Barcelona signed Gavi from Real Betis when he was just ten. He stayed alone at La Masia, telling his family that's what he wanted to do rather than have them come live with him. He shared a room with another Sevillano by the name of Juan Larios, who's now at Manchester City.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to their first Copa América since 1993 this summer. He scored 30 goals in 36 La Liga appearances for a Barcelona team coached by Ronald Koeman. He absolutely deserves the Ballon d’Or.
Patrick Bamford has revealed that Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele requested his shirt. Apparently he's a big Leeds fan and watches every game. This, coupled with his plan to take Winchester FC to the Premier League on Football Manager, is making me love him.
If Barcelona beat Chelsea to the signing of Jules Koundé I think we're looking at a genuinely serious team this season. The idea of pairing Koundé with Ronald Araújo is absolutely frightening - the perfect blend of confidence, strength, technique and competitive drive.
Ivan Rakitic has said he once asked Gerard Pique for the ball by saying: "Pass it to me, miarma [a Sevillano expression]". Pique then stopped the ball and said: "What I needed was for a Croatian to ask me for the ball like that". Lionel Messi then sang Sevilla's club anthem.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a club in sync like Atlético Madrid. This is an entity where the coach, players and fans sing from the same hymn sheet. I can only dream Everton could one day become something approaching this.
I see the morality police are out in full force over Emi Martínez - most are probably not even cognisant of Kylian Mbappé’s previous comments about South American football. Everyone just needs to offer up their opinion on absolutely everything these days.
If Everton get relegated it’s on Rafa Benitez a million times more than Frank Lampard. He got rid of the club’s two most creative players due to personality clashes and he created this negative, toxic spiral. A mess.
I love Gavi and Nico but Pedri is on another level entirely. This guy doesn’t have the potential to be world-class; he already is. He plays with the audacity of someone who doesn’t believe he has limits and the serenity of someone who’s simply enjoying himself. An amazing player.
“I've been wanting this for 13 years..”
An emotional James Rodríguez can’t hold his emotions after reaching his first ever Copa América final. He’s been through so much and it has taken a lot for him to get back to this.
Six assists in this tournament
“I ain’t leaving the ship,” says Amadou Onana. He’s only been at Everton for six months but, like Richarlison, he’s more of an Evertonian than the likes of Anthony Gordon will ever be. Because rats flee sinking ships and men stay the course to try and save them.
Pedri didn’t come from La Masia, he came from Las Palmas. As an 18-year-old he broke into a dysfunctional Barcelona team and quickly became one of its key cogs, forging an on-field relationship with Lionel Messi very few can boast. He’s, without a doubt, a deserved Golden Boy. 💫
For all the criticism he’s received this year, don’t forget Lionel Messi has adapted his role at Paris Saint-Germain to become a midfield playmaker in service to Kylian Mbappe. Cristiano Ronaldo wants Manchester United to play in a manner that facilitates his goalscoring record.
Aurélien Tchouaméni has hit the ground running at Real Madrid. He's played 399 minutes of football so far and nobody has won more tackles (eleven), interceptions (eight) or aerial duels (eleven) than him. He's also completed 297 of the 325 passes he's attempted (91.38%).
If Ousmane Dembele is on his way and Neymar Junior leaves Paris Saint-Germain their front three next season could be Kylian Mbappe - Lionel Messi - Dembele. That could do a lot of damage indeed with Messi dropping and the two lads cutting it up in the attack. Scary stuff.
Mikel Arteta and Xavi Hernandez are proving to be just as talented as coaches as I thought they would be. Intelligent midfielders working intensely in their current roles, implementing progressive football but underlining it with real steel.
Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Jules Koundé all leaving La Liga this summer - keep an eye on Pau Torres, too. The league is losing its best centre-backs, its hottest young talent. But Javier Tebas thinks it can survive the departure of Lionel Messi.
Gavi was born in the same year that Lionel Messi made his debut for Barcelona. He’s literally a child. But he plays football with personality, intelligence and a fearlessness that’s underpinned by real technical ability and real talent. Absolutely love him.
This isn’t Pogba imitating Cristiano. He’s a Muslim; what he’s doing is taking control of his image and asserting his beliefs in the face of corporatism. In a tournament as hyper-commercial is Euro 2020, this is significant.
Jules Koundé is the best signing Barcelona have made in years. Cool, calm and collected, this guy is the best centre-back in La Liga with the potential to be one of the best in the world. Ice-cold, elite mentality. Delighted he's staying in Spain. He's here for the next decade.
Gavi is balling out yet again in his home city of Seville. This kid is incredible. The only Spanish player taking risks and breaking lines so far in this game, asking questions of Sweden’s low block. Imagine if Pedri was there instead of Carlos Soler and Ansu Fati instead or RDT.
Madre mía. So now we have a two-year window approaching where Cristiano Ronaldo and Pep Guardiola are trying to win one last Champions League with Manchester City while Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos are trying to win one last Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain. Una locura.
Barcelona and Manchester United. Both in love with their past in a way that’s hampering their future. If either club took a breath - forgot about The United Way, Més Que Un Club - and instead approached the future with humility and common sense, they’d be infinitely better off.
Real Betis are absolutely flying. They've just beaten Real Sociedad 4-0 in San Sebastian to secure their place in the Copa del Rey semi-final. They're third in La Liga, ten points off leaders Real Madrid. And they're still alive in the Europa League, facing Zenit. What a team. 💚
Was I annoyed by Jules Koundé for throwing the ball at Jordi Alba? Yes. Have I also lost my head and done stupid things in my life, and therefore forgive Jules Koundé for giving into the red midst? Yes. Did I enjoy seeing Jules Koundé do that to Jordi Alba? Yes.
Just heard during Movistar’s commentary of El Clasico: “If this game was happening in the Premier League everyone would be raving about its pace, rhythm, the number of challenges flying in…”
Typical of Lionel Messi to use his farewell press conference to congratulate Dani Alves on winning gold at the Olympic Games; what a collection of men that Pep Guardiola team was. Unmatched in football history; only to be gutted and replaced with bloated mediocrity. Amazing.
Jules Koundé could have joined Manchester City in 2020 and Chelsea in 2021. He didn’t get either move. Instead of sulking, he put his head down and took his game to new heights. Became a starter for France. Make no mistake; he’s a special person and player. An absolute baller.
Nabil Fekir rightly being lauded for providing eleven goal contributions in his last 13 games. But Lionel Messi’s numbers stand at 13 in 15 and people are saying he’s in poor form. We hold that man to a ridiculous standard.
The abolition of away goals in European competition has to be one of the most joyless developments in recent times. The moment a sole goal could turn defeat into victory in one fell swoop with the stakes high was one of the most thrilling things in the game and now it’s gone.
Raphinha, Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembélé combining to devastating effect for Barcelona’s second goal. Not a huge fan of how Xavi Hernández has structured this team tonight but that’s serious talent right there.
This is Carlo Ancelotti showing Marcelino a photo he recently found of the two of them facing off as players in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1987. Marcelino was with Sporting Gijon and Ancelotti was with Milan. There isn't many men more personable in football than Carletto.
I’m backing Raphinha to be more important than Ousmane Dembélé for Barcelona this season. The latter is the more talented but the former is tougher, hungrier and living his dream.
Jurgen Klopp once ran onto the pitch during a Merseyside Derby to celebrate a scrappy goal.
But yeah, Arsenal are taking the piss with their post-match celebrations. 😂
No other club on planet earth are as insufferably self-righteous as the lot across from us in Stanley Park.
I’ll never forget this. I’m always invested in Jamaican track and field athletes, but that duo of Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt was something else. Cool as a polar bear’s toenail and lighting fast. 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
Switzerland don’t have Granit Xhaka for their clash with Spain, but they have Luca Loutenbach, their most famous fan. Swiss Air have paid for his business class flights to Russia, with Red Bull and the Swiss Tourist Office also getting in touch with him.
This is gold. Antoine Griezmann, who’s seemingly obsessed with Football Manager, telling Kylian Mbappé he signed him for Newcastle. Mbappé doesn’t seem to enamoured by the idea; “It’s not very warm there.”
Gavi is no longer just really good for a 17-year-old. He’s really good full stop. Such an exciting player to watch and a guy who’s really easy to love. Un crack. I wonder what they put in the water in Los Palacios y Villafranca?
Happier times. Two wonderful footballers who deserve better than to be booed by supporters of a joyless state-sponsored project. It doesn't matter how much money they throw at it; Paris Saint-Germain will never be able to match the prestige of Barcelona or Real Madrid.
This is traditionally a busy week for English football. Exactly one year ago this week, Everton beat Chelsea, Leicester City and Arsenal in seven days to go second in the Premier League. Carlo Ancelotti was at Goodison Park, not the Santiago Bernabeu. Things have changed.
Luka Modric started Real Madrid's first game post-lockdown against Eibar on June 14th 2020 and Croatia's clash with Scotland last night on June 22nd 2021. Between the two, he's played 72 games for both club and country, at 35. An utterly fierce competitor.
I love this clip because it gets to the heart of what makes Luis Enrique’s Spain Luis Enrique’s. The players are almost interchangeable because everything is done as collective; they build and counter-press with a coherence rare in international football.
Barcelona really just deployed an emergency front two of Luuk de Jong and Gerard Piqué to try and rescue a point against Granada at Camp Nou. You didn’t dream it. It happened. The club with the proudest football heritage in football. If this isn’t a nadir, I don’t know what is.
The Gareth Bale situation is so weird.
He’s not starting over Vinícius Junior or Karim Benzema, but are you really telling me Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes are a better bet wide right? What’s going on behind the scenes?
I'll never got over how they've ruined this World Cup. The build-up to a World Cup as we enter late spring and early summer is one of the most exciting times in the football calendar. To be robbed of that and splinter next season in the way they have is just so disappointing.
Interested to see what Ousmane Dembele does for the rest of his career. My bet would be not much. This guy thinks he’s the second coming of Jesus Christ and has contributed absolutely nothing in five years at Barcelona.
A lot of people love what Unai Emery has done at Villarreal these past two seasons, and I understand why. Their European exploits have been phenomenal. But it's also true that they've severely underperformed in La Liga with one of the most talented squads in Spain.
Carlo Ancelotti called Duncan Ferguson this week to give him advice after his former assistant coach took over at Everton from Rafael Benitez. What an absolute gentleman Carletto is. Such a great guy.
I'm beginning to think Manchester United supporters should worry less about what Barcelona are doing and more about the state of their club. Just a thought.
I think both the Ferran Torres and Kieran Trippier transfers underline that footballers are human first and foremost. They aren’t robots nakedly chasing progress. They have other concerns - familial, emotional - that outweigh their sporting ambition and lead them to downgrade.
End of an era in Spanish football? Look beyond the elite. Manchester United, that bloated behemoth, dumped out of Europe in consecutive seasons by Spanish clubs with Spanish coaches, Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui and Villarreal's Unai Emery. These clubs aren't super; they're special.
After scoring a brace to lead Fiorentina to victory in Bergamo, Dušan Vlahović suffered racist chants from Atalanta’s supporters.
As Vlahović was being interviewed, Atalanta fans chanted “Serbian gypsy” at him on September 11.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist. The great trick Cristiano Ronaldo ever pulled was convincing the world that there was a debate between him and Lionel Messi.
Cholo Simeone embodies the sheer competition of elite football. Lean, mean, dressed in black, he’s a menacing and unsparing presence who disregards courtesy, just like his teams. He’s like Yerba mate. Bitter, an acquired taste, but one I love.
Xavi’s return to Barcelona isn’t a PR exercise,
@FabrizioRomano
told me in our exclusive interview. Men like him and Steven Gerrard are going about their coaching career in the right way.
Edgar Badia, who’s a fine goalkeeper in his own right, genuinely star-struck and shocked that Lionel Messi would want to swap shirts with him. This kind of adulation is why he’s the 🐐.
South America is the hardest region to compete internationally in. Even the weaker sides - Bolivia or Peru, for instance - play in such geographically challenging locales that they’re never a walk in the park. Succeeding in América do Sul requires mental and physical fortitude.
80 - Lionel Messi has scored 80 goals for Argentina in all competitions. 40 of his goals were scored in the first half and 40 in the second half. Equilibrium.
The laziness of so many observers and pundits regarding Atlético Madrid is incredible. There’s far more to Cholo Simeone’s team than work rate and dark arts - they’re an intelligent, functional team that has a large dose of quality to compliment their foundational competencies.
Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin talking about the need to modernise La Liga and improve the product. This isn't done by introducing fancy and useless gimmicks to the matchday experience; it's by making tickets cheaper to draw bigger crowds.
Never have I felt a thrill watching football like I felt watching Lionel Messi in his prime. It’s not just what he did but the way he did it. Excellence and insolence, hand in hand. The greatest to have ever done it.
I was disappointed when Sergio Reguilon left Sevilla, but Marcos Acuña is even better. He can play left-back, centre-back and right-back with absolute competence. And he brings a bite and competitive edge few can match. These Argentines, man. 🇦🇷
Xabi Alonso has taken Sanse, Real Sociedad B, to the Segunda, Spanish football’s second tier. This man oozes competence; considered, intelligent and quietly determined, I believe he’s going to have an intriguing coaching career. One of my favourite personalities in the game.
Lionel Messi ends his Barcelona career having provided 672 goals and 305 assists in 778 games. That means he was directly responsible for 1.25 goals per game every game across 16 years, or 61 goals per year. He provided Barcelona 61 goals per year for 16 YEARS.🐐
17 years ago today this man made his Everton debut. There’s nothing like your first love;
@Tim_Cahill
will always be my favourite footballer. Tenacity, fight, a pair of balls. He had them all.
I’ve seen two Real Madrid matches live in the same week. They’ve conceded five goals in them combined before scoring five themselves to win both. Love them or hate them, you can’t deny their winning mentality. Hasta el final, indeed. No juegas con el rey.
Lucas Paqueta booked for showing “a lack of respect” by attempting a rainbow flick during Lyon’s game with Troyes. Same thing happened to Neymar before. Absolute joke; how can you police a little fun?
The greatest footballer of all time forced out of the club he played an integral role in turning into a modern behemoth. It should have been a glorious end but instead it's a tragic one, ruined by the incompetence and greed of the men in suits who actually run our game. Sad day.
We’ve never seen a moment as pure from Messi as his celebrations tonight. This has been a vindication, whether that’s necessary or not. He’s ended a nigh-on 30-year drought, done what Maradona didn’t. This is his moment, at an age where he appreciates it.
Three La Liga clubs into the last eight of the Champions League - Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid and Villarreal. Three more - Barcelona, Betis and Sevilla - could make it into the last eight of the Europa League tomorrow. Not bad for a finished league. 🇪🇸
What a day for football in the city of Seville. Betis beat Barcelona right after Sevilla defeat Villarreal, meaning both Seville clubs are in the top three with Real Madrid as things stand. Their success has nothing to do with money - it's a story of smart coaching and patience.
I hope today’s events make the decision makers realise that footballers aren’t cattle, commodities or robots. They’re sentient beings with bodies as imperfect as us mortals. They need to be listened to, looked after. They need to play less football, not drained of every ounce.
I genuinely can’t remember a player whose confidence has been shattered like Eden Hazard. At his best, he was absolutely devastating going forward, a terror to face. Now, he’s timid and unsure. A man who looks apologetic for merely existing. Spooky stuff.
An average player who thinks he’s a genius with an attitude that stinks to high heaven and no end product. Goodbye Anthony Gordon and make no mistake - you’ll be a Jack Rodwell rather than a Wayne Rooney.
"I'd prefer 30 minutes at [Real] Madrid than 90 at another team," Guti once said. A phrase that carries resonance given Martin Odegaard's so close to leaving for Arsenal. You have to be made of stern stuff to last as long at the Santiago Bernabeu as Guti, that's for sure.
I think we so often talk about Gavi’s personality and character that we often forget about his sheer quality. Maybe if Pedri wasn’t such an easy comparison we’d appreciate him more and realise what a unique talent he is.
This would be incredible. Guido Rodríguez is the guy who’s been keeping Real Betis’ midfield ticking over since he arrived from Club América. Really impressive footballer.
🚨Everton puso sus ojos en Guido Rodríguez, futbolista del Real Betis y la selección argentina.
*️⃣El club inglés tuvo un acercamiento con el jugador, pero todavía no existe una oferta formal.
Not what we expected at Camp Nou tonight. But it’s a long season and it was always going to take time for these new players to gel. There’s still so much talent at Barcelona this year - but get Jules Koundé in there as soon as possible. Get him and Ronald Araujo playing together.
Football Twitter is out of control. Imagine being an “analyst” with a footballer as your profile picture and actually thinking you can read the game better than Roy Keane.
Ferguson’s players outlook on football is actually so simplistic lol. No nuance to their analysis. To them if you win good, lose bad. If you lose the reasons they always give are: didn’t want it enough, not enough passion, didn’t run enough. Such poor punditry
Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho - both South American icons who’ve plied their trade with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain - reunited at the Parc des Princes this evening. Warm hug.