Spanish Clubs

Barcelona's interim president Carlos Tusquets feels the club should have cashed-in on Lionel Messi during the summer transfer window.

Messi was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and sent a recorded delivery (Burofax) letter stating his intention to leave. He later said the decision was due to being disillusioned with the direction the now former board had taken the club. Ex-Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned in October rather than face a vote of no confidence, with Tusquets taking temporary charge until January's elections.

MADRID — Lionel Messi and Barcelona have been fined a combined 780 euros ($943) after the player was shown a yellow card for lifting his shirt to pay tribute to the late Diego Maradona following his goal in Sunday's 4-0 win over Osasuna.

Messi, who was fined 600 euros while his club was fined 180, paid homage to his late compatriot by taking off his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys shirt belonging to Maradona, a gesture that was praised around the world.

As things stand, Real Madrid is out of the Champions League. Shakhtar Donetsk, for the second time, has defeated Real, this time by a scoreline of 2-0 at the Olimpiyskiy. 

Although now level on seven points in Group B, Shakhtar holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Borussia Mönchengladbach could win the group later Tuesday by defeating Inter at Borussia-Park, an outcome that Real would probably accept at this point since Los Blancos could then host a disinterested Gladbach side on the final matchday. 

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane defended forward Eden Hazard's mental fortitude after the forward picked up another injury, ruling him out of Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Belgium national team doctor Kris van Crombrugge had suggested Hazard's injury issues since joining Real were down to mental stress, however Zidane refuted those claims.

Barcelona responded to last weekend’s defeat to Atlético Madrid by comfortably beating Osasuna 4-0 at the Camp Nou on Sunday. Martin Braithwaite opened the scoring, Antoine Griezmann hit an incredible volley before setting up Philippe Coutinho for Barça’s third and Lionel Messi got the fourth with a sweet sweep of his left foot. 

Before the match, the life of Diego Maradona — who spent two seasons with Barcelona between 1982 and 1984 — was honored with his No. 10 shirt placed in the middle of the pitch. 

KYIV — An inexperienced Barcelona side missing Lionel Messi and many other first-team regulars eventually cruised to a 4-0 win away to Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday to reach the Champions League knockout stages for the 17th consecutive season.

After a sluggish first half, the Catalans took the lead early in the second half as U.S international Sergino Dest completed a flowing move with a near-post finish, scoring his first goal for the club since joining from Ajax Amsterdam.

Sergiño Dest’s first Barcelona goal will immediately make him a favorite of culés everywhere as the 20-year-old American took matters into his own hands to end 52 minutes of futility against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League.

With Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong left in Barcelona to rest, manager Ronald Koeman elected to field a young starting 11 against Dynamo with Dest joined by Óscar Mingueza (21), Francisco Trincão (20) and Pedri (17). Antoine Griezmann, Jordi Alba and Ousmane Dembélé were left on the bench.

Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has dismissed talk of a rift with team mate Lionel Messi and said he had nothing to do with recent comments about the Argentine forward from his former agent and his uncle.

Earlier this month, Griezmann's former agent Eric Olhats said Messi's "reign of terror" had made life difficult for Griezmann, while the French forward's uncle said it was not easy to play in the same club as the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.