La Liga
Guinea Bissau-born Ansu Fati is new Lionel Messi at Barcelona
Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations opponents next January, Guinea Bissau may not be a big brand in football, but a player of the country’s origin, Ansu Fati is the one to step into the legendary Lionel Messi’s shoes in Barcelona.
Fati was born in Guinea-Bissau but chose to represent the Spain international team. He is widely considered one of Spain’s most exciting football talents, and one of the best young players in the world
The La Masia product has been awarded Barcelona’s number 10 jersey for the 2021/22 campaign, following in the footsteps of club legend Lionel Messi.
The Blaugrana were unable to renew Messi’s contract in Catalonia this year, meaning that their Argentine icon was forced to walk away from the club, leaving the famous number ten shirt vacant for the new season.
It was unclear whether the jersey would be filled, with La Liga rules forbidding Barça from retiring the number completely.
But all rumours were put to bed on Wednesday morning, when the club announced starlet Fati as the new number 10 in the famous red and blue jersey.
Elsewhere, Ousmane Dembele has taken the number seven shirt vacated by Antoine Griezmann when he sealed a deadline day return to Atletico Madrid, while Yusuf Demir has been given Dembele’s old number 11 and new signing Luuk de Jong will wear 17.
Fati becomes the latest holder of the iconic number 10, following Messi’s 13-year spell in the shirt.
The Argentine was awarded the chance to take the shirt in 2008, when the club sold Ronaldinho upon the emergence of their world beater.
He became the greatest player on the planet while donning that jersey, winning three Uefa Champions League trophies, eight La Liga titles and six Ballons d’Or as their number ten. Messi’s departure shook supporters to their core this summer, but the faith placed in Fati will offer renewed hope.
The 18-year-old drew comparisons with Messi from an early age, and he has been expected to carry the torch from the forward since bursting onto the scene.
However, Fati has suffered a series of complications to a nasty knee injury, which has kept him out of action for nine months.
He wore the number 22 jersey last year, but the club clearly believe he is the man destined to carry them to glory for the next decade or so, entrusting him with the most important shirt on offer. Fati is back in training with Barcelona after his injury, and will return to the Camp Nou field shortly.
Raphinha knew there was no reason to panic as Barcelona struggled to break down Espanyol on Thursday and said it was only a matter of time before the “golden feet” of Lamine Yamal steered them to a title-winning victory with a glorious goal.
Yamal, 17, took the ball on the right touchline and made a superb lateral run across the edge of the box before unleashing a curling strike between two defenders and into the top corner to break the deadlock early in the second half.
The stunning strike set Barca on course for a 2-0 win that secured the LaLiga title, with Real Madrid seven points back with only two games left to play.
“We didn’t have many clear chances but we have a kid in there who sometimes pulls something out of the golden feet he has and he gave us peace of mind to stay in the game more calmly,” Raphinha said.
“In January some people were saying we would fight to be third. We have confidence in ourselves. That’s the key. We trust in the work and in what we know we can do.”
Raphinha has scored 18 league goals this season, including a brace in Saturday’s crucial 4-3 win over Real Madrid, and was quick to credit the trust shown in him by coach Hansi Flick.
The Brazilian tripled his goal tally from last season and also has the third-highest number of assists in the competition with nine, three less than leader Yamal.
“The most important thing was the confidence of the coach. Knowing at the start of the season that he was counting on me, a person who controls the team … it changes you in the end,” he said.
-Reuters
Former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso is set to become the next Real Madrid manager on a three-year deal when he leaves Bayer Leverkusen after this season, Spanish media reported on Monday.
Alonso, 43, is expected to replace current Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is being lined up for the vacant Brazil job ahead of the 2026 World Cup, soccer sources told Reuters.
Despite the Italian having a year remaining on his contract, Real’s underwhelming season and his desire to coach Brazil have led to a mutual agreement to part ways, the sources added.
Alonso, who said earlier this month that he was leaving Leverkusen after guiding them to the double last term, will join Real before the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 14, multiple media reports said.
Alonso, who also played for Liverpool and Bayern Munich, last season steered Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, ending the Bavarians’ 11-year domination, and they also won the German Cup and German Super Cup.
Reports of Ancelotti’s likely departure come as no surprise after Real’s 4-3 defeat at Barcelona in a thrilling ‘El Clasico’ on Sunday left his side on the brink of a trophyless season.
The 65-year-old Italian, who returned for a second stint at Real in June 2021, led the Spanish giants to two Champions League and LaLiga doubles, the latest of which came last season.
He is the most successful manager in the club’s history with a total of 15 trophies and the first coach to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues.
However, this season Real were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and allowed Barca to fight back and win 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.
Second-placed Real are seven points adrift of Barcelona, who could secure the league title on Wednesday without kicking a ball if Real fail to win at home to Mallorca.
Regardless of Real’s result, a Barca victory in the city derby away to Espanyol on Thursday would clinch the title.
An official announcement regarding a managerial change is expected before Real’s last game of the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25.
-Reuters
Schmuelgen/File Photo
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It was mission accomplished, said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after his side fought back from two-goals behind to snatch a rip-roaring 4-4 draw on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win that put them through to the Copa del Rey final.
Ancelotti brushed off questions about a sub-par performance by his side and praised his players’ effort in what he considered a highly entertaining encounter.
“We have achieved our goal today which was to reach the final and there is not much time to think about it,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“It was an entertaining game with some mistakes and a lot of good things. It was fun and we are in the final.
“I never saw ourselves out of it because anything can happen at the Bernabeu. When we have to come from behind, we never give up. We never give up, especially at home, with the fans by our side.”
Ancelotti said David Alaba was not to blame after he deflected two balls into his own goal, calling it “bad luck” by the Austrian defender, but urged his defence to play with better focus moving forward.
“It’s not good to concede four goals in a game,” Ancelotti said.
“Right now we are a team that has a lot of effectiveness up-front, but little balance.
“However, we can’t ignore what we did in attack, scoring four goals against Real is not that easy. I think we are doing quite well.”
Real Madrid, who have won the Spanish Cup only once in over a decade, will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in a mouth-watering final in Seville next month.
Atletico fought back to hold Barca to a thrilling 4-4 draw ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Madrid.
-Reuters
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