You know that one friend that always has to ruin a special moment with some snarky comment? That one ass-hat who still has to make it about themselves no matter the situation? On Sunday morning, Brazilian club Santos woke up and decided to be that person.
In a 90-minute broadcast special that aired on both Telemundo and Universo on Sunday, Lionel Messi spoke with Spanish journalist Jordi Évole over what transpired this past offseason, how things are currently looking at Barcelona and what the future holds with his contract expiring next summer.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will miss Tuesday's match at home to Eibar due to an ankle injury, the LaLiga club said on Sunday.
Barcelona found accommodating opponents on Tuesday in relegation-threatened Valladolid, allowing Ronald Koeman to experiment with his formation and personnel and Lionel Messi to overtake Pelé for the most goals ever for a single club.
Leading 2-0 in the 65th-minute, Pedri produced a gorgeous ball for Messi to score his 644th goal Barça. Pelé scored 643 for Brazil’s Santos.
Emphasis on the assist from the 18-year-old Spaniard.
Lionel Messi has admitted the ill feeling between him and Barcelona over his attempt to leave the club in the close season has affected his form this season, in which he has posted his lowest goal and assist tallies in 13 years.
Messi caused consternation at Barça when he sent the club a burofax (official notice) that he wanted to leave in August, but then president Josep Maria Bartomeu blocked the move and the Argentine committed to stay this season to avoid a legal battle. He has less than seven months left on his contract and is able to negotiate with other clubs from January.
Lionel Messi made history on Saturday, equaling a record that never would have been possible if he had left Barcelona as he wanted over the summer. With a rare headed goal in first-half stoppage time, Messi tied Pelé’s record for most goals with one club with the Argentine’s 643rd for Barça.
Moments before the record-tying goal, Messi had a penalty kick saved by Jaume Doménech, but Jordi Alba sent the ball back in off the rebound. Eventually the cross looped to the back post where Messi headed in.
MESSI!
No one can argue that 2020 has been an awful year that we all want to put behind us. But before we look ahead 2021, we have to take a minute to appreciate how sports have provided something resembling normality in recent months.
Considering the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been incredibly lucky to have soccer leagues playing regularly since June.
Barcelona knocked Real Sociedad off the top of LaLiga by defeating them 2-1 Wednesday at the Camp Nou. If you’re a Blaugrana supporter, you’ll only want to see the opening 45 minutes, when Willian José’s opener against the run of play was sumptuously canceled out by Jordi Alba before Frenkie de Jong gave Barça a deserved lead at halftime.
However, as beIN SPORTS commentator Ray Hudson said, it was “a magisterial first half followed by an absolute circus.”
2020 has been a tough year financially both for clubs and for players.
The economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen transfer values deflate, with the value of many players decreasing independent of their form on the pitch by 10-20 percent.
For clubs this means their assets are worth less to go with a sharp decrease in revenue caused by matches without fans. For players, this means their skills are worth less as well as a decrease in salaries.
The crazy pandemic times we live in now didn't seem to affect Europe's transfer market this summer, although it extended the window until Oct. 5. Teams spent more than $3 billion strengthening their squads for the 2020-21 season, while others didn't spend a dollar. But, as always, team directors, agents,and players enjoyed a game of chess.
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