Vitor Roque was Barcelona’s biggest bet in the winter transfer window. The club made arrangements to bring in the former Athletico Paranaense star in January, as they were desperately looking for reinforcements in the attacking department. Roque, who was signed for a deal worth €61 million (including add-ons) last summer itself, was coming on the back of a stellar spell in his native Brazil and many expected him to become an instant hit at Barcelona. However, as we approach the end phase of the campaign, Roque has struggled to adapt to conditions in Spain so far, which has also led to uncerta ..read more

Barcelona’s midfield has had the honour of harbouring an array of talented players over the years. But one that often slips under the radar is Ivan Rakitic, who contributed considerably in his 310 games for the Catalan giants. The Croatian was recently inducted into Barcelona’s ‘Legends’ list, as he is recognized as one of the key architects behind the team’s successes during his tenure. Now, Rakitic has opened up about several topics related to Barça on the ARLS podcast. Playing with the best Rakitic made an early impression under Luis Enrique by phasing out Xavi Hernandez from the starting ..read more

Barcelona are set to make important changes ahead of the summer transfer window, after a chaotic day yesterday that saw a lot of speculation around Xavi and his future. “Good morning everyone. I am pleased to announce that Xavi continues as coach of Barça’s first team. He made some statements that he had considered leaving, but yesterday he gave me the illusion of the project and the team.” However, today Barcelona President Joan Laporta confirmed that the coach would continue for another season, at least, despite rumours yesterday suggesting that the club had asked him to change part of his ..read more

Earlier in the day, Joan Laporta appeared in front of the media to confirm that Xavi Hernandez will be staying on as the Barcelona manager. Laporta heaped praise on Xavi for his contributions to the team and how he has steered the ship at difficult times over the past two and a half years. But before the press conference, Laporta had approached the Barcelona players in the dressing room, reports Diario SPORT. Laporta’s message to Barcelona players The report adds that Laporta, at first, informed players regarding Xavi’s continuity. He then went on to urge all the players to trust in the Spani ..read more

Diego Lopez and Lamine Yamal were once part of La Masia. But on Monday, the two will become rivals on the pitch as Barcelona take on Valencia. Lopez, who had moved to Valencia youth in 2021, has now established himself as a key player for the senior side. He will be one of the players in focus as Barcelona play host to the Asturian outfit on Monday. Heading into this important game, Diego Lopez opened up on his relationship with Yamal and he did not even hesitate in praising his former La Masia teammate. Diego Lopez heaps praise on Yamal, La Masia “I met Lamine at La Masia. It was already cle ..read more

Earlier today, Barcelona president Joan Laporta appeared in front of the media, where he confirmed Xavi Hernandez will continue as manager and explained the reasons behind sticking with the 44-year-old. During the long chat with the media, the Barça chief also dropped a big bombshell which would come as a huge boost to the club heading into the summer. Barcelona close to 1:1 rule Indeed, Barcelona president Laporta confirmed that Barcelona are closer to returning to the 1:1 Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule in the summer. The return to the 1:1 condition would entail that Barcelona can spend ever ..read more

Later on Wednesday night, Barcelona held a high-profile meeting at the residence of Joan Laporta to finalize the future of Xavi. The manager, who remained firm about his desire to leave the club in June throughout recent months, agreed to stay as part of the same meeting albeit with certain guarantees in terms of signings. While news of the manager’s continuity took over media by storm, an official announcement of the same was awaited before celebrations in Catalonia began. Speaking to the media in a special interaction earlier today, club president Joan Laporta confirmed that Xavi would cont ..read more

After an evening filled with twists and turns and confusion, it was confirmed last night that Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez will continue in his role beyond this season. The 44-year-old reversed his decision to leave the club at the end of the ongoing campaign and is now staying put to see out his contract. Earlier today, Barcelona president Joan Laporta, director Deco, and Xavi appeared in front of the press to officially confirm the decision and explain the reasons behind the U-turn. After Laporta insisted that everyone at the club agreed that Xavi’s continuity was key to the stability o ..read more

The past 24 hours brought in a lot of confusion and drama at FC Barcelona with regard to their managerial situation. Xavi, who had decided to leave at the end of the season, was said to be open to continuing, only for reports to emerge that the 44-year-old would after all end up leaving. However, there were a couple of meetings that took place, first between Xavi and Deco at the club facilities and then between Xavi and Joan Laporta, with Deco, Rafa Yuste, and Alejandro Echevarria present, at the club president’s residence. In the end, it was agreed that Xavi would continue as manager for ano ..read more

Last night was a frantic one for everyone involved at FC Barcelona as the future of manager Xavi Hernandez was finally definitively decided. Months after he announced his decision to leave, Xavi has now made a U-turn and will for one more season. The change came after a series of meetings on Wednesday, with the Barcelona hierarchy, led by president Joan Laporta himself, agreeing that it is the best option for the team. Deco was not totally convinced However, not everyone appeared on board with the decision at one point, with SPORT reporting that Barcelona sporting director Deco was among thos ..read more