As the final whistle approached, it looked as if Barcelona would have to settle for a draw. The Blaugrana had led with just five minutes remaining in normal time of El Clásico, but James Rodriguez leveled the score at 2-2 for ten-man Real Madrid. Enter Lionel Messi.
Spectators are unlikely to be able to return to football stadiums until next year at the earliest due to the continued threat of the novel coronavirus, according to Jaume Roures, the head of Spanish media company Mediapro which broadcasts LaLiga.
Roures, whose company also manages the international broadcasting rights for the Spanish top flight and broadcasts the Champions League, also predicts the end of colossal transfer fees for players due to the pandemic.
BARCELONA — LaLiga champion Barcelona is searching for a stadium sponsor for the first time to raise funds in the fight against the novel coronavirus, the club said in a statement on Tuesday.
Barca said the club's foundation would manage the bid for the naming rights of the 99,000 capacity Camp Nou stadium for the 2020-21 stadium.
The novel coronavirus has crippled the global economy and devastated lives and families but Atlético Madrid and Spain midfielder Saúl Ñíguez believes there is a way out if people show solidarity with each other.
With football on hold during the health crisis, Saúl, 25, has launched Saldremos Juntos (“We'll get through this together”), a campaign to boost Spain's freelancers and small businesses whose livelihoods have been bludgeoned by the pause in activity.
Barcelona coach Quique Setien is pessimistic that the Spanish top flight season will be able to be completed and has called LaLiga's conditions for the campaign recommencing "a non-starter" due to the continued threat of the novel coronavirus.
LaLiga has been on hold since March 10 due to the pandemic although president Javier Tebas has said matches could start up again on either May 29, June 7 or June 28, most likely without spectators. Tebas has estimated Spanish clubs would lose around $1.09 billion if the season is not completed.
Welcome to our wall-to-wall coverage of Day 2 of the FIFA Stay and Play Cup — it's the first four matches of the Round of 16!
If you missed yesterday’s play-in round, catch up on all the action here. Wednesday was dominated by Scandinavian clubs while Marseille, Valencia, PSV and Helsinki all ate it.
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has criticized his club for their recent treatment of him and for trying to force his departure last year. The Croatian has been at Barca since 2014 but has fallen out of contention this campaign due to the arrival of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong and has only started 10 of Barca's 27 LaLiga matches.
Without knowing how this’ll all play out, it’s tough to speculate or predict much with regards to the 2020 summer transfer window. UEFA insists that the 2019-20 season must be completed, but we have no clear idea as to when that’ll happen with European football still suspended.
The mother of Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has died after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the English Premier League champions said on Monday.
"The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep's mother Dolors Sala Carrió in Manresa, Barcelona after contracting coronavirus. She was 82-years-old," City said in a post on their official Twitter account. "Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends."
The 2019-20 edition of LaLiga was proving to be one of the best yet. After Matchday 27, two points separated league-leader Barcelona and Real Madrid. Meanwhile, the race for Champions League spots was hotly contested as five points were the difference between third-place Sevilla and seventh-place Valencia. Fans of the league are begging for the return of competition and ask: When will La Liga resume?