Barça look at Sevilla’s Lenglet as an alternative to Umtiti | Sport
Lenglet has been one of the revelations of the season in La Liga. Sevilla signed Lenglet from Nantes for just seven million euros last January and he has a release clause until 2021.
“Barcelona are a great team, with international players at a very high level. We will see what happens in the future, but for now, I am focused on La Liga and the Champions League.”
Without Messi, Barça looked beaten; with him, they look unbeatable | The Guardian
It took FC Barcelona 358 days to lose their record and 54 seconds to get it back again. Saturday night, week 30 in La Liga and Sevilla were 2-0 up at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but it could have been three, four or five. They had overrun their opponents and although they were exhausted they didn’t have long to hang on now. On the touchline, the fourth official was fiddling with the board; high above him, the scoreboard crept beyond 87 minutes, and there would only be two more added. Alongside the time were two names: goalscorers Franco Vázquez and Luis Muriel. Easter is special in Sevilla, alright. There, at last, Barcelona were defeated; unbeaten in the league since last April, 36 games ago.
Busquets returns to Barcelona training ahead of Roma clash | Bein Sports
Sergio Busquets could feature in Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final against Roma on Wednesday after returning to training on Monday as Ernesto Valverde’s side prepare for Roma’s visit to Camp Nou.
The Spain international was injured during the second half of Barca’s 3-0 win over Chelsea on March 14, with tests confirming he suffered a “fractured phalanx of the fifth toe of his right foot, with a wound”.
Samuel Umtiti confirms he has offers to leave Barcelona | Sport
Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti admitted he has offers to leave the club. “The truth is that there’s interest from various clubs. It’s not a matter I am going to get into (renewing), nothing’s begun from my side. Maybe there’s interest (on Barça’s side), but for the moment nothing has started.”
He also spoke about his 60 million euros buyout clause: “It’s not very big, everyone knows that. But it’s not something that interests or worries me. I am focused on the pitch, that’s what I enjoy. The rest will come.”
Monchi: I don’t think Barcelona are as optimistic as the media | Marca
Monchi on the Champions League tie vs Barcelona: “Obviously, it is difficult. That’s the word which comes to mind. Barcelona have a high chance of going through but it isn’t impossible at all. You have to play and know of their history and quality, and the fact that they have a player like Lionel Messi, but we’ll try to take advantage of the opportunity. There is a very big dream that exists just now at Roma and sometimes that helps you move mountains and achieve impossible things. I still think that we haven’t had luck with the draw and that it is difficult but nobody should write Roma off. I still hold that same opinion.”
During his five seasons at the Camp Nou, Dutchman Ibrahim Afellay could only make 35 appearances in all competitions as loan spells with Schalke 04 and Olympiacos proved unfruitful, after Afellay failed to stake a claim in the Barca XI.
A move to the Premier League followed, and the Utrecht-born midfielder signed with Stoke City. His first season with the Potters was highly successful and the 32-year-old quickly endeared himself to the club’s faithful. However, Afellay has not been able to replicate his form from that initial campaign, making only a handful of appearances last term.
