International Football
CNN ON HOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MESSI AND BARCELONA TURNED SOUR
BY MATIAS GREZ
Overnight, angry Barcelona fans descended on the Camp Nou to lay the blame at the feet of the man they hold responsible for Lionel Messi’s desire to leave.
“Bartomeu, resign!” they chanted over and over again. On Wednesday, club Technical Secretary Ramon Planes desperately tried to quell fans’ anger.
“We have said on many occasions that we think of Lionel Messi as an FC Barcelona player,” he said at the press conference for new signing Trincão.
“Barcelona has rebuilt itself on many occasions throughout its history and has always come back stronger. Our thinking is to have [Trincão] alongside the best player in the world.”
“There is no division in the club about Leo, anyone who understands football wants him here to return to win again — he’s a winner.”
Many fans have been angry with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu for some time, unhappy with a seemingly scattergun approach to planning and recruitment that has seen the team regress following the retirement of the club’s previous generation of stars, notably the 2011 all-conquering homegrown vintage of Xavi and Iniesta.
Messi’s consistently brilliant match-winning moments of magic have papered over the cracks that have been steadily widening at the Camp Nou and some fans are rightly concerned about what will happen to their club should the Argentine talisman get his wish and leave.
The humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals — the biggest European defeat in Barcelona’s history — was unsurprisingly the straw that broke the camel’s back, but Messi’s discontent at the club he made his debut for 16 years ago has been evident for some time.
Messi’s has long endured a strained relationship with Bartomeu and the Barcelona hierarchy, but this came to a head in February when sporting director and former teammate Eric Abidal accused the players of downing tools to get former manager Ernesto Valverde sacked.
In response, the Argentine responded by posting a series of furious messages on his Instagram account, forcing Bartomeu to call an emergency meeting between the pair.
After the Bayern defeat, Abidal left the club, while head coach Quique Setien was sacked and replaced by Ronald Koeman.
Messy ending?
Earlier this year when Barcelona’s players announced they would be taking a 70% pay cut to help the club through the coronavirus pandemic, Messi took another not-so-subtle swipe at the board for the way they had publicly handled negotiations.
Eventually, the off-field battles with his own club, coupled with the team’s failings on the pitch — this is Barcelona’s first trophy-less season since 2007-08 — seem to have become too much.
It has now been five years since Barcelona won the Champions League, an almost unthinkable barren stretch for a team boasting one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
Messi has been at Barcelona since moving to the La Masia academy from Argentina at the age of 13, but it appears their relationship is destined for a messy ending.
According to multiple reports, the 33-year-old is utilizing a clause in his contract which allows him to leave the club for free this summer.
Reportedly the clause expired on June 10, but Messi believes he still has the right to activate it now due to the season being extended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona remains confident that will not be the case and any potential suitors will need to meet Messi’s €700 million ($824.8 million) release clause to secure his services — an amount no club in the world could afford due to Financial Fair Play regulations.
However, should Messi get his wish and leave, there are perhaps only two clubs in Europe that could realistically afford his reported $100 million per year salary: Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain.
“We are not thinking about any contract clause,” Planes said. “The marriage between Messi and FC Barcelona has given much happiness to both parties … we are working internally to convince Messi to find the best solution for FC Barcelona and for Messi.
“Messi has not told us that he will not be showing up at training, but any communication will remain between the parties and we will not broadcast what is spoken out of respect.”
-CNN
Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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International Football
Spain-Argentina ‘Finalissima’ in Qatar at risk amid US, Israel attacks on Iran
The match between Spain and Argentina, tagged “Finalissima” in Doha, is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association’s official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone the game rests with event organisers UEFA and CONMEBOL.
The Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice, while the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Sunday, Qatar’s interior ministry reported a fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.
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International Football
Iran Conflict Casts Uncertainty Over Super Eagles’ Four-Nation Tournament Opener
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may face fresh uncertainty ahead of their scheduled participation in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in Amman, Jordan, following reports that Iran — their intended first opponents — is now at war after attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that the Super Eagles would compete in the mini-tournament during the FIFA Men’s International Window in March 2026. The competition is slated to run from March 27 to 31 in the Jordanian capital.
Under the original fixture schedule, Nigeria were due to open the tournament on Friday, March 27 against Iran’s senior national team at the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium. Hosts Jordan were set to face Costa Rica the same day at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
However, the escalating military confrontation involving Iran has cast serious doubt over the participation of the Iranian national team and the viability of the opening fixture.
While tournament organisers in Jordan have yet to issue an official statement regarding possible changes, the developing security situation is expected to force urgent consultations between the participating federations, tournament organisers and FIFA.
The competition was designed to provide competitive match exposure during a window initially reserved for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament had already generated debate at home, with observers questioning whether the NFF’s commitment signalled a shift in focus away from potential qualification disputes.
The new geopolitical crisis further complicates matters. International conflicts often trigger travel restrictions, airspace closures and security advisories that can directly affect national teams’ ability to assemble and travel.
Should Iran withdraw or be unable to participate, organisers may be compelled to seek a replacement team or adjust the fixture format entirely.
Nigeria are scheduled to face hosts Jordan on March 31 in their second match of the tournament, while Costa Rica and Iran were originally billed to meet the same day at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Kick-off times for the four fixtures had yet to be officially announced before the outbreak of hostilities.
For the Super Eagles, the tournament was seen as an opportunity to build cohesion and test tactical adjustments ahead of future competitive engagements. Now, attention will turn to whether the event can proceed as planned — and whether Nigeria’s opening match will require a late reshuffle.
The NFF is expected to monitor developments closely and may issue further clarification in the coming days as the regional and international situation evolves.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. But the Iranians have dismissed the claim, saying that the leader is ‘firmly commanding the field’. Both Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump says action will give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Hits were reported in Israel and Gulf states as Iran retaliated. The attack has triggered fear and panics as as Iranians flee cities.
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