Category: Sports news

Barcelona dominate Ballon d’Or awards as Lionel Messi wins his seventh

Barcelona fans can have something to smile about as former captain Lionel Messi, Barcelona Femeni captain Alexia Putellas, and Pedri Gonzalez all came out as big winners from the 65th edition of the France Football Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.

Messi won his record breaking and record setting seventh Ballon d’Or title on Monday, while Alexia Putellas won her first Ballon d’Or Féminin title, being the third woman to win it after Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe.

Barcelona‘s and Spain’s new wunderkind in the midfield, Pedri Gonzalez also bagged the Kopa Trophy for the best young player in the world awarded to players under the age of 21.

Leo Messi, now with Paris Saint-Germain, was awarded the title for his exploits in the past year when he was at Barcelona, which is the tie that the Catalan club have to his title. The records, however, will have it that he won the title as a PSG player.

It also puts him two ahead of his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d’Or awards. Both players have now won 12 of the last 13 awards – a feat that no two players may ever be able to replicate in football history.

A quiet club season for Messi but a major breakthrough on the international stage

Loved by the football world, Leo Messi was thought to have had this award wrapped up the moment Argentina secured the 2021 Copa America trophy by beating Brazil in July.

Congratulations poured in for the 34-year-old who had previously faced a few tournament disappointments in the past, leading Argentina to the finish line but not being able to cross it.

That triumph put a gloss over his relatively quiet club season with Barcelona, where he only won the Copa Del Rey and was beaten by Athletic Club Bilbao in the Supercopa De España.

Messi was LaLiga’s top scorer, however, but judging by his standards, it was a very average season.

“I’m really proud to win the France Football Ballon d’Or once again,” Messi said after being handed the trophy by his best friend, Atlético de Madrid striker, Luis Suarez.

“It’s incredible to win it for the seventh time. I would like to thank my family, my friends and all the people who follow me and always support me, because without them I couldn’t have done it.”

Messi beat Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski to the award in what many fans, players, ex-players, journalists and pundits have deemed a controversial decision.

Lewandowski was also the clear favourite to win the 2020 edition which was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and Messi was gracious enough to acknowledge that fact in his acceptance speech.

“I would like to mention Robert Lewandowski, it’s been a real honour to compete with you,” Messi said. “Everyone knows and we agree that you were the winner last year.

“I think France Football should award you your 2020 Ballon d’Or – you deserve it and you should have it at home.”

He added: “I think Robert Lewandowski had a great year. Year after year, he improves and shows the excellent striker he is, as well as his ability to score goals. 

“This year he was awarded as the top scorer. Of course he can certainly aspire to that level next year, thanks to his way of being on the pitch. And in addition, he plays for a big club.”

Full list of winners at the 65th Ballon d’Or awards ceremony

Alexia Putellas had a dream season as she captained Barcelona Femeni to a spectacular treble-winning season, making Barcelona the first club in the world to have trebles for both her men’s and women’s teams.

The 27-year-old scored 37 goals and provided 27 assists as Barcelona Femeni brushed aside every other opposition to claim all the titles they competed for.

Earlier in the evening, Barcelona star Pedri Gonzalez won the Kopa Trophy, beating some very talented young stars among which were Borussia Dortmund’s and England’s Jude Bellingjam, Bayern Munich’s and Germany’s Jamal Musiala, and Belgian teen sensation Jeremy Doku.

Lewandowski didn’t end the evening empty-handed though, as he won the inaugural ‘Striker of the Year’ award for the most in-form striker. Many see it as an apology award to the Polish striker for the 2020 incident, but Lewandowski was very happy to receive it regardless.

Italy and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was awarded the Yashin Trophy for the best keeper for his stellar performance at the Euro 2020 tournament.

European champions Chelsea was named the winner of the inaugural ‘Club of the year’ award, which is surely going to be fiercely contested going forward.

Neymar’s injury does not look good, Mauricio Pochettino admits

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is worried about the possibility of Neymar spending a long time on the sidelines due to the injuries he sustained in their comeback win against Saint-Etienne at the weekend.

Neymar was stretchered out of the game in the 80th minute after a crunching tackle by Yvann Macon, and had to leave Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on crutches.

Pochettino has expressed hopes that Neymar has not sustained a serious injury, though the PSG manager conceded that the images he has seen of the incident do not look good.

According to football data collection site Transfermarkt, this is Neymar’s fourth injury of the season, and he looks to be out for 42 days pending the results of the tests being carried out.

Pochettino told journalists at a press conference: “There is nothing more to say for the moment, it is the pain he felt in the leg with his ankle that turned. We will have the exams tomorrow and we will see.”

In an earlier interview with Amazon Prime Sport, Pochettino said: “We will have to see this tomorrow but from the images, I hope that it’s not a big deal and that he will be back with the squad quickly. But the action is not good.”

Neymar injury history at PSG

Neymar is no stranger to these situations as he’s one of the most injured players in the world in the past few seasons. He has learnt to take these setbacks on the chin and come back stronger every time.

This is his third ankle injury at PSG; the first happening in June 2019 to keep him out of PSG’s pre-season preparations for two months, and the other in December 2020 which kept him out for a month.

The 29-year-old posted an update for fans to his official Instagram account which read: “Let’s recover, unfortunately these setbacks are part of an athlete’s life. Now that’s what you have, lift your head and let’s go. I’ll come back better and stronger.”

This season, Neymar has already missed 57 days (9 matches) due to injury, with a further nine matches to be missed if he spends the predicted 42 days out on the sidelines due to this latest injury.

In Neymar’s four-and-a-half seasons at PSG, has missed 524 days (90 matches), amounting to a year and five months of football.

PSG can, however, count on the quality of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria if this injury happens to be a long term one for the Brazilian.

Cristiano Ronaldo furious after United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea; reassures fans afterwards

Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly angry after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Chelsea on matchday 13 of the 2021/22 season.

The Portuguese superstar stormed down the tunnel at full-time, refusing to shake hands with the officials or his opponents after Manchester United lost two valuable points to Chelsea.

Chelsea huffed and puffed and missed a few chances to go ahead thanks to poor finishing and Manchester United’s goalkeeper, David De Gea who has rediscovered his best form after struggling for the better part of three seasons.

And Jadon Sancho opened the scoring after an uncharacteristic mistake from Chelsea skipper and Ballon D’Or candidate, Jorginho, gifted him an opportunity to go one-on-one with Edouard Mendy. The goal was against the run of play as United suffered at Stamford Bridge in the first half of the tie.

Jorginho made up for his error by slotting home a penalty 19 minutes later after Aaron Wan-Bissaka brought down Thiago Silva in a clumsy attempt to clear the ball to snatch a point for league leaders, Chelsea, to the annoyance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United fans.

Ronaldo was left on the bench by caretaker manager Michael Carrick, surprising everyone. The decision turned out to be a favourable one for the Red Devils, as they were able to comfortably soak up all the Chelsea pressure.

The 36-year-old replaced goalscorer Jadon Sancho after 64 minutes but was unable to make any meaningful impact in the game. He also earned a yellow card for dissent after sarcastically clapping at referee Anthony Taylor over a decision to award a Chelsea drop ball late on.

By his standards, Ronaldo had a poor game and his frustrations showed after the final whistle was blown with the way he stormed right out of the pitch through the tunnel without exchanging any greetings with opponents, fans or the officials.

Ronaldo assures United fans that ‘nothing is impossible’

The draw extended Manchester United’s run to three league games without a win – something the five-time Ballon D’Or winner was also visibly angry about.

Ronaldo showed his leadership later that evening with a tweet to Manchester United fans assuring them of his desire to keep succeeding with the team.

He tweeted via his Twitter account: “There is still a long road ahead and nothing is impossible when you play for Man. United. We will keep chasing our goals until the end!”

Ronaldo has pulled Manchester United out of many a sticky situation this season, especially in the Champions League. His six goals in the competition won 10 points for the club, which helped them qualify for the next round.

His disappointment with himself and the team was understood and he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

Caretaker manager Micahel Carrick said post-match: “When you’re in front in a game like this, to have it taken away from you like it was is disappointing.

“We came here to win the game, we had a plan, we were positive in our mindset and in our attitude for that, so we’re a little bit disappointed, I can’t lie.”

Carrick explains that Ronaldo was on board with the team changes

Carrick’s controversial decision to leave Ronaldo out of the starting XI dominated most of the headlines before the match, but he explained that Ronaldo understood why the changes had to be made and agreed to them.

“Cristiano is probably our standout name, but it’s just game plan, ideas. I had a good chat with Cristiano actually, he was great, and we’ve decided to go like that today,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s a decision just to pick a team, to be honest. I don’t think it needs more drama than that. Everyone is fine, all the boys who have come out of the team have been terrific around the place.”

Carrick also explained his reasons to journalists after the game, as the issue of United’s dullness in the attack was raised.

“The changes I made was a feeling,” he told journalists. “We had thoughts about the game, how the game was going to go, about how we could hurt them, how we could penetrate, a little bit of freshness as well, a bit of energy some boys have played a lot of games.”

Alexandre Lacazette is preparing for life after Arsenal as agents seek new opportunities

Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has revealed in an interview that his agents are “looking” at options for him as he prepares for life after four years at Arsenal.

The striker’s contract will run out in the summer and his latest comments imply that he’s not looking to spend any more time at the Emirates, despite being a fan favourite.

The 30-year-old joined Arsenal in 2017 from Olympique Lyonnais as one of the hottest strikers in world football. He was supposed to move to Atletico de Madrid, but the deal fell through due to the transfer ban placed on Atletico for one year.

He eventually signed for the Gunners for £46.5 million, a record fee at the time for both Lyon and Arsenal. He has scored 51 times in 135 appearances for the Gunners – a record which could’ve been a lot more if not for occasional fitness issues that kept him out of the team for extended spells.

He has, however, found his playing time cut by a lot since Mikel Arteta took over as Arsenal’s head coach in 2019, and has started only four Premier League games this season and 10 in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

The 30-year-old striker reportedly earns around £200,000 per week at the Emirates Stadium, which is why the Gunners are reluctant to extend his deal on his current salary.

Lacazette will have no problems finding a replacement club, as Newcastle United, AC Milan, Olympique de Marseille and Atletico de Madrid are currently all courting the striker.

Lacazette wants a beautiful project

Speaking with French football channel Telefoot, Lacazette said: “Of course, my agents are starting to look to the right and to the left. But not until January, I really want to focus myself on something.

“And then we will see what is on offer, if the challenges are interesting; if there are beautiful projects, how they are counting on me.

“So there are still many questions, I prefer to wait until January to position myself.”

Mikel Arteta’s comments on the situation also suggest that he can do without the striker. The  Gunners boss thinks it is important that the club continues to communicate with Lacazette for both parties to be clear on what they want.

“That’s a position that’s happening more and more in football,” Arteta said about Lacazette’s case. “He is not the only one, we have a few.

“That’s something we have to deal with, with contracts that they were coming from a few years ago, with certain particularities. We knew that was the case.

“I have already spoken with them individually about how we have to handle those situations the best possible way, and that’s it.

“The important thing is that communication is clear, and the intentions of both parties, while they are together, are very clear.”

Antonio Conte wants Arsenal target

Meanwhile, reports from Calciomercato show that Arsenal’s pursuit of Juventus’ winger Dejan Kulusevski is being threatened by Tottenham Hotspurs and Antonio Conte

Calciomercato reports that Kulusevski has fallen out of grace with Max Allegri at Juventus and that the Bianconeri manager “doesn’t want to find space for the Swedish international, and doesn’t consider him ready and is difficult to place on the pitch.

Kulusevski is valued at £30 million. The winger wants to play more and will be open to a move away from Juventus to a club that can guarantee him the playing time he needs. Arsenal now have to battle Antonio Conte’s massive pull to be able to land the winger from Juventus.

Sergio Ramos: “I can play for four or five more years”

Sergio Ramos has made his Paris Saint-Germain debut after four months on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury that almost looked like it would end his career at just 35 years old.

Speaking in an interview with Amazon Prime Sport before his debut, Ramos claimed he can “continue to play for four or five years” as he believes his physicality is back to what it once was.

Sergio Ramos moved to PSG on a free transfer in July 2021 after a stellar 16-year career at Real Madrid, where he was the captain for seven of those years.

He joined the Parisiens injured, however, and struggled with the injury for four whole months. He was given the medical green light last week and made his debut on the squad list in PSG’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City in the 2021/22 Champions League matchday 5.

He finally got to start in a dream centre-back pairing with PSG captain Marquinhos as PSG battled from a goal down to snatch the victory away to Saint-Etienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. He played like he never left; riling up opposition players and putting his body on the line to make tackles.

PSG fans and fans of the Real Madrid legend will be happy to see Ramos, whose career was in doubt due to the injury relapses he kept suffering, back on the field.

Now, according to the four-time UEFA Champions League winner in his interview with Amazon Prime Sport, it’s only a matter of his mental strength that will keep him playing for four or five more years.

Sergio Ramos wants to pay back PSG’s trust in him

PSG took a huge gamble by signing an injured Sergio Ramos. However, when one of the best defenders in the world in the last 10 seasons becomes available on a free, it’ll be either foolish or very brave of clubs who want to compete for the biggest titles to look the other way.

Ramos recognises the risk PSG took in signing him and wants to pay the trust back. “I think I can continue playing for four or five years,” Ramos said in his interview. 

“The most important thing is that my head holds. I hope I don’t have any more physical problems.”

Ramos also admitted to battling negative thoughts during his lengthy injury layoff. “At the end are difficult moments, moments of loneliness,” the World Cup winner said.

“Whole hours in the gym with the physiotherapist, with the physical trainer. You constantly have negative thoughts that sometimes make you doubt.

“I believed in myself and in work,” he continued. “I focus on giving the club back the trust it has placed in me. I hope to reach my best level.

Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos admit to weirdness in PSG dressing room

Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos were rivals in the biggest club football match in the world for more than 10 years. Their rivalry was heated and both almost came to blows a few times especially during Messi’s time as Barcelona captain.

Fans were surprised that both men would play for the same club, and both men have also admitted that there’s a sort of weirdness sharing a dressing room with each other after being the faces of the El Clasico rivalry for such a long time.

Now that Ramos is fit, fans will need a period of adjustment to the sight of the two former captains of Barcelona and Real Madrid playing for the same club in a competitive match and fighting for the same objectives.

Liverpool break two goalscoring records with win over Southampton; score 700 goals under Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool ran rampant at Anfield as visiting Southampton faced the ruthlessness of the Reds rampaging attacking line on matchday 13 of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

The Reds set a new club record in the Premier League after smashing four goals past Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Diogo Jota put Liverpool in front after just two minutes, before scoring another thirty minutes later.

Thiago Alcantara and Virgil van Dijk rounded off the scoring in the second half with goals in the 37th and 52nd minute to seal another three points for the Reds and break a club Premier League goalscoring record. Liverpool have now scored 700 goals under Jurgen Klopp since he took over in 2015.

The four goals from this victory put them at 39 goals from their opening 13 games of the season, which is their best-ever tally at this stage of a top-flight season. The Reds are also the Premier League’s highest goalscorers this season, nine goals ahead of table-toppers Chelsea.

The win also helped them reduce the point deficit to the league leaders by one point pending the outcome of the Chelsea-Manchester United game on Sunday afternoon.

Mohamed Salah also notched another milestone for himself after he set up Jota for his second of the day. The assist has now put the Egyptian forward at 150 total goal involvements in the Premier League from Liverpool are two goals short of recording 700 since Jurgen Klopp took charge.

The Reds also matched another longstanding Premier League record by being the first team to score at least twice in 17 straight games since Sunderland in the 1927 season.

Klopp attributes Salah and Mane form to pre-season; heaps praise on Diogo Jota for being a Liverpool player

Liverpool failed in their title defence last season largely due to a large number of injuries in the squad which affected the balance of the team, losing the title to Manchester City.

After last season’s injury problems and an empty Anfield, the rhythm is back at Liverpool and Klopp’s heavy metal football is in full flow.

Klopp said to journalists after the win: “We knew we lacked stability last season. We had no centre-halves for a while and to find solutions. So it wasn’t a shock we couldn’t find the solidity we have now where everyone knows exactly what he has to do.”

Klopp also attributed the fine form of Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah to an extended pre-season. The attacking duo has been the best in the league – and arguably the world – for a number of seasons and are currently in the top two for goalscorers this season, with teammate Jota.

“This year we had a proper pre-season and especially upfront with Sadio and Mo they had the longest pre-season they had for ages and that was helpful and found the stability back,” Klopp said of Mane and Salah.

He also praised Diogo Jota who has been a revelation since moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Liverpool last season. The Portuguese forward was a guaranteed starter at Wolves and was believed to be at Anfield to provide cover for the front three of Mane, Salah and Firmino.

He has since slotted seamlessly into the attack that Klopp has had to expand his attack to a front four on many occasions. “He made the right decision [to sign]. When you talk to a player and they ask where they will play, I say you decide that with our performances,” Klopp said.

“It is not like the line-up is set in stone. It is about making 35 really good games rather than getting through a season and somehow playing 50 games. You need more than 11 players in a squad and more than three strikers and Diogo was smart enough to see that.”

Paul Pogba’s Real Madrid dream dealt huge blow as LaLiga giants make decision

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba may never get his dream move to Real Madrid after the LaLiga giants’ latest transfer decision, according to reports by Marca.

Paul Pogba will be out of a contract at Manchester United by summer and his agent Mino Raiola has been cooking up a storm in the media concerning the 28-year-old’s contract situation.

The French midfielder who left Manchester United in 2012 to Juventus and returned in 2016 for £89 million in a world-record transfer has not found life as easy as he did while in Turin.

A U-20 and senior World Cup winner with France, Pogba’s talents have never been called into question. Yet, getting the best out of him at Manchester United has been the biggest challenge of every coach he has played for at the club to date.

This has sometimes been interpreted as an attitude problem by some of his coaches, pundits, former United players and by many fans of the club, with his £290,000 weekly salary not doing him any favours.

Pogba is currently out injured and will return in January to full training, but is still Manchester United’s biggest headache from the dressing room due to his contract situation.

Real Madrid to look elsewhere; believes Pogba will not fit in club’s system

The 28-year-old will be a free agent in the summer and is leaning towards an exit from Old Trafford, despite reports of Manchester United wanting to strike a new deal with him.

Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, has been front and centre of the whole issue, even claiming at one time that Pogba will not sign a new contract at United no matter what is offered.

This statement by Raiola is believed to have been made in the confidence of Pogba securing a move to Real Madrid because of the good relationship between Raiola and Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez.

Paul Pogba has also previously expressed an ‘eternal desire’ to play for Los Blancos, but may now be facing dashed hopes as the club has admitted that the midfielder doesn’t fit their system and won’t be an option for them in the coming transfer windows.

It is worthy of note that Paul Pogba has come close to joining Madrid in the past on a few occasions, and that the club admires the player greatly. However, under Carlo Ancelotti, he is no longer an option as the club has decided to find replacements for other areas in their squad.

Rangnick appointment may spell the end for Pogba at Manchester United

Real Madrid shifting their focus from Paul Pogba to other areas may lead to the Frenchman signing a new deal with Manchester United, but with Raiola’s comments hanging over the club, it could be a difficult process.

It is also understood that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a positive influence on the Frenchman, and his exit from the club could lead to Pogba not signing a new deal.

Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as interim head coach could even make matters more complicated for Pogba. The German has stated in the past that Pogba is not his kind of player.

Rangnick is not expected to make any drastic changes in his six-month interim manager spell but if he does, Pogba may become the new focal point of the team or may be forced out of the squad.

Lack of PSG game time bothering Angel Di Maria

Copa America winner Angel Di Maria has struggled for game time at Paris Saint-Germain this season and is willing to be a fixture in the team’s midfield if it will guarantee him more minutes.

Prior to this season, Di Maria was the player with the most games for PSG since he joined them from Manchester united in 2015. He has played 274 times for the French side across all competitions, scoring 89 goals and providing 107 assists.

However, since the arrival of his national team captain, Lionel Messi, from Argentina, his usual right-wing role has been taken away from him to accommodate the six-time Ballon D’Or winner.

Angel Di Maria is now willing to take up a role in the middle of the park, believing it’s a role suited for him so that he can get more game time this season.

Mauricio Pochettino cannot be blamed for ditching Di Maria in favour of Lionel Messi on the right side of the PSG attack. However, Di Maria has produced more returns than Lionel Messi whenever he gets an opportunity to play on the right side.

The 33-year-old has played only 10 games – seven as a starter – for PSG this season and has had five goal involvements (two goals and three assists). He is also third in PSG’s chance creation behind Neymar and Mbappe despite a lack of minutes.

I can play in midfield, Di Maria claims

Angel Di Maria is no stranger to playing in the midfield. He has played there a few times for Argentina and was also deployed in the midfield towards the end of his time at Real Madrid as the Bale-Benzema-Cristiano attack trio was picking up speed.

Di Maria now wants Mauricio Pochettino to give him the opportunity to show what he can do in the middle of the park for PSG.

“I think I’ve already shown that I can play in that position. In fact, it was my best year at Real Madrid, in 2014,” Di Maria told RMC Sport.

“The manager knows I can play there, but then it’s down to decisions. He’s there to decide and we’re there to do as best as we can on the pitch, no matter where, in midfield, up front, or elsewhere.

“Those are questions for him, the only thing I’ve done since I arrived at PSG has been to give it my all when on the pitch.

“It’s true that I like to play with the ball at my feet. In 2014 I played in midfield and I felt very good, really happy. With quality players at PSG like Marco [Verratti], Leandro [Paredes] or Gana [Idrissa Gueye] it could work, but those are the manager’s decisions.”

Manchester City’s Ferran Torres close to Barcelona move

Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is close to a move back to LaLiga with an agreement already reached with Barcelona for his services, according to reports.

Marca reports that the Spaniard’s agent was in Spain last week to meet with Barcelona’s management concerning a potential switch for his client. The report also claims that Barcelona’s director of football, Mateu Alemany is currently in Manchester to discuss the deal with City’s management as the club prepares for the financial obligations that the signing will impose on them.

Barcelona is looking to bolster their frontline due to the injuries affecting the squad and has been in the market for a new striker. Raheem Sterling, Torres’ teammate at Manchester City, was among the leading options. The 21-year-old has now overtaken his 26-year-old teammate as Barcelona’s leading candidate.

Marca also reports that the clubs are the only parties slowing down the deal, as there’s already a deal in place between Ferran Torres and Barcelona.

It is important to mention that the youngster was on Barcelona’s radar last summer and was keen on the move, but that the Catalan club chose to go for Francisco Trincao instead, who is now spending the season on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers in England.

Ferran Torres enticed by the Xavi project

While the reports claim that the 21-year-old Spanish international is not desperate to leave the Etihad, the idea of leading the line at a brand new Barcelona under Xavi Hernandez does appeal to him.

The forward is also worried about Manchester City’s prospects of signing a big name striker next season, which will limit his playing time at the club even more.

Barcelona have promised Torres an important role in the squad in their initial contact and hope that a deal can be agreed upon between them and City in January.

Torres joined Manchester City from his hometown club Valencia in August 2020 on a five-year contract for a reported transfer fee of €23 million. He has since scored 16 goals for the Citizens in 43 appearances in all competitions.

His time at Manchester City also helped him earn his first call-up to the Spanish national team, for who he has since featured 22 times, scoring 12 goals.

Barcelona eyeing Manchester City trio

While the young Spaniard may have replaced Raheem Sterling at the top of Barcelona’s priority list for attacking replacements, the 26-year-old Englishman is still a target for the Catalan giants.

City, however, will only sanction the deal if Barcelona’s proposed loan deal for Sterling comes with an obligation for the Catalan club to sign him permanently after.

Bernardo Silva is the other name on Barcelona’s list, and it is understood that the little Portuguese is also keen on a move to LaLiga. However, Manchester City’s valuation is sure to scare Barcelona away, who are currently down in the dumps with their finances.

European World Cup 2022 playoff draws: Portugal hopes of qualifying slimmer in ‘path of death’

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will face an uphill battle in their playoffs for a spot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as they have been drawn in the same path as the Euro 2020 tournament champions, Italy.

Both teams will not be playing each other from the start, however. Italy will be facing North Macedonia, while Portugal will have to scale through the hurdle of Turkey. The winners of both matches will face each other for the sole qualifying spot in their path.

Portugal had a relatively good qualifying campaign until a late capitulation against Serbia in Lisbon sent them into second place for the playoffs. Italy, on the other hand, had an average campaign but managed to end up in second place for another chance to qualify in the playoffs.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to make his fifth World Cup appearance and as such will be taking his captain duties very seriously as ‘Os Navegadores’ prepare to crush the obstacles in their path.

Portugal’s potential qualification, however, will see the World Cup happen without the current Euro title holders.

Italy would have rather avoided Portugal, Mancini says

“It’s a very difficult draw for us,” Italy boss Roberto Mancini said immediately after the draw. “North Macedonia is a good team and, if we win, we have to play away to Turkey or Portugal in the final. It’s very strong.

“These are one-off games and there are always adversities. Just as we would have liked to have avoided Portugal, I think [Portugal] would have gladly avoided Italy.

“Will we get to the World Cup? We are always confident and positive; the most important thing will be to have all the players available.”

Portugal boss, Fernando Santos, however, is very confident about his team’s chances of making it to the World Cup. Speaking after the draw, the Portugal boss said: “I have complete confidence that we will be at the World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s not worth talking about Italy. We have to focus, first of all, on beating Turkey. This is the most important game for us in order to be in the [playoff] final and win that, which is our main objective. Regarding the draw, it is what it is, there’s no point in discussing it further.

“There were positive things, we will be playing at home and will have the opportunity to play in front of our fans if we reach the final.”

Full European World Cup qualifier paths

Portugal, Turkey, Italy and North Macedonia are in path C of the playoffs. The final of this path will be played at the home of either Portugal or Turkey.

Path A will see Scotland, Ukraine, Wales and Austria do battle. Scotland and Ukraine will take on each other, while Wales and Austria will battle it out for a way out of the path and into the World Cup finals in Qatar.

Russi will take on Poland, while Sweden will face Czech Republic in path B.