The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Barcelona

  • Aaron Samuel: Barcelona is my favourite club

    Aaron Samuel: Barcelona is my favourite club

    CSKA Moscow striker Aaron Samuel has declared that Barcelona is his favourite club, and was pleased that the La Liga champions qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals after a memorable game versus PSG.

    The Nigeria international has named Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his favourite player.

    “My favorite football player is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and my favorite team is Barcelona, ” Samuel told cskainfo.com.

    “The game between Barcelona and PSG was incredible. It’s very cool to comeback from four goals down and win 6: 1.

    “It seems that this is the first time in the history of the Champions League that a team came from four goals down. I was very happy, because my team, Barca, did this.”

    In his second spell with CSKA Moscow, Samuel has played three games for the side in the Russian Premier League.

  • Neymar reveals EPL desire

    Neymar reveals EPL desire

     

    Barcelona star Neymar admits he would like to play in the Premier League in future.

    The Brazil international was reportedly a firm target for Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in 2015, with the forward’s agent claiming that an offer said to be worth close to £140million had been tabled.

    Rumours have emerged in recent weeks that Jose Mourinho has made contact personally with Neymar in order to test the water before launching a new bid at the end of the season.

    Although he signed a new contract at Camp Nou in October that runs until 2021, the former Santos forward has revealed that a move to England is tempting.

    “It’s a championship that surprises me,” he said at a PokerStars event. “I like the playing style and the teams.

    “I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool – these are the teams that are always fighting for the title.

    “And then you have top-level coaches like Mourinho and [Pep] Guardiola. These are coaches any player would like to play for.

    “Who knows? I’d like to play there.”

    Neymar has 14 goals and 23 assists in all competitions this season.

  • Real Madrid face Bayern in Champions League quarter-final

    Reigning champions Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich while Barcelona had drawn Juventus in this year’s Champions League quarter-final.

    Leicester City, meanwhile, will face Atletico Madrid in a daunting tie for Craig Shakespeare’s Premier League champions, while Borussia Dortmund will take on Manchester City’s conquerors AS Monaco.

    Real progressed to the quarter-finals by virtue of a straightforward 6-2  aggregate victory over Napoli, but will face a stiff test against the German giants, who thumped Arsenal 10-2 on aggregate, winning each game 5-1, Goal reports.

  • Barcelona  gear up for mission impossible

    Barcelona  gear up for mission impossible

     

    The task in front of them is substantial and as such it wasn’t a surprise that Barcelona’s Tuesday training session was a solemn affair.

    The Catalans are preparing for Wednesday’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and the daunting prospect of having to overhaul a four-goal deficit in 90 minutes at the Nou Camp.

    With that in mind, there was barely a smile or a smirk to be seen as the players were put through their paces at the Joan Gamper facility.

    Star forwards Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all featured, with head coach Luis Enrique watching on as he tries to come up with a masterplan to rescue their European season.

    Enrique, who recently announced his intentions to quit the club at the end of the current campaign, watched his team ripped apart in Paris three weeks ago.

    Angel di Maria scored twice while Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani also found the back of the net as the French side romped to a 4-0 first-leg success in the last-16 tie.

    No team has ever recovered from a four-goal first-leg deficit to progress in the Champions League and Enrique will be aiming to turn history on its head at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

    The Spaniard still believes, at least publicly, that his team can complete their mission impossible.

    ‘We will try and fight until the end, showing the qualities we have shown in our matches in the past few weeks. Our challenge against PSG is to prove we’re better than them and that we can repay our debts in 90 minutes.’

  • Barca tie Bellerin deal to Wenger’s exit

    Barca tie Bellerin deal to Wenger’s exit

     

     

     

     

    Barcelona have made Arsenal star Hector Bellerin their No 1 summer transfer target as they look to solve a deepening crisis at right-back.

    According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Bellerin, who was originally plucked from La Masia by Arsene Wenger, has been highlighted as the perfect acquisition by Nou Camp officials looking to fix a problem caused by Luis Enrique.

    The 21-year-old has become a key player for the Gunners in recent years, earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year last season and recently sealing a long-term £100,000-a-week contract as a reward.

    Despite that, Barcelona feel confident that a deal can be completed and are fully prepared to meet what is likely to be a hefty asking price.

    They are further boosted by news that Wenger could leave at the end of the season as they feel Bellerin will be further inclined to ask for a move away from north London if his mentor goes.

    Enrique, who definitely will leave at the end of the season, chose not to sign a new right-back last summer to replace Dani Alves, instead committing the vast majority of his transfer budget to sign Andre Gomes from Valencia.

    Aleix Vidal will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a broken ankle and La Liga rules allow Barcelona to sign a player outside the transfer window to cover his absence, so long as that player is currently playing in Spain.

  • Corruption: Neymar to stand trial after losing appeal

    Corruption: Neymar to stand trial after losing appeal

    Barcelona forward Neymar is to stand trial in Spain on corruption charges.

    The country’s high court confirmed on Monday that the Brazil forward’s final appeal against the prosecution proceeding has been rejected.

    Appeals against the prosecution from Barca, Neymar’s former club Santos and the company run by his parents were also turned down.

    The charges relate to the 25-year-old’s transfer to Camp Nou from Santos in 2013, with Brazilian investment group DIS alleging it received less money than the 40 per cent it was entitled to from the disputed transfer fee.

    Prosecutors want a two-year prison sentence for Neymar and his father, although as they are first-time offenders that would be unlikely to result in jail time.

    They are also seeking fines of $10million against the Neymars, as well as amounts of $9m and $7m from Barcelona and Santos respectively.

  • Neymar eyeing 2018 World Cup success

    Neymar eyeing 2018 World Cup success

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Barcelona attacker Neymar has revealed that his ultimate ambition in football is to lift the World Cup trophy with Brazil.

     

    The 25-year-old was part of the Brazil team that went in search of World Cup glory on home soil in 2014, but an injury forced the attacker to miss his nation’s semi-final thumping by eventual winners Germany.

     

    Neymar did score the winning penalty to help Brazil win gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, but he has admitted that he ‘cannot stop thinking’ about success at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

     

    “It would be a big honour for me, it’s a dream I have to keep playing for the Brazilian football team, to score goals and help the team the best way I can,” Neymar told Red Bull Content Pool.

     

    “And, well, I hope I’m able to keep scoring, keep setting records, that makes me happy. I don’t want to be better than anyone, all I want is to be better than myself. For me, that’s what really matters.

     

    “I’m not anxious, but I’m already thinking about the World Cup. I am a daydreamer; I can’t stop thinking, imagining how it would be to win a World Cup. But I will work hard, so that I’m prepared for 2018. I have many [ambitions]. I still have many things to do, there’s a lot of titles to be conquered.”

     

    Neymar has scored 50 times in 75 appearances for Brazil; only Romario, Ronaldo and Pele have more goals for the South American nation.

  • Barcelona sack director after Messi comments

    Barcelona sack director after Messi comments

     
    Barcelona have sacked director Pere Gratacos following comments he made about Lionel Messi.
    Gratacos, the director of training and education at Camp Nou and a key figure in the running of the famous La Masia youth system, suggested on Friday that Messi would not be the same player without his stellar team-mates’ support.
    “Barcelona are not here only because of Messi,” he said at the draw for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
    “He’s very important but it was the team who won [against Athletic Bilbao in the last 16]. Without Neymar, Luis Suarez, [Andres] Iniesta, [Gerard] Pique and the others, he wouldn’t be such a good player.”
    Barca have taken swift action following those remarks, which they stress “do not coincide with those of the club”.

  • El-Clasico: It’s a draw

    The much-awaited la-Liga match between Real Madrid and  Barcelona has ended in a one all draw.

    A last minute goal by Sergio Ramos ensured that Madrid team had a tie with the home team who had earlier scored through Luis Suárez in the game.

    The match which was watched all over the world and has garnered some much international hype was played at the Camp Nou, in Barcelona.

  • Ex Barcelona striker Eto’o risks jail over tax fraud

    Ex Barcelona striker Eto’o risks jail over tax fraud

    Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o has been accused of tax evasion in Spain and could face a ten-and-a-half year prison sentence if found guilty, according to reports in Spain.
    A Spanish public prosecutor has accused the former African footballer of the year of conspiring to evade 3.5 million euros ($4.4 million) in taxes owed on income from his image rights when he was playing for Barcelona between 2006-2009.
    According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, there are four charges levelled against him, which could amount to 10 and a half years behind bars and a fine of €14m.
    Additionally, his agent at the time, Josep Maria Mesalles, would also stand trial if the reported prosecution effort is accepted.
    And as well as the long prison term, prosecutors are demanding he be fined around £12m.
    The former Cameroon striker is also reported to have operated two companies — Bulte 2002 in Spain and Tradesport in Hungary — and this allowed him to transfer his image rights between the two and avoid having to pay tax.
    However, Eto’o is not the first person associated with Barcelona to come under scrutiny for his tax returns, with Lionel Messi handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence in July after being found guilty of tax evasion. He only avoided time behind bars due to his previously clean criminal record.
    And currently, Neymar is accused of similar charges, and on Wednesday the prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to two years in jail if he is found guilty.