Chelsea has made its first, and probably only, move while serving a two-window transfer ban (this summer and next January) by permanently signing the previously on-loan Mateo Kovačić from Real Madrid for a fee that could approach nearly $57 million.
The 25-year-old just completed his first season with the Blues, and with plenty of unforeseen circumstances ahead, Kovačić had to be brought back.
According to SPORT, a Spanish daily based in Barcelona, Neymar has agreed on personal terms to return to the Camp Nou on a five-year deal that includes a massive pay cut to his current salary. The 27-year-old currently earns $41 million per year with PSG, but he’s willing to rejoin Barça for around $27 million.
With the USWNT and Spain knotted at 1-1 after the hour mark at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims on Monday, La Roja’s Patricia Guijarro broke free on the left-hand side of the U.S. defense and fizzed a shot just wide of Alyssa Naeher’s far post. It was in this moment that a possible upset of historic proportions went from “there’s no way in hell” to “oh shit, this kinda feels like it’s happening.”
The USWNT overcame a spirited, physical and tactically disciplined Spain to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup and setup an enthralling match with France, but the manner of the victory was hardly assuring.
The U.S. required two penalties from captain Megan Rapinoe — one in the seventh minute and the next in the 76th — to overcome a defensive error that allowed Jennifer Hermoso to score the first goal against the USWNT of this tournament.
Real Madrid legend Raúl moved another rung up the coaching ladder today, as he was announced as the new manager for Real Madrid’s second division side Real Madrid Castilla.
BREAKING: Real Madrid legend Raul will coach the club’s Castilla side through 2019/20 pic.twitter.com/KHQipZgHFd
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 20, 2019
Luis Enrique has just announced that he will step down as manager of the Spanish national team for "family reasons."
Enrique was coach of the Spanish national team for 11 months, replacing Fernando Hierro, who was fired after Spain performed poorly in the 2018 World Cup.
According to recent reports from Spanish daily MARCA, Atlético Madrid is planning on making a massive $135 million bid for Benfica wonderkid João Félix. The 19-year-old attacker tore up the Primeira Liga last season, scoring 15 goals while adding seven assists in 26 games.
The fee would double Atlético’s previous transfer record, set when purchasing French winger Thomas Lemar from Monaco last summer for $67 million.
Spain is widely considered a rising power in women’s soccer, and la Roja had a tremendous opportunity to accentuate that sentiment with a victory over two-time world champion Germany on Wednesday. But they blew it, and their failure is compounded by the fact that they’re now possibly on a collision course with the USWNT in the Round of 16.
The majority of the first half was dominated by Spain, and two glorious opportunities fell to Nahikari García to open the scoring in the opening 14 minutes.
For the third game in a row, Manchester United’s David De Gea found himself out of the starting 11 for the Spanish national team in favor of Kepa Arrizibalaga. The Chelsea keeper has proven his worth, having allowed one goal over the three games he’s started, with the goal coming off a cheap deflection against the Faroe Islands.