Barcelona
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid meet on Sunday in the biggest game of the LaLiga weekend with both teams trailing leaders Real Madrid and Girona and keen to prove they are equipped to stay in the title race.
Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong has returned to the squad for Saturday's LaLiga game at Rayo Vallecano after two months out with an ankle injury, the club said on Friday.
In March, prosecutors filed a complaint over alleged payments of more than 7.3 million euros ($7.8 million) over 17 years to firms owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was vice-president of the Spanish football federation's refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored to give Barcelona a hard-fought 1-0 win at Porto in their Champions League Group H clash on Wednesday, with the Spanish side finishing with 10 men after Gavi got a second yellow card for a foul in added time.
Ramos, a former Real Madrid captain playing his old rivals Barcelona again for the first time since 2020, was helpless when he attempted to block 16-year-old Lamine Yamal's header into the box and saw the ball creep over the line in the 76th minute.
The investigation has now been widened to include Barcelona as a suspect. Investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez said earlier in September the club may have benefited from graft.
Coach Xavi Hernandez has extended his contract with Barcelona until 2025 with an option for a further year, the LaLiga club said on Friday.
Champions Barca were dominating the match early on under the scorching heat of south Madrid, with Brazil winger Raphinha the main threat to the home side's defence by running the right channel and creating several opportunities.
Alba arrives on a free transfer after his Barcelona contract was terminated by mutual agreement in May after 11 years in the club.
Martinez leaves Bilbao after six seasons with the Basque club and Barcelona said they will set a 400 million euros ($435.68 million) release clause for the 32-year-old.
The France international joined Barca from Olympique Lyonnais in 2016 and had three years left on his contract.
The 34-year-old will be reunited with his friend and ex-Barca team mate Lionel Messi after not renewing his contract at the Nou Camp following an 18-year stay.
The former Barcelona player is considering retirement, Brazilian media reported, as he suffers from severe pain that forces him to take injections to play.
With the renovation of Barcelona's Camp Nou already under way, the Catalan giants will host the first Clasico of the season against bitter rivals Real Madrid on matchday 11 (Oct. 29) at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium. Both teams will meet again at Santiago Bernabeu on matchday 32, on the weekend of April 21, 2024.
Gundogan will leave City after captaining the English club to the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last season, ending a successful seven-year stint in England where he won 14 trophies, including five league titles.
Spanish football representatives are set to choose the most prominent players to travel to Spain and spend a training period with the youth teams affiliated with those clubs.
"Barcelona president (Joan) Laporta understood and respected Messi's decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years," the LaLiga side said.
Karim Benzema struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final in stunning fashion on Wednesday.
Prosecutors claim that under a secret agreement and "in exchange for money", Negreira favoured Barcelona "in the decisions taken by referees in the games played by the club, as well as in the results of the competitions".
The visitors defended superbly after Real centre back Eder Militao scored an own goal in the first half, managing to overcome the loss of key players like Robert Lewandowski, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele who missed the game due to injuries.
