Spanish Clubs

The moment has finally arrived, and with it, the tears of a clown inside his Range Rover Sport. 

A month ago, in the wake of the Lisbon disaster and the resulting farce of president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s ill-conceived list of untouchables, Luis Suárez put on a brave face and declared himself ready to continue at the Camp Nou by any means necessary, even if it meant riding the pine.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed 26-year-old Portuguese defender Nelson Semedo from Barcelona for 30 million euros ($35.1 million) plus add-ons, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday.

The right back, 26, has penned a deal that will keep him at Molineux until June 2023, with an option to extend it to June 2025.

Nelson Semedo Transfer Fee: $35.1 million

Semedo made 122 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions after arriving from Benfica in 2017. He won two Spanish league titles, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.

ROME — Italian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had evidence that the language exam taken by Barcelona's Uruguay striker Luis Suarez to obtain Italian citizenship ahead of a possible move to Juventus was rigged.

Suarez, whose wife is of Italian descent, passed the exam last Thursday at the University for Foreigners in Perugia.

It cleared the way for a fast-track citizenship approval which would mean Juventus could sign him without exceeding its permitted quota of non-EU players, but suspicions were quickly raised in the media that he was given preferential treatment.

Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitić has called time on his international career with the 2018 World Cup runners-up, he said on Monday.

The former Barcelona player, 32, was an integral part of the Croatia side who reached the World Cup final in Russia before losing 4-2 to France.

Rakitić, who made 106 appearances and scored 15 goals for his country, discussed the decision with national captain Luka Modrić, coach Zlatko Dalić and Croatian Football Association president Davor Šuker.

Barcelona striker Luis Suárez has agreed a deal with the club to end his contract and settled on personal terms with Atlético Madrid, according to reports in Spain on Monday.

The Catalans' third top scorer of all time was told he was not wanted by new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and has been looking for a new club. Suárez, 33, who has one year to run on his Barcelona contract, agreed a deal with the club to cut it short, reports said.

Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal is on the verge of sealing a move to Inter Milan from Barcelona after landing in Milan on Sunday.

Inter's official Twitter account published a photo of Vidal's arrival and a video of the player, 33, saluting fans saying "Hi Inter, I'm here.”

| PHOTO@kingarturo23 has landed in Milan! pic.twitter.com/VivgtWo7pS

Real Madrid had an underwhelming return to LaLiga as they could only draw 0-0 away to Real Sociedad on Sunday in the first game of their title defense.

The champions looked rusty and particularly toothless up front, barely creating any chances of note in either half as Karim Benzema found little support in Brazilian teenage forwards Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo.

MADRID — Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he did not say anything to Gareth Bale before he left to sign for Tottenham Hotspur but insisted he had no personal issue with the Wales forward and praised what he did for the Spanish club.

Bale travelled to London on Friday to finalise a return to Tottenham on loan after seven years at Real which witnessed a remarkable haul of trophies and goals but ended with the player barely featuring at the end of last season.