Mascherano extends Barca deal until 2016Mascherano extends Barca deal until 2016
The Spanish giants have announced that Javier Mascherano has signed a new contract with the club until 2016. The 28-year-old Argentinian, who former Barca coach …
The Spanish giants have announced that Javier Mascherano has signed a new contract with the club until 2016. The 28-year-old Argentinian, who former Barca coach …
Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelo Bielsa said he will remain at the club despite earlier reports he was considering resigning in a row with the board. …
Manchester United will play Barcelona in a pre-season friendly to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden on August 8, the Red Devils confirmed on Thursday.
The friendly will be a replay of the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals between the two teams.
The finals in Rome and London bring back good memories for the Catalans seeing that these were the venues that saw Barça claim the third and fourth Champions League titles in the history of the Club.
Barcelona have signed Valencia left-back Jordi Alba for €14 million on a five-year contract, the club revealed on Thursday.
The 23 year old, who is with his national team at Euro 2012 in Ukraine, is expected to arrive in Barcelona after the tournament final.
“FC Barcelona can announce that it has reached an agreement today with Valencia CF for the transfer of player Jordi Alba, pending the player’s medical examination when he comes to the city of Barcelona next week,” the club said in a website statement.
Athletic Bilbao have reached an agreement to sign their former player Aritz Aduriz from Valencia.
The 31-year-old Aduriz came up through the youth ranks at Athletic and spent two spells in the first team either side of time at Burgos and Real Valladolid.
In 2008 Aduriz left to join Real Mallorca before moving to Valencia with whom he earned his first Spain cap.
The world’s highest paid football player, Samuel Eto’o, may be facing up to five years in a Spanish prison over tax fraud allegations.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Eto’o allegedly concealed over €3.5 million from the country’s treasury, while he was playing for FC Barcelona between 2006 and 2009.
The Cameroonian received the money from the Catalan club and major German sportswear manufacturer, Puma, but reportedly declared different sources of income – from firms in Spain and Hungary – in order to reduce tax payments.
If the 31-year-old is found guilty he’s at risk of spending from one to five years in prison and paying a fine more than six times higher than the sum he allegedly tried to hide.
Eto’o joined Anzhi Makhachkala from Inter Milan last summer, becoming the highest paid footballer on the planet.
The striker is being paid over €20 million annually by the side from Russia’s republic of Dagestan in a three year deal.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell yesterday confirmed that the Catalans are in negotiations to sign Spain left-back Jordi Alba from Valencia, but dismissed that Didier Drogba is on his way to the Camp Nou.
“I don’t like these negotiations being made public, but they have been,” Rosell said.
Rosell added that no price had yet been agreed for the 23-year-old Alba, who is currently with the Spain squad at Euro 2012.
“How much we pay for Alba will depend on the negotiations. Everything is worth what you are willing to pay or how much you are willing to sell for.”
Rosell’s comments come a day after Valencia’s director of communications, Damia Vidagany, claimed that his club had asked Barcelona for a transfer fee of €15 million.
Edinson Cavani wants to remain at Napoli despite continued speculation linking him with a move to Juventus this summer.
The Uruguay international has attracted the attention of top clubs including Manchester City after another excellent campaign with Napoli. Reports in Italy claim Juventus have made a tempting offer to Napoli to buy the 25-year-old forward.
“I know nothing about Juventus,” Cavani said.
“I want to stay at Napoli.”
Napoli slapped a 100-million-euro price tag on Cavani last year and the South American is under contract with the club until June 2015.
Miguel ‘Miki’ Roqué, a Real Betis defender who started out in Barcelona’s youth ranks and had a stint at Liverpool, has died of cancer at the age of 23, Betis said on Sunday.
“Miki Roqué had been fighting pelvic cancer since March 2011,” the La Liga club said in a statement on their website.
He had surgery to remove the tumor in May of that same year after Betis raised funds to pay for the defender’s treatment by selling wrist-bands with the player’s name written on them.
Miki Roque arrived at Betis from Liverpool FC in the summer of 2009 and debuted for the first team in October 2010.
Over the following months he was an important part of the defense until March of the next year, when his grave condition was made public.
Valencia have agreed a three-year contract extension with Spain striker Roberto Soldado that will keep him at the club until 2017.
The 27-year-old club captain has scored 35 league goals since joining from Getafe two seasons ago. He just missed out on a place in the Euro 2012 squad.
“His contribution has been fantastic, everyone has seen it,” said Valencia president Manuel Llorente in a statement on Saturday.
“His winning character makes him a key figure for the team and a reference for the fans.”
Soldado’s original contract was due to run out in 2014.
Valencia finished third in La Liga, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, last month to qualify for the Champions League group stages next season.
La Liga side Getafe announced the transfer of 27-year-old winger Angel Lafita from Real Zaragoza on a free transfer.
Lafita and his former failed to reach an agreement to extend the deal, as Getafe made their move and allured the player for a 4-year-contract.
This is Getafe’s second important summer transfer, the club backed by Emirate owners signed David Abraham from FC Basel on 29 May also on a 4-year-deal.
Qatari owners of Paris St. Germain are willing to pay €25 million in cash for the signing of ex-Ballon d’Or Kaka.
Marca reports that is the last chance for Real Madrid to compensate and minimize the losses after Kaka’s transfer from Milan €65 million.