Re: La Liga

Atletico Madrid reportedly reach €60 million agreement with Chelsea over sale of Diego Costa

Chelsea have reportedly agreed to meet the full €60 million release clause of Atletico Madrid striker, Diego Costa as manager Jose Mourinho secures the coveted Spanish international’s services ahead of their Champions League semi-final meeting.

According to Spanish newspaper, El Confidencial, Mourinho has pushed the Chelsea brass to sign Costa, who is one of Europe’s top scorers this season and Atletico have remained firm in their stance that they will only allow him to leave if his clause it met, a clause that has risen from €25 million to €60 million following the signing of his contract extension last October.

Mourinho’s frustrations over the inconsistencies of his current roster of strikers; Samuel Eto’o, Demba Ba and Fernando Torres has spilled over into the media and while the club’s original target was Costa’s predecessor Monaco’s Radamel Falcao was the Portuguese boss’ first choice, the Colombian’s reconstructive knee surgery in January gave Chelsea pause for thought and led them to decide on Costa.

Costa have become the target of many, if not all of, Europe’s top clubs and seeing how the player was in such high demand, with the potential to explode his value at the upcoming 2014 World Cup, Chelsea made the decision to pay the full clause, reach an agreement and secure the player’s services at the start of the summer transfer window.

Re: La Liga

Barça players met with insults upon return to the Camp Nou following Granada loss

Barcelona suffered their second consecutive 1-0 defeat, this time to mid-table side Granada on Saturday evening and upon their arrival back to the Camp Nou, the team was met with insults and in the case of Neymar, racist chants.

Following the loss, the team travelled back by plane and came back to the Camp Nou to collect their belongings.

After disembarking the bus, the fans that had gathered were screaming ‘Sons of Bitches’ and calling out individual players and the three captains, with Pinto and Neymar getting the brunt of it.

As the players were leaving, the gates were opened and the fans were able to approach the cars of the players as they left.

Many players just sped away to avoid hitting the fans (who were in the middle of the road) and to avoid confrontation, but it was Javier Mascherano who stopped to talk to the fans are allow them to air their grievances.

It’s clear that the fans are not accustomed to such a decline in form, after winning title after title for the past five years and it’s beginning to boil over.

Re: La Liga

Barcelona's Martin Montoya says the team is mentally screwed up

Barcelona are mentally "screwed up" according to defender Martin Montoya, while Andres Iniesta says the club have gone backwards after another defeat.

Barca, out of the Champions League, are fighting to save their season after Saturday's loss at lowly Granada left the title race out of their hands.

They could end the season with no silverware if they lose the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid on Wednesday.

"It hurts to take this backward step at this point," said midfielder Iniesta.

Barca started the month in the hunt for three trophies but two successive defeats have increased the pressure on Gerardo Martino, who was only named Barcelona boss in the summer,

The Argentine saw his side lose 2-1 on aggregate to La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, ending hopes of a second European triumph in three years.

Lionel Messi Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has failed to score in three of his last four games

And their setback at struggling Granada has left them trailing Real Madrid and Atletico in the race for the league title.

They face Real in the Spanish cup final on 16 April but Montoya admits the last few days have taken a toll on the team.

"Mentally we're pretty screwed up," the 22-year-old defender told Barca's website after the Granada defeat.

"We will fight for the league until the end, we still have games left and hopefully our rivals will lose points."

Barca's remaining La Liga games

20 April: H v Athletic Bilbao

27 April: A v Villarreal

03 May: H v Getafe

11 May: A v Elche

18 May: H v Atletico Madrid

Iniesta, a three-time Champions League winner with Barca, said too many mistakes are threatening to ruin the season.

"We made a mistake in the play that led to their goal and that really hurt us," said the 29-year-old after Barca's first La Liga defeat by Granada.

"Sometimes it's hard to find an explanation, we did everything we could to score."

The last time Barcelona went through a season without winning a major honour was in 2007-08 when they finished third in the table, lost to Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final and were beaten by Valencia in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Re: La Liga

Getafe manager Cosmin Contra knows fully what’s at stake this weekend, when his team take on Levante, hoping that his players are also completely aware that with fewer games remaining to save the club from relegation, each mistake could prove even more costly

At his press call ahead of the trip to Levante on Saturday, Getafe manager Cosmin Contra began by pointing out just how difficult their task will be at the Ciutat de Valencia, against a team who rarely concede any ground to their opponents.

“Levante are a very well armed team. All the teams of Joaquín Caparrós come out on the counter, they have bite, are aggressive, play to their strengths. They create few chances and offensively they don’t create much danger, but of the two or three chances they do get, they score goals.”

“It’s always difficult playing against Levante. They keep themselves very tight in their half and in our own half they will be aggressive. They’re a battling team and on Saturday, they’ll fight for every ball. At their place, it’s particularly hard to beat them and we’ll have to avoid the errors we’ve made in recent games, so we can create more chances of our own.”

Getafe president Ángel Torres has been in regular attendance at training, looking to offer his encouragement to the players. Contra acknowledged that everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction, with the simple objective of avoiding relegation, primary on their minds.

“The president is always encouraging and supporting us. We’re of the same frame of mind, this is a very important game on Saturday. The weeks are going by and it’s crucial for us to get out of the relegation zone.”

“Emotionally, our morale isn’t good. This isn’t the right time to complain though, we just have to know that on Saturday we have a genuine final and that’s how we’ll have to play it. We mustn’t make any mistakes and we have to win the three points.”

Recalling their previous games and in particular the last-minute defeat at Elche, Contra explained that there are lessons to be learned from every game played. He also underlined that his task is to keep the players aware of just how perilous their situation is, hoping that it sinks in enough, to urge the team to fight until the end and avoid costly mistakes.

“You always learn from victories and defeats, but from the game against Elche, we’ve learned that we have to play right until the referee blows the final whistle. On Saturday I hope to see a positive reaction from the players, who are conscious of the situation and that every mistake takes us closer to the Segunda, rather than keeping ourselves in the Primera.”

“I’m here to remind them of that every day. If the players aren’t always aware of that, it’s a problem, but they know they have to win, give their very lives on the pitch and try for every ball as it it’s the last.”

Re: La Liga

Barca’s illusion of indifference is a result of fundamental issues

Barcelona hadn’t lost three consecutive matches in three different competitions in fourteen years, since April 2000. That changed as the final whistle blew at the Mestalla to crown Real Madrid as the winners of the Spanish Cup.

In what has been the hardest week in Barcelona’s recent history, the Catalans have lost their chance to win the Champions League, now the Spanish Cup, and possibly, have fallen too far behind in La Liga as well to fight for the title. In those three matches, they have conceded four and scored just one goal.

And believe it or not, there was a time when scoring seemed easy for Barcelona, and they were actually difficult to score against. And the key word here is “seemed”, because although the team might have made it look simple, it wasn’t ever that simple, and that’s why the contrast to today is enormous.

While all due credit goes to Real Madrid for beating their rivals, in all honesty, Wednesday night’s fixture was the first Clásico where Ancelotti got his tactics just about right, and already Barcelona looked nothing like the world-beating goal-scoring side they were just a month ago at the Bernabeu. Perhaps that says a lot about the state of Barcelona, and their lack of tactical flexibility.

For Barcelona it all begins with precision. Not just in passes, but in positional play. The voices calling for hunger and passion will most certainly lift their heads again and the motivation of the players will be questioned, just like it has been practically every time during the last two years when Barcelona have lost or drawn. But to think that a professional footballer doesn’t want to win, especially after all the knocks Barcelona have taken over the course of the road, is absurd.

Barcelona’s apparent confusion and seeming lack of desire comes from a different place altogether. The fact that, against Real Madrid, they managed just 4 shots on target, isn’t because they can’t or don’t want to shoot, or because they don’t have the hunger to score. It’s because they don’t get into good enough positions to shoot from. The fact that Dani Alves gave the ball away twice right before each of Madrid’s goals wasn’t all because he lacked concentration, it’s because the positioning of the players around him didn’t allow him to play a good pass. His side being so brutally exposed wasn’t only because he was high up the pitch – he’s always been there, hasn’t he? – but because Barcelona’s unit could no longer cover up for it to eliminate the danger. The fact that Real Madrid continuously broke through Barcelona’s midfield and attacked the bare defense line wasn’t because that was written on Barcelona’s game plan or because they didn’t care about the Cup. It’s not that simple, although, understandably, in the heat of the moment it’s easy to be tempted to think so.

Barcelona’s positional play has taken leaps backwards in the last years. Rarely you see them press in packs, even more rarely you see the midfield help the defenders in transition defense. With that, it’s nearly a miracle that Real Madrid only managed to score twice, given how many times Bale, Benzema and Di Maria were practically attacking just three defenders.

They key to Barcelona’s effective play in the past were the triangles they managed to form on the field. A player in possession always had options, they could play with one touch and thereby make their opponent chase shadows and open spaces. Barcelona, today, don’t create triangles, can’t move the ball quickly enough and only relies on the individual brilliance of the likes of Messi, Neymar and Iniesta to create them space. On occasion, it does. Against a defense orientated to stop them, it rarely does.

The lack of precision in positional play creates the illusion of exhaustion and lack of interest. “Move the ball faster”, yells the fan, while the player in possession is left to turn his head from one direction to another, looking for an outlet.

Furthermore, as a result of this, the players look disjointed from one another. Messi – the one that is supposed to unlock every defense on his own – looks like that one person in a party who has underdressed for the occasion, who doesn’t belong in the group. While Messi is expected to snap his fingers and create magic, too often it is forgotten that Messi, too, is a La Masia product, a man who – despite his outrageous individual talent – wants to play short passes, connect with his teammates. “He doesn’t dribble like he used to”, they’ll say, while it goes unnoticed that to dribble, a player needs the players around him to move, to be available for a release, to drag defenders out of his way. Every once in a while, Messi can create things on his own. But to create things on his own against an organized defense that isn’t dragged anywhere out of Messi’s path isn’t exactly a tactic worth trying.

As a result, Messi, too, looks frustrated. A major part of his game is being eliminated by not only the opponent, but Barcelona themselves. Maybe that’s why he spent thirty seconds of his life complaining to the referee after the Real Madrid wall had moved forward prior to his freekick. All despite the fact that his freekick went way over the bar and has barely even landed yet. He’s frustrated. He switches off mentally. Maybe he, too, is human after all.

And the million dollar question is; why? Why doesn’t Barcelona look like a team anymore? Why doesn’t their positional play allow them to play to their strengths? Why doesn’t the midfield track back enough? Why isn’t there enough movement, why isn’t there enough support for the player in possession?

From a materialistic point of view, the conclusions have been drawn a long time ago. Xavi suffers from a chronic Achilles problem, Cesc Fàbregas has never been blessed with pace and there’s only so much Busquets can do to cover up. Jordi Alba and Dani Alves are easy targets if you want to win a header and Javier Mascherano continues to make positional mistakes that show he’s not a center back by nature. Like the papers have long suggested, there is a glaring need for major changes in personnel if Barcelona are to return to their glory days.

Such need is also caused by the fact that Barcelona isn’t the same mentally. Not because they lack hunger – that I don’t believe for a second – but because they lack confidence, they feel the pressure, and as result of the success, the glory, the knocks, the painful defeats, the difficulties to score, the goals conceded against the run of play, they’ve lost the mental edge they once had in comparison with their opponents.

They’re no longer a team that turns matches around in the final minutes. They came close against Real Madrid, but didn’t. Some will say it’s bad luck – Neymar did hit the post, after all – but it isn’t just bad luck. Not when it happens several times in a row. Not when it has happened three times inside a week. At that point, it’s something more fundamental.

The case might be that the standards within the squad are no longer as high as they used to be. Some media outlets have suggested that the intensity of Barcelona’s training sessions has dropped, and although it is hard for an outsider to judge, that might be the case. And it’s not something they do willingly. It’s something that happens subconsciously.

In 2008, every player and every staff member demanded the best of themselves and the best of everyone around them, because they had to. Is that the case anymore? Has the management taken the difficult decisions in the days of glory, in order to develop and better the team? Based on their inability to even make the obvious calls, such as sign a center back, the answer is no. Has that complacency perhaps found its way to the dressing room, too? Maybe.

What is more certain is that the summer will bring changes to Barcelona. Tata Martino’s days seem counted as failing three times a week in the same manner and thereby possibly losing all three titles is unforgivable. The changes in the squad itself depend on whether the transfer ban is lifted or not, and surely, when the need for changes is staring at everyone in the face, the Barcelona management will hope to be able to sign during the summer. If things really boil over, the discontent and disappointment could even lead to a summer election.

As the ongoing season seems somewhat lost, the best the Barcelona fans can hope for is that a breath of fresh air will blow through the city in the summer, like it did in the summer of 2008. In the season 2007-2008 many considered Barcelona a lost cause, many of the building blocks of the 2009′s treble-winning team were considered incompetent, as a matter of fact, much like today.

Back then, the club had courage to make difficult choices, shake things up and go with the new ideas one hundred per cent, and it turned out that Xavi, Iniesta, Yaya Toure & even Samuel Eto’o still had plenty to offer. Something similar is required now, because the players’ potential ensures that they, too, have plenty to offer even after all the difficulties. For the talent to shine, however, it needs to complemented, and pretty words are no longer enough.

Re: La Liga

Reading reveal Sevilla’s intent to exercise purchase option for Daniel Carriço

Reading director of football, Nick Hammond recently admitted that he doesn’t expect 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder, Daniel Carriço to return to the club after his current loan deal with Sevilla expires at the end of the season and that the Andalusians will likely exercise their purchase option for the player.

In an interview with the Reading Post, Hammond spoke about the negotiations between the two clubs and he couldn’t be happier for the player.

“I have a potential deal in place with Sevilla for him.

“I’m pleased because he’s a fantastic boy and he’s gone there and played very well. He’s a very well respected played in their group.

“Sevilla have an option to buy. He’s done very well, so the assumption would be that they will take that option up.”

Hammond went on to add that Carriço is showing why they chose to purchase him from Sporting Lisbon in January 2013, and despite making just three apperances for the Royals, the player has shown he can play at the top level if given the proper minutes.

“I think the key is he’s playing week in, week out.

“Daniel is a player with a really good CV, but when we took him in the January he hadn’t got games under his belt. He was not up to speed.

“Now he’s gone to Spain and he’s done very well. It’s probably been easier for him in terms of the pace of the game, and the position that he’s played has allowed him to build a volume of games, but if you come into the Premier League, like he did, it can be quite a culture shock, as many have found.”

However, this should come as no surprise to Sevilla fans, as we reported back in January that sporting director, Monchi annouced that they will be exercising the option to purchase.

“He is a player that we’ve been following for a long time, we are happy with Dani and we will exercise his purchase option”

Reading purchased the player from Sporting CP in December 2012 for a fee of €750,000 which will likely be close to the amount that Sevilla will pay the Championship League side at the end of his current loan deal.

Re: La Liga

Debate and speculation, as Messi future at Barca remains under the spotlight

Lionel Messi and his future at Barcelona remain the subject of great debate in the media, with suspicions apparently around the player, that the Catalan club are looking to offload him to Paris Saint Germain.

Lionel Messi future in doubt at Barcelona

Much has been the debate about the form of Lionel Messi of late, with the belief that if he isn’t performing at his stellar best, neither can Barcelona. Whilst three games without a goal wouldn’t seem anything to cause anyone to bat an eyelid, were it any other player, it is clearly of serious concern to those who follow Barca.

There is also increasing speculation that the player himself is unsettled at the Catalan club, amidst continued reports throughout the season that PSG are constantly knocking at the door, making enquiries and willing to pay the €250 million release clause, which in turn would trigger what many are calling “The Sale of the Century”.

Esport3 show ‘Efectivament’ today added to the speculation, rumour and gossip, by suggesting that those close to Lionel Messi and his family are seriously concerned that Barca are edging closer to a willingness, that would see them sell the Argentine star.

They point to the constant interest displayed by PSG as being a huge temptation to the current administration at Barca, who could cash in on such a huge fee, in order to fund a complete rebuilding of the team. There is also the matter of protracted talks over a proposed contract renewal, that appears to be at loggerheads between his father, Jorge Messi and director general, Antoni Rossich, with the particular stumbling blocks apparently being those of image rights and making Lionel Messi the highest paid player in world football.

Closely linked amidst all the debate, it is believed that given that Qatari financial ties with PSG and those of the principal sponsors of Barcelona, this is also a factor being played out behind the scenes, given the huge sums of money potentially involved and with a reach far beyond the football pitch.

In addition, it is also suggested that once more, Lionel Messi was hugely frustrated that Barca didn’t move to sign his friend and Argentine team-mate, Kun Agüero, from Manchester City last summer.

Needless to say, much of this latest media speculation comes as a result of three defeats, two trophies that Barcelona can no longer win this season and having taken a heavy knock to their title bid in La Liga, which also comes on top of the less than stellar performances of Lionel Messi during those games.

Resurfacing once more, is also the story of Real Madrid being behind a supposed bid for Messi last summer, which was reportedly part of a strategy by sportswear giants Adidas, who are also the Argentine star’s personal sponsors.

It seems that the only thing that will finally put an end to all the speculation and rumour, would be if Messi pens a new contract. Without a doubt, this would also restore some measure of confidence amongst the Barca fans, who are clearly unsettled themselves with how things have transpired for their club, throughout what has been an extremely turbulent season, on the pitch and in the club offices.

Re: La Liga

Alguien me explica de que vá éste post. ¿¿ ??

Re: La Liga

Lionel Messi and his future at Barcelona remain the subject of great debate in the media, with suspicions apparently around the player, that the Catalan club are looking to offload him to Paris Saint Germain.

Lionel Messi future in doubt at Barcelona

Much has been the debate about the form of Lionel Messi of late, with the belief that if he isn’t performing at his stellar best, neither can Barcelona. Whilst three games without a goal wouldn’t seem anything to cause anyone to bat an eyelid, were it any other player, it is clearly of serious concern to those who follow Barca.

There is also increasing speculation that the player himself is unsettled at the Catalan club, amidst continued reports throughout the season that PSG are constantly knocking at the door, making enquiries and willing to pay the €250 million release clause, which in turn would trigger what many are calling “The Sale of the Century”.

Esport3 show ‘Efectivament’ today added to the speculation, rumour and gossip, by suggesting that those close to Lionel Messi and his family are seriously concerned that Barca are edging closer to a willingness, that would see them sell the Argentine star.

They point to the constant interest displayed by PSG as being a huge temptation to the current administration at Barca, who could cash in on such a huge fee, in order to fund a complete rebuilding of the team. There is also the matter of protracted talks over a proposed contract renewal, that appears to be at loggerheads between his father, Jorge Messi and director general, Antoni Rossich, with the particular stumbling blocks apparently being those of image rights and making Lionel Messi the highest paid player in world football.

Closely linked amidst all the debate, it is believed that given that Qatari financial ties with PSG and those of the principal sponsors of Barcelona, this is also a factor being played out behind the scenes, given the huge sums of money potentially involved and with a reach far beyond the football pitch.

In addition, it is also suggested that once more, Lionel Messi was hugely frustrated that Barca didn’t move to sign his friend and Argentine team-mate, Kun Agüero, from Manchester City last summer.

Needless to say, much of this latest media speculation comes as a result of three defeats, two trophies that Barcelona can no longer win this season and having taken a heavy knock to their title bid in La Liga, which also comes on top of the less than stellar performances of Lionel Messi during those games.

Resurfacing once more, is also the story of Real Madrid being behind a supposed bid for Messi last summer, which was reportedly part of a strategy by sportswear giants Adidas, who are also the Argentine star’s personal sponsors.

It seems that the only thing that will finally put an end to all the speculation and rumour, would be if Messi pens a new contract. Without a doubt, this would also restore some measure of confidence amongst the Barca fans, who are clearly unsettled themselves with how things have transpired for their club, throughout what has been an extremely turbulent season, on the pitch and in the club offices.

Re: La Liga

y ami,y ami,tengo curiosidad,no entiendo na

Re: La Liga

Athletic Bilbao manager, Ernesto Valverde downplayed talk of a possible move to Barcelona next season, insisting that he has a contract with the Basque side and he’s very happy there.

In his post-match press conference following their 2-1 loss to Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Valverde immediately fielded questions about his future before analysing the loss.

“Is my contract negotiable? I appreciate the comments. In regards to whether the contract is negotiable or non-negotiable, that’s a very personal question. I have a contract with Athletic and I’m very comfortable there.

“We had Susaeta’s chance. I thought we could draw in the counter. Before our goal, they have very clear chances. With the goal, we took a step back and they kept their 2-1 lead. Winning here is very difficult.

“We thought about being more defensive, but decided to play to our strengths and our strengths are to play our game. It was a risk we were willing to take.

“A week ago, Barcelona were involved in three competitions and now they only have one. The one who lost the Copa would come out of it in a crisis. Barcelona were the ones and that’s it. Sometimes they win a lot and this year hasn’t gone as expected.

“We we’re very conscious of the criticisms from the fans, we were focused on the game. When we scored, the fans started to open up a little, but only for a little bit. The same thing happens in San Mames. The fans demand a lot from you, but they also lift you up and push you.”

Valvderde concluded by singing the praises of Leo Messi, who scored the game-winning free kick after being accused of being disinterested in the losses to Granada and Atletico Madrid.

“This is football. One week they doubt you and the next they don’t. Today he scored and the fans will leave happy. But I’m more worried about Muniain than Messi.”

Re: La Liga

Barcelona centre-back, Javier Mascherano made a massive save to salvage a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening at the Camp Nou and the Argentine feels that they need to hold on to whatever hope they have of winning La Liga.

In his post-match interview, Mascherano spoke about the match and where it leaves them with four matches remaining in the season.

“We’re missing a lot of scoring chances, once again we had to come from behind, but this is the attitude we need to show. We played a good game, although it was difficult for us to score.

“This is our job, our profession and we need to approach it in the most professional possible way, even though there are critics. Throughout all of this we haven’t changed our personality and we’ve always maintained our dignity.

“We have to hold on to what little hope we have. It doesn’t do us any good if those above us slip up and we don’t take advantage. We need to keep going.”

Mascherano then spoke about the fans and understands their criticisms, as it comes with the territory with a club as big as Barcelona.

“They come to the stadium, they can support, criticise…and we need to comply.”

Re: La Liga

Zenit St Petersburg boss Andre Villas-Boas has played down talk of him taking over from Tata Martino as Barcelona boss.

The Portuguese has had to endure a difficult year after what promised so much back in August with Tottenham.

After being sacked by the Spurs hierarchy following an inconsistent start to the campaign, Villas-Boas is currently rebuilding his reputation in Russia with Zenit, and his side's impressive performances have fuelled rumours he could take on a more prestigious role in the summer.

However, with Martino under pressure at Barcelona following their Champions League exit and La Liga woes, Villas-Boas insists he has heard nothing from the Catalan giants.

"All the rumours about my negotiations with Barcelona are completely groundless," Villas-Boas said.

"I've signed the contract with Zenit and I'm set to stay here until its expiry date.

"My work with Zenit is my top priority."

Meanwhile, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu confirmed no decision has been made on Martino's future and will hold talks with the coach at the end of the season.

Bartomeu told TV3: "We have a lot of respect for Martino, we still have five games left in the league and it is our responsibility to be competitive and keep up the pressure on the leaders.

"A few days after that, I'll be speaking personally to Tata Martino about other things."

Re: La Liga

Getafe goalkeeper Julio César was happy to have made his full début away at Levante over the weekend, particularly with keeping a clean sheet and ahead of next Saturday’s home match against Málaga, called on the fans to be there in their numbers, backing the team to victory.

Brazilian keeper Julio César remains convinced that even though Getafe remain in the bottom three, after last Saturday’s draw at Levante, they have the strength in their team to climb out of the relegation zone.

“We still believe we’re going to save ourselves, but one game at a time and together. We’re the first ones that must believe that and then we must convey that to the fans. We keep believing because we’ve got a good enough team and quality in our ranks.”

César also made his first start for Getafe, since his arrival on a free transfer to cover for the injured Moyà. Content with the clean sheet, he put that down to how his side defended as a team, not just for his own actions.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played and I feel really good. I’m happy because we got a point and kept a clean sheet. We did that together, the defence and all my team-mates. That was our aim and although we wanted to win and couldn’t, we’ve taken a point at least.”

“I’m happy because it’s not easy playing a game like this, with so much responsibility. I’m happy because of the opportunity the manager gave me, but with the responsibility of doing well, knowing that I had to give confidence to my team-mates.”

In the games that remain, César is hopeful of more starts, but accepts that it’s not his decision to make.

“I’ll keep working hard, doing the best I can and it’s up to the manager to decide. I’ll try to do the best I can this week, just as I do every day and if the manager chooses me, great, but if not, then I have to respect that.”

Looking ahead to next Saturday’s game against Málaga, César hopes that the Coliseum is full and flooded with blue Getafe shirts, with fans really getting behind the team, whilst they do their best out on the pitch.

“We have to do our jobs well, win and we’ll also be counting on the fans. I know there can be a sea of blue in the stands and although I’m new here, that’s what I want to see, everyone in blue giving us the lift we need. It’s going to be a very tough game, a crucial one for us, but we’ll keep taking things one game at a time, to save the team from relegation.”

Re: La Liga

FC Barcelona Transfer Ban Suspended

FIFA have announced that FC Barcelona will be able to sign players until a final decision has been taken on the appeal of their transfer ban.

The Catalan giants had been banned from making signings for the next two transfer windows by the FIFA disciplinary for ten cases breaching the international transfer of players under 18 years of age. The club, however, has appealed the sanctions and requested that the transfer ban be suspended. FIFA has today announced in an official statement that the request has been granted.

“The club FC Barcelona has lodged an appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee against the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that sanctioned the club for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. Together with the appeal, the club requested that its appeal be granted suspensive effect.”

FIFA has explained that due to the “complexity of the matter”, they will not be in a position to make a final decision before the next transfer window, meaning that Barcelona may in the meantime continue to make transfers as normal.

The decision would appear to suggest that Barcelona can now complete their anticipated signing of Borussia Monchengladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, along with the already confirmed deal with young Serbian star Alen Halilovic.

The appeal will be resolved before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.