Xavi has insisted Barcelona are not in crisis as they look to get their campaign back on track against Alaves.
Pressure has mounted on the Barca boss after an El Clasico defeat was followed by an unconvincing win over Real Sociedad and a midweek Champions League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Reports in the Catalan media claimed the squad had a players-only meeting on Wednesday night to discuss their issues.
But Xavi, whose side trail LaLiga leaders Girona by four points and still top their Champions League group, believes he faced bigger problems last season when he also came in for criticism before leading the club to the Spanish title.
Xavi: ❝We want to get back to our game and recover our good sensations. If we stay true to our identity and do things th…
Christian Eriksen has had a transformative effect on Manchester United, so says club great Paul Scholes.
Eriksen arrived ahead of the new campaign on a free transfer, having restarted his career with Brentford last term following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, and has started every game so far under Erik ten Hag.
The former Inter and Tottenham playmaker has emerged as the creative hub of Ten Hag s rejuvenated squad at Old Trafford and delivered a superb display to topple league leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
An assist, a team-leading three key passes and 33 successful passes (also a team high) helped United seal a 3-1 victory.
His tally of key passes was more than the per 90 average of any United midfielder last term (Bruno Fernandes – 2.6), and …
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba wants to return to Juventus at the end of the season, according to . It has been reported by the Italian publication that Pogba is ready to take a pay-cut to move back to Serie A giants Juventus.
Pogba is out of contract at United at the end of the season and will become a free agent then. The 28-year-old moved back to the Red Devils from Juventus in 2016. The France international midfielder was brilliant during his spell at Juventus, but he has yet to hit those dizzy heights at Old Trafford.
The 2018 World Cup winner with France has reportedly told his agent, Mino Raiola, that he wants to go back to Juventus. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on securing the services of Pogba on a free transfer in the summer of 20…
Arsenal are interested in signing Pau Torres from Villarreal in the summer of 2023, according to . The report has claimed that the Gunners are one of three clubs from the Premier League who are keen on securing the services of the 25-year-old Spain international centre-back at the end of the season.
The report has claimed that Arsenal are looking for a left-sided central defender to compete with Gabriel and potentially form a partnership with William Saliba at the heart of the Gunners’ backline. Arsenal tried to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in the summer transfer window, but the Argentina international centre-back switched to Manchester United instead.
So far this season, Torres has made six appearances in La Liga for Villarreal. During the 2021-22 campaign, the 2…
Liverpool and Arsenal are neck and neck at the top of the Premier League after two games but on Saturday the Gunners visit Anfield, where they have a terrible recent record.
Since their last win away to Liverpool some seven years ago, Arsenal have been on the end of heavy and humbling defeats, including 4-0 and 5-1 losses on their two previous visits.
They do have some good modern memories of the stadium Andrey Arshavin scored all four Gunners goals in a Premier League classic that ended 4-4 but overall Liverpool have certainly had the edge in this fixture.
Ahead of the enticing clash between the early pacesetters, we look back at Arsenal s last six Premier League trips to Anfield where they have conceded a whopping 22 goals, although only once have they failed t…
Real Madrid should allow Gareth Bale to leave on loan, says the club s former president Ramon Calderon.
Bale fell out of favour at Madrid after Zinedine Zidane returned for his second spell in charge in March.
But his lofty wages reportedly as high as £350,000 a week mean few clubs will likely be able to afford the Wales star.
Madrid have been spending heavily on reinforcements with France international Ferland Mendy their latest signing, the left-back joining Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Eder Militao in heading to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Manchester United have long been linked with a move for Bale, but reports suggest the Premier League side are no longer considering a move.
Calderon therefore feels a loan deal could suit both Madrid and Bale,…
Eintracht Frankfurt took a significant step towards the Europa League final with another impressive away win, beating West Ham 2-1 at London Stadium in their semi-final first leg.
The Bundesliga side had beaten Barcelona away from home to reach this stage and showed why they had caused the Blaugrana such problems in their latest exciting attacking display that featured the earliest ever Europa League semi-final goal.
That Ansgar Knauff header after 50 seconds was cancelled out by Michail Antonio later in the first half, but Frankfurt were firmly on top following the restart.
Daichi Kamada tapped in what proved to be the winner on the night, with Jarrod Bowen almost stealing a draw when an audacious acrobatic effort cannoned off the crossbar in injury time leaving…
When asked about a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer in an interview with Le Figaro, Paul Pogba refused to rule it out. He made it perfectly clear his intention is to win trophies again, and also questioned his own role at Manchester United.
At Manchester United, do I really have a role? I ask myself this question and I do not have an answer, he said.
The France international will be out of contract at the end of the season, and it seems his time with the 20-time English champions has reached its final stretch. Having joined the club from Juventus in 2016 for around €100 million, he s set to leave for free. In all competitions, the 29-year-old midfielder has so far made 229 appearances in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 51 assists for…
Atletico Nacional have called on CONMEBOL to award Chapecoense the Copa Sudamericana after a plane crash claimed the lives of most of the Brazilian club s squad and staff.
Chapecoense were travelling to Medellin for the first leg of their final against the Colombian club when their plane came down in Cerro Gordo in the municipality of La Union.
At least 75 people on board were killed, with six individuals including players Alan Ruschel, Jackson Follmann and Neto named by the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority as survivors.
CONMEBOL suspended all activities in the wake of the news, but Nacional have called on the governing body to act and hand the Brazilians who played fourth-tier football as recently as 2009 a first major title.
A club statement read: …
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed extraordinary star Marco Verratti as one of the best midfielders in the world.
Verratti signed a new five-year deal with PSG on Wednesday, having established himself as an integral member of the Ligue 1 champions since arriving in 2012.
The Italy international, who will remain in Paris until 2024, has won six Ligue 1 titles and 22 trophies in total following his transfer from Pescara.
Tuchel lauded the 26-year-old as a coach s dream ahead of Friday s trip to bottom side Dijon.
The club is pleased to announce the extension of Marco Verratti s contract for additional seasons.
The Italian midfielder, who will turn 27 next Tuesday, is now signed through June 30, 2024
— Paris Saint-Germai…