The defender later became the club's assistant coach before embarking on an eventful career as a head coach, managing Dutch sides Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord plus Premier League sides Southampton and Everton and La Liga's Valencia.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has set a new record after he became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Spanish league.
Barcelona have filed a formal complaint against two former Real Madrid players turned pundits after they suggested Barca forward Neymar deserved the kick he received from Real midfielder Isco in this month's La Liga 'El Clasico'.
The 33-year-old Messi, who signed his last contract in 2017, has become more outspoken against the club's hierarchy in the last year and radio station Cadena Ser said last Thursday he is unhappy with how Barca is being run and wants to leave in 2021.
Brazilian forward Vinicius, 19, did not train with the squad on Thursday as a precaution ahead of Friday's La Liga home game against Alaves.
'The decision to let me leave was something that not only (Lionel) Messi didn't understand, but many Barcelona fans didn't, either.'
'It wasn't easy, but I called him last night (Sunday) and we had a difficult and tough conversation. I feel bad as he's a player who has always been at the top level and has a future with the national team.'
A player in Sevilla's first team squad has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their Europa League last-16 tie against AS Roma, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday. The Spanish club said they conducted tests on Sunday on players, coaches and staff. The player, who was not named, is asymptomatic and is self-isolating at home.
The plane was heading to Tenerife, Spain but was grounded at Zaventem at 9:10am on Friday due to a technical issue.
Spanish soccer's 'El Clasico' encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid will happen in December and April, two of the most anticipated games of the 2016-17 Primera Division season whose fixtures were announced on Friday. Defending champions Barca host Real on Dec. 4 at the Camp Nou. The reverse fixture will take place on April 23, at the Bernabeu stadium, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed after the draw. As the La Liga season kicks off, Barca will begin their title defence at home to Real Betis on Aug. 21.
Pope Francis is known to be a football fan, and he is also a club member of Buenos Aires side San Lorenzo.
Luis Figo and Carlos Puyol find it inexplicable, while Raul thinks it's a testament to the quality of Spanish football but all three La Liga legends are sure that Barcelona's astonishing slump would not last too long.
Ronaldo shoved referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea when he was dismissed for diving in Madrid's 3-1 win over Barcelona on Sunday. He will now miss Wednesday's second leg as well as the first four La Liga games of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo faces a race against time to get fit for Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at Manchester City on Tuesday after he picked up a thigh muscle injury.
Joan Laporta has said he will seek to bring former manager Pep Guardiola back to Barcelona if his bid to return as president of the La Liga club in 2021 is successful, Spanish media reported.
Spanish footballer Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic accident, aged 35, his former club Sevilla said.
Real Madrid will sack Santiago Solari and reappoint former coach Zinedine Zidane on Monday, according to multiple Spanish media reports.
According to widespread Spanish media reports, Netherlands coach and former Barca defender Ronald Koeman is set to be named as Setien's successor.
Valencia trailed 2-1 from the away leg and despite a late midweek kick off time supporters still flocked to the Mestalla stadium hoping to see their embattled team turn the tie around.
La Liga minnows Eibar celebrated their first draw at Real Madrid in the club's 76-year history by taking over the jacuzzi at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Espanyol said that in addition to offering its 27,833 season ticket holders free 2020-2021 passes, they would also reimburse 20 per cent of the value of their current season ticket to account for the matches they will miss.
'To see a player that I have always followed, who is an example for me, to see him leave now brings me a lot of pain.'
Tennis World No 2 Rafa Nadal and his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal sold their 10 percent shareholding in Spanish football team Real Mallorca on Monday, the club said in a statement.
'After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the US league to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.'
Paris St Germain and Brazil forward Neymar has been ordered to pay his former club Barcelona 6.7 million euros ($7.51 million) after losing a lawsuit over an unpaid bonus, the Spanish champions said in a statement on Friday. Neymar moved from Barca to PSG for a world record fee of 222 million euros in 2017 but took the La Liga side to court over the terms of the last contract he signed with them a year earlier, claiming he was entitled to 43.6 million euros.
A former midfielder for Sporting Gijon, Real Madrid and Barcelona, Luis Enrique won two Liga titles, one Champions League and three King's Cups as Barca coach between 2014 and 2017.
Pires signed for FC Goa in the opening season of the ISL in 2014. However, after a year-long stint with the club, the world-cup winning Frenchman announced retirement.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes his current squad is the strongest he has ever had and he is very confident of retaining the La Liga and King's Cup titles. The Spanish champions have recruited Andre Gomes, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne and Denis Suarez since the end of last season while Marc Bartra, Thomas Vermaelen, Adriano Correia and Sandro Ramirez have departed. "On paper, this is the best squad that I have had in my three years at Barca," Luis Enrique told the club's website. "We have a squad that has been strengthened brilliantly.
Spanish media have reported that Real president Florentino Perez would be keen to recruit former coach Mourinho, currently without a club, should Zidane be relieved of his duties.
Spanish La Liga champions Barcelona were in turmoil on Friday after six board directors resigned criticising the clubs's handling of a social media scandal and the financial implications of the coronavirus crisis. Two of the club's four vice presidents, Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tombas, were among those to quit, joined by directors Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Texidor.
Spain and Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos faced a new setback in a season littered with injury problems when his club said on Tuesday he had tested positive for COVID-19.
To see the major transfers in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga in the January transfer window, click on the soccer ball (all transfer fees as reported by British media):
Neto will sign a four-year deal with Barcelona that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2022-23 season and he will replace Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen who moved the other way on Wednesday.
"It is a story that I wanted to tell in my own words, about what happened. I feel it is the biggest story of my career and I thought that I held it for too long by myself and that I needed to share it with other people. The moment was now and (being in) Madrid, on the eve of El Clasico on Sunday, was the perfect occasion to make it happen," the former striker said.
Cristiano Ronaldo's agent has defended the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner after he was criticised for throwing a lavish 30th birthday party on Saturday hours after Real Madrid's 4-0 La Liga drubbing at Atletico.
Angry Barcelona fans chanted for the resignation of the club president Josep Maria Bartomeu after captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday that he wished to leave the Catalan side.
Roundup of the Champions League matches played on Wednesday night
Argentina's Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world for a record-stretching seventh time on Monday, beating Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho to lift soccer's most prestigious trophy yet again.
Lionel Messi's stunning hat-trick set a Barcelona scoring record of 234 goals as the La Liga champions won an action-packed home game against Granada 5-3 to close within five points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Tuesday.
