Sunday’s El Clasico falls on a very lovely Catalan holiday known as Sant Jordi’s day (Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia). This day, celebrated on April 23, is similar to Valentine’s Day except exceptionally better. Instead of overcomplicating matters and piling pressure on sweethearts to make it the best Valentine’s ever, Sant Jordi’s day simply calls for the mutual exchange of roses and books.
Perhaps a small section of supporters within Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu are on to something. For the opening 75 minutes of Real’s second leg match against Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo, by his own standards and those of Real Madrid and all that jazz, cut a forlorn figure like only he can.
The war of words between Gerard Pique and Real Madrid reached ESPN FC comment section levels of villainy with Sergio Ramos taking the time to respond to Pique’s latest trolling effort.
Pique has previously insinuated that Real always get an easy draw in the Champions League, that Real’s expulsion from the Copa del Rey last season was hilarious and that Alvaro Arbeloa is a cone — this is pretty much a regular thing from him.
Images of Barcelona’s leaked 2017-18 home kit first began appearing in December of 2016. The jerseys, which will feature their new sponsor Rakuten for the first time, originally looked like all hell — like a printer trying to align its ink cartridges and failing.
Replica da possível camisa do Barça para temporada 2017/18. pic.twitter.com/kJ3XEDQt9E
Robinho made a name for himself in Brazil when he rose through the youth ranks at Santos to sign his first professional contract with the club as an 18-year-old. That very same year (2002), before the launch of YouTube or anything else that allowed videos to be shared virally on a global level, there was hearsay of the next Pele having drawn a penalty in the Brazilian championship final with a ‘pedalada’ so mesmerizing that it beggared description.
Barcelona's slim chances of winning La Liga took another hit Tuesday when it was announced Neymar's rumored ban for sarcastically clapping at an official after he'd been sent off against Malaga had been made official.
The Brazilian attacker will miss three matches: April 15 against Real Sociedad, April 23 against Real Madrid and April 26 against Osasuna. Barcelona were already in dire need of a win against Real Madrid in El Clasico to keep their La Liga hopes alive, and missing 1/3 of their attacking buzzsaw will make their task that much more difficult.
Barcelona’s form since their historic comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain has been representative of those two ridiculous legs and Barca’s La Liga campaign on the whole.
Real Madrid's hold on the division once looked a certainty as their unbeaten streak reached new heights, but February and early March saw Barcelona win six straight matches in the league while Real dropped four points to Valencia and Las Palmas.
This video is dope. Barcelona, the Camp Nou, pregame warmups before a game against Sevilla featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez — this has all the right elements.
And then…absolutely nothing happens. But it’s still somehow really good. The slow motion, the song lyrics that match nicely with what’s going on (“reverse that!”) and three of the best players on the planet kicking a football.
I don't even know the song, but it's stuck in my head now.
“When you’re lookin’ at me
what you see is the best
Oh, Bebe! My sweet, sweet Bebe! Where have you been? Former Manchester United legend Bebe is once again up on our YouTubes, just like when Alex Ferguson signed him for £7 million despite never having seen him actually play.
Bebe, the quintessential example for the everyman that argues he could score a goal for Manchester United or Barcelona just by virtue of the guys he’s playing with, is back, and his third La Liga goal this term is about to revolutionize FIFA 18.
Just watch and appreciate.