Barcelona deny reports of Griezmann agreement

MADRID: Barcelona have “strongly” denied claims made by Spanish daily Sport on Saturday that they have reached an agreement to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
“The Atletico Madrid forward has agreed to join Barcelona and will be under (coach) Ernesto Valverde’s orders next season,” Sport said, adding that Griezmann’s current buy-out clause of 200 million euros ($240 million) drops by half on July 1.

However, Barcelona later took the unusual step of releasing a statement to deny the reports from the Catalan newspaper.

“FC Barcelona strongly denies the information that has appeared over the course of the last few hours in different media regarding Atletico Madrid player, Antoine Griezmann, and an alleged deal with our club,” said the statement on the Catalan club’s website.

Such a reaction can be explained by the fact that Atletico have complained to FIFA about “repeated contacts” between Barca and the France striker.

“FC Barcelona expresses its objections in the face of these events and reiterates its full respect for the institution of Atletico Madrid,” added the statement.

Barcelona have been scrambling to add high-quality players to their squad since Paris Saint-Germain lured Brazilian star Neymar to France in a world-record signing last August.

Philippe Coutinho joined from Liverpool this month in a 180 million-euro ($220 million) deal.

Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, Valverde played down the transfer talk at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Betis in La Liga.

“Griezmann is a great player who plays for another club whom we respect,” he said.

“When the transfer window is open, we are in a world where there is speculation on a daily basis and we have to live with that.

“But if you’re asking me if Griezmann is a good player, well obviously he is a good player. But I repeat what I always say: I prefer to talk about my own players.”
Sport says it believes Griezmann’s transfer will take place after the World Cup in Russia, where he will have a key role for France, who are among the favourites.

Another Catalan daily, Mundo Deportivo, reported in December that the player’s family had lunch with the Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to smooth the way for the transfer.
Brazilian born Spain striker Diego Costa joined Atletico from Chelsea in September, and has proved to be the club’s top performer since his debut two weeks ago.
Barcelona, whose stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties, signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for 105 million euros last summer, but the 20-year-old French rising star’s campaign has been marred by injury.

AFP

Lionel Messi handed jail term in Spain for tax fraud

Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud.

His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.

However, neither man is expected to serve time in jail.

Under the Spanish system, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.

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The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday’s ruling by the court in Barcelona.

As well as the jail terms, Messi was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m “corrective payment”, equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.

The sentence can be appealed against via the Spanish supreme court.

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Lionel Messi’s illustrious career:

Image copyrightAFP

• Winner of Fifa Ballon d’Or as world’s best footballer on five occasions
• Voted Uefa best player in Europe three times
• Uefa Champions League winner with FC Barcelona on four occasions
• Spanish championship winner with FC Barcelona eight times
• Olympic gold medallist with Argentina in 2008
• Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 55 goals

…and major disappointments:

• June 16 2016: quits Argentine team after missing penalty in shootout in Copa America final loss to Chile
• it was fourth major final defeat for Argentina in nine years
• other three losses: Copa America (2015) again to Chile (again on penalties); 2014 World Cup to Germany; Copa America (2007) against Brazil

 

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FC Barcelona’s reaction

“FC Barcelona expresses its full support to Leo Messi and his father in relation to the conviction for tax fraud…

“The club… considers that the player, who has corrected his position with the Spanish tax office, is in no way criminally responsible with regards to the facts underlined in this case.”

BBC

Neymar all set to sign new deal at Barcelona

Brasilia, Brazil 30th June 2016:  Neymar is close to signing a new contract with Barcelona that will tie him to the La Liga champions until June 2021.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed that the Brazil forward does not want to leave and the club wants to keep him.

And Bartomeu said that after recording record income last year, the club next intends to extend the contracts of Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano.

Neymar – who has two years left on his current deal – has been linked with a host of top European clubs, with reports in the Spanish media on Thursday suggesting Manchester United are launching a “total offensive” to sign him.

But Bartomeu told a news conference on Thursday: “Neymar does not want to leave Barca and we don’t want him to go.
“In the next few days we will announce his contract renewal for five seasons.

“It’s normal that many clubs are interested in Neymar but our club members need to be calm because our club’s lawyers and Neymar will iron out the minor details in the coming days.”

Neymar completed his third year at Barca in 2015-16 and scored 31 goals in 49 appearances to help the club win La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

He did not play at the Copa America this month in order to rest but is currently in Brazil and will compete at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.

Bartomeu revealed that Barca’s income for the 2015/16 season was £550m – £51m more than the previous season. The club has cut its debt by £33m to £231m.,

“We have a strategic plan to continue to increase our revenue in order to keep up the competitiveness we have in football and maintain the best players here,” Bartomeu said.

 

Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi retires from international football

 

by Ubaid Awan

North Carolina, USA 27th June 16.

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“It’s not meant for me. For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” the 29-year-old said after defeat by Chile at the Copa America.

With Barcelona, Messi has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

But his only major international honour is 2008 Olympic gold.

Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final by Germany before two Copa America final defeats by Chile on penalties. Messi was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he added.

“I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.

“It’s very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.”

Messi had scored five times at the tournament, including a superb free-kick in the semi-final against hosts the USA to become his country’s record scorer with 55 goals.

Argentina and Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero said he hoped Messi would “reflect” on his decision and reconsider, adding: “I think he spoke while he was heated, because a beautiful opportunity escaped us. I can’t imagine a national team without Messi.”

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero described the mood in the Argentina dressing room as “the worst I’ve ever been in”, and was quoted by South American media as saying: “There are several players who are evaluating not continuing with the national team.”

After Sunday’s match finished 0-0 in 120 minutes, Chile won 4-2 on penalties.

Messi’s miss was Argentina’s first attempt in the shootout and it ballooned over the bar after Romero had denied Chile’s Arturo Vidal.

Lucas Biglia also missed from 12 yards, with Chilean substitute Francisco Silva scoring the decisive spot-kick in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Copa America usually takes place every four years, but this was an extra tournament to celebrate the competition’s centenary.

Messi made his debut for Argentina in 2005, going on to make 113 appearances.

For Barca he has scored 453 times in 531 games, including a La Liga record 312 goals. He has won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player five times.

In 2014 he was named as the best player at the World Cup, with then-Fifa president Sepp Blatter saying he was “a little bit surprised” and Argentina legend Diego Maradona calling the decision “unfair”.

Argentina are already six games into their qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup. They are third in the table, two points behind leaders Uruguay.

The top four teams progress automatically to the finals in Russia, while the team finishing fifth qualifies for a two-legged play-off against the best team from Oceania.