Barcelona forward Lionel Messi returned to full training on Monday five days before the first Clasico of the season, the club said.
Messi has not played since tearing a ligament in his left knee back in September.
“The session included Leo Messi, who is continuing his recovery from the left knee injury he picked up on Sept. 26,” Barcelona revealed.
Also back in training is Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic who has been injured since November 4th.
Lionel Messi credit: hy.wikipedia.org
Barcelona go into this weekend’s El Clasico leading Real Madrid by three points, with Atletico Madrid a further point behind in third.
Forwards Luis Suarez and Neymar have held fort for the Catalan giants in the absence of the Argentine and his return will definitely be a welcome development, some doubts still surround his availability for El-Classico.
Barcelona players have publicly apologised over a Halloween prank in which they interrupted a news conference being given by Getafe striker Victor Rodriguez following the Catalan side’s 2-0 La Liga win on Saturday.
Barcelona issued a statement from its first team on Sunday night which said: “In no case was it our intention to offend and/or hurt any member of Getafe’s team. Our emergence in the post-game interview area during Victor Rodriguez’s press conference was an unfortunate and involuntary accident.”
“We would like to personally apologise to him, as well as to express our respect for him. The images recorded demonstrate that one of the players who was participating said: ‘Where are we going? We went the wrong way.’
“The team is aware of the responsibility that comes with being a player for FC Barcelona and would like to apologise to anyone who may have been offended,
especially Getafe’s players and supporters. We have an unwavering commitment as well to the members and supporters of FC Barcelona, who have to be able to feel proud of the team, both on and off the field.”
A Liga BBVA assistant referee has told anti-corruption officials he was pressured by the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) to support Real Madrid in the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona in November.
Jacinto Vicente, the lawyer of the unnamed official, told Barcelona based newspaper Sport that a formal complaint has been made to the public prosecutor’s office in Barcelona, with the assistant referee told to “prejudice the interests of one of the clubs, Barcelona.”
According to Spanish radio network COPE,the copy of the document presented by Vicente, reads: “In this context, in the middle of September, with two months still to go [before the Clasico], a referee said to my client he had received, and I quote, ‘an instruction directly from someone inside.’
“The guidelines said that they could be the refereeing team for the Clasico even though it has still not been named, nor will it be until closer to the date between Madrid and Barcelona on Nov. 21. In the case that they were designated the game, it was indicated that they must try to referee the game in a certain manner, in more certain terms, to prejudice the interests of one of the clubs, Barcelona.”
The case began with the assistant referee allegedly receiving a phone call in mid-September from the match official he usually works with.
Vicente’s document reads that the match official was told “it would be more convenient if the most difficult decisions in this game are not taken by the main referee, as it generates more controversy in the media but by [my client] the assistant. If the decisions are made by the assistant, it was considered, less controversy would be generated and it would also dilute more quickly. In addition, it was also stated that this practice has already been tested in 2014-15 and that, precisely, on that occasion the main referee was exposed and criticised by the media. For that reason, it was convenient to be more subtle.”
The assistant referee alleges that CTA spokesman Jose Angel Jimenez Munoz de Morales phoned him a few days after the first call in September, told him the CTA knew of his refusal to follow instructions, and advised him to do as told or else face the end of his refereeing career.
The assistant referee says that he did not record the phone conversation because he didn’t expect it, but that the number of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) switchboard had shown up.
Jacinto Vicente told Barcelona based newspaper Sport: “One person let me know about a referee that had a problem and wanted to talk with me. It’s deducible that he is not from Barcelona (because if he was he would not have been chosen for the game). For a professional reason I had to go to Barcelona, where I met with him. He explained everything that had occurred and wanted to go public with the pressure being put on him because it’s the only way to clean up Spanish football and the only way to change a closed system. I advised him that it was not the best solution to publish the claims, but that the normal thing to do would be to report it to the police. It scared him because he didn’t want his name to come out. If it does, he could have a serious professional problem. I told him that he should speak with the police first and the prosecution. On October 19 I got in contact with the police and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor began investigating the case.”
In its quest to entrench good organization in the lowest tier of the nation’s football Leagues, through synergy with established Leagues across the globe, the Chairman of the Nationwide League One, Alhaji Ahmad Kawu is set to lead a four man team to Dubai to meet with officials of Liga Nacional de Futbol Profesional.
Chairman Nationwide League One, Alhaji Ahmad Kawu, photo credit NLO
The team which also includes the Executive Secretary of NLO, Mr. Olushola Ogunnowo, Alhaji Yarma Farouk and Marinze Cassandra Ijeoma will depart the shore of the country on Sunday 18th October, 2015 for a meeting scheduled for Monday 12:00 am in Dubai.
Mr. Ogunnowo said that the aim of the visit is to discuss ways and modalities to find the synergy between the NLO and the LaLiga.
However, the NLO team will meet with Fernando Sanz Duran, General Director (Middle East and North Africa for LaLiga) and his team in their office in Dubai.
“We (the Board and Secretariat of NLO) are doing everything possible within our reach to truly develop Nationwide League One in order for us to meet up with the global standard.”
In What seems like a scene out of Hollywood Fc Barcelona have this past weekend dethroned the former Champions of the Liga BBVA the same way they they were treated about A year ago.
The Out going defending champions of the Spanish Elite Football League Atlético Madrid won the league title with a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou and last night Fc Barcelona have paid them back in their own coins by defeating the Madrid team with a 0-1 win at the Vicente Calderón.
Great Sport personalities Like Club legend Carles Puyol, NBA Star Kobe Bryant and Club President Josep Maria Bartomeu also took to social media to felicitate with the Catalan club on securing their 23rd Liga title in grand style.
Fc Barcelona are League Champions! 2014-2015! photo credit fcbarcelona.com
Even another Cristiano Ronaldo Hatrick in the game against Espanyol was lost in the euphoria that greeted that 65th minute goal from no other person than the Great Lionel Messi to take his Season’s tally of goals to 41. While Ronaldo’s Tally is now 45 the battle for the Pichichi will surely go down to the wire.
But the Blaugrana are more focused on completing a treble this season as the new kings of Spain have still got a chance to Win the Copa Del Rey but the big one comes up Saturday, Jun 6 2015 when they battle the Old Lady (Juventus) for Europe’s Biggest Club trophy the UEFA Champions League at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany Kick off is 20:45 CET.
Kudos Must go to Manager Luis Enrique for bringing back the glory of the Catalunya Side, Barca left no one in doubt of their intentions as they won all six of their last games in the Liga with clean sheets.
It’s definitely Not impossible for this team to do the treble.
Kennedy Igboananike is on the verge of a switch to the Spanish topflight, as two La Liga clubsides have already made enquiries on the availability of the Nigerian attacker.
Reports emerging from Sweden have revealed that negotiations are already ongoing between, AIK Solna, his current employers and the newly promoted Cordoba CF, although an official bid is yet to be confirmed, as his agent, Innocent Okeke, declined to make any comment when contacted.
The player is also believed to be on the radar of Deportivo La Coruna, who are also making a return to the La Liga following their surprise relegation at the end of the 2012/13 season.
Kennedy Igboananike, photo credit aikfotboll.se
Igboananike who joined AIK Solna at the start of the 2013 season had a successful debut campaign in which he inspired the club to finish as runners-up to Malmo FF in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
The 24-year-old fleet-footed player also came a goal shy of topping the scorer’s chart with 14 goals from 26 starts, behind Helsingborg’s Imad Khalili who notched in 15 goals.
AIK’s Sporting Director, Bjorn Wesstrom also refused to deny or affirm the speculation on the player’s future when contacted.
It will be recalled that only the difficulty of securing a work permit for the player prevented Igboananike from making a switch to Southampton last summer, after the club’s scout, Tord Grip, made favourable reports on the player.
Granada CF striker Isaac Success is expected to fortify the Flying Eagles strike force when he joins up next week.
Team secretary Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim said a formal contact will again be made to Success’ Spanish La Liga club in this respect.
“Coach Manu has asked that Success join the rest of the squad in Kaduna as soon as he arrives Nigeria on holidays,” Aliyu Ibrahim said.
Granada did not respond to earlier contacts for the player to be released in time for the Flying Eagles African Youth Championship second round, first leg qualifier in Tanzania.
It is believed that this was because the big striker was very much part of their plans to beat relegation from La Liga.
He was an unused substitute for two of the club’s league games.
Granada are still in danger of relegation as they are just two points clear of the drop zone and they face second from beat Real Valladolid away in a final game on Sunday.
A win for Valladolid could well see Granada sucked into the drop zone.
FC Porto forward Chidera Eze, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, as well as Bernard Bulbwa, Abubakar Lawal and Ifeanyi Nweke are the other players to join the 18-man squad from the first leg in Tanzania.
The return leg match is fixed for May 24 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
Spanish La Liga club Granada are yet to confirm when they will release striker Isaac Success for a training camp ahead of next month’s AYC qualifier.
“We are still waiting a confirmation from Granada for the player,” said team secretary Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim.
Also, there has been no feedback on the availability of goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, who has been on trials at Belgian club Genk.
Unconfirmed reports had suggested the Abuja College goalkeeper may have suffered a long-term injury while on trials in Belgium.
The Flying Eagles rounded up their training for Wednesday’s friendly against their Moroccan counterparts Tuesday morning.
Set plays were emphasised during the one and a half hour workout on a warm and sunny day.
Ifeanyi Matthew, Musa Yahaya and Alhassan Ibrahim aka ‘Mu-azam’ proved to be great free kick specialists as they bent their kicks past goalkeeper Emeka Nwabulu.
‘Mu-azam’ will win a $100 bet with assistant coach Nduka Ugbade, when he curled his effort round a packed defensive wall for his second goal in the interesting exercise.
Morocco U20s will line up a wholly home-based side with several players from last year’s African U17 team promoted, same as the current Flying Eagles.
The Flying Eagles will depart their training base outside Casablanca immediately after breakfast on Wednesday for Rabat, where the match will be played.
The match will kick off at 4pm local time, which is same time with Nigeria.
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