Here are your Spanish football evening headlines for Monday, December 21st.
Barcelona presidential hopeful Joan Laporta confident of Lionel Messi stay despite club having “lied” to the star
Barcelona presidential hopeful Joan Laporta remains confident that Lionel Messi will remain at Camp Nou despite the club having “lied” to him.
The Argentine tried to leave the club this past summer and is entering the final six months of his contract come January. Barcelona news has been defined by his future this year.
“I am sure Messi wants to continue at Barcelona,” Laporta told ESPN. “[The club] have repeatedly lied to him and, on top of that, things haven’t gone as everyone wanted. He’s at a point in his career where he still wants to be successful and win titles.
“Along with turning around the club’s financial situation, the priority is to make a proposal to Lionel that convinces him to say. I hope I arrive in time and I have the advantage of Messi’s trust.”
Read more here.
Diego Simeone gives blunt responses to La Liga title race questions
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone gave short shrift to questions on the La Liga title race this afternoon.
Los Rojiblancos are top of the tree going into the final round of games before Christmas having racked up 29 points from the opening 12 rounds of action, losing just once.
Real Madrid were the team to beat them, overcoming their city rivals in the recent Madrid derby. Los Blancos are level on points with Atletico having played two games more.
Many have asked whether Atletico are now favourites to win the title, a status Simeone seemed disinterested in claiming. He was asked whether the title race was between just two sides right now and whether only a Madrid club could win it, answering with a curt “no” to both questions as per Marca.
Read more here.
Barcelona are in a “complicated situation” admits boss Ronald Koeman
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has admitted that his side are in a “complicated situation” right now.
The Blaugrana drew 2-2 at home with Valencia last Saturday to lose further ground in a title race that already seems out of reach.
“We’ve changed things with the team,” Koeman told reporters in his pre-match press conference for the clash with Real Valladolid in comments carried by Diario Sport.
“A lot of youngsters are playing and that inevitably means inconsistency. For the future it’s a good thing, but Barcelona have to win things, fight for titles and win matches.
“This is a complicated situation. We need time because we are making changes, but we are Barcelona and we need to win games. That is the complicated thing at the moment, more so for us than for other teams.”
Read more here.
