Soccer Articles - Page 262

In light of the recent wave of criticism surrounding Lionel Messi’s decision to leave Barcelona, president Josep Maria Bartomeu vowed to leave his post if it meant that Messi would stay with the club. According to TV3 in Catalonia, the controversial Barcelona management figure “would agree to step aside and let his board end the […]

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney chimed in the never-ending debate of Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo — one sparked by the recent Messi departure from Barcelona. The longtime scorer and playmaker still remembers that 2011 run to the UEFA Champions League final, where he and his teammates faced Lionel Messi at the start of […]

Christian Pulisic was among four Chelsea players that started to isolate after four players tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday. The USMNT star was joined by Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, and Fikayo Tomori in isolation, though it’s unknown if the four players contracted the virus, according to Goal. The Blues first-team squad underwent coronavirus testing […]

Luis Suárez has had his name brought up amid the myriad of changes happening in Barcelona. The forward was said to follow the moves of Lionel Messi as his former lawyer Alejandro Balbi suggested it in a recent interview. “Messi’s future will have an influence on Suarez’s because they are best friends, they get along […]

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has been left out of the France national team squad after testing positive for coronavirus, manager Didier Deschamps confirmed on Thursday. “Unfortunately for him, he took a test yesterday, which turned out positive,” said Deschamps, according to Goal. Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will take Pogba’s place for the two upcoming […]

Lionel Messi is slated to talk to reporters for the first time since rumors of his decision to leave Barcelona were made known on Tuesday, according to Goal. The megastar reportedly sent a burofax to the Barcelona directive, asking to exercise the opt-out clause that would allow him to leave on a free transfer. The […]

Paris Saint-Germain has acknowledged that a move for Barcelona star Lionel Messi would prove “impossible” this summer due to the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, according to L’Equippe. PSG was one of the three giants originally vying for Messi’s services along with frontrunner Manchester City and Inter Milan. Lionel Messi shocked the sports world after […]

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has appealed his assault conviction after being found guilty by a Greek court on three charges and sentenced to 21 months of prison, according to Goal.com. The young center back was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts of bribery on Tuesday, charges stemming from an alleged […]

Jorge Messi, the father of Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi, has been spotted in the streets of Manchester, reportedly discussing terms with Manchester City, according to RAC1 and TyC Sports (via The Daily Mail). The Barcelona wonder is wasting no time when it comes to lining out his exit from the Catalan side after announcing via […]

Manchester City is weighing the possibility of offering Lionel Messi a long-term contract that would see him move to Major League Soccer sister club New York City FC after three years in the Premier League, according to ESPN. Messi had been reportedly intrigued by the possibility of moving stateside for an MLS venture, a move […]

Lionel Messi shocked the world on Tuesday when he announced — via burofax, no less — that he wants to leave Barcelona after 20 years, opening the door for teams like Manchester City, PSG, and Inter Milan that have long lusted over the prospect of reeling him in. Powerhouses around the world have seen this […]

Despite Lionel Messi’s recent request to opt-out of his contract and leave Barcelona, the club is standing firm on clubs paying his €700 million release clause to pull him out of Camp Nou. According to journalist Veronica Brunati, the club maintains that his release clause expired on June 10, even if the 2019-20 season finished […]

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has informed the club he prefers to leave after 20 years with the organization, according to journalist Alfredo Martinez and TyC Sports. Messi told Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu via fax that he plans to opt-out via a contingency clause in his contract, allowing him to leave on a free transfer. […]

Manchester City is exploring a potential avenue to sign Barcelona star Lionel Messi without breaking Financial Fair Play rules. According to ESPN, a deal for Messi could be complicated, but the Premier League side wants to be prepared should the option of bringing him aboard arise in the next few months. Firstly, Manchester City will […]

Paris Saint-Germain is eager to see its star Neymar reunite with his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez, who is looking for his next destination. According to Sport, the 33-year-old Uruguayan striker could envision the two linking up like old times at the Parc des Princes. Suárez is one of four players new Barcelona manager Ronald […]

The upcoming UEFA Super Cup between Champions League winner Bayern Munich and Europa League victor Sevilla is expected to host 20,000 fans, roughly at 30% capacity of the 67,000-seat Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. UEFA announced it will allow fans for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, allowing for some socially-distanced entertainment. According to […]

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found guilty on three charges after a brawl took place during his vacation in Mykonos, according to Goal.com. Maguire was found guilty of charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts of bribery after an incident with Mykonos police last week. The Red Devils defender was among […]

Barcelona midfielders Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic, along with defender Samuel Umtiti are expected to follow Luis Suárez out of Camp Nou, who is expected to leave the club in the next few days. According to Gerard Romero of RAC 1, the aforementioned players were among the stars new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman called on […]

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva will sign a two-year deal with Chelsea after leaving on a free transfer this summer, according to Julien Laurens of ESPN. Chelsea has been hard at work trying to reel in the PSG defensive talisman, who noted he would not be making any decisions on his future until after he […]

Liverpool legend Deitmar Hamann spoke at length about Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara, telling talkSPORT he would be ‘surprised’ if the veteran orchestrator doesn’t move to Anfield this summer. Thiago Alcantara is fresh off winning the UEFA Champions League final, topping a seven-year run with Bayern Munich since making his move from Spanish powerhouse Barcelona […]

Chelsea is ready to step up and meet the asking price for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz after agreeing to pay the full asking price of $118 million, according to Goal.com. The Blues are expected to pay an initial £72 million ($95 million) to haul in the 21-year-old midfielder extraordinaire to Stamford Bridge, paying […]

Barcelona forward Luis Suárez is expected to leave the club in the next few days as a result of the fallout from an 8-2 Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Bayern Munich, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Catalans have reportedly received a $17.8 million offer from Ajax last week, which could bring Luis Suárez to his […]

A young Neymar played behind the shadows of main man Lionel Messi from the 2013 to 2017 season in FC Barcelona. Three years later, the Brazilian forward will have a shot at an opportunity to lead his Paris Saint-Germain squad to an elusive Champions League title. Neymar shared his journey in the tournament with his […]

Members of the Barcelona board have recently prepared to listen to offers for Lionel Messi, after the star’s meeting with new manager Ronald Koeman left a lot to desire, according to ESPN. Koeman’s appointment on the heels of Quique Setien’s firing following an 8-2 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Bayern Munich was a quick […]

In light of Barcelona’s recent housecleaning, a Lionel Messi move to Manchester City could certainly be worked out, but not easily. Yaya Toure, who spent time as Messi’s teammate with Barcelona and played for Manchester City soon after, noted the transition isn’t far fetched, but it will need stars to align for it to happen. […]

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is facing aggravated assault charges after an alleged altercation in Mykonos Island in Greece, according to Goal.com. The $104.8 million defender was on vacation after a UEFA Europa League semifinal defeat to Sevilla when he was allegedly accused of hitting a local officer after a brawl broke out between English […]

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been in an alleged “incident” while vacationing in Mykonos. The 27-year-old has been transferred from Mykonos to Syros in a police vehicle on a ship after reportedly being arrested following the alleged incident with other English tourists at a club, according to Sky Sports. According to ESPN, Maguire was […]

Despite reaching the summit with a UEFA Champions League title in 2019 and a Premier League championship this year, the rivalry between forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané has been a talking point for the Liverpool faithful. Dejan Lovren, who spent a large portion of his Liverpool tenure with both attacking players, noted Mohamed Salah […]

Wagner Ribeiro, the agent and close confidant of Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, argued it would be easier for his former teammate Lionel Messi to move to PSG than it would be for his client to make the long-awaited return to Barcelona. “Neymar is happy and I think he will stay at PSG for at least […]

It hasn’t taken new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman long to start to make moves. Coming off his official announcement as the new boss, Koeman is looking at Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum as a building block for his new squad. According to AS, the Dutch manager is telling Wijnaldum not to sign with Liverpool this summer, […]

Barcelona has received a $17.8 million bid (£14 million/€15 million) from Ajax for striker Luis Suárez, according to El Chiringuito. Barcelona is reportedly willing to sell Luis Suárez, who will turn 34 next season. Suárez was not among the handful few which Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu handpicked as “untouchable” for next season, a list […]

Chelsea is considering making a move for veteran center back Thiago Silva, hoping he’d be willing to join the Premier League on a free transfer after this season, according to The Telegraph. The Paris Saint-Germain captain has led PSG to a UEFA Champions League Final but will see his contract expire at the end of […]

Barcelona center-back Gerard Piqué has received a “substantial” offer from Premier League side Fulham, according to Peruvian newspaper Líbero. Piqué offered to leave the club during his post-game comments, citing Barcelona has hit “rock bottom” and would need a stark change after an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in last week’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. […]

Manchester City is expected to submit a sufficient €70 million ($83 million) bid for Napoli center back Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Ciro Venerato of RAI Sport (Via Calcio Napoli). A few outlets came to a consensus for the agreed fee at €70 million before bonuses, but others argued there was agreement already in place with […]

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was over the moon after PSG reached the UEFA Champions League final after beating their next Cinderella story in RB Leipzig 3-0 on Tuesday. Yet the world-class footballer could face disciplinary action through a suspension for Sunday’s final after he disobeyed health and safety recommendations by swapping shirts with an RB […]

Kylian Mbappé will be suiting up among Paris Saint-Germain starting XI, as PSG takes on RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League semifinal. The final team sheets were released less than an hour prior to the awaited clash, as Mbappé is taking his usual spot next to Neymar and Angel Di Maria against a surprising […]

Lionel Messi is not happy in Barcelona — that much is known. Rumors of a potential move to Serie A at Inter Milan or a reunion with former coach Pep Guardiola in Manchester City have flooded headlines. Yet Gonzalo Higuaín, his longtime Argentina teammate, noted that going the Premier League route might not be his […]

Barcelona has decided to part ways with sporting director Eric Abidal as the club looks to do some housecleaning in the next few weeks. Following an 8-2 thrashing at the feet of Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Barcelona has a lot of moves to make after three straight early exits from the […]

Only hours after firing Quique Setien from his post as Barcelona manager, the club honed in on Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman as the new helmsman. While the agreement is yet to be official, most journalists conclude this is likely a done deal, considering that Koeman was among the first names surfacing upon an […]