'This is very special because of how much I suffered. My statistics show I've won five league titles in seven years.'
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up two more as the Catalans thrashed Real Valladolid 5-1 to move top of La Liga on Tuesday.
Hulk signs two-year contract with Atletico Mineiro.
Champions Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win in a feisty LaLiga encounter at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to ensure they stayed in the hunt for the LaLiga title with leaders Barcelona.
Messi scored twice and created goals for Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez as champions Barca moved top of the table with 22 points from 10 matches.
Alexis Sanchez struck twice and created a goal for Neymar as Barcelona recovered from conceding early to maintain their perfect La Liga start with a 4-1 win at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday.
La Liga leaders Barcelona earned a narrow 1-0 win over Real Valladolid to move seven points clear at the top, while Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home against Girona to fall to third behind Atletico Madrid.
Unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona ended 2012 on a high when Lionel Messi struck his 91st goal of the year in a 3-1 win at Real Valladolid while their arch-rivals Real Madrid slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Malaga.
Late Griezmann strike ends Atletico's away day hoodoo
Real Madrid ended their long wait for a La Liga victory by beating Real Valladolid 2-0 on Saturday with two late goals in interim coach Santiago Solari's first home game in charge of the struggling European champions.
Real Madrid are also only two points behind Atletico while Sevilla are three back in a thrilling four-way tilt, making the Spanish title race the most compelling
La Liga champions Barcelona fell to their first defeat in three games under new coach Quique Setien as they were beaten 2-0 away at Valencia on Saturday. Barca are still top of the standings on 43 points after 21 games but second-placed Real Madrid, who are also on 43, can go three points clear at the summit if they beat Real Valladolid away from home on Sunday.
Images from football matches played in La Liga and Serie A in Spain and Italy on Wednesday.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is close to agreeing a deal to join Barcelona after his contract expires at the English Premier League champions, manager Pep Guardiola said.
Messi was a mainstay of Guardiola's Barca side that won 14 major titles and has been linked with a switch to City
Barcelona hammered Real Valladolid 4-0 at home on Sunday to retain their La Liga crown and brushed aside any doubts that they were about to be usurped by Real Madrid as the top club in Spain.
The Catalans have kept five clean sheets in their last six games, which bodes well for their title run in.
Struggling Rayo win at Valladolid after late penalty save
Recent episodes of vomiting suffered by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi are 'not normal' but they do not affect his performance and there is no cause for alarm, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Real Madrid defender Nacho was the unlikely hero as they snatched a 1-0 win at Real Valladolid on Sunday to capitalise on Barcelona's defeat at Valencia this weekend and move three points clear of their rivals at the top of La Liga. Serie A leaders Juventus suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Napoli on Sunday, with coach Maurizio Sarri returning to his former club for the first time, though Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to score for an eighth league game in a row for the visitors.
Sky reported Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have been in touch with Kane's representatives.
A total of 18 people, including three soccer players, are to stand trial for match-fixing, a judge in Pamplona ruled on Thursday.
Barcelona have one hand firmly on the La Liga title after winning 2-0 at Alaves on Tuesday, leaving them 12 points clear at the top of the table with four games to play.
La Liga leaders Barcelona hit two goals in the final three minutes to earn a 3-2 win at Rayo Vallecano
Villarreal missed their chance to stay in touch with Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Liga when they went down 2-0 at Valladolid on Sunday. The defeat kept Manuel Pellegrini's side level with Barcelona on 28 points in third spot in the table and four adrift of leaders Real, who won 3-1 at home to Racing Santander on Saturday.
Ousmane Dembele's late strike rescued a 1-1 draw for champions Barcelona at Atletico Madrid but Sevilla moved top with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid. European champions Real Madrid were humiliated in a 3-0 defeat at Eibar.
IMAGES from football matches played in the Spain, Germany and Portugal on Wednesday.
Champions Barcelona lost 2-0 at Celta Vigo while Getafe earned an important 2-0 win over Girona in their bid to secure Champions League qualification.
Barcelona suffered in the absence of the injured Lionel Messi as they drew 1-1 at home
Barcelona have been frighteningly good at home this season, scoring 15 goals in three games at the Nou Camp.
Cristiano Ronaldo has recovered from a muscle strain and is ready to return to action, the Real Madrid and Portugal forward said on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal's World Cup campaign after being named in their provisional 30-man squad for the finals on Tuesday, despite currently being out with a hamstring injury.
European football is incomplete without African flavours and players like Chelsea's Senegalese striker Demba Ba and Juventus's Ghanaian Asamoah Kwadwo lifted the game with their superb skill in their respective football matches over the weekend. Rediff.com presents a round-up of the interesting matches and the footballers of the weekend.
Spanish soccer clubs Villarreal and Getafe have denied any wrongdoing after national media reported on Friday that police are investigating possible match-fixing in a 2-2 draw between the two clubs in La Liga last year. Newspaper El Pais reported that the match was being looked at as part of Operation Oikos, which was launched last year and led to 11 people being arrested on suspicion of forming a match-fixing group to profit from betting on games.
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino needs to find a quick fix for whatever is ailing his team or his first season in charge at the Nou Camp is likely to end without major silverware.
Real Madrid's record signing Gareth Bale was hailed as the 'Prince of Goals' after his hat-trick and assist in Saturday's 4-0 La Liga win at home to Real Valladolid.
Atletico Madrid took a giant step towards the La Liga title
No Dutch top-flight league soccer title will be awarded this season after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the campaign to a premature close, the Dutch FA (KNVB) said after a meeting with clubs and unions representing coaches and players on Friday. Ajax were top of the Eredivisie table with 56 points from 25 games, only ahead of AZ on goal difference, and both teams will now fill the Netherlands' qualifying places in UEFA's 2020-21 Champions League, Europe's elite club competition.
