News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Valverde refused to answer questions about the club's interest in Neymar and lamented the fact that the Spanish transfer window does not shut before the season starts, as it does in England.
Barcelona stayed on track for a sixth consecutive Champions League semi-final appearance despite conceding a last-gasp goal by Blaise Matuidi in a pulsating 2-2 first-leg draw at Paris St Germain on Tuesday.
In the footballing world, players are allowed to switch clubs and loyalties during the transfer windows -- at the end of the season and in January. As the Champions League quarter-finals between Barcelona and Paris St Germain kicks off tonight, Rediff.com showcases those players who've donned the colours of both these clubs.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday.
After losing only three league games last season Juventus have now lost the first two of the new campaign as a deserved 2-1 defeat at AS Roma on Sunday condemned the champions to their worst-ever Serie A start.
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has criticised their tactical and physical frailties after a 4-0 thrashing at Paris St Germain in the last 16 left them on the brink of their earliest Champions League exit in a decade.
Paris St Germain will be without the talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the return match but are still favourites to progress after beating Valencia 2-1 in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
David Beckham is likely to feature in the Paris St Germain squad for the first time when the Ligue 1 leaders take on arch rivals Olympique Marseille on February 24, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday.
Poland midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed a five-year contract with Paris St Germain, the French champions said in a statement on Sunday.
Andres Iniesta will always be a hero to Barcelona.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Chelsea's Guus Hiddink believed his side could qualify for next season's Champions League with a top-four finish but he has now virtually written off their chances.
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Check out the top footballers of the weekend...
Brazil's Paris St Germain forward Neymar has had a successful operation
Neymar's legal representatives had paid his 222 million euros (200 million pounds) release clause and French television station RMC Sports said the Brazilian had signed a five-year contract with Paris St Germain.
Brazil coach Tite has recalled veteran central defender Thiago Silva to his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela.
"Both in terms of what you save on the wage bill as well as the money you make, it would've been desirable. But this is something the coaching staff have to consent to and that's not my place.
Barcelona completed one of the most extraordinary comebacks in European football history to knock Paris St Germain out of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 6-1 victory that rewrote the record books.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Neymar's record-breaking 222 million euros (198.82 million pounds) transfer from Barcelona to French side Paris Saint-Germain appeared close to completion on Wednesday, when his agent predicted he could be unveiled by the weekend.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has become the latest high profile official to urge UEFA to enforce its own Financial Fair Play rules, saying it must act against Paris St Germain if there has been any breach of regulations.
The French professional league (LFP) ended its season last week with 10 games left, awarding the title to Paris St Germain and leaving Lyon outside the placings for European competition next season.
Neymar went off injured 12 minutes into Brazil's 1-1 draw with Nigeria in a friendly in Singapore on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Bayern Munich won its sixth Champions League crown in Lisbon on Sunday night.
Images from Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League second semi-final played at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Wednesday.
France forward Antoine Griezmann says he would only leave Atletico Madrid if manager Diego Simeone also quit the La Liga club.
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
Away fans will be banned from attending Ligue 1 clashes between Olympique Marseille and Paris St Germain, the French interior ministry said on Thursday, citing security reasons following a history of violent clashes between supporters of the clubs.
ManchesterCity's season began to unravel when Kevin de Bruyne missed 10 matches with a knee injury but as he showed when he scored against Paris St Germain on Tuesday, anything is possible with him back in the team.
Neymar played 'cat-and-mouse' with Barcelona during the close-season before his move to Paris St Germain, Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has said.
Barcelona must wait a bit longer before they can claim their La Liga crown after drawing 2-2 with Athletic Bilbao, while Paris St Germain and Juventus continued to close in on the French and Italian titles.
A round-up of Saturday's action in La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
Milan replaced Gennaro Gattuso with former Sampdoria coach Giampaolo during the close season in a bid to improve on last season's fifth place and to take them back to the Champions League.
The French League (LFP) will take out a state guaranteed loan to pay clubs in its top two tiers the money they would have received from television broadcasts if the season had not been abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it said on Monday.
Barcelona abandoned their hopes of signing Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool after the Merseyside club demanded 200 million euros ($237.14 million) for the Brazil attacking midfielder, the Liga side's director Albert Soler said.
