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Guinea Bissau-born Ansu Fati is new Lionel Messi at Barcelona

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Guinea Bissau-born Ansu Fati takes over Number 10 shirt from Lionel Messi

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.

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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.

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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.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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La Liga

Atletico-Real Madrid derby suspended after fans throw objects onto the pitch

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Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - September 29, 2024 Atletico Madrid fans in the stands as play is stopped due to crowd trouble REUTERS/Ana Beltran

Sunday’s LaLiga derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid was temporarily suspended in the 69th minute due to fans hurling objects onto the pitch after defender Eder Militao scored the opener for the visitors.

While Real players celebrated the goal in the 64th minute, Atletico ultras Fondo Sur, who are located in the south lower stands, threw objects towards visiting keeper Thibaut Courtois, who alerted the referee and he decided to halt the match.

Atletico captain Koke and defender Jose Maria Gimenez went to the south stand to calm the fans down but the referee ordered the players to go to the dressing rooms as the announcer warned that if the behaviour continued the game would be abandoned.

After a delay of over 20 minutes the players returned to the pitch and the game resumed.

-Reuters

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Father of Spain soccer star Lamine Yamal stabbed

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Mounir Nasraoui, father of soccer player Lamine Yamal, smiles in Bar El Cordobes at Rocafonda neighbourhood in Mataro, north of Barcelona, Spain, July 11, 2024. REUTERS/ Albert Gea/File Photo

Mounir Nasraoui, the father of Barcelona and Spain star winger Lamine Yamal, was stabbed late on Wednesday at a parking lot in the northeastern Spanish town of Mataro, La Vanguardia newspaper reported, citing official sources familiar with the matter.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm the report. The regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force and a spokesperson for the Mataro local government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to La Vanguardia report, Nasraoui was taken to the Can Ruti hospital in the nearby city of Badalona and his diagnosis was “serious”. It added that local and regional police had located several witnesses of the incident.

However, a later report by sports website Relevo, also citing official sources, said Nasraoui had been released from hospital and was back at his home.

Yamal, a soccer wonderkid who grew up in coastal Mataro – a working-class, multi-ethnic suburb of Barcelona – became the breakout star of the recent Euro 2024 held in Germany.

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Spain won the tournament, helped in part by the 17-year-old scoring against France in the semifinal on July 9.

-Reuters

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Vinicius set to leave Real Madrid one billion euro offer

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Real Madrid and Brazil forward Vinicius Jr is open to an offer of more than one billion euros from Saudi Arabia, sources close to the player told Reuters on Monday.

Vinicius, 24, was approached by Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) officials to inquire about his interest of moving to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) on a five-year contract worth around 200 million euros per season fixed, plus bonuses.

The package would also include a separate 10-year contract to become an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup, which is set to be held in the country, but those terms and financial numbers are yet to be discussed.

Although an official, formal offer has yet to be presented, Vinicius has not dismissed the move and gave permission to PIF to approach Real Madrid.

Despite being “happy and motivated” in the Spanish capital, Vinicius and his representatives believe that a lucrative offer like this needs to be studied carefully.

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Another source close to the player said that Real have shown no interest in negotiating a transfer, highlighting the player’s one billion euro buy-out clause.

Real Madrid and PIF did not respond to requests for comment.

Obsessed to be taken seriously as a soccer force, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a Sports Clubs Investment and Privatisation Project, with PIF taking ownership of 75% of the capital of the country’s four main clubs: Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al Nassr.

The biggest Saudi transfer came from the country’s most successful club, Al Hilal, who spent 90 million euros to buy forward Neymar from Paris St Germain.

With Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, PIF tried to persuade France captain Kylian Mbappe to be the big name Al Ahli is still missing last year.

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The forward, however, turned down Saudi’s lucrative offer and joined Real Madrid in June.

The proposal for Vinicius is understood to be similar to the Mbappe offer. The Brazilian would join Al Ahli, linking up with former Premier League players Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino.

Vinicius, who is under contract until 2027 after signing an extension in 2022, is a contender to win the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world after helping Real to a Champions League and LaLiga double last season.

-Reuters

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