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Neymar and Alves face Uruguay in Confederations Cup semi-final | FC Barcelona
The Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte is the venue tonight for one of the classic encounters of world football. Everybody in Brazil knows about the ‘Maracanaço’ of the 1950 World Cup final, when the home side was stunned in dramatic fashion by their Uruguayan neighbours. This may not be the same competition, or even a final, but the phantoms of 63 years ago still haunt the Brazilian national team.
Jordi Alba's attacking spirit | FC Barcelona
Mediapunta or forward. These were the positions that Jordi Alba played in when he was in FC Barcelona’s youth system. The two goals he scored for Spain against Nigeria show that the player hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Thiago should leave Barcelona if he does not get playing time, Cruyff - Goal.com
"It all depends a bit on Barcelona's plans. If there is little chance that he will get regular playing time, he should leave," Cruyff told Marca. "However, if Barca tell him that he will be a starter, he should stay put. It's all quite simple really. "Thiago has a lot of quality and he has plenty of time as he's still young. Any decision he will take will prove to be a good one."
Barça goals at the Confederations Cup | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona is the top scoring club at the Confederations Cup in Brazil. During the first phase, Neymar, Villa, Jordi Alba and Pedro scored nine goals between them. The second club in the list is Chelsea, who have seven goals thanks to Fernando Torres, Juan Mata and John Obi Mikel.
FC Barcelona will not renew Sergio Araujo's loan deal, player set to return to Boca Juniors | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will not extend Sergio Araujo's loan deal ahead of next season. The player, who arrived to Barça in the summer of 2012, on a one-year loan term with the option of extending his stay for an additional year, will return to his club of origin, CA Boca Juniors.
Ancelotti's first recruit could be Cannavaro, claims agent - Goal.com
Newly-appointed Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has contacted Fabio Cannavaro about returning to the Bernabeu in a coaching capacity, according to the former defender's agent. The World Cup winner enjoyed a three-year spell in Madrid as a player and Cannavaro's agent Enrico Fedele, claims the 54-year-old has already enquired about his client's availability to accept a position on his backroom staff.
Why retiring Isco’s number might be the stupidest idea ever | World of Sport - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Malaga's owner Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Thani confirmed the intention on his Twitter account by stating: "No.22 shirts will not be available to any other player at Malaga CF as a courtesy to the player Isco." Retiring numbers for legendary and notable players has been a long-standing tradition in American sports that has crept into football in recent years. However, retiring Isco's number seems like an odd decision for a number of reasons.
Benat returns to Athletic - ESPN FC
Athletic Bilbao have confirmed the signing of midfielder Benat Etxebarria from Real Betis for an undisclosed fee, believed to be between €8 million and €10 million. The Basque, now 26, initially came through Athletic’s youth ranks but was released in 2008 having made just one senior appearance.
Verdu rejected 'good offers' for Betis - ESPN FC
The Catalan playmaker, 30, has signed a four-year contract at the Benito Villamarin, after rejecting proposals from clubs who reportedly included Olympiakos, Villarreal and Real Sociedad. He told his new club’s radio station that the various elements involved in Betis' offer had been too good to turn down.
Swansea City hope to bring back Villarreal's Jonathan de Guzman | Sky Sports
De Guzman made an instant impression in south Wales following his arrival on a season-long loan from Villarreal last year, scoring eight times in 45 appearances in all competitions. And the club are determined to bring the 25-year-old back to the club, with reports suggesting the Swans are close to securing another year-long loan deal.