Xavi had a meeting with Barca’s president, Joan Laporta, on Wednesday, and they agreed to continue the current project. The news was officially announced during a press conference on Thursday.

“Today, I have the satisfaction of informing you that Xavi will continue as the coach of Barça,” said Laporta.

“I’m a huge Barça fan. I have a high level of trust with the president and the board of directors. The complicity and support of the players has also been key,” added Xavi.

Xavi initially announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season in January after a disappointing 5-3 loss to Villarreal in La Liga. At the time, Xavi said he felt that the club needed a new voice while also adding that the pressure that comes with coaching Barca has started to wear him off.

Since then, Barcelona embarked on an impressive run that saw them go undefeated in 13 games in all competitions. The streak ended with a 4-1 loss in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain. Barca followed that up with a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Xavi was hired as Barca’s head coach in the summer of 2021. He guided the club to the La Liga title and Supercopa trophy in 2022–23, after which he signed an extension that runs through the 2024-25 season with an option for one additional year.

The post Xavi Changes His Mind About Leaving Barcelona, Will Stay Until End of His Contract appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Gundogan will reportedly receive a two-year deal until June 2025. The agreement also has the option to extend his stay with Barca for another year.

Manchester City was interested in keeping Gundogan at Etihad Stadium but was not willing to offer him more than a one-year deal. Their offer was also financially weaker than the one Barca put on the table. There were several other teams interested in the 32-year-old player, including Premier League side Arsenal and clubs from Saudi Arabia.

Gundogan will leave Manchester City after captaining the club through a historic 2022-23 season. City became the first English club since Manchester United and 1998–99 to complete a treble, winning Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup.

Ilkay Gundogan was the first signing Pep Guardiola made when he took over the club in 2016. Since then, Gundogan has made 304 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring 44 goals and adding 17 assists. He helped the club win 14 trophies, including five Premier League titles.

The post Ilkay Gundogan Signs With Barcelona on a 2-Year Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

We have missed Ousmane,” Xavi stated. “He is the best player we have in one-on-one situations. There are few better than him. His recovery has taken longer [than expected] but he is back and he is happy. We will see if he can start on Saturday or come on. It’s great news to have him available.”

Originally expected to be out for up to six weeks after injuring his thigh against Girona in January, Dembele ended up spending close to three months on the sidelines.

Barca has struggled to find form without the forward, being eliminated from both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey during Dembele’s absence. The club remains on track to win this season’s La Liga title, holding a commanding 11-point lead over their second-placed rivals Real Madrid with only seven games left to play of the campaign.

The post Barca Boss Xavi Praises Dembele Upon Return From Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Karim Benzema proved to be Real Madrid’s standout player on the night, grabbing his second hat trick in a row following Los Blancos’ 6-0 victory over Valladolid on the weekend.

Vinicius Junior handed Madrid the lead in first-half stoppage time, while Benzema doubled their lead just five minutes after the break. Benzema grabbed his second goal from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, completing his hat trick in the 80th minute.

“The work [Benzema] did during the international break helped a lot,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti stated during the post-match interview. “He’s found his optimal condition again, and with the quality he has, the physical condition that supports that quality makes the difference.”

The post Barcelona Crashes Out of Cope Del Rey Courtesy of Benzema Hat Trick appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“It’s not definitive, I don’t feel like we are champions yet, but it’s a huge step forward,” Xavi stated during his post-match news conference. “I am happy because [the lead is] 12 points with 12 games left, but it’s not over. Only we can lose La Liga, so we cannot switch off. We cannot relax. There are still a lot of games to go.”

The Catalan giants have now won each of their past three games against Real Madrid; a feat that they had not achieved since the 2011-12 season when Pep Guardiola was in charge.

Defeating Real Madrid is just one sign of the major turnaround that Xavi has instilled at Barcelona since becoming manager 18 months ago. Ninth in the league when he joined the club, Xavi lifted Barca to second place by the conclusion of his debut managerial season.

Now, Barca is in a prime position to win the league and is set to face Real Madrid yet again on April 5 when the pair face off in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal clash. Barca goes into the game with a 1-0 aggregate lead.

The post Barcelona Extends La Liga Lead With El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In what proved to be a hard-fought clash between the El Clasico rivals, an own goal by Eder Militao in the first half during the first half of play was the only thing to separate the two sides on the night. After Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Franck Kessie, the ball rebounded off Militao and into the net.

Courtois was quick to express his disappointment in Real Madrid’s narrow home loss, claiming that his team “dominated” their rivals and were unlucky to come away with the win.

“We dominated the game today,” Courtois told TVE after the game.”

[Barcelona] were quite defensive. We were really unlucky to concede the goal. They won the ball, I saved [the shot] and it rebounded off Militao and went in. They were leading when they didn’t deserve to. It was hard for us to create chances. It’s difficult, we played a good game, we were in control, but we didn’t get the chances. They defended well.”

The post Barcelona Shocks Real Madrid With El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Dembele is set to become a free agent in the summer, and it was previously believed that his exit from Camp Nou is a done deal. However, the 24-year-old player rediscovered his form recently, making the Spanish club more open to keeping him around.

ESPN reports that Barca’s sporting director Mateu Alemany is currently in Marrakech, Morocco, where he is set to meet Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko for another round of talks. Alemany confirmed the club’s intention to keep the player a few days prior.

“For us, he can stay as long as [any agreement] remains within the club’s sustainable salary limit and is proportionate to his teammates,” Alemany told reporters over the weekend.

Barca tried to move Ousmane Dembele during the January transfer window but failed to convince the Frenchman to consider his options. This prompted head coach Xavi to remove Dembele from the first team, seemingly bringing his stint with the Catalan giants to an end.

However, with Dembele still at the club after the transfer window closed and Barca needing all help it could get, Xavi gave the player another chance in early February. This turned out to be a great decision as Dembele was a difference-maker in the six-game winning stretch Barcelona is currently riding. He scored one goal in those six games but provided eight assists.

Besides Dembele, Barcelona is working to secure long-term extensions with several other players. The list includes Spanish phenom Gavi and Uruguay center back Ronald Araujo.

The post Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona Resume Extension Negotiations appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

His message explains, “Thank you very much, Barcelona for giving me the opportunity to live the dream of wearing this shirt, of playing in Camp Nou, of learning and enjoying the best in the world. Thank you for making me grow as a player and as a person. These were three wonderful years that I will never forget. Thank you to my colleagues, staff, fans, and all the people who helped me since I arrived. I wish you the best of luck in the world. Eternally gratifying. Long live Barca!”

The 26-year-old player has been repeatedly linked with a move to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who will be looking to replace Matt Doherty following his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. Wolves’ manager Nuno Espirito Santo emphasized the need for Wolves to sign more players following his team’s 3-1 loss at home to Manchester City.

While he refused to divulge any specific details regarding a possible move for Semedo, he did explain, “It’s important that we balance and straighten the squad. We saw today we had a problem, we need solutions.”

Semedo is rumored to have a price tag of $39 million.

The post Semedo Bids Farewell to Barca; Transfer to Wolves Looks Likely appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to the club’s official announcement, Griezmann is dealing with a muscle injury.

“Tests this morning have shown that first-team player Antoine Griezmann has a muscle injury in the quadriceps of his right leg,” said Barca in an official statement on their website. “He is therefore not available for selection at the present time and the evolution of the injury will condition his availability.”

Griezmann suffered the injury during Saturday’s 1-0 win against Valladolid. He started the match but ended up being replaced halftime by Luis Suarez.

While the 29-year-old Frenchman will be out for the rest of La Liga games, he is expected return in August for the resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League season. Barca is set to host Napoli for the round-of-16 rematch after the first match in Italy ended with a 1-1 draw. In case that Catalan giant advances to Quarterfinals, they are set to face Bayern or Chelsea.

Antoine Griezmann has been going through a rough first season at Camp Nou after joining Barcelona from Atletico Madrid last summer. Griezmann played 35 La Liga games for Barca but managed to find the net only nine times. He did add two goals in UCL and three in Copa Del Rey games.

The post Barca’s Antoine Griezmann Out For the Remainder of La Liga Campaign appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Xavi had a meeting with Barca’s president, Joan Laporta, on Wednesday, and they agreed to continue the current project. The news was officially announced during a press conference on Thursday.

“Today, I have the satisfaction of informing you that Xavi will continue as the coach of Barça,” said Laporta.

“I’m a huge Barça fan. I have a high level of trust with the president and the board of directors. The complicity and support of the players has also been key,” added Xavi.

Xavi initially announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season in January after a disappointing 5-3 loss to Villarreal in La Liga. At the time, Xavi said he felt that the club needed a new voice while also adding that the pressure that comes with coaching Barca has started to wear him off.

Since then, Barcelona embarked on an impressive run that saw them go undefeated in 13 games in all competitions. The streak ended with a 4-1 loss in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain. Barca followed that up with a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Xavi was hired as Barca’s head coach in the summer of 2021. He guided the club to the La Liga title and Supercopa trophy in 2022–23, after which he signed an extension that runs through the 2024-25 season with an option for one additional year.

The post Xavi Changes His Mind About Leaving Barcelona, Will Stay Until End of His Contract appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Gundogan will reportedly receive a two-year deal until June 2025. The agreement also has the option to extend his stay with Barca for another year.

Manchester City was interested in keeping Gundogan at Etihad Stadium but was not willing to offer him more than a one-year deal. Their offer was also financially weaker than the one Barca put on the table. There were several other teams interested in the 32-year-old player, including Premier League side Arsenal and clubs from Saudi Arabia.

Gundogan will leave Manchester City after captaining the club through a historic 2022-23 season. City became the first English club since Manchester United and 1998–99 to complete a treble, winning Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup.

Ilkay Gundogan was the first signing Pep Guardiola made when he took over the club in 2016. Since then, Gundogan has made 304 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring 44 goals and adding 17 assists. He helped the club win 14 trophies, including five Premier League titles.

The post Ilkay Gundogan Signs With Barcelona on a 2-Year Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

We have missed Ousmane,” Xavi stated. “He is the best player we have in one-on-one situations. There are few better than him. His recovery has taken longer [than expected] but he is back and he is happy. We will see if he can start on Saturday or come on. It’s great news to have him available.”

Originally expected to be out for up to six weeks after injuring his thigh against Girona in January, Dembele ended up spending close to three months on the sidelines.

Barca has struggled to find form without the forward, being eliminated from both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey during Dembele’s absence. The club remains on track to win this season’s La Liga title, holding a commanding 11-point lead over their second-placed rivals Real Madrid with only seven games left to play of the campaign.

The post Barca Boss Xavi Praises Dembele Upon Return From Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Karim Benzema proved to be Real Madrid’s standout player on the night, grabbing his second hat trick in a row following Los Blancos’ 6-0 victory over Valladolid on the weekend.

Vinicius Junior handed Madrid the lead in first-half stoppage time, while Benzema doubled their lead just five minutes after the break. Benzema grabbed his second goal from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, completing his hat trick in the 80th minute.

“The work [Benzema] did during the international break helped a lot,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti stated during the post-match interview. “He’s found his optimal condition again, and with the quality he has, the physical condition that supports that quality makes the difference.”

The post Barcelona Crashes Out of Cope Del Rey Courtesy of Benzema Hat Trick appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“It’s not definitive, I don’t feel like we are champions yet, but it’s a huge step forward,” Xavi stated during his post-match news conference. “I am happy because [the lead is] 12 points with 12 games left, but it’s not over. Only we can lose La Liga, so we cannot switch off. We cannot relax. There are still a lot of games to go.”

The Catalan giants have now won each of their past three games against Real Madrid; a feat that they had not achieved since the 2011-12 season when Pep Guardiola was in charge.

Defeating Real Madrid is just one sign of the major turnaround that Xavi has instilled at Barcelona since becoming manager 18 months ago. Ninth in the league when he joined the club, Xavi lifted Barca to second place by the conclusion of his debut managerial season.

Now, Barca is in a prime position to win the league and is set to face Real Madrid yet again on April 5 when the pair face off in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal clash. Barca goes into the game with a 1-0 aggregate lead.

The post Barcelona Extends La Liga Lead With El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In what proved to be a hard-fought clash between the El Clasico rivals, an own goal by Eder Militao in the first half during the first half of play was the only thing to separate the two sides on the night. After Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Franck Kessie, the ball rebounded off Militao and into the net.

Courtois was quick to express his disappointment in Real Madrid’s narrow home loss, claiming that his team “dominated” their rivals and were unlucky to come away with the win.

“We dominated the game today,” Courtois told TVE after the game.”

[Barcelona] were quite defensive. We were really unlucky to concede the goal. They won the ball, I saved [the shot] and it rebounded off Militao and went in. They were leading when they didn’t deserve to. It was hard for us to create chances. It’s difficult, we played a good game, we were in control, but we didn’t get the chances. They defended well.”

The post Barcelona Shocks Real Madrid With El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Dembele is set to become a free agent in the summer, and it was previously believed that his exit from Camp Nou is a done deal. However, the 24-year-old player rediscovered his form recently, making the Spanish club more open to keeping him around.

ESPN reports that Barca’s sporting director Mateu Alemany is currently in Marrakech, Morocco, where he is set to meet Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko for another round of talks. Alemany confirmed the club’s intention to keep the player a few days prior.

“For us, he can stay as long as [any agreement] remains within the club’s sustainable salary limit and is proportionate to his teammates,” Alemany told reporters over the weekend.

Barca tried to move Ousmane Dembele during the January transfer window but failed to convince the Frenchman to consider his options. This prompted head coach Xavi to remove Dembele from the first team, seemingly bringing his stint with the Catalan giants to an end.

However, with Dembele still at the club after the transfer window closed and Barca needing all help it could get, Xavi gave the player another chance in early February. This turned out to be a great decision as Dembele was a difference-maker in the six-game winning stretch Barcelona is currently riding. He scored one goal in those six games but provided eight assists.

Besides Dembele, Barcelona is working to secure long-term extensions with several other players. The list includes Spanish phenom Gavi and Uruguay center back Ronald Araujo.

The post Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona Resume Extension Negotiations appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

His message explains, “Thank you very much, Barcelona for giving me the opportunity to live the dream of wearing this shirt, of playing in Camp Nou, of learning and enjoying the best in the world. Thank you for making me grow as a player and as a person. These were three wonderful years that I will never forget. Thank you to my colleagues, staff, fans, and all the people who helped me since I arrived. I wish you the best of luck in the world. Eternally gratifying. Long live Barca!”

The 26-year-old player has been repeatedly linked with a move to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who will be looking to replace Matt Doherty following his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. Wolves’ manager Nuno Espirito Santo emphasized the need for Wolves to sign more players following his team’s 3-1 loss at home to Manchester City.

While he refused to divulge any specific details regarding a possible move for Semedo, he did explain, “It’s important that we balance and straighten the squad. We saw today we had a problem, we need solutions.”

Semedo is rumored to have a price tag of $39 million.

The post Semedo Bids Farewell to Barca; Transfer to Wolves Looks Likely appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to the club’s official announcement, Griezmann is dealing with a muscle injury.

“Tests this morning have shown that first-team player Antoine Griezmann has a muscle injury in the quadriceps of his right leg,” said Barca in an official statement on their website. “He is therefore not available for selection at the present time and the evolution of the injury will condition his availability.”

Griezmann suffered the injury during Saturday’s 1-0 win against Valladolid. He started the match but ended up being replaced halftime by Luis Suarez.

While the 29-year-old Frenchman will be out for the rest of La Liga games, he is expected return in August for the resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League season. Barca is set to host Napoli for the round-of-16 rematch after the first match in Italy ended with a 1-1 draw. In case that Catalan giant advances to Quarterfinals, they are set to face Bayern or Chelsea.

Antoine Griezmann has been going through a rough first season at Camp Nou after joining Barcelona from Atletico Madrid last summer. Griezmann played 35 La Liga games for Barca but managed to find the net only nine times. He did add two goals in UCL and three in Copa Del Rey games.

The post Barca’s Antoine Griezmann Out For the Remainder of La Liga Campaign appeared first on yoursportspot.com.