“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 was his first start for the team, new arrival Memphis Depay scored two quick-fire goals in the 23rd and 26th minutes to put his side in the driving seat. Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Carrasco scored after the half-time break before the substitute Alvaro Morata added two goals to wrap up the victory.

“It’s hard to explain the emotions, you can’t put into words what you feel inside,” Simeone stated after the game. “It’s hard to explain the emotions, you can’t put into words what you feel inside.” 

Following the victory, Simeone also extends his record for most wins by an Atletico Madrid manager. His tally now stands at 359, thereby leading second-placed Luis Aragones who amassed 308 wins.

With this victory, Atletico takes their points total up to 45, putting them firmly in third place and keeping them in contention for a Champions League qualification spot.

The post Atletico Madrid Coach Simeone Makes History in 6-1 Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Xavi claimed that the referee “lost control” of the game, going on to call out the match official’s decision to award a 73rd-minute penalty to Espanyol which saw Joselu level after Marcos Alonso’s 7th-minute opener.

“The game got away from him today,” Xavi claimed during a post-match news conference. “He was giving out cards without any reason and lost control of the match. But it’s not his fault we drew, it’s our fault we dropped points.”

Upon being pressed about what he said to Lahoz following the full-time whistle, Xavi revealed that he told the referee that he lost control of the match. The Barca coach went on to state his belief that officials should come out and speak to the players and manager to explain the decisions they make on the pitch.

Lahoz handed out 15 yellow cards during the game as well as two red cards to Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba and Espanyol midfielder Vinicius Souza.

Barce next faces Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday.

The post Xavi Lashes Out at Ref After Barcelona Draw appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to reports, the transfer is worth approximately €72 million, however, Endrick will only be able to move to Real Madrid once he turns 18 in 2024. The deal will be triggered during the 2024 transfer window.

The official announcement of the deal will only occur once the teenage rising star has signed the formal contract with Real Madrid and other formalities have all been decided.

Endrick’s contract with Madrid includes a €60 million release clause. Sources claim that €12 million was added to the sum as a means for Los Blancos to ward off competition from other clubs.

Prior to the Madrid deal, it was reported that Endrick was being pursued by Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. It is believed that the strategy that the Galacticos used to sign the Brazilian is similar in concept to that which was used to acquire Vinicius Jr. in 2017.

Having only made his full senior debut on October 6, Endrick helped Palmeiras to lift the 2022 Brasileirao title, becoming the club’s youngest goalscorer in the process.

The post Real Madrid Signs Endrick From Palmeiras appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The promoters of the Super League are now preparing a model similar to the one put forward in 2019, which is still closed or mostly closed, which will destroy the national leagues and which has already been rejected by clubs and leagues in Europe,” La Liga’s statement on the matter read.

With Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona getting the ball rolling on the new Super League plans, Bernd Reichart, the new CEO of A22 Sports Management which is promoting the plan, has said that the project is alive and could launch in 2025.

Launched in 2021, the Super League was introduced as a tournament that would feature 12 elite European clubs. The project was short-lived, however, crashing after just 48 hours as its Premier League participants pulled out amid widespread public backlash and political opposition.

Aside from La Liga, the governing bodies of UEFA and FIFA remain opposed to the establishment of the Super League.

The post La Liga Expresses Disapproval of New Super League Plans appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Real took a methodic approach to the game, playing patiently and willingly relinquishing the possession to Barca. At the same time, they were clinical in front of the goal, using most of their scoring chances.

French striker Karim Benzema gave Real an early lead in the 12th minute, while Uruguayan winger Federico Valverde made it 2-0 toward the end of the first half.

While Real was scoring goals, Barca struggled to adjust to the flow of the game. It seems like nothing they tried worked, with the experienced Real midfield and compact defense not leaving them much to work with. Barca had 18 shots on goal, but most of them were desperate attempts to make something out of nothing.

Barcelona did manage to get on the scoreboard in the 83rd minute, but this wasn’t a start of a comeback. Instead, Real finished the job in extra time via Rodrygo’s goal from a penalty kick.  

With the win, Real Madrid has 25 points and has jumped over Barca to take the top of La Liga standings. Barcelona is second with 23 points, followed by Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, and Real Sociedad, who all have 19 points apiece.

The post Real Madrid Dominates Barcelona in 3-1 El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The agreement represents a conclusion to a lengthy standoff between the two La Liga giants over the terms of Griezmann’s loan with Atletico. The loan agreement had a clause that would make the deal permanent for a transfer fee of €40 million if the player was to play 45 minutes or more in 50 percent of the matches in which he’s available. However, the two clubs had opposing opinions on when the clause would kick in, with Atletico trying to use this as leverage to negotiate a lower fee.

According to multiple reports, the two clubs have avoided a potentially messy legal situation by agreeing to a fee of €25 million to make Griezmann’s transfer to Atletico permanent. The 31-year-old will sign a deal until the summer of 2026.

Antoine Griezmann hasn’t played much for Atletico Madrid this season due to the clause in his contract. In order to comply with their view of the clause, Atletico mostly kept Griezmann on the bench or brought him in as a second-half sub. The veteran played a total of 10 games in 2022-23 in all competitions, scoring three goals and adding one assist.

It is expected that Griezmann will return to the starting 11 after the deal with the Catalan club has been completed. Atletico could use his goals since they are only fifth in La Liga and already six points behind leaders Barca and Real Madrid. 

The post Barca and Atletico Madrid Come to Agreement Over Antoine Griezmann’s Transfer 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.

This is the latest signing in what has been a busy transfer window for the La Liga outfit, with the club signing Brazilian left-back Alex Telles from Manchester United on loan as well as fellow Brazilian defender Marcao from Galatasaray.

Isco arrived at Real Madrid from Malaga for a transfer fee of €30 million in 2013. During his almost decade-long tenure at the club, the Spanish international won five UEFA Champions Leagues, one Copa Del Rey, and three La Liga titles. During this time, he also made 38 appearances for the Spanish national team.

The 30-year-old player fell out of favor with manager Carlo Ancelotti in recent times, only appearing in 17 matches last season, 14 of which saw him come off the bench.

Upon his arrival at the Andalusian club, Isco will be reunited with former Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui. He will be tasked with helping Sevilla secure a top-four spot in the league yet again this season while also improving on their Champions League performance from last season when they were eliminated in the group stage.

The post Sevilla Signs Free Agent Isco appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barca also revealed that Pedri’s contract has a $1.57 billion release clause. This was a substantial increase compared to his past deal, where the release clause was around $463 million.

Pedri arrived at Barca in the summer of 2020 from Las Palmas and immediately became a key player for the La Liga side despite his young age (he turns 19 in November). In his first season at Camp Nou, the teenager played 56 games in all competitions while contributing with four goals and six assists.

His stellar performances for the Catalan club also earned Pedri a call-up to the Spain men’s national team. He made his senior debut in March 2021 and has been a mainstay for La Furia since then. This included playing in all six of the country’s matches at EURO 2020, where he was awarded the Young Player of the Tournament award and named into the Team of the Tournament.

After locking Pedri to a new deal, Barcelona is now expected to do the same with the rest of their young and talented core that includes Ansu Fati and Gavi.

The post Barcelona Wonderkid Pedri Inks Contract Until 2026 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 was his first start for the team, new arrival Memphis Depay scored two quick-fire goals in the 23rd and 26th minutes to put his side in the driving seat. Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Carrasco scored after the half-time break before the substitute Alvaro Morata added two goals to wrap up the victory.

“It’s hard to explain the emotions, you can’t put into words what you feel inside,” Simeone stated after the game. “It’s hard to explain the emotions, you can’t put into words what you feel inside.” 

Following the victory, Simeone also extends his record for most wins by an Atletico Madrid manager. His tally now stands at 359, thereby leading second-placed Luis Aragones who amassed 308 wins.

With this victory, Atletico takes their points total up to 45, putting them firmly in third place and keeping them in contention for a Champions League qualification spot.

The post Atletico Madrid Coach Simeone Makes History in 6-1 Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Xavi claimed that the referee “lost control” of the game, going on to call out the match official’s decision to award a 73rd-minute penalty to Espanyol which saw Joselu level after Marcos Alonso’s 7th-minute opener.

“The game got away from him today,” Xavi claimed during a post-match news conference. “He was giving out cards without any reason and lost control of the match. But it’s not his fault we drew, it’s our fault we dropped points.”

Upon being pressed about what he said to Lahoz following the full-time whistle, Xavi revealed that he told the referee that he lost control of the match. The Barca coach went on to state his belief that officials should come out and speak to the players and manager to explain the decisions they make on the pitch.

Lahoz handed out 15 yellow cards during the game as well as two red cards to Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba and Espanyol midfielder Vinicius Souza.

Barce next faces Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday.

The post Xavi Lashes Out at Ref After Barcelona Draw appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to reports, the transfer is worth approximately €72 million, however, Endrick will only be able to move to Real Madrid once he turns 18 in 2024. The deal will be triggered during the 2024 transfer window.

The official announcement of the deal will only occur once the teenage rising star has signed the formal contract with Real Madrid and other formalities have all been decided.

Endrick’s contract with Madrid includes a €60 million release clause. Sources claim that €12 million was added to the sum as a means for Los Blancos to ward off competition from other clubs.

Prior to the Madrid deal, it was reported that Endrick was being pursued by Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. It is believed that the strategy that the Galacticos used to sign the Brazilian is similar in concept to that which was used to acquire Vinicius Jr. in 2017.

Having only made his full senior debut on October 6, Endrick helped Palmeiras to lift the 2022 Brasileirao title, becoming the club’s youngest goalscorer in the process.

The post Real Madrid Signs Endrick From Palmeiras appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The promoters of the Super League are now preparing a model similar to the one put forward in 2019, which is still closed or mostly closed, which will destroy the national leagues and which has already been rejected by clubs and leagues in Europe,” La Liga’s statement on the matter read.

With Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona getting the ball rolling on the new Super League plans, Bernd Reichart, the new CEO of A22 Sports Management which is promoting the plan, has said that the project is alive and could launch in 2025.

Launched in 2021, the Super League was introduced as a tournament that would feature 12 elite European clubs. The project was short-lived, however, crashing after just 48 hours as its Premier League participants pulled out amid widespread public backlash and political opposition.

Aside from La Liga, the governing bodies of UEFA and FIFA remain opposed to the establishment of the Super League.

The post La Liga Expresses Disapproval of New Super League Plans appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Real took a methodic approach to the game, playing patiently and willingly relinquishing the possession to Barca. At the same time, they were clinical in front of the goal, using most of their scoring chances.

French striker Karim Benzema gave Real an early lead in the 12th minute, while Uruguayan winger Federico Valverde made it 2-0 toward the end of the first half.

While Real was scoring goals, Barca struggled to adjust to the flow of the game. It seems like nothing they tried worked, with the experienced Real midfield and compact defense not leaving them much to work with. Barca had 18 shots on goal, but most of them were desperate attempts to make something out of nothing.

Barcelona did manage to get on the scoreboard in the 83rd minute, but this wasn’t a start of a comeback. Instead, Real finished the job in extra time via Rodrygo’s goal from a penalty kick.  

With the win, Real Madrid has 25 points and has jumped over Barca to take the top of La Liga standings. Barcelona is second with 23 points, followed by Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, and Real Sociedad, who all have 19 points apiece.

The post Real Madrid Dominates Barcelona in 3-1 El Clasico Win appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The agreement represents a conclusion to a lengthy standoff between the two La Liga giants over the terms of Griezmann’s loan with Atletico. The loan agreement had a clause that would make the deal permanent for a transfer fee of €40 million if the player was to play 45 minutes or more in 50 percent of the matches in which he’s available. However, the two clubs had opposing opinions on when the clause would kick in, with Atletico trying to use this as leverage to negotiate a lower fee.

According to multiple reports, the two clubs have avoided a potentially messy legal situation by agreeing to a fee of €25 million to make Griezmann’s transfer to Atletico permanent. The 31-year-old will sign a deal until the summer of 2026.

Antoine Griezmann hasn’t played much for Atletico Madrid this season due to the clause in his contract. In order to comply with their view of the clause, Atletico mostly kept Griezmann on the bench or brought him in as a second-half sub. The veteran played a total of 10 games in 2022-23 in all competitions, scoring three goals and adding one assist.

It is expected that Griezmann will return to the starting 11 after the deal with the Catalan club has been completed. Atletico could use his goals since they are only fifth in La Liga and already six points behind leaders Barca and Real Madrid. 

The post Barca and Atletico Madrid Come to Agreement Over Antoine Griezmann’s Transfer 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.

This is the latest signing in what has been a busy transfer window for the La Liga outfit, with the club signing Brazilian left-back Alex Telles from Manchester United on loan as well as fellow Brazilian defender Marcao from Galatasaray.

Isco arrived at Real Madrid from Malaga for a transfer fee of €30 million in 2013. During his almost decade-long tenure at the club, the Spanish international won five UEFA Champions Leagues, one Copa Del Rey, and three La Liga titles. During this time, he also made 38 appearances for the Spanish national team.

The 30-year-old player fell out of favor with manager Carlo Ancelotti in recent times, only appearing in 17 matches last season, 14 of which saw him come off the bench.

Upon his arrival at the Andalusian club, Isco will be reunited with former Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui. He will be tasked with helping Sevilla secure a top-four spot in the league yet again this season while also improving on their Champions League performance from last season when they were eliminated in the group stage.

The post Sevilla Signs Free Agent Isco appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barca also revealed that Pedri’s contract has a $1.57 billion release clause. This was a substantial increase compared to his past deal, where the release clause was around $463 million.

Pedri arrived at Barca in the summer of 2020 from Las Palmas and immediately became a key player for the La Liga side despite his young age (he turns 19 in November). In his first season at Camp Nou, the teenager played 56 games in all competitions while contributing with four goals and six assists.

His stellar performances for the Catalan club also earned Pedri a call-up to the Spain men’s national team. He made his senior debut in March 2021 and has been a mainstay for La Furia since then. This included playing in all six of the country’s matches at EURO 2020, where he was awarded the Young Player of the Tournament award and named into the Team of the Tournament.

After locking Pedri to a new deal, Barcelona is now expected to do the same with the rest of their young and talented core that includes Ansu Fati and Gavi.

The post Barcelona Wonderkid Pedri Inks Contract Until 2026 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.