Nico Schlotterbeck is fast-emerging as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, with the German already establishing himself as a real leader in the Dortmund backline. A centre-back by trade, Schlotterbeck is known for his technical brilliance and speed, making him a crafty operator who can not only execute forward passes but also break down counter-attacks. Schlotterbeck has been performing consistently for Dortmund for years and has now attracted the interest of top clubs across Europe, including Barcelona.
"It's a natural step. My father was a board member, I was a futsal player and then a board member under the last three presidents (Laporta, Rosell, and Bartomeu) with responsibilities in futsal, youth development, La Masia, and the women's team. "That's 21 years linked to the club, which leaves a huge mark on you." The pre-candidate defined his project as the result of "knowledge, experience, and passion" for an institution that, in his view, "is not the Barça we want today."
It's a tough night. They are a very good, young, and fresh team. With one less player, it's easy to say the game becomes difficult. But they also did everything right with the ball: they took full advantage of the extra man and made it difficult for us both to get into their area and to defend,
Tuesday night saw FC Barcelona fall to a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge, further hindering their chances of securing a top-eight finish in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The Blaugrana were thoroughly outplayed by Enzo Maresca's team from the start, with their problems only being compounded by Ronald Araujo's red card in the first half. One of the stars that shone the brightest for Chelsea on the night was Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian - a name very familiar to Barcelona. The 18-year-old sensation was a threat going forward and even scored a brilliant goal early in the second half to make it 2-0. However, it could all have been very different for Estevao.
Now, according to journalist Roger Arbusa on Catalunya Radio, Cucurella had the Barcelona match marked in red on his calendar. He treated his duel with Lamine Yamal as a personal test. The Chelsea left-back has always thought that Barça never gave him the opportunity in the first-team setup after years spent at the club. As such, he was extra-motivated to prove himself against his boyhood club.
Everything Lamine Yamal does oozes quality. Even when he is strolling about looking dejected, which he did quite a bit at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the nonchalant grace of a star. He caresses the ball rather than kicking it, generating remarkable power from limited back-lift. He plays on the balls of his feet, always alert, always able to go either way. He glides rather than runs, but does so at speed. He has already finished as runner-up in the Ballon d'Or.
"It's not normal that Barcelona paid the vice president of the referees' association more than 8 million euros for at least 17 years," Perez said. "Whatever the reason. The vice-president of the referees' committee, who held important positions. A period that, coincidentally, coincides with Barcelona's best results in our country."
On how many Champions League nights can Araujo keep letting his team down? At this point, a big UCL night has become synonymous with the Uruguayan's errors. Took an unnecessary yellow card arguing for a foul that had taken place minutes ago, and then went on to jump into a rash challenge foolishly to take the red card late in the first half and leave the team hanging with ten men.
