OPINION: Why Luis Suarez deserved a better Barcelona contract
Luis Suarez is reportedly next in line to renew his Barcelona contract. After attacking partner Neymar extended his current deal until 2021 in exchange for improving his yearly salary to €16 million, it was only a matter of time until the former Liverpool striker demanded to follow suit.
With other major teams always ready to pounce given Suarez’s undeniable quality, it is reassuring to know that the Barcelona directors have already started talks to secure the Uruguay international’s future at the Camp Nou.
Pep Guardiola says his managerial success is thanks to Johan Cruyff
The 45-year-old believes the lessons he learnt in that period from the Dutchman – who died from lung cancer in March – laid the foundations for his own progress in the dug-out.
Speaking at the London launch of the autobiography ‘Johan Cruyff: My Turn’, Guardiola said: “I was a lucky guy, I coached City, Bayern and Barca because I met him.”
Arsenal’s hopes of keeping Hector Bellerín at the Emirates have received a boost after Barcelona appeared to take their search for a right-back elsewhere.
The 21-year-old defender, who came through Barca’s famed La Masia academy before being poached by the Gunners, is seen by the Nou Camp club as someone who possesses ‘Barca DNA’ and ticks a lot of boxes for them as they look for a long-term replacement for legendary full-back Dani Alves.
Lionel Messi will not rest in recovery bid
Lionel Messi is focused 100 per cent on recovering from the injury he suffered against Atletico Madrid on September 21 at Camp Nou. The forward will come into the club’s sports centre on Friday to continue his recovery even though the squad has been given time off until Monday.
The objective is that Messi arrives at 100 per cent for the game against Man City in 13 days. The player, who is recovering from his groin problem at the expected rate will receive medical clearance to play next Monday so he can feature for 30 minutes against Deportivo de la Coruna.
OPINION: Barcelona loss to Celta Vigo should set alarm bells ringing
When times are good and the club is winning, few question a manager’s decisions. For a club like Barcelona, rarely does the entire squad suffer from a dip in form and fail to get results in multiple matches at a time.
However, due to the high demand for success and an expectation that every game will be a victory, criticism comes swiftly when the team struggles. Against Celta de Vigo, Luis Enrique’s former club, the manager warned that they would face adversity and need to be at their best to overcome their opponent on the road.
