With a quick tweet of the ref’s whistle and a swift kick from Karim Benzema, 19-year-old Sergiño Dest made history. The fullback became the first American to play in El Clásico on Saturday, starting on the right flank of Barcelona’s defense alongside Gerard Piquè, lining up opposite of Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior.
Kickoff at Camp Nou makes this one .
The quickest way to spot a football fan would be to say the words El Clasico. It is known around the world and maybe the most must-see annual football event. Every time Barcelona and Real Madrid face each other there will surely be headlines in the making. The two are two of the most successful and biggest clubs in the world. El Clasico has seen some of the best players in history put on a show, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane and many others.
MADRID — Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has torn into the club over its handling of the Lionel Messi contract situation, which resulted in the forward attempting to leave in the close-season.
I don’t know if Spanish newspaper ABC is indeed as pathetically racist as it appears to be, but it’s hard to think otherwise after its recent game report of Barcelona’s Champions League win over Ferencváros on Tuesday. The author’s half-assed non-apology only heightens my suspicions.
The first Clásico of the 2020-21 season comes thundering into our living rooms on Saturday as Lionel Messi — perhaps for the final time — welcomes Real Madrid to the Camp Nou at 10 a.m. ET on beIN SPORTS. So how about an El Clásico prediction before then?
Honestly, I’d rather not.
With or without Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or any other superstar past or present, El Clásico is the biggest rivalry in sports; the history between Barcelona and Real Madrid is simply unmatched. But the first Clásico of the 2020-21 season could be a memorable one, as it might just be the final time Lionel Messi faces Los Merengues at his longtime home of Camp Nou. You’re going to want to do whatever you can to watch it.
BARCELONA — Barcelona have formally begun the process to introduce a wage cut on players and staff, the La Liga club said on Wednesday, the latest move to mitigate the crippling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its finances.
Barca announced a record loss of 97 million euros ($114.89 million) earlier this month and a 14% fall in revenue from the previous year, but said it was braced for far bigger reductions this season.
BARCELONA — Lionel Messi became the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons as he guided 10-man Barcelona to a 5-1 victory over Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Group G opener at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.
Messi netted from the penalty spot in the first half for his 116th career goal in the competition, before the lively Ansu Fati added a second.
Imagine, for a minute, that you've been in one long sleep since the summer of 2018. You wake up, think about all the plot holes in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, listen to the yodeling Walmart kid and then see it’s Tuesday, October 20th, 2020.
“Holy shit!” you scream. “It’s Tuesday — the Champions League is on!”
With memories of the 2017-18 season and the Russia World Cup dancing through your head, you start by turning on Juventus vs. Dynamo Kyiv.