Spain

Barcelona's slim chances of winning La Liga took another hit Tuesday when it was announced Neymar's rumored ban for sarcastically clapping at an official after he'd been sent off against Malaga had been made official.

The Brazilian attacker will miss three matches: April 15 against Real Sociedad, April 23 against Real Madrid and April 26 against Osasuna. Barcelona were already in dire need of a win against Real Madrid in El Clasico to keep their La Liga hopes alive, and missing 1/3 of their attacking buzzsaw will make their task that much more difficult.

Barcelona’s form since their historic comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain has been representative of those two ridiculous legs and Barca’s La Liga campaign on the whole.

Real Madrid's hold on the division once looked a certainty as their unbeaten streak reached new heights, but February and early March saw Barcelona win six straight matches in the league while Real dropped four points to Valencia and Las Palmas.

The season is ongoing, but everyone is acutely aware of one coaching position that will be free at the end of the current campaign. It’s been almost a month since Barcelona manager, Luis Enrique, announced that he will not renew his contract that expires this season.

Those watching Barcelona throttle Sevilla 3-0 Wednesday may have noticed Lionel Messi's curious celebration following the first of his two goals.

Messi slid two fingers across his cheek like he was putting on war paint. 

The celebration was intended to help raise awareness and money for a pediatric cancer center in Barcelona.

Now that's what I call squad goals.

Luis Suarez has scored some very good goals in his Barcelona career, but perhaps none as ho-hum as his opener against Sevilla Wednesday.

GOOOOOOAL! @LuisSuarez9 with the opener! Brilliant improvisation, just WOW. #LaLiga https://t.co/aKjV8lbBaD

As a 24-year-old, the sky was the limit for Italian American forward Giuseppe Rossi. Having come through the youth ranks at Parma and Manchester United, he was now flourishing in La Liga with Villarreal. In four seasons, he’d seen his goal totals gradually increase with the club: 13, 15, 17 and then a staggering 32 in the 2010-11 season.

Another match day, another performance that left many questions over Barcelona’s ability in a season that still has them fighting for the treble, which is a ridiculous thing to say. At times, this Barcelona side looks as good as any from the past 13 years, but they’re also more than capable of ringing their own death knell and signaling a need for transformation.

Against relegation certainties Granada, anything less than a comprehensive victory, even without the suspended Lionel Messi, would’ve had Blaugrana supporters looking towards Sevilla’s midweek visit with angst.

Emanuel Santos, the man who made the ugly Cristiano Ronaldo bust currently on display at the Madeira airport, has responded to criticism of his ugly sculpture the same way you or I would, by comparing himself to Jesus.

Former Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez Blanco, known as Raul, looks to have outraged Los Blancos supporters once again after an interview with Catalan-based newspaper Sport. When asked if he could see himself working for any club other than Madrid, including Barcelona, his response was “I like to take things step by step. The first thing is to go back home, which is to Real Madrid, when the moment is right.