Spanish Clubs

Koeman: ‘Playing On An Artificial Pitch Is Not Football’

BARCELONA — Barcelona's coach Ronald Koeman is not happy that they are playing Thursday's Copa del Rey last-32 tie away to third division Cornella on an astroturf pitch but said he will not make excuses should his side suffer a shock defeat.

Cornella knocked out LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid in the last round with a 1-0 win and Cup shocks are becoming much more common in Spain since the competition format changed last year, eliminating two-legged ties.

Definitely Maybe: Forecasting Breakout Teams For 2021

Few things in sports are as difficult as predicting results of future games. According to Chris Anderson and David Sally, authors of The Numbers Game, soccer is 50 percent luck and 50 percent skill. Add in an overwhelming number of professional leagues and players and the low-scoring nature of matches, soccer is one of the most unpredictable sports. 

Lionel Messi Handed Two-Game Ban For First Red Card Of Barcelona Career

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has escaped a lengthy ban for lashing out at Athletic Bilbao's Asier Villalibre in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final defeat and will only serve a two-game suspension.

The Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday Messi had been banned for two matches, meaning he will miss Thursday's Copa del Rey last-32 tie at Cornellà and Sunday's LaLiga match at Elche. He is set to return to face Bilbao in the league on Jan. 29.

Iñaki Williams’ Extra Time Screamer Sinks Barcelona In Super Cup Final

After finishing entirely trophyless last season, Barcelona’s players emphasized how important this year's Supercopa de España was, even if the timing and circumstances surrounding this year’s edition were less than ideal for all four competing clubs. 

Karim Benzema Hits Behind-The-Back Crossover Goal In Training

There was an awesome moment after Tottenham defeated eighth-tier Marine in the FA Cup when Marine midfielder Josh Hmami exchanged Twitter messages with Spurs defender Sergio Reguilón. 

The 21-year-old Accrington Stanely product called it an “unbelievable experience” before saying, “You really don’t realize how good these players are until you play them yourself.” 

Reguilón responded by saying that playing at the 3,185-seat Rossett Park in Crosby was just as memorable. 

Dani Alves Hints At LaLiga Return

Dani Alves, a player that LaLiga fans know very well, hinted at a possible return to Spain in a tweet that made Sao Paulo supporters very scared. The tweet is in Spanish, and translated to English it reads: “As the saying goes: THE GOOD SON ALWAYS COMES BACK HOME!”

American Teen Yunus Musah Turns Into Gareth Bale Only For Teammate To Turn Into Timo Werner

Want to feel old? Gareth Bale’s iconic sprint vs. Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final was seven years ago. An incredible Yunus Musah sprint against Real Valladolid on Sunday brought a wave of nostalgia of Bale's brilliance and showcased the young American’s incredible speed.

In case a refresher is needed of Bale torching Marc Bartra, here is the moment the Welsh man immortalized himself in YouTube “Best Last-Minute Goals Compilations”.

The Spanish Super Cup Arrives At The Worst Possible Time

When Spain's soccer federation signed a lucrative deal in 2019 to export its rebooted Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, they did not envisage matches in empty stadiums across southern Spain and tired teams negotiating record snowfall in order to get to them.

But that is what they will get when the mini-tournament begins on Wednesday after coronavirus restrictions in Spain and the gulf state forced organizers to overhaul their initial plans and re-think the competition to fit today's unprecedented times.

Real Madrid Did Not Enjoy Being Forced To Play During Spain’s Record Snowstorm

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois joined coach Zinedine Zidane in criticizing organizers LaLiga for not postponing his side's game at Osasuna on Saturday due to a snowstorm.

The match finished 0-0, denting Real's title bid, after they were ordered by LaLiga to travel to Pamplona the day before the game due to storm warnings, but had to wait for four hours on the icy runway before taking off.

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