CELEBRITY
BARCA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, LAPORTA SAYS HE’LL ENSURE MESSI STAYS
Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta said there was still time to make “a convincing proposal” to Lionel Messi, whose contract with the club expires in June.
“He said he would wait until the end of the season and that gives us time to submit a convincing proposal to him,” said Laporta, who is running to regain the position he held from 2003 to 2010.
Messi has been free to negotiate with other clubs since Friday (Jan 1).
But, as Laporta pointed out, the Barcelona star said in an interview on Spanish television on Dec 27 that he had “decided nothing” about his future.
“I don’t know yet,” Messi said. “I’m focused. I’m not thinking about how the season is going to end.”
He has spent his entire career at Barcelona and made his first-team debut during Laporta’s first presidency.
Laporta called Messi’s wait-and-see approach “positive”, although the Argentine star said in the interview that “the club is going through a difficult time” and that it would be “complicated to bring it back to the level it was at”.
Tired of a club in perpetual crisis with three coaches in the space of a year and disappointing results, such as the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in August, Messi asked to leave the club at the end of last season before changing his mind.
Laporta is one of nine candidates to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned in October three months before his presidential term was due to end.
The vote is on Jan 24.
Under Laporta the club won 12 trophies including four La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.
Laporta said his experience gives him an “advantage”.
“I have credibility with Leo,” Laporta said. “He has always told me that everything I promised him has come true. He knows that if I give my word, I keep it.”
Among his opponents for the Barca presidency are Emili Rousaud and Toni Freixa, former members of the club’s board of directors, Jordi Farre, the promoter of the motion of censure that pushed Bartomeu towards the exit, and Victor Font, who is standing alongside former Catalan playmaker Xavi Hernandez.
-AFP
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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