Joan Laporta and Deco, at this point, are perhaps Barcelona's two most important figures in terms of the club's football project. The club president, after all, has been working to no end to ensure the Catalans can recover from the financial muddle they were in, while the sporting director has done a decent job in recent transfer windows to work with the limited finances.
He's a very good player. Very modest and humble, which is a gift. He's not an egocentric striker; he plays for the team. I like that: he's hard-working, he draws attention so others can take advantage of the space. He played one game with us and did well, even though he didn't score,
At the same time, though, there was a surprise appearance made at the Barcelona facilities by former Bayern Munich and Germany defender Jerome Boateng. And, according to SPORT, the veteran defender, who has been without a club since ending his spell with LASK in Austria last season but is not officially retired, will use the Ciutat Esportiva facilities for a few days to stay in shape.
It seemed to be because of a technical fault in the stadium. The delay lasted eight minutes, the two teams keeping warm on the pitch in the freezing temperatures. Come the second-half it was more of the same, and Chelsea thought they'd got the lead only for Catarina Macario's goal to be ruled out for the tightest of offsides. Carpenter then had an incredible opportunity to put Chelsea ahead in the 80th minute only to fire wide.
"For me, Lamine is a great player and will be a player who will mark an era at Barça, I think, but well, in the end he spoke in a certain way, he heated up the game a bit and obviously the press jumped on him," Courtois noted. "Carva or Huijsen are in the national team and I think there's zero problem with Lamine. It's something that stays on the field and there's nothing going on off it," he further added.
I'm happy. I think I'm continuing to grow. I finished last season this way, and I'm continuing in the same vein this season. I'm very satisfied with the confidence the manager is showing in me and with the matches I'm playing and will play. There's still a long way to go. There's been some noise from outside, some doubts because of a few bad matches we've had.
La Roja secured their place in the finals on Tuesday night against Turkey and will likely have a squad packed full of Barca players jetting across the Atlantic for the tournament. Lamine Yamal missed the latest call-up but will be expected to play a key role,
After the match, Bernal shared the advice Flick had given him before stepping onto the pitch. He offered context by explaining that Flick had been keeping an eye on his rhythm over the past week. "Yes, he told me to make the most of today's match. "We also played a match on Thursday, mainly so that I could feel better, get into rhythm, and that's what I did, making the most of it," Bernal explained.
FC Barcelona have emerged as one of the main contenders at the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards, which will hold their sixteenth edition on 28 December at the Atlantis The Royal in Dubai. The Catalan giants appear among the favourites in almost every major category, both in the men's and women's sections. In the most prestigious category, Best Player, Barcelona are represented by Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. They will compete with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Harry Kane.
"Julian Alvarez is an Atleti player and will remain an Atleti player, I have no doubt about it," Cerezo said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. Alvarez has a contract with Atletico Madrid until 2030 and a release clause of €500 million. He is an integral part of Diego Simeone's plans for the team and has been delivering consistently on the pitch.
Leading up to the game, the Blaugrana look set to welcome Raphinha and Joan Garcia back into the scheme of things, with the pair recovering fully from their injuries. Pedri, too, is closing in on a comeback, but did not train with the group today, as Barcelona do not wish to take any risks by rushing him back. Guillem Victor called up According to Sergi Capdevila of SPORT, Hansi Flick called up young right-back Guillem Victor to first-team training today.
Looking back, I can say that I'm happy with both. They both gave me a lot and taught me a lot. My time at Atletico had a different dynamic.
A wave of top center backs is approaching the end of their current deals, and the timing could trigger a scramble across Europe's biggest clubs. With several high-profile defenders free to negotiate from January ahead of contracts expiring in June 2026, teams like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are watching closely. Among them is Andreas Christensen, whose situation at Barcelona mirrors a broader trend.
