Dani Alves has slammed FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu for the treatment he received during his final three seasons with the club, calling the directors “false and ungrateful.”
Neymar will stand trial on corruption charges after losing his appeal. The Barcelona star is in hot water over financial details regarding his transfer from Santos to Barcelona four years ago.
Brazilian investment group DIS launched a complaint against Neymar, Barcelona, Santos and the company run by Neymar's parents, all of whom lost their appeals and will stand trial.
From ESPNFC:
No matter the field they play on, geniuses are a difficult breed to understand. Each of them has his or her own peculiarities and habits that we will never understand because they see things on a different level. Albert Einstein once picked up a grasshopper from the ground and ate it. He also used to go on bird-watching walks while playing the violin and crying. Nikola Tesla had an aversion to jewelry; Vincent van Gogh severed part of his own ear. The list goes on.
But what does any of this have to do with soccer?
As much as last night’s result in Paris could be interpreted as a changing of the guard, the five-time European champions Barcelona being entirely dominated by the upstart Paris Saint-Germain, a club whose best performance in the Champions League was a semifinal appearance in 1995, it says a lot about the inarguable staying power of Barca that many are already talking about the approach PSG should take at the Camp Nou.
You’d have to go all the way back to the 2006-07 season for the last time Barcelona failed to advance beyond the Champions League round of 16, but that streak is in extreme danger following a 4-0 thumping at the Parc des Princes.
Barcelona almost certainly needed to salvage an away goal before the March 8 return leg at the Camp Nou, but PSG simply outclassed Barcelona around the park on a night that will live long in the memories of PSG supporters.
Angel Di Maria has scored another sensational strike to put PSG up 3-0 over Barcelona in the 55th minute. Barca look completely shell shocked following a left-footed attempt from the Argentine that flew into the corner.
Can you feel the love, Paris?
Barcelona have chosen the absolute worst moment to put in one of their most carless performances of the season. They’ve given the ball away and been unable to play with a rampant PSG side that finds themselves up 2-0 at half. While Barca have been awful, PSG have been simply brilliant, dominating the Catalans in every aspect of the game. PSG have launched 11 shots in the first half, putting seven on target.
Paris Saint-Germain have taken an early lead over Barcelona in their Champions League round of 16 first leg at the Parc des Princes. PSG have been all over Barca in the early stages, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to save from Blaise Matuidi in the 11th minute.
However, PSG found the opener after Julian Draxler was taken down on top of the box. Angel Di Maria stepped up and sent a curling effort near the right-hand corner. Luis Suarez completely neglected his responsibility in the wall and Der Stegen was beaten.
Barcelona and Alaves will face off in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final on May 27th at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid. Although the venue has already been selected, it’s incredible to think that a country that has been dominating European football in recent years can’t even set a location beforehand to play their domestic cup final.
This time around, the decision was made much quicker as Atletico Madrid had already offered to host the final months in advance, but the selection process in years past would sometimes take almost a month to determine a venue.
It’s a familiar scenario for Paris Saint-Germain: on a quest for European dominance and validation as one of the world’s top clubs, but Barcelona stand in their way. Barca eliminated PSG at the quarterfinal stage of both the 2012-13 and 2014-15 Champions League.