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Xavi: Smashing Real Madrid 5-0 the pinnacle of my career
By Stefan Coerts
May 4, 2015 10:33:00
The Spanish midfielder still has fond memories of the heavy win over Jose Mourinho's side, while revealing he would have enjoyed playing for Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona midfielder Xavi has singled out the 5-0 Clasico win over Real Madrid in November 2010 as the pinnacle of his career.
The veteran playmaker, 35, has in several Champions League finals, La Liga title deciders and three major finals with Spain in a stunning career to date.
However, the humbling of Jose Mourinho's side at Camp Nou remains Xavi's fondest memory due to the "sublime" football of his Barca side which followed some verbal jousting from the visitors.
"The match I remember most fondly? The pinnacle, the crowning game, was the 5-0 against Real Madrid," Xavi told Marca.
"Nothing compares, although the 6-2 away was also amazing. What football, what dominance. We had the ball all the time: when we lost it, we won it back instantly. It was football at its most sublime.
"The Real Madrid players' heads had dropped as they came off 2-0 down at the break. We ran into the dressing room: we couldn't wait for the second half to begin. We could have scored even more.
"We were gunning for them because of everything they'd been saying about us."
The ex-Spain international went on to reveal he has always had a soft spot for Athletic Bilbao and would have liked to play for the Basque side.
"I love Bilbao. I was there at Christmas, for the Basque Country versus Catalonia match, and though I was wearing a cap, people stopped me on the street. They treated with me such affection and admiration.
"It's a shame I didn't get to play for Athletic for a couple of years."
Dani Alves still wants Barcelona stay, says Bartomeu
By Stefan Coerts
May 4, 2015 12:00:06
The Catalans are not giving up hope that the defender will eventually sign a contract renewal, while they have made it clear Luis Enrique will not leave the club
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu remains confident Dani Alves will stay at Camp Nou beyond the expiry date of his current deal this summer.
The Brazil international, 31, has been heavily linked with a move away from Barca as talks over a contract renewal have so far been unfruitful.
Bartomeu, however, has stressed that negotiations have been re-opened as both parties are looking for a solution.
"Alves is one step closer to staying at Barcelona. We are in talks with his representative over a new deal because he is an important player," Bartomeu told TV3.
"He has to keep fighting and working hard.
"We hope that he will accept our end in the offer and that the club can offer him what he deserves.
"I would rather not talk about the negotiations too much, but Dani is keen to stay at the club and we want him to stay put as well."
Bartomeu then went on to discuss the future of head coach Luis Enrique at the club and was quick to stress that the 44-year-old will not be going anywhere any time soon.
"I cannot imagine Luis Enrique not being here next season," he added.
"We are very happy with what he's been doing this season and with the work of the technical staff in general."
Monday May 4 2015
Xavi: Pity I couldn’t play for Athletic
By Football Espana staff
Xavi Hernandez has lamented the fact he’s unable to turn out for Athletic Bilbao, the Barcelona veteran thinking highly of the Basques.
The admiration doesn’t stop at Athletic’s team, Xavi explained in an interview with El Periodico and picked up in part by Marca.
“Camp Nou is the best stadium in the world. It seems bigger than it is. You look at the measurements of other pitches in La Liga and they’re almost the same,” the playmaker said.
“El Madrigal is the same and seems smaller. It’s the same at Balaidos!
“Santiago Bernabeu is a great stadium at which to play, after Camp Nou. And La Catedral, the old San Mames, and the new one.
“I love Bilbao. I was there at Christmas, for the Basque Country vs. Catalonia match, and even though I was wearing a cap I was stopped in the street and treated with such affection, as if I was Julen Guerrero.
“It’s a pity I couldn’t play for Athletic for a couple of years.”
Resigned to being unable to poach Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid, it’s reported prospective Milan owner Mr. Bee will go for Sevilla’s Unai Emery.
Marca reports Ancelotti, a long-time Milan Coach, is the dream of the Thai businessman, but Emery is considered a more realistic target for Pippo Inzaghi’s job.
Emery is understood to be aware of Milan’s interest while Sevilla want to keep him as well, and are talking about offering a new contract.
Beppe Bozzo, who was involved in Alvaro Morata’s move from Real Madrid to Juventus, is acting on behalf of Milan in their pursuit of Emery, Marca add.
Should Emery quit Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for San Siro, Rayo Vallecano’s Paco Jemez would be an option to replace him, although Jemez is thought to have an offer from Premier League Newcastle.
Monday May 4 2015
Koke: Atleti won’t let Barca win
By Football Espana staff
Koke has rejected suspicions Atletico Madrid will roll over and let Barcelona win in an effort to stop Real Madrid when the sides meet in Week 37.
It has been suggested that if Atletico have wrapped up third place by then, they will enter a half-hearted performance against La Blaugrana and harm Los Blancos’ title aspirations.
“We’re professionals and we will try to win,” Koke stressed, according to AS.
“We’ve always done that and we wouldn’t turn up otherwise. It’s always nice to beat Barca, one of the best in the world.
“We’re upset by that talk because we’re professionals. We have our pride and a lot to play for too.”
Atletico stumbled in pursuit of third this weekend with a goalless draw at home to Athletic Bilbao but Koke is relieved the team’s future is in their hands.
“We have three games left and the first final against Levante on Sunday,” he added.
“Madrid play Valencia and we’ll be watching, but in the end we depend on ourselves and, if we win the three games we have left, we’ll be third.
“Physically we’re fine. It’s almost the end of the season and there are times when the legs are heavy.
“But we’re fine. We’re eager. We were better than Athletic in the second half, I thought. We had a lot of chances but the ball wouldn’t go in.”
Alvaro Morata has spoken of his gratitude to Carlo Ancelotti ahead of Juventus’ Champions League double-header with Real Madrid.
Morata left Los Blancos for the Old Lady last summer and said that despite his long-standing Madrid connections, he is fully behind Juve.
“I am Juve and I will give everything for Juve,” AS quotes Morata as telling Sky.
“My friends in Madrid have sent me 3,000 messages asking for tickets but I’ve left them to my family. I have to be focused.
“I don’t have anything to prove to anyone in Madrid and I am grateful to Ancelotti as I played a lot, in the knockout rounds and the Champions League final.”
Paco Jemez has acknowledged that seventh place and the Europa League is unlikely for Rayo Vallecano but vowed to keep fighting.
Rayo drew 1-1 with Espanyol on Sunday and Jemez said after the match that he made the call to take the point at Cornella-El Prat on the basis of his players’ fatigue.
“I would have been crazy to push us forward,” he said, AS reports.
“If we had had our best team, it would have been different, but we had the strength to defend.
“We had more control of the game in the first half but not the second.
“Right now we don’t depend on ourselves, we’re at the expense of others. It’s difficult to reach seventh but as long as the maths doesn’t say otherwise we will make the effort.”
Carlos Gurpegi has extended his lengthy association with Athletic Bilbao, signing a contract extension that keeps him at the club until the end of next season.
The 34-year-old, who can play in the centre of midfield or defence, is a product of Bilbao's youth academy and made his debut for the club in 2002.
He has gone on to make over 300 appearances for Athletic in all competitions, including 30 in the current campaign.
Gurpegi was banned for two years in November 2003 after testing positive for nandrolone, eventually serving his sentence following a series of legal wranglings.
Bilbao confirmed Gurpegi's contract renewal in a brief statement on their official website.
Promising midfielder Saul has committed his immediate future to Atletico Madrid after signing terms that will keep him under contract until 2020.
The Spain under-21 international has enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Vicente Calderon this term, having spent last season on loan at Rayo Vallecano.
Featuring 32 times in all competitions and scoring four goals, the Atletico youth product has been linked with Manchester United following a string of impressive displays.
A five-year deal will likely fend off such interest in a player who suffered kidney problems in late February and was subsequently ruled out for around six weeks.
Saul scored on his return - a 2-0 victory over Cordoba - and has since helped the Spanish champions maintain their bid for a top-three spot.
Villarreal captain Bruno Soriano is hopeful of making his return from injury against Elche this weekend after coming through a full training session on Tuesday.
The midfielder has been sidelined since suffering a serious injury to the fibula in his right leg during the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona three months ago.
And Soriano is optimistic he will be able to make his comeback at El Madrigal on Sunday.
He told the club's official website: "I felt like doing a workout like today. I feel good physically and practically do not notice any discomfort in the area of the injury.
"I think I'll be ready for the next game. Physically I need get to the level of my colleagues, but the most important thing is to feel good. If I train all week, I'm available to the coach."
Marcelino's side are sixth in La Liga, but have not won in their last 11 games in all competitions.
Unai Emery insists Sevilla's objectives remain on course despite losing at home for the first time this season in last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid.
Sevilla had gone 26 matches without losing at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in all competitions this, but a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick ended that run on Saturday.
Defeat left Sevilla three points off the UEFA Champions League spots in La Liga, but the Andalusia club can qualify for Europe's premier competition by retaining their Europa League crown.
Emery's men can return to winning ways at home in Thursday's Europa League semi-final first-leg tie against Fiorentina, and Emery paid tribute to the quality of his side.
"We are saddened to have lost at home," he said. "But I'm proud of the work done by my players.
"We made Real suffer and we could have even taken a draw. Our options in both La Liga and Europe remain intact."
Sevilla are aiming to become the first team to win Europe's secondary competition for the fourth time and Emery is keen to grasp the chance at history.
"I think that each moment is different, this moment is very special because we have the chance to make recent history, past history is very beautiful but we need to write recent history every time we have a chance," he added.
"Both Fiorentina and Sevilla have the chance to do this. I do know that right now we are two teams that are very equal in many things and with great potential."
La Liga Preview: Piatti wants Valencia to take chances against wounded Real
7 May 2015 13:38
Pablo Piatti knows Valencia will need to take their chances in order to beat a Real Madrid side coming off disappointment in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
Valencia visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday looking to take another step towards securing a top-four berth in La Liga.
Nuno's men beat Real at Mestalla in January and, after seeing Carlo Ancelotti's side suffer a 2-1 Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat to Juventus on Tuesday, head into the game in high spirits.
"We are confident about our chances," winger Piatti said. "We are aware that we will have opportunities against Real Madrid and we must be at 100 per cent to take advantage of them. We should be focusing on everything we can do, both in attack and defence.
"The manager will have a good plan for this match. Whatever the formation, the goal is the same as always: We will go out there to win. We will be playing at a tough and very difficult ground, but we know what we want from the game. We go there with the conviction of getting the three points."
Real could kick-off against Valencia five points adrift of league leaders Barcelona should the Catalan club build on their 3-0 victory in the Champions League versus Bayern Munich when Luis Enrique's team host Real Sociedad.
Sevilla, who were unfortunate to lose 3-2 to Real last time out, will be looking for the capital club to do them a favour ahead of Sunday's meeting with a Celta Vigo side still holding faint hopes of European football themselves.
Three points at Balaidos and a Valencia defeat to Real would see Sevilla move level on points in the race for fourth, although Unai Emery's men do possess an inferior goal difference.
Valencia's city rivals Levante host soon-to-be deposed champions Atletico Madrid, whose only remaining aim is to secure third spot, while at the other end of the table Granada will be out to further boost their hopes of survival after making a winning start to Jose Ramon Sandoval's reign.
Sandoval guided second bottom Granada to a 2-1 win at Getafe in his first game in charge and should be hopeful of making it two from two against already-relegated Cordoba.
Three other teams are still fighting along with Granada to avoid the drop. Third-bottom Deportivo La Coruna visit Athletic Bilbao, Eibar face Espanyol and Almeria take on Malaga.
Elsewhere, Elche travel to Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano meet Getafe in a lower-profile Madrid derby.
Barcelona v Real Sociedad: Iniesta warns against complacency
7 May 2015 14:05
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has warned against complacency ahead of an important Liga clash with Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Barca will undoubtedly head into the home fixture in a buoyant mood after putting one foot in the UEFA Champions League final with a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Their victory in the first leg of the semi-final came thanks to three goals in the final 13 minutes. Lionel Messi scored two of them, including an audacious chip after he left Jerome Boateng on the ground in a superb mazy run.
But Barcelona must keep their eye on the ball as they only lead La Liga by two points with three matches to play. Arch-rivals Real Madrid are snapping at their heels and have won seven league matches in a row.
"We shouldn't start thinking that nobody can beat us," Iniesta said after the Bayern win.
"We have to keep doing this. If we stop, there are other very good teams and when you least expect it, they can beat you."
Of Messi's heroics, he added: "Leo Messi does things that nobody else does. We are lucky to be able to enjoy having him - I take my hat off to him once again. He makes us happy."
Barca have not lost since a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Malaga in February, winning 16 of their 17 matches since.
They have kept six clean sheets in a row, scoring 23 goals in the process, with the much-vaunted triumvirate of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in devastating form. The trio caused Bayern no end of problems on Wednesday and it was only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's brilliance that kept the scoreline goalless until the 77th minute.
Barcelona have scored 162 goals in all competitions this season, with Messi, Suarez and Neymar contributing a staggering 111 of them.
All those statistics are concerning for Sociedad, but David Moyes' side have not lost any of their last six home games against Barca. Included in that run was a 1-0 triumph in January that came courtesy of Jordi Alba's second-minute own goal.
While Sociedad's home record against the Catalan giants is excellent, they have lost on their last 17 visits to Camp Nou. Sociedad drew 1-1 at the famous venue in April 1995 but have endured a horrible record ever since, conceding almost three goals per game.
Sociedad lie 11th in the table on the back of a three-match unbeaten run, and beat Levante 3-0 last time out.
But a repeat looks highly unlikely against a Barcelona side firing on all cylinders.
Levante v Atletico Madrid: Suarez eyes step towards top-three finish
8 May 2015 16:13
Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid will hope for a favour from city rivals Real on Saturday if they are to wrap up a UEFA Champions League spot against Levante the following day.
The Liga title has long since slipped from Atletico's grasp, but a return to Europe's top table will mark another excellent campaign for the club, and that aim can be achieved this weekend.
First they must hope fourth-placed Valencia come up short against Real Madrid, which would mean a win for Atletico at Levante would give them an unassailable lead in third.
And midfielder Mario Suarez says his team-mates are focused on completing the job versus a Levante side who could confirm their top-flight status with a victory.
"The goal is to finish third and to achieve that we have the finals ahead of us," the Spain international said.
"There are three matches left in which the club's objective is at stake, which is third place that gives direct access to next year's Champions League.
"It's an objective important enough to not have to think about anything else."
Simeone has no fresh injury concerns and will have been boosted by the agreement of a new contract for midfielder Saul in the week, while opposite number Lucas Alcaraz will be without suspended pair Victor Casadesus and Simao Mate.
Pape Diop is also doubtful due to a recent ankle sprain as Levante seek a repeat of their 2-0 win versus Atletico at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia last season.
Home comforts have been key to Levante this term - with six of their nine wins coming in Valencia - and another victory is likely to put lingering relegation fears to bed.
"We have to have the confidence to ask questions of Atletico at various points in the game," Alcaraz said.
"They are a tough team to win against but we must be faithful to the things we do. We need to make as few errors as possible.
"These are games that you have to do everything very well, because you know they [Atletico] are going to give everything.
"Apart from three or four teams who are not playing for anything, everyone else will have to deal with pressure and anxiety.
"We have long been thinking that every game is a chance to make an impact and we now have a chance to earn that win."
Eibar 0 Espanyol 2: Garcia and Stuani do the damage
8 May 2015 23:09
Espanyol turned up the heat on struggling Eibar with a 2-0 win that could see Gaizka Garitano's men slip into the bottom three on Saturday.
Both Deportivo La Coruna and Granada are in action that day and victories would pile the pressure on Eibar, who were downed by goals in either half in the weekend's opening La Liga fixture.
Sergio Garcia opened the scoring a minute shy of the half-hour mark with his 13th league goal of the campaign.
And the points were sealed on the hour when Christian Stuani picked up a loose ball after team-mate Felipe Caicedo failed to properly control a delivery from the right.
The Uruguayan calmly set himself and lashed the ball past Xabi Irureta to condemn the hosts to a sixth consecutive league defeat.
It keeps Espanyol's slim UEFA Europa League hopes alive while Eibar will slip into the bottom three if Depor claim what would be a surprise victory over Athletic Bilbao.
Granada too can apply pressure when they host already-relegated Cordoba.
Gareth Bale has no intention of leaving La Liga giants Real Madrid at the end of the season, his agent Jonathan Barnett said.
The Wales international has endured a tricky second season at Santiago Bernabeu, receiving criticism from the Spanish press and being jeered by his own supporters.
Bale, who joined Real for a world-record fee from Tottenham in September 2013, was also criticised for his showing in a 2-1 UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat at Juventus on Tuesday.
Manchester United and Chelsea are both reportedly interested in bringing Bale back to the Premier League, but Barnett does not foresee his client leaving the Spanish capital.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Why would he look to go elsewhere?
"Real Madrid are the number one club in the world.
"There's always interest in him - but as far as we are concerned he'll be at Real Madrid next summer."
Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain could be out for as many as eight months after having surgery on the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The attacker sustained the injury in Athletic's 2-0 La Liga defeat to Sevilla last month, with an MRI scan revealing the severity of the problem.
On Thursday, the club released a statement confirming that Muniain had gone under the knife.
"The player has undergone surgery on the morning of May 7," it read.
"The surgery, performed by Dr. Mikel Sanchez and his team, has been to repair the injury...passing the intervention without complications.
"The player will remain [in hospital] for 48 hours, after which, if no setbacks arise, he will be discharged home.
"The next week he will begin his period of functional rehabilitation, estimated at seven to eight months for such an injury."
Spanish football's players' union (AFE) has aligned itself with the country's football federation (RFEF) in the ongoing row over the distribution of television money.
The RFEF announced on Wednesday that it was to suspend all domestic competitions from May 16 due to a dispute with the government.
The disagreement centres on a new law concerning how money from television deals is dished out, with women's football and the men's third tier set to benefit from a new centralised system.
A statement on the RFEF's official website subsequently confirmed that all competitions would be suspended before the penultimate round of La Liga matches this season, which would have potential implications for the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on May 30.
Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) plans to take legal action over the move, but AFE held a news conference on Thursday to voice its support for the RFEF.
Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Iker Casillas, Dani Parejo and Carlos Vela were among the La Liga players present for the briefing.
AFE president Luis Rubiales said: "We have decided to call this strike not to go all out on the offensive but in defence of our rights which we believe have been infringed."
LFP issued a statement later in the day warning that a strike would be illegal.
Ancelotti prepared to play Ramos in midfield again
8 May 2015 13:29
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to play Sergio Ramos in midfield again despite criticism over his performance against Juventus.
Defender Ramos was deployed in the unfamiliar central-midfield role in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg in Turin and was widely slammed for his display in a 2-1 defeat.
Ancelotti's men face Valencia on Saturday in La Liga, and asked if Ramos could play in the Real engine room again, he said: "I have not yet decided this.
"The situation with Sergio Ramos hasn't changed, he can play in a number of positions. He did very well against Juventus, if he needs to, I'm going to play him again in that position.
"I haven't thought about changing this depending on the criticisms. It's not about fear of criticism.
"There aren't any errors in the way we've planned the midfield, I've just taken the decision that is best for the club to win games."
Real winger Gareth Bale's performance was also widely derided, with a reported statistic indicating that he had touched the ball less than goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
But Ancelotti said: "We haven't seen the statistic. I don't think the stat tells me much about the game. Bale played a good game, I don't need to speak to Gareth Bale about this.
"Gareth Bale will continue to play well for Real Madrid. This is team is fighting to win to the league, for the final of the Champions League. I thank them [the players] for their efforts, if one game hasn't gone well, that's that."
Luis Enrique hopes the threat of a strike in La Liga can be averted to allow Barcelona's title challenge to run smoothly.
Earlier this week, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced plans to suspend all domestic competition from May 16 due to a dispute with the government.
The row centres on a new law relating to distribution of television money, and has received support from the Spanish football players' union (AFE).
However, the Barca head coach expects the problems to be ironed out before the deadline to ensure the title race is not disrupted at a crucial stage.
"I hope that that moment [the strike] won't come and the dialogue between the parties will bring a solution," he said. "The most important things to consider are the players and people inside football.
"Who would the strike damage? It is hard to say who it would be good and bad for, but we have planned for the original schedule and are still planning for that.
"I still think dialogue will sort things out at the end of the day; that would be the best solution.
"I hope the season ends as scheduled, but there is a conflict, it is very important both sides get their point across."
Barca get back to league action on Saturday against Real Sociedad – who the leaders lost to in January – and Luis Enrique has called on his players to build on Wednesday's 3-0 UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.
He added: "After a game of maximum intensity, [there] can be a certain element of danger.
"But we're so close to securing the title and staying top of the table. That means this game is very important for us, so I don't think we'll be over-relaxed."
