Conviction for hate crime is first of its kind in Spain La Liga hails ‘clear message’ racism will not be tolerated Three Valencia fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, in what La Liga described as the first conviction related to racist abuse at a football match in Spain. The ruling goes back to a match in May last year during which several Valencia fans hurled racist slurs at the Brazilian footballer. The match came to a halt for several minutes as Vinícius pointed to a Valencia fan in the stands, telling his teammates that ..read more

It’s The Sids … featuring the revelation that was Girona, a big year in Bilbao and the Beatles besting the Stones In the end the calendar was cruel, serving up a metaphor for the season, for football and for life. Like something out of a sitcom, someone had double booked a celebration and a funeral. Same time, same place: mid-May, a Saturday evening at Los Carmenes. Newly confirmed league champions Real Madrid had come to play Granada, who had just watched on television in the hotel as the relegation they long knew was coming finally got sealed, players sitting in tears en route to the ground ..read more

Ex-Barça star’s company allegedly received illegal payments Agreement for €40m bonus according to court documents A Spanish judge has placed former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué under official investigation for his alleged involvement in illegal payments in the relocation of Spain’s Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. Judge Delia Rodrigo concluded there were indications of wrongdoing in the deal between Piqué’s company Kosmos and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF), according to a court document ..read more

Votes cast by fans, club captains and panel of experts Bellingham was Bundesliga player of the season a year ago Jude Bellingham has been voted La Liga’s player of the season after the 20-year-old played a pivotal role in leading Real Madrid to their 36th league title. Bellingham edged out his teammate Vinícius Júnior, Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Artem Dovbyk (Girona) and Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) in votes cast by fans, club captains and a panel of experts ..read more

Xavi sacked by club after making previous U-turn to stay Former Germany manager Hansi Flick expected to replace him Xavi has warned his successor as Barcelona manager to be prepared to “suffer” in the job. The former Spain midfielder was informed last week he was to be sacked, having previously performed a U-turn saying he wanted to stay on after announcing his intention to leave this year. The former Germany and Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick is expected to replace him ..read more

Frosinone relegated from Serie A after late Empoli goal Galatasary and Club Brugge win titles in Turkey and Belgium Barcelona ended the season with a 2-1 victory at Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, making Xavi Hernández’s farewell bittersweet after a trophyless season in which they finished 10 points behind Real Madrid. The final game for Xavi, who was sacked on Friday, leaves Barça second after a disappointing campaign in which they lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight ..read more

Knives finally came out for coach who signed new deal in September, resigned in January and made U-turn in April Parco on Passeig de Gràcia does the best sushi in Catalonia, or at least the most famous. If the Vatican has white smoke, FC Barcelona had a delivery boy in a white helmet getting off his motorbike and pressing the buzzer at Joan Laporta’s penthouse flat near the top end of Diagonal. It was just before 11pm on 24 April and he held in his hand an embossed brown paper bag containing the takeaway which in that instant became a symbol of celebration and agreement, the scene excitedly br ..read more

Club announce Xavi’s last game will be at Sevilla on Sunday Xavi was due to stay until at least 2025 after U-turn in April Barcelona intend to make Hansi Flick their new coach after announcing that Xavi Hernández will leave after the season’s final game on Sunday. The president, Joan Laporta, informed Xavi of his fate in a meeting at the training ground on Friday. Barcelona have been talking to Flick for months and although the German’s camp denied there had been a meeting in London this week with the coach, his agent Pini Zahavi and the club’s sporting director Deco, an agreement has been p ..read more

The sun went silently down on the team from the carnival city to leave everything settled in La Liga with one week still to play La Liga packed up for the summer a week early, nothing left to do. With seven days still remaining, it’s all decided: the title, second, third and fourth; who goes to the Super Cup and who goes to the Club World Cup; Champions League, Europa League and Conference League; that other league too, the three teams disappearing silently into segunda. Even the Pichichi is probably done after a Sunday evening in which Alexander Sørloth got four of the 31 goals scored, leadin ..read more

Striker snatches Villarreal 4-4 draw and goes top of goal charts Slot says goodbye at FeyenoordMontero takes charge at Juve Alexander Sørloth struck four times in 17 minutes to help Villarreal fight back and snatch a 4-4 home draw against champions Real Madrid and take himself top of La Liga’s scoring charts. Carlo Ancelotti’s side, crowned champions a fortnight ago, could have reached 99 points for the season, one shy of their 2011-12 record but will now fall short, as they sit on 94 before their final league game against Real Betis ..read more