Tag Archives: Joan Laporta

Aitana Bonmatí Claims Ballon d’Or Féminin After Record-Breaking Year

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Aitana Bonmatí is officially soccer’s biggest female star…

The 25-year-old Spanish professional footballer, a Barcelona and Spain midfielder, has claimed the Ballon d’Or Féminin after a record-breaking year with club and country.

Aitana BonmatíBonmatí helped Barça win Liga F and the Champions League last season, before leading Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.

She was named Player of the Tournament in Australia and New Zealand and was also recently crowned UEFA Women’s Player of the Year. Bonmati won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Australia forward Sam Kerr and Spain winger Salma Paralluelo.

“I want to congratulate all the nominees. All of them are great and inspiring footballers. As role models we have a responsibility on and off the pitch. We should be more than athletes. Keep leading by example and keep fighting together for a better, peaceful and equal world,” Bonmatí said after receiving the award.

At the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Barcelona were also awarded as the women’s team of the year.

Bonmatí’s teammate Patri Guijarro and Barça president Joan Laporta received the recognition on behalf of the club.

It’s the third year in a row that a Barça player has clinched the Ballon d’Or in the women’s game, with Bonmatí succeeding teammate and back-to-back winner Alexia Putellas.

“Spain has something unique. In recent years we have achieved a lot with our clubs and the national team,” Bonmati told reporters.

“It says a lot that we won the Ballon d’Or three times in a row. We are a country that lives football, and we work hard every day to be the best.”

After claiming the prize in 2021 and 2022, Putellas missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury, although she did return to play a part in Spain’s World Cup triumph.

In Putellas’ absence, Bonmatí, who came fifth in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, took the spotlight in a more attacking role at Barcelona, scoring nine goals and assisting 10 more in 23 appearances as Barça won Liga F for a fourth successive season.

She also starred in the Champions League, registering a competition-high 13 goal contributions (five goals and eight assists) in 11 appearances as Barça won the title for a second time.

At the World Cup, she scored three times and set up two more goals as Spain won the competition for the first time, beating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney.

Bonmatí first broke into the Barça side in 2016 and has since made over 200 appearances for the club, winning four league titles, two Champions Leagues, five Copas de le Reina and three Spanish Super Cups.

She made her Spain debut in 2017 and had won 57 caps for her country, scoring 21 goals.

Lamine Yamal Signs First Professional Contract with Barcelona

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Lamine Yamal has signed his first professional contract with Barcelona.

With the new deal, the 16-year-old Spanish soccer player has extended his stay at the Catalan club until at least 2026.

Lamine Yamal Yamal, a winger, put pen to paper on the deal — which includes a €1 billion ($1.05bn) release clause — at Barça‘s training ground on Monday at an event also attended by president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.

Until he turns 18, Yamal cannot sign a contract for longer than three years, which is the reason he has not signed longer terms.

It has been a record-breaking year for the forward, who made his first team debut in April while he was still 15, becoming the youngest player to represent Barça in LaLiga. He has since gone on to become the youngest player to ever play and score for Spain, netting on his debut against Georgia earlier this month.

Meanwhile, at club level, he has established himself in Xavi Hernandez‘s squad, making nine appearances in all competitions so far this season, including four starts. He set up the winner, an own goal by Sergio Ramos, in Friday’s 1-0 victory over Sevilla in LaLiga as Barça maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Further records could fall in the coming weeks, with Yamal still able to become the youngest-ever goal scorer in LaLiga and the Champions League. That record is held by Ansu Fati in the Champions League, whose goal against Inter Milan for Barça in 2019 came when he was 17 years and 40 days old.

In LaLiga, though, he is running out of time. He has just one game left — away at Granada on Sunday — to beat the mark set by Fabrice Olinga, who was 16 years and 98 days old when he scored for Malaga a decade ago.

Yamal first joined Barça in 2013 from local Catalan club CF Torreta and has since progressed through the academy, racing through the age groups until reaching the first team this year.

Rafael Marquez Returning to FC Barcelona as Barca Atletic’s Coach

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Rafael Marquez is returning to Camp Nou…

The 43-year-old Mexican former-professional-footballer-turned-coach will replace Sergi Barjuan as coach of Barcelona‘s second team, Barca Atletic, according to ESPN.

Rafael Marquez, Barca has announced that Barjuan would not remain in the role after missing out on promotion into the second-tier of Spanish football last season.

Marquez, as first reported by Relevo, will take over, with “just the contract left to be signed” before an official announcement, according to ESPN’s sources.

Marquez was one of the first signings of Joan Laporta‘s first spell as Barca president in 2003 and went on to win two Champions Leagues with the club.

Laporta and Marquez have maintained a good relationship ever since and the Barca chief first attempted to bring him back to Camp Nou last summer.

He had been earmarked to take over the Under-19 team, but a deal fell through at the last minute due to his presence on a list in the United States linking him to drug trafficking.

The sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department could have had a knock-on effect for Barca in terms of their commercial activity in the United States.

However, Marquez, who always maintained his innocence, was removed from the list last September, finally teeing up his return to Barca.

It will be his second coaching job in Spain following a fleeting spell working as the manager of Alcala de Madrid‘s U16 side.

Barca Atletic play in the third tier of Spanish football and act as the bridge between the youth academy and the first team.

Gavi, Nico Gonzalez and Ronald Araujo are among the players who have recently made the jump from the second team to the Xavi Hernandez‘s first-team squad.

Xavi Hernandez Reportedly Top Choice to Become New FC Barcelona Head Coach

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Xavi Hernandez could be taking on a new role with FC Barcelona…

The team is reportedly opening talks with the 41-year-old Spanish professional football manager and former Barca team captain following the firing of coach Ronald Koeman.

Xavi Hernández

Koemamn’s firing came after the team’s 1-0 LaLiga loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, their third defeat in their last four league games.

Hernandez is reportedly now the first choice.

However, the same sources add that Barca don’t expect to have a replacement in place until after the November international break. An interim coach is set to take charge of the next three games against Alaves, Dynamo Kiev and Celta Vigo.

Koeman’s position had been seriously weakened after poor results prior to the October international break, with back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and Rayo this week proving to be the tipping point.

He leaves Barca in ninth place in the league and in danger of missing out on the Champions League knockout phase for the first time in 20 years, with the side yet to register an away win in any competition this season.

The club said in a statement: “FC Barcelona have relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first-team coach. The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano.

“Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva. FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”

Xavier Hernandez

As for Xavi, the former midfield great won a slew of trophies with Barca in his 17 years as a senior player, including eight LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals. He then joined Al Sadd in 2015, becoming head coach at the Qatari club after hanging up his boots in 2019. It’s his only managerial experience so far.

Along with Xavi, sources had previously told ESPN that Belgium boss Roberto Martinez and was among the candidates.

Laporta had first considered sacking Koeman in the summer and even told him he needed two weeks to try and find a new manager. In the end, due to a lack of credible alternatives, Laporta decided to stick with Koeman.

However, sources said that former Netherlands boss Koeman was upset by Laporta’s actions and the relationship between the two has never been the same since.

Despite that, Laporta handed Koeman a stay of execution last month after the 3-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon. Since then, though, Barca have lost to Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and now Rayo in the league.

“[Being ninth in LaLiga] is not good,” Koeman said after striker Radamel Falcao‘s goal condemned Barca to defeat in Vallecas on Wednesday, with Memphis Depay missing a penalty.

“It shows the team’s level has dipped, in terms of the balance in the squad. We have lost players with a lot of effectiveness in the final third. I think in recent years the teams at the top have strengthened and we have not been able to. That counts.

“But not today, because despite missing players we played well, but you can’t say that when you don’t score, not in Spain.”

Asked if the result placed his job in danger, hours before he was fired, Koeman said “I don’t know.”

Koeman also lamented the exit of star player Messi in recent weeks. He said the Argentina international had disguised many of the team’s flaws and was responsible for making the players around him even better.

Lionel Messi Reportedly Agrees to New Five-Year-Deal with FC Barcelona

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Not so fast! Lionel Messi may not be going anywhere…

The 34-year-old Argentine superstar footballer and FC Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement for the forward to sign a new five-year deal with the Catalan club, according to ESPN.

Lionel MessiSources added that Messi has accepted a significant wage reduction to prolong his stay.

Messi was a free agent after his contract at Barca expired, and he had courted interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City since first revealing a desire to end his 20-year relationship with Barca last summer.

Messi’s previous contract, which was worth over €500 million ($594m) over four years, expired at the stroke of midnight on June 30.

However, with the return of Joan Laporta as president in March, Messi grew more open to staying at Camp Nou. An official announcement is expected in the coming days.

Laporta had hoped to finalize an agreement before Messi’s previous terms expired. Barca’s financial problems made that impossible, though, with their gross debt over €1 billion. Cutbacks have been essential, in terms of transferring players out, reducing the wage bill and getting Messi to accept a lower salary.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has warned Barca they will not be allowed to register Messi’s new deal if they are unable to reduce spending to comply with the league’s Financial Fair Play rules. Barca’s spending limit has been reduced from over €600m to €347m since the coronavirus pandemic, with further reductions expected to be imposed for the upcoming season.

Therefore, to register Messi’s new deal, in addition to new signings Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal, Barca need to continue reducing the wage bill and moving players on. With that in mind, sources at the club refuse to rule out the departure of Antoine Griezmann, a €120m signing in 2019.

Messi is on holiday with his family after his Copa America glory with Argentina last weekend, which was his first senior trophy with his national team.

He will link up with Ronald Koeman‘s squad later in the summer, with Barca’s league campaign kicking off on August 15 against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou.

Messi had first expressed a desire to leave Barca last August after the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. His relationship with then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu had reached a breaking point. In a September 2020 interview with Goal, after Barca had blocked his departure, Messi called Bartomeu a “liar” and said the board had been “making things up as they go along” and “plugging holes” for years.

Bartomeu, facing a vote of no confidence, resigned last October and was eventually replaced by Laporta in March. Laporta has a good relationship with Messi and his family. He was Barca’s president when Messi made his first-team debut and when he signed his first professional contract with the club.

Sources told ESPN in April that Laporta was working on a contract renewal for Messi that included the option of playing in Major League Soccer before returning to Barcelona.

In public and in private, Laporta had always maintained that he was “convinced” he could persuade Messi to stay. The club have already made a series of signings this summer, bringing in Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia, as well as recalling Emerson Royal.

Messi first joined Barca’s academy in 2000 and has gone on to play 778 games for the club, breaking Xavi Hernandez‘s appearance record last season. He has scored 672 goals, another club record, and has helped Barca win, among other trophies, 10 La Liga titles and the Champions League on four occasions.

Sergio Aguero Finalizing Deal with FC Barcelona

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Sergio Aguero could be switching sides very soon…

FC Barcelona is finalizing the signing of the 32-year-old Argentine professional footballer on a free transfer this summer, according to ESPN.

Sergio Aguero

Barca have offered Aguero a two-year contract and sources say the Argentina international could arrive to the Camp Nou after the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea on May 29.

Aguero, who will turn 33 next month, has agreed to considerably reduce his wages and will join as a free agent once his contract with Manchester City expires on June 30.

Barca have been looking for a No. 9 since Luis Suarez‘s departure to Atletico Madrid last summer.

Club president Joan Laporta sees Aguero’s potential arrival as a great opportunity for Barca because of the former Atletico star’s experience and that no transfer fee is required.

Barca came close to signing Aguero in 2014 but decided instead to acquire Suarez.

Aguero has other important offers on the table, and his willingness to lower his wages to arrive to the Camp Nou is valued by the club, according to a source.

Barca are convinced that in the short term, Aguero will outperform Martin Braithwaite, who has scored seven goals this season. The Denmark international is expected to be placed on the transfer list this summer.

Barca also believe that Aguero’s signing would help persuade his friend and Argentina teammate Lionel Messi to renew his contract.

Messi, whose contract expires next month, has yet to sign a new deal with Barca.

Joan Laporta Elected New President of FC Barcelona

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Joan Laporta is returning to Camp Nou…

The 58-year-old Spanish lawyer has been elected the new president of FC Barcelona, returning to the post he previously held from 2003 to 2010.

Joan Laporta

Barca members voted Laporta into power on Sunday ahead of rival candidates Victor Font and Toni Freixa. The club called the election on Sunday night, with Laporta winning with 30,184 votes and Font coming in second and Freixa third with 16,679 and 4,769 votes, respectively.

Barca said 51,765 out of 109,531 eligible members had voted in the election, which was postponed from January due to coronavirus restrictions in Catalonia.

Among those to vote were first-team players Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as the club’s former coach and current Spain boss Luis Enrique.

“I want to thank all the members for coming out to vote what has been the most important election in the club’s history due to [the effects of] the coronavirus pandemic, which has changed our lives,” Laporta said in a brief speech.

“I want to thank the members that have supported our campaign. This has been a celebration of democracy and of Barcelona. I also want to pay special thanks to Johan Cruyff, who’s no longer with us. I am sure he’s helped us.

“Barcelona is a huge family, and we will overcome the difficulties together. We will achieve the objectives that we have set out.”

Laporta takes over at a critical moment in the club’s history. Gross debt has risen to €1.2 billion during the coronavirus pandemic, with players forced to accept pay cuts, and star player Messi is out of contract in June and will walk away for free if new terms cannot be agreed upon.

Laporta said the fact that Messi voted on Sunday was “significant.”

“Today, 20 years ago, Messi made his debut for Barca’s youth teams,” he added. “To see the best player in the world, the player in the history of football, coming to vote, is a sign of what we have said throughout the campaign: that Messi loves Barca.

“The best player in the world loves Barca, and that is very significant. We’re going to encourage him to continue with the club, which is what we all want.”