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  • La Liga: Barca fires Koeman, 4 groups tied after Real Madrid attracts

    Draws by Real Madrid and Sevilla left 4 groups tied for the lead within the Spanish league. Another Barcelona loss left coach Ronald Koeman out of a job.
    The Catalan membership fired Koeman shortly after the group’s 1-0 loss at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, three days after a a 2-1 residence defeat to rival Madrid within the “clasico” on the Camp Nou Stadium.
    Barcelona’s fifth league lack of the season left it winless in away matches and solely ninth within the standings with 15 factors from 10 video games. Barcelona had not gone 5 consecutive away matches with out a win in almost 20 years.
    Club president Joan Laporta knowledgeable Koeman of his resolution after the loss, and Xavi Hernandez turned the favourite to take over the membership in its first season with out Lionel Messi in almost twenty years.
    Barcelona mentioned Koeman “will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday.”
    Madrid was held 0-0 by Osasuna at residence, whereas Sevilla couldn’t handle greater than a 1-1 consequence at Mallorca, lacking its probability to take sole possession of the lead. Real Betis joined them on the prime with a 4-1 win over Valencia. Sociedad, which visits Celta Vigo on Thursday, additionally has 21 factors atop the standings.
    “We wanted to take advantage that Barcelona lost and Sevilla drew, but it wasn’t possible,” Madrid defender Dani Carvajal mentioned. “We tried everything but the ball wouldn’t go in.”
    Veteran striker Radamel Falcao scored Rayo’s winner towards Barcelona within the first half.
    It was the fifth straight residence win for promoted Rayo, which moved to fifth place with 19 factors, two from the lead. It hadn’t crushed Barcelona at residence in almost twenty years.
    “This victory means a lot to us,” mentioned Falcao, who had not defeated Barcelona whereas he performed for rival Atletico Madrid within the early 2010s. “We are glad that we are giving our fans a chance to enjoy something they had never been able to enjoy before.”
    Barcelona missed a second-half penalty kick when ahead Memphis Depay had his shot stopped by Rayo goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
    “This is what has been happening to us during most of the season,” Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets mentioned. “We are missing a little bit of everything. We need a little bit more luck, belief, concentration, to make less mistakes…”
    In the duel between veteran strikers, Falcao bought the very best of Sergio Aguero, who made his first begin with Barcelona since arriving from Manchester City.
    The 35-year-old Falcao opened the scoring within the thirtieth minute in a breakaway that began after Busquets misplaced possession close to midfield. The Colombia veteran entered the realm and bought previous defender Gerard Pique with a cut-back transfer earlier than sending his low shot into the far nook for his fourth purpose since becoming a member of the Madrid membership this season.
    “This is what I’m here for, to contribute with my goals,” mentioned Falcao, who returned to Spain this season after enjoying for Turkish membership Galatasaray.
    The 33-year-old Aguero had just a few good probabilities in entrance of the online however didn’t capitalize as Barcelona’s assault struggled as a complete. One of Aguero’s greatest alternatives was a close-range header that simply missed deep into second-half stoppage time.
    Depay’s penalty got here within the 72nd after he was fouled inside the realm.
    Barcelona had gained back-to-back video games in all competitions earlier than dropping 2-1 to Madrid on Sunday. It had gained its final 13 matches towards Rayo within the league.

    MADRID STALLS
    Madrid was in management from the beginning on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium however couldn’t capitalize on its alternatives towards sixth-place Osasuna, which had gained 4 of its final six matches.
    Karim Benzema had the most effective probabilities for the hosts when his shot from shut vary hit the crossbar within the second half.
    It was the third straight residence sport with out a win for Madrid in all competitions.
    BETIS REACHES TOP
    Borja Iglesias scored twice as Betis defeated Valencia to hitch the group of groups with 21 factors.
    It was the third straight league win for the group coached by Manuel Pellegrini.
    The consequence prolonged Valencia’s winless streak to seven matches, leaving it in eleventh place.
    SEVILLA HELD
    Antonio Sanchez opened the scoring for Mallorca within the first half and Erik Lamela equalized for visiting Sevilla after halftime.
    Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla had gained 4 of its final 5 league matches, together with two in a row.

  • Ronald Koeman will proceed as head coach of Barcelona: Joan Laporta

    In an surprising transfer, Barcelona’s membership president quashed stories of the upcoming firing of Ronald Koeman on Saturday when he mentioned that the Dutch coach will hold his job.
    “Koeman will continue being the coach of Barcelona,” Joan Laporta mentioned hours earlier than Barcelona’s match at Atlético Madrid that many stories within the Spanish media speculated could possibly be Koeman’s final.
    “Today, regardless of the result, Koeman will still be Barcelona’s coach,” Laporta informed reporters in Madrid. “He has a contract, (and) we hope that he can get us back on the winning path, playing the way we want. I know he will give it his all.”
    It was the primary public assertion Laporta has made since a bitter 3-0 loss at Benfica on Wednesday sparked numerous stories that Koeman’s days have been numbered.
    Barcelona has misplaced each its Champions League matches with out producing a single shot on course and is below risk of failing to qualify for the knockout rounds for the primary time in 20 years.
    Koeman himself mentioned on Friday that he imagined that the rumors of his exit have been “probably true.”
    The Spanish league match at Atlético comes earlier than a break from membership competitions for nationwide groups to play, which might have given Barcelona’s management a window to make a transfer. Spanish media had reported that Laporta was contemplating Xavi Hernández, Andrea Pirlo and Roberto Martínez as doable replacements.
    But, no less than for now, Laporta is standing by the previous Barcelona defender who etched his title into the Catalan membership’s historical past because of his final-winning purpose that earned Barcelona its first of 5 European Cups in 1992.
    “We believe that he needs our confidence because he is one of ours; he loves Barça,” Laporta mentioned about Koeman, who left his job teaching the Netherlands to take over the membership in the beginning of the 2020-21 season amid institutional turmoil that lastly led to the resignation of ex-president Josep Bartomeu.
    “He decided to become Barcelona’s coach in a moment of extreme difficulty for the club both on the field and in the boardroom,” Laporta mentioned. “It is complicated, the results are not good. But I ask our fans to keep their faith in our coach; he deserves it and he believes in this team.”
    As a coach, Koeman has needed to climate the membership’s monetary disaster attributable to the poor administration of Laporta’s predecessors and the pandemic. The collapse in revenues and ballooning debt pressured Barcelona to let Lionel Messi go and do away with different gamers, together with Antoine Griezmann, this summer season.
    Laporta’s relationship with the 58-year-old Koeman, nonetheless, has by no means been superb. Laporta actively sought to interchange him final offseason, solely to lastly determine to maintain him on.
    It is feasible that one issue influencing Laporta’s sticking with Koeman is the monetary chew the cash-strapped membership must face by breaking his contract that’s set to run out on the finish of the season.
    Barcelona closed the 2020-21 monetary 12 months with a staggering 481 million euros ($557 million) in losses and in poor form to shell out for severance pay. Its wage cap has been slashed to 97 million euros ($113 million), about 285 million euros ($334 million) lower than a 12 months in the past and 7 occasions smaller than that of Real Madrid.
    And Koeman’s outspoken method, not often shying away from dispensing what he considers truthful criticism about gamers and the membership, could have additionally chided at occasions. On Wednesday, for instance, he mentioned that whereas he felt the help of his gamers, he had no concept if the membership was nonetheless behind him.
    But Koeman did steer Barcelona to the Copa del Rey title final season and has successively nurtured alongside a number of younger gamers, above all Spain midfielder Pedri González. He now insists that the group must get again injured gamers like Ousmane Dembelé and Martin Braithwaite and have Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho, who not too long ago recovered from accidents, regain their full health earlier than its potential can really be judged.
    “After speaking with him, I see that he believes in this team, above all after it is back to full strength with healthy players who we need to be competitive,” Laporta mentioned. “We have not been in power that long and need a margin of error, and we have to treat Koeman likewise.”

  • Barcelona can nonetheless win title however can’t make any extra errors: Ronald Koeman

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman nonetheless believes his aspect can win the title regardless of failing to beat La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid on Saturday however mentioned his workforce should not endure any extra slip ups in its remaining three video games.
    The 0-0 draw at house to Atleti left Barca third within the standings, two factors behind Diego Simeone’s aspect and stage with second-placed Real Madrid, who snatched a 2-2 draw in opposition to customer Sevilla on Sunday.
    Barca can go provisionally high La Liga by profitable its subsequent sport at Levante on Tuesday however Atletico and Real must drop factors of their remaining fixtures if the Catalans are to get their arms on the trophy.
    “We’re going to fight until the last moment to win La Liga. It’s no longer in our hands but we can’t commit any more errors,” Koeman instructed a information convention on Monday.
    The Dutchman additionally mentioned his aspect was jaded after an unforgiving season and congested fixture schedule as a result of coronavirus pandemic.
    He additionally felt the shortage of supporters was guilty for Barcelona’s lowest factors complete in house matches because the 2002/03 season.
    “We are at our limits but so is every team, especially those who have played in Europe or got to finals. There’s been so many games and in the end they take their toll on you,” he mentioned.
    Barca reached the Champions League final 16 this season earlier than going out to Paris St-Germain. It additionally performed within the Copa del Rey ultimate, beating Athletic Bilbao.
    “Playing without fans also has an impact, that’s why team has dropped so many points at home. It’s not normal to play so many games. In the end, the team that is strongest physically and mentally will win the title.”
    Koeman additionally mentioned he didn’t see all of Real’s match with Sevilla as he doesn’t get pleasure from watching Barca’s title rivals play.
    He mentioned Real’s complaints about Eder Militao’s handball was nothing to do with him however expressed his sympathy over the shortage of readability on handball choices.
    “I watched the first 20 minutes of Real Madrid and then AC Milan against Juventus because watching the (Real) game made me nervous. I prefer to watch a different game and find out the result when it’s over,” he mentioned.
    “If Madrid think that it was treated unfairly then that’s its problem. All I will say is, as a coach, we’ve reached the point where we no longer know when a handball is a handball.”

  • Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman hits out at ban forward of Atletico Madrid showdown

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has criticised the Spanish FA’s (RFEF) choice handy him a two-game ban for utilizing what was deemed to be derogatory language in direction of a match official.
    The Dutchman was dismissed in final week’s shock 2-1 residence loss to Granada which hit Barca’s title hopes.Having missed Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Valencia, Koeman is ready to even be absent for the crunch La Liga showdown on the Camp Nou in opposition to leaders Atletico Madrid on Saturday after having an attraction to cut back the ban rejected by the RFEF.
    Barcelona on Wednesday confirmed they might current a second attraction to Spain’s Sports Administrative Court in a bid to get the ban overturned.
    “I feel it’s something personal, yes,” Koeman informed a information convention on Friday.
    “To say ‘What a person’ is not insulting, and it’s not a reason to ban someone for two games. So yes, I believe it to be something deeper (than the words said).”
    Barca sit two factors behind Atletico, who’ve 76 factors, and a victory would see them leapfrog their opponents with simply three video games left to play.Title rivals Real Madrid, who’re degree on factors with Barca and host fourth-placed Sevilla on Sunday, may very well be the principle beneficiaries if the sport ends in a draw resulting from their superior head-to-head report in opposition to Atleti and Barca.
    However, very like his Atletico counterpart Diego Simeone, Koeman insisted Barcelona won’t alter their typical set-up for the sport.
    “Barca are a side who look to attack and we need to stay loyal to that, to ourselves, and we won’t change,” mentioned Koeman. “We don’t count on them to depart a lot area for us once they don’t have the ball.
    “This week hasn’t been any different to a normal week. You don’t need to do anything different because the players know how important the game is.”I’m satisfied that if we win our 4 remaining video games, we’ll win the title.”
    Barca ahead Martin Braithwaite returns to the squad after injuring his ankle final month, that means solely long-term absentees Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho are unavailable.

  • Barcelona to enchantment head coach Ronald Koeman’s two-game suspension

    Barcelona will enchantment a two-game suspension handed to educate Ronaldo Koeman that may rule him out of a crucial conflict towards Atlético Madrid within the wide-open La Liga title race.
    Koeman was proven a pink card throughout Barcelona’s 2-1 dwelling loss to Granada on Thursday for his use of what the referee thought of disrespectful language. That defeat price his group the prospect to take the lead of the Spanish league.
    The Spanish soccer federation elevated the obligatory one-game ban to 2 video games after reviewing the case, prompting an enchantment from Barcelona.
    “According to the referee report, I disrespected the assistant referee and for me that is not correct,” Koeman stated Saturday. “To disrespect is to insult, and I used to be solely commenting on a number of performs in a respectful method.
    “The sending off bothers me because it is not fair,” the Dutchman continued. “We will have to see what happens (regarding the appeal).”
    Referee Pablo González recorded in his match report that Koeman was proven a pink card for saying to the referee assistant “what a character” after having been warned a number of occasions to look at his language. The federation’s competitors committee then added a second sport to the suspension on Friday evening.
    That would hold Koeman out of the dugout for Barcelona’s match at Valencia on Sunday and subsequent spherical’s sport towards Atlético at Camp Nou that may straight affect the title combat.
    Atlético, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla are all in rivalry to win essentially the most disputed league title in years.