Vinicius Junior, a winger for Real Madrid, was given a two-game suspension on Tuesday for his red card against Valencia last week.
Stole Dimitrievski, a goalkeeper in Brazil, was pushed by the Los Che stopper after he was shoved in the back of the neck.
Real Madrid, the spanish champions, defeated Valencia 2-1 on Friday thanks to Vinicius’ red card, moving them to the top of the table.
Raphinha, a Barcelona winger, claimed on Tuesday that the Dani Olmo registration scandal might have discouraged potential future signings from joining the Catalan giants.
After his registration expired at the end of 2024 and previous attempts were rejected twice in court, Barca, a financially troubled club, are frantically battling to get the Spanish playmaker licensed for the second half of the season.
On Tuesday, the Catalan club filed a lawsuit with Spain’s top sports court, but Olmo and Pau Victor are scheduled to miss until a verdict or a temporary measure grants them new licenses.
Both players are unavailable for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
“I think it could (impact future signings), I can’t say no because I would be lying and that’s not me, I don’t like lying or telling stories”, said Brazil international Raphinha.
“It’s true that if I was at another club and observed the situation Pau and Dani are in, I might consider it to be the best thing to be here.
” But when I came here, before signing, I knew the club’s situation, I knew I had a chance of being able to play in this shirt and I waited until the last moment and I don’t regret it at all. “
Olmo and Victor were put in a difficult position, according to Raphinha.
” It’s hard for them, they don’t know if they can play or not, “continued the winger.
” It’s a situation that’s pretty difficult and delicate.
We hope the people in charge of it can resolve it as quickly as possible so they can rejoin us once more.
Raphinha’s coach, Hansi Flick, disagreed and said the club was still a good idea.
Flick expressed his confidence in the club, noting that he is aware of the club’s shortcomings, how great the team is, and how great the community is overall.
I have no doubts about signing the contract because I adore everything Barcelona has to offer.
After arriving in Barcelona this week after missing the pair’s first game, the German coach expressed hope for his team to come together in their absence, with Victor and Olmo already missing Saturday’s Copa del Rey round of 32 victory at Barbastro.
“We miss (Olmo), of course, because he can change every match totally, and this is what we miss, but at the end we have to accept it”, added Flick.
“I believe that the team could work together to get closer together.”
” We have to defend and play as one unit, we have to play as a team. “
Ernesto Valverde, the coach of Athletic Bilbao, previously stated that Olmo’s absence gave his team a boost.
” Olmo is an extraordinary player and if he can’t play tomorrow, for us, well what can I say? “former Barca coach Valverde told reporters.
” I’m sorry for the situation he’s in, because he’s a player who if he can play, would bring prestige to the competition, but if he doesn’t play against us, so much the better. “
After suffering a semi-final defeat by Atletico Madrid at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, where the match also takes place, Valverde was fired by Barcelona in January 2020 despite winning two La Liga titles.
” I know I played my last Barca match as coach here, in the same stadium, “added Valverde.
” It happened, I am in another place now, very happy and tomorrow is a different game. “
Following stinging criticism of Trent Alexander-Arnold for his performance against Manchester United, Arne Slot emphasized on Tuesday that contract issues for some of Liverpool’s most prominent players are not a distraction.
The England defender, linked with a move to Real Madrid, was at fault for Lisandro Martinez’s opener in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Anfield during a sub-par display.
The right-back’s sloppy performance came during a long-running debate over his future with the Premier League leaders.
The 26-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he can now sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club.
Real, a rumored Spanish power, attempted to sign the former Liverpool trainee, but they were turned down, according to reports.
At the end of the season, Virgil van Dijk, the club’s captain, and Mohamed Salah, the team’s top scorer, are also contracting out.
Liverpool manager Slot, speaking before the first leg of his side’s League Cup semi-final against Tottenham on Wednesday, admitted Alexander-Arnold had performed below his usual standards against United.
“He’s played so, so, so many games well for this club,” he said. “Now it wasn’t his best, like for some others, it wasn’t the best game.
Because these players know that once in a while, you don’t get your best performance, they just pick it up and begin training today again. ”
The Dutchman expressed frustration with the evaluation of his players’ performances.
“If we drop points, if Mo (Salah) misses the penalty against Madrid, he’s distracted by his contract situation,” said Slot.
“If Trent has not his best performance, he’s distracted by the contract situation.
“If they play really well, nobody tells me, ‘Yeah, that’s because they have a contract situation’.
The quality of the teams you face or the game plan of the other team are the ten times the best argument, according to the team’s experts. ”
After Salah posted a cryptic picture of all three players who are nearing the end of their contracts on Monday, Slot also claimed he avoids the noise around the club.
When I speak with my players, they let me know if there is a concern they have. That has not happened until now,” he said.
Because this is one of the biggest clubs in the world and everyone talks about us every second of the day, he added, “I don’t care what people say about us on social media or what has been said about us.” ”
Hansi Flick, the coach of Barcelona, is hoping to win the first silverware of his reign this week in Saudi Arabia, but the Dani Olmo registration scandal drags on unapologetically.
Holders Real Madrid, also the reigning Spanish and European champions, are favourites for the trophy, after thrashing Barcelona 4-1 in last season’s final.
Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde team faces Barca in the first semi-final on Wednesday, hoping to win it for the first time since beating the Catalans in the 2021 showpiece, which will earn them a Copa del Rey victory.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid tackle last season’s Copa runners-up Real Mallorca in Thursday’s second semi, with the final set for Sunday in Jeddah at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.
In their traveling party, Barcelona included Olmo and Pau Victor, who are both unplayable.
No Olmo or Victor can compete in any other competition until they hear from Spain’s top sports court (CSD) in opposition.
After two court-refused attempts to renew the duo’s licenses, Barcelona announced at the weekend that they would file a complaint with the CSD, while La Liga and the Spanish football federation rejected Barcelona’s registration requests.
Both playmaker Olmo, Barcelona’s marquee summer signing, and Victor were given short-term licenses at the start of the season as the financially-struggling Catalans wrangled their way around La Liga’s stringent budget controls when defender Andreas Christensen suffered an injury, offering a loophole.
After recovering from an injury against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey on Saturday, which Olmo and Victor were forced to miss, Ronald Araujo is also in the squad.
“It’s left a bad taste because they are our teammates… we hope the club can resolve the issue”, said Araujo.
“We now have to turn our attention to Wednesday’s (clash) against Athletic”.
Barcelona slipped into third place in November and December despite leading La Liga for a long time.
Even a minor trophy could boost a flimsy side’s morale by putting an end to it.
After suffering an ankle injury, Flick recommended that crucial teenage winger Lamine Yamal be back on the field.
Real Madrid’s thrash Minera To Make It to the Round 16 of the Copa de Rey
Barcelona have won one of the four Spanish Super Cups to take place in Saudi Arabia, beating Real Madrid in the 2023 final, for their record-extending 14th triumph.
Madrid, who won the first of those in 2020, when it also became a four-team competition, trail Barcelona by one.
Ancelotti’s side have climbed to the top and won the UEFA Super Cup in August despite a subpar start to the season.
With the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, Madrid’s attacking trident makes them the favorites. Summer signing Kylian Mbappe appears to be finding his footing.
Vinicius, a Brazilian winger, was sent off in his team’s 2-1 win over Valencia on Friday in La Liga. He is expected to play in Saudi Arabia and will likely face a league ban, though he could also miss the tournament if given a more severe penalty.
Vinicius, according to Ancelotti, apologized after receiving a red card and claimed to have “improved so much that he is the best player in the world.”
The 24-year-old received FIFA’s The Best award after placing second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting due to a ruckus at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After a slow start to the season, Vinicius scored a hat-trick in the final of last year’s match, which was crucial for him. He then rose to prominence in the team’s league and Champions League victories.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s winning return to Molineux came on Monday with a 3-0 victory over Wolves to extend the club’s stunning season.
Before half-time, England international Morgan Gibbs-White and in-demand Chris Wood scored for Forest, who will host them in their next Premier League game.
In stoppage time, Forest earned its sixth consecutive win with a substitute Taiwo Awoniyi.
With Defeat, Wolves’ first defeat under new boss Vitor Pereira leaves them outside the relegation zone only on account of goal difference.
Forest is still third in the standings, but they are now points ahead of Arsenal.
Even if Espirito Santo’s men fail to win the title, they are still building a formidable advantage for Champions League football next year.
They are six points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle, while Manchester City, who are in sixth place, are five points ahead.
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A top-four finish would guarantee a return to the continent’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years for the two-time European champions.
Fifth might be good enough, though, depending on how the English club performs this season in European competition.
“We need to stay humble. We haven’t achieved anything yet, we need to work until the end and this can lead us to good moments”, said Espirito Santo.
Gibbs-White enjoyed playing for the first time in his career at the club where he spent most of his time.
With a cool finish from Antony Elanga’s pass, the midfielder made his case for further international recognition without any harm to the watching new England manager Thomas Tuchel.
A strong defense and Wood’s purple patch have helped Forest’s unanticipated transition from battling relegation to Champions League contenders until the final day of last season.
Just before half-time, the visitors’ lead was doubled thanks to Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low cross.
After the break, Wolves tried and re-enter the game, but were unable to find a match because of suspension talisman Matheus Cunha.
Jorgen Strand Larsen was denied a ninth clean sheet of the season and fourth in a row thanks to Mats Sels’ brilliant save.
Fans of Wolves have known that solidity since Espirito Santo took charge of the club between 2017 and 2021.
For the first time in 39 years, the Portuguese coach led the Wanderers from the Championship to Europe.
After enduring trouble at Al-Ittihad and the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, he is now resurrecognizing that magic to transport Forest fans to dreamland.
He continued, “We as coaches have this natural ambition of improving the players, and this is what we are obsessed with.”
“The team will improve if we improve the players, and the city will be happy and the club will improve as a result.”