MADRID — Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has torn into the club over its handling of the Lionel Messi contract situation, which resulted in the forward attempting to leave in the close-season.

I don’t know if Spanish newspaper ABC is indeed as pathetically racist as it appears to be, but it’s hard to think otherwise after its recent game report of Barcelona’s Champions League win over Ferencváros on Tuesday. The author’s half-assed non-apology only heightens my suspicions. 

With or without Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or any other superstar past or present, El Clásico is the biggest rivalry in sports; the history between Barcelona and Real Madrid is simply unmatched. But the first Clásico of the 2020-21 season could be a memorable one, as it might just be the final time Lionel Messi faces Los Merengues at his longtime home of Camp Nou. You’re going to want to do whatever you can to watch it.

MUNICH, Germany — Winger Kingsley Coman scored twice and set up another goal as holders Bayern Munich crushed Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League Group A opener on Wednesday to stretch their winning run in the competition to 12 games.

The France international put the hosts ahead with a fine effort in the 28th minute and then set up Leon Goretzka to fire in their second in the 41st.

MADRID — Shakhtar Donetsk pulled off a shock 3-2 win away to 13-times winners Real Madrid in their Champions League Group B opener on Wednesday, despite the Ukrainian side missing 10 players due to injuries and COVID-19.

It’s not the Santiago Bernabéu, but nobody goes to the home of Real Madrid (temporarily Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano) and puts three past the 13-time European champions INSIDE 42 MINUTES!

After losing 1-0 to Cádiz last Saturday, many predicted a performance of pure vengeance from Los Blancos in the Champions League — a feeling that was amplified by the fact that Shakhtar’s starting lineup was rocked by a combination of injury and illness, including a positive coronavirus test for star forward Júnior Moraes.

BARCELONA — Barcelona have formally begun the process to introduce a wage cut on players and staff, the La Liga club said on Wednesday, the latest move to mitigate the crippling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its finances.

Barca announced a record loss of 97 million euros ($114.89 million) earlier this month and a 14% fall in revenue from the previous year, but said it was braced for far bigger reductions this season.