La Liga
REVEALED! NEW COACH, KOEMAN TRIGGERS MESSI’S EXIT FROM BARCELONA
It has been revealed that the harsh communication between Lionel Messi and the new Dutch coach, Ronald Koeman may have caused the Argentine legend to call it quit at Barcelona.
Messi decided to hand in a transfer request after the coach frankly told him: “your privileges in the squad are over.”
The 33-year-old had been considering his future at the Nou Camp after a trophyless season ended with a humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, which prompted the sacking of coach Quique Setien
Koeman was quickly installed as Setién’s replacement, after which Messi reportedly told the Dutchman that he saw himself ‘more out of the club than in it’ having cut short his holiday to meet the Dutchman.
Argentine news outlet Diario Olé claims at a meeting Koeman told Messi: ‘Your privileges in the squad are over, you have to do everything for the team. I’m going to be inflexible, you have to think about the team.’
The frank exchange reportedly convinced Messi that now is the time for him to leave the club.
The dramatic move piled the pressure on Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Fans were heard shouting ‘Bartomeu resign!’ outside the club’s headquarters but the president on Tuesday night insisted he is not considering resigning.
Messi communicated to Barcelona via fax on Tuesday that he wants to leave the club on a free transfer this summer.
The extraordinary development potentially puts the 33-year-old within reach of a dramatic move to Manchester City and a reunion with Pep Guardiola.
Manchester United, PSG, Inter Milan and Juventus are also showing early interest.
The Argentine journalist close to the player, Veronica Brunati, broke the story on Tuesday and it was subsequently confirmed by sources close to the Catalan club.
Messi’s bold move was immediately praised by Carles Puyol who tweeted: ‘Respect and admiration Leo. All my support, amigo.’
Puyol’s tweet was then applauded in a reply from Luis Suarez.
Messi’s discontent is nothing new but the possibility of a free transfer is.
The suggestion is that Messi believes a clause in his contract allowing him to walk away for nothing is still valid because the season ended in August and not May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona say the deadline for Messi to leave for free passed in June and will contest the player’s argument that the deadline changed when the season was rearranged after lockdown.
Messi is supposed to report for the new season on Sunday for a scheduled coronavirus test but has no intention of meeting up with new coach Ronald Koeman or attending Monday’s subsequent first training session.
The bombshell opens the way to three very different scenarios:
The club could simply point to Messi’s €700million (£620m) release clause and stick to their belief that his chance to leave on a free passed in June.
They could accept that he wants to go and open negotiations to buy-out the final year of his deal as they are doing with Suarez.
Or Messi’s move could spark outrage among the club’s supporters and a vote of no-confidence in president Josep Bartomeu forcing elections.
The first of those three options is likely to be their first reaction.
But there is a growing belief around the club that at least part of the club’s board want Messi to leave.
The former Barcelona president Joan Laporta accused Bartomeu of wanting to sell Messi in a tweet published on Tuesday.
‘I suspect they want to sell Messi,’ he said. ‘Poor Barça in the hands of these incompetents.’
Messi earns €50m (£44m) net a season and that costs the club close to €100m (£88m) gross a year with tax payments.
The pandemic has left the club fearing a €300 (£3265m) hole in revenue for next season.
The wage bill – already making up 60 per cent of income pre-pandemic – would now swallow up 80 per cent of revenue and the club desperately need to reduce it.
Barcelona’s stance towards Messi has changed drastically since the 8-2 exit to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
President Bartomeu has not spoken to the club captain since the debacle and new coach Koeman has already said he does not want anyone at the club who does not want to be there.
Messi has now made it clear he wants out.
And Barcelona must decide how to react as Manchester City lead the small clutch of European clubs who would be able to pay his wages all beginning to wonder if the impossible signing is now on.
FC Barcelona have implemented a tailored nutrition and recovery programme for teenage star Lamine Yamal to help him observe Ramadan without compromising his performance levels.
The 18-year-old winger will once again fast during the holy month, having successfully balanced his religious commitment with first-team football last season. However, with competitive fixtures scheduled during Ramadan, Barcelona’s medical staff are taking additional measures to ensure his energy levels, hydration and recovery remain optimal.
Yamal’s first match while fasting is scheduled for Sunday at 4:15 p.m. against Levante.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the approach is not unprecedented at the Catalan club. Barcelona previously developed similar plans for Muslim players, including Ousmane Dembélé, Franck Kessié and Ansu Fati.
The strategy focuses on adjusting meal timing and hydration cycles to align with fasting hours, allowing players to maintain peak fitness while respecting their faith.
Medical experts at the club have emphasised the importance of a balanced iftar meal — avoiding overly heavy or rich foods that could interfere with rest or slow post-match recovery. Hydration protocols are also being closely monitored, with Yamal encouraged to maximise fluid intake during non-fasting hours to compensate for the daytime abstinence.
Balancing Faith and Performance
Ramadan fasting can pose physical challenges for elite athletes, particularly in high-intensity sports that demand sustained concentration and explosive energy. Barcelona’s performance team is therefore closely tracking Yamal’s workload and recovery metrics throughout the month.
Last season, the teenager demonstrated he could maintain high performance standards while fasting, strengthening confidence within the club that he will manage the demands effectively again.
For Barcelona, the initiative reflects a dual commitment — respecting the player’s religious observance while safeguarding the physical condition of one of their most promising talents.
As the fixtures unfold, attention will turn to how the young winger adapts during this period, with supporters and analysts keen to see whether he can once again combine elite football with spiritual discipline.
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- Summary
- Barcelona miss chance to regain LaLiga lead
- Girona’s Fran Beltran scores late winner
- Cubarsi calls for self-reflection after consecutive defeats
Barcelona were stunned by Girona, who roared back to win 2-1 at home in a breathless Catalan derby on Monday, as last season’s champions failed to return to the LaLiga summit, leaving Real Madrid top of the table.
Barcelona struck the woodwork twice in the first half, Raphinha hitting the post before Lamine Yamal fired a penalty against the same upright in added time after Dani Olmo was fouled inside the box.
Pau Cubarsi finally put the visitors ahead in the 59th minute, rising to head home Jules Kounde’s cross from a short corner, but Girona levelled three minutes later when Thomas Lemar converted from close range after Vladyslav Vanat’s cross was confused.
Fran Beltran sealed victory in the 87th minute, steering home from Joel Roca’s pass as the Montilivi stadium erupted.
Barcelona pushed for an equaliser but could not break through, even after Roca was sent off in added time for a reckless foul on Lamine Yamal.
Barca remain on 58 points, two behind Real Madrid, and have lost successive games in all competitions for the first time since October.
“We lacked a bit of everything. We need to be self-critical. We need to improve things and get our act together,” Cubarsi told DAZN.
“After my goal, they scored very quickly to equalise. We got them back into the game too quickly. We need to improve on those goals they score right after we take the lead. Keep your head down and improve.”
BARCA DOMINATE POSSESSION
Hansi Flick welcomed back Frenkie De Jong and Raphinha from injury after their absence in last week’s 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid, and Barca duly dominated possession early in the game.
Yet their finishing deserted them. Raphinha dragged wide after surging in from the left, while Yamal was denied from point-blank range by keeper Paulo Gazzaniga following a sharp counter down the right.
Girona were content to sit deep and spring forward, repeatedly testing Barcelona’s high defensive line with the pace of Bryan Gil as the former Tottenham Hotspur winger caused persistent problems for Jules Kounde down the left channel.
Gil’s surging runs carved out Girona’s best openings before the break. He twice set up Vanat, who was denied by an exceptional Joan Garcia, and the striker then squandered a gilt-edged chance in the 35th minute, slicing an effort from close range with no defender near him.
Yamal missed from the spot in added time before the break and the contest remained wide open after the interval, finally producing goals in quick succession.
Barcelona broke through in the 59th minute when Cubarsi rose highest from a short corner. Kounde delivered from the right and the defender twisted his neck to send a towering header into the top-right corner, beyond Gazzaniga’s desperate dive.
Their lead lasted barely three minutes, with Lemar equalising as Girona seized momentum, pushing Barcelona back, with Garcia producing two outstanding one-handed saves to keep out efforts from Vanat and Roca when both seemed destined for the bottom corner.
But the keeper was powerless in the 87th minute. Claudio Echeverri drifted across the edge of the box before giving the ball back inside to Roca who squared it to substitute Beltran, who took a touch, lifted his head and slotted into the bottom-left corner to ignite a sold-out crowd.
Girona, who had been on a three-match winless run and hovering near the relegation places, climbed to 12th on 29 points, while Barcelona were left to rue missed chances and a defeat that could yet loom large in the title race.
-Reuters
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Lamine Yamal missed a penalty as Barcelona spurned the chance to return to the top of La Liga, falling to defeat in a fiery Catalan derby against Girona.
Hansi Flick’s side now trails arch rivals Real Madrid by two points in the title race after substitute Fran Beltran struck in the 86th minute at Estadio Montilivi to snatch all three points and ease relegation fears for the home side.
The visitors thought defender Jules Kounde had been fouled in the build-up to the winner, but after a brief video assistant referee (VAR) check, the goal was given.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men midway through stoppage time, with substitute Joel Roca bringing down Lamine Yamal with a lunging challenge.
Yet Barcelona were unable to force an equaliser as they succumbed to just a third league defeat against their regional rivals.
The result marks a second loss in succession for Barcelona, who suffered a 4-0 hammering by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday.
It was a fiercely fought contest from the off as the hosts took the game to the league leaders, forcing keeper Joan Garcia into a save inside the first minute.
By contrast, Barcelona were lethargic, spurning several gilt-edged chances to take the lead. Lamine Yamal was the main culprit, twice missing from close range before crashing a penalty off the base of the upright in first-half stoppage time.
In the end, two defenders combined to break the deadlock in the 59th minute. Centre-back Pau Cubarsi looped a header into the top corner from right-back Kounde’s cross for his first league goal in Barcelona colours.
The visitors’ joy was short-lived, though, as Girona hit back two minutes later when midfielder Thomas Lemar tapped home Vladyslav Vanat’s centre for his second goal in as many games.
The hosts scored again 10 minutes later as Garcia failed to claim Viktor Tsygankov’s speculative header, though the goalkeeper was awarded a foul for a shove from Roca on the goalline.
The victory ends a three-game winless run for Girona, who move up to 12th, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Barcelona’s league winning run ends at three games, and they face a possible five-point gap at the summit come their next fixture – Real Madrid head to Osasuna on Saturday (17:30 GMT), before Barca host Levante on Sunday (15:15).
-BBC
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