Category Archives: Uncategorized

Valverde suggests Philippe Coutinho could remain at the Camp Nou

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has indicated that Philippe Coutinho could remain at the Camp Nou beyond the La Liga transfer deadline. The midfielder was recently touted to make a return to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, but it appears that he turned down the approach to stay put with the Catalans giants.

Speaking to reporters, Valverde said that Coutinho remains an influential player within the club’s ranks and he was absent during the friendly because of the short turnaround following his vacation. The Spanish tactician added that he cannot predict the future of the Brazil international, but he is optimistic that the 27-year-old will continue to ply his trade with the Blaugrana next term.

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Neymar’s father refutes suggestions that the attacker could move to Barcelona

The father of Neymar has stressed that he has no plans to negotiate with Barcelona regarding the attacker’s return to the Camp Nou. The 27-year-old made the world-record switch to Paris Saint-Germain from the Blaugrana nearly two years ago, but the move has not quite worked out for the Brazilian, who has been deemed to be unsettled in the French capital.

As such, there has been regular speculation over the past few months linking the Brazilian with a return to the Camp Nou but his father has insisted that does not remain the case at the present moment, he said: “I’m not going to Barcelona to negotiate. I am in Brazil and I will stay here until we return to Paris with my son.”

Neymar was due to participate for Brazil at the Copa America but the same could not happen after he sustained an injury during the lead-up to the tournament. Nonetheless, he has been hanging around the team providing moral support and it remains to be seen whether the host nation manage to secure the continental title this time around.

Meanwhile, the speculation linking Neymar with the Blaugrana has only intensified over the past few days despite there being no discussion between the clubs. According to AS, Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde is understood to have given the green light to pursue both Antoine Griezmann and Neymar to strengthen the attack, although that could witness few departures from the club.

The club have already sanctioned the permanent sale of Denis Suarez but there could be further exits to balance the books. Among the high-profile players, Philippe Coutinho has been touted to head through the exit door with former club Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain identified as potential destinations. Coutinho managed just five league goals during the previous campaign for the Spanish champions.

Luis Suarez says Barcelona need to enjoy every minute of Lionel Messi

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has said that the Blaugrana need to enjoy every minute of Lionel Messi’s involvement on the playing field. The Argentine is widely regarded as one of the best-ever players to feature for the club, and he managed another piece of history at the weekend after becoming the first Blaugrana player to secure 10 La Liga crowns.

Speaking after the game, Suarez hailed the qualities of Messi, who came up with the winning strike against Leganes which handed the club with the title, he said: “We have to be realistic that he is the best player in the world. We have to enjoy him every minute he plays, we have to be proud of how great he is.”
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Merson urges Tottenham to pursue Andre Gomes this summer

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Tottenham Hotspur should look at the prospect of signing Andre Gomes from Barcelona when the season comes to a close. The north London outfit decided to part ways with Mousa Dembele at the halfway stage of the season and this has certainly left a void which could be filled at the end of the campaign.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said that Gomes could be the perfect foil for the Capital outfit following his impressive debut Premier League season with Everton on loan, he said: “I like him [Gomes. There is talk of Tottenham coming in for him for £30 million. Again, this is what happens, you have a couple of good games and other teams look at the loan situation and think ‘Oh, he’s only on loan, I’ll take him’. He’s a Tottenham player… He’s a Tottenham player!”
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Jordi Alba commits his long-term future to Barcelona

Spain international Jordi Alba has reportedly signed a new five-year contract with Barcelona to cease any speculation regarding his future. The left-back has been a crucial performer for the Blaugrana over the past seven years and he has now penned a new deal to keep him at the Camp Nou until the summer of 2024.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Alba said that the continuity with the club had always been his aim and he is pleased to have committed his long-term future, he told: “Continuing at this club was always my aim. I am going through the best moment of my career, and continuing here was always my aim. I take care of myself much more, I have the support of my family along with the trust of the Club and my team-mates. I’m happy in all aspects of my life, and that allows me to play at the highest level.”
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CAMP NOU TO BE THE FIRST STADIUM WITH 5G COVERAGE

A 5th generation(5G) Stadium project developed by FC Barcelona and Telefónica has made the Camp Nou the first football stadium in Europe to have dedicated standard 5G coverage.

The deployment of this technology will be both on the stands, and on the playing field, using Telefónica’s commercial band and a standard 3GPP Ericsson network. This willbring about the exploration of new and more innovative ways of enjoying sports events from home. Portraying it as if viewers are present in the stadium.
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Barcelona confirm the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax

Barcelona have confirmed that they have reached an agreement to secure the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax. The Netherlands international had been the subject of a bidding battle involving the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain but the Blaugrana eventually won his services after agreeing on an initial €75m fee.

“FC Barcelona and Ajax have reached an agreement for the transfer of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who will be joining the Catalan club from 1 July 2019. The cost of the transfer operation is 75 million euros, plus a further 11 million in variables. The player will be signing a contract for the next five seasons, through to 2023/24. The president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the CEO ÒscarGrau were personally involved in closing the deal in Amsterdam,” read a statement on the club’s website.
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Valverde praises young players

Ernesto Valverde thinks Riqui Puig is one of those blokes who want to be in the thick of things. When he is on the pitch, he is always looking for the possession of the ball and not looking to remain away from the action. He wants to be at the hotspot and that’s a great quality for somebody who is as young as him.

Puig is only in his teens at this stage and he got to feature for the first team of Barcelona yesterday and that too at home. He was used as a substitute in the second half of the game against Cultural Leonesa. The hosts were 3-1 up already when Puig entered the pitch and the youngster put cherry on top of the cake by assisting another goal for the team a few minutes after his entry. The victory saw Barcelona advancing through to the pre quarter finals of Copa del Rey.
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Sergio Busquets plans to see out his career with Barcelona

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has said that he could see out the remainder of his career without pursuing a fresh challenge elsewhere. The 30-year-old has been a one-club man to date with exactly 500 appearances in all competitions and he has now indicated that he could retire with the Blaugrana without seeking another club at the backend of his career.

Speaking to Diario Sport, he said: “I have never seen myself anywhere else. The Guardiola thing I said not because I saw myself anywhere else, but because I should have him in mind, as is normal. I have always said I won’t be better off anywhere else. Me and the club are made for each other. I can enjoy being at home, at the best club in the world, with the best players, fighting for titles every year… winning the majority. There’s practically nowhere else you can do that.”
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Barcelona manager not pleased with Clement Lenglet’s sending off

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has indicated the wrong decision was made after the referee used the VAR to send off Clement Lenglet against Girona. Barca had dominated the initial proceedings in the Catalan derby as they took an early lead but they soon found themselves a man down with Lenglet sent off after a VAR decision.

Thereafter, former Middlesbrough ace Christian Stuani scored in either half to pull Girona into the lead but Barca managed to salvage a point with Gerard Pique finding the equaliser following the hour mark. Speaking after the game, Valverde was surprised by the decision of the referee and highlighted that the opposition player apologised for the incident, he said: “It handicapped us, we had bad luck to concede just before the end of the first half. We couldn’t come back. I haven’t seen the incident on the television, there’s a clear collision and it seems that there’s an elbow. It’s the first sending off where the player fouled apologises.”
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