Madrid: Barcelona would not be able to re-sign Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain in their current financial situation, La Liga president Javier Tebas said yesterday.
Messi, 35, is expected to leave PSG at the end of the season and has been heavily linked with a return to the Camp Nou, with Barca striker Robert Lewandowski saying he hopes to play with him next term. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona in 2021 as the Catalan giants struggled financially. “Today, he could not (be registered in La Liga), but there is still time,” Tebas told a press conference. “We’re not going to change the rules of financial control approved by the clubs to register Messi... even if it would be our wish that he returns to our league.”
Tebas said Barcelona could potentially balance the books enough by selling players. Daily Mundo Deportivo reported that Barca have a “firm intention of bringing in Lionel Messi” this summer on a two-year deal. Messi has struggled to reproduce his best form in Paris, scoring 31 goals in 69 appearances, and was booed by PSG fans earlier this month.
Juventus await decision on appeal against 15-point deduction
Juventus are awaiting a ruling by Italy’s top sports body over the club’s appeal against a decision by football authorities to dock them 15 points in the current Serie A season, in a case centred on the club’s transfer dealings. Italy’s Sports Guarantee Board held a hearing earlier yesterday and a decision was expected either late last night or today.
Juventus, the most successful soccer club in Italy, has appealed a sentence that Italy’s soccer court issued in January following an investigation into the way the club and a number of other teams dealt with player exchange deals.
As part of the January’s sentence, which left Juventus outside the qualifying spots for lucrative European competitions, the court also imposed bans from holding office in Italian soccer on 11 past and present club directors. General Sport Prosecutor Ugo Taucer said during hearing that soccer prosecutors and its court had acted correctly but added the points penalty should be reassessed in a new ruling. Juventus’s lawyer Maurizio Bellacosa said January’s sentence was “full of mistakes” and that it had to be cancelled.
Juventus stadium ban for Lukaku abuse overturned
Juventus’s stadium will be fully open for Sunday’s Serie A match against Napoli after the club successfully appealed an order to close the Tribuna Sud section as punishment for their fans racially abusing Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said that all areas of the Allianz Stadium would be open after the sanction originally imposed by the sports judge had been annulled.
Juventus were hit with the partial stadium closure after racist chants aimed at Lukaku were heard during their 1-1 first leg draw against Inter in the Coppa Italia. Italian news agency ANSA reported that Juve banned two fans from their stadium after video footage of the incident went viral.
After 23 seasons, Betis veteran Joaquin to retire
Real Betis winger Joaquin said he will retire at the end of the season, by which time he could have broken La Liga’s appearance record. Joaquin, who turns 42 in July, is captain at Betis who are fifth in La Liga with nine matches to go.
He has played 615 Liga games, seven fewer than former Spain goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, who holds the record with 622. In a video posted by the club on social media, sitting in the changing room, a tearful Joaquin said: “My time has come. The time to tell you this my last season with Betis.”
In another, showing Joaquin painting and drawing, he said: “For 23 years, I have tried to make my football an art and to be remembered through the generations.”
Joaquin made his debut for Betis in 2000 aged 19. He left for five seasons at Valencia in 2006 and then spent two years at Malaga. He also spent two seasons outside La Liga with Fiorentina in Serie A before returning to Betis in 2015.
He has won the Copa del Rey twice with Betis and once with Valencia. Joaquin played 51 times for Spain between 2002 and 2007. He also hosts a television interview programme.
