Tag: LA LIGA

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YAYA TOURE SET FOR SHOCK LALIGA RETURN- REPORTS

Yaya Toure has reportedly held talks with newly-promoted side Cadiz.

According to reports, the the former Ivory Coast international could make a shock return to the Spanish LaLiga.

The 37-year-old has been without a club since leaving Chinese Super League side Qingdao Huanghai at the start of the year and despite reported interest from Brazil, he remains a free agent.

Toure trained with League Two side Leyton Orient for two weeks in late July in a bid to retain his fitness levels with the hope of furthering his playing career before moving into coaching.

The former Manchester City midfielder enjoyed three successful years at Barcelona where he won seven major honours including the 2009 UEFA Champions League.

Capped 97 times by his country, Toure led the Elephants to 2015 Africa Cup of Nations glory and is considered to be amongst the best African footballers of all time.

Cadiz, who won promotion to LaLiga last season, currently occupy ninth spot in Spain’s top-flight.

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BARCELONA ANNOUNCE £95M LOSS FOR 2019/2020 SEASON.

Barcelona have announced that they have sustained losses of £95m for the 2019/20, citing the covid crisis as a key reason for the drop in revenue.

Barca have had to sell to buy players this summer as the realities of the coronavirus have impacted the club’s ability to operate fluidly in the market.

And their statement stated that commercial deals that were subsequently cancelled as a result of football being stopped for a period of three months has directly impacted their ability to generate capital.

The club also estimate that in excess of £30m has been loss due to a lack of footfall visiting their official stores and buying merchandise.

Barcelona have been on a mission to drastically reduce their wage bill this summer, and were able to offload two high earners, Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic, to Atletico Madrid and Sevilla respectively. They estimate they will have saved nearly £70m, taking into account other departures from the playing squad.

The club also announced that in the past decade it had spent in the region of £1.5Bn on transfer fees, and with sales taken into consideration, a net loss of £70m in the market.

The numbers show the impact the coronavirus crisis has had at the highest echelon of the game, and why Barca’s business this summer has been so muted.

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AHEAD TITLE VICTORY: REAL MADRID WANTS FANS TO CELEBRATE LA LIGA TITLE INDOORS

Real Madrid are on the vouch of winning the 2019/2020 La Liga title, but after seeing what happened after Liverpool’s Premier League triumph, the Bernabeu side wants its fans to celebrate indoors.


Real Madrid issued a public statement on Tuesday urging fans not to gather to celebrate any potential title considering the coronavirus concerns that still persist in Spain and its capital city. It’s been customary for the club’s supporters to celebrate its many successes at the Cibeles fountain, but Real Madrid strongly prefers that tradition to be put on hold.


“Real Madrid C.F. calls on its club members and supporters not to gather in Cibeles in the event that the team secures the La Liga title,” the club wrote. “We are all aware of the difficult situation that we are experiencing and the efforts being made across society to counter the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Football is also playing its part in this and, with everyone’s help, we managed to resume the competition in extremely complex circumstances.”


Real Madrid will win the league Thursday if it beats Villarreal or Barcelona loses to Osasuna. Real leads Barça by four points with two games remaining and holds the tiebreaker vs. Barcelona by virtue of a better head-to-head mark this season. When Liverpool won its first English title in 30 years, fans flocked to Anfield and drew the ire of the club and local law enforcement. Real Madrid doesn’t want a repeat.


“In the event that Real Madrid are crowned champions, our players will not visit the usual points of celebration, in particular, the Plaza de Cibeles and we therefore also ask our club members and supporters that, in the event that we secure the title, they did not gather in these places. In this regard, all of us must make a contribution, as has been the case to date, and show the utmost responsibility to avoid the risk of contagion,” Real Madrid’s statement continued. 


“Real Madrid thanks our members and supporters in advance for their understanding. All of the effort and work put in by our players, coaching staff and the club towards this possible title success has always been done with a view to sharing the triumph with our fans, but we are aware that the current situation obliges us to maximize the necessary precautionary measures. 

“Real Madrid feels the duty to issue this important call in a show of utmost responsibility and with the firm belief that any possible triumph involving our team must not give rise to a massive backward step in the battle we are all waging against this pandemic.”


Real Madrid and Barcelona have simultaneous kickoffs on Thursday. Should Real Madrid lose and Barcelona win, the title would go down to the final day of the season on Sunday.

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BARCELONA SUFFER GRIEZMANN INJURY BLOW EN ROUTE BATTLE FOR LA LIGA TITLE

Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann is set to miss his side’s final two La Liga games after picking up a thigh injury during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Real Valladolid.

Griezmann, 29, was brought off at half time after suffering a knock and the club released a statement on Sunday to confirm the forward will be out of action.

Barca did not confirm how long Griezmann will be unavailable but he is expected to miss the matches against Alaves and Osasuna.

The France international has endured a tough debut campaign since his €120 million transfer from Atletico Madrid.

Griezmann has scored 15 goals in all competitions but was left out of the starting lineup for a number of weeks under manager Quique Setien.

Griezmann’s brother and father criticised Setien on social media after the Barca boss refused to apologise for bringing Griezmann on in stoppage time against Atletico.

A source say the club have reassured Griezmann that he is part of their future plans after meeting with his camp this week.

According to the source, the meeting went “perfectly,” with both the club and the player’s camp expressing a desire for the relationship to continue.

Barca are one point behind league leaders Real Madrid who have a game in hand on their fierce rivals.

Barca face the prospect of playing German champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals if both sides make it through their round-of-16 ties.

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Xavi agrees lucrative deal to take over as Barcelona boss

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi has reportedly already agreed to become the Catalan outfit’s new head coach at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

The 40-year-old was linked with the post earlier this year when Ernesto Valverde was sacked, but Quique Setien ultimately arrived at Camp Nou.

Setien’s long-term future at the club is the subject of much speculation, though, with Barca currently playing catch-up to Real Madrid in the race for the La Liga title.

According to Mundo Deportivo, ‘a firm agreement’ is in place for Xavi to replace Setien this summer, with the legendary midfielder set to receive a £5.4m-a-year deal at Camp Nou.

The Spaniard left Camp Nou for Al Sadd in 2015 and has since become the Qatari side’s head coach.

However, it is understood that Xavi is heading back to Spain for the 2020-21 campaign, and the decision has allegedly been given the seal of approval by Lionel Messi.

Barca are currently second in La Liga, four points off leaders Real Madrid, who will have the chance to open up a seven-point advantage at the summit when they travel to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday afternoon.

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Alvaro Morata double leads Atletico Madrid over Mallorca in Liga

Atletico is one of the hottest teams as La Liga ticks down before it shifts focus to the Ch

Alvaro Morata scored twice to lead Atletico Madrid to a 3-0 win over Mallorca and extend its strong finish to the Spanish league.

Diego Simeone’s team has long been out of the title race being disputed by leader Real Madrid and second-placed Barcelona, which they trail by eight points.

But Atletico is one of the hottest teams as La Liga ticks down before it shifts focus to the Champions League final eight to be played in Portugal next month.

Champions League final eight to be played in Portugal next month.

In March when the league was halted, Atletico was struggling to secure a Champions League berth for next season. It is now well on course to finishing third.

Atletico has remained undefeated in seven matches since the Spanish league resumed following a three-month stoppage for the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were in a complicated situation before the stoppage, but we have been playing well since we got back to playing and have been playing with a great attitude,” Morata said.

Simeone’s side dominated the relegation-threatened Mallorca from kickoff.

Morata earned a penalty when he was pulled down by Aleksandar Sedlar in the area.

Goalkeeper Manuel Reina blocked his strike, but a video review helped the referee order a redo of the spot kick after Sedlar entered the area too early.

Morata stepped back up and on a second try rifled the ball into the top corner in the 29th minute.

“Missing and then getting back up and trying again is part of football,” Morata said about the penalty.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid striker was back on the scoreboard in first-half injury time when Jorge “Koke” stole the ball and played Marcos Llorente clear to reach the end line, where he found Morata at the far post to tap home.

The goals were Morata’s 10th and 11th of the season in league play.

Mallorca could not muster a comeback and Renan Lodi hit the crossbar for Atletico before Koke scored in the 79th. His shot deflected off a defender to give Reina no chance to save.

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Real Madrid beat Getafe with team spirit, says Zidane

Captain Sergio Ramos converted a late penalty, sending Real four points clear of title rivals Barcelona with five games left.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said his side used their team spirit to finally break down and beat a resolute Getafe side 1-0 at home on Thursday to inch ever closer to winning their first La Liga title for three years.

The league leaders created scant chances against their gritty neighbours but finally got the goal they craved when captain Sergio Ramos converted a late penalty, sending Real four points clear of title rivals Barcelona with five games left.

“We can be very happy today because we did an incredible job today against a side who caused us loads of problems, but we got the victory because of our team spirit,” Zidane told a virtual news conference after his side won their sixth game in a row.

“Me and the players have been suffering a lot because we have had to work so hard in all of these matches. It’s not easy to do what we are doing. You can’t achieve anything without suffering.”

Real knew victory against Getafe would give them a cushion over Barca, who drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday and have dropped six points since the campaign returned after the coronavirus stoppage.

Zidane’s side, meanwhile, have been on a relentless run and defender Dani Carvajal, who earned the decisive penalty, revealed the coach had set the team the target of winning all of their matches when the campaign started up again last month.

“The coach’s message after the break was that we had 11 finals left and we had to try and pick up all 33 points. We’re on the way to doing that,” Carvajal said.

“It was clear that this was not like any other game and we had to make the most of Barca’s slip-up. Today was like a final for us and we treated it like one.

“Getafe put us under a lot of pressure but we produced a serious performance and proved we are a real team.”

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Madrid go top of la liga

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Real Madrid v Real Mallorca - Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, Madrid, Spain - June 24, 2020 Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos celebrates scoring their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Susana Vera

Vinicius Junior and Sergio Ramos both scored delightful goals as Real Madrid returned to the top of La Liga by easing past Mallorca.

Zinedine Zidane’s side are level on 68 points with Barcelona but lead by virtue of a better head-to-head record.

Brazilian Vinicius chipped in a first-half opener and Ramos curled home a brilliant free-kick in the second half.

Mallorca gave a second-half debut to 15-year-old Luka Romero, who became the league’s youngest ever player.

Meanwhile, Wales forward Gareth Bale was given a first Real start since February but struggled to make any significant impact, firing a shot in the sixth minute which was kept out by goalkeeper Manolo Reina.

Vinicius’ chip high into the net from Luka Modric’s lay-off and Ramos’ 10th goal of the season via a curling free-kick from the edge of the area gave Real the three points.

They could have had more but former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard curled wide from 25 yards out, and Karim Benzema drove a shot straight at Reina.

Real have seven games remaining and victory in all of them would guarantee their first title since 2017.

Mallorca’s defeat keeps them in the relegation zone, three points adrift of safety.

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Barcelona go top of La liga

BARCELONA, SPAIN - JUNE 23: Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona celebrates after scoring his sides first goal with team mates during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on June 23, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to move back to the top of La Liga.

The substitute latched onto Lionel Messi’s pass before slotting home with 19 minutes to go.

It was a 15th La Liga assist of the season for Messi, who remains on 699 career goals despite going close himself on two separate occasions in the closing stages.

Real Madrid can go back to the top if they beat Mallorca on Wednesday.

Barcelona were far from their best but did enough to grind out this victory. With Real Madrid having a better head-to-head record, Barca need their rivals to slip up even if they win every remaining game.

Mid-table Athletic had beaten the Catalans twice this season – on the opening day of La Liga and in the Copa del Rey quarter-final – but failed to test goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen once.

Messi, who turns 33 on Wednesday, was hoping his 700th career goal would come – and he was close when he cut in and curled wide, before again missing the target from Ansu Fati’s pass.

But he still helped Barca win the game when he fed Rakitic, who scored his first goal of the season. Messi’s 15 assists in La Liga this season have helped Barca pick up 15 points.

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CARLOS BACCA HELPS VILLAREAL TO A HOME WIN OVER MALLORCA.

Villarreal kept alive their hopes of claiming a Europa League qualifying berth after a first-half goal by striker Carlos Bacca gave them a 1-0 home win over struggling Mallorca in La Liga on Tuesday.

The result lifted Villarreal two places to seventh on 44 points from 29 games, two behind sixth-placed Atletico Madrid who have a game in hand. Mallorca stayed 18th on 25 points as the defeat dented their hopes of avoiding relegation.

A darting run and cross from Samuel Chukwueze left Bacca with a simple tap-in from two metres at the far post in the 16th minute, after Mallorca’s Idrissu Baba had rattled the crossbar with a thunderbolt from 30 metres at the other end.

The lively Chukwueze fired wide after a solo run shortly after the break and visiting goalkeeper Manolo Reina saved a Manuel Trigueros shot before Mallorca missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise.

Substitute Aleksandar Trajkovski’s fine footwork and cross left Juan Hernandez unmarked at the far post but the forward sliced his shot wide from six metres with the goal at his mercy.

Home keeper Sergio Asenjo kept out a fierce Ante Budimir shot and Villarreal cleared the ball off the line in the closing stages as Mallorca piled on the pressure but were unable to find a way through.