Tag Archives: Barca

Barcelona celebrates La Liga title with victory parade

FC Barcelona celebrates its historic season with a massive street procession through the streets of the city.

FC Barcelona’s triumphant return after clinching the Spanish league title was marked by a celebration through the streets of the Catalan capital.

Thousands of fans gathered, chanting slogans like “Champion, Champion, Champion, oe, oe, oe!” and playfully teasing their archrivals with cries of “Jump, jump, jump – if you don’t jump, you’re a Madridista!” as players waved from an open-top bus.

Some 670 thousands fans lined the streets to welcome their newly crowned champions home after defeating their nemesis Real Madrid. 

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scored the decisive goal to clinch Barcelona’s 28th league title in a 2-0 victory at crosstown rival Espanyol on Thursday, to confirm Barca’s dominance.

Barcelona secured this landmark 28th league title after impressive victories in the Spanish Cup and Super Cup.

It’s double wins at home for Barca who have also reached the Champions League semi-finals in an stellar first season for German coach Hansi Flick.

Source: Africanews

Barca Face Inter in UCL Semi

Fresh from their Copa del Rey heroics, there is another title on the line for Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s men beat their arch rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in Sunday’s final to get their first trophy of what could be a momentous treble for the German in his first season in charge of the club.

Barca are also the overwhelming favourites to pip Real to the La Liga crown with the Catalan club four points clear with five games remaining.

But attentions for now have turned to their fight for a sixth Champions League title as they prepare to host Inter Milan in the first leg of their semi-final.

Visitors Inter conceded just one goal in the inaugural group phase of the competition and are likely to need that defensive solidity when they face the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha – the two standout attackers for Barca with striker Robert Lewandowski sidelined through injury.

The winners will face either Arsenal or PSG in the final in Munich on May 31.

Source: Africanews

Barcelona to sign Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho in a £142m; most expensive transfer of all time

The Reds are expected to receive £105m up front – a British record – for the 25-year-old Brazil international, with the rest in realistic add-ons.

The playmaker will sign a five-and-half year deal at the Nou Camp and will have a buyout clause of 400m euros (£355m).

He joined Liverpool from Inter Milan for £8.5m in January 2013,

The final deal will be eclipsed only by the £200m Paris St-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar last summer, and the £165.7m, Kylian Mbappe, will cost PSG at the end of his initial loan spell from Monaco.

Coutinho stayed behind on Merseyside while final negotiations were concluded as his Liverpool team-mates flew to Dubai for a mid-season break.

“In the next hours we will inform you of the details of the player’s arrival and presentation,” the Spanish club said in a statement.

Liverpool rejected three Barca bids and a transfer request from the player during the summer transfer window.

The last of Barcelona’s three bids was £118m – which included add-ons totalling in excess of £30m based on Coutinho winning the Ballon d’Or and other built-in clauses.

Coutinho only signed a new five-year deal, which did not include a release clause, with the Anfield club in January.

“It is no secret that Philippe has wanted this move to happen since July, when Barcelona first made their interest known,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

“Philippe was insistent with me, the owners and even his team-mates this was a move he was desperate to make happen.”

Klopp said the club had “hoped” they would be able to persuade the player to stay, adding: “The club did everything within our means to convince Philippe that remaining part of Liverpool was as attractive as moving to Spain.

“It is with great reluctance that we – as a team and club – prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Coutinho.

“The relationship we have for him means with a heavy heart we wish him well.”

The player has a minor thigh injury and missed the club’s past two games, including Friday’s FA Cup third-round win against Everton.

He will not be eligible to play for Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea, having already played a key role in Liverpool’s qualification for the knockout phase.

Coutinho’s name briefly appeared on a Nike advert for Barcelona shirts last week before being removed.

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST TRANSFER DEALS

£200m – Neymar (Barcelona to Paris St-Germain) 2017

£165.7m – Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to PSG – *loan deal with option to buy) 2017

£142m – Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona) 2018

£135.5m – Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona) 2017

£89m – Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United) 2016