Barcelona

BARCELONA: Spain's La Liga is investigating whether a party organised by Barcelona players at their captain Lionel Messi's home broke COVID-19 protocol. "We're looking into it," La Liga sources told AFP on Tuesday (May 4). Monday's meal brought together Barca players, some accompanied by their partners, at the Argentinian star's house, despite social distancing rules in the Catalonian capital outlawing groups of more than six to meet in private. The party may constitute "a possible breach of COVID-19 protocols", the source suggested. The

VALENCIA, Spain: Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a quick-fire comeback to win 3-2 at Valencia on Sunday and keep the pressure on La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Barca fell behind in the 50th minute when Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista headed into an empty net from a corner after keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had stumbled to the ground in his attempt to come for the ball. The Catalans, who had blown the chance to go top of the league with

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona crushed Getafe 5-2 on Thursday (Apr 22) to stay in the hunt for the La Liga title. Messi gave Barca an early lead with the help of a pin-point pass from Sergio Busquets but Getafe pulled level with an own goal by Clement Lenglet. The visitors then conceded a calamitous own goal when Sofian Chakla's backpass deceived keeper David Soria and trickled over the line. Messi extended Barca's lead before halftime, hitting the post then following

MADRID: Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has reiterated that he is not worried about his future ahead of Saturday's (Apr 17) Copa del Rey final meeting with Athletic Bilbao. The Copa represents a chance for Barca to end a trophyless run which dates back to the 2018-19 season. After finishing last season without silverware, their hopes of Champions League glory were ended by PSG at the last-16 stage, while their defeat in last weekend's El Clasico means they are third-placed in La Liga heading

MADRID - Real Madrid found an unlikely ally in Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman, who hit out at Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp after he labelled Madrid’s Alfredo di Stefano stadium a training pitch. Klopp was unimpressed at having to play Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Di Stefano, where his side lost 3-1. Madrid have played at the Di Stefano, which is situated in their training base, since last June with renovations taking place at their usual Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Barca travel

Barcelona move up to second, one point behind leaders Atletico Madrid, thanks to a sixth La Liga win in a row. Barca looked as if they were going to be frustrated but the turning point was Oscar Plano's straight red card for a dangerous foul on Dembele. Dembele volleyed home in the last minute from Ronald Araujo's flick-on. Both sides hit the woodwork in the first half - Kenan Kodro's header for Valladolid and Pedri's low drive for Barcelona being tipped on to

MADRID: So often over the years Barcelona and Real Madrid have fought it out between themselves for the Liga title, cruising to 95-plus points while everyone else battles to be the best of the rest. However, with 10 games to go this season, Atletico Madrid sit top of the table in what looks like a year when 85 points might be enough to secure the silverware. It is set to be the closest-run title race for some time, with just six points separating

BARCELONA: Barcelona chief Joan Laporta gave Lionel Messi a hug and then pledged to do everything in his power to convince the club's all-time top scorer to stay after being officially sworn in as the club's new president on Wednesday (Mar 17). Laporta's pitch to Messi came two days after the Argentine equalled Xavi Hernandez as the club's highest appearance maker on 767 games, marking the occasion by scoring twice in a 4-1 rout of Huesca. "I'll do everything I can to make

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi celebrated his record-equalling 767th appearance for Barcelona by scoring two goals in a 4-1 La Liga victory over Huesca which helped the Catalans to move within four points of the top of the table on Monday. Spectacular first-half strikes by Messi and Antoine Griezmann from long-range appeared to have put Barca in the driving seat with the visitors rarely threatening. However, Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was adjudged to have felled Rafa Mir on the stroke of halftime as the

Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi can have no doubts over the "great future" the club has after they bowed out of the Champions League with a spirited performance at Paris St-Germain. Messi, 33, who has won the competition with Barcelona on four occasions, outlined his frustrations at the Nou Camp last summer and was heavily linked with a move to PSG prior to this last-16 tie. However, while the result saw Barca fail to reach the last eight of the competition

The week that began with the former president in prison will end with a new president in power as Barcelona hope Sunday's elections can be a turning point for a club seemingly locked in crisis. Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa were all at Camp Nou on Wednesday to see Barca stage a dramatic comeback against Sevilla, overturning a 2-0 deficit in extra-time to reach the final of the Copa del Rey. But whoever is voted in by Barcelona's 110,000 members has

MADRID: Barcelona confirmed on Thursday (Mar 4) Gerard Pique has suffered a knee injury, with the defender facing a struggle to be fit to face Paris Saint-Germain in next week's Champions League last 16, second leg. Pique has just returned from three months out due to a partial cruciate ligament injury in the same right knee. But the Spaniard's latest problem, sustained in the Copa del Rey win over Sevilla on Wednesday night, is not thought to be as serious. According to Catalan

Few people will envy the man elected to be the new president of FC Barcelona. The upcoming election -- to be held on Sunday, just days after four senior officials were arrested -- is arguably the most important in the club's history and comes at a time of crisis that appears to be deepening by the day. Historic debts, reported by Spanish newspaper El Mundo to be more than one billion dollars, forced Barcelona into a fire sale of some of the most

Barcelona overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit as they beat 10-man Sevilla 3-0 after extra time in a Copa del Rey semi-final full of drama and incident. Martin Braithwaite got the decisive goal, a diving header early on in the additional 30 minutes. Ousmane Dembele had opened the scoring for Barca, who lost the first leg 2-0. Lucas Ocampos missed a penalty for Sevilla, who then had Fernando sent off just before Gerard Pique dramatically levelled the tie at 2-2 in added time. Barca,

Martin Braithwaite has taken to Twitter in the wake of Barcelona’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16. The Denmark international, who played the last five minutes against the French champions, doesn’t seem to have given up hope yet despite Barca losing the first leg 4-1. Barca players have unsurprisingly been pretty quiet since the match and were given two days off by manager Ronald Koeman. Sport have reported that the dressing room was “hurt” and “full of doubts” after

BARCELONA: Barcelona's crushing 4-1 home defeat by Paris St Germain in their Champions League last-16 first leg at Camp Nou on Tuesday underlined the scale of the rebuild the club needs to get back to their former glory days, coach Ronald Koeman said. Barca were back in the knockout stage of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since an 8-2 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in last season's quarter-finals and started well with Lionel Messi's opener from the penalty

BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe ripped Barcelona apart on Tuesday by scoring a stunning hat-trick in a 4-1 rout to put Paris Saint-Germain on the brink of the Champions League quarter-finals. Mbappe underlined his status as the rising superstar of world football with a ruthless display of finishing at Camp Nou that will go down as one this competition's most devastating individual performances.The 22-year-old eclipsed Barca's Lionel Messi, whose opening goal from the penalty spot had been reduced to nothing more than a footnote by

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is facing an investigation from the Spanish football federation over comments he made in a recent interview suggesting referees favour Real Madrid because most Spanish referees are Real supporters. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is facing an investigation from the Spanish football federation over comments he made in a recent interview suggesting referees favour Real Madrid because most Spanish referees are Real supporters. A federation spokeswoman said Barca have been informed of the investigation into Pique, which will determine whether

Barcelona scored five goals in 18 minutes to turn this Copa del Rey quarter-final – and just maybe their entire season – on its head. Antoine Griezmann scored twice and set up two, Jordi Alba scored his first brace ever for the club, and Lionel Messi pulled out a vintage performance when his team most needed it. Ronald Koeman can still win a trophy, in fact he is now just two games from doing it. And all that, having been two minutes from

Barcelona say they will take "appropriate legal action" against Spanish newspaper El Mundo after it published details of forward Lionel Messi's £492m contract. Barcelona denied "any responsibility for the publication of this document". According to El Mundo, Messi's four-year contract was worth a possible 555,237,619 euros until 30 June, 2021. It means the 33-year-old would be receiving up to £123m a season. Barcelona said in a statement that they "regret" its publication, adding: "FC Barcelona categorically denies any responsibility for the publication of