Connect with us

La Liga

LIKE SARRI, BARCA’S COACH, SETIEN MAY BE ANOTHER CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE CASUALTY

blank

Published

on

After having three weeks to rest and process their turbulent end to the domestic campaign, Barcelona return to action in today’s Champions League last-16, second-leg tie at home to Napoli, with Quique Setien’s future on the line.

The tie is finely balanced at 1-1, with the winners earning a ticket to the “final eight” knockout tournament in Lisbon next week, UEFA’s solution to a competition disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even though the draw in Naples in February was not the worst result for Barca, their performance was slammed by captain Lionel Messi, who declared they would have no hope of winning their fifth European Cup if they continued to play as they did.

His damning assessment came home to roost when the season restarted in June after the coronavirus stoppage and Barca surrendered the Spanish La Liga title to Real Madrid, prompting the forward to launch a new tirade.

The Argentinian’s outburst was interpreted as a swipe against Setien, who had never managed a team in the Champions League until he succeeded Ernesto Valverde in January and ended the league campaign shorn of credit.

Advertisement

Even though club president Josep Maria Bartomeu gave the coach a vote of confidence ahead of the second leg, it is impossible to see him surviving an elimination by Napoli as it would mean Barca’s first trophyless season since 2008.

Besides, the Champions League has been an obsession for the team ever since their last triumph in 2015, so much so that Valverde was dismissed due to his inability to steer the team to European glory even though he led them to back-to-back league titles.

The Catalan giants will be without the suspended Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal, but have been boosted by the return of Frenkie de Jong, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann from injury.

“The first leg was a difficult game for us, they (Napoli) put a lot of men behind the ball and it was not our best game or result but I believe we can do better against them now,” Dutch midfielder de Jong told Barca’s website.

Napoli, meanwhile, are sweating on the fitness of forward Lorenzo Insigne after he hurt a thigh muscle in his team’s last match of Serie A, in which they came seventh, their worst domestic finish in the Italian league since 2009.

Advertisement
  • REUTERS

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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

La Liga

Mission accomplished as Real Madrid reach cup final, Ancelotti says

blank

Published

on

blank

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.”

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

Atletico fought back to hold Barca to a thrilling 4-4 draw ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Madrid.

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

La Liga

Prosecutors seek jail term for Real Madrid coach Ancelotti over alleged tax fraud

blank

Published

on

blank

Real Madrid’s legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti will go on trial next week for allegedly failing to declare income to Spain’s tax office, the Madrid court which will hear the case has said.

Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of four years and nine months for the 65-year-old Italian, accusing him of having cost Spain’s treasury more than one million euros ($1.1 million) in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.

The trial will begin on Wednesday and it is expected to last two days, a spokesman for the court said.

Ancelotti, who as a coach has won a record five Champions League trophies including three with Real, must be present for the hearings, he added.

Prosecutors accuse him of only declaring in his tax returns the personal remuneration received from Real Madrid during those two years even though he himself declared himself to be a tax resident in Spain and indicated his home was in Madrid.

Advertisement

They accuse Ancelotti of allegedly setting up a “confusing” and “complex” system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings from his image rights as well as from other sources such as real estate.

A Spanish court in 2023 ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over the affair, but did not set a date.

Ancelotti dismissed the affair last year as “an old story that I hope will be resolved soon” when he was asked about the case.

He took over at Real Madrid in 2013, leaving in May 2015, before being appointed at Bayern Munich the following year.

The former Italy international midfielder, who as a player won the European Cup twice with AC Milan, later managed Napoli and Everton before returning to Real Madrid in 2021.

Advertisement

Aside from his success in the Champions League he has won domestic league titles with Madrid and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

-AFP

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

La Liga

Spain’s former soccer chief Rubiales says he will appeal court ruling

blank

Published

on

blank
 Luis Rubiales in court on day one of Rubiales trial - National Court, Madrid, Spain, February 3, 2025. Chema Moya/Pool via Reuters/File Photo 

 Spain’s former soccer chief Luis Rubiales told Reuters on Thursday he would appeal a court ruling which found him guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.-

-Reuters

  Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Most Viewed