Tag Archives: La Liga

Lionel Messi Among the Barcelona FC Teammates Featured in New Documentary “Matchday”

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Lionel Messi is sharing his life story with the world…

Matchday, a new behind the scenes documentary about Barcelona FC‘s 2018-19 season gives viewers access to exclusive never seen before footage, including a special look at the 32-year-old Argentine soccer star.

Lionel Messi

The documentary, narrated by Hollywood actor John Malkovich, offers a glimpse into the life of one of the world’s biggest soccer stars.

The documentary centers on eight key games from last season where Barcawon La Liga and reached the semifinals of the Champions League, where it was blown away by Liverpoolin one of the greatest comebacks in the history of European football.

There’s also footage from outside the locker room with cameras being allowed into the players’ homes including a barbecue at Luis Suarez‘s house where he’s joined by Messi and Jordi Alba.

Gerard Piqueis also featured, spending time with his family, while Ivan Rakiticshows off his culinary skills and Marc-Andre ter Stegentalks about designing his new home.

Last week, in front of an adoring home crowd at the Camp Nouin a Champions League match against German team Borussia Dortmund, Messi made it 700 appearances for Barca, games in which he’s contributed 613 goals and 237 assists.

Messi scored one and set up two others as Barca claimed top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over Dortmund.

Barca is just the latest big soccer club to allow cameras into the club. Manchester Cityand Juventushave both been subjects of documentaries while a series on Tottenhamis currently being filmed by Amazon.

The series, which consists of eight 45-minute episodes, is being broadcast by Rakuten TV , with the documentary also being shown in Japan.

Vinicius Junior Scores a Goal to Help Put Real Madrid Atop the La Liga Standings

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Vinicius Junior helps lead Real Madrid to victory…

The 19-year-old Brazilian professional footballer and his compatriot Rodrygo sent Real Madrid to the top of La Liga as both scored in a 2-0 win over Osasuna on Wednesday.

Vinicius Junior

Vinicius ended a goal drought which had dragged on since February with a deflected effort in the first half from the edge of the box.

Zinedine Zidane started a heavily rotated XI with Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois all on the bench, and the hosts went close twice inside of 20 minutes with Luka Jovic firing over the crossbar from close range and Toni Kroos just missing a golazo from distance soon after.

Osasuna had their chances, but Real Madrid were the first to score on 35 minutes when Vinicius Jr. picked up a pass from Kross, cut to his right and fired an unstoppable shot past Ruben to give his team a 1-0 lead at the break.

Jovic made a mess of a clear-cut chance to double Madrid’s lead just after the break, somehow flashing his shot over the bar for a second time after Lucas Vazquez had set him up with a one-on-one against Ruben.

The Serbian looked to have made amends just before the hour mark, slotting home from another Vazquez assist, but Jovic, still in search of his first goal since joining Los Blancos, was adjudged to be slightly offside on the play after video review and the goal was waved off.

Rodrygo, the summer arrival from Santos, finally gave Real Madrid their second, settling a long ball over the top of the Osasuna defense with a sublime first touch and racing into the penalty area to slot home a far post shot for the 2-0 lead.

Real Madrid climbed to the top of the standings with 14 points from six games, one point and one place ahead of Atletico Madrid, whom they face on Saturday in the derby at the Wanda Metropolitano.

“We’re really pleased with the result, the work we put in and for the win,” said Real winger Vazquez.

“I’m really happy for (Vinicius), he’s a great lad, he works hard and I’m super happy for him.”

Paris Saint-Germain Signs Goalkeeper Keylor Navas from Real Madrid

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Keylor Navasis headed to the City of Light…

Paris Saint-Germain has completed the signing of the 32-year-old Costa Rican professional footballer and goalkeeper from Real Madrid on a permanent basis with Alphonse Areola moving in the opposite direction.

Keylor Navas

Navas established himself as the Spanish giants’ first-choice goalkeeper after his arrival in 2014 from Levanteand helped Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions Leaguetitles between 2016 and 2018.

Navas said in a tweet: “If God changes our plan it is because he has something better in mind. I hope to begin a new path and make history with PSG.”

Navas also won the La Liga, Supercopa de Espana, two UEFA Super Cupsand three FIFA Club World Cuptitles but has since fallen to second in the pecking order behind Thibaut Courtois.

He joins PSG as No. 1 ahead of Sergio Rico and fellow summer signing Marcin Bulka — a move that ends years of uncertainty over the goalkeeping hierarchy.

Navas, who underwent his medical in Spain, should debut for the French champions at home to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 after the international break.

He’ll also immediately come up against his former employers Madrid in the opening match of PSG’s Champions League Group A campaign at Parc des Princes.

Areola moves to the Bernabeu on a one-year loan deal with no option to purchase.

Lionel Messi Wins Record Fifth Golden Shoe as Europe’s Top Goal Scorer

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Lionel Messi is making history again…

The 31-year-old Argentine soccer star has earned his fifth Golden Shoe prize for being the top goal scorer in Europe last season.

Lionel Messi

Messi, who said he never expected to have such a successful career, scored 34 times in La Liga last season to claim his fifth Golden Shoe award, one more than Juventus‘ Cristiano Ronaldo has won.

Messi beat out Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to the prize after the Egyptian netted 32 times in the Premier League.

“When I started playing I did not expect all this. My dream was, obviously, to be a professional, but I didn’t imagine so much,” Messi said at a gala in Barcelona.

“This is thanks to hard work and effort and, above all, my teammates. I have the best players in the world in their positions playing beside me and that makes everything easier and lets me win these prizes.”

Messi, who also earned the Golden Shoe in 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2016-17, led Barcelona to a league and cup domestic double last season.

The forward leads La Liga’s top scorers chart with 14 goals in this campaign, more than any other player in the top five European leagues.

Lionel Messi Signs New Contract with Barcelona Until 2021

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Lionel Messi isn’t going anywhere…

The 30-year-old Argentine soccer star has ended speculation about his future by signing a new contract with Futbol Club Barcelona until 2021.

Lionel Messi

Messi’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, but this is the ninth professional contract the Argentina international has signed since he moved to Camp Nou and commits him to the club until he is 34.

Barca announced the news in an official club statement, which read: “FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentinian superstar at the Club through the 2020/21 season.

“The buyout clause was set at €700m. Thus, by the time the new deal expires, Messi will have spent 17 years with the first team.”

On his official Twitter account, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said: “We are in luck with the Barça players. We continue to enjoy the best player in the history of football.”

Messi avoided the chance to clear up the doubts about his Barcelona contract situation as he accepted the European Golden Shoe award on Friday.

Barcelona had already announced that Messi had agreed to a new deal until 2021 in July but the forward had not yet signed the contract himself.

There had been some concern over his future as Barca allowed him to edge closer to the end of his deal.

At various points throughout the last year he was linked with a move away from Catalonia, with a number of clubs reported to be monitoring the situation, including Manchester City.

However, Barca always remained optimistic that he would renew, telling ESPN FC in November that they were confident he would pen a new deal.

Messi joined Barca in 2001 from Newell’s Old Boys, made his first-team debut against Espanyol in 2004 and has since gone on to win 30 trophies with the club, including eight La Ligas and four Champions Leagues.

Messi scored the first of his club record 523 goals — they have come in just 602 matches — against Albacete in May 2005 and has since claimed the Ballon d’Or on five occasions, more than any other player.

Lionel Messi Claims His Fourth European Golden Shoe Award

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Lionel Messi is soccer’s Golden boy…

The 30-year-old soccer star received his fourth European Golden Shoe on Friday after netting 37 times in La Liga play during the 2016-17 season.

Lionel Messi

Messi beat out Sporting CP‘s Bas Dost (34 goals in Portugal‘s Primeira Liga) and Borussia Dortmund‘s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (31 in the Bundesliga) in the top three to claim the prize, which is presented to Europe’s top goal scorer.

After also winning the award in 2012-13 (46 league goals), 2011-12 (50) and 2009-10 (34), Messi is tied with Real Madrid‘s Cristiano Ronaldo for most regular winner of the Golden Shoe.

Messi’s 37 goals last season came in 34 Spanish top-flight appearances, but they were delivered as part of losing cause, as Real Madrid beat out Barca to the title.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has netted 12 goals in 12 games in the 2017-18 La Liga campaign.

He’s trailing Lazio‘s Ciro Immobile and Paris Saint-Germain‘s Edinson Cavani, who have netted 15 goals in Serie A and Ligue 1, respectively, in the race for this year’s Golden Shoe. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich‘s Robert Lewandowski, AS Monaco‘s Radamel Falcao and Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi have all netted 13 times.

Ronaldo, though, does not look like troubling the upper echelon of the European Golden Shoe rankings anytime soon, as he has netted just once in La Liga this season.

Messi will be looking to add to his tally on Sunday when top-of-the-table Barca travel to face second-place Valencia at the Mestalla.

Romero Named Head Coach of Malaga CF

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Marcelo Romero is ready to head the club…

The 40-year-old Uruguyan former soccer player has been named as new head coach of Spanish club Málaga CF.

Marcelo Romero

Romero, who played as a defensive midfielder for the La Liga team from 2001-2007, will succeed Juande Ramos.

Romero worked as assistant coach along with manager Javi Gracia in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and has been one of the staff members working under Ramos during the current season.

During his time as a player for Malaga, he won the Intertoto Cup in 2002.

He also led Malaga in a few matches last season when Gracia was suspended.

Vazquez Extends Contract with Real Madrid

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Lucas Vazquez will keep it Real for longer…

The 25-year-old Spanish soccer player, who plays for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team as a right winger, has agreed to extend his contract with the La Liga team.

Lucas Vazquez

Real Madrid extended Vazquez’c contract until June 30, 2021.

The club extended Vazquez’s contract for another year, after he was originally loaned to Espanyol in 2014-2015, and returned to the team’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on July 2, 2015.

Last season he played 25 La Liga games, in which he scored four goals and made eight assists, while he took part in seven Champions League games.

Pereira to Spend Next Season with La Liga’s Granada

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Andreas Pereira is heading to España…

The 20-year-old Brazilian footballer and Manchester United midfield prospect is set for a loan switch to Granada Club de Fútbol in La Liga after the two clubs agreed on a season-long transfer.

Andreas Pereira

Pereira, a Brazil Under-23 international, will spend the campaign in Spain with Paco Jemez‘s side and should gain the first-team experience required in one of Europe’s top divisions.

After making 13 appearances during Louis van Gaal‘s time in charge, the Pereira scored in Jose Mourinho‘s opening pre-season friendly at Wigan Athletic with a superb drive.

“I love Andreas Pereira as a player and I would love to have him in my squad,” said Mourinho at Friday’s press conference. “But he will go to Granada.”

Granada already have a number of players currently on loan, including Jeremie Bogie and Victorien Angban from Chelsea and Arsenal‘s Jon Toral.

Neymar Appears on Front Cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 Game

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It’s game on for Neymar…

The 27-year-old Brazilian soccer sensation, a forward for Futbol Club Barcelona and the Brazil national team, has been selected to appear on the front cover of PES 2017, the 16th installment in the Pro Evolution Soccer series.

Neymar

Neymar is joined by fellow Barcelona players Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the cover of the game.

Komani, the publishers of the annual football video game Pro Evolution Soccer, has also unveiled the La Liga champions as an official partner ahead of the title’s release later this year.

 

Messi has appeared on the front cover of FIFA games for the past four years, but the official partnership looks to have coerced an allegiance switch, while Neymar starred solo on PES 2016 cover.PES 2017 is slated for release on September 15, 2016.