creator-in-chief, as well as become the fulcrum of Spain’s marvelous midfield. Below are the credentials of three players likely to step into iniesta’s big shoes;

    Carles Alena

    Barca directors would be delighted to see another midfield star progress from La Masia and Carles Alena is the best placed to break into Ernesto Valverde’s set-up in the long term.

    The 19-year-old has only managed six senior appearances for the club but there is real optimism about his potential, and he could be used more regularly from 2018 onwards as the fixtures pile up.

    Alena is arguably a less attack-minded player than Iniesta, but aptitude with the ball and his propensity to score the odd long-range belter mark him out as a solid candidate to succeed the captain.

    A Spain youth international, Alena signed a new contract in June that contains a €75million release clause, which goes some way to highlighting just what Barca think of his talents.

    Gerard Deulofeu

    Although much more of an orthodox winger than a midfielder, Deulofeu boasts the kind of creative eye that Barca will sorely need once Iniesta retires.

    He has struggled to really make his mark on the team since returning to Camp Nou in the close-season but, at the age of just 23, he already has a wealth of experience in the Premier League, Serie A and LaLiga.

    Iniesta was often deployed on the left of the attack during the Pep Guardiola era and Deulofeu could replicate that impact in the same position, especially now Lionel Messi has been moved back into a deeper number 10 role alongside him.

    A big performance against Madrid would go a long way towards winning over any uncertain fans as to his ability.

    Denis Suarez

    The man most often described as the next Iniesta – a tag that’s never going to be easy to live with – Suarez is still ideally placed to take up his captain’s mantle.

    The 23-year-old has played out wide and as an attacking midfielder this season, plundering three goals and six assists from only seven starts in all competitions.

    Suarez made his senior Spain debut last year and will be pushing for a spot at the World Cup, despite being yet to appear under Julen Lopetegui and with some serious competition for the midfield places.

    If he can find consistent form in the second half of the season, his place for club and country ahead, perhaps, of Iniesta could be solidified.

  • FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    Football ruling body FIFA has confirmed receiving a complaint from Atletico Madrid who say Spanish league leaders FC Barcelona have illegally contacted their forward Antoine Griezmann.

    “We have received a complaint from Atletico Madrid about Griezmann’s case,’’ a FIFA spokesman told newsmen on Wednesday, without commenting further on the case.

    The 26-year-old Frenchman Griezmann renewed his contract at Atletico in summer until 2022.

    According to FIFA rules, he cannot be approached by interested clubs until the final six months of his contract.

    Read also: FIFA Rates Super Falcons World 37th Best Team

    Spanish news reports said Atletico have proof that Griezmann has been contacted by Barca over a possible transfer.

    Reports also said that Atletico were not seeking compensation or requesting sanctions for FC Barcelona, ​​but wanted to bring the matter to the attention of the football ruling body.

    Griezmann, who came to Atletico in 2014, has been linked with several top clubs, including Manchester United.

    His release sum was halved to 100 million Euros (118 million dollars) on September 1.

    At Barca, he can fill the void Neymar left in summer when he moved on to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee of 222 million Euros.

    NAN