Koeman grateful for Messi support in transitional season for Barca.
Manchester City have signed Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from Barcelona on a four-year contract for an initial 18 million euros (15.37 million pounds), the clubs confirmed on Thursday.
IMAGES from the Euro 2024 qualifiers played on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Real Madrid moved back to the top of La Liga as Vinicius Junior scored both goals in a 2-1 victory at Elche on Saturday.
Between trying to compose himself, wiping away tears and facing a long standing ovation, it took Lionel Messi more than a minute to start his farewell news conference on Sunday at FC Barcelona, where the Argentine has spent all of his playing career.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has blamed his side's poor finish as the reason behind their goalless draw against Southampton in their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman.
Luis Suarez had been told by new Barca coach Ronald Koeman that he was not in his plans for next season.
Southampton's bustling midfielder Victor Wanyama will be out for "a few weeks" after injuring his hamstring moments before he was due to be substituted in their FA Cup third-round replay win at Ipswich Town on Wednesday.
Reuters television footage showed players arriving for the session which began at 1730 local time (1530 GMT) and Messi did not appear.
The Argentine then lifted his shirt to reveal a red and black replica kit of his hometown club Newell's Old Boys bearing the number 10 which Maradona wore during his brief spell at the Rosario side in 1993.
The 30-year-old joins Luke Shaw in the treatment room after the left back pulled out of the England squad with an injury on Monday.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from the club on Tuesday ahead of a vote of no confidence that was due to be held next month after some 20,000 fans signed a petition demanding that he step down.
Arsene Wenger acknowledged Southampton were the sharper team as they crushed Arsenal 4-0 on Saturday but he also blamed the defeat on bad luck.
Real also have an outstanding defence, conceding only 25 times last year, and are well covered in every position.
Messi's lawyers informed Barcelona, on Tuesday, that the Argentine wanted to take up a release clause in his contract which could allow him to leave for nothing.
The 55-year-old Ernesto Valverde, who led Barcelona to successive La Liga titles in 2018 and 2019, came under fire this season for the team's dip in performance levels even though they top the league standings at the halfway point of the campaign.
Champions Leicester City will begin their Premier League title defence with a trip to newly promoted Hull City on August 13, according to the 2016-17 fixtures released on Wednesday.
Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona staged a stunning last-gasp comeback before beating Granada 5-3
'But when I arrived in Barcelona, I was told that it was no longer possible, that I could not stay and that I had to find another club, because Barca could not afford to extend my contract. That changed my plans.'
France defender Benjamin Pavard made a spectacular comeback to the team as his superb second-half strike saw them beat Ireland 1-0 away in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B match.
The hosts had looked on course to take all three points from a drab match when Anthony Knockaert pounced on a loose ball and fired home eight minutes from full-time.
Wijnaldum followed up after France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a fine stop from point-blank range just before halftime and Depay sealed the victory to give the Dutch a chance to win the group when they meet Germany in Gelsenkirchen on Monday.
A 3-0 reality check at the hands of Manchester City was always a moment waiting to happen for Southampton. Just how they bounce back from Sunday's defeat may now determine their fortunes this season.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos once again proved to be the man for the big occasion as he converted a fiercely debated penalty to help his side to a 3-1 win over rivals Barcelona at an empty Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday.
Rooney, the all-time leading goalscorer for club and country, has started eight Premier League games this season and has not played since Feb. 1.
Under the terms of the contract which expires in 2021, the only way Messi can leave without the club's consent is if a rival side pays his release clause of 700 million euros (629.7 million pounds).
According to widespread Spanish media reports, Netherlands coach and former Barca defender Ronald Koeman is set to be named as Setien's successor.
Chelsea maintained their iron grip on top spot with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace while Southampton recorded one of the biggest victories in Premier League history when they crushed a woeful Sunderland side 8-0 at St Mary'son Saturday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Barcelona pulled off a stirring comeback to overturn a two-goal deficit and reach the Copa del Rey final, beating Sevilla 3-0 after extra-time in Wednesday's semi-final second leg, to go through 3-2 on aggregate.
Chelsea captain John Terry is showing all the qualities of a future manager, the club's interim boss Guus Hiddink said on Friday. Terry, 35, is keen to continue his playing career at Stamford Bridge but has not yet been offered a new contract for next season. Hiddink said decision was not down to him, but in the longer term he could see the former England central defender as a manager. "In some players you see while they are playing there might be managers inside them already," the Dutchman told a news conference. "You see that most of the time in midfield positions or centre-backs. These guys are already leaders. "In my career I've had some examples like (Southampton's) Ronald Koeman in my first spell at Eindhoven, who you could see was tactically very strong and a leader. "And (Watford's) Quique Sanchez Flores at Valencia too." Terry would need "extra courses" and would be well advised to start as an assistant, Hiddink added.
Jose Mourinho's side have been the most impressive of any of the title contenders.
Triple European champions Manchester United and their under-fire coach Louis van Gaal face a tricky task against little-known Midtjylland in the last 32 of the Europa League following Monday's draw.
New France captain Kylian Mbappe lived up to expectations with two goals in a 4-0 statement home win against the Netherlands.
Memphis Depay scored one goal and put in an exhilarating all-round display as the Netherlands outclassed Germany 3-0 in their UEFA Nations League clash.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed suggestions that midfielder Paul Pogba faces a lengthy lay-off because of a hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League defeat of Basel on Tuesday.
Everton's Romelu Lukaku ended his longest goal drought in English football with an 11-minute hat-trick to power the visitors to an emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland on Monday and third place in the Premier League table.
The 2024 European Championship will be held in Germany from June 14-July 14. Following are the teams who have qualified for the tournament:
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