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Lamine Yamal, the club’s coach, will be pushed to greater heights after Ousmane Dembele beat the Barcelona star to the Ballon d’Or, according to Hansi Flick, the club’s coach, on Wednesday.

At the glitzy gala in Paris on Monday, the 18-year-old winger won the Kopa Trophy for best young player while finishing second behind Paris Saint-Germain attacker Dembele.

Flick stated at a press conference that he and I spoke yesterday, and I believe he sees it in the right light. As a result, he will gain both motivation for the upcoming years.

“Dembele, he deserved it, too, because it’s a vote, and a lot of things can happen,” he said. He’s motivated to show it this season.

I’m hoping that he will be a choice for the Ballon d’Or next season, but I really appreciate that so many of our team’s players are, and it’s great for them. This is our goal for the upcoming season, and it shows how much you improved last season.

Also available as a PDF is Dembélé’s 2025 Ballon d’Or victory.

Yamal led Barcelona to victories in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup domestically.

The champions’ attempt to keep pace with La Liga leaders Real Madrid, who defeated Levante on Tuesday to move five points clear of Barca, will have a groin issue cause the winger to miss Thursday’s game at Real Oviedo.

Without him, the Catalans struggled in games last season, but they had already beaten Valencia and Getafe in their previous two games.

Flick said, “I’m really happy; I only concentrate on the team we have.” “I never think about which player we are missing. I’m happy.”

I’m happy with my team, but who are the options for starting XI? Every starting XI can win games, it’s irrelevant. Not a significant issue, either.

Gavi, a midfielder who underwent knee surgery on Tuesday, will miss four to five months.

The 21-year-old injured his knee ligaments in November 2023, which caused him to miss nearly a year.

Because he is 21 years old and has a very successful career in the next 10 to 15 years, “we have to take care of him, we have to go step by step,” Flick said.

He has a big, big heart, a lot of emotion, and a lot of life, for this club, and I’m delighted to have him on my team.

Every single one of us will support him, will help him reach his level once more, and this is our current goal for him, “Of course we are waiting until he’s back, because it’s not easy for this team, because he has a huge quality for us.”

The 125th anniversary celebration of Barcelona’s reconstructed and beautiful Camp Nou was scheduled for November 2024, but 10 months later the stadium is still closed due to reconstruction chaos.

Barcelona anticipated being able to reopen Camp Nou a year and a half after closing the grand but crumbling stadium in May 2023.

However, the deadline remained in place as did others in the summer of 2025 and then August. The chaos increased as the curtain remained closed.

La Liga even agreed to schedule their first three games away from the Camp Nou in order to give them more time and optimism that Barca could begin their home campaign this year at their renovated stadium.

READ ALSO: Barca’s Gavi was ruled out for five months.

However, after relocating from their temporary home for the previous two years, Barcelona were forced to make the absurd choice to play their first two home games at Johan Cruyff’s 6, 000-capacity training ground.

They were reportedly billed more than four million euros ($4.7 million) for that alone.

And on Tuesday, Barca suffered a new blow from the city council’s delay in granting the club a permit to reopen the stadium due to accessibility issues affecting 27, 000 people.

The deputy mayor of Barcelona, “This city council must ensure the safety of everyone who wants to visit the stadium,” he added.

For Sunday’s league game against Real Sociedad and the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday, Barca have at least secured access to the Olympic stadium.

However, president Joan Laporta, who is always optimistic, hopes to get the permit in time to face Girona at Camp Nou on October 18.

Things that are missing

The club has encountered a number of issues since the start of the construction work.

Due to flooding, two changing rooms had to be rebuilt twice. Due to neighbors’ objections, noise and light pollution led to tighter working hours, and increased material costs, in part as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Although the two lower tiers of the original stadium, which opened in 1957, were maintained, over 2,000 more modifications were required.

Barcelona are reportedly paying 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for the project, and the sooner the stadium can start earning money from it, the sooner it can reopen.

The financially strained club wants to see the already secured VIP seats listed on their books in accordance with La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.

On Tuesday, the new stadium’s institutional vice-president, Elena Fort, and their operations manager, Joan Sentelles, showed the team’s media, including AFP.

Fans will appreciate the stadium’s seating and pitch area as impressive, spacious, and comfortable when they finally return, even with the newly constructed third tier, the top ring around the stadium.

Interior areas are unfinished, despite stepping back from the pitch.

The first team dressing room has no paintwork and exposed pipes in the ceiling, as well as two visiting ones that were not yet constructed.

The first occupancy permit can be issued as long as safety is not compromised, even if there are deficiencies, such as painting walls and decoration. Fort stated that the stadium is prepared to host games.

Although evacuating people poses a challenge in the short run to get their permits, Camp Nou is in far better shape than it was in the long run.

Sentelles noted that the stadium’s evacuation will take four and a half minutes, rather than the previous eight, according to Sentelles.

The Camp Nou will eventually reach capacity, making it the only stadium in Europe with a capacity of $100,000.

Due to the delays, the 2026 deadline for the anticipated completion of the stadium will not be reached, and the “big lift” project won’t be finished until the summer of 2027.

If Barcelona’s stadium, which bears the name “the music streaming company,” isn’t fully occupied by the end of the current season, then Barcelona may earn significantly less on their 70 million euros-a-season agreement with Spotify.

That is a very real risk given the number of previous delays.

Nigeria’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games must become a “dream,” according to President Bola Tinubu.

No African country has ever hosted the Games, according to Tinubu in a post on his official X account on Wednesday.

He claimed that the introduction of the 2030 edition to Nigeria would send a strong message about how crucial Africa is to the Commonwealth’s future.

To the Commonwealth Family

Africa is now in its prime. They have never been held on African soil following 100 years of hosting Commonwealth Games. You will send a powerful message to every region of the Commonwealth by hosting the Commonwealth Centenary Games in Nigeria in 2030. twitter.com/14SkFeRGpN

On Wednesday, the evaluation committee for the 2030 Commonwealth Games will hear from Nigeria’s final bid.

Shehu Dikko, the president of the Nigerian sports commission (NSC), and Bukola Olopade, the commission’s director general, serve as the Nigerian delegation’s leaders.

 Nigeria Interested In Hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games — NOC

President Tinubu urged the Commonwealth to “complete the circle of unity” in support of Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.

Every four years, the Commonwealth Games features a number of nations that were once the United Kingdom’s territories.

The Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) announced in April that it had completed the deadline of March 28, 2025 for expressions of interest in a bid to the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Nigeria was denied a place in Glasgow that would host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The NOC stated that Nigeria’s bid to host the 2030 Games in Abuja will give it a unique opportunity to showcase its development, advance its reputation internationally, and revive its sports culture.

The African Games, a major multi-sport event that was last held in Abuja in 2003, were the last one to take place in Nigeria.

Glasgow, Scotland, will host the next Commonwealth Games from March 17 to March 29, 2026.

After defeating his fiercest competitor in the US Open final, world number one Carlos Alcaraz said on Wednesday that he will need to get ready for a new and better Jannik Sinner.

After falling to Alcaraz in New York earlier this month, Sinner, Italy’s Sinner, acknowledged that his “predictable” game needed to be improved. This was the most recent in a line-up of recent defeats to his Spanish foe.

Sinner’s first competitive appearance since the US Open, Alcaraz, will play at the Japan Open in Tokyo this week, while Sinner will play at the Beijing China Open.

Read more: “We Are Changing A Lot,” says Sinner following the US Open loss to Alcaraz.

Alcaraz claimed that when he faced the world’s second player on the court, he would need to be prepared for a different Sinner.

Alcaraz said, “I know he’s going to change something from the previous game.”

It’s the same as when I tried to be a better player the first time I faced him, and I did it again when I lost to him a few times.

He continued, “I have to be focused and ready for that change.”

This season, Alcaraz and Sinner have won two of the four Grand Slam finals.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner are only two years apart in age, making them both look set to monopolize the sport’s top titles for the foreseeable future.

Our rivalry is getting better, which is great, Alcaraz said, both for me and for tennis.

We’ll see how many times I’ll play against him and what circumstances we’ll encounter in the future.

“It’s going great right now,” the statement read.

After suffering a surprise defeat to American world number five Taylor Fritz last week at the Laver Cup in San Francisco, Alcaraz will now travel to Tokyo.

In Tokyo, Holger Rune, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, and Tomas Machac from the Czech Republic will also compete, and Fritz is the top two seed.

Alcaraz, who has won the French Open and the US Open this year, described it as “the best season I’ve ever had.”

He said, “I’ve seen myself grow up a lot as a player on the court.”

“I can’t complain about the season I’m having so far,” says one critic. “It could be better, of course it could be better.”

Alcaraz’ first appearance at the Japan Open is a career-first.

He claimed he wanted to “see the culture and see everything here” while playing in Tokyo.

He said, “I can feel the energy from the Japanese people and play in different venues and stadiums.”

Jannik Sinner, who is making changes to his game since his US Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, said on Wednesday that he is “reflecting a lot” in his new role.

After Alcaraz won four sets and regaining the world’s number one ranking, the Italian failed to defend his title in New York this month.

After winning the fourth Grand Slam, Sinner said that if he wanted to defeat Spain’s rival, he would need to be more unpredictable in his play.

The 24-year-old Sinner, who returns to action at the China Open, said, “We’ve been reflecting a lot.

ALCAraz defeats Sinner to win the US Open, reclaims No. 1 Position

In three thrilling sets, Alcaraz defeated him in the final a year ago.

Without revealing what the changes were, the world number two continued, “We are changing a lot of small things where I’m thinking of right now.”

Sinner said the adjustments will cost a small sum and that Sinner will try them out in the Chinese capital.

He said, “I hope that this after recovers in a very positive way, but the amount of mistakes is undoubtedly a little higher.”

On Thursday, Sinner will face Marin Cilic of Croatia in the title match.

Alcaraz will not be playing in Japan this week, but he will instead be playing there to defend his title.

The legendary Roger Federer has warned that tournaments are now less interesting despite the fact that the “Sincaraz” rivalry is now the biggest in men’s tennis.

Federer stated on the Laver Cup’s side that it was “unquestionably” necessary to change up the court surfaces to boost competition.

He accused tournament organizers of helping Sinner and Alcaraz with generally slower courts.

When asked about the comments, Sinner acknowledged that the court speeds on the tour were not very varied.

Yes, we have more or less identical game situations on the court. He claimed that this is how it has been for a while.

“I’m not sure whether or not there will be a change.” I’m just a player who makes the most of my adaptability.

After his late League Cup winner against Southampton, manager Arne Slot criticized him for removing his shirt and apologizing to Liverpool fans.

Five minutes from time, the 23-year-old new signing scored a header to give Liverpool a 2-1 victory over second-tier Southampton as they put on another late show at Anfield on Tuesday.

After opening his account for the club, the France international replaced £125 million ($168 million) Alexander Isak, who had already made his debut.

Ekitike’s initial offense was one of being punched away in resentment.

Read more about Isak’s first goal for Liverpool in the League Cup victory over a scared Chelsea.

In the 85th minute, Shea Charles equalized before holding his shirt up for the cameras, but Ekitike drove away from the corner flag and removed his shirt.

The forward will be suspended for the Premier League leaders’ trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday if the referee issued a second caution followed by a red card.

Ekitike, who signed for the club for £69 million in July, claimed he had become enraged.

He shared his excitement on Instagram by posting, “I was so excited tonight to help the team win another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup (League Cup) game.”

He continued, “The emotion got the better of me tonight.” I’m sorry to the Red family.

Slot, the manager of Liverpool, was clearly unimpressed by Ekitike’s actions in the third-round tie as “needless” and “stupid.”

He said, “I told him that I can understand if you score in the Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it in the top corner.”

What did I do when he says, “This is all about me, what did I do?”

“But I’m 47 and old, and I’m old-fashioned. Although I’ve never played at this level, I did score a few goals, and if I had, I would have turned around and said to Federico Chiesa, “This goal is all about you, this is not about me.”

With three goals in five Premier League games, Ekitike has a strong start to the season.

However, the Swede is competing for a forward slot with Isak and cannot afford to miss games.