Barcelona: Cesc Fabregas's 26th birthday celebrations on Saturday may have been more subdued than usual after Barcelona's Champions League exit to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the latest in a series of key matches in which he has failed to impress. The former Arsenal captain has struggled to live up to sky-high expectations since returning to his boyhood club in the summer of 2011, even prompting media speculation he may move...
10:02 AM, May 05, 2013
Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo headed in two goals to help Real Madrid beat Valladolid 4-3 in the Spanish league on Saturday, but the entertaining win was overshadowed by growing dissatisfaction with coach Jose Mourinho for criticizing the club. Madrid's ninth straight home win in league play denied Barcelona the chance to clinch the league title this weekend. Madrid reduced Barcelona's lead to eight points, meaning the Catalan side can't seal the...
08:40 AM, May 05, 2013
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi missed training on Friday as he battles to regain fitness for the La Liga leaders' final few matches of the campaign. "The Argentine forward ... did physiotherapy work" apart from the rest of his team mates, Barca said in a statement on their website. Messi damaged a hamstring just over a month ago and although he had been given the all-clear by medical staff he was...
08:06 AM, May 04, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho lashed out at his critics and suggested he was not being given enough credit on Friday amid widespread expectation he is poised to abandon the La Liga club at the end of this season. The outspoken Portuguese, who has hinted he may be on his way back to Chelsea despite having a contract with Real until June 2016, reiterated that he will decide his...
07:42 PM, May 03, 2013
Barcelona: Dethroned as Europe's dominant team, Barcelona can begin rebuilding their reputation by clinching the Spanish league title this weekend. Barcelona can secure their 22nd domestic title and their fourth in five years if they beat Real Betis at Camp Nou on Sunday and second-place Real Madrid drops points at home against Valladolid the day before. Barcelona and Madrid were both eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals this week. Yet...
06:47 PM, May 03, 2013
Barcelona: With both Barcelona and Real Madrid still smarting from their respective Champions League collapses, the talk is already turning to what changes can be made - maybe even need to be made - for next season. Both Spanish teams lost to German opposition in the semi-finals. Bayern Munich routed Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate, and Borussia Dortmund survived a second-leg loss to reach the final with a 4-3 combined score...
06:29 PM, May 03, 2013
Madrid: The Spanish football league (LFP) will investigate Deportivo La Coruna's 4-0 La Liga victory at Levante on April 13, a Spanish radio station reported on Thursday. Depor, who are in administration and fighting to avoid relegation, hammered mid-table Levante scoring three times in the first half just over two weeks ago. At half-time in the game, Levante midfielder Javier Barkero was reported by local media to have accused some...
09:28 AM, May 03, 2013
Madrid: The failure of Barcelona and Real Madrid to reach the Champions League final on May 25 has allowed La Liga to rearrange the penultimate round of matches, the Spanish league (LFP) said on Thursday. Leaders Barcelona were hammered 7-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in their semi-final while second-placed Real went down 4-3 against Borussia Dortmund. "In line with a prevision made in the calendar... that if no Spanish...
10:54 PM, May 02, 2013
Madrid: The manner of the Champions League semi-final exits of Barcelona and Real Madrid have set in motion likely overhauls at both clubs, and is forcing La Liga to re-evaluate itself in the face of a resurgent German Bundesliga. Barcelona were humbled 7-0 on aggregate by German champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the day after Real almost overturned their shock 4-1 first leg defeat away to outsiders Borussia Dortmund, to...
03:39 PM, May 02, 2013
London: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has agreed a deal to re-join Chelsea as their manager this summer - and is poised to bring Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao with him. According to a report in Goal.com Mourinho will be unveiled as a Chelsea coach at the end of the season or early next month. Mourinho had earlier led the club to two Premier League titles, FA Cup and Carling...
01:51 PM, May 01, 2013
After registering their 20th English Premiere League title, Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed a keen desire to bring in Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, the Sun reported on Monday. Ronaldo, who left United in 2009 for Madrid at a whopping 80 million has two more years remaining in his contract and if the rumour mills are to be believed, it might be...
01:48 PM, Apr 30, 2013
Madrid: Deportivo La Coruna held Real Betis to a 1-1 draw in the Spanish league on Monday, extending their unbeaten away run to six matches and denting Betis' bid to qualify for Europe. Deportivo striker Ivan "Riki" Sanchez-Rico dribbled past three defenders before beating goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel to score in the sixth minute. He could have scored again three minutes later but San Miguel athletically saved his powerful shot....
10:13 AM, Apr 30, 2013
Barcelona: Real Sociedad striker Imanol Agirretxe scored two goals and set up a third in a highly entertaining 4-2 comeback win over Valencia on Sunday. Sociedad's victory strengthened their hold on fourth place and Spain's last Champions League berth by increasing their lead to five points over fifth-place Valencia with five rounds left. "We took advantage of the chances we had," said Agirretxe, who took his tally to 11 goals...
08:51 AM, Apr 29, 2013
Barcelona: Real Madrid continued their dominance over Atletico Madrid by rallying for a 2-1 win at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Sunday. Madrid's win kept them unbeaten against Atletico in 25 straight games dating to 1999 and maintained their psychological advantage over their crosstown rival heading into their clash in the Copa del Rey final on May 17. Madrid were without top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, healing a muscle injury for Tuesday's...
08:21 AM, Apr 28, 2013
Barcelona: Barcelona missed a potential chance to secure the title this weekend as a late goal saw Athletic Bilbao steal a point with a 2-2 draw at San Mames. After the 4-0 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich in midweek, Lionel Messi began from the bench but Tito Vilanova selected a strong team. However, the Basque side began the game impressively and deservedly took the lead into half time...
11:25 PM, Apr 27, 2013
Madrid: Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna played to a 2-2 draw on Friday that left both teams short of their objectives in the Spanish league. Rayo stayed in eighth place and four points from the Europa League spots, while Osasuna edged five points clear of the drop before the rest of the teams play. Rayo striker Andrija Delibasic opened in the seventh minute by heading in a cross from Alhassane "Lass"...
01:36 PM, Apr 27, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo picked up an injury in Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund and is out of Saturday's La Liga match at city rivals Atletico. The Portuguese international has a "muscle problem" but the club are hopeful he will recover in time for Tuesday's semi-final second leg at home to Dortmund, assistant coach Aitor Karanka told a news conference on Friday. "Before the Dortmund...
12:42 AM, Apr 27, 2013
Madrid: Barcelona can secure their fourth La Liga title in five years on Saturday, but the celebrations are likely to be muted with the club facing a mountain to climb in their Champions League semi-final. Barca lead second-placed Real Madrid by 13 points with six games left to play, and could move 16 clear with a victory at struggling Athletic Bilbao. That would be enough to deliver them the title...
05:13 PM, Apr 26, 2013
Madrid: Playmaker Andres Iniesta has dismissed the idea Barcelona are at the end of an era following their 4-0 Champions League mauling by Bayern Munich. Barca, who lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011, were the favourites to win the competition ahead of Tuesday's semi-final first leg but they were so outclassed by the Germans that many pundits believe their recent spell of dominance is over. "I think it is...
10:21 PM, Apr 25, 2013
Dortmund: Manchester United's Premier League title win came as no surprise to Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who praised coach Alex Ferguson on Tuesday and said winning was his life. Mourinho, who challenged United's domestic dominance while at Chelsea between 2004-2007, was speaking Real's their Champions League semi-final against Borussia Dortmund. Real eliminated United in the last 16. "What he did is what he has been doing all his life,...
09:55 PM, Apr 23, 2013
