Spain international left-back Jordi Alba will leave FC Barcelona at the end of the current season, Spanish media reported on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old leaves Barca after 11 seasons at the Camp Nou Stadium, during which time he has won multiple La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup titles, as well as lifting the 2015 UEFA Champions League.
The defender has decided to leave despite having another year remaining on his contract after a season in which he has appeared less than previously, making just 13 starts from 23 appearances in La Liga, as youngster Alejandro Balde has stepped up to become first choice in his position.
So far, Alba has made 458 appearances for Barca, scoring 27 goals, and during their time together, his understanding with Lionel Messi formed a key part of the club’s attacking armory.
The antepenultimate round of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season is a midweek one, and there is something at stake in every single one of the 10 Matchday 36 fixtures. Whether it’s the battle to avoid relegation or the race to qualify for Europe, every game taking place across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday is a hugely significant one for at least one of the teams involved, and in most cases for both.
The midweek round commences on Tuesday when two fixtures take place simultaneously at 19:30 CEST: RC Celta vs Girona FC and Real Sociedad vs UD Almería. These are both duels between one team dreaming of European football and one team worried about the threat of relegation. RC Celta and UD Almería are the relegation-threatened sides as they’re currently on 39 points each, only four more than 18th-placed Real Valladolid. With Girona FC dreaming of a first ever European qualification and with Real Sociedad close to securing a top four finish, there really is a lot at stake across these two games.
Later on Tuesday night, champions FC Barcelona will look to bounce back from their Saturday night home loss to Real Sociedad. Although Barça have already lifted the LaLiga Santander trophy, Xavi Hernández wants his team to finish the season strong and they’ll visit a Real Valladolid side who are currently inside the bottom three and staring into the abyss. The Pucela have lost five in a row, but anything can happen in LaLiga Santander.
There are five total fixtures on Wednesday and three of them take place at the same time at 19:30 CEST, with Villarreal CF vs Cádiz CF, Elche CF vs Sevilla FC and Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano. Considering each one of these three fixtures features a team chasing European qualification, the standings could shift around a lot over the space of those two hours. Cádiz CF will also be giving their all when they visit Villarreal CF for a battle of Los Amarillos, but for a very different reason given that the Andalusian side are desperate to pull even further away from the relegation zone.
There are two more games later on Wednesday night, one of which is Real Betis vs Getafe CF. Although new Geta coach José Bordalás has some bad memories of facing Los Verdiblancos, having lost last season’s Copa del Rey final to Manuel Pellegrini when at Valencia CF, it should be kept in mind that his record against Real Betis from his previous stint as Getafe CF boss was very impressive. Bordalás won four, drew two and lost two of the Real Betis vs Getafe CF duels he was involved in, and knows another point or three would be most welcome right now.
The other later kick-off on Wednesday night is RCD Espanyol vs Atlético de Madrid. With the home side currently in 19th place, they need victories and will have to give their all against Diego Simeone’s charges. A Sergi Darder goal earned Los Pericos a 1-1 draw against Atleti in Spain’s capital earlier in the season, so there is reason for optimism for supporters of the Catalan club.
On Thursday, all eyes will be on RCD Mallorca vs Valencia CF when it kicks off. Los Che saw how their former player Kang-in Lee scored a late winner at Mestalla when RCD Mallorca won the previous meeting between these sides 2-1, so they’ll hope for a better result when they make the short trip across the Mediterranean Sea to face Los Bermellones. Even though RCD Mallorca are already mathematically safe, Valencia CF are not and will play with purpose from the first minute to the last.
The final fixture of Matchday 36 is especially intriguing, as CA Osasuna will host Athletic Club for a head-to-head duel with a Conference League ticket on the line. The team from Pamplona know that a victory would move them ahead of the Basques in the LaLiga Santander standings, while Athletic Club will want revenge for their Copa del Rey semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Los Rojillos. It’s always competitive and intense when these two clubs meet, and it should be as thrilling as ever given that European qualification is on the line.
What has been going on in LaLiga this past week? Here are 10 of the top stories, from Sevilla FC reaching another Europa League final to the ‘Team Of The Season’ announcement.
Not only were there several important results in Matchday 35 of LaLiga Santander, but this past week also saw Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final. Off the pitch, there were also contract renewals and the retirement announcement of one of Spanish football’s top 21st century strikers. All of that and more is outlined here.
Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final
Having lifted the Europa League trophy six times already, Sevilla FC have a beautiful love story with this continental competition and the Spanish side are back into another final. After drawing 2-2 with Juventus over 180 minutes of their semi-final, a header from Erik Lamela in extra time proved to be the winner on Thursday night at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. José Luis Mendilibar’s side will now face Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31st.
The spoils are shared in El Gran Derbi
Just three days after the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán hosted that special European semi-final, the Sevilla FC fans packed the stadium once again for El Gran Derbi. This is always a special event in the city of Seville and a fascinating duel was played out between Sevilla FC and Real Betis, one which ultimately ended 0-0 to give each side a valuable point.
FC Barcelona have their trophy
After clinching the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander title away from home in Matchday 34, FC Barcelona then received the trophy following their Matchday 35 fixture at home to Real Sociedad. Even though La Real earned an impressive 2-1 win, it was a night for the fans at the Spotify Camp Nou to celebrate Xavi’s squad of champions. The Blaugrana fans also lined the streets of the Catalan capital for an open-top bus parade to celebrate the league titles of both the men’s and women’s teams.
Valencia CF’s youngsters are firing the team towards safety
Valencia CF now have a five-point cushion to the relegation zone, and this is largely down to the youngsters that coach Rubén Baraja has promoted from the academy. After 21-year-old Alberto Marí scored the winner away at RC Celta in Matchday 34, fellow 21-year-old Diego López then scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Matchday 35.
Javi Guerra earns a new contract at Valencia CF
Another of the youngsters who has been making an impact for Valencia CF is 20-year-old Javi Guerra, who scored a winning goal against Real Valladolid in April. The young midfielder has been rewarded for his performances with a new contract, one which runs until 2027.
Juanpe is staying on with Girona
Another player who penned a contract renewal this past week is Juanpe, the centre-back who has been at Girona FC since 2016. He is one of the captains at the club and was delighted to sign a new deal to continue his career at the Estadi Montilivi, renewing this past week until 2024.
The European and relegation battles will go down to the wire
There are just three LaLiga Santander matchdays remaining and the race to finish in the European positions is so tight, along with the relegation battle. Athletic Club currently hold seventh place, the final UEFA ticket, but Girona FC and Sevilla FC are just two points behind while CA Osasuna are only three points off the Basques. At the other end, RCD Espanyol, on 34 points, and Real Valladolid, on 35 points, are inside the relegation zone, but Getafe CF in 17th place are also on 35 points. It’s so tight.
Fernando Llorente announces his retirement
Former Athletic Club, Sevilla FC and SD Eibar striker Fernando Llorente announced his retirement this past week, as he is hanging up his boots at the age of 38. The 2010 World Cup winner was a dominant presence in the penalty area over his 285 LaLiga Santander appearances, scoring 88 goals.
The ‘Team Of The Season’ selections are revealed
The 15 selections who have made up the LaLiga and EA SPORTSTM ‘Team Of The Season’wereannounced this past week, and they are: Marc-André ter Stegen; Alejandro Balde, Éder Militão, Jules Koundé, Nahuel Molina, David García; Luka Modrić, Pedri, Fede Valverde, Mikel Merino, Gabri Veiga; Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Vini Jr and Karim Benzema.
Four teams have a shot of automatic promotion on LaLiga SmartBank’s last matchday
There is just one matchday remaining in LaLiga SmartBank, Spanish football’s second division, and Granada CF, UD Las Palmas, Deportivo Alavés and Levante UD all enter the final day aware that they have a chance of securing automatic promotion but also knowing that they could still finish outside the top two. Making next weekend’s Matchday 42 especially fascinating is the fact that UD Las Palmas and Deportivo Alavés face off against each other.
Robert Lewandowski is one of the most famous footballers on the planet and is the Gerd Müller Trophy winner for the Best Goalscorer of 2022, while he currently leading the Pichichi rankings in LaLiga Santander… but here are five things you might not already know about Lewi!
Lewandowski has won 12 league titles in the past 13 years
The Polish striker is a winner. And, the evidence of that is in the fact that he has now won 12 league titles in the past 13 years of his career. Lewandowski won the Polish championship with Lech Poznań in 2009/10, before winning the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2010/11 and 2011/12. While he didn’t finish top of the table in 2012/13, he then won eight Bundesliga trophies in a row with Bayern Munich and has now become a champion of LaLiga Santander in 2022/23.
He hails from a sporting family
Lewandowski may be one of the best footballers on the planet, but he is not the only member of his family who has dedicated himself to sport professionally. His father, Krzysztof Lewandowski, is a former judo champion, while his mother, Iwona Lewandowska, was a professional volleyball player in Poland. Milena Lewandowski, his sister, followed in his mother’s footsteps and was capped by the Polish under-21 volleyball team. And don’t forget, Lewandowski is married to Anna Stachurska, a Polish karate star who won bronze at the 2009 World Karate Championships.
He takes almost unreal care of his body
Lewandowski’s goalscoring stats are only possible with a combination of talent and physical prowess, something the Pole takes care of almost to the extreme. His former teammate at Bayern Munich, and former Athletic Club star, Javi Martínez once said that at pre-season camp he often tried to get Lewandowski to try some typical sweets he’d brought back from Spain. The Polish striker constantly refused, in line with his strict diet. Lewandowski has stated on many occasions that he tries to control all factors that can determine his physical condition, even his sleeping positions, to minimise chances of injury and maximise his on-field performance.
A natural disaster changed the course of his career
Back in 2010, in the summer of his move to Borussia Dortmund, Lewandowski was due to travel to the UK to visit Blackburn Rovers’ facilities ahead of a proposed move to the second-tier English side. Lewandowski was excited about the opportunity to play in England, but his flight coincided with the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, an event that disrupted all air traffic in Europe for several weeks and prevented him from travelling. “Did it change my life? No doubt, maybe if I had met with Blackburn I would have stayed there,” Lewandowski later said. He moved to German side Borussia Dortmund instead and the rest, as they say, is history.
Following motorsport is his hobby
Lewandowski’s interest in sport is not just limited to football. He has been spotted playing tennis, golf and, above all, attending Formula 1 races. The Polish international has been spotted at iconic Grand Prix events such as Monaco, to indulge in one of his big passions. “I have followed Formula 1 since I was very young and I always remember Michael Schumacher, everything he achieved was unbelievable,” he once revealed about one of his idols and inspirations.
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta said Monday that the club has re-established good relationships with Leo Messi, but it would not pay any price to bring him back to the Camp Nou Stadium.
Speaking on Catalan TV network, TV3 after Barca claimed this season’s La Liga title late on Sunday night, Laporta explained he had tried to build bridges with Messi in the wake of the Argentinean’s move to Paris Saint Germain after being unable to fit his wages into the club’s tight wage ceiling.
“I have spoken with Leo to somehow redirect the situation that occurred when I had to put the institution ahead of everything, including him, the best player in the world,” said Laporta in a Monday morning TV show.
Messi will be out of contract with PSG at the end of the season.
“We have sent messages lately. The truth is that the conversation was affectionate and pleasant. We have known each other for many years. There is a relationship,” Laporta said.
“He (Messi) is the best player in the world, and any coach would like to have him and with all due respect to Saudi Arabia (cited as a possible destination for Messi), where they are is doing a very good job, Barca is Barca. And Barcelona is his home.”
“We love Leo, but we will not move in high numbers to bring him in. The club is in an austerity plan,” added Laporta.
The club president also discussed Gavi, who is still on a B-team contract, and Ansu Fati, who has struggled for form after his long injury. Laporta said he was “convinced” Gavi would remain at Barcelona, but he was less clear about Fati.
The 34th round of matches in La Liga could see FC Barcelona confirmed as this season’s champions, but there is a lot more at stake this weekend. Here are some things to look forward to in La Liga in the coming days.
1. More than just the title in play in Barcelona derby
A win for FC Barcelona away to local rivals Espanyol will assure Barca this season’s La Liga title (if Real Madrid and Atletico’s results don’t gift it to them before kick-off). However, there is much more than the title at stake as Espanyol go into the game desperately needing points for their battle against relegation.
Luis Garcia’s men are currently three points from safety with five games to play, and defeat to their rivals would probably see that gap extend with a game less to play.
There is no love lost between the two clubs, and while Barca fans want to see the league title confirmed as soon as possible, helping send their rivals a step closer to relegation would be the icing on the cake.
2. Europe once again the priority for Real Madrid against Getafe
With Barcelona virtually assured the title, Real Madrid have switched their focus to knockout competitions, winning the Copa del Rey last weekend and playing the first leg of their Champions League semifinal at home to Manchester City on Tuesday.
That game ended 1-1, leaving everything to play for in Manchester next week, and there is no question that Carlo Ancelotti will carry out serious rotations in his side for their league match against Getafe in the Santiago Bernabeu.
The return of Jose Bordalas as Getafe coach has made them harder to beat, but they are still third from bottom, and the need to take something from the Bernabeu could give them a chance against a rival focused on other goals.
3. European places up for grabs in several matches
Who qualifies for Europe, and for which competition in Europe, could also be a bit clearer after the weekend games, which see fourth-placed Real Sociedad play at home to seventh-placed Girona, while fifth-placed Villarreal entertain eighth-placed Athletic Bilbao and Betis are at home to Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid’s win in the Copa del Rey final means the side that finishes seventh in La Liga will qualify for the Conference League next season, while those finishing fifth and sixth will go into the Europa League.
A win for Real Sociedad would put them close to assuring they finish fourth, while Athletic need to win in Villarreal to keep their hopes of playing in Europe intact.
Meanwhile, with Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna still in with a chance of finishing seventh, there is no room for slip-ups.
4. Relegation dogfight as close as ever
If the race for Europe is tight, then the battle to stay up is closer than ever, with four sides within two points of each other and Espanyol three points further behind.
Espanyol face a difficult game at home to Barcelona, while third-bottom Getafe visit Real Madrid.
That may give a chance for Valencia, who are level on 34 points with Getafe, to get a breathing space from their visit to play Celta Vigo, although Celta also need a win to ensure their top-flight future.
With 35 points, Cadiz have a difficult visit to Mallorca, while Valladolid need to end a run of three defeats when they entertain Sevilla, in a weekend that could make clearer who stays up and who goes down.
Spanish clubs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid crashed out of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Inter Milan’s 4-0 home win over Viktoria Plzen meant that Barca were knocked out of the Champions League and condemned to a place in the Europa League.
Barca lost 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich after being outplayed by the Germans for most of the game and failing to manage a single shot on target in the game.
Sadio Mane put Bayern ahead in the tenth minute and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark.
Barca huffed and puffed without causing Bayern serious problems, and Benjamin Pavard netted the third goal with the last kick of the game following a corner.
Meanwhile, Porto’s win away to Club Brugge meant that anything other than a win for Atletico at home to Bayer Leverkusen would also see their Champions League adventure come to an end for this season.
There was high drama in Atletico’s match, especially in the final minute.
Atletico failed to score from a corner and the referee blew the final whistle when the score was 2-2. But then the referee received a call from VAR over a possible penalty for the Spanish side.
The penalty was awarded to Atletico, but Yannick Carrasco saw his spot-kick saved by Lucas Hradecky and Saul Niguez headed the rebound off the bar.
The game began with Leverkusen taking the lead through Moussa Diaby, with Carrasco netting for Atletico in the 22nd minute. Callum Hudson-Odoi put Leverkusen back in lead in the 29th minute, and although Rodrigo de Paul drew Atletico level early in the second half, they couldn’t find a winner, even from the penalty spot.
Atletico now have to equal Leverkusen’s result in the last group game in order to ensure their place in the Europa League.
Three things stood out in matchday 11 of Spain’s top tier league over the weekend.
Real Madrid continued to steamroller over their rivals, while Barcelona claimed a convincing win over Athletic Club Bilbao in Matchday 11 in La Liga.
NO CHANGE AS REAL MADRID ROLL PAST SEVILLA
Federico Valverde scored another powerful shot to round off Real Madrid’s 3-1 win at home to Sevilla, which was more comfortable than the final score suggested. Only for a brief while after Erik Lamela’s 53rd minute equalizer did the game threaten to escape Carlo Ancelotti’s men and once they recovered their balance, there was never the feeling they would not win the game.
There is a total belief in this Real Madrid side that they have the talent and the energy to beat their rivals and currently nobody epitomizes that more than Valverde, who once again was a ball of non-stop energy, and who produced the third goal from nowhere.
BARCA RECOVER AS RIVALS MAKE IT EASY
Barca recovered this week from their 3-3 draw at home with Inter Milan and their defeat to Real Madrid with a 3-0 win at home over Villarreal on Thursday and a 4-0 victory over Athletic Club on Sunday.
On both occasions their rivals made it easy for them, with Villarreal sitting way too deep and Athletic more concerned about stopping Barca playing than trying to play their own brand of attacking football.
Barca led 3-0 after 22 minutes on Sunday, as Athletic gave their worst display of the season, allowing space to Ousmane Dembele, who scored one goal and assisted the other three.
It was an excellent day for the Frenchman, who was dropped in midweek after several indifferent performances.
GRIEZMANN SHOWS HIS WORTH TO ATLETICO
Diego Simeone’s big frustration at the start of the season was being unable to field Antoine Griezmann for more than 30 minutes per game, due to the conditions of his loan deal from Barcelona.
However, since that issue was resolved with Atletico buying Griezmann for around 20 million euros, the French striker has shown just how important he is, with a goal in Bilbao last weekend and the two goals that saw host Atletico beat Real Betis on Sunday.
Holders Real Madrid beat Sevilla 3-1 to extend their lead at the top of La Liga on Saturday night.
Erik Lamela’s 53rd minute goal for Sevilla seemed to cause a surprise in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium which had witnessed Luka Modric’s fourth minute opener for the home side.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti rested Karim Benzema for the game, but his side were quickly ahead after Vinicius Jr set up Modric.
Real Madrid dominated the first half, but failed to add a second and Lamela drew Sevilla level after a pass out of defense. However, Vinicius set up Lucas Vazquez for Madrid’s second in the 78th minute, just minutes after Vazquez had come on as a substitute.
Federico Valverde then continued his excellent recent form with a third goal, two minutes later as Sevilla were still reeling from the second goal.
The eight-game winning run that has helped Real Sociedad climb up to third in La Liga came to an end in a rainy Valladolid, where Sergio Leon’s powerful finish was enough to give the home side all three points.
The VAR ruled out a goal for both sides for questionable fouls, before Real Sociedad also had a late “equalizer” disallowed for a tight offside.
Lee Kang-in scored an 83rd minute winner against his former club as Mallorca came back from a goal down to stun Valencia 2-1 in Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.
Edinson Cavani’s 51st minute penalty (his third goal in four games) looked as if it had set Valencia on course for a home win, but another penalty allowed Vedat Muriqi to level from the spot just 12 minutes later and Lee won the game for the visitors, with an excellent finish after a pass from Dani Rodriguez.
Rayo Vallecano enjoyed themselves with a 5-1 win at home to Cadiz in a match that changed drastically in the 41st minute when Cadiz’s defender Iza was sent off for a foul on Rayo’s Alvaro Garcia, which gave the home side a penalty.
Alvaro then added a second in first half injury time. In the 63rd minute, Cadiz were reduced to nine men when Ruben Alcaraz was sent off for a second yellow card. Florian Lejeune scoring the resulting free kick.
Sergio Camello and a second from Lejeune rounded off the scoring in the closing minutes.