Football

Barcelona target Depay expects clubs to show interest in January transfer market

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After he was unable to leave for Camp Nou before the end of the summer window, the Lyon ace is optimistic more talks will be held imminently

Lyon attacker Memphis Depay is hopeful that there will be more interest shown in him during the January window, having narrowly failed to complete a switch to Barcelona before the transfer deadline.

With a contract that expires next June, it was expected that the Netherlands international would leave the Ligue 1 side before the October 5 deadline, but while the Camp Nou side were close to getting a deal over the line they stumbled at the last.

Memphis is not perturbed by the setback and seems optimistic that a deal can be completed in the winter.

“I’m 26 and my transfer will cost next to nothing,” the former Manchester United player told BN DeStem on Saturday. “So we can expect that clubs will show an interest. It’ll be January soon. We’ll have to see how things are going. Not that I will definitely be leaving, but the possibility of clubs showing up soon is probably greater.”

Amid the transfer speculation that has swirled around him, Memphis has found his playing time under Rudi Garcia cut down and he is eager to get back in the team with Lyon foundering in mid-table in Ligue 1 after six matches of the season.

“What I found regrettable is that I’ve played a lot fewer minutes in Lyon in recent weeks. I felt it was all due to the fact that I was going to leave,” he said, having scored four goals in the opening six games of the French season. “As a forward, you want to continue this streak. I scored the first three of those goals in the first game. It’s a shame.”

Lyon will be braced for a busy January after they also saw deals for midfielder Houssem Aouar, who was attracting interest from Arsenal, fall through.

On the park, Garcia’s side, who reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, have once again endured a difficult start to the season and lie 14th, having drawn four of their opening six matches of the campaign.

Memphis, meanwhile, is currently away on international duty, with the Netherlands set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday before travelling to face Italy on Wednesday.

Football

Wenger reveals why he would never be Arsenal’s director of football and his one piece of advice to Arteta

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The Frenchman has said he would consider a boardroom role, while he has tipped the current Gunners squad to have a fine season in the Premier League

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed why he would never take a role as a director of football – either at the Emirates Stadium or anywhere else.

The 70-year-old, who is now FIFA’s head of Global Football Development, left day-to-day management in 2018 after more than two decades in charge at the Gunners, and while there has regularly been speculation that he could return to club football since then, he does not believe that such a position would suit him.

Wenger did, however, confess that he may consider a different role.

“I would have considered being on the board at Arsenal as an adviser,” he told The Guardian in response to a question asked by long-time rival Jose Mourinho.

“I believe that honestly there is a deficit of knowledge in the big clubs of top, top-level competition and games of top-level sport. And I believe we have seen recently that there are many ways to be successful in football. 

“For example, there’s the Bayern [Munich] way, where the whole success and continuity relies on people who know the values of the club, and they transfer that from generation to generation: Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinze Rummenigge. 

“Or there are models in England of quick money and quick success. Both can work. I like the fact that a club is first an identity and has knowledge that is transferred from generation to generation. So that’s why I saw things that way.”

Meanwhile, Wenger was asked what advice he would pass on to Mikel Arteta, who is present in charge of first-team affairs with the north London side.

“To continue to have a grip on the team, as he has at the moment. And to go to the end of his beliefs,” he said. “I think there is a good team spirit and they have a good chance to do well. I believe it will not be very difficult to improve on the number of points they got last season, but I’m convinced Arsenal can be in the top four, if not more. Why not more? 

“They can be the surprise package for me this year: they bought well, they strengthened the defence well, and they kept the players who were already there. In my last year I bought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, they kept him. They have every ingredient and no real weakness.”

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‘I was mediocre’ – Barcelona ace De Jong accepts Koeman criticism of performance against Sevilla

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The young midfielder was given a slap on the wrist by his coach after a disappointing outing in La Liga last weekend

Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has accepted criticism from head coach Ronald Koeman for his performance against Sevilla, admitting he was “mediocre”.

The Catalans dropped their first points of the season at home against the Andalusians last weekend in a 1-1 draw.

While Sevilla instigated a high pressing game that complicated life for the Camp Nou side, it was De Jong who bore the brunt of the criticism publicly from Koeman in the aftermath.

“He lost too many balls and has not been fine like his other team-mates,” the new Barca coach said in the post-match press conference.

It was a critique that midfielder De Jong admits was true ahead of the Netherlands‘ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.

“I didn’t play at the top level against Sevilla,” he admitted to the media. “I was only mediocre. How is my form? We’ll see, but I feel good.”

He warned his international team-mates to expect a tricky encounter away from home before a clash with Italy on Wednesday.

“We have to be realistic and not expect the Netherlands to dominate and win every game,” he said. “We want to aspire to that.

“I think we have many players who are already world class and are already first rate. We have other talented young players who can grow with the squad.

“We are a very good team but when you see some details you realise that there are still aspects in which we have to grow. We need to improve tactically and in our understanding.

“We want to show Bosnia that there is still magic with us.”

The 23-year-old is in line for his 18th international cap, having made the breakthrough under Koeman in 2018 when he was still with Ajax. A year later, he made his big move to Barcelona after impressing in the Champions League, in which he helped the Amsterdam outfit to the semi-finals only to be undone at the last by Tottenham.

His first season with the Camp Nou side saw him feature on 42 occasions in all competitions and score two goals. He has played every minute of Barca’s three competitive fixtures at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Football

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hits out at crowded calendar

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Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hit out at football’s crowded calendar on Saturday on the eve of their Nations League match against England, the second of three national-team games inside a week.

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has criticised football’s busy schedule post-lockdown, as he prepares to face England with Belgium.

“I’ve been playing without a break for two years now. But nobody listens to the players,” De Bruyne, who will captain the team against England at Wembley, told a news conference.

The match follows Belgium’s 1-1 friendly draw with the Ivory Coast on Thursday and will be followed by another Nations League trip to Iceland on Wednesday, before De Bruyne returns to play for his club Manchester City in the Premier League next weekend.

“Sometimes I worry. Especially when I look at my personal situation. I’ve had eight, nine days off this summer,” De Bruyne said.

“I couldn’t go on holiday because my wife was pregnant at the time, so basically I’ve not had a holiday and if the season goes on, it means I will have played for two years without a break.

“It takes a toll, especially mentally. I think, like everybody, you need a break just to switch off like everybody and your body needs to heal…

“I know everyone says ‘you earn a lot of money, you should handle it’. That’s the way it goes. I take it on the chin but I can see a lot of injuries coming,” he added.

De Bruyne also said he wanted to discuss a possible contract extension with Manchester City as soon as possible.

“I am happy in Manchester. I am open to conversations, but so far I haven’t spoken to City myself,” he told reporters.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements ‘more impressive’ than Lionel Messi’s – Iker Casillas

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It’s the most heated debate in football: who is the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Now Iker Casillas has had his say, claiming that his former team-mate’s feats in football are superior to those of his one-time rival in La Liga.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements in football are “more impressive” than those of Lionel Messi, according to his former team-mate Iker Casillas.

While Messi has won six Ballons d’Or to Ronaldo’s five, Casillas has weighed in in favour of the man he shared a dressing room with at the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo’s work ethic is legendary and Casillas believes that the fact Messi has more innate talent means Ronaldo has in fact had to work harder to achieve what he has in football.

“Cristiano always had huge desire to be the best, ever since he was a boy and I believe he has achieved that,” said Casillas, in quotes reported by As.

“If I have to compare him to Messi, what Cristiano has done is more impressive because we all know the talent Messi has, but Cristiano was determined and worked hard to be the best.

“I feel we have been lucky to have been able to enjoy two phenomenal players. For people that don’t know Cristiano, he can appear to be cocky and arrogant, but it’s totally the opposite.”

Football

Lionel Messi: Manchester City have ‘financial strength’ to sign Barcelona forward

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Manchester City have the financial strength to sign Lionel Messi next summer if the Barcelona forward still wishes to leave, says the Premier League club’s chief operating officer.

Messi had sought to leave Barcelona for free at the end of last season and he favoured a reunion with his former head coach Pep Guardiola in Manchester.

But the six-time Ballon d’Or winner got into a bitter contract dispute with the club he joined as a teenager from his native Argentina and, ultimately, had no choice but to stay in Barcelona.

City missed out but, according to chief operating officer Omar Berrada, the club will be ready to pounce should Messi allow his contract with Barcelona to expire next summer.

He told the Manchester Evening News: “He’s the best player in the world, he’s the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team. Sponsored Links

“He’s probably an exception to potential investments that we’d do… but our planning has been done with this current squad and it is being considered with the current opportunities that we have.

“For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but, at the same time, I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment when required.”

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Kai Havertz: Chelsea midfielder says Premier League games are ‘exhausting’

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Chelsea’s new signing Kai Havertz says the Premier League has no bad players and that the games are “exhausting”.

Havertz signed for Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen last month, and has made five appearances and scored three goals for Frank Lampard’s side so far.

The 21-year old scored a hat-trick as Chelsea romped to a 6-0 victory against Barnsley in the third round of the Carabao Cup, but is yet to score in his four Premier League appearances. The German international says the league is “more intense” than what he experienced in the Bundesliga due to the fact that “everybody is at a very high level”.

“It was difficult for me, especially because the Premier League is a completely different league,” Havertz told Chelsea’s official website. “It’s more intense and I noticed that in the first few games.

“The intensity in the duels and the runs is much higher. It’s a completely different league and the games are very exhausting.

“The Bundesliga isn’t worse but I noticed differences. It seems to me like there aren’t any average or bad players here – everybody is at a very high level.”

Havertz was satisfied with his performance against Barnsley, but says he is aware it will take him time to adjust to his new environment and build relationships with team-mates.

“The hat-trick was good for me,” he said. “The start was a little difficult because I only trained with the team for five or six days, then played the first game right away. It was also a very big step for me to leave my family and familiar surroundings. Of course, it takes time to get it right.”

Havertz is currently with the German national team ahead of Nations League fixtures against Ukraine and Switzerland, both live on Sky Sports.

The midfielder made his international debut in September 2018, and says he is remains patient in his quest to add to his eight appearances so far under Joachim Löw.

“In my two years with the national team, I haven’t played too many games but I’m still relatively young,” he said.

“I have a lot of games ahead of me which is why so far I’ve always remained calm. I have enough self-confidence to attack the national team.”

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Neymar and Firmino delight Tite as Brazil start World Cup qualifying in style

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The Paris Saint-Germain star caught the eye on international duty while the Liverpool ace also won praise

Brazil coach Tite praised the performance of Neymar and was pleased at Roberto Firmino’s contribution in the 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia. 

Liverpool forward Firmino scored twice as Brazil opened their World Cup qualifying campaign in impressive fashion, despite having not played an international fixture in nearly 12 months. 

Marquinhos and Philippe Coutinho also scored, with Bolivia not helping their cause with an own goal in the rout in Sao Paulo. 

Neymar, who has 61 goals in his 102 caps, did not find the net but was influential throughout, the Paris Saint-Germain forward showing no signs of the back problem that had bothered him during the build-up to the game. 

“We seek knowledge, strategies, [to play] with harmony,” Tite said after the resounding victory. 

“Neymar was looser, more central, with freedom of movement, as the opponent’s marking is more demanding.  

“Coutinho played inside, with Firmino not far behind. He [Firmino] did not seek the ball so much, he waited for it more.  

“He scored two and could have had two more. As the game requires, we may not change the function of the team, but adapt it to suit.”

Brazil are next in action on Tuesday, when they are away to Peru. 

Tite will hope his side can be just as clinical on their travels in what will be a repeat of the 2019 Copa America final in Rio de Janeiro, a game the Selecao won 3-1 to lift the trophy.

“It is a feature to maintain possession of the ball. But there is no use getting the ball and finishing little,” the Brazil boss added in his press conference.

Brazil are chasing a sixth World Cup trophy, having not lifted the crown since defeating Germany 2-0 thanks to a couple of Ronaldo goals in the final of the 2002 showpiece.

They reached the semi-finals in the home edition of their tournament in 2014 before being infamously hammered by the Germany side that eventually won the competition, while four years later they found Belgium too strong in the quarter-finals, with an own goal and a Kevin De Bruyne strike sending them spinning out in Russia.

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‘Ozil doesn’t have the best discipline’ – Wenger details how to get the best out of Arsenal outcast

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The former boss believes that if the balance of the team is correct, the ex-Germany star can still be effective

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been given some tips on how to get the best out of Mesut Ozil by legendary ex-Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

The former Germany international does not appear to fit into the Spaniard’s plans at the Emirates Stadium, with his high-profile omission from the Europa League squad the latest blow to his chances of breaking back into the thinking at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger believes that the 31-year-old can still be effective, but he needs a certain structure in place around him to thrive.

Speaking to Der Speigel, Wenger said: “He wasn’t exactly the one with the greatest discipline on the pitch. And playing the game without the ball wasn’t exactly his forte. But you can deal with that if you put some more defensively minded players by his side. The main thing is to get the balance between attack and defence right.”

Wenger did hint, however, that the way the game is played now is perhaps not to the liking of the former Real Madrid man.

“Players have lost their technical quality over the past 10 years,” Wenger argued. “Athleticism has become more important than technique and decision making. It’s more about physical characteristics and intensity, about explosiveness. And it’s also about being a showman.”

Ozil joined the Gunners when Wenger was still in charge in the summer of 2013 and in the 2015-16 season recorded 19 assists in the Premier League – the second most on record at the time behind Thierry Henry’s 20 in the 2002-03 season, a tally since matched by Kevin De Bruyne.

He was also the quickest player in Premier League history to 50 assists – although De Bruyne has since beaten that record – but he continues to hold the distinction of being the only player to top the assist charts in La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

Despite this, Ozil has proven to be a polarising figure among the Arsenal support due to his perceived lack of work rate.

Arteta, meanwhile, has frozen him out of the first team while the player has insisted that he will not be moved on, much to the frustration of some supporters, who believe he is picking up a large wage for doing little.

Earlier this week, Ozil said he would pay the wages of Gunnersaurus after the mascot was let go by the club after 27 years of service.

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Nigeria coach Rohr takes positives from Algeria defeat

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he Super Eagles succumbed to the African champions in Austria and the German tactician feels the game was a good test for his side

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has taken the positives from their 1-0 defeat to Algeria in Friday’s friendly game. 

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ramy Bensebaini scored the only goal that separated the sides in the sixth minute, poking home his effort from close range.

The North African side held on to their first-half lead to see off the three-time African champions in Austria and extend their impressive form. 

The defeat ended the West Africans’ five-game unbeaten run, having last lost against the Desert Foxes in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Super Eagles were without some of their key players like Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, Rangers’ Joe Aribo, Galatasaray’s Oghenekaro Etebo and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, among others.

The German tactician used the opportunity to hand a debut to Kevin Akpoguma, Zaidu Sanusi, Samson Tijani and Frank Onyeka in the encounter.

Despite the defeat, Rohr is satisfied with the quality of the friendly and has now shifted his focus to their next game against Tunisia on Tuesday.

“This is a very good test for us. There are positives to pick from a tough game like this,” Rohr said.

“Now we have to recover well and start to plan for the next game on Tuesday against another tough team.”

The three-time African champions will hope to bounce back to winning ways against the Carthage Eagles, who defeated Sudan 3-0 on Friday.

Nigeria last met Tunisia in their third-place match at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where the Super Eagles won to finish third in the tournament.

The friendlies have been lined up as part of the Super Eagles preparation for the Afcon qualifying game against Sierra Leone in November.

The West Africans currently lead Group L with six points after victories over the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.

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‘Nobody thanked Napoli for preventing Ronaldo getting the virus’

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While the club have been targeted for criticism by Juventus, the region’s president says the response should be very different

Napoli should be thanked for not risking the health of Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campania region of Italy.

After two players from the squad tested positive for Covid-19, the local health authority (ASL), decided to prevent them from travelling to an away Serie A fixture with the league champions.

Despite this decree, Juventus were angered by the inability of the fixture to go ahead, claiming that protocols were not followed.

De Luca, though, has taken to the defence of his region’s most successful club. “Nobody has thanked us for preventing Cristiano Ronaldo from getting the virus,” he explained on a Facebook video. “Try and imagine it. If Napoli had travelled with several positive cases in their squad like Genoa did. If Ronaldo had got the virus a week later, we would have hit the front pages even of the New York Times. 

“The protocol is no good when it comes to health and the laws. Napoli didn’t travel because the ASL decided that and Juventus ended up going to play with the ball boys.

“The players, from a health point of view, are subjected to the same rules as all Italian citizens. And, therefore, Napoli will not play because they have been quarantined by the ASL.

“Juventus, through the words of president Andrea Agnelli, made a painful statement, embarrassing. ‘Since there’s a protocol, we will go to the stadium,’ they declared.

“The Juventus president is a man who is passionate, not only about football, but philosophy too. And that’s why I remind him of what Schopenauer said: ‘Honour has not to be won; it must only not be lost.’

“If I had behaved in this way, I would have felt that I lost my sporting honour. “We are talking about sport, sporting values, sporting loyalty, honest competition and respect for our opponents.

“But how can we reduce ourselves to the pettiness of pretending to win a match when the antagonists are quarantined by the ASL and not by their own will?”

Napoli have won both their Serie A fixtures to date this season, while Juventus have four points from their two games under new boss Andrea Pirlo.

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Mario Goetze Joins PSV Eindhoven On Two Year Deal

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German World Cup final hero Mario Goetze, who was a free agent after Borussia Dortmund allowed him to leave, has signed a two-year contract with PSV Eindhoven.

Goetze, scorer of the extra-time goal that gave Germany a 1-0 victory over Argentina in Brazil in 2014, made only five Bundesliga starts at Dortmund last season.

The club decided not to offer him a new contract and, at 28, he became a free agent which meant he could sign after the transfer window shut and after reported negotiations with Hertha Berlin went nowhere.

The attacking midfielder started his career at Borussia and moved to Bayern Munich in 2013 but was allowed to return to Dortmund after three seasons. He won the last of his 63 Germany caps in 2017. (Reuters)

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Messi Eyes World Cup Glory

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Superstar footballer Lionel Messi will take a break from his Barcelona soap opera as he bids to fire Argentina to the World Cup in Qatar and what will probably be his last chance to try to win the coveted trophy.

The 33-year-old, a record six-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, has won everything in the club game with Barcelona several times over but his international trophy cabinet looks bare in comparison.

“The only goal I have now is to win the World Cup with the national team,” he has said.

The closest he has come so far was as losing finalist against Germany in 2014.

Thursday’s clash with Ecuador gives him the chance to start building towards one last tilt at that goal.

He will be 35 by the time the Qatar World Cup ends, and will turn 39 during the following global showpiece in North America.

In the meantime, he has a pair of qualifiers — Argentina also travel to Bolivia next Tuesday — to distract him from his club travails.

Messi tried to force his exit from the Catalan giants in the close season but Barca held firm and a 700 million euro release clause ensured he remained, albeit disgruntled.

Playing Ecuador in his homeland may provide a welcome respite but it is also fraught with potential difficulty.

Four years ago at the start of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Ecuador stunned Argentina 2-0 at River Plate’s iconic Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.

It took a hat-trick by an inspired Messi in Argentina’s final qualifier — away to Ecuador — to send the twice world champions to Russia.

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Yaya Toure Close To Laliga Return

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

According to BBC Sport as reported by the Daily Mail, 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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Messi lends £12m private jet to Argentina pals for international duty

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Lionel Messi has generously offered up the use of his £12million private jet to his Argentina team-mates for the international break.

Argentina take on Bolivia and Ecuador in their first two 2022 World Cup qualifying matches on October 8 and October 13. And, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Messi has offered up his plane to Argentine stars currently playing in Europe to help them stay safe. Messi was joined by the likes of Paulo Dybala, Juan Foyth, Marcos Acuna, Lucas Ocampos, and Nicolas Otamendi on the jet

The five Argentina stars will then join Messi on the return trip back to Spain in a bid to limit interaction at public airports. The Barcelona star, 33, first started using the £12m Gulfstream V jet in 2018 – and he has leased it from an Argentine company on a number of occasions in the past few years. The plane was infamously forced to make an emergency landing in Brussels due to a technical fault earlier this year.

It boasts a number of incredible features, including its very own kitchen. There are two bathrooms and enough seats for 16 people. The chairs can even be folded up and turned into eight beds so the players can get some much-needed shut-eye on the long flight to South America. Messi even has the names of his family adorned on the jet, with wife Antonella, plus children Thiago, Ciro, and Mateo all having their names etched on the steps. The plane also boasts Messi’s iconic No10 on the tail.

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Benzema about more than goals after reaching 250 for Real Madrid & breaking into top five of all-time

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The French frontman has been a regular source of end product for the Blancos down the years, but he prides himself on being a team player as well

Karim Benzema now has 250 goals for Real Madrid to his name, placing him fifth on the club’s all-time scoring chart, but the Frenchman says he has always been about much more than end product.

He has delivered plenty of that across 11 memorable years at Santiago Bernabeu.

His full value has not always received the recognition it deserves, with a demanding fan base taking to jeering him on occasion.

Operating in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo during the Portuguese superstar’s spell in Spain did little to aid Benzema’s cause, with his contribution often going unnoticed.

The 32-year-old has, however, become a key figure under Zinedine Zidane since a five-time Ballon d’Or winner departed for a new challenge at Juventus.

Benzema has found the target on 57 occasions through the last two seasons and is already up and running for 2020-21.

His latest strike has taken him to a notable personal landmark, but Benzema says individual achievements have never been the focus for him.

He told Real’s official website on the back of netting in a 2-0 victory over Levante: “I feel very happy and very proud of my goals.

“[I’m] also [proud] of the play [we produce] at this moment at the club, because for me it is an honour and I will work to continue scoring goals

“People see football differently and there are many who only pay attention on the goals, but there are more things like the movement or the passes.

“I am a forward who can score goals too.”

Benzema has now joined a star-studded cast of goalscorers in the top five of Real’s greatest frontmen.

Carlos Santillana sits 40 above him on that chart with 290, while the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano hit 308 for the Blancos.

Long-serving former captain Raul plundered 323 efforts while in Madrid, with Ronaldo well clear at the top on 451.

Benzema will be hoping that he has many more goals left in him, with his current contract due to run until the summer of 2022.

He has admitted in the past that he would like to return to Lyon – the club that gave him his big break – before the day comes to hang up his boots, but such a switch would appear to be some way off.

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New numbers for Puig, Araujo & Braithwaite as Barcelona confirm 2020-21 squad

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Barcelona have confirmed their squad for 2020-21 and there’s some new numbers for Riqui Puig, Ronald Araujo and Martin Braithwaite.

Despite all the talk over his future Puig has now been officially promoted to the first-team and will swap his No. 28 for the No. 12.

Araujo is also now a part of the senior squad and takes over Ivan Rakitic’s No.4, while Martin Braithwaite is Barcelona’s No. 9 following Luis Suarez’s departure

Midfielder Matheus Fernandes, who still hasn’t been officially presented at the club, has taken over Braithwaite’s old No. 19 shirt and is also in the squad.

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Dest: I didn’t understand a word Messi said!

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The U.S. men’s national team star admitted he had some communication issues during his first Barca appearance

Sergino Dest admitted he didn’t understand a single instruction from Lionel Messi during his Barcelona debut on Sunday, although the U.S. men’s national team star believes he’s off to a good start with his new teammate.

The former Ajax fullback made his first Barca appearance during the club’s 1-1 draw with Sevilla, coming off the bench to replace Jordi Alba.

Dest recently joined the club in a deal worth €21 million (£19m/$25m), joining fellow American Konrad de la Fuente at the Catalan club.

De la Fuente was also named to the bench on Sunday, but it was Dest who made his debut, becoming the first American to ever appear for Barca in an official match.

And, after the game, Dest admitted that it was special to play alongside Messi, even if the two still have some communication issues to work out.

“Today I saw everyone, Messi too,” Dest told Dutch outlet NOS. “Messi doesn’t speak English, but it was very special to meet him. 

“If I’m honest, I don’t know what he told me, but we were both smiling, so everything must be fine, right?”

Dest turned down Bayern Munich to make his move to the Camp Nou , having emerged last season during his breakout campaign with Ajax.

The 19-year-old defender made 35 appearances across all competitions while also earning three caps for the USMNT, confirming his allegiance to the U.S. by turning down overtures from the Netherlands.

Coincidentally, Dest is now managed by Ronald Koeman, who was in charge of the Netherlands team he rejected.

Koeman was one piece of convincing Dest to choose Barca, as was Messi and another former Barca star: Ronaldinho.

“I chose Barcelona because I have always dreamed of playing for Barca,” he said.

“Ronaldinho is my idol and a legend at this club. When I found out about Barca’s interest, I didn’t have to think twice.”

Barca currently sit fifth in La Liga, having earned seven points through three games to start the campaign.

Next up for the club is a visit to Getafe following the international break with the club then turning focus towards a Champions League clash with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

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Eric Garcia: Barcelona have bid for Manchester City defender rejected

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Eric Garcia will remain at Manchester City after Barcelona had a £15.4m plus add-ons rejected by Manchester City with just hours of the transfer window to go.

Man City wanted closer to £20m for the central defender, who has entered the final year of his contract, with the player now set to see out his contract at the Etihad.

The Spanish international will now become a free agent next summer and should he move to the Nou Camp it will see a return to the club having been part of the La Masia academy between 2008 and 2017.

Garcia made his first top-flight appearance last season and would go on to feature 13 times throughout the campaign and last featured in the 5-2 defeat to Leicester City.

However, he was left out of City’s squad squad for the 1-1 draw at Leeds on Saturday with Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman previously confirming his club’s desire to sign the 19-year-old centre-back.

Football

Barcelona announce losses of £88m due to coronavirus impact

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Barcelona made an after-tax loss of 97m euros (£88m) due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the club have announced.

Figures for the 2019-20 season show revenue fell by 135m euros (£122.5m) to 855m euros (£777m), well below the recording-breaking forecast of one billion euros (£909m) which Barcelona claim would have seen them post a 2m euro (£1.8m) profit.

Barca managed to save 74m euros (£67m) in salaries thanks to a reduction agreement with players and coaching staff but are already predicting a 199m euro (£181m) drop in revenue for the 2020-21 season.

“The club suffered financially from the consequences of games being played behind closed doors, as well as the total cancellation of the basketball Euro League, and hence there was a considerable loss of income,” said the club’s financial report.

“The lack of tourists and visitors to the city of Barcelona due to the reductions and limitations applied to international tourism also meant far fewer visitors to Barca’s premises, meaning major losses in terms of such areas as visitors to the Camp Nou Experience and the sale of products in official stores.”

Net debt on June 30 was 488m euros (£443m), but, with investment in the Espai Barca project to redevelop the Nou Camp standing at 109m euros (£99m), the club’s adjusted debt is 379m euros (£344m).

The report also revealed the club spent 1.68billion euros (£1.5billion) on transfers over the last decade, recouping 944m euros (£858m) for a net spend on signings of 738m euros (£671m) over 10 years.

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