Spanish Clubs

Time Magazine has released its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and there is a footballer on it. It's not Messi, or Ronaldo. It's Neymar. 

I agree with this. Neymar has had a great year: he won gold at the Rio Summer Olympics, got a bit part in xXx: the Return of Xander Cage, did some cool soccer stuff and kept things in perspective, if this tweet is to be believed.

In the words of Bayern Munich's Technical Director Michael Reschke, "You have to make him a monument!" — Reschke was referring to the person who originally signed Real Madrid sensation Marco Asensio. Jose Angel Sanchez, a Real Madrid board member, signed a 19-year-old Asensio back in July of 2015 for 3.5 million euros from Mallorca. 

It’s been more than a month since Barcelona manager Luis Enrique announced that he would not be renewing his contract (which expires after this season). At this moment, Barcelona sit three points behind Real Madrid in La Liga (Real also have a game in hand), they’ve been dumped from the Champions League by Juventus but they could give Enrique the perfect sendoff by winning the Copa del Rey title. 

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.

It’s come to light that the best opportunity Barcelona had to snatch a goal to begin their famous comeback against Juventus wasn’t squandered by Lionel Messi but by Luis Suarez at kick off.

Juventus defender Dani Alves was off the pitch, shaking hands with his old coaching staff (one coach playfully holding his hand long enough to incur a slap from Alves) while Luis Enrique beckoned the Brazilian to take a seat next to him.

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.   

For all the talk regarding what it would take for Barcelona to, once again, turn around a seemingly insurmountable lead, the difference between this return leg and the one against PSG was made immediately evident upon kickoff. Juventus played higher up the pitch, they made Barcelona entirely uncomfortable, they were sophisticatedly physical and they were capable of stringing passes together.