France and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top officials said, as Islamic State threats cast a shadow over Europe's top club soccer tournament.
The Spanish champions came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Arsenal 2-1 and win their second European Cup.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi broke free from Arsenal's shackles to score two late goals and put the Champions League holders on the brink of the quarter-finals with a clinical 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Former World Cup winner and Arsenal's record goal-scorer Thierry Henry announced his retirement from soccer on Tuesday, bringing an end to his a glittering 20-year career.
Frank Rijkaard will leave Barcelona at the end of the season and former captain Pep Guardiola will take over as coach of the team, club president Joan Laporta announced on Thursday. Former Netherlands international Rijkaard took charge of Barcelona in 2003 and led them to back-to-back league titles and victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris in 2006.
Liverpool frustrated by 10-man Arsenal in League Cup semi stalemate
The 29-year-old France striker will sign a four-year contract with the Spanish club.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has criticised Barcelona midfielder Xavi for claiming Cesc Fabregas is "suffering" at the Premier League club.
Silvinho may have been a mere decoy or he could be Barcelona's answer to a defensive problem in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea on Wednesday. The Brazilian attended the pre-match news conference with coach Pep Guardiola but neither revealed how Barcelona would overcome the loss of centre-backs Carles Pujol and Rafael Marquez.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has taken the blame for his side's 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, describing the last 16 second leg defeat as one of the worst moments of his life.
The Barcelona coach said he was not surprised Arsenal were such a hard nut to crack.
La Liga club Barcelona has put Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere in a wish list to replace duo Xavi and Andreas Iniesta.
Belarus midfielder Aleksandr Hleb signed a four-year contract with Barcelona to complete his move from Arsenal, the Spanish Primera Liga club said on Wednesday. The 27-year-old, a long-term target for Barcelona, flew to Spain on Wednesday to take his medical, arriving just after the club had agreed to sell Brazilian Ronaldinho to AC Milan.
Arsenal's defence not afraid of Barcelona trio, says Ozil
The Arsenal manager blasted the refereeing and paid tribute to his men for a spirited performance after they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.
News of all that transpired on and off the field.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as a rejuvenated Barcelona gave a football masterclass to inflict a humiliating 4-0 defeat on rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will be out for three to four weeks with the calf injury he picked up in Wednesday's Premier League defeat by Swansea City, manager Arsene Wenger has said.
Arsenal have only themselves to blame after a run of two wins in nine games in all competitions has left them with only an outside chance of winning any silverware, midfielder Mesut Ozil was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Arsenal signalled their attacking intent for the looming Premier League season by completing the signing of Chile striker Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona on Thursday.
Players from European champions Barcelona made up nearly half of UEFA's Team of the Year which was revealed on Friday, while Cristiano Ronaldo made the lineup for a record 10th time. Eight players from La Liga were included in the final XI, voted for by 7.2 million UEFA.com users from a 40-strong shortlist. Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Neymar were the Barcelona players included, while Real Madrid provided Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez.
Chile showed more attacking flair but failed to execute the crucial final pass in a first half marred by injuries, with Peru's Luis Advincula subbed off in the 35th minute and Chilean midfielder Diego Valdes being replaced at half-time.
Cesc Fabregas has finally signed for Barcelona on a five-year deal.
Arsenal have signed forward Nicolas Pepe from French club Lille for a club-record fee, the Premier League side said on Thursday.
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Former Arsenal, Spain midfielder Fabregas hangs up his boots, to coach Italian club.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Pogba also said he is no longer bothered by criticism from soccer pundits because he has grown used to it.
Arsenal have become the first Premier League club to reach five million followers on Twitter.
Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky has signed a long-term contract with Arsenal for an undisclosed fee
If Arsenal are to have any chance of overturning a 2-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League next month they must be sharper in front of goal, says manager Arsene Wenger. They worked hard to keep the world's most fearsome attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar relatively quiet until the 71st minute of Tuesday's last 16, first-leg tie but by then they had spurned two excellent chances to take the lead. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the culprit in the first half, anxiously shooting straight at Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, then Frenchman Olivier Giroud failed to convert the kind of close-range header he regularly dispatches. They are the sort of opportunitites that must be taken in the return at the Nou Camp on March 16 when Arsenal face what many pundits think is 'mission impossible' after Messi showed how it should be done with two late goals at The Emirates. The Argentine's first strike followed a clinical counter-attack and his second from the penalty spot in the 83rd came after he was brought down by substitute Mathieu Flamini. "We had an unbelievable chance in the first half and the way we finished our chances is a problem," Wenger told reporters after his side's demoralising defeat.
Arsenal have agreed terms with Barcelona to sell Cameroon international midfielder Alex Song to the Spanish side for 19 million euros ($23.36 million), the Premier League club said on Saturday.
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said his only wish is to succeed with the Spanish champions and has dismissed the idea that he could be lured away to another club.
Barcelona are in talks to strengthen their championship-winning squad with Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Valencia striker David Villa, according to club vice president Rafael Yuste. Talks with Valencia on Villa's transfer "are on the right track," Yuste said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM quoted by Spanish news agency EFE.
Barcelona will meet Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw on Friday while Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League clash.
Rangers were indebted to goalkeeper Allan McGregor for keeping Barcelona at bay in a goalless draw at Ibrox in their Champions League Group E encounter on Tuesday.
If Aubameyang's transfer to Chelsea goes through, he would return to the English top flight after seven months, having played for Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal for four years.
