Who’s ready for LaLiga?! While everyone (and I will not lie, I was one of those people) was stoked for the return of the Premier League last weekend, you should be equally as excited for LaLiga’s return! Yes, the games are on the beIN network, but LaLiga from top to bottom is probably the best league in the world.
But if you’re looking for more reasons to get hyped on the season, then look no further!
Remember Martin Ødegaard? We forgive you if you'd forgotten all about the guy. Here’s a quick refresher for you: Ødegaard was the youngest player ever to play in the Norwegian Tippeligaen at the ripe age of 15 years and 118 days. Not only that, but he also was the youngest player ever to play for the Norway national team at the age of 15 years and 253 days.
Between the closing of the Premier League transfer window and last Friday's match between Manchester United and Leicester City, we learned that the Red Devils intend to keep Paul Pogba. We also realized that Jose Mourinho is finally doing something right — Pogba captained the team. What we have yet to learn is this: Is Pogba set on staying with United?
Barcelona defeated Sevilla 2-1 in the 2018 Spanish Super Cup thanks to goals from Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembele. Pablo Sarabia had given Sevilla an early lead in the ninth minute, but Barcelona’s comeback was complete when Dembele thundered in a crossbar down effort in the 78th.
Sevilla earned a penalty and had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 90th minute, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Wissam Ben Yedder’s tame effort.
Following the semi-retirement of Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi was named Barcelona captain for the upcoming 2018-19 season, the club announced on Friday.
Four Barça captains for this season: all from La Masia!
The Summer of the Goalkeeper (admittedly not as fun as the Summer of Love in '67) continued today with news of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s transfer from his boyhood club of Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea. The 23-year-old’s meteoric rise has continued unabated after a stellar season with Bilbao — only his second with the senior side — was rewarded with a call-up for Spain's World Cup squad. Now he gets to play behind David Luiz.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus, questions have been whirling about as to who will fill his shoes and be the leading man for los Blancos this season. What star will Madrid pluck from another European giant for an absurd sum of money? What precocious youngster will hastily be labeled "The Next Ronaldo?”
For clarification, the Balotelli Challenge does not refer to a competition in which you try to piss your coaches and teammates off with questionable behavior on and off the pitch. Nor does it mean trying a fancy finish when you’re clear on goal or wielding goal celebrations that are nearly obnoxious enough to get you punched in the mouth. Ah, enough I suppose. Mario Balotelli has been through the ringer these past few years.
Thibaut Courtois hard-balled Chelsea on Monday with a preseason training absence. The 26-year-old Belgian goalkeeper has long been speculated to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid, and this stern message to new boss Maurizio Sarri might be the final trick.
Courtois just entered the final 12 months of his Chelsea contract, and with this no-show antic, his transfer might be imminent — to which club though?
Twitter didn’t take long to turn the whole ordeal into a circus of memes.