Barcelona players will make an extra contribution on top of the 70% pay cut they have agreed to take during the enforced LaLiga break so that the club's other employees can earn their full salaries during the coronavirus crisis, captain Lionel Messi said.
The club's all-time top scorer was among many Barcelona players who released identical statements on social media on Monday to confirm the decision.
Football clubs in Europe are among the wealthiest organizations in the world. They toss around nine-figure transfer fees like it’s nothing while charging exorbitant prices for entry into their stadiums.
And yet, these same clubs who regularly lead the list of richest sports teams in the world have been among the first to claim they don’t have money to pay their players as soccer has screeched to a halt amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela said the Major League Soccer club prevented him from joining FC Barcelona in January.
The reigning MLS Most Valuable Player made the comments in an interview with GQ Mexico magazine that was published Friday.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have each donated $1.08 million towards the fight against coronavirus. Argentina international Messi’s donation will be split between Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and another medical center in his home country, according to a report in MARCA.
The Spanish soccer calendar has been postponed until further notice, LaLiga and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said in a joint statement on Monday. All organized soccer in Spain had been postponed for two weeks due to the spread of the coronavirus but was initially due to resume on April 3.
The statement said a joint commission between the two bodies had agreed to postpone all professional soccer competitions until the Spanish government considered they could start again "without creating any health risk.”
On March 21, the legendary Ronaldinho celebrated his 40th birthday (while in prison in Paraguay). Of his 40 years on this planet, the most celebrated are the five he spent with Barcelona between 2003 and 2008.
The Brazilian enjoyed a stratospheric rise at the Camp Nou and made the Blaugrana No. 10 shirt his own while winning two LaLiga titles, one Champions League crown and the 2005 Ballon d’Or.
Defending Lionel Messi free kicks is one of the most terrifying experiences for a soccer team. If he strikes it the way he wants, which happens more often than not, there’s likely nothing an opponent can do to prevent a goal on a free kick from within 20-25 yards. Messi has scored 19 free kicks since the start of the 2017-18 season.
You can’t blame Real Sociedad for its tactics to defend against a Messi free kick on Saturday at the Camp Nou.
Despite making 106 appearances for Mexico, winning three Gold Cups and capturing an Olympic gold medal by the age of 30, Giovani dos Santos’ career has been largely denounced as a case of what could’ve been.
At the root of that feeling is his sparkling origin story, one which saw him join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at the age of 13 before cementing his status at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship as perhaps Mexico’s greatest-ever talent.
For 70 minutes it looked like we’d ultimately have to praise the goalkeepers following today’s LaLiga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. With all due respect to the position — I love you, I admire you, I know your inner strength — thank god that’s not the case.
No one wants the “Greatest Show on Earth” to be dictated by positional killjoys, and this season’s second El Clásico finally got the goal(s) it deserved.