Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he is unsure what the future holds for Lionel Messi but hopes as a Barcelona fan that the Argentine forward will remain at the LaLiga club until the end of his career.
Guardiola, who has guided City to two Premier League titles, three League Cups and the FA Cup following his arrival in 2016, signed a new two-year deal on Thursday that will keep him in charge until the end of the 2022-23 season.
MADRID — The last time Atletico Madrid hosted Barcelona, Marcos Llorente spent the whole game sitting on the bench.
But in Saturday's match between the two La Liga rivals he will be one of his side's main goal threats after making an remarkable transformation from a little-used holding midfielder to a deadly forward, capable of turning big matches on his own.
Llorente truly announced himself as an unlikely hitman with two stunning extra-time goals in Atletico's 4-2 win over then Champions League holders Liverpool at Anfield in March.
Real Madrid are set to be without captain Sergio Ramos for their Champions League trip to Inter Milan after they confirmed on Thursday that he suffered a hamstring injury on international duty with Spain.
Ramos was substituted in the first half of the team's 6-0 thrashing of Germany on Tuesday.
"After undergoing tests under the supervision of Real Madrid's medical team, Sergio Ramos has picked up a hamstring problem," Real said in a statement.
A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the LaLiga club.
BARCELONA — With Barcelona's glory days rapidly becoming a fading memory, presidential hopeful Victor Font believes luring former midfield great Xavi Hernandez back to the club would spark another golden age for the Catalans.
Xavi, one of the architects of Barca's decade-long rule of world football, is the coach of Qatari side Al Sadd but has agreed to play a leading role back with Barca if Font wins the club's election on Jan. 24.
While Font expects to see Xavi, 40, in the Barca dugout at some point, he is equally enthusiastic about the long term role he can play.
Ecuadorean footballer Pervis Estupiñan lost his passport after his country's World Cup qualifying win over Colombia and took to social media on Wednesday to appeal for help in finding it.
"I want to make a call to help me find three black bags and a passport I lost yesterday in Carapungo (Quito)," the Villarreal player said on Twitter.
"I'd be so thankful if anyone who finds them can send me an email" he added alongside his personal email address.
Spain forward Ferran Torres scored a first career hat-trick as his side crushed helpless Germany 6-0 at home on Tuesday to storm into the final four of the Nations League.
Goals from Alvaro Morata, Ferran and Rodri gave Luis Enrique's side a convincing 3-0 lead at halftime, while Ferran struck again early in the second half and completed his treble with a classy finish. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal tapped in the sixth goal in the 89th minute to adorn an incredible Spain display and deepen four-time world champion Germany's misery.
LaLiga has slashed spending limits for its clubs by $724.25 million for the 2020-2021 season due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain's top soccer league said on Tuesday.
Barcelona's salary cap has been cut to $454 million from last season's $796 million, while defending champions Real Madrid can spend $555 million, down $205 million from last season's spending limit.
Lionel Messi must stay at Barcelona so he can lead the team for the remainder of his career and play a strategic role when he retires, the club's presidential candidate Victor Font told Reuters.
The six-times World Player of the Year and Barca’s all-time top scorer came close to leaving the Catalans in August after his relationship with then president Josep Maria Bartomeu turned sour. But the Argentine can leave the club, where he has spent his entire career, for free at the end of this season unless he pens a new contract before the end of June.
Atletico Madrid and Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has tested positive for COVID-19, the Uruguay national team said in a statement on Monday.
Uruguay's statement said top scorer Suarez and stand-in goalkeeper Rodrigo Munoz plus a staff member had tested positive. Other members of the squad had all tested negative ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier at home to Brazil.