I remember when, back in the fall of 2017, Andrés Iniesta put pen to paper on a lifetime contract with Barcelona. A part of me immediately understood that it was, in theory, merely symbolic (he would move to Vissel Kobe come summer), but there was a part of me that really wanted to learn that the contract was actually practical: Why not keep Iniesta in Barcelona’s midfield until the age of 76?
Barcelona coach Quique Setién has said he does not always see eye-to-eye with his squad as their LaLiga title bid threatens to unravel following Saturday's 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.
Second-placed Barça trail Real Madrid by two points with six games to go and face a grueling match at home to third-placed Atlético Madrid on Tuesday which they need to win to stay in close contention in the title race.
"It's true that you often have arguments with players as you do in everyday life and that's nothing new," Setién told a virtual news conference on Monday.
An initiative aimed at increasing the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) coaches in English football has been launched by the Premier League, Football League and PFA.
The move followed comments from high-profile players such as Manchester City's Raheem Sterling who said few black players make the progression into full-time coaching roles.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema produced an audacious back-heeled assist for Casemiro to score as they beat Espanyol 1-0 away on Sunday to capitalize on Barcelona's slip-up a day earlier and move two points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro slid to the ground to guide the ball home on the stroke of halftime after being played in by a stroke of genius from Benzema, who dragged the ball through the legs of the defender marking him to find his team mate.
Substitute Luis Muriel rifled in two long-range goals as irrepressible Atalanta beat Udinese 3-2 away on Sunday for their third straight win since restarting the Serie A campaign.
The league's most prolific team took their tally to 80 goals in 28 games, including 10 in three matches since the resumption, as they stayed fourth and on course for a Champions League spot.
Southampton striker Danny Ings hit his second brace of the season on Sunday to help the Saints to a 3-1 victory away to Watford.
Ings has been in sparkling form all season for Southampton and is enjoying his most productive Premier League campaign to date. Having missed substantial game time in recent years due to injury, Ings is fit and firing for the Saints.
His first goal of the day came in the 16th minute, when he dribbled past Watford defenders to rifle a low shot into the corner of the net from just outside the box.
Juventus are set to sign Brazil international Arthur Melo from Barcelona after the midfielder agreed a five-year contract with the Italian champions and passed a medical, according to Spanish media reports on Sunday.
The move is part of a twin negotiation between the clubs which involves Bosnia midfielder Miralem Pjanić moving to Barça, said reports in sports dailies Mundo Deportivo and Marca.
Newcastle United’s FA Cup quarterfinal plan of defending resolutely and hoping for one clear chance against Manchester City actually played out perfectly for Steve Bruce’s side at St James’ Park on Sunday, but the compact rearguard action was undone by a boneheaded play from Fabian Schär and the incredible goalscoring opportunity was wasted by Dwight Gayle.
Former Germany international Mario Gómez called time on a distinguished career on Sunday after helping VfB Stuttgart secure promotion back to the Bundesliga.
Gómez, a product of the Stuttgart academy, bids farewell as the fourth-highest goalscorer in club history with 110. In his second full season with the first team back in 2006-07, he scored 14 goals in 25 league appearances to lead the club to its first Bundesliga title in 15 years.
Chelsea advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday. The tightly contested match was settled by Ross Barkley’s finish in the 63rd minute off a delicious piece of service from Willian.
Leicester came roaring out the gates and overwhelmed Chelsea’s young midfield duo of Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour, forcing the 19-year-old Gilmour into mistake after mistake but failing to fashion anything to deeply trouble Willy Caballero.