Barcelona

ESPN FC's Sid Lowe shares his thoughts on how Barcelona should proceed with Ernesto Valverde as his UCL failures continue to overshadow his tenure. Spanish champions Barcelona clash with Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday in Seville (live on ESPN3, ESPN Deportes at 2:30 p.m.). Sid Lowe tells you all you need to know. A little bit of history ... and politics Spain's oldest competition, the "Campeonato nacional de Espana," started as a five-team tournament held at the Estadio del Hipodromo to mark the coronation of Alfonso XIII in May 1902. The 1902 trophy is not included in the official records, but the occasion was the start...

Two goals from Lionel Messi got him to 50 in all competitions for the sixth time in his career, but Barcelona ended the season with a draw at Eibar. Lionel Messi scored twice as Spanish champions Barcelona ended the La Liga season with a 2-2 draw at Eibar on Sunday. Ernesto Valverde's side ended the campaign 11 clear of their nearest challengers, Atletico Madrid, in a season marred by a shocking Champions League exit to Liverpool in the semifinals that took some of the gloss off their runaway league title win. Positives There was nothing for either team to play for on the pitch, but Messi is still in a race for the European Golden Shoe. His...

Steve Nicol takes a look at the latest summer transfer rumours in Transfer Rater, including the possibility of PSG adding a couple more big stars to the fold. The Premier League transfer window is open. You can click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up to date with all the latest gossip below. Transfer window grades | When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join? TOP STORY: Real begin pursuit of Salah Real Madrid's desire to bring Eden Hazard to the Bernabeu is well documented, but the Mail reports that there's another Premier League attacker in their sights -- Mohamed Salah. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why were Chelsea given a transfer ban? FC Exclusives - Man United drop Sancho interest - United make move for Longstaff - Varane staying at Real Madrid - Pogba offered captaincy to stay - Kompany wants City coach, players Liverpool star...

But for the madness at Anfield in the Champions League semifinal, Barcelona might still be on track for a Treble. It's worth remembering this when assessing the squad and what the club might do this summer. Instead, they've won La Liga and face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final, but Ernesto Valverde's future is still far from secure. We have analyzed the squad based on the premise that he stays: Obviously, should he be replaced by a very different manager, the club's strategy might be very different,...

The FC crew speculate on whether Barcelona or PSG are front-runners to land Antoine Griezmann after the Atleti star announced he'll depart this summer. Antoine Griezmann will have plenty of suitors now he's announced his departure from Atletico Madrid this summer: Manchester United tried hard to sign him in 2017 but need him now more than ever, while he would amplify the trophy chances of PSG, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid without any question. Even if you are cynical about a guy who drew out the "is he or isn't he?" saga for an eternity a year ago before using the daft "The Decision" video to announce that he wasn't going anywhere, you...

Clubs missed their last chance to get some cash for one of their out-of-contract players in January, so here's who will be available on a free transfer in summer 2019 if they don't put pen to paper soon, with the help of Transfermarkt. - When are the Premier League fixtures published? - When does the transfer window open? MAN CITY: No more captain fantastic? Vincent Kompany: How do you replace the impact of a captain, leader and legend like Kompany? You can't really. The 33-year-old should really...

BARCELONA, Spain -- A goal from Arturo Vidal and an own goal were enough for Barcelona to beat Getafe 2-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday as the recovery process for their Champions League collapse at Liverpool began. Vidal bundled home from close range in the first half and Lionel Messi forced what wound up being a late own goal for the second as the Spanish champions extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points with just one game to go. Positives Ernesto Valverde said it was important to...

Ross Dyer and Steve Nicol share their thoughts on the latest transfer rumours, including who's in and who's out at Manchester United. ESPN FC's Steve Nicol believes Tottenham's defense will be more of a problem for Liverpool than Ajax's would have been in the Champions League final. Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop examine where things went wrong for Ajax, pointing out the instances in which their inexperience cost them against Tottenham. With the transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs set to open soon -- find out when the Premier League transfer window opens -- rest assured that Transfer Talk is scouring the world's media and setting correspondents loose to see what is on the agenda. You can click here to review all the latest transfers. TOP STORY: Barca's De Ligt deal hits agent commission hitch Matthijs de Ligt's move from Ajax to Barcelona is on hold because of concerns raised by agent Mino Raiola over how much commission...

Steve Nicol says he feels guilty for doubting Liverpool could pull off a comeback against Barcelona and reach the Champions League final. Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop examine where things went wrong for Ajax, pointing out the instances in which their inexperience cost them against Tottenham. ESPN FC's Shaka Hislop weighs up who will stay and who will go at Barcelona following their UEFA Champions League exit against Liverpool. Sensational comebacks are reflected at the top of Shaka's latest Top 10, which is led by the participants in an all-English Champions League final. (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); Dropping out: Atletico Madrid Agree? Disagree? Let us know, and watch Shaka defend his picks on ESPN FC TV, which airs daily on ESPN+.

Well, that was ludicrous. And brilliant. Liverpool overcame a 0-3 first-leg deficit against Barcelona to win 4-0 in front of a boisterous Anfield crowd, while Tottenham rallied from 0-2 down in the first half of the second leg (0-3 on aggregate) to score three second-half goals and stun a packed Amsterdam Arena.  As we look forward to a final few saw coming, here are the best numbers from the madness of the last two days.  1 Ajax picked the worst possible time for an unlikely collapse...

Maybe as a kid you didn't see the point in history class, reading up on all those men (and yeah, they were probably mostly men) of yesteryear, with their outdated ideas and senseless battles won and lost. Maybe you failed to see how events from centuries ago have any relevance to the here and now. And maybe that's why some annoyed teacher or parent quoted the philosopher George Santayana to you: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Ernesto Valverde was likely never...

The FC crew dissect the midfield and attacking issues that cost Barcelona a 3-0 lead against Liverpool and a place in the Champions League final. Steve Nicol says he feels guilty for doubting Liverpool could pull off a comeback against Barcelona and reach the Champions League final. To begin properly, we have to start at the end. In getting to the heart of Barcelona's inability -- again -- to protect a three-goal lead, we have to start with Liverpool's fourth. Bear with me. Long ago, Liverpool had a boot room at their training ground. It was the place, literally, where the squad's football boots were stored. But because it was informal, warm, more communal than the manager's office, the Reds' coaching staff used to meet there. Legend has it that it was the kingdom of wisdom....

Steve Nicol says he feels guilty for doubting Liverpool could pull off a comeback against Barcelona and reach the Champions League final. The FC crew dissect the midfield and attacking issues that cost Barcelona a 3-0 lead against Liverpool and a place in the Champions League final. LIVERPOOL, England -- Jurgen Klopp hinted that he didn't believe Liverpool could pull off a Champions League miracle against Barcelona, admitting Monday that "beautiful failure" was perhaps the best his team could hope for against the Spanish champions. Come on, Jurgen, you need to have more faith. Your players have shown they are capable of anything, but nothing can match this: a 4-0 rout of Barcelona when every odd was stacked against them. Trailing 3-0 from the semifinal first leg in the Camp...

The FC crew dissect the midfield and attacking issues that cost Barcelona a 3-0 lead against Liverpool and a place in the Champions League final. Steve Nicol says he feels guilty for doubting Liverpool could pull off a comeback against Barcelona and reach the Champions League final. LIVERPOOL, England -- Barcelona contrived to throw away a three-goal first-leg lead in the Champions League semifinals for the second season in a row as they were thumped 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night. Divock Origi's early goal laid the foundation for another famous European night on Merseyside as Liverpool fought back from last week's 3-0 loss at Camp Nou to reach a second consecutive Champions League final. Substitute Georginio Wijnaldum added two more after the break to bring...

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana should bide his time before considering a return to Barcelona, according to former Cameroon stopper Joseph-Antoine Bell. The current Indomitable Lions No. 1 has caught the eye for the Dutch giants this season, despite the Amsterdam side's spectacular defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, sending the English side to the Champions League final. Onana's form has prompted reported interest from several European giants, notably Barcelona, where the 23-year-old...

ESPN FC's Sid Lowe feels Lionel Messi's strong message against jeers of Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho could do a load of good for his confidence. Steve Nicol, Craig Burley and Alejandro Moreno talk Coutinho's struggles at Barcelona as the former Liverpool man was subjected to jeers by his own fans on Wednesday. Philippe Coutinho could be forgiven for taking a plaintive look around Anfield on his return Tuesday night -- even if, as looks probable, his Barcelona make it through to the final of the Champions League at the expense of his old club, Liverpool. In the Portuguese of his native Brazil, there is an apt expression for the position in which Coutinho finds himself: "He was happy, and he didn't know it." Sure, Coutinho was to some extent happy at Liverpool. So far, that is the club where he played the...

Messi broke Liverpool's hearts in the Champions League semifinal, first leg, as though it was simple. To him, it probably was. Watch out for Lionel Messi's final goal. You'll see it in a high-pressure match where he's already scored once or twice; when it arrives, you'll notice that this goal is far more spectacular than the ones that came before it. Witness, for example, the first leg of this season's Barcelona's UEFA Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, in which Messi found the net twice last week. His first strike was a routine affair, following up to tap in a Luis Suarez shot that had fallen kindly to him...

This is it: There's one game to go before the Champions League final. Who will advance to meet Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid -- Ajax or Tottenham? Here's everything you need to know, from the superheroes and the sidekicks who can decide the ties to the keys for victory. Ajax vs. Tottenham FIRST-LEG SCORE: Ajax 1, Tottenham 0 WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 3 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. BST WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: Ajax battered Tottenham for 45 minutes in which they scored once but could have...

Paul Mariner takes a whirl at the latest transfer rater and takes on the rumours surrounding Gareth Bale, Mesut Ozil and Edinson Cavani all set to leave this summer. With the transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs set to open soon -- find out exactly when the Premier League transfer window opens -- rest assured that Transfer Talk is scouring the world's media and setting correspondents loose to see what is on the agenda. You can click here to review all the latest transfers. TOP STORY: Barcelona eye shock swoop for Lacazette Spanish giants Barcelona have set their sights on a stunning move for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to reports in...

Kevin-Prince Boateng was among several fringe players to struggle in Barcelona's loss to Celta Vigo. Second-half goals from Maxi Gomez and Iago Aspas helped Celta Vigo beat an unrecognisable Barcelona side 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga. After wrapping up the league title last weekend, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made 11 changes to the team that beat Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek with Tuesday's semifinal second leg at Anfield in mind. Celta took full advantage of those changes to ease themselves closer to safety at the bottom of the table. Gomez broke the deadlock in the 67th...