Xavi Hernández

La sfida nella sfida nel match che deciderà la Premier League.

Barcelona have a number of contract situations to resolve in the lead-up to the summer transfer window, and of them is Hansi Flick’s. The German manager’s current deal expires in 2027, but there is hope that he can be convinced to remain at the Spotify Camp Nou for an additional 12 months at the very […] The post Barcelona have plan in place for Hansi Flick contract talks appeared first on Football España.

Vinicius Junior surpassed a Lionel Messi assist record in the UEFA Champions League during Real Madrid’s loss to Bayern Munich, although Cristiano Ronaldo still leads the all-time list. Real Madrid were eliminated from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League after falling to Bayern Munich on Wednesday in Germany. However, the match allowed Vinicius Junior to surpass a Lionel Messi mark and move closer to Cristiano Ronaldo. Vini produced a brilliant play and assisted Kylian Mbappe on Real Madrid’s third goal in the closing minutes of the first half, which temporarily put the Spanish side level in the tie. With that contribution, the Brazilian winger reached 13 assists in the knockout stages of the European competition. In doing so, Vinicius moved past Lionel Messi for second place in the all-time rankings in that category. The Argentine forward had recorded 12 assists in Champions League knockout matches during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the top of the list, having recorded a total of 15 assists in the tournament’s knockout stages across his spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. No other player has come close to those numbers, but Vinicius, at just 25 years old, needs only three more to claim the all-time record. IT'S MBAPPE'S TURN! 😱 OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT A MATCH! #UCL pic.twitter.com/g0RYwP92aF — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 15, 2026 Vinicius also draws level with Neymar That assist to Mbappe at the Allianz Arena also helped Vinicius climb the all-time Champions League assist rankings, including both the knockout rounds and the group stage. Vini is now tied with Neymar for fourth place on the list with 33 assists, and he has strong prospects of closing in on the top spots in the near future. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as expected, are also in the top three, with the Portuguese star leading the way. However, there is another somewhat unexpected name included: Angel Di Maria, who played alongside both legends at Real Madrid and PSG, respectively. All-time Champions League assist leaders: 1- Cristiano Ronaldo (42) 2- Angel Di Maria (41) 3- Lionel Messi (40) 4- Neymar (33) 4- Vinicius (33) 6- Kevin De Bruyne (31) 6- Ryan Giggs (31) 8- Xavi Hernandez (30) 8- Thomas Muller (30) 10- Karim Benzema (29) 10- Andres Iniesta (29)

L'eredità di Pep Guardiola sulla panchina del Manchester City, se il catalano decidesse di lasciare i Citizens a fine stagione, sarebbe una delle più pesanti da raccogliere nella storia del calcio. Guardiola, al City dal 2016, ha infatti plasmato a sua immagine e somiglianza una squadra e un club che, seppure avessero iniziato a vincere con Roberto Mancini e Manuel Pellegrini, fino al 2016 vivevano in una dimensione completamente diversa rispetto a quella dell'ultimo, forse irripetibile, decennio. Ancor più che al Barcellona, dove Guardiola aveva innestato il suo enorme lavoro sulla filosofia di Johan Cruyff, e aveva avuto a disposizione Lionel Messi e tanti altri fenomeni, al Manchester City Pep ha costruito l'immagine del club, ne ha creato il valore e il modo di giocare e di intendere il calcio. E naturalmente ha vinto, tantissimo: 5 Premier, 2 FA Cup, 3 Community Shield, 5 Coppe di Lega, 1 Champions, 1 Mondiale per club e 1 Supercoppa europea. E ovviamente lo ha fatto potendo contare anche, oltre che sul suo talento e le sue capacità, su investimenti poderosi da parte della proprietà del club (oltre 2 miliardi di euro). MARESCA Guardiola ha un contratto in essere fino al 30 giugno del 2027, ma i rumors rispetto a un addio anticipato, al termine di questa stagione, sono in aumento. E i nomi dei potenziali successori, di chi potrebbe raccoglierla questa pesantissima eredità, iniziano a circolare. Il primo nome di questa short list è quello di Enzo Maresca, che al Manchester City ha già allenato nelle giovanili (2020-21) ed è stato collaboratore tecnico di Guardiola nella stagione 2022-23. Dopo l'esperienza al City, Maresca è volato al Chelsea, vincendo il primo Mondiale per club della storia, prima di essere esonerato. Il classe 1980 campano conosce già l'ambiente ed è cresciuto e ha studiato alla scuola di Guardiola, un plus che lo mette automaticamente in cima alla lista dei candidati, anche grazie al fatto di essere, in questo momento, senza squadra. I TRE SPAGNOLI Oltre all'italiano Maresca, tra i candidati a prendere il posto di Guardiola ci sono tre spagnoli: Cesc Fabregas, classe 1987, l'artefice del progetto Como, passato in pochi anni dalla Serie B alla lotta per un posto in Champions League, grazie agli investimenti della proprietà indonesiana e a un progetto tecnico riconoscibile. Il secondo spagnolo è Andoni Iraola, classe 1982, ex difensore e attuale allenatore del Bournemouth, undicesimo in classifica in Premier League e fautore di un calcio corale e propositivo, sulla falsariga dell'idea di Guardiola. E infine c'è il classe 1980 Xavi Hernández, senza squadra dopo l'esperienza al Barcellona dal 2021 al 2024: Xavi, che è stato un elemento cardine del Barça di Guardiola, ha lo svantaggio di essere un po' passato di moda, dopo la fine dell'esperienza blaugrana, ma è anche l'unico, fra i tre spagnoli, ad avere comunque già maturato un vissuto, sia vincente (1 Liga e 1 Supercoppa di Spagna) che perdente sulla panchina di un top club. Questi quattro allenatori sono quelli più chiacchierati in questo momento, ma niente esclude che nel roster dei candidati possano entrare anche altri nomi. Sempre che Guardiola, poi, non decida invece di rilanciare ancora…

Targeting a comeback in the UEFA Champions League against Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal made a nod to NBA legend LeBron James. Lamine Yamal was one of the few bright spots in a flat Barcelona performance that ended in a 2-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie at Camp Nou. Now eyeing a historic comeback on the road, the 18-year-old has stoked the fires ahead of the second leg with a pointed nod to NBA legend LeBron James. Despite the disappointing result, Yamal quickly shook it off by finding the net in a 4-1 win over Espanyol last Saturday in the Catalan derby. With the second leg now looming at the Metropolitano on Tuesday, he has made clear he has no intention of accepting the tie as lost, embracing the challenge of overturning the deficit on enemy turf. In a telling move on social media, Yamal swapped his Instagram profile picture to an image of LeBron James celebrating the 2016 NBA title. That was the year James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers following his championship run with the Miami Heat and delivered the franchise its first ever title, earning Finals MVP honors in the process, with both trophies visible in the image Yamal chose as his profile picture. The context of that NBA Finals series adds another layer to the message. The Cavaliers came back from 3-1 down against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, with James as the driving force behind one of the most stunning reversals in sports history. In choosing that image, Yamal is making his intentions clear, setting his sights on another special “Remontada,” this time in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. Lamine Yamal’s Instagram profile picture. Yamal had already been vocal about his belief in a turnaround immediately after the first leg. “This isn’t over yet, Culers. We will give it our all in the second leg. Together as one, always,” he wrote on Instagram following the defeat. Adding further reason for optimism, one of the last time Barcelona traveled to the Metropolitano in a high-stakes context, they came away with a convincing 3-0 victory. That came back in March 2024 in a La Liga clash, with goals from Joao Felix, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres doing the damage, in a match where a then 16-year-old Yamal came on as a second-half substitute under coach Xavi Hernandez. Yamal keeps breaking records Goalkeeper Juan Musso was outstanding for Atletico Madrid in the first leg, denying Yamal and Barcelona on multiple occasions to preserve the clean sheet. The Spaniard bounced back in style against Espanyol on the weekend, and in doing so reached yet another milestone. On Saturday, Yamal became the youngest player ever to appear in 100 La Liga matches, reaching the mark at just 18 years and 272 days old. The record had previously been held by Real Madrid icon Raúl González, who hit the century mark at 19 years and 283 days old, another benchmark swept away by a teenager who continues to rewrite the history books at a remarkable pace.

Things could have turned out very differently...

The signs are good for Portugal as the 2026 FIFA World Cup edges closer and they aim to become champions for the first time. Stephen...

"BARÇA IS A CLUB THAT CHEWS PEOPLE UP AND SPITS THEM OUT." Those are the words of current (but not future) Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez. And on this episode of European Nights, Rog and New York Times Chief Soccer Correspondent Rory Smith deep dive into Xavi's transition from player to manager at Barcelona, how things took a turn for the worst this season, and why the club culture in Catalonia is so broken. Then, Rog and Rory break down the unexpected career trajectory of one-time wunderkind and current Real Betis midfielder Isco before Rory gives his pick for which game he will be watching across the European slate this week (hint...there will be reindeer involved). All this and more on the latest European Nights. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One noteworthy highlight of the season for the blaugranes has been the rapid emergence of Lamine Yamal onto the scene. The winger has swiftly become a crucial player for the first-team under coach Xavi Hernández. Despite his relatively short career, the teenager has already established several records. As we enter the international break, let's delve into these significant milestones. Goalscoring records and record debuts Lamine Yamal achieved his latest milestone by scoring against Granada last Sunday, making him the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history at the age of 16 years and 87 days. This accomplishment surpasses the previous record set by Málaga's Fabrice Olinga in 2012. Additionally, Yamal now holds the title of the youngest goal-scorer for Barcelona in league history, surpassing the previous record set by Ansu Fati by over a year. Youngest goalscorer for FC Barcelona in LA LIGA Player Age Lamine Yamal 16 Years and 87 Days Ansu Fati 16 Years and 304 Days Bojan Krkic 17 Years and 53 Days Gavi 17 Years and 135 Days Alfons Navarro 17 Years and 244 Days Just last Wednesday, Lamine Yamal added another record to his name at the Estádio do Dragão in Portugal. He became the youngest starter in the history of the Champions League, being included in the starting XI during the 1-0 victory over FC Porto. Earlier, on August 20th, the teenager made history as the youngest starter for Barça in a match against Cádiz, contributing to a 2-0 win. This accomplishment not only marked him as the youngest starter for Barcelona but also the youngest La Liga starter since the beginning of the century. Youngest Starter of all time in the Champions League Player Age Lamine Yamal 16 Yaers and 83 Days Celestine Babayaro 16 Years and 86 Days Youri Tielemans 16 Years and 148 Days Ansu FAti 16 Years and 321 Days Anthony Vanden Borre 16 Years and 326 Days Debut at 15 years of age Lamine Yamal made his debut for the Barça first team last season during week 32 of La Liga in a match held at the Spotify Camp Nou against Betis. Remarkably, at the tender age of 15 years, 9 months, and 25 days, he became the youngest player in Barcelona's league history and the fifth youngest of all time. History with the national team Lamine Yamal's impressive performances in a Barça shirt earned him a call-up to the full Spanish national side, and at the age of just 16 years and 57 days, he made his debut. What's more, he not only surpassed the record held by his teammate Gavi to become the youngest player to represent Spain, but Yamal also left his mark by scoring the final goal in the 7-1 victory over Georgia, making him the youngest-ever goalscorer for the national team. The 16- year-old has made a superb beginning to his professional career for both club and national team, but he should not be compared to the scapegoat. Still, a snapshot even let them loose, If it was Lamine Yamal's capability that started the Lionel Messi comparisons. The likeness, broadly propagated on social media, is just five years old. A slight Yamal, wearing a grayish Nike hoodie and Tottenham sweats, poses with a smirking Messi. It isn't the image of a upcoming star, or, additionally importantly, a player who knows he is being with one. But it has since get a source of propaganda, proof of' the first link- up' or a visual representation of' when excellence meets greatness'. Still, the picture, although overdrawn, does deliver precious surroundings to one of new age football's top issues. Barcelona, and the sport at large, is repeatedly in hunt of its' following Messi.' After that, still, the parallels end. Yamal, although he has delighted an immensely hopeful beginning to his Barca and Spain career, could do with molting the Messi relationship. But while his precursors were freighted by it — and have spent maximum of their careers trying and crashing to hit those tall heights — Yamal is too good in his own way.

Arguably the greatest club side we've ever seen, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona were the team that swept aside all before them, playing an irresistible blend of attacking, possession-based football while doing so. Using tactics and application that are still having an influence around the world in 2017 on the way to winning everything, we pore over the era that brought us Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Pedro and of course the great Lionel Messi in a team that will never be forgotten. The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday throughout the Premier League season and every day throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.