Barca would already be LaLiga winners.

Realmadrid and barcelona have made the title race down to 2 games with real Madrid having a game advantage,the race would commence on 8 pm CET with Madrid's game against Celta and on weekend there will be real-malaga and barca-eibar. Laliga technical committee announced day before that the referre  Alejandro Hernandez who denied that half meter inside  goal in the Barca's match against betis(Alba)(game 20,1-1)will lead barca-eibar game,and real Madrid-malaga game will be ruled by Basque Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea,who allowed morata's offside goal against celta which eventually became decider in Madrid's win against celta(2-1).

Though classico was also referried by hernandez in which he turned quite a blind eye to Casemiro's iterating foul's on Messi,though he did get Ramos sent off for his wild evasion into Messi.

Hernandez favoured Madrid on numerous occasion ,in espanyol-madrid(0-2) he did not see two clear penalties of Pepe and Ramos when Madrid were 1-0,and on another occasion in the game against sporting awarded a penalty for an imaginative foul on Lucas Vazquez.

Talking of the legend of De Burgos Bengoetxea,his error gave Madrid two points against Celta,he cancelled pique's goal against malaga (0-0),he worked in the madrid's win against Valencia (2-1),he just ignored the clear penalty in madrid derby which eventually ended in a draw,which Atletico might have won.

If the games were to be even,the points would be :
 
    Barca       91(+2 betis,+2 pique goal malaga)
    Real         81(-2 sporting,-2 espanyol,-2 celta)(1 game remaining)
(In this situation barca win even if Real win both their remaining games and barca get defeated in both.)

But situation now is:
 
    Barca       87
    Real         87(1 game remaining)

Read More

PSG wants Messi

PSG wants Messi

The relationship between PSG and Messi seems never-ending, According to 'L'Equipe', the French club remains intent on signing the Argentine star and has already taken steps to get its man next summer. The club admits that it will be tough to agree a deal, but it wants to take advantage of the player's doubts surrounding his new deal at Barça.

Despite the Paris club's claims denying any chance of it making a bid for the Argentine, L'Equipe insists that a deal is possible. It's almost mission impossible because they would also have to break the bank to sign him.

 Read more on -  Bartomeu on messi pay rise

Read More

Bartomeu: "Messi will be the World's Highest Paid".

Bartomeu will shortly renew Messi's contract. It's unlikely that the process will be too drawn out because the conditions have already been agreed upon between the player and the club. Messi's salary will increase significantly and will soon be similar to what Ronaldo earns at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese earns €18 million as a basic salary with another three million in variable bonuses. Messi's pay packet will be similar, which is a substantial improvement because he currently earns some €13 million that can increase to €16 million if he hits all his targets.

The new contract was already agreed on between the club's former president, Rosell, and the player's father. The only reason that it hasn't already been signed yet was that the club wanted to make sure Iniesta renewed his contract first.

With that out of the way, sealing Messi's new contract is now a priority and it will undoubtedly happen sooner rather than later. The club doesn't want it to be a drawn out affair, given that the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Manchester City is looming large on the horizon.

There is a great deal of interest in renewing contracts around Barcelona at the moment, now that the real figures involved in Neymar's transfer are coming to light. The Brazilian's contract fits the team's pay structure, but if you add all the contracts Barcelona signed with the company owned by the player's father then his earnings top everyone else's apart from Messi's - and they are in the same ballpark as the Argentine's, depending on how you interpret the figures.

Read More

Messi out until 2014

Tests today have confirmed Leo Messi’s femoral biceps injury which will leave him out of action for six to eight weeks. The player had to be substituted in the first half of yesterday’s 1-4 victory at Betis. Messi will miss the games with Granada, Ajax, Athletic Club, Celtic, Villarreal, Getafe as well as the two Copa del Rey games with Cartegena. The league game with Elche on January 5 might be a possible return date but the intention is to have him fit again for the vital league clash at Atlético Madrid on January 12.

Read More

Match Report: FC Barcelona 3 AC Milan 1

Barça comfortably reached the last 16 of the 2013/14 Champions League after a 3-1 win over AC Milan at Camp Nou tonight. Leo Messi ended his four-match goal drought, blasting Barça in front from the penalty spot after half an hour and ten minutes later Sergio Busquets headed Barça further in front from Xavi’s free kick. Milan cut the deficit just before half time when Gerard Piqué put through his own goal but Messi added his second of the night after a good combination with Cesc Fabregas ten minutes from the end to wrap things up for Barça.

The debate this week has centred on Barça’s style of play and tonight’s game will have done little to settle the argument. Tata Martino began the season using plenty of rotations but in recent games we have seen him leaning towards an once de gala. With Adriano and Piqué declared fit, Martino again put out his best eleven, except for the injured Jordi Alba, which meant both Pedro Rodriguez and Csec Fabregas again started on the bench. Barça gave a dominant performance and deserved the victory but there was still a lack of spark in the final third of the field.

Milan set out in a defensive 4-4-2. Balotelli was sacrificed to the bench which meant that Robinho and Kaká led the attack for the visitors while Andrea Poli was brought in to bolster the midfield. The Italians didn’t exactly sit back and wait and they pushed up when they could, however, they tried to leave little space between the midfield and defensive lines to make things difficult for Barça, and it was not unusual in the first half to see the entire Milan team back in their own half.

Despite the defensive approach from Milan, Barça started the game well. In the first few minutes Xavi sent a free kick wide, then after a quick one-two with Xavi, Messi burst towards the area and was only denied by Abate putting the ball out for a corner. Barça took the corner short with the ball coming inside to Busquets whose shot was deflected for another corner. Then soon after, in the 6th minute, Messi sent an excellent ball in for Neymar but the Brazilian’s control let him down.

There were good sensations from Barça. In the 11th minute Neymar tried a curler from the left but sent the ball well wide of the far post, then three minutes later Xavi stabbed a superb quick pass into Alexis but the ball got caught between the Chilean’s feet and Mexes had time to intervene. Alves tried his luck but missed the target from 25 yards, then Iniesta got a second attempt to thread a pass through to Adriano but the left back’s dangerous cross was missed by Messi, and Alexis couldn’t get enough of a touch to steer the ball in. From the resulting goal-kick Abbiati played it short to Mexes who passed back to the goalkeeper, giving Alexis the chance to charge at the keeper but despite getting in the way of Abbiati’s attempted clearance Alexis could only deflect the ball out for another goal kick.

Little by little Milan began to find their position and the chances started drying up. However, just when Barça seemed to be running out of ideas Iniesta sent a chip in towards Neymar who was impeded by Abate grabbing at his shoulder. The Brazilian spun to the ground and the Serbian referee Milorad Mazic pointed to the spot. Abbiati dived to his right as Messi powered the penalty straight down the middle and Barça were in front.

Milan didn’t manage a shot until the 35th minute when Poli pulled the ball back from the right but Montolivo sent his effort wide from 25 yards. However, as the Italians adopted a more attacking approach Barça began to find more chances to penetrate. Messi sent Alexis away with a delightful scoop pass but the Chilean’s cross clipped a defender and Abbiati was able to dive and gather. Then it was Iniesta who found the pass into the area for Messi who did well to resist Zapata’s challenge but as Abbiati came charging out of his goal Messi could only chip the ball across the goal and Mexes headed clear. Barça’s pressure paid off a minute later when Xavi sent in a free kick from the left and with the Milan defence looking for an offside Busquets was left free to stoop and head home Barça’s second.

Barça should have been home and dry at this point. Adriano might have made it 3-0 with a thirty yard drive but Abbiati palmed the ball over the bar. Then just before half-time Kaká for once escaped from Alves on the left, and just before Alves could recover Kaká sent in a low cross which clipped off Piqué’s right foot, leaving Valdés with no chance at his near post.

Milan were encouraged for the second half and Max Allegri replaced Robinho with Mario Balotelli. The controversial forward was soon in action, shaking off Mascherano’s challenge before going past Adriano to send in a low hard cross that Valdés did well to hold. Barça seemed divided between pushing for another goal and playing a more conservative approach. There was little threat on Abbiati’s goal as Barça were twice frustrated by the linesman. First, Messi was caught offside as Adriano’s shot hit him and then looped in for a disallowed goal. Then Neymar looked in line with the last defender as Xavi sent a fine pass through but the official raised his flag. Barça didn’t test Abbiati in the second half until the 59th minute, after a short corner Messi played the ball back for Iniesta who had to nudge the referee out of the way in order to shoot, Abbiati dived quickly to his left to save.

Milan continued to edge forward and Barça converted more and more to looking for the quick counter-attack. Mascherano needed to make a last-ditch tackle to thwart Balotelli, then a minute later the powerful Italian forward again got past Adriano and Mascherano to send a cross to the near post where Kaká, under pressure from Piqué, sent his shot narrowly wide.  Two minutes later, as the visitors had their best spell of the game, Mascherano had to turn Emanuelson’s dangerous cross out for a corner.

However, Barça began to find chances again at the other end with Adriano shooting over from 25 yards. Neymar then went on the most incredible run, cutting inside from the left and going past Abate, Poli, Zapata and Mexes before missing his chance for a goal-of-the-season candidate by blazing well wide from close to the penalty spot.

Birsa replaced Poli with just over fifteen minutes remaining as Allegri looked for an equalizer but as Milan came forward Barça looked increasingly dangerous on the counter. There was one marvellous combination between Messi and Neymar which ended with the Argentinian slipping the ball right for Alexis, but tonight the Chilean was not as his most fortunate and Abbiati denied him with an excellent save.

Martino delayed any substitutions until the 78th minute when he decided to rest Iniesta and give a Fabregas a short run-out. Soon after, Milan had their final chance for an equalizer but Alves managed to cut out Montolivo’s pass towards the unmarked Muntari. Then in the 83rd minute Fabregas showed his worth playing a brilliant return to Messi who avoided Mexes’s lunge and outsprinted De Jong before keeping his cool to lift the ball over the advancing Abbiati and seal the win for Barça.

Messi might have had a hat-trick after another Fabregas pass sent him into the area but Mexes made a fine saving tackle. There were late substitutions with Pedro and Song replacing Neymar and Xavi but there was little time for them to do much. Milan had already run out of steam after the third goal and there was no more threat on Valdés’s goal. The three points leave Barça on 10 pts from four games in Group H, Milan remain second on five pts, Ajax are now third on four pts after beating Celtic 1-0 which leaves the Scottish side bottom of the group on three pts. One more point from the last two games will now guarantee top spot for Barça.

Barça: Valdés 6.5; Alves 6.5, Piqué 7, Mascherano 6.5, Adriano 6.5; Xavi 7.5 (Song m88, –), Busquets 8, Iniesta 7 (Fabregas m78, 7.5); Alexis 6, Messi 7, Neymar 7 (Pedro m85, –).

Milan; Abbiati; Abate, Mexes, Zapata, Emanuelson; Poli (Birsa m74), Montolivo, De Jong, Muntari; Kaká (Matri m84); Robinho (Balotelli h/t).

Goals: m30 Messi (pen) 1-0, m39 Busquets 2-0, m45 Piqué (o.g.) 2-1, m83 Messi 3-1.

Yellow cards: m29 Abate, m32 Muntari, m56 De Jong, m62 Alexis.

Attendance: 80,517

Read More

Champions League Preview: FC Barcelona vs AC Milan

Champions League football returns to Camp Nou tomorrow as Barça take on AC Milan in the battle for first place in Group H (Wednesday 8.45 pm). Tata Martino’s men go into the match in a strong position, knowing that a victory will mean qualification to the last 16 while almost guaranteeing top spot and even a draw would still leave Barça in pole position to win the group.

Barça are clear favourites to win the game and with Milan going through a crisis of form, few give the Italians much hope at Camp Nou. Since the two teams drew 1-1 at the San Siro two weeks ago, Max Allegri’s men have managed just one point in Serie A from a home draw with Lazio while they lost 3-2 at Parma and 0-2 at home to Fiorentina on Saturday. The seven-times champions of Europe have taken just 12 points from 11 games in the Italian league which leaves them a massive 19 points behind leaders Roma.

If things don’t improve soon Allegri may be out of a job by Christmas. The difficulty of his task tomorrow is demonstrated by the fact that Milan haven’t won in their last five Champions League games in Barcelona. The Italians last win at Camp Nou came in the group stage in 2000 when goals from Coco and Bierhoff earned a 0-2 victory for the visitors. Since then, in 2004 Eto’o and Ronaldinho scored in a 2-1 Barça win in the group stage, then in 2006 a goalless draw in the semi-final 2nd leg proved enough to send Barça through to the final against Arsenal. Milan managed another draw (2-2) in the group stage of the 2011/12 season but then when the teams met again in the quarter-finals two penalties from Leo Messi and a goal from Andres Iniesta gave Barça a 3-1 win and classification for the semis. The teams last met in March last season’s last 16 when Barça famously overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg with a 4-0 victory at Camp Nou.

Despite the statistics Milan should never be underestimated. They will be boosted by the probable return in goal of the veteran Christian Abbiati, while ageing stars such as Kaká and Robinho demonstrated in the first leg that when the stage is right they are still players to be reckoned with. Mario Balotelli is another who seems to perform better in big games and after returning from injury as a substitute in the first leg he will be fit to start at Camp Nou. Balotelli’s form has been disappointing this season and he has picked up more yellow cards (five) than goals (three); however, despite his inconsistency, Super Mario has demonstrated enough times in the past that he has the strength and ability to trouble any defence.

Barça have doubts over the fitness of Piqué and Adriano. The two defenders underwent specific programs yesterday rather than training with the group though the local press seems optimistic that both players will  be ready to play though they may both begin on the bench. The squad will train again this evening before Tata Martino decides on his list for the game.

With Jordi Alba still out injured, the problems of Piqué and Adriano only go to emphasise the apparent fragility of our defenders. Puyol and Mascherano have also both missed games through injury and it seems as if it is always our back line that suffers these problems which might indicate that we really should have signed another defender in the summer. However, a look at our recent record shows we have only conceded four goals in the last eleven games which demonstrates the effectiveness of Martino’s methods. It’s a slightly strange sensation as neither Piqué nor Mascherano, considered the first-choice centre-backs, is in his best moment, though acknowledgement must go to Victor Valdés who has begun the season in excellent form while Dani Alves deserves credit for improved performances defensively.

Johnathan dos Santos underwent surgery on the cruciate ligaments of his right knee today following his injury last week in training. The operation was successful but Dos Santos now faces a six-month recovery period which makes it unlikely he will play again this season. Let’s hope the team can put on a good show tomorrow and dedicate a victory to the youngster.

Possible teams:

Barça: Valdés; Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Montoya; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Pedro, Messi, Neymar.

Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Mexes, Zapata, Constant; De Jong, Montolivo, Muntari; Robinho, Balotelli, Kaká.

Prediction: Barça 2 Milan 0

Date: Wednesday 6 November 2013. Kick off 8.45 pm local time.

Read More

Match Report and Highlights : FC Barcelona 1 Espanyol 0

Espanyol came close to frustrating Barça in the local derby at Camp Nou tonight, but with twenty minutes to go Alexis Sanchez scored the only goal of the game after an assist from Neymar Jr to take Barça to 34 points from 12 games and guarantee top spot in La Liga for another week.

Tata Martino picked the same team that started in Milan last week with the exception of Martin Montoya at left back in place of Adriano, which may signal he is settling on his idea of Barça’s best XI. Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre surprised, however, by leaving out Simao, Stuani, Pizzi and Mattioni while giving a chance to the out-of-favour Thievy and Gabriel Torje.

It was the Frenchman Thievy who had the first shot of the game which was blocked by Montoya in the second minute then soon after Torje shot wide from 25 yards. Barça’s first chance came after an early switch of wings from Neymar and Alexis. Neymar played the ball infield from the right to Messi and after a touch from Iniesta the ball came to Alexis on the left but Espanyol’s keeper Kiko Casilla dived quickly to his left to save the Chilean’s effort.

Most of the early danger came from Neymar who began the game well. He was unlucky to get called offside after Xavi’s through-ball though Casilla was quickly out of his area to clear just in case. However, as Barça took control of the ball Espanyol worked hard to close space with Thievy and Torje dropping back to support a narrow midfield line of five which shielded the back four and forced Barça to play the ball wide. The result was lots of crosses from Alves and a couple from Montoya from the left, but neither Barça full-back found much accuracy. Xavi’s corners were equally disappointing with the Espanyol defence winning all the headers.

Espanyol continued to frustrate and it wasn’t until the 28th minute that Barça created another chance. Iniesta played a cross-field pass for Alves’s forward run and the Brazilian headed the ball nicely for Alexis who volleyed his shot off target against Fuentes. Espanyol hit back on the counter, first Torje had time to shoot but Valdés got behind the ball well, then in the 35th minute Alves failed to cut out Thievy’s pass, allowing Victor Sanchez the chance to put the visitors ahead but Valdés did brilliantly to save with his feet.

After the scare Barça ended the first half well. Xavi fired narrowly over from 25 yards after Neymar worked some space. Then from a corner in the 43rd minute the ball was only cleared as far as Iniesta who smashed a shot through a forest of bodies but Casilla followed the ball well to punch the ball away, the ball came 35 yards out to Alves who, after a quick one-two with Busquets, cracked in a low shot that bounced out off Casilla’s right-hand post. It was a good end from Barça to a disappointing first-half though Espanyol will have been encouraged by arriving to the break with the score goalless.

Messi header 

Barça seemed to raise the pace slightly in the second half but Espanyol disciplined defence continued to cut off the final pass, get in the way of shots and thwart the dribbles from Messi and Iniesta. In the 54th minute a Barça cross finally found a Barça head with Alves delivering from the right and Messi charging in and jumping to meet the ball but Casilla sprang to his right to make an excellent save. Xavi was under more pressure from the defence when he headed wide from Alexis’s cross soon after. Then from another Alves cross the ball came long to Neymar who brought the ball back inside past Raul Rodriguez and Abraham before letting fly with a wicked curling shot that just failed to creep inside the far post.

Alexis goal celebration

It was beginning to look like Espanyol might hold out as they were limiting Barça’s number of chances, but the breakthrough finally came in the 68th minute. Busquets found Neymar in a bit of space on the left but as he entered the area Sidnei and Raul Rodriguez came across to block his way. The Brazilian managed to pass the ball through both Espanyol defenders’ legs and Alexis was sliding in at the far post to score yet another vital goal.

barça 1-0 espanyol neymar and casilla 2013Espanyol changed shape and tried to push forward in search of an equalizer but Barça began to exploit the spaces left. Alexis supplied a great ball through for Neymar and Casilla was fortunate not to be seen pulling the Brazilian’s arm as he would surely have been sent off for preventing a probable goal. There had to be one more chance for the visitors and it came in the 79th minute when Sergio Garcia got the wrong side of Montoya but then blazed his shot just over the bar. Besides that there were hopeful efforts from Espanyol’s substitutes Lanzarote with a header wide and Cordoba with a shot blocked by Piqué but Valdés was not troubled again. Barça’s subs Fabregas and Pedro combined for the best late chance for Barça but Casilla did well to stop Pedro’s shot with his foot.

Espanyol’s disciplined defensive lines made things difficult for Barça tonight but perhaps we should also take the heavy fixture list into account. Tonight’s game was the fifth in 14 days and the third in the last 7 but since the draws with Osasuna and Milan we now have three straight wins over Madrid, Celta and Espanyol. We have extended our consecutive home wins record in the league to 20 games, stretching back to October 2012 and the 2-2 draw with Madrid, and we are still unbeaten after 17 games with Tata in charge. All in all we can be pretty satisfied. What the heck! Even Alexis is coming good. That’s seven goals now in the league from the Chilean and after the injury-time winner over Sevilla, the brilliant chip against Madrid and tonight’s only goal, he’s getting a handy knack of popping up with vital strikes which we can only hope continues.

Barça: Valdes 7; Alves 6, Piqué 7, Mascherano 6.5, Montoya 6.5; Xavi 6.5, Busquets 6, Iniesta 6.5 (Fabregas m86, 6.5); Alexis 6.5 (Pedro m83, 6), Messi 6.5, Neymar 7.

Espanyol: Kiko Casilla; Raúl Rodriguez, Sidnei, Hector Moreno, Fuentes; David López, Abraham (Lanzarote m83), Víctor Sánchez; Thievy (Cordoba m62), Sergio García, Torje.

Goals: m68 Alexis 1-0.

Yellow cards: m45 Fuentes, m67 Victor Sanchez, m77 Mascherano, m90 Lanzarote.

Attendance: 79,977

Read More

FIFA 14 for PC

FOR PC-

                 

DOWNLOAD

DISCLAIMER:

The content is hosted on other website .I am by no means to be held responsible for copyright claims and notices kindly contact the referred website.

Read More

Messi an ICON spirit

A day after it was learnt that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi did not ask for a pay rise akin to the deal Cristiano Ronaldo recently signed at Real Madrid, the Argentine ace was at his sensational best nevertheless.

Lionel Messi celebrates one of his goals against Ajax on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

On Tuesday, when Barcelona boss Sandro Rosell was asked if Ronaldo’s contract renewal (he signed a five-year deal with Real worth 90 million euros) making him the Spanish League’s best-paid player, would affect Messi’s contract, he said: “Does Ronaldo’s renewal affect Messi’s contract? Messi hasn’t said anything to us. He’s happy here and he’s at the best club in the world.”

A day later, Messi simply went about his job in the best possible way he knows – by scoring goals! Messi moved into second place on the all-time list of Champions League goalscorers with his 27th career hat-trick as Barcelona beat Ajax 4-0 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

The four-time World Player of the Year now has 62 Champions League goals to his name as Barca cruised to victory in the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides. Messi opened the scoring on 22 minutes with a sensational free-kick and made the game safe 10 minutes after half-time with a typically cool left-footed finish.

Gerard Pique added a third when he headed Neymar’s cross past the stranded Kenneth Vermeer before Messi rounded off the scoring 15 minutes from time. And the visitors were even denied a consolation when Valdes saved Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s penalty 13 minutes from time after Javier Mascherano had upended Thurani Serero.

“In the first-half we found it a bit difficult because they played well, but in the second we moved the ball much better and controlled the game,” Messi told Canal Plus. “In general I think we played a very good game. The more variety we have the better.

There are games where we need to manage the ball, control the game, and others which are more difficult where we will need to do a bit more.” Messi took time to lend his support to coach Gerardo Martino, who flew back to Argentina yesterday to attend his father’s funeral. “It was a special game. It’s is a shame what has happened and he is suffering, but we are all with him in this moment.”

Champions League top scorers

71
Raul Gonzalez

62
Lionel Messi

56
Ruud van Nistelrooy

53
Cristiano Ronaldo

50
Thierry Henry

Read More

Preview: Rayo Vallecano vs FC Barcelona (game 5 liga 2013/14)

League leaders Barça travel to Madrid tomorrow to take on Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas in the fifth round of La Liga 2013/14 (Saturday 8 pm). Tata Martino is currently in Argentina for his father’s funeral but he is expected to return in time to take charge of the team from the bench.

Leo Messi looks likely to make his 250th appearance in La Liga in the game. The Argentinian has scored a remarkable 221 goals in the previous 249 matches, and in the last two seasons he has managed well over a goal a game – 50 goals in 37 games (1.35 goals a game) in 2011/12, and 46 in 32 games (1.44 goals a game) last season. The rate is even better this season with six goals in three league appearances so far, and that’s not to mention the hat-trick he scored against Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday which took his career total of hat-tricks for Barça to 24.

This is Rayo’s third season in the top flight since their promotion in 2011. In the last four matches played between the clubs over the past two seasons the balance is clearly in favour of Barça with four straight victories and a goal difference in favour of 19-1. Twelve of those nineteen goals have been scored in Barça’s last two visits to Vallecas, a 0-7 thrashing in April 2012 and then a 0-5 win last October.

Rayo have made numerous changes since last season. Players such as Javi Fuego, Jordi Amat, Raúl Tamudo, Leo Baptistão and Chori Dominguez have all moved on and due to a very limited budget all their incoming players arrived either on a free transfer or on loan. The most likely of their new players to feature tomorrow are Alberto Bueno, Johnathan Viera, Seba Fernandez and Argentinian striker Joaquin Larrivey, Our opponents began this season with a promising 3-0 victory over Elche but since then they have suffered three straight defeats to Atlético, Levante and Malaga while conceding 12 goals in the process. Coach Paco Jemez will have to make do tomorrow without the suspended Lass Bangoura, while Nery Castillo, Jose Carlos and ex-big-hope-of-La Masia Iago Falque are all out injured.

Given the heavy fixture load at the moment there may be some surprises to the Barça starting XI. Almost any of the players who didn’t start against Ajax could get a chance but with Martino unable to take training for the last couple of days (his number two Jorge Pautasso has been in charge of sessions), it seems unlikely there will be too many changes though both Xavi and Pedro will probably be back in the line-up. Gerard Piqué picked up a slight groin strain against Ajax but he looks likely to play, but if Piqué is unavailable then Marc Bartrá will probably be chosen as his substitute as Carles Puyol seems unlikely to reappear for another game or two. Barça will be hoping to continue the 100% start to the league campaign with another comfortable win tomorrow though it is probably a bit much to expect a result as big as we have seen in the last two visits to Vallecas.

Possible starting lineups:

Rayo: Ruben; Tito, Galvez, Arbilla, Nacho Martinez; Saul, Trashorras; Seba Fernandez, Bueno, Viera; Larrivey.

Barça: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Pedro, Messi, Neymar.

Prediction: Rayo 1 Barça 4

Date: Saturday 21 September 2013. Kick off 8 pm local time.

Read More

Lionel Messi makes 'corrective payment' in tax case

Lionel Messi clears on Tax case

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, the world's greatest soccer player, is a bit poorer after he and his father, Jorge, paid $6.6 million to Spanish authorities who had charged the pair with filing false tax returns.

The Messis, who were facing the possibility of jail time, deposited the "corrective payment" last month, said a court in Gava, near Barcelona, according to Reuters.
The Messis, who are Argentine, are still due to appear at a hearing on Sept. 17, although their lawyer had asked for it to be postponed as he had another commitment that day, the court statement added. Both men, who denied wrongdoing, allegedly hid more than $5.25 million by filing incomplete returns for the years 2006 to 2009.
The sale of Messi's image rights had been hidden using a complex web of shell companies in Uruguay, Belize, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, according to the prosecutor's office for tax crimes in Catalonia said.
"I never take care of that stuff myself and neither does my father," Messi, a four-time world player of the year, said in July. "We have our lawyers and our wealth managers to take care of that and we trust them and they will sort this out. The truth is that I don't have a clue about all this and that is why we have people taking care of it."
Messi has been resident in Barcelona since 2000 and gained Spanish citizenship in 2005.

Read More

La Liga Team of the Week

 

Four teams still have 100% records in La Liga following another pulsating round of fixtures on week three in Spain's first division.

The action began on Friday as Almeria welcomed fellow newly-promoted side Elche. The hosts led until the 90th minute, but a late equaliser from Richmond Boakye secured a share of the spoils.

Levante also waited until the final minute to pick up all three points on the same evening, as Andreas Ivanschitz's strike handed them a 2-1 win away to Rayo Vallecano.

Celta Vigo shared the points in a 1-1 draw with Granada in the early match on Saturday, before Real Valladolid picked up all three points with a 1-0 win over Getafe. Villarreal ended the evening in style as they made it three wins from three games with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Osasuna.

There were no fewer than five games on Sunday, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid all hopeful of joining newly-promoted side Villarreal on nine points before the international break.

Isco inspired Real to a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, before Atletico continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad. Sandwiched between those two games was a forgettable 0-0 draw between Espanyol and Real Betis.

Sevilla and Malaga are still looking for their respective first wins of the season as the two sides played out a four-goal thriller at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but the game of the weekend was at the Mestalla where Barcelona claimed all three points with a 3-2 win against Valencia.

Here, INTERMEDIA selects its 11 star performers in the last weekend of Spanish action before the international break.

Miguel Angel Moya (Getafe)
There were a few contenders for the goalkeeping spot this week, including Thibaut Courtois and Victor Valdes, but Moya just shades it following a fine performance in his side's 1-0 defeat to Valladolid on Saturday. His team might have lost, but it would have been by a much more comprehensive margin had the 29-year-old not pulled off a number of stunning saves, especially in the latter stages.

Marc Valiente (Real Valladolid)
It has not been the best start to the season for Valladolid, but they picked up a much-needed win with a 1-0 success over Getafe on Saturday. It was the 26-year-old who secured all three points with a header in the second period, but it was his towering performance in the back four that impressed the most.
Javier Mascherano (Barcelona)
His side might have conceded twice in Sunday's 3-2 win over Valencia, but it would have been worse if the Argentine had not been on form in the latter stages. Not only did the Argentine put his body on the line, he was also calm and composed in possession, which helped the Catalan outfit close out the match in the final couple of moments.
Hector Moreno (Espanyol)
Espanyol's 0-0 draw with Real Betis on Sunday will go down as one of the worst league matches in recent seasons, but Moreno was the saving grace. The Mexican defender was exceptional in the air under constant pressure from the away side, while he also made a number of clever interceptions in the second period.

Cani (Villarreal)
Everything good about Villarreal this season has come through the experienced 31-year-old. The newly-promoted side have won each of their three league games thus far, a total that has left them third in the table. The midfielder was again in fine form in his side's 3-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday, dictating the tempo from the middle of the pitch.
Isco (Real Madrid)
The 21-year-old might be in the very early stages of his Madrid career, but he was already made quite an impression. He scored his third goal in as many league games with a brace in the 3-1 win over Bilbao on Sunday. You have to be quite a player to keep someone of the ilk of Mesut Ozil out of the team, there is no question about that.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
It seems a long time ago when the Croatian was getting some stick for his performances in the early part of his Madrid career. Well, that is not the case anymore. Coach Carlo Ancelotti did not want to lose him this summer and it is easy to see why. He outshone two-goal Isco with a determined and clever performance in the middle of their midfield against Bilbao.
Koke (Atletico Madrid)
It is no surprise that the Spaniard has been a key member of an Atletico team that is impressing a lot of people. When watching his performance, it is incredible to think that he is just 21 years old. He was up to his old midfield tricks in his side's 2-1 win over Sociedad on Sunday and added their second with a smart finish in the second half.

Helder Postiga (Valencia)
The Portuguese attacker scored the goal of the weekend with a stunning volley in the first period against Barcelona, before adding his second with a fine header moments later. Aside from his goals, his all-round performance was also impressive. He already appears to be a very astute signing for the Champions League hopefuls.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Different week, same old Messi. A first-half hat-trick ensured that Barcelona picked up all three points in a 3-2 win over Valencia. He missed a couple of golden chances in the latter stages, but he had already secured the match ball following a wonderful opening 45 minutes. He has now scored 101 goals in his last 71 La Liga appearances.
David Villa (Atletico Madrid)
There has been a lot of money spent in Europe this summer, but the signing of Villa could be the best piece of business. Spain's all-time leading scorer was in fine form in his side's 2-1 win over Sociedad at the weekend – scoring with a fine chip before assisting Koke for the second. It was a top-drawer performance from the former Barcelona forward.

Read More

Match Report and highlights: Valencia 2 FC Barcelona 3

A first-half Leo Messi hat-trick proved enough to earn Barça a nervous victory over Valencia at Mestalla tonight. Messi’s goals gave Barça a commanding 0-3 lead in a brilliant opening 41 minutes from Barça but two late first-half strikes from Helder Postiga put Valencia back in the game. After the explosive end to the first half neither side could find the net in the second period. There were chances for both sides with the closest attempt coming in the 86th minute when Victor Valdés got his fingertips to Jonas Gonçalves’s shot before the ball bounced out off the post.
With Xavi and Alexis rested, Tata Martino made the logical decision to bring Pedro back on the right wing while restoring Iniesta to midfield to form a trio with Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas. There had been interest to see whether Iniesta or Fabregas would play the Xavi role of organising the team and from the kick off it seemed clear that Iniesta was in his normal position on the left of midfield with Fabregas on the right. However, Iniesta played a more reserved game which allowed Fabregas to excel in a varied role, dropping back sometimes but more often surging forward to support Messi through the middle while also impressing with an array of passes.
Both teams played a high pressing game from the start but there was little penetration until the 8th minute when Messi fired wide after Fabregas slipped a pass into the area. After this, for a splendid twenty-minute spell, Barça began to find space behind Valencia’s high defence with remarkable regularity. Iniesta sent Neymar haring for goal but after entering the penalty area the Brazilian tried to turn only to find the Valencia defence closing him down. Thirty seconds later and Messi played a superb pass through to Neymar who this time managed to shoot past Diego Alves only to have the goal disallowed for offside. The replay suggested that Guardado had played Neymar onside but in less than a minute Barça had the ball in the net and this time it counted. Busquets found Fabregas who threaded a ball through for Messi to chase, Diego Alves came running out of his goal but Messi resisted the goalkeeper’s challenge, sprinting on to beat Ricardo Costa to the ball and force it over the line.
HIGHLIGHTS
A familiar pattern followed of Barça pinning an opponent back in its own half. Neymar curled one wide after Messi’s neat pass and Iniesta drove over from 25 yards. The nervousness in the Valencia defence was demonstrated by Diego Alves sending a loose pass towards Iniesta who was just impeded from shooting by an excellent intervention from Michel Herrera. Then in the 27th minute Messi set Fabregas up with a shooting chance and Diego Alves had to be alert to save the awkward bouncing sidefooter from 25 yards.
Valencia had hardly been seen in attack until Pabon fired in a 30-yarder from the left that went straight at Valdés in the 31st minute, then three minutes later Pabon shot again from a bit closer but the effort lacked power and Valdés dived comfortably to gather. There was nothing easy about Valdés’s next save, Ever Banega found Pabon inside the area and the Barça keeper sprang magnificently to his left to parry the Columbian striker’s shot.
The game had been intense and entertaining up until this point but the final minutes of the first half were breathtaking. In the 39th minute Busquets robbed Canales midway inside the Valencia half, knocking the ball on to Fabregas who played Messi into the right of the area to beat Diego Alves with a right-footed finish into the far corner. Messi completed his hat-trick two minutes later and Fabregas was again involved. Messi started the move, finding the ex-Arsenal man in the inside left position, Fabregas then sent Neymar into the left of the area and the Brazilian slipped a neat pass through to Messi who had continued his run through the middle to steer the ball low past Diego Alves from eight yards.

Three-nil up and Barça should have been home and dry. Things started to go awry in the 44th minute when Pedro underhit a back-pass to Valdés, allowing Postiga a chance which Valdés managed to deflect out for a corner. A minute later the ball came out to João  Pereira on the right, Neymar didn’t drop back to cover, allowing Pereira the chance to cross to the near post where Postiga met the ball with hooked shot that flew past Valdés just inside the near post.
The game then entered first half injury time which had been signalled to be just one minute. Inexplicably the referee, Jose Antonio Teixeira Vitienes, allowed play to run on for more than two minutes in which time first Valdés had to tip over from Banega’s 20-yard drive, then from the resulting corner Postiga rose above Alves and Iniesta at the near post to power a header across Valdés inside the far post. Two-three, and finally Teixeira Vitienes blew for half time.
Both sides began the second half more cautiously but as Valencia gradually pushed further forward the chances started coming at both ends. Guardado had Valencia’s first attempt after the break, blasting wide after Pabon’s assist, then soon after, Messi let fly from 25 yards, forcing Diego Alves to tip the ball over. Then in the 64th minute, Iniesta, who had a relatively quiet game, delivered a fine cross from the left but Pedro misplaced his header from eight yards. Pedro’s misfortune continued a couple of minutes later when he hesitated after Messi’s chested pass and missed a possible shooting opportunity. Valencia’s coach Miroslav Djukic reacted by bringing on Feghouli and Jonas, and soon after Martino sent on Tello in Pedro’s place.
As the game neared its end the tension mounted with the Mestalla public trying to roar their team on to an equalizer. One very good Valencia build-up in the 79th minute led to Jonas firing a shot that was deflected for a corner. Then from the resulting kick Ricardo Costa headed over the Barça crossbar.
Martino brought on Johnathan dos Santos in place of the tiring Fabregas, a signal to the critics that the Barça coach has faith in his youngsters to perform in important moments. Fabregas wasn’t the only one showing signs of fatigue as the heat and humidity took effect which led to the game remaining open to the end. In the 83rd minute Messi came agonizingly close to his fourth goal, his shot grazing the post after a splendid flick from Neymar and a quick exchange of passes with Alba. A minute later Neymar headed the ball into Messi’s path but the Argentinian couldn’t force the ball past Diego Alves.
Then came the heart-stopping moment for Barça fans, Piqué failed to make a good clearance, sending the ball to Jonas who turned Piqué and Mascherano this way and that before cracking in a low shot that Valdés just managed to touch with the tips of his fingers and the ball bounced out off the base of the post.
There was still time for a double chance for Alba and Messi but Diego Alves completed a fine game by stopping both efforts. Both goalkeepers, despite the goals conceded, had very good game which should help to demonstrate the quality of the entertainment. In one final push from Valencia Valdés first gathered Feghouli’s weak header, then in the final action of the game the Barça keeper punched clear a Valencia corner. Nine points out of nine for Martino’s Barça but the pressure is on with Atlético, Villarreal and Madrid all winning their first three games too.
Valencia: Diego Alves; João  Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Michel Herrera (Dani Parejo m82), Javi Fuego; Pabón, Banega (Feghouli m68), Canales (Jonas m68); Postiga.
Barça: Valdés 8; Dani Alves 6.5, Piqué 6, Mascherano 7, Alba 6.5; Fabregas 9 (Dos Santos m80, 6.5), Busquets 8, Iniesta 7; Pedro 6 (Tello m72, 6.5), Messi 8.5, Neymar 7 (Sergi Roberto m91, –).
Goals: m11 Messi 0-1, m39 Messi 0-2, m41 Messi, m45 Postiga 1-3, m45+3 Postiga 2-3.
Yellow cards: m17 Pereira, m29 Alba, m65 Dani Alves, m74 Neymar.

Read More

Preview: Valencia vs FC Barcelona (game 3 liga 2013/14)

Tata Martino has decided to rest Xavi Hernandez and Alexis Sanchez for tomorrow evening’s league match at Valencia (Sunday 9 pm). Barça will be hoping to continue the 100% start to La Liga with another victory and Martino has recalled Adriano Correia to his 19-man squad for the game at the Mestalla stadium while there is also a place for Leo Messi after concern about his fitness this week.
Messi’s problems were made evident when he trained apart from the group on Thursday and Friday. However, this morning (Saturday) he trained normally with his teammates and looks likely to make the starting team tomorrow. Messi has been struggling with minor injuries ever since his hamstring injury against PSG in April, an injury that was blamed on the player’s lack of rest. The club, no doubt, recognize the need to have him at his best in the closing stages of the season and there would be no reason to take any unnecessary risks with him now. If he plays tomorrow it should be because he is in optimum condition, otherwise it would make more sense to start him on the bench.
It is very early days to be judging Martino, and after taking full points from the first two league games and clinching the season’s first title, it might be said that he has made the perfect start. However, having scored seven in the opening game against Levante, Barça have only managed to find the net twice in the last three games, a poor return given the immense talent of our forwards. On the positive side the defence has only conceded one goal in four games this season though Victor Valdés has needed to demonstrate his worth on several occasions already. Only time will tell if Martino’s apparent decision not to sign a central defender is exposed during the season. 
Of course we need to be patient. Neymar is still adapting to his new team, Messi has not been at his best and Andrés Iniesta is a long way from the form we saw last season. Despite maintaining the general philosophy of play, Martino has introduced his own variations. The full backs take fewer risks and have been told to make runs inside the wingers rather than overlapping, there is the intention to return to the highest-possible pressing game while there is sometimes a slightly more direct style with the midfield trying to find the forwards more quickly. Even with minor changes the players need time to assimilate the new ideas.
Tomorrow’s opponent’s Valencia have begun the season with a 1-0 home win over Malaga and a 3-1 defeat at Espanyol. Like most teams in Spain, Valencia have needed to sell more than buy in this summer’s transfer window. Roberto Soldado (Tottenham €30 million), Tino Costa (Spartak Moscow €7 million), Nelson Valdez (Al-Jazira €3 million) and Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors €1.7 million) have been sold, David Albelda has retired and Aly Cissokho (Liverpool) and Johnathan Viera (Rayo Vallecano) have been loaned out.
Valencia’s biggest signing has been the €7 million paid to Mexican team Monterrey for Columbian striker Dorlan Pabón who scored eight goals in 17 games in a short spell at Betis last season including the opening goal in Barça’s 4-2 over Betis at Camp Nou last May. Pabón’s transfer has been cleared in time for tomorrow’s game and he could replace another summer signing, Helder Postiga (Zaragoza €3 million) in the starting XI. Coach Miroslav Djukic has three other new players at his disposal, Michel Herrera (Levante €420,000), Javi Fuego (Rayo Vallecano free) and ex-blaugrana, Oriol Romeu (on loan from Chelsea). Djukic is expected to make various modifications to the team that lost at Espanyol including a possible change of goalkeeper with Vicente Guaita in line to replace Diego Alves. Djukic has also tried out with Andres Guardado at left back in training this week and there could also be a place in the starting XI for Dani Parejo and Sergio Canales.
For Martino the most logical Barça XI would seem to be the same team that started against Atlético on Wednesday with Pedro and Iniesta coming in for Alexis and Xavi. With a probable midfield three of Busquets, Fabregas and Iniesta it will be interesting to see how Fabregas and Iniesta combine to work the Xavi role. Will one of the two be asked to play a role closer to Busquets or will they take it in turns to drop deeper?
Last season’s game in Valencia ended in a 1-1 draw at the start of February, Ever Banega put Valencia in front after 33 minutes but Leo Messi converted a penalty five minutes later to earn Barça a point. Given that Valencia look a long way from their best, Barça should be looking for all three points tomorrow, but it is never going to be easy at Mestalla.
Barça’s 19-man squad: Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Montoya, Piqué, Bartrá, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba, Busquets, Song, Dos Santos, Sergi Roberto, Fabregas, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Neymar, Tello.
Possible starting XIs:
Valencia: Guaita; João  Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Michel Herrera, Ever Banega, Dani Parejo; Feghouli, Pabón, Canales.
Barça: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Fabregas, Busquets, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Neymar.
Prediction: Valencia 1 Barça 2
Date: Sunday 1 September 2013. Kick off: 9 pm local time.

Read More

Messi stars in Messi and friends 9-6 win over Rest of the World | Highlights

Lionel Messi scored a lovely opening goal as his ‘Messi & Friends’ team beat a Rest of the World XI 9-6 in Colombia.

The Barcelona star staged the match to raise money for charity and brought a host of stars with him to the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin, including the likes of Javier Mascherano, Pablo Aimar and Florent Malouda.

Brazil star Robinho was leading out the Rest of the World XI but they could do nothing to stop Messi and his friends running away with the victory.

Messi curled home the opener from just inside the area and was substituted with 20 minutes remaining to a standing ovasion.

Watch all the goals from the Lionel Messi & Friends v Rest of the World XI below...

love u leo-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read More

Isco: Why my dog is called Messi

The highly-rated youngster is set to complete his move to Real Madrid, but is seemingly a keen admirer of Barcelona and their players

New Real Madrid signing Isco might have some explaining to do at his new club as the Spain Under-21 international seems to be a keen admirer of the club's arch-rival Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

The attacking midfielder not only feels the Argentina international is in a league of his own, but he has even gone as far as to name his dog after the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"I named my dog 'Messi' because Messi is the best in the world, and so is my dog," explained Isco when questioned about his labrador's unique name earlier this summer.

The 21-year-old previously made headlines when an old interview surfaced from his time at Valencia where he described himself as an anti-Madridista due to the club's arrogant attitude.

Additionally, Isco took a swipe at then Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho on Twitter during the 2011 Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, voicing his support for the Catalans in the process.

The youngster has also previously voiced his admiration for Barcelona duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta, while admitting that Blaugrana legend Ronaldinho is one of his inspirations.

Isco will sign a five-year deal with Real Madrid upon completion of his medical on July 3, before he's presented to the press at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Read More

Lionel Messi Reaches €15 Million Settlement in Tax Fraud Case

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and his father have reached a €15 million settlement with Spanish tax authorities, according to ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan.

The settlement means that Messi can finally begin to put the ongoing distraction behind him and get back to preparation for next season. According to Spanish website El Periodico (via Corrigan), the reported settlement agreement means there will be no further action taken by the authorities.

Does this settlement impact how you view Lionel Messi?
Yes, it's a black eye on his legacy
21.2%
No, he's still a great player
73.9%
Not sure
4.9%
Total votes: 1,423

The two men were scheduled to appear in court in Spain on Sept. 17 to address the charges of tax fraud. According to Corrigan, the charges against Messi and his father, Jorge, claimed that the duo and the star's financial advisers "had illegally re-routed image rights revenues through offshore tax havens to avoid paying the €4.1 million tax due."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Messi had made an additional €10 million payment to tax authorities in order to cover his image rights for 2010 and 2011.

With the payment date for those same 2012 taxes set for the end of June, Corrigan suggests that the total amount Messi is paying out for image rights taxes is roughly €30 million.

According to the report, Messi and his father could have potentially faced up to five years in prison if found guilty of tax fraud in a Spanish court.

Messi, who turned 26 earlier this week, is widely regarded as the best football player on the planet. He scored a record 91 combined goals between club and international play in 2012.

Read More

Messi's new boots revealed

Well looky here at what was waiting on Pies’ doormat this morning: Lionel Messi’s new signature line of Adidas F50 boots in what we’re told is a “Turbo, Blast Purple and White” colourway that “represents the way Messi lights up every pitch he plays on.”

Turbo and Blast Purple we can get on board with, but “white” is a bit boring and perfunctory. How about “Extreme Milk” or “All The Wavelengths Of The Visible Spectrum” or “Albino Polar Bear’s Chuff”?

Anyway, Messi’s new F50s will first be worn during the ‘Messi and Friends’ tour this coming Saturday and  you can stay in the loop by joining ‘Team Messi’ at Facebook.com/TeamMessi and/or @TeamMessi on Twitter should you wish.

Read More

Sylvinho: It will not be easy for Neymar to outdo Messi

The 39-year-old feels the Argentina international is in a league of his own and has questioned his compatriot's ability to outshine him

Former Barcelona defender Sylvinho believes Neymar faces a tough task to outperform Lionel Messi following his move from Santos to the Spanish champions.

Much is expected of the Brazil international following his fine performances at the Confederations Cup, but Sylvinho thinks his 21-year-old compatriot could end up playing second fiddle to Messi.

"Neymar is Brazil's best player at the moment and one of the best in the world. But to outperform Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or four times, will be very complicated," Sylvinho told Fox Sports Brasil.

"Ronaldo, Romario and Ronaldinho, three very impressive players, all didnt achieve such a feat.

"And there's much more to Barcelona than just Messi. They also have [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi. It will not be easy for Neymar."

Sylvinho won three Liga titles and two Champions League trophies during his time at Barcelona from 2004 until 2009.

Read More

Cruyff: Barcelona should sell Messi now they have Neymar

The Netherlands legend believes the Catalans have created a potential conflict of interest within the squad by signing the Brazil starlet to play alongside the Argentine

Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff feels the Catalans should consider cashing in on Lionel Messi now they have brought Neymar on board.

The Liga champions signed Neymar in a deal worth €57 million earlier this summer and Cruyff envisages problems following the former Santos star's arrival.

"With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi. Some would agree with me and others would not," Cruyff told Marca.

"Neymar's arrival could cause problems. Just look at free kicks for example. Neymar is very good at taking them. And Messi has already shown he is great, too. Who's going to take them...

"Or the fact that Neymar and Barcelona are with Nike while Leo is with Adidas. These are situations that could cause problems.

"You are talking about a team, its players, the things around it. There are too may things at stake. That's why it's so difficult to manage such a top class squad.

"Neymar is talented, but we will have to wait and see how he gets along with the rest of the squad. I would not have taken the risk of bringing in Neymar."

Messi has a contract with Barcelona until June 2018, while Neymar recently inked a five-year deal, too.

Read More