Under Marquez’s leadership, the Barca B team made it to the playoffs last season, losing 5-4 on aggregate to Real Madrid Castilla. When asked by an ESPN reporter if Marquez was ready to take the next step in his career, Pique simply replied with a “yes.”

“Rafa is more than ready for a range of things [such as coaching Barcelona] because of the attitude he has, his knowledge of the game and his experience,” Pique observed. “He’s in a learning process as a coach right now and I am sure that in the future we will see him on a bench in La Liga. We will see if that is with Barça or another team, but he’s preparing excellently.”

The post Gerard Pique Claims That Marquez is Ready for the Barca Manager Role 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.

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.

Despite being surrounded by controversy, Laporta believes that the Super League will help to remedy some of Barcelona’s financial issues and make the club more competitive.

“Per season, we could get around €300m annually in this competition. Moreover, the key to the Super League is that it will be governed by the clubs. UEFA, obviously, would be there at the governing table, but the clubs would be a majority,” Laporte stated, reflecting on what he viewed as the advantages of the tournament.

While plans for the breakaway tournament were halted in April 2021 due to public opposition and political backlash, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have launched a challenge against UEFA for having what they call a monopoly on the establishment of international competitions. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is expected to deliver a ruling within the coming months.

The post Barcelona Set to Receive €1 Billion Super League Bonus appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The last few weeks, months, people have been talking about me,” Pique said in a video that he uploaded to social media. “Until now, I have not said anything, but now I want to be the one who is talking about me.” The Spanish international went on to express his love for FC Barcelona, explaining how he has been a fan of the Blaugranes throughout his life.

“I have always said that after Barcelona there will be no other team, and that is how it will be. This Saturday’s game will be my last at Camp Nou,” Pique confirmed.

Pique joined the Barcelona youth academy in 1997 before which his grandfather served on the club’s board. He left for Manchester United in 2004, only to return to his boyhood club in 2008, where he would spend the rest of his career.

Pique has earned every major honor in soccer, including four Champions League titles (three of which were with Barcelona) as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 European Championship with Spain.

The post FC Barcelona Star Gerard Pique Announces Retirement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“We were not at Bayern’s level today,” Barca manager Xavi admitted following his team’s loss on home soil. “I have said that we have to be united, tackle the situation head on. We have been knocked out of the Champions League but the season does not end in October. There are other competitions,” Xavi continued as focus now turns to La Liga and the Europa League.

Potentially joining Barca in the Europa League are La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, who were kept in third place in Group B following a frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen. Still, with Leverkusen trailing by just one point, Atletico will have to remain focused in their final group game in order to avoid losing their Europa League slot to the German side.

With Sevilla also eliminated from the competition, Real Madrid is now the only Spanish team to qualify for the knockout stages; the first time that this has happened this century.

The post Barcelona and Atletico Eliminated From Champions League appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 34-year-old Busquets, who will be out of contract at the end of the season, has received criticism due to his performances during Barca’s recent games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Although Frenkie de Jong has expressed his intent to remain at Barcelona, the club is still on the lookout for suitable replacements should the Dutch international ultimately decide on a move to the Premier League.

At the top of the Blaugranes’ list for new signings this January are Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves. Although Zubimendi recently signed a new contract with Real Sociedad, his agreement does include a release clause of around €60 million.

While Neves has a contract with Wolves until 2024, the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is in regular contact with the Catalan club and has previously offered them the chance to sign the Portuguese playmaker. Other potential targets for Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window include Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, Chelsea’s Jorginho, and Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez.

The post Barcelona on Lookout for Busquets Replacement in January Transfer Window appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Prior to pulling off what is their fourth financial deal this summer, the club sold another 24.5% of Barca Studios to Socios.com while also selling 25% of their television rights for 25 years to Sixth Street in two deals worth a combined €500 million.

Currently, the club has seven players who are yet to be registered for the coming La Liga season, including new signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen. Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele, who signed new contracts with the club, are yet to have their agreements ratified by La Liga.

In order to register these signings, Barcelona has to comply with La Liga’s spending limit. With a €144 million deficit at the end of last season, the Catalan club needs to raise funds in order to eliminate this loss. In addition to the sale of assets, the club has also looked to reduce its wage bills, with both Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets in discussion over salary deductions in an effort to improve the club’s financial standing.

The post Barcelona Sells Over €100 Million in Effort to Register New Signings appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barca confirmed the news via a short statement on their official website.

“Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva,” said the statement. “FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”

Koeman’s exit doesn’t come as a major surprise considering he was on the hot seat for a while now. Barca was reportedly considering making this move for several weeks now, but the financial implications and lack of a backup plan kept Koeman on the job. Still, losses in El Clasico against bitter rivals Real Madrid over the weekend and now against Rayo made it clear to the club’s brass that they have to make a change if they want to salvage their season.

Ronald Koeman, who won four consecutive La Liga titles with Barcelona as a player, was hired by the Catalan club in August 2020. He was viewed as someone who shares the club’s core values and can help Barca return to glory after a disappointing period under Quique Setien. 

While Koeman started his stint as Barca’s manager with a convincing 4-0 win over Villareal, the rest of his time at the helm was all but convincing. The club struggled to be consistent and failed to consistently perform in La Liga and UEFA Champions League. That’s particularly the case this season, in which Barcelona finds itself on the ninth spot in national competition with just four wins in 10 games. They are third in UCL with one win and two losses from three matches.

The post Barca Parts Ways With Manager Ronald Koeman appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Koeman has been faced with mounting pressure over the past few weeks, particularly over his team’s disappointing start in the group stage of the Champions League. So far, the Blaugranes have been on the receiving end of back-to-back 3-0 defeats at the hands of Bayern Munich and S.L. Benfica.

During an impassioned press conference on Friday, Koeman expressed disappointment over the supposed leaking of information about his future from within the club. He accused Barcelona staff of lacking respect in this regard.

Laporta delivered the following statement on Saturday: “Ronald Koeman will continue as Barca coach, we feel he deserves a certain amount of confidence for many reasons. He’s a Barca fan, a reference for the supporters. He will continue and deserves some confidence.”

According to several sources, a major motivation against Koeman’s dismissal is the lack of feasible alternatives to take his place. Koeman arrived at Barcelona on August 19, 2020, when he led the club to that season’s Copa del Rey title as well as a third-placed La Liga finish.

The post Barcelona President Makes Shocking Announcement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Under Marquez’s leadership, the Barca B team made it to the playoffs last season, losing 5-4 on aggregate to Real Madrid Castilla. When asked by an ESPN reporter if Marquez was ready to take the next step in his career, Pique simply replied with a “yes.”

“Rafa is more than ready for a range of things [such as coaching Barcelona] because of the attitude he has, his knowledge of the game and his experience,” Pique observed. “He’s in a learning process as a coach right now and I am sure that in the future we will see him on a bench in La Liga. We will see if that is with Barça or another team, but he’s preparing excellently.”

The post Gerard Pique Claims That Marquez is Ready for the Barca Manager Role 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.

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.

Despite being surrounded by controversy, Laporta believes that the Super League will help to remedy some of Barcelona’s financial issues and make the club more competitive.

“Per season, we could get around €300m annually in this competition. Moreover, the key to the Super League is that it will be governed by the clubs. UEFA, obviously, would be there at the governing table, but the clubs would be a majority,” Laporte stated, reflecting on what he viewed as the advantages of the tournament.

While plans for the breakaway tournament were halted in April 2021 due to public opposition and political backlash, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have launched a challenge against UEFA for having what they call a monopoly on the establishment of international competitions. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is expected to deliver a ruling within the coming months.

The post Barcelona Set to Receive €1 Billion Super League Bonus appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The last few weeks, months, people have been talking about me,” Pique said in a video that he uploaded to social media. “Until now, I have not said anything, but now I want to be the one who is talking about me.” The Spanish international went on to express his love for FC Barcelona, explaining how he has been a fan of the Blaugranes throughout his life.

“I have always said that after Barcelona there will be no other team, and that is how it will be. This Saturday’s game will be my last at Camp Nou,” Pique confirmed.

Pique joined the Barcelona youth academy in 1997 before which his grandfather served on the club’s board. He left for Manchester United in 2004, only to return to his boyhood club in 2008, where he would spend the rest of his career.

Pique has earned every major honor in soccer, including four Champions League titles (three of which were with Barcelona) as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 European Championship with Spain.

The post FC Barcelona Star Gerard Pique Announces Retirement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“We were not at Bayern’s level today,” Barca manager Xavi admitted following his team’s loss on home soil. “I have said that we have to be united, tackle the situation head on. We have been knocked out of the Champions League but the season does not end in October. There are other competitions,” Xavi continued as focus now turns to La Liga and the Europa League.

Potentially joining Barca in the Europa League are La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, who were kept in third place in Group B following a frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen. Still, with Leverkusen trailing by just one point, Atletico will have to remain focused in their final group game in order to avoid losing their Europa League slot to the German side.

With Sevilla also eliminated from the competition, Real Madrid is now the only Spanish team to qualify for the knockout stages; the first time that this has happened this century.

The post Barcelona and Atletico Eliminated From Champions League appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 34-year-old Busquets, who will be out of contract at the end of the season, has received criticism due to his performances during Barca’s recent games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Although Frenkie de Jong has expressed his intent to remain at Barcelona, the club is still on the lookout for suitable replacements should the Dutch international ultimately decide on a move to the Premier League.

At the top of the Blaugranes’ list for new signings this January are Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves. Although Zubimendi recently signed a new contract with Real Sociedad, his agreement does include a release clause of around €60 million.

While Neves has a contract with Wolves until 2024, the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is in regular contact with the Catalan club and has previously offered them the chance to sign the Portuguese playmaker. Other potential targets for Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window include Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, Chelsea’s Jorginho, and Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez.

The post Barcelona on Lookout for Busquets Replacement in January Transfer Window appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Prior to pulling off what is their fourth financial deal this summer, the club sold another 24.5% of Barca Studios to Socios.com while also selling 25% of their television rights for 25 years to Sixth Street in two deals worth a combined €500 million.

Currently, the club has seven players who are yet to be registered for the coming La Liga season, including new signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen. Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele, who signed new contracts with the club, are yet to have their agreements ratified by La Liga.

In order to register these signings, Barcelona has to comply with La Liga’s spending limit. With a €144 million deficit at the end of last season, the Catalan club needs to raise funds in order to eliminate this loss. In addition to the sale of assets, the club has also looked to reduce its wage bills, with both Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets in discussion over salary deductions in an effort to improve the club’s financial standing.

The post Barcelona Sells Over €100 Million in Effort to Register New Signings appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barca confirmed the news via a short statement on their official website.

“Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva,” said the statement. “FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”

Koeman’s exit doesn’t come as a major surprise considering he was on the hot seat for a while now. Barca was reportedly considering making this move for several weeks now, but the financial implications and lack of a backup plan kept Koeman on the job. Still, losses in El Clasico against bitter rivals Real Madrid over the weekend and now against Rayo made it clear to the club’s brass that they have to make a change if they want to salvage their season.

Ronald Koeman, who won four consecutive La Liga titles with Barcelona as a player, was hired by the Catalan club in August 2020. He was viewed as someone who shares the club’s core values and can help Barca return to glory after a disappointing period under Quique Setien. 

While Koeman started his stint as Barca’s manager with a convincing 4-0 win over Villareal, the rest of his time at the helm was all but convincing. The club struggled to be consistent and failed to consistently perform in La Liga and UEFA Champions League. That’s particularly the case this season, in which Barcelona finds itself on the ninth spot in national competition with just four wins in 10 games. They are third in UCL with one win and two losses from three matches.

The post Barca Parts Ways With Manager Ronald Koeman appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Koeman has been faced with mounting pressure over the past few weeks, particularly over his team’s disappointing start in the group stage of the Champions League. So far, the Blaugranes have been on the receiving end of back-to-back 3-0 defeats at the hands of Bayern Munich and S.L. Benfica.

During an impassioned press conference on Friday, Koeman expressed disappointment over the supposed leaking of information about his future from within the club. He accused Barcelona staff of lacking respect in this regard.

Laporta delivered the following statement on Saturday: “Ronald Koeman will continue as Barca coach, we feel he deserves a certain amount of confidence for many reasons. He’s a Barca fan, a reference for the supporters. He will continue and deserves some confidence.”

According to several sources, a major motivation against Koeman’s dismissal is the lack of feasible alternatives to take his place. Koeman arrived at Barcelona on August 19, 2020, when he led the club to that season’s Copa del Rey title as well as a third-placed La Liga finish.

The post Barcelona President Makes Shocking Announcement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.