Spain is on tenterhooks as the crisis between Catalan separatist leaders and the central government reaches fever-pitch ahead of an independence referendum banned by Madrid&nbsp;on Sunday.

The showdown is one of Spain&#39;s biggest political crisis since the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco four decades ago and it has Catalonia deeply divided.

So how did the situation get so out of hand?

Catalan separatists called the referendum on September 6 despite a ban by Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court and with little debate allowed in the regional parliament.

Since then, web closures, detentions and the seizure of millions of ballots don&#39;t appear to have dampened the enthusiasm of the separatists in this wealthy northeastern region which is home to 16 percent of Spain&#39;s population.

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<h5>On the subject of independence, Catalonia is divided almost down the middle... even within families</h5>
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When the organisers have been fined thousands of euros, activists have raised funds.

Ballot papers seized? They have called on people to print more.

And when internet sites promoting the referendum are blocked, others re-open.

Determined to block the illegal vote, the state has deployed thousands of police to Catalonia, some of them housed in ferries in the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona. One of the boats is decorated with giant Looney Tunes cartoon characters, including Tweety.

Cue the hashtag #FreeTweety, which has become a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, the little yellow bird becoming an emblem of Catalans who want to vote.

Catexit

But the potential independence of Catalonia, roughly the size of Belgium and contributing 19 percent of Spain&#39;s economy, is no laughing matter.

The consequences are hard to predict, leading to comparisons with Britain&#39;s decision to quit the European Union, which was made at a referendum in June 2016.

&quot;It&#39;s like the Brexit, just as stupid,&quot; says Beatriz Migens, a 43-year-old from the southern city of Seville, on the high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona where she spends two days a week for work.

In Madrid, Rodrigo Marrero, a lawyer from the Canary Islands who works in the Spanish capital, says: &quot;If Catalonia left, it would be like losing a limb.&quot;

&quot;Everyone I know is dismayed, we talk of nothing else.&quot;

For his part, Ferran Mascarell, who represents the Catalan executive in Madrid, says there has long been resentment among Catalans who feel that Madrid holds them in contempt.

But the impact of Spain&#39;s economic crisis, followed by the Constitutional Court&#39;s partial cancellation in 2010 of a statute giving Catalonia greater autonomy, turned this into outright anger, he adds.

&quot;It&#39;s the result of a revolt of the middle-class against the state, which isn&#39;t doing its job right.&quot;

But those who oppose independence, particularly the Ciudadanos party, believe it is about more than that

They claim that some politicians have used the struggle for independence as a way to divert attention from corruption cases in Catalonia and mismanagement of the region.

&#39;We will vote&#39;

Catalonia has its own language and culture but out of its 7.5 million inhabitants, more than half come from elsewhere, such as those whose parents or grandparents migrated from other parts of Spain.

And on the subject of independence, Catalonia is divided almost down the middle... even within families.

But more than 70 percent of Catalans want to settle the matter once and for all in a legal referendum, according to opinion polls.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, though, refuses. He has repeatedly said any such referendum would contravene the very Constitution that Catalans overwhelmingly ratified in 1978.

He is also reluctant to open a Pandora&#39;s box in a fragile decentralised Spain where regions have differing levels of autonomy.

Still, after managing to emerge from a damaging economic crisis and put a stop to attacks by Basque separatist group ETA, Spain&#39;s image has taken a hit.

For weeks, the state, its judges and police forces have pulled out the stops to stop the Catalan vote.

Protests have broken out in Barcelona and other Catalan cities -- all peaceful except that several police vans were damaged.

Firefighters, dockers, farmers and school children have shown their determination with slogans like &quot;Votarem&quot; (Catalan for &quot;we will vote&quot;) or &quot;love democracy.&quot;

Madrid has however emphasised that even if Catalans manage to vote en masse&nbsp;on Sunday, it will not be a referendum with any semblance of legitimacy.

There is no electoral census, the board set up to oversee the vote has been dissolved, and parties against independence have called on their followers to boycott&nbsp;Sunday&#39;s&nbsp;vote.

The state is determined to block the vote, which it calls illegal

Spain is on tenterhooks as the crisis between Catalan separatist leaders and the central government reaches fever-pitch ahead of an independence referendum banned by Madrid on Sunday. The showdown is one of Spain's biggest political crisis since the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco four decades ago and it has Catalonia deeply divided. So how did the situation get so out of hand? Catalan separatists called the referendum on September 6 despite a ban by Spain's Constitutional Court and with little debate allowed in the regional parliament. Since then, web closures, detentions and the seizure of millions of ballots don't appear to have dampened the enthusiasm of the separatists in this wealthy northeastern region which is home to 16 percent of Spain's population. On the subject of independence, Catalonia is divided almost down the middle... even within families × When the organisers have been fined thousands of euros, activists have raised funds. Ballot papers seized? They have called on people to print more. And when internet sites promoting the referendum are blocked, others re-open. Determined to block the illegal vote, the state has deployed thousands of police to Catalonia, some of them housed in ferries in the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona. One of the boats is decorated with giant Looney Tunes cartoon characters, including Tweety. Cue the hashtag #FreeTweety, which has become a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, the little yellow bird becoming an emblem of Catalans who want to vote. Catexit But the potential independence of Catalonia, roughly the size of Belgium and contributing 19 percent of Spain's economy, is no laughing matter. The consequences are hard to predict, leading to comparisons with Britain's decision to quit the European Union, which was made at a referendum in June 2016. "It's like the Brexit, just as stupid," says Beatriz Migens, a 43-year-old from the southern city of Seville, on the high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona where she spends two days a week for work. In Madrid, Rodrigo Marrero, a lawyer from the Canary Islands who works in the Spanish capital, says: "If Catalonia left, it would be like losing a limb." "Everyone I know is dismayed, we talk of nothing else." For his part, Ferran Mascarell, who represents the Catalan executive in Madrid, says there has long been resentment among Catalans who feel that Madrid holds them in contempt. But the impact of Spain's economic crisis, followed by the Constitutional Court's partial cancellation in 2010 of a statute giving Catalonia greater autonomy, turned this into outright anger, he adds. "It's the result of a revolt of the middle-class against the state, which isn't doing its job right." But those who oppose independence, particularly the Ciudadanos party, believe it is about more than that They claim that some politicians have used the struggle for independence as a way to divert attention from corruption cases in Catalonia and mismanagement of the region. 'We will vote' Catalonia has its own language and culture but out of its 7.5 million inhabitants, more than half come from elsewhere, such as those whose parents or grandparents migrated from other parts of Spain. And on the subject of independence, Catalonia is divided almost down the middle... even within families. But more than 70 percent of Catalans want to settle the matter once and for all in a legal referendum, according to opinion polls. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, though, refuses. He has repeatedly said any such referendum would contravene the very Constitution that Catalans overwhelmingly ratified in 1978. He is also reluctant to open a Pandora's box in a fragile decentralised Spain where regions have differing levels of autonomy. Still, after managing to emerge from a damaging economic crisis and put a stop to attacks by Basque separatist group ETA, Spain's image has taken a hit. For weeks, the state, its judges and police forces have pulled out the stops to stop the Catalan vote. Protests have broken out in Barcelona and other Catalan cities -- all peaceful except that several police vans were damaged. Firefighters, dockers, farmers and school children have shown their determination with slogans like "Votarem" (Catalan for "we will vote") or "love democracy." Madrid has however emphasised that even if Catalans manage to vote en masse on Sunday, it will not be a referendum with any semblance of legitimacy. There is no electoral census, the board set up to oversee the vote has been dissolved, and parties against independence have called on their followers to boycott Sunday's vote.

Spain on tenterhooks ahead of Catalan independence referendum

In the space of just five games, Real Madrid have gone from red-hot La Liga title favourites to trailing rivals Barcelona by seven points ahead of Saturday&#39;s trip to Alaves.

When Madrid swept a crisis-ridden Barca aside 5-1 in the Spanish Super Cup last month, Zinedine Zidane&#39;s men were expected to romp to the title.

Instead, disappointing home draws against Valencia and Levante were compounded as Real failed to score for the first time in 74 games when Real Betis became the first side other than Barca or Atletico Madrid to win at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga for six-and-a-half years on Wednesday.

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<h5>We have dropped seven points in a small number of games but there is a long way to go and we can&#39;t throw everything we have done until now in the bin because of two or three average games,&#39; Zidane insisted.</h5>
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&quot;We have dropped seven points in a small number of games but there is a long way to go and we can&#39;t throw everything we have done until now in the bin because of two or three average games,&quot; insisted Zidane.

&quot;I know that many people don&#39;t like this work when things go wrong, but we have to accept it and be calm.

&quot;The league is very long and we will stay calm within the group because we will lift ourselves and we know we will have better days.&quot;

Going on the road this weekend may come as a relief to Real as they have shone on their travels this season in wins at Deportivo la Coruna and Real Sociedad as well as beating Barca and Manchester United in the Spanish and UEFA Super Cups respectively.

&quot;It seems like if we don&#39;t score early at the Bernabeu we start to get anxious,&quot; admitted midfielder Isco.

&quot;It is something we have to improve and it is better that it happens now at the start of the season when there is more room for error.&quot;

And while Real have endured a rough start to their title defence, Alaves are suffering a nightmare start to the season themselves as they have lost all five matches so far and already sacked coach Luis Zubeldia.

&quot;We need to turn the page and think about the next game,&quot; said Real captain Sergio Ramos.

&quot;We have come back from many points behind to win the league before. We need to stay calm because they are many games and points still to play for.&quot;

There won&#39;t be a Zidane family reunion at Mendizorroza as Enzo Zidane, Zinedine&#39;s oldest son, can&#39;t feature for Alaves due to the terms of his loan move from Real.

- Political all-Catalan clash - 
Madrid can reduce the gap on Barca to four points before the leaders travel to Girona for a first ever Catalan derby between the two in the top flight.

Barca&#39;s impressive start to the season on the field has been overshadowed this week as the club condemned the escalating political tension in the region in the build-up to an October 1 referendum on independence organised by pro-separatist politicians.

A powerful symbol of Catalonia across the world, Barca called for respect for &quot;democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination.&quot;

Fourteen regional government officials were detained on Wednesday as part of the crackdown by the Spanish government on plans for the referendum.

With Barca expected to rack up a seventh straight win in all competitions against newly-promoted Girona, attention will be focused as much on demonstrations that could take place by both sets of fans at Montilivi.

The most enticing clash of the weekend comes at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday lunchtime as third hosts second when Atletico Madrid welcome Sevilla.

Diego Costa is expected to be paraded on his homecoming after Atletico agreed a reported club record fee of 55 million euros ($66 million) to bring the man that fired them to the title in 2013/14 back to the club from Chelsea.

Costa won&#39;t be able to play until January, however.

&nbsp;

In the space of just five games, Real Madrid have gone from red-hot La Liga title favourites to trailing rivals Barcelona by seven points

In the space of just five games, Real Madrid have gone from red-hot La Liga title favourites to trailing rivals Barcelona by seven points ahead of Saturday's trip to Alaves. When Madrid swept a crisis-ridden Barca aside 5-1 in the Spanish Super Cup last month, Zinedine Zidane's men were expected to romp to the title. Instead, disappointing home draws against Valencia and Levante were compounded as Real failed to score for the first time in 74 games when Real Betis became the first side other than Barca or Atletico Madrid to win at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga for six-and-a-half years on Wednesday. We have dropped seven points in a small number of games but there is a long way to go and we can't throw everything we have done until now in the bin because of two or three average games,' Zidane insisted. × "We have dropped seven points in a small number of games but there is a long way to go and we can't throw everything we have done until now in the bin because of two or three average games," insisted Zidane. "I know that many people don't like this work when things go wrong, but we have to accept it and be calm. "The league is very long and we will stay calm within the group because we will lift ourselves and we know we will have better days." Going on the road this weekend may come as a relief to Real as they have shone on their travels this season in wins at Deportivo la Coruna and Real Sociedad as well as beating Barca and Manchester United in the Spanish and UEFA Super Cups respectively. "It seems like if we don't score early at the Bernabeu we start to get anxious," admitted midfielder Isco. "It is something we have to improve and it is better that it happens now at the start of the season when there is more room for error." And while Real have endured a rough start to their title defence, Alaves are suffering a nightmare start to the season themselves as they have lost all five matches so far and already sacked coach Luis Zubeldia. "We need to turn the page and think about the next game," said Real captain Sergio Ramos. "We have come back from many points behind to win the league before. We need to stay calm because they are many games and points still to play for." There won't be a Zidane family reunion at Mendizorroza as Enzo Zidane, Zinedine's oldest son, can't feature for Alaves due to the terms of his loan move from Real. - Political all-Catalan clash - Madrid can reduce the gap on Barca to four points before the leaders travel to Girona for a first ever Catalan derby between the two in the top flight. Barca's impressive start to the season on the field has been overshadowed this week as the club condemned the escalating political tension in the region in the build-up to an October 1 referendum on independence organised by pro-separatist politicians. A powerful symbol of Catalonia across the world, Barca called for respect for "democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination." Fourteen regional government officials were detained on Wednesday as part of the crackdown by the Spanish government on plans for the referendum. With Barca expected to rack up a seventh straight win in all competitions against newly-promoted Girona, attention will be focused as much on demonstrations that could take place by both sets of fans at Montilivi. The most enticing clash of the weekend comes at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday lunchtime as third hosts second when Atletico Madrid welcome Sevilla. Diego Costa is expected to be paraded on his homecoming after Atletico agreed a reported club record fee of 55 million euros ($66 million) to bring the man that fired them to the title in 2013/14 back to the club from Chelsea. Costa won't be able to play until January, however.

Zidane pleads for calm amidst Real slump

Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials on Wednesday to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona&#39;s tourist district as well as in several Catalan cities, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and chanting &quot;Occupying forces out&quot; and &quot;Where is Europe?&quot;.

&quot;The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia&#39;s government and has established emergency rule,&quot; Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address.

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<h5>The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia&#39;s government and has established emergency rule,&#39; Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address</h5>
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&quot;We condemn and reject the anti-democratic and totalitarian actions of the Spanish state,&quot; he said, adding Catalans should turn out in force to vote in the Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal.

State police arrested Catalonia&#39;s junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove on Wednesday in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targeted several regional government departments.

A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. Police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. The Catalan government sources could not confirm the other arrests.

In several Barcelona districts, people banged on balconies railings and dumpsters while passing cars hooted noisily.

Among the protesters outside the government office in Barcelona, was Carlos, a 47-year-old taxi driver.

&quot;We&#39;re here so they know they can&#39;t do whatever they want,&quot; he said, as protesters bore banners reading &quot;Democracy&quot; and &quot;Vote to be free&quot;.

The FC Barcelona soccer club said in a statement: &quot;FC Barcelona, in remaining faithful to its historic commitment to the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination, condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of these rights.&quot;

Police efforts to stop the referendum have intensified in recent days as the wealthy northeastern region shows no signs of halting it.

Acting under court orders, police have raided printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies in a search for campaign literature, instruction manuals for manning voting stations and ballot boxes.

The Civil Guard, a national police force, on Wednesday seized 10 million ballot papers, polling station displays as well as documents and forms to run the vote, including a list of voters under the headline &quot;2017 Catalonia self-determination referendum&quot;.

Stock market falls

It had on Tuesday seized more than 45,000 envelopes packed in cardboard boxes that the Catalan government was ready to send to notify people about the referendum, while the first of hundreds of Catalan mayors appeared before the state prosecutor after they said they would back the referendum.

Spain&#39;s finance ministry has taken over the region&#39;s finances to prevent the use of public money to organise the vote.

But the central government must tread a fine line in enforcing the law in the region without seeming heavy-handed. Polls show a minority of Catalans, albeit more than 40 percent, support independence although a majority want a referendum on the issue.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday the operations in Catalonia were the result of legal rulings and were to ensure the rule of law.

He later called on Catalan leaders to cancel the vote.

&quot;Don&#39;t go ahead, you don&#39;t have any legitimacy to do it. Go back to the law and democracy (...) This referendum is a chimera,&quot; he said in a televised speech. Any action that broke the law would be met with a proportionate response, he added.

The Constitutional Court has suspended the vote after the central government challenged its legality. Spain&#39;s central government says the referendum goes against the 1978 constitution which states Spain is indivisible.

Under Article 155 of the constitution, Madrid has the power to suspend the regional government&#39;s authority to rule. It has yet to exercise this option as it seeks to block the vote through the courts.

Although markets have so far shrugged off the increasing tension, Spain&#39;s top stock index underperformed regional European stock peers on Wednesday.

The Catalan president said the action meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration

Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials on Wednesday to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona's tourist district as well as in several Catalan cities, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and chanting "Occupying forces out" and "Where is Europe?". "The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia's government and has established emergency rule," Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address. The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia's government and has established emergency rule,' Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address × "We condemn and reject the anti-democratic and totalitarian actions of the Spanish state," he said, adding Catalans should turn out in force to vote in the Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal. State police arrested Catalonia's junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove on Wednesday in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targeted several regional government departments. A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. Police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. The Catalan government sources could not confirm the other arrests. In several Barcelona districts, people banged on balconies railings and dumpsters while passing cars hooted noisily. Among the protesters outside the government office in Barcelona, was Carlos, a 47-year-old taxi driver. "We're here so they know they can't do whatever they want," he said, as protesters bore banners reading "Democracy" and "Vote to be free". The FC Barcelona soccer club said in a statement: "FC Barcelona, in remaining faithful to its historic commitment to the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination, condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of these rights." Police efforts to stop the referendum have intensified in recent days as the wealthy northeastern region shows no signs of halting it. Acting under court orders, police have raided printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies in a search for campaign literature, instruction manuals for manning voting stations and ballot boxes. The Civil Guard, a national police force, on Wednesday seized 10 million ballot papers, polling station displays as well as documents and forms to run the vote, including a list of voters under the headline "2017 Catalonia self-determination referendum". Stock market falls It had on Tuesday seized more than 45,000 envelopes packed in cardboard boxes that the Catalan government was ready to send to notify people about the referendum, while the first of hundreds of Catalan mayors appeared before the state prosecutor after they said they would back the referendum. Spain's finance ministry has taken over the region's finances to prevent the use of public money to organise the vote. But the central government must tread a fine line in enforcing the law in the region without seeming heavy-handed. Polls show a minority of Catalans, albeit more than 40 percent, support independence although a majority want a referendum on the issue. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday the operations in Catalonia were the result of legal rulings and were to ensure the rule of law. He later called on Catalan leaders to cancel the vote. "Don't go ahead, you don't have any legitimacy to do it. Go back to the law and democracy (...) This referendum is a chimera," he said in a televised speech. Any action that broke the law would be met with a proportionate response, he added. The Constitutional Court has suspended the vote after the central government challenged its legality. Spain's central government says the referendum goes against the 1978 constitution which states Spain is indivisible. Under Article 155 of the constitution, Madrid has the power to suspend the regional government's authority to rule. It has yet to exercise this option as it seeks to block the vote through the courts. Although markets have so far shrugged off the increasing tension, Spain's top stock index underperformed regional European stock peers on Wednesday.

Spanish police raid Catalan government to halt independence referendum

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/five-match-ban-seems-exaggerated-and-ridiculous-cristiano-ronaldo-19093">Cristiano&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;will have to serve his five-match ban</a> for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid&#39;s appeal against the length of the suspension, Spanish media reported on Tuesday citing court officials.

The Portuguese<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-to-appeal-ronaldo-card-zidane-18952"> forward shoved official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea</a> after being sent off during Real&#39;s 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August&nbsp;13.

As a result, the Spanish Football Federation issued&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;with a $3,543.20&nbsp;fine and a four match suspension in addition to the automatic one game ban the player was due to serve for the red card.

&quot;Another incomprehensible decision. From injustice to injustice, they will never overthrow me,&quot; Ronaldo&nbsp;posted on Instagram.

The ban ruled&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;out of the Super Cup second leg and Madrid&#39;s first La Liga match of the season against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Real won both matches.

The striker will sit out league fixtures against Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad before making his comeback against Real Betis on September&nbsp;20.

Cristiano Ronaldo will have to serve his five-match ban for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid's appeal against the length of the suspension

Cristiano Ronaldo will have to serve his five-match ban for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid's appeal against the length of the suspension, Spanish media reported on Tuesday citing court officials. The Portuguese forward shoved official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after being sent off during Real's 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 13. As a result, the Spanish Football Federation issued Ronaldo with a $3,543.20 fine and a four match suspension in addition to the automatic one game ban the player was due to serve for the red card. "Another incomprehensible decision. From injustice to injustice, they will never overthrow me," Ronaldo posted on Instagram. The ban ruled Ronaldo out of the Super Cup second leg and Madrid's first La Liga match of the season against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Real won both matches. The striker will sit out league fixtures against Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad before making his comeback against Real Betis on September 20.

From injustice to injustice: Ronaldo blasts Spanish football federation over suspension

One person has been killed after a car hit people at a Marseille bus stop in France today even as Spanish<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-police-say-driver-of-barcelona-rampage-van-identified-19255">&nbsp;police said they had identified the man who had killed 13 people</a> in Las Ramblas boulevard in Barcelona on Thursday.

The driver in the southern city of Marseille&nbsp;first hit a bus shelter around 8:15 am local time in the 13th arrondissement - or district in the northern part of the city, before hitting a second bus shelter an hour later in the 11th arrondissement, several kms&nbsp;south, Reuters reported.

Marseille&#39;s prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said that investigators had no &quot;element pointing to a terrorist attack&quot; and that the driver was believed to suffer from &quot;psychiatric&quot; problems.

&quot;He was found with a letter from a psychiatric clinic and we are leaning towards treating it as a mental health case,&quot; Tarabeux told AFP.

Police said that the driver has been arrested.&nbsp;Reports said the driver is a 35-year-old man who allegedly stole the car.&nbsp;

&quot;At the moment we have no information on the motives of this individual,&quot; a police official told Reuters.

At least one person was injured in the collision, police said. The police haven&#39;t declared the incident as a terror attack.

Julien Ravier, mayor of the 11th and 12th districts, told BFMTV news channel that the victim was a woman in her 40s who was waiting alone at the stop, Reuters reported.

Reuters reported BFMTV as saying that a bystander noted the registration number of the car, which the police used to trace the vehicle to the city&#39;s Old Port district, where the suspect was arrested.

One person has been killed after a bus hit people at a bus stop in Marseille

One person has been killed after a car hit people at a Marseille bus stop in France today even as Spanish police said they had identified the man who had killed 13 people in Las Ramblas boulevard in Barcelona on Thursday. The driver in the southern city of Marseille first hit a bus shelter around 8:15 am local time in the 13th arrondissement - or district in the northern part of the city, before hitting a second bus shelter an hour later in the 11th arrondissement, several kms south, Reuters reported. Marseille's prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said that investigators had no "element pointing to a terrorist attack" and that the driver was believed to suffer from "psychiatric" problems. "He was found with a letter from a psychiatric clinic and we are leaning towards treating it as a mental health case," Tarabeux told AFP. Police said that the driver has been arrested. Reports said the driver is a 35-year-old man who allegedly stole the car. "At the moment we have no information on the motives of this individual," a police official told Reuters. At least one person was injured in the collision, police said. The police haven't declared the incident as a terror attack. Julien Ravier, mayor of the 11th and 12th districts, told BFMTV news channel that the victim was a woman in her 40s who was waiting alone at the stop, Reuters reported. Reuters reported BFMTV as saying that a bystander noted the registration number of the car, which the police used to trace the vehicle to the city's Old Port district, where the suspect was arrested.

France: Car crash not being treated as terror case, says Marseille Prosecutor

A suspect still at large after the Barcelona van attack began showing more religiously conservative behaviour within the past year and refused to shake hands with women during a visit to his birthplace in Morocco in March, family members say.

The relatives expressed shock and anger on Sunday after discovering the alleged involvement in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-police-say-driver-of-barcelona-rampage-van-identified-19255">Barcelona attack of Younes Abouyaaqoub,</a> 22, as well as his brother and two cousins, all originally from the small Moroccan town of Mrirt.

Abouyaaqoub is one of 12 suspects in Thursday&#39;s attack on Las Ramblas, Barcelona&#39;s most famous boulevard, in which a van ploughed into holidaymakers, killing 13 people.

Abouyaaqoub&#39;s brother El Houssaine and first cousins Mohamed and Omar Hychami are three of five men killed by police during a subsequent attack early on Friday in the Catalan town of Cambrils, further down the coast from Barcelona.

Spanish media say authorities believe Younes Abouyaaqoub drove the van though Catalan police can not confirm who was at the wheel. Police are hunting for him in Catalonia and on the French border.

Relatives in Mrirt, about 150 km (93 miles) south east of the capital, Rabat, said they last saw Younes and Mohamed when they showed up for a brief, unexpected visit in March.

&quot;I opened the door, and I saw Younes and Mohamed on motorcycles. No one in the family knew they were coming. That&#39;s the last time we saw them,&quot; said a female cousin who asked not to be named.

She said Mohamed was the more conservative one, but also that he had frequented nightclubs and drank alcohol before his behaviour changed about three years ago. She blames him for influencing Younes.

&quot;Up until last year, Younes was totally normal, but when he visited us earlier this year, he refused to shake our hands, just like Mohamed,&quot; she said.

&quot;Younes came in, showered, went to Friday prayer at the local mosque, and we all had lunch together,&quot; she continued. &quot;After that, we travelled together around the country, went to family occasions like weddings, things were normal.&quot;

Shock

In the family home in Mrirt, a predominantly Berber community in Khenifra province, the TV was kept switched on for news about Younes&#39; whereabouts.

Relatives say they found out about the cousins&#39; suspected links to the Barcelona attack while watching the news on Friday, when they saw images of Younes and the others flash up, along with their names.

&quot;I wanted to die, I could not believe it,&quot; says Chrifa Hychami, grandmother to both sets of brothers.

Mrirt is poor and remote, and many residents have migrated to Europe. Cars with European number plates belonging to families back for the summer are commonplace on the streets.

According to Fatima Abouyaaqoub, an aunt, Younes moved to Spain around 1999, a year after his father, Omar Abouyaaqoub, travelled there from Morocco by boat.

Omar works in the lumber industry in Spain, Fatima said, and was working in France last year.

&quot;I hold no sympathies for Younes, even if they catch him and kill him,&quot; said Fatima.

&quot;I worry for my brother, his father, and his mother, who are illiterate and don&#39;t even speak Arabic or Spanish,&quot; says Fatima. &quot;Those boys took advantage of their parents&#39; illiteracy.&quot;

Fatima believes it is possible Younes and the others were indoctrinated by Abdelbaki Es Satty, an imam in the Spanish town of Ripoll, whose landlord said he left Ripoll two days before the attack.

&quot;Those boys can&#39;t even read Arabic,&quot; said Fatima. &quot;Whatever changed them happened in Europe, not here.&quot;

A relative of two other Moroccan suspects in the Barcelona attack, Moussa and Driss Oukabir, also expressed surprise at their involvement, saying they had been expecting Moussa to join them during the summer holidays in Morocco.

Moussa, 17, was among those shot dead in Cambrils, and Driss has been arrested. Both lived in Ripoll.

&quot;The family was preparing for a wedding, but we cancelled the wedding following the news,&quot; said Ikhlef Oukabir, a second cousin, speaking by phone from Melouiya, about 200 km (125 miles) south east of Rabat.

Abouyaaqoub is one of 12 suspects in Thursday's attack on Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most famous boulevard, in which a van ploughed into holidaymakers, killing 13 people

A suspect still at large after the Barcelona van attack began showing more religiously conservative behaviour within the past year and refused to shake hands with women during a visit to his birthplace in Morocco in March, family members say. The relatives expressed shock and anger on Sunday after discovering the alleged involvement in the Barcelona attack of Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, as well as his brother and two cousins, all originally from the small Moroccan town of Mrirt. Abouyaaqoub is one of 12 suspects in Thursday's attack on Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most famous boulevard, in which a van ploughed into holidaymakers, killing 13 people. Abouyaaqoub's brother El Houssaine and first cousins Mohamed and Omar Hychami are three of five men killed by police during a subsequent attack early on Friday in the Catalan town of Cambrils, further down the coast from Barcelona. Spanish media say authorities believe Younes Abouyaaqoub drove the van though Catalan police can not confirm who was at the wheel. Police are hunting for him in Catalonia and on the French border. Relatives in Mrirt, about 150 km (93 miles) south east of the capital, Rabat, said they last saw Younes and Mohamed when they showed up for a brief, unexpected visit in March. "I opened the door, and I saw Younes and Mohamed on motorcycles. No one in the family knew they were coming. That's the last time we saw them," said a female cousin who asked not to be named. She said Mohamed was the more conservative one, but also that he had frequented nightclubs and drank alcohol before his behaviour changed about three years ago. She blames him for influencing Younes. "Up until last year, Younes was totally normal, but when he visited us earlier this year, he refused to shake our hands, just like Mohamed," she said. "Younes came in, showered, went to Friday prayer at the local mosque, and we all had lunch together," she continued. "After that, we travelled together around the country, went to family occasions like weddings, things were normal." Shock In the family home in Mrirt, a predominantly Berber community in Khenifra province, the TV was kept switched on for news about Younes' whereabouts. Relatives say they found out about the cousins' suspected links to the Barcelona attack while watching the news on Friday, when they saw images of Younes and the others flash up, along with their names. "I wanted to die, I could not believe it," says Chrifa Hychami, grandmother to both sets of brothers. Mrirt is poor and remote, and many residents have migrated to Europe. Cars with European number plates belonging to families back for the summer are commonplace on the streets. According to Fatima Abouyaaqoub, an aunt, Younes moved to Spain around 1999, a year after his father, Omar Abouyaaqoub, travelled there from Morocco by boat. Omar works in the lumber industry in Spain, Fatima said, and was working in France last year. "I hold no sympathies for Younes, even if they catch him and kill him," said Fatima. "I worry for my brother, his father, and his mother, who are illiterate and don't even speak Arabic or Spanish," says Fatima. "Those boys took advantage of their parents' illiteracy." Fatima believes it is possible Younes and the others were indoctrinated by Abdelbaki Es Satty, an imam in the Spanish town of Ripoll, whose landlord said he left Ripoll two days before the attack. "Those boys can't even read Arabic," said Fatima. "Whatever changed them happened in Europe, not here." A relative of two other Moroccan suspects in the Barcelona attack, Moussa and Driss Oukabir, also expressed surprise at their involvement, saying they had been expecting Moussa to join them during the summer holidays in Morocco. Moussa, 17, was among those shot dead in Cambrils, and Driss has been arrested. Both lived in Ripoll. "The family was preparing for a wedding, but we cancelled the wedding following the news," said Ikhlef Oukabir, a second cousin, speaking by phone from Melouiya, about 200 km (125 miles) south east of Rabat.

Moroccan suspect in Barcelona attack turned more conservative in past year - Family

Spanish police today confirmed the man killed in the operation near <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/man-who-rammed-car-into-crowd-in-barcelona-killed-another-before-fleeing-in-his-car-police-19273">Barcelona was the van driver who had mowed down crowds</a> in the&nbsp;Las Ramblas boulevard in Barcelona.

Spanish police have killed a man who could be <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-police-say-driver-of-barcelona-rampage-van-identified-19255">Younes Abouyaaqoub,</a>&nbsp;a&nbsp;source close to the probe had earlier told AFP.

&quot;They have shot dead a suspect who could be the perpetrator of the attack,&quot; the source, who declined to be named had told AFP.

Spanish police had said that an &#39;operation&#39; was underway near Barcelona.&nbsp;

The police, however, did not immediately give the man&#39;s identity, saying only that he had appeared to be wearing an explosive belt in the &quot;incident&quot; in Subirats, a town near Barcelona, Reuters reported. The police said only that a bomb squad was using a robot to approach the man&#39;s body.

&quot;The suspect wore what appeared to be an explosive belt. He has been shot down,&quot; police said in a tweet.

Spanish police had earlier said on Monday that they have identified the driver of the van that mowed down pedestrians on the busy Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

Catalonia&#39;s regional interior minister Joaquim Forn&nbsp;told local radio that &quot;everything suggests the van driver is Younes Abouyaaqoub&quot;.

Younes Abouyaaqoub, the alleged driver of a van had mowed down crowds in Barcelona

Spanish police today confirmed the man killed in the operation near Barcelona was the van driver who had mowed down crowds in the Las Ramblas boulevard in Barcelona. Spanish police have killed a man who could be Younes Abouyaaqoub, a source close to the probe had earlier told AFP. "They have shot dead a suspect who could be the perpetrator of the attack," the source, who declined to be named had told AFP. Spanish police had said that an 'operation' was underway near Barcelona. The police, however, did not immediately give the man's identity, saying only that he had appeared to be wearing an explosive belt in the "incident" in Subirats, a town near Barcelona, Reuters reported. The police said only that a bomb squad was using a robot to approach the man's body. "The suspect wore what appeared to be an explosive belt. He has been shot down," police said in a tweet. Spanish police had earlier said on Monday that they have identified the driver of the van that mowed down pedestrians on the busy Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Catalonia's regional interior minister Joaquim Forn told local radio that "everything suggests the van driver is Younes Abouyaaqoub".

Man shot dead in Spain is Barcelona attacker: Police

Victims of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-police-shoots-five-suspects-dead-after-barcelona-killings-19176">double vehicle attack in Spain</a> that left 14 people dead and around 100 injured were from at least 34 different countries, Spain&#39;s civil protection agency said&nbsp;Friday.

The agency tweeted that among the dead and injured in Barcelona, a city hugely popular with tourists worldwide, and the seaside resort of Cambrils were nationals from France, Pakistan, Spain, the Netherlands, China, Venezuela, Mauritania, Australia and Britain.

Authorities said the victims were from, among others, France, Pakistan, Spain, the Netherlands, China, Venezuela, Mauritania, Australia, and Britain

Victims of a double vehicle attack in Spain that left 14 people dead and around 100 injured were from at least 34 different countries, Spain's civil protection agency said Friday. The agency tweeted that among the dead and injured in Barcelona, a city hugely popular with tourists worldwide, and the seaside resort of Cambrils were nationals from France, Pakistan, Spain, the Netherlands, China, Venezuela, Mauritania, Australia and Britain.

At least 34 nationalities among Spain attack victims: Authorities

A fourth suspect was arrested&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;over twin attacks in Spain&#39;s Catalonia that saw vehicles plough into pedestrians in Barcelona and the nearby seaside town of Cambrils, killing 14 and injuring over 100, police said.

&quot;A fourth person has been detained in relation to the events that have taken place in the last few hours in Cambrils and Barcelona,&quot; police in the Catalonia region tweeted.

The attacks saw vehicles plough into pedestrians in Barcelona and the nearby seaside town of Cambrils, killing 14 and injuring over 100

A fourth suspect was arrested Friday over twin attacks in Spain's Catalonia that saw vehicles plough into pedestrians in Barcelona and the nearby seaside town of Cambrils, killing 14 and injuring over 100, police said. "A fourth person has been detained in relation to the events that have taken place in the last few hours in Cambrils and Barcelona," police in the Catalonia region tweeted.

Fourth suspect arrested over Spain twin attacks: Police

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday&#39;s attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured.

&quot;Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city,&quot; Nadal tweeted.

Nadal&#39;s scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain.

The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. 
A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona&#39;s most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It&#39;s like a main street with a lot of shops and people,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you&#39;re, like, &#39;Shit.&#39; But now, I&#39;ve been so many times to this place, it&#39;s like my home. And I feel, like, &#39;Shit.&#39;

&quot;I&#39;ve been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me.

&quot;I&#39;m just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you&#39;re in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere.&quot;

Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed.

&quot;During the rain delay. I&#39;m like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I&#39;m like, &#39;Oh,&#39;&quot; Muguruza said. &quot;I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it&#39;s just incredible.&quot;

&nbsp;Emotional shock&nbsp;

Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker.

&quot;I&#39;m used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That&#39;s my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis,&quot; Muguruza said. 
&quot;I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I&#39;ve got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours.&quot;

David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: &quot;All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening.&quot;

And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: &quot;Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families.&quot;

Thursday's attack in Barcelona had left 13 people dead and another 100 injured

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday's attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured. "Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city," Nadal tweeted. Nadal's scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain. The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys. "I couldn't believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It's like a main street with a lot of shops and people," Muguruza said. "I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you're, like, 'Shit.' But now, I've been so many times to this place, it's like my home. And I feel, like, 'Shit.' "I've been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me. "I'm just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere." Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed. "During the rain delay. I'm like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I'm like, 'Oh,'" Muguruza said. "I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it's just incredible." Emotional shock Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker. "I'm used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That's my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis," Muguruza said. "I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I've got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours." David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: "All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening." And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: "Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families."

Nadal and Muguruza shocked by Barcelona attack

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted no player is bigger than the Catalan giants on Monday in the wake of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/football-neymar-signs-record-breaking-264-million-deal-with-psg-18572" target="_blank">Neymar&#39;s world record 222 million euro ($264 million) move to Paris Saint-Germain</a>.

Bartomeu and his board are under pressure to wisely reinvest the huge sum, which more than doubled the previous record for a transfer fee, before the transfer window closes on August 31.

&quot;No player is above Barca,&quot; Bartomeu told the world congress of Barca supporters groups.

&quot;You know that Neymar formed part of the success of our club, but Neymar is now history. He wanted to go. It was his decision although we did everything in our hands for him to stay.&quot;

Barca were powerless to stop Neymar leaving after PSG met the buyout clause in the Brazilian&#39;s contract, which he had signed just last year.

However, Bartomeu defended himself from criticism that the club should have insisted on inserting a much higher buyout clause in that deal to fend off PSG&#39;s millions.

Neymar&#39;s clause rose from 200 to 222 million from July 1 and would have jumped to 250 million had he entered the third year of the five-year deal.

&quot;We foresaw that he could leave in the future, that is why we raised his buyout clause in the new contact,&quot; added Bartomeu.

&quot;Receiving this money allows us to face the future with guarantees to strengthen the team.

&quot;When the doubts over his future began we were calm because his decision would be a good one

&quot;If he stayed we would maintain a great player and if he went, obviously paying his clause, we had the guarantee of being able to bring new players.&quot;

Barca have been linked with a series of potential replacements for Neymar with Liverpool&#39;s Philippe Coutinho heading their wish list.

Yet, Bartomeu promised to be act with &quot;prudence&quot; despite having to deal in a transfer market characterised by hyperinflation due to booming television rights deals.

&quot;The 222 million euros that we received for Neymar Jr will be administered with prudence, rigour and serenity,&quot; he said.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted no player is bigger than the club

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted no player is bigger than the Catalan giants on Monday in the wake of Neymar's world record 222 million euro ($264 million) move to Paris Saint-Germain. Bartomeu and his board are under pressure to wisely reinvest the huge sum, which more than doubled the previous record for a transfer fee, before the transfer window closes on August 31. "No player is above Barca," Bartomeu told the world congress of Barca supporters groups. "You know that Neymar formed part of the success of our club, but Neymar is now history. He wanted to go. It was his decision although we did everything in our hands for him to stay." Barca were powerless to stop Neymar leaving after PSG met the buyout clause in the Brazilian's contract, which he had signed just last year. However, Bartomeu defended himself from criticism that the club should have insisted on inserting a much higher buyout clause in that deal to fend off PSG's millions. Neymar's clause rose from 200 to 222 million from July 1 and would have jumped to 250 million had he entered the third year of the five-year deal. "We foresaw that he could leave in the future, that is why we raised his buyout clause in the new contact," added Bartomeu. "Receiving this money allows us to face the future with guarantees to strengthen the team. "When the doubts over his future began we were calm because his decision would be a good one "If he stayed we would maintain a great player and if he went, obviously paying his clause, we had the guarantee of being able to bring new players." Barca have been linked with a series of potential replacements for Neymar with Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho heading their wish list. Yet, Bartomeu promised to be act with "prudence" despite having to deal in a transfer market characterised by hyperinflation due to booming television rights deals. "The 222 million euros that we received for Neymar Jr will be administered with prudence, rigour and serenity," he said.

'Neymar not bigger than Barca'

Brazilian superstar Neymar has pledged to spark a trophy glut at Paris Saint Germain after agreeing to a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/football-neymar-signs-record-breaking-264-million-deal-with-psg-18572" target="_blank">five-year deal on a world record 222 million euro ($264 million) transfer from Barcelona.</a>

The 25-year-old will earn a mind-boggling 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year in Paris but insists he will prove value for money for the ambitious but under-performing Qatari-owned French side.

&quot;I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain,&quot; said Neymar.

&quot;Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.&nbsp;

&quot;Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge.&nbsp;

&quot;From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.&quot;

PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club&#39;s Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday.

He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens.

PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar&#39;s commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club&#39;s megastore on the city&#39;s iconic Champs Elysees.

Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: &quot;Good luck for your new challenge&quot;.

&quot;Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world,&quot; three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter.

The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United&#39;s capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees.

Leading coaches such as Arsenal&#39;s Arsene Wenger and Manchester United&#39;s Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages.

&quot;It also looks like the inflation is accelerating,&quot; said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending.

&quot;It&#39;s beyond calculation and beyond rationality.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;A state signing&#39;

However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football&#39;s elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused.

&quot;It adds attractiveness. Yes, it&#39;s good news,&quot; said Macron.

&quot;Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century&quot;, splashed Le Parisien&#39;s front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival.

The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes.

Neymar&#39;s Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Ousmane Dembele have both been linked.

There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG&#39;s owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a &quot;state signing.&quot;

But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca&#39;s players have continued to wish their now former teammate well.

&quot;My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!&quot; Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging.

&quot;Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro.&quot;

The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United's capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros

Brazilian superstar Neymar has pledged to spark a trophy glut at Paris Saint Germain after agreeing to a five-year deal on a world record 222 million euro ($264 million) transfer from Barcelona. The 25-year-old will earn a mind-boggling 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year in Paris but insists he will prove value for money for the ambitious but under-performing Qatari-owned French side. "I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain," said Neymar. "Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want. "Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge. "From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world." PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club's Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday. He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens. PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar's commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club's megastore on the city's iconic Champs Elysees. Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: "Good luck for your new challenge". "Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world," three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter. The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United's capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees. Leading coaches such as Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Manchester United's Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages. "It also looks like the inflation is accelerating," said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending. "It's beyond calculation and beyond rationality." 'A state signing' However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football's elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused. "It adds attractiveness. Yes, it's good news," said Macron. "Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century", splashed Le Parisien's front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival. The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes. Neymar's Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele have both been linked. There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG's owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022. Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a "state signing." But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca's players have continued to wish their now former teammate well. "My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!" Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging. "Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro."

Neymar pledges trophy haul after PSG transfer

Neymar&#39;s world record move to Paris Saint-Germain was completed Thursday when the French club confirmed the Brazilian superstar had signed a five year-deal, earning him an estimated 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year.

The deal was signed just hours after the 25-year-old paid off his 222 million euro ($264 million) buyout clause to Barcelona.

&quot;I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain,&quot; said Neymar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">&nbsp;Neymar transfer crisis-hit Qatar&#39;s &#39;soft power play&#39;</a>

&quot;Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.&nbsp;

&quot;Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge.&nbsp;

&quot;From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.&quot;

PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club&#39;s Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday.

He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens.

PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar&#39;s commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club&#39;s megastore on the city&#39;s iconic Champs Elysees.

The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United&#39;s capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees.

Leading coaches such as Arsenal&#39;s Arsene Wenger and Manchester United&#39;s Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages.

&quot;It also looks like the inflation is accelerating,&quot; said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending.

&quot;It&#39;s beyond calculation and beyond rationality.&quot;

&nbsp;Pele says &#39;good luck&#39;

However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG&#39;s Qatari-backed project having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football&#39;s elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused.

&quot;It adds attractiveness. Yes, it&#39;s good news,&quot; said Macron.

&quot;Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century&quot;, splashed Le Parisien&#39;s front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival.

The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes.

Neymar&#39;s Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Ousmane Dembele have both been linked.

There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG&#39;s owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a &quot;state signing.&quot;

But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca&#39;s players have continued to wish their now former teammate well.

&quot;My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!&quot; Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging.

&quot;Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro.&quot;

Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his world record move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: &quot;Good luck for your new challenge&quot;.

&quot;Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world,&quot; three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter.

Earlier Thursday, Spain&#39;s football league threatened to stall the saga by initially refusing to accept the cheque presented by Neymar&#39;s representatives at its Madrid headquarters.

La Liga president Javier Tebas had accused the French club of breaching UEFA&#39;s financial fair play rules.

Clubs can be sanctioned by European football&#39;s governing body for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period.

However, UEFA insisted the move will not automatically trigger a failure to comply with FFP regulations.

He will earn $35.5 million a year in Paris

Neymar's world record move to Paris Saint-Germain was completed Thursday when the French club confirmed the Brazilian superstar had signed a five year-deal, earning him an estimated 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year. The deal was signed just hours after the 25-year-old paid off his 222 million euro ($264 million) buyout clause to Barcelona. "I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain," said Neymar. Also read: Neymar transfer crisis-hit Qatar's 'soft power play' "Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want. "Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge. "From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world." PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club's Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday. He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens. PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar's commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club's megastore on the city's iconic Champs Elysees. The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United's capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees. Leading coaches such as Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Manchester United's Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages. "It also looks like the inflation is accelerating," said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending. "It's beyond calculation and beyond rationality." Pele says 'good luck' However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG's Qatari-backed project having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football's elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused. "It adds attractiveness. Yes, it's good news," said Macron. "Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century", splashed Le Parisien's front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival. The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes. Neymar's Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele have both been linked. There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG's owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022. Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a "state signing." But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca's players have continued to wish their now former teammate well. "My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!" Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging. "Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro." Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his world record move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: "Good luck for your new challenge". "Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world," three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter. Earlier Thursday, Spain's football league threatened to stall the saga by initially refusing to accept the cheque presented by Neymar's representatives at its Madrid headquarters. La Liga president Javier Tebas had accused the French club of breaching UEFA's financial fair play rules. Clubs can be sanctioned by European football's governing body for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period. However, UEFA insisted the move will not automatically trigger a failure to comply with FFP regulations.

Neymar completes record-breaking $264 million move to PSG

Neymar is expected to arrive in Paris on Thursday to finalise his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, which will earn him around 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year.

The summer&#39;s longest-running transfer saga, which this week saw the 25-year-old tracked from the United States to China to the Middle East, back to Barcelona to say goodbye before a swift detour to Porto where he was thought to have undergone a medical, will end in the French capital with new teammates already queuing up to welcome him.

Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore is already set to surrender his symbolic number 10 shirt to his fellow South American at the Parc des Princes, where Neymar could be unveiled to fans on Saturday evening when PSG open their new Ligue 1 season against Amiens.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/i-love-you-loads-messis-farewell-message-to-neymar-18520" target="_blank">Also read: Messi&#39;s farewell message to Neymar</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-set-to-join-french-club-paris-saint-germain-reports-18494" target="_blank">Also read: Neymar set to join PSG</a>

&quot;I want him to feel comfortable and happy from day one,&quot; Pastore told Cadena SER radio.

On Wednesday, Barcelona admitted defeat in convincing Neymar to stay at the Camp Nou where he has played since 2013.

The player travelled to Porto by private jet from Barcelona surrounded by his entourage, including his father and agent Neymar Sr, after saying goodbye to his Barca teammates.

Among that party was Wagner Ribeiro, an advisor to the player, who claimed PSG would pay his 222 million euro ($260 million) buyout clause in the &quot;coming hours&quot;.

That would more than double the current transfer record set by Paul Pogba&#39;s 105.2 million euro ($111 million) move to Manchester United last year.

Media reports suggested that Neymar had gone to Porto, where PSG sporting director Antero Henrique had worked until recently, to undergo a pre-transfer medical.

Neymar has been tempted to Paris by an astronomical offer that would reportedly see his wages tripled to 30 million euros a year after tax.

However, on the field he also faces the challenge of stepping out of the shadow of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi to try and prove himself as the world&#39;s best.

&quot;It was a huge pleasure having shared all those years with you, my friend @neymarjr,&quot; Messi posted on Instagram alongside a montage displaying some of the pair&#39;s finest moments together.

Messi &#39;loves&#39; Neymar 
&quot;I wish you lots of luck in this new stage in your life. See you soon tkm,&quot; he added. &quot;Tkm&quot; stands for &quot;te quiero mucho&quot; (I love you loads).

&quot;Thanks brother. I will miss you man,&quot; Neymar replied.

Winning the Champions League for a first time is the dream driving PSG&#39;s owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) to fund a deal that could herald the start of a new era at the elite level of European football.

Since QSI&#39;s takeover in 2011, PSG have failed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage - most notably blowing a 4-0 first-leg lead to lose 6-1 to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona in the last 16 of last season&#39;s competition in March.

Prising Neymar from the grip of Barca would truly announce PSG&#39;s presence as a contender for the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to fear.

Neymar has formed one of the deadliest strike partnerships in football history with Messi and Luis Suarez over the past three seasons.

Together they have won two La Liga titles, a Champions League and three Spanish Cups, whilst Neymar has scored 105 goals and provided 80 assists in just 186 games.

However, his four-year spell in Spain has also been overshadowed by the murky transfer deal which brought him to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

He and his parents as well as Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu face charges of fraud and corruption in an ongoing case brought by DIS, a Brazilian investment company.

DIS owned 40 percent of the players&#39; rights at the time of the deal and believe they were deliberately cheated out of their real share due to the complex structure of the transfer.

Neymar could be unveiled to Paris Saint-Germain fans on Saturday evening when PSG open their new Ligue 1 season against Amiens

Neymar is expected to arrive in Paris on Thursday to finalise his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, which will earn him around 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year. The summer's longest-running transfer saga, which this week saw the 25-year-old tracked from the United States to China to the Middle East, back to Barcelona to say goodbye before a swift detour to Porto where he was thought to have undergone a medical, will end in the French capital with new teammates already queuing up to welcome him. Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore is already set to surrender his symbolic number 10 shirt to his fellow South American at the Parc des Princes, where Neymar could be unveiled to fans on Saturday evening when PSG open their new Ligue 1 season against Amiens. Also read: Messi's farewell message to Neymar Also read: Neymar set to join PSG "I want him to feel comfortable and happy from day one," Pastore told Cadena SER radio. On Wednesday, Barcelona admitted defeat in convincing Neymar to stay at the Camp Nou where he has played since 2013. The player travelled to Porto by private jet from Barcelona surrounded by his entourage, including his father and agent Neymar Sr, after saying goodbye to his Barca teammates. Among that party was Wagner Ribeiro, an advisor to the player, who claimed PSG would pay his 222 million euro ($260 million) buyout clause in the "coming hours". That would more than double the current transfer record set by Paul Pogba's 105.2 million euro ($111 million) move to Manchester United last year. Media reports suggested that Neymar had gone to Porto, where PSG sporting director Antero Henrique had worked until recently, to undergo a pre-transfer medical. Neymar has been tempted to Paris by an astronomical offer that would reportedly see his wages tripled to 30 million euros a year after tax. However, on the field he also faces the challenge of stepping out of the shadow of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi to try and prove himself as the world's best. "It was a huge pleasure having shared all those years with you, my friend @neymarjr," Messi posted on Instagram alongside a montage displaying some of the pair's finest moments together. Messi 'loves' Neymar "I wish you lots of luck in this new stage in your life. See you soon tkm," he added. "Tkm" stands for "te quiero mucho" (I love you loads). "Thanks brother. I will miss you man," Neymar replied. Winning the Champions League for a first time is the dream driving PSG's owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) to fund a deal that could herald the start of a new era at the elite level of European football. Since QSI's takeover in 2011, PSG have failed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage - most notably blowing a 4-0 first-leg lead to lose 6-1 to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona in the last 16 of last season's competition in March. Prising Neymar from the grip of Barca would truly announce PSG's presence as a contender for the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to fear. Neymar has formed one of the deadliest strike partnerships in football history with Messi and Luis Suarez over the past three seasons. Together they have won two La Liga titles, a Champions League and three Spanish Cups, whilst Neymar has scored 105 goals and provided 80 assists in just 186 games. However, his four-year spell in Spain has also been overshadowed by the murky transfer deal which brought him to Barcelona from Santos in 2013. He and his parents as well as Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu face charges of fraud and corruption in an ongoing case brought by DIS, a Brazilian investment company. DIS owned 40 percent of the players' rights at the time of the deal and believe they were deliberately cheated out of their real share due to the complex structure of the transfer.

Neymar expected in Paris Thursday for world-record move

Neymar&#39;s record-breaking 222 million euros ($263 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris St Germain is set to be completed this week with the French club poised to pay his release clause.

Neymar&#39;s agent Wagner Ribeiro was quoted on Spanish radio as saying PSG would pay the fee specified in the player&#39;s Barcelona contract and his client was en route to finalise the deal.

The fee is more than twice the current transfer world record that was set when Paul Pogba moved last year from Juventus to Manchester United for a 105 million euros.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/i-love-you-loads-messis-farewell-message-to-neymar-18520" target="_blank">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/i-love-you-loads-messis-farewell-message-to-neymar-18520" target="_blank"> Messi&#39;s &#39;I love you loads&#39; farewell message to Neymar</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-expected-in-paris-thursday-for-world-record-move-18524" target="_blank">Read: Neymar expected in Paris Thursday</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-set-to-join-french-club-paris-saint-germain-reports-18494" target="_blank">Read: Neymar set to join Paris Saint-Germain</a>

&quot;They (PSG) are going to pay Neymar&#39;s (buyout) clause today so that he can be presented at the weekend,&quot; Ribeiro told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE. &quot;They (Neymar and his father) are in the air now.&quot;

The overall package will become the most expensive investment ever in a player with several media outlets reporting that Neymar is expected to sign a five-year contract worth more than 550,000 euros a week.

A completed deal could set off a chain reaction of signings before the transfer window closes at the end of the month with Barcelona having plenty of money to commit to a replacement.

The striker only arrived back in Spain on Tuesday after trips to China and the Middle East and the move would complete a hectic few days in which Neymar&#39;s heavily trailed exit has inched closer.

Events moved swiftly on Wednesday when Barcelona released a statement announcing that the 25-year-old had informed them of his intention to leave, and confirming the amount of his buy-out clause.

Read FC Barcelona&#39;s statement <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2017-2018/comunicat-fc-barcelona-neymar-jr" target="_blank">here</a>

&quot;The player Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and agent, has informed FC Barcelona this morning of his decision to leave the club in a meeting held at the club&rsquo;s offices,&quot; Barcelona said in a statement.

&quot;The club refer to the buy-out clause of his existing contract which as of 1 July totals 222 million euros.&quot;

Earlier Neymar arrived at the club&#39;s training ground to tell team mates he was moving to Paris, Catalan radio RAC1 reported.

The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later, it said, with the club confirming on Twitter that he had been given permission not to train.

Neymar&#39;s departure would end a four-year stay at the club, where he formed a formidable strike force with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Messi reacted to his team mate&#39;s imminent move by posting on his Instagram account: &quot;It was a great pleasure to have shared all these years with you, my friend @naymarjr. I wish you much luck in this new stage of your life. Be seeing you.&quot;

In October, Neymar signed a new contract until 2021 with the buy-out clause raised.

For a while it seemed that the deal might stall over concerns about Financial Fair Play.

In an interview published on Wednesday, the president of the national football league, Javier Tebas, said the league would not accept payment by PSG to trigger the release clause. It would potentially be in breach of UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, he told Spanish sports newspaper AS.

Under the fair play rules, a club&#39;s wage bill must not exceed 70 percent of its revenue.

UEFA&#39;s FFP project leader Andrea Traverso was last week quoted by Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport as saying PSG were currently following the rules.

UEFA told Reuters on Wednesday that no complaint had been received about PSG, adding that European football&#39;s governing body would not block any potential deal in advance.

&quot;UEFA will look into the details of this transfer in due course to ensure PSG are compliant with FFP requirements,&quot; the UEFA statement said.

&quot;The transfer of Neymar to PSG will have an effect on the club finances over several years but the impact of such an operation cannot be judged in advance, notably as PSG could well sell several players for a significant amount.

&quot;We shall therefore only make calculations at the end and make sure that they respect the rules.&quot;

PSG are one of the world&#39;s richest clubs following their 2012 takeover by Qatar Sports Investments, an arm of Qatar&#39;s sovereign wealth fund, which has transformed their fortunes.

PSG&#39;s 2015/16 revenue came to 521 million euros, according to Deloitte&#39;s Football Money League report issued in January.

A PSG spokesman declined to comment.

Neymar signed for Barcelona from Brazilian side Santos for 57.1 million euros in 2013, although it was later revealed the cost was closer to 100 million euros.

Neymar's agent Wagner Ribeiro was quoted on Spanish radio as saying PSG would pay the fee specified in the player's Barcelona contract and his client was en route to finalise the deal

Neymar's record-breaking 222 million euros ($263 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris St Germain is set to be completed this week with the French club poised to pay his release clause. Neymar's agent Wagner Ribeiro was quoted on Spanish radio as saying PSG would pay the fee specified in the player's Barcelona contract and his client was en route to finalise the deal. The fee is more than twice the current transfer world record that was set when Paul Pogba moved last year from Juventus to Manchester United for a 105 million euros. Read: Messi's 'I love you loads' farewell message to Neymar Read: Neymar expected in Paris Thursday Read: Neymar set to join Paris Saint-Germain "They (PSG) are going to pay Neymar's (buyout) clause today so that he can be presented at the weekend," Ribeiro told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE. "They (Neymar and his father) are in the air now." The overall package will become the most expensive investment ever in a player with several media outlets reporting that Neymar is expected to sign a five-year contract worth more than 550,000 euros a week. A completed deal could set off a chain reaction of signings before the transfer window closes at the end of the month with Barcelona having plenty of money to commit to a replacement. The striker only arrived back in Spain on Tuesday after trips to China and the Middle East and the move would complete a hectic few days in which Neymar's heavily trailed exit has inched closer. Events moved swiftly on Wednesday when Barcelona released a statement announcing that the 25-year-old had informed them of his intention to leave, and confirming the amount of his buy-out clause. Read FC Barcelona's statement here "The player Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and agent, has informed FC Barcelona this morning of his decision to leave the club in a meeting held at the club’s offices," Barcelona said in a statement. "The club refer to the buy-out clause of his existing contract which as of 1 July totals 222 million euros." Earlier Neymar arrived at the club's training ground to tell team mates he was moving to Paris, Catalan radio RAC1 reported. The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later, it said, with the club confirming on Twitter that he had been given permission not to train. Neymar's departure would end a four-year stay at the club, where he formed a formidable strike force with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Messi reacted to his team mate's imminent move by posting on his Instagram account: "It was a great pleasure to have shared all these years with you, my friend @naymarjr. I wish you much luck in this new stage of your life. Be seeing you." In October, Neymar signed a new contract until 2021 with the buy-out clause raised. For a while it seemed that the deal might stall over concerns about Financial Fair Play. In an interview published on Wednesday, the president of the national football league, Javier Tebas, said the league would not accept payment by PSG to trigger the release clause. It would potentially be in breach of UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, he told Spanish sports newspaper AS. Under the fair play rules, a club's wage bill must not exceed 70 percent of its revenue. UEFA's FFP project leader Andrea Traverso was last week quoted by Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport as saying PSG were currently following the rules. UEFA told Reuters on Wednesday that no complaint had been received about PSG, adding that European football's governing body would not block any potential deal in advance. "UEFA will look into the details of this transfer in due course to ensure PSG are compliant with FFP requirements," the UEFA statement said. "The transfer of Neymar to PSG will have an effect on the club finances over several years but the impact of such an operation cannot be judged in advance, notably as PSG could well sell several players for a significant amount. "We shall therefore only make calculations at the end and make sure that they respect the rules." PSG are one of the world's richest clubs following their 2012 takeover by Qatar Sports Investments, an arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, which has transformed their fortunes. PSG's 2015/16 revenue came to 521 million euros, according to Deloitte's Football Money League report issued in January. A PSG spokesman declined to comment. Neymar signed for Barcelona from Brazilian side Santos for 57.1 million euros in 2013, although it was later revealed the cost was closer to 100 million euros.

Neymar on verge of record-breaking move to PSG: Agent

Barcelona soccer player Neymar Jr arrived at the team&#39;s training ground in Madrid on Wednesday to tell his teammates there that he is moving to French team Paris Saint Germain, Catalan radio RAC1 has reported.

The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later, the radio station said.

Meanwhile, BCC reported manager Ernesto Valverde did not allow the Brazilian striker to train and told him to &quot;sort out his future&quot;.

The Brazilian also told his teammates at training that &quot;he wanted to leave the Spanish club, &quot;BBC reported.

Neymar&#39;s move to&nbsp;Paris Saint Germain from Barcelona could be worth $220million which will be a world record transfer fee for any player in the history of the game.

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Neymar has told his teammates at training that "he wanted to leave the Spanish club", BBC reported.

Barcelona soccer player Neymar Jr arrived at the team's training ground in Madrid on Wednesday to tell his teammates there that he is moving to French team Paris Saint Germain, Catalan radio RAC1 has reported. The Brazilian striker left the training area minutes later, the radio station said. Meanwhile, BCC reported manager Ernesto Valverde did not allow the Brazilian striker to train and told him to "sort out his future". The Brazilian also told his teammates at training that "he wanted to leave the Spanish club, "BBC reported. Neymar's move to Paris Saint Germain from Barcelona could be worth $220million which will be a world record transfer fee for any player in the history of the game.

Neymar set to join French club Paris Saint Germain: Reports

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

Manchester United have been rated as Europe&#39;s most valuable club by a new report into the financial muscle of the continent&#39;s top teams.

The report by professional services firm KPMG looked at the finances of 39 clubs based on their popularity on social media channels, revenues for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and success in European competitions.

The clubs were then ranked by enterprise value, an accounting measure used to assess how much it would cost to buy any given club or company as it includes a business&#39;s total debt, with KPMG using its own formula to reach these valuations.

Despite two relatively disappointing seasons on the pitch between 2014 and 2016, United&#39;s value surged clear of Real Madrid and Barcelona last year, becoming the first club to break the three billion euros (&pound;2.7 billion, $3.4 billion) mark for enterprise value.

Bayern Munich remain in fourth place, while Manchester City edge past Arsenal to take fifth spot, both with enterprise values of just under &pound;1.7 billion.&nbsp;

Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus and Spurs fill the next four positions, which means six of the 10 are from the Premier League.

In a statement, KPMG&#39;s global head of sports Andrea Sartori said: &quot;The aggregate value of Europe&#39;s leading football clubs suggests that the overall value of football, as an industry, has grown.

&quot;While this is partially explained by football&#39;s broadcasting boom, the internationalisation of the clubs&#39; commercial operations, their investment into privately owned and modern facilities, and overall more sustainable management practices are also key reasons for this growth.

&quot;In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans.&quot;

(AFP)

Manchester United are the first club to break the three billion euros mark for enterprise value

Manchester United have been rated as Europe's most valuable club by a new report into the financial muscle of the continent's top teams. The report by professional services firm KPMG looked at the finances of 39 clubs based on their popularity on social media channels, revenues for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and success in European competitions. The clubs were then ranked by enterprise value, an accounting measure used to assess how much it would cost to buy any given club or company as it includes a business's total debt, with KPMG using its own formula to reach these valuations. Despite two relatively disappointing seasons on the pitch between 2014 and 2016, United's value surged clear of Real Madrid and Barcelona last year, becoming the first club to break the three billion euros (£2.7 billion, $3.4 billion) mark for enterprise value. Bayern Munich remain in fourth place, while Manchester City edge past Arsenal to take fifth spot, both with enterprise values of just under £1.7 billion. Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus and Spurs fill the next four positions, which means six of the 10 are from the Premier League. In a statement, KPMG's global head of sports Andrea Sartori said: "The aggregate value of Europe's leading football clubs suggests that the overall value of football, as an industry, has grown. "While this is partially explained by football's broadcasting boom, the internationalisation of the clubs' commercial operations, their investment into privately owned and modern facilities, and overall more sustainable management practices are also key reasons for this growth. "In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans." (AFP)

Manchester United Europe's most valuable club; Real, Barcelona next in rich list

A Lionel Messi masterclass salvaged some silverware to end Barcelona&#39;s season and gave coach Luis Enrique a victorious send-off as the Catalans retained the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Alaves on Saturday.

Messi opened the scoring then helped tee up Neymar and Paco Alcacer to lead Barca to a record 29th Cup triumph after Theo Hernandez&#39;s brilliant free-kick had briefly brought Alaves level.

Victory means Enrique bows out after three seasons in charge with nine trophies to his name, including the Cup in every year of his reign.

However, once again it was Messi who inspired Barca to bounceback from the disappointment of losing their La Liga title to Real Madrid last weekend with a stunning individual display.

&quot;He is extraordinary, an extraterrestrial,&quot; said Enrique of Messi.

&quot;I have had the opportunity to enjoy the best of Messi, at his peak athletic performance.

&quot;He is the number one as he shows in his performances and it has been a true pleasure.&quot;

Alaves boss Mauricio Pellegrino was equally in awe of the five-time World Player of the Year.

&quot;He is an out of the ordinary player,&quot; said Pellegrino.

&quot;He has the ability to create goals as well as score them with the precision of his passing.&quot;

Barca were without the suspended Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto and Enrique was forced into another reshuffle just 11 minutes in as Javier Mascherano was forced off with a head injury.

Yet, while Barca&#39;s depth has been much-criticised this season, Andre Gomes deputised ably at right-back after replacing Mascherano and Alcacer took his chance on a rare start on the big stage in Suarez&#39;s absence.

In stark contrast to Barca&#39;s glorious run of six finals in seven years, Alaves were appearing in Spanish football&#39;s showpiece for the first time.

The Basques were roared on by the more enthusiastic support at a far from full Vicente Calderon in its last competitive fixture before Atletico Madrid move home next season.

And Alaves were left wondering what might have been had they gone ahead when Ibai Gomez&#39;s effort came back off the post, ricocheted off the back of Barca &#39;keeper Jasper Cillessen but somehow squirmed along the goal line and not into the net on 27 minutes.

Three minutes later Messi kicked off a thrilling four-goal spell in the final 15 minutes of the half as he exchanged passes with Neymar before curling his 54th goal of the season.

However, Barca&#39;s initial lead only lasted three minutes.

On-loan Atletico left-back Hernandez has been courted by Barcelona, but looks set to become the first player to cross the Madrid divide since 2000 by signing for Real Madrid in the coming weeks.

And the 19-year-old showed why he is in such demand by bending a sumptuous free-kick into the top corner.

Messi saw a free-kick of his own beaten away by Fernando Pacheco, whilst Ivan Rakitic drilled a low shot just wide as Barca immediately reacted to conceding.

Fittingly, Messi was involved once more when Barca did regain the lead as he received Neymar&#39;s pass before playing in Gomes and the Portuguese&#39;s low cross was tapped home by Neymar at the back post as he scored for the third consecutive season in the Cup final.

Barca then put the game to bed in first-half stoppage time when Messi again pulled the Alaves defence apart and his reverse pass freed Alcacer to smash the ball beyond Pacheco into the far corner.

(AFP)

Messi opened the scoring then helped tee up Neymar and Paco Alcacer to lead Barca to a record 29th Cup triumph

A Lionel Messi masterclass salvaged some silverware to end Barcelona's season and gave coach Luis Enrique a victorious send-off as the Catalans retained the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Alaves on Saturday. Messi opened the scoring then helped tee up Neymar and Paco Alcacer to lead Barca to a record 29th Cup triumph after Theo Hernandez's brilliant free-kick had briefly brought Alaves level. Victory means Enrique bows out after three seasons in charge with nine trophies to his name, including the Cup in every year of his reign. However, once again it was Messi who inspired Barca to bounceback from the disappointment of losing their La Liga title to Real Madrid last weekend with a stunning individual display. "He is extraordinary, an extraterrestrial," said Enrique of Messi. "I have had the opportunity to enjoy the best of Messi, at his peak athletic performance. "He is the number one as he shows in his performances and it has been a true pleasure." Alaves boss Mauricio Pellegrino was equally in awe of the five-time World Player of the Year. "He is an out of the ordinary player," said Pellegrino. "He has the ability to create goals as well as score them with the precision of his passing." Barca were without the suspended Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto and Enrique was forced into another reshuffle just 11 minutes in as Javier Mascherano was forced off with a head injury. Yet, while Barca's depth has been much-criticised this season, Andre Gomes deputised ably at right-back after replacing Mascherano and Alcacer took his chance on a rare start on the big stage in Suarez's absence. In stark contrast to Barca's glorious run of six finals in seven years, Alaves were appearing in Spanish football's showpiece for the first time. The Basques were roared on by the more enthusiastic support at a far from full Vicente Calderon in its last competitive fixture before Atletico Madrid move home next season. And Alaves were left wondering what might have been had they gone ahead when Ibai Gomez's effort came back off the post, ricocheted off the back of Barca 'keeper Jasper Cillessen but somehow squirmed along the goal line and not into the net on 27 minutes. Three minutes later Messi kicked off a thrilling four-goal spell in the final 15 minutes of the half as he exchanged passes with Neymar before curling his 54th goal of the season. However, Barca's initial lead only lasted three minutes. On-loan Atletico left-back Hernandez has been courted by Barcelona, but looks set to become the first player to cross the Madrid divide since 2000 by signing for Real Madrid in the coming weeks. And the 19-year-old showed why he is in such demand by bending a sumptuous free-kick into the top corner. Messi saw a free-kick of his own beaten away by Fernando Pacheco, whilst Ivan Rakitic drilled a low shot just wide as Barca immediately reacted to conceding. Fittingly, Messi was involved once more when Barca did regain the lead as he received Neymar's pass before playing in Gomes and the Portuguese's low cross was tapped home by Neymar at the back post as he scored for the third consecutive season in the Cup final. Barca then put the game to bed in first-half stoppage time when Messi again pulled the Alaves defence apart and his reverse pass freed Alcacer to smash the ball beyond Pacheco into the far corner. (AFP)

Messi helps Barcelona beat Alaves to win third straight Cope del Rey

Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering operation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team, a police spokesman told AFP.

The operation was mainly carried out in the north-eastern region of Catalonia and for the moment &quot;there are four or five detainees, including the former president of Bar&ccedil;a, Sandro Rosell, and his wife,&quot; the police spokesman said.

The investigation focuses on &quot;money laundering in companies linked to the image rights of the Brazilian football team&quot;, police added.

Businessman Rosell, 53, was manager of sporting goods giants Nike in Brazil and oversaw the contract for the national team to wear the US brand, before taking over as president of Barcelona in 2010.

Rosell resigned as Barcelona president in 2014 after being charged over alleged tax fraud relating to the club&#39;s signing of Brazil striker Neymar from Santos. He was later cleared of all charges in connection with the case following an agreement with prosecutors.

Rosell will nevertheless be tried for fraud and corruption relating to a parallel complaint filed by Brazilian investment company DIS, which owned 40 per cent of Neymar&#39;s sporting rights at the time of his transfer.

DIS claim it was cheated out of its real share because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona, Santos and the Neymar family.

(AFP)

Sandro Rosell oversaw murky image rights deals of the Brazilian football team when he was the manager of Nike in the South American nation

Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering operation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team, a police spokesman told AFP. The operation was mainly carried out in the north-eastern region of Catalonia and for the moment "there are four or five detainees, including the former president of Barça, Sandro Rosell, and his wife," the police spokesman said. The investigation focuses on "money laundering in companies linked to the image rights of the Brazilian football team", police added. Businessman Rosell, 53, was manager of sporting goods giants Nike in Brazil and oversaw the contract for the national team to wear the US brand, before taking over as president of Barcelona in 2010. Rosell resigned as Barcelona president in 2014 after being charged over alleged tax fraud relating to the club's signing of Brazil striker Neymar from Santos. He was later cleared of all charges in connection with the case following an agreement with prosecutors. Rosell will nevertheless be tried for fraud and corruption relating to a parallel complaint filed by Brazilian investment company DIS, which owned 40 per cent of Neymar's sporting rights at the time of his transfer. DIS claim it was cheated out of its real share because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona, Santos and the Neymar family. (AFP)

Former Barcelona president arrested over money laundering charges

Brazilian forward&nbsp;Neymar&nbsp;faces a corruption trial in Spain in connection with the value placed on his 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona, the Spanish National High Court said on Thursday.

The defendants in the pending trial are the player, his parents, the two clubs, current and former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, according to a court statement.

Bartomeu, Rosell, Barcelona and Santos also face trial on fraud charges, along with former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, the statement said.

&quot;We are very happy as this was a favourable decision for us,&quot; Altamiro Bezerra, an advisor to NN Consultoria told Reuters.

&quot;It has eliminated the question of fraud in the contracts and we are also certain that we will be absolved of corruption.&quot;

The case stems from a complaint by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40 percent of the rights to&nbsp;Neymar&nbsp;when he was at Santos. It argues it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the true value of the deal was understated.

Prosecutors said in November that&nbsp;Neymar&nbsp;should be fined 10 million euros ($11 million) and handed a two-year jail sentence. For first-time offenders in non-violent crimes, sentences of two years and under are suspended in Spain and it is unlikely the player would serve any prison time.

Barcelona said at the time of&nbsp;Neymar&#39;s move that the transfer figure was 57.1 million euros, of which 40 million was paid to&nbsp;Neymar&rsquo;s family.

DIS received a 40 per cent share of the remaining 17.1 million that was paid to Santos. But the court put the actual value of the rights to the player that were transferred to Barcelona at 25.2 million euros, and said DIS&#39;s cut should have been based on that amount.

&quot;The Judge has set bonds of 3,429,768 euros as pecuniary liability for Rosell, Bartomeu, Rodrigues, Football Club Barcelona and Santos Football Club, which must be paid by all jointly,&quot; the court said in a statement.

Barcelona did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. No one was available to comment at Santos, while a spokesperson for DIS said they were pleased with the ruling.

The transfer has given rise to several investigations in Spain and Brazil.

Last June, Barcelona agreed to pay a fine of 5.5 million euros to the Spanish authorities to settle a related tax fraud case.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Barcelona, Bartomeu, Rosell and Santos also face trial on fraud charges, along with former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues

Brazilian forward Neymar faces a corruption trial in Spain in connection with the value placed on his 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona, the Spanish National High Court said on Thursday. The defendants in the pending trial are the player, his parents, the two clubs, current and former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, according to a court statement. Bartomeu, Rosell, Barcelona and Santos also face trial on fraud charges, along with former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues, the statement said. "We are very happy as this was a favourable decision for us," Altamiro Bezerra, an advisor to NN Consultoria told Reuters. "It has eliminated the question of fraud in the contracts and we are also certain that we will be absolved of corruption." The case stems from a complaint by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40 percent of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos. It argues it lost out on its rightful cut from the transfer because the true value of the deal was understated. Prosecutors said in November that Neymar should be fined 10 million euros ($11 million) and handed a two-year jail sentence. For first-time offenders in non-violent crimes, sentences of two years and under are suspended in Spain and it is unlikely the player would serve any prison time. Barcelona said at the time of Neymar's move that the transfer figure was 57.1 million euros, of which 40 million was paid to Neymar’s family. DIS received a 40 per cent share of the remaining 17.1 million that was paid to Santos. But the court put the actual value of the rights to the player that were transferred to Barcelona at 25.2 million euros, and said DIS's cut should have been based on that amount. "The Judge has set bonds of 3,429,768 euros as pecuniary liability for Rosell, Bartomeu, Rodrigues, Football Club Barcelona and Santos Football Club, which must be paid by all jointly," the court said in a statement. Barcelona did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. No one was available to comment at Santos, while a spokesperson for DIS said they were pleased with the ruling. The transfer has given rise to several investigations in Spain and Brazil. Last June, Barcelona agreed to pay a fine of 5.5 million euros to the Spanish authorities to settle a related tax fraud case. (Reuters)

Neymar faces corruption trial over transfer fraud charges

Football&#39;s governing body FIFA has overturned Argentina&nbsp;star Lionel Messi&#39;s four-game ban from international matches imposed for swearing at an assistant referee, saying there was not enough evidence to support the stiff punishment.&nbsp;

Messi had allegedly insulted the referee in a match against Chile which led FIFA to ban the star player. Argentina promptly lost the match the next day against Bolivia with Messi being absent.

The U-turn is a major boost to Argentina&#39;s hopes of reaching next year&#39;s World Cup in Russia, with the South Americans struggling in regional qualifying.

FIFA said its appeal committee sided with a challenge filed on Messi&#39;s behalf by the Argentine Football Association and lifted &quot;the sanctions imposed on him as a result&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Despite the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi&#39;s behaviour as reproachable&quot; it concluded &quot;the evidence available was not sufficient&quot; to justify a four-game ban.&nbsp;

In March the striker was found guilty of &quot;having directed insulting words at an assistant referee&quot; in a World Cup qualifier against Chile which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.&nbsp;

Argentine football chief Armando Perez conceded that Messi &quot;made a mistake&quot;, but argued that FIFA&#39;s sanction was disproportionate.

(AFP)

Messi had allegedly insulted the assistant referee in a match against Chile which led FIFA to ban the star player

Football's governing body FIFA has overturned Argentina star Lionel Messi's four-game ban from international matches imposed for swearing at an assistant referee, saying there was not enough evidence to support the stiff punishment. Messi had allegedly insulted the referee in a match against Chile which led FIFA to ban the star player. Argentina promptly lost the match the next day against Bolivia with Messi being absent. The U-turn is a major boost to Argentina's hopes of reaching next year's World Cup in Russia, with the South Americans struggling in regional qualifying. FIFA said its appeal committee sided with a challenge filed on Messi's behalf by the Argentine Football Association and lifted "the sanctions imposed on him as a result". "Despite the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi's behaviour as reproachable" it concluded "the evidence available was not sufficient" to justify a four-game ban. In March the striker was found guilty of "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" in a World Cup qualifier against Chile which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman. Argentine football chief Armando Perez conceded that Messi "made a mistake", but argued that FIFA's sanction was disproportionate. (AFP)

FIFA on Messi ban: Sufficient evidence not available to justify punishment

Lionel Messi struck his 500th Barcelona goal with the last kick of the game to blow the La Liga title race wide open with a thrilling 3-2 win at Real Madrid on Sunday.

Messi had broken a three-year goalless drought against Madrid to cancel out Casemiro&#39;s opener for Madrid in the first-half.

Ivan Rakitic&#39;s stunning strike and a red card for Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for chopping down Messi 13 minutes from time put Barca on course for victory before James Rodriguez came off the bench to level four minutes from time.

However, fittingly, Messi had the final say with a brilliant finish deep into stoppage time to lift Barcelona&#39;s hopes of a third straight La Liga title.

Fresh from dumping Bayern Munich out the Champions League in a 4-2 thriller after extra-time in midweek, Madrid had started confidently in another breathless encounter at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo had strong appeals for a penalty waived away inside two minutes after he appeared to have been clipped by Samuel Umtiti.

Barca grew slowly into the game and had their first big chance when Luis Suarez dragged wide Jordi Alba&#39;s fine cut-back from the edge of the box 11 minutes in.

Shortly after Messi was left floored and bloodied after being caught by a stray elbow from Marcelo.

The Argentine was still down by Ronaldo drilled another fine effort towards goal that Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to parry to safety.

Unsurprisingly given both Madrid&#39;s potency and Barca&#39;s inability to defend set-pieces, the opener arrived from a dead ball.

Marcelo picked up the loose ball from a corner and when Sergio Ramos volleyed his cross against the post, Casemiro was on hand to tap into an unguarded net.

The lead lasted just five minutes, though, as with a handkerchief still mopping the blood from his cheek, Messi danced past Dani Carvajal and Nacho to fire home his first goal against Madrid for three years.

Ter Stegen was called into action again to prevent Real immediately retaking the lead as he flew to his left to save from Luka Modric&#39;s long-range effort.

However, Barca ended the half feeling hard done by when referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez didn&#39;t show Casemiro a second yellow card for upending Messi as he led a promising counter-attack.

Madrid were rampant at the start of the second period, but were met with a wall of resistance in Ter Stegen.

The German dived low to his left to turn international teammate Toni Kroos&#39;s effort behind before diverting Karim Benzema&#39;s goalbound header to safety with his outstretched foot.

However, Keylor Navas was also busy at the other end as he came to Madrid&#39;s rescue on three occasions.

Firstly, he got a foot to Paco Alcacer&#39;s prodded effort before pulling off acrobatic saves to deny Gerard Pique and Suarez.

Ronaldo then missed a guilt-edged chance to put Madrid back in front as he somehow turned the ball over from point-blank range after unselfish play from Asensio.

There was nothing Navas could do to deny Barca 17 minutes from time when Rakitic took aim from 25 yards and drilled into the top corner.

The match seemed to have swung decisively in Barca&#39;s favour four minutes later when Ramos scythed down Messi to be shown the 22nd red card of his career.

However, even with 10 men, Madrid rallied and levelled when substitute James Rodriguez swept home Marcelo&#39;s cross four minutes from time.

There was still time for one huge twist in the title race, though, as Sergi Roberto&#39;s lung-bursting run led a Barca counter-attack to feed Jordi Alba and his cross was smashed into the corner by Messi.

(AFP)

Messi scored his 500th goal for Barcelona with the last kick of the game

Lionel Messi struck his 500th Barcelona goal with the last kick of the game to blow the La Liga title race wide open with a thrilling 3-2 win at Real Madrid on Sunday. Messi had broken a three-year goalless drought against Madrid to cancel out Casemiro's opener for Madrid in the first-half. Ivan Rakitic's stunning strike and a red card for Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for chopping down Messi 13 minutes from time put Barca on course for victory before James Rodriguez came off the bench to level four minutes from time. However, fittingly, Messi had the final say with a brilliant finish deep into stoppage time to lift Barcelona's hopes of a third straight La Liga title. Fresh from dumping Bayern Munich out the Champions League in a 4-2 thriller after extra-time in midweek, Madrid had started confidently in another breathless encounter at the Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo had strong appeals for a penalty waived away inside two minutes after he appeared to have been clipped by Samuel Umtiti. Barca grew slowly into the game and had their first big chance when Luis Suarez dragged wide Jordi Alba's fine cut-back from the edge of the box 11 minutes in. Shortly after Messi was left floored and bloodied after being caught by a stray elbow from Marcelo. The Argentine was still down by Ronaldo drilled another fine effort towards goal that Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to parry to safety. Unsurprisingly given both Madrid's potency and Barca's inability to defend set-pieces, the opener arrived from a dead ball. Marcelo picked up the loose ball from a corner and when Sergio Ramos volleyed his cross against the post, Casemiro was on hand to tap into an unguarded net. The lead lasted just five minutes, though, as with a handkerchief still mopping the blood from his cheek, Messi danced past Dani Carvajal and Nacho to fire home his first goal against Madrid for three years. Ter Stegen was called into action again to prevent Real immediately retaking the lead as he flew to his left to save from Luka Modric's long-range effort. However, Barca ended the half feeling hard done by when referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez didn't show Casemiro a second yellow card for upending Messi as he led a promising counter-attack. Madrid were rampant at the start of the second period, but were met with a wall of resistance in Ter Stegen. The German dived low to his left to turn international teammate Toni Kroos's effort behind before diverting Karim Benzema's goalbound header to safety with his outstretched foot. However, Keylor Navas was also busy at the other end as he came to Madrid's rescue on three occasions. Firstly, he got a foot to Paco Alcacer's prodded effort before pulling off acrobatic saves to deny Gerard Pique and Suarez. Ronaldo then missed a guilt-edged chance to put Madrid back in front as he somehow turned the ball over from point-blank range after unselfish play from Asensio. There was nothing Navas could do to deny Barca 17 minutes from time when Rakitic took aim from 25 yards and drilled into the top corner. The match seemed to have swung decisively in Barca's favour four minutes later when Ramos scythed down Messi to be shown the 22nd red card of his career. However, even with 10 men, Madrid rallied and levelled when substitute James Rodriguez swept home Marcelo's cross four minutes from time. There was still time for one huge twist in the title race, though, as Sergi Roberto's lung-bursting run led a Barca counter-attack to feed Jordi Alba and his cross was smashed into the corner by Messi. (AFP)

Messi heroics help Barcelona edge Real Madrid 3-2

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta acknowledged on Tuesday that his team has to provide a perfect performance to turn around the result against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Camp Nou stadium, after a thrashing 0-3 first leg defeat.

Barcelona had made a historical comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the fourth round, after a 0-4 defeat at the Parc des Princes, wrapping up the match with&nbsp;a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou.

Barcelona finds itself in the same situation today, but this time against Juve&#39;s almost impregnable&nbsp;defense.

On the first leg in Turin, Iniesta said: &quot;It was a tough loss, but we&#39;re potent. We can sow doubt in our opponents and try to turn the tables.&quot;

&quot;We have to play a perfect game. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals,&quot; he added.

Asked whether Bar&ccedil;a can make another comeback, the veteran midfielder said: &quot;Twice? It&#39;s complicated, but if we can get close and create uncertainty in our opponents, the team will have a chance.&quot;

Iniesta also believes that Wednesday&#39;s match has many similarities to the PSG encounter, explaining that &quot;it&#39;s similar in that we have to score goals and give our rivals little chance to do so.&quot;&nbsp;

He added &quot;mentality is key from the opening minute. We have to score goals, and the earlier, the better.&quot;

(Agencia EFE)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Barcelona is set to clash against Juventus at Camp Nou today hoping to turn the three goal deficit suffered in the first leg

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta acknowledged on Tuesday that his team has to provide a perfect performance to turn around the result against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Camp Nou stadium, after a thrashing 0-3 first leg defeat. Barcelona had made a historical comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the fourth round, after a 0-4 defeat at the Parc des Princes, wrapping up the match with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou. Barcelona finds itself in the same situation today, but this time against Juve's almost impregnable defense. On the first leg in Turin, Iniesta said: "It was a tough loss, but we're potent. We can sow doubt in our opponents and try to turn the tables." "We have to play a perfect game. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals," he added. Asked whether Barça can make another comeback, the veteran midfielder said: "Twice? It's complicated, but if we can get close and create uncertainty in our opponents, the team will have a chance." Iniesta also believes that Wednesday's match has many similarities to the PSG encounter, explaining that "it's similar in that we have to score goals and give our rivals little chance to do so." He added "mentality is key from the opening minute. We have to score goals, and the earlier, the better." (Agencia EFE)

We have to play a perfect game against Juventus: Iniesta

Barcelona&#39;s hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate.

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal.

Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve&#39;s intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final.

Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in.

Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage.

Massimiliano Allegri&rsquo;s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three.

Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post.

Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus&#39; aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed.

Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique.

Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents&#39; half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them.

Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar.

Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side&#39;s second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions.

(Reuters)

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope by starving them of space and clear sights of goal

Barcelona's hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate. The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal. Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve's intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final. Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in. Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage. Massimiliano Allegri’s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three. Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post. Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus' aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed. Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique. Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents' half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them. Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar. Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side's second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions. (Reuters)

Barcelona fail to breach Juventus' steely defence, crash out of Champions League

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona&#39;s title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain&#39;s top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend&#39;s El Clasico.

Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2.

Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek.

&quot;I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week,&quot; Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.

The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring.

Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez.

However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time.

Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net.

Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca&#39;s two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi&#39;s pass.

Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose&#39;s cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend.

But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves.

Isco&#39;s fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box.

&quot;This is the spirit of Real Madrid,&quot; said Isco.

&quot;It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over.&quot;

The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season.

And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona.

&quot;You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here.&quot;

Isco&#39;s late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench.

&quot;I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play,&quot; added Zidane.

&quot;There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job.&quot;

Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season.

Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time.

Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games.

However, Atletico&#39;s problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga.

Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later.

Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third.

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain's top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend's El Clasico. Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2. Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek. "I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week," Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar. The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring. Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez. However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time. Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net. Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca's two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi's pass. Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose's cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend. But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves. Isco's fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box. "This is the spirit of Real Madrid," said Isco. "It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over." The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season. And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona. "You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here." Isco's late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench. "I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play," added Zidane. "There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job." Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season. Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time. Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games. However, Atletico's problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga. Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later. Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third. (AFP)

La Liga: Messi keeps Barca alive ahead of El Clasico

Lionel Messi scored twice on his return from suspension as Barcelona piled the pressure on Real Madrid on Wednesday by moving top of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Sevilla.

Messi was banned for his last two outings for club and country but looked rested rather than rusty as he took his tally for the season to 43 goals in 41 games.

The Argentine also played his part in setting up Luis Suarez&#39;s stunning overhead kick to open the scoring.

Barca lead Real by a point, but Zinedine Zidane&#39;s men have two games in hand, starting at Leganes later Wednesday.

Madrid, though, will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after they were rested by Zidane.

Defeat continues Sevilla&#39;s slump and a sixth straight game without a win sees them remain three points behind Atletico Madrid in the battle for third place.

A visit to the Camp Nou offered Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli a final chance to make his case for the Barca job at the end of the season.

Sampaoli was one of the leading candidates when Luis Enrique announced his decision to step down at the end of the season last month.

However, Sampaoli was left to rue another night of missed chances as a three-goal blitz in eight first-half minutes secured the three points for the hosts before half time.

Messi fired an early warning as he blasted a shot off the underside of the bar from outside the area after just three minutes.

Sevilla had two glorious chances to open the scoring as Steven N&#39;Zonzi fired too close to Marc-Andre ter Stegen when clean through before Vitolo headed over when unmarked inside the area.

Suarez made no such mistake as he caught Messi&#39;s deflected cross flush with an overhead kick to break the deadlock with his 31st goal of the season.

Barca&#39;s star front three were all involved for their second on the counter-attack as Suarez turned Neymar&#39;s cross back into Messi&#39;s path to slot low past Sergio Rico.

Messi doubled his tally for the night six minutes later when he volleyed home a loose ball inside the Sevilla area.

The five-time World Player of the Year then passed up a huge chance for his hat-trick just after the break when he didn&#39;t get enough loft on an attempted chip to beat Rico.

Sevilla had a series of chances to at least claim a consolation as Pablo Sarabia twice tested Ter Stegen with fierce efforts.

Barca could afford the luxury of replacing Suarez, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in the final half hour to keep them fresh for a huge month with both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Juventus and a trip to Real Madrid to come in the next 18 days.

Sevilla&#39;s misery was complete when Spanish international Vitolo was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after chopping down Neymar.

(AFP)

Three first-half goals against Sevilla lifted Barcelona to top of the league standings, though Real Madrid have two matches in hand

Lionel Messi scored twice on his return from suspension as Barcelona piled the pressure on Real Madrid on Wednesday by moving top of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Sevilla. Messi was banned for his last two outings for club and country but looked rested rather than rusty as he took his tally for the season to 43 goals in 41 games. The Argentine also played his part in setting up Luis Suarez's stunning overhead kick to open the scoring. Barca lead Real by a point, but Zinedine Zidane's men have two games in hand, starting at Leganes later Wednesday. Madrid, though, will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after they were rested by Zidane. Defeat continues Sevilla's slump and a sixth straight game without a win sees them remain three points behind Atletico Madrid in the battle for third place. A visit to the Camp Nou offered Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli a final chance to make his case for the Barca job at the end of the season. Sampaoli was one of the leading candidates when Luis Enrique announced his decision to step down at the end of the season last month. However, Sampaoli was left to rue another night of missed chances as a three-goal blitz in eight first-half minutes secured the three points for the hosts before half time. Messi fired an early warning as he blasted a shot off the underside of the bar from outside the area after just three minutes. Sevilla had two glorious chances to open the scoring as Steven N'Zonzi fired too close to Marc-Andre ter Stegen when clean through before Vitolo headed over when unmarked inside the area. Suarez made no such mistake as he caught Messi's deflected cross flush with an overhead kick to break the deadlock with his 31st goal of the season. Barca's star front three were all involved for their second on the counter-attack as Suarez turned Neymar's cross back into Messi's path to slot low past Sergio Rico. Messi doubled his tally for the night six minutes later when he volleyed home a loose ball inside the Sevilla area. The five-time World Player of the Year then passed up a huge chance for his hat-trick just after the break when he didn't get enough loft on an attempted chip to beat Rico. Sevilla had a series of chances to at least claim a consolation as Pablo Sarabia twice tested Ter Stegen with fierce efforts. Barca could afford the luxury of replacing Suarez, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in the final half hour to keep them fresh for a huge month with both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Juventus and a trip to Real Madrid to come in the next 18 days. Sevilla's misery was complete when Spanish international Vitolo was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after chopping down Neymar. (AFP)

Messi's twin strikes, Suarez's screamer keep Barcelona's title hopes alive

Real Madrid moved five points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga despite a lacklustre performance as goals from Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho secured a 3-0 win over Alaves on Sunday.

Benzema volleyed home Dani Carvajal&#39;s cutback for the opening goal just after the half hour mark.

However, the European champions were grateful to Alaves&#39; wastefulness in front of goal after the break as Deyverson and Edgar Mendez passed up huge chances to equalise.

Isco eventually made the game safe five minutes from time before Nacho rounded off the scoring moments later.

Barcelona can close back to within two points with victory at Granada later on Sunday.

&quot;Playing every three days you can&#39;t always play perfectly for 90 minutes,&quot; said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

&quot;We were having problems, we weren&#39;t playing well and then all of a sudden Cristiano (Ronaldo) gets the ball, passes it to Isco and he controls and scores.

&quot;That is what this team has. We know that at any moment we can hurt the opponent.&quot;

Zidane had handed a rest from the start to a host of his stars involved in international duty over the past week as captain Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and James Rodriguez were left out.

Yet, Zidane&#39;s plans were undone inside 10 minutes when Raphael Varane suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Carvajal.

&quot;Rafa has damaged the same area as before, it isn&#39;t as bad as three weeks ago and we hope it is nothing major.&quot;

Zidane did name his first-choice front three as Ronaldo and Gareth Bale flanked Benzema.

All three fired off target from the edge of the box as Madrid started brightly, but they had to wait 31 minutes for the opener.

Carvajal&#39;s burst of pace took him to the by-line and he picked out the unmarked Benzema to smash into the far corner.

Madrid&#39;s rhythm was disrupted by the half-time whistle, though, as Alaves were the better side for large spells of the second-half.

Deyverson headed over from point-blank range from Theo Hernandez&#39;s cross before Mendez passed up the visitors&#39; best chance when he slotted wide when unmarked at the back post.

Manu Garcia&#39;s flicked header also then dipped just beyond Kiko Casilla&#39;s far post as the Santiago Bernabeu crowd became restless.

However, Isco settled their nerves when he rocketed Ronaldo&#39;s through ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle.

And Nacho gave the scoreline an unjustified gloss when he tapped into an empty net after Fernando Pacheco made a brilliant save to tip Bale&#39;s free-kick onto the bar.

Earlier, an unsettling week for Sevilla ended with another disappointing result as they were held 0-0 at home by Sporting Gijon, leaving them fourth in La Liga on Sunday.

In the wake of Sporting director Monchi&#39;s decision to leave the club after 17 years, Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli cast doubt on his future before kick-off with Argentina reportedly interested in hiring him to salvage their floundering World Cup qualifying campaign.

However, Sampaoli&#39;s stock has fallen in recent weeks as Sevilla&#39;s winless run stretched to five games in all competitions despite dominating for 95 minutes at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

A draw is far more valuable for Sporting at the other end of the table as they move to within five points of safety in 18th.

(AFP)

Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho netted for Los Blancos

Real Madrid moved five points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga despite a lacklustre performance as goals from Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho secured a 3-0 win over Alaves on Sunday. Benzema volleyed home Dani Carvajal's cutback for the opening goal just after the half hour mark. However, the European champions were grateful to Alaves' wastefulness in front of goal after the break as Deyverson and Edgar Mendez passed up huge chances to equalise. Isco eventually made the game safe five minutes from time before Nacho rounded off the scoring moments later. Barcelona can close back to within two points with victory at Granada later on Sunday. "Playing every three days you can't always play perfectly for 90 minutes," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. "We were having problems, we weren't playing well and then all of a sudden Cristiano (Ronaldo) gets the ball, passes it to Isco and he controls and scores. "That is what this team has. We know that at any moment we can hurt the opponent." Zidane had handed a rest from the start to a host of his stars involved in international duty over the past week as captain Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and James Rodriguez were left out. Yet, Zidane's plans were undone inside 10 minutes when Raphael Varane suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Carvajal. "Rafa has damaged the same area as before, it isn't as bad as three weeks ago and we hope it is nothing major." Zidane did name his first-choice front three as Ronaldo and Gareth Bale flanked Benzema. All three fired off target from the edge of the box as Madrid started brightly, but they had to wait 31 minutes for the opener. Carvajal's burst of pace took him to the by-line and he picked out the unmarked Benzema to smash into the far corner. Madrid's rhythm was disrupted by the half-time whistle, though, as Alaves were the better side for large spells of the second-half. Deyverson headed over from point-blank range from Theo Hernandez's cross before Mendez passed up the visitors' best chance when he slotted wide when unmarked at the back post. Manu Garcia's flicked header also then dipped just beyond Kiko Casilla's far post as the Santiago Bernabeu crowd became restless. However, Isco settled their nerves when he rocketed Ronaldo's through ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle. And Nacho gave the scoreline an unjustified gloss when he tapped into an empty net after Fernando Pacheco made a brilliant save to tip Bale's free-kick onto the bar. Earlier, an unsettling week for Sevilla ended with another disappointing result as they were held 0-0 at home by Sporting Gijon, leaving them fourth in La Liga on Sunday. In the wake of Sporting director Monchi's decision to leave the club after 17 years, Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli cast doubt on his future before kick-off with Argentina reportedly interested in hiring him to salvage their floundering World Cup qualifying campaign. However, Sampaoli's stock has fallen in recent weeks as Sevilla's winless run stretched to five games in all competitions despite dominating for 95 minutes at the Sanchez Pizjuan. A draw is far more valuable for Sporting at the other end of the table as they move to within five points of safety in 18th. (AFP)

Real Madrid win against Alaves to stretch La Liga lead

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition&#39;s top marksman Lionel Messi.

English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year&#39;s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern.

France&#39;s free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel&#39;s Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19.

Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance.

(AFP)

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday. Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition's top marksman Lionel Messi. English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern. France's free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19. Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance. (AFP)

Champions League quarter-finals: Real Madrid clash against Bayern Munich, Juventus to play Barcelona

Barcelona scored three goals in seven late minutes to pull off a stunning comeback against French champions&nbsp;Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Sergi Roberto&#39;s last-gasp goal meant Barcelona thrashed PSG 6-1 to memorably overcome a 0-4 deficit.

Despite Luis Suarez&#39;s early opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and Lionel Messi&#39;s penalty, Barca, who lost the first leg 4-0, looked down and out when Edison Cavani volleyed home what seemed to be the vital away goal for PSG.

However, Neymar restored Barca&#39;s belief as he firstly fired home a sensational free-kick two minutes from time and then converted from the penalty spot.

And Roberto capped the biggest comeback in Champions League history when he stretched to turn home Neymar&#39;s dinked cross to the delight of a near 100,000 at a rocking Camp Nou, making the score 6-5 on aggregate.

Barca also enter the record books by reaching the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season.

Outgoing Barca coach Luis Enrique warned the French champions on Tuesday that his side were capable of scoring six and they needed the full 95 minutes to pull of a miracle revival.

No side had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Champions League, but after much pre-match hype of a historic turnaround, Barca truly believed when Suarez opened the scoring after just three minutes.

The PSG defence was stationary as Marquinhos headed Rafinha&#39;s cross high into the air and Suarez nipped in ahead of the flapping goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to nod in despite Thomas Meunier&#39;s best efforts to clear off the line.

In a role reversal from the first leg, Barca&#39;s high pressing wasn&#39;t allowing the visitors any restbite, whilst PSG failed to take advantage of the huge spaces in behind the Barca defence on the counter-attack.

Neymar was inches away from delivering a spectacular second when he drilled just wide from well outside the area before Trapp easily collected a Suarez effort from an acute angle.

However, Barca&#39;s hopes were further raised five minutes before the break thanks to more shambolic PSG defending.

Andres Iniesta reached Suarez&#39;s hopeful through ball and his backheel provoked Kurzawa into shanking the ball into his own net on his weaker right foot.

The second period started just as the first ended as Barca edged closer to the history books when Neymar was clipped by the prone Meunier and, after consultation with one of his assistants, German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot.

Messi made no mistake with the penalty to rifle home his 11th Champions League goal of the season.

Only when 3-0 down did PSG begin to come out in search of the crucial away goal and were nearly rewarded immediately as Meunier got to the by-line and his low cross was turned onto the post by Cavani.

The Uruguayan had to wait just 10 minutes more, though, to find the net.

Kurzawa made amends for his earlier error by heading down a free-kick and Cavani connected sweetly on the volley to register his 38th and seemingly most important goal of the season.

PSG were then to rue to huge missed chances to put the tie completely beyond Barca.

Firstly, Cavani should have had his second as he was played in by Draxler, but this time Marc-Andre ter Stegen stood up to block with an outstretched leg.

PSG&#39;s two-goal hero from the first Angel di Maria had started on the bench, but the former Real Madrid man should have rubbed salt in Barca&#39;s wounds five minutes from time when he somehow skewed wide with just Ter Stegen to beat.

Just when Barca looked down and out Neymar restored hope when he curled home a sensational free-kick high into the top corner.

And as the match entered stoppage time, Barca were awarded a second controversial penalty when Suarez tumbled under a challenge form Marquinhos.

Neymar this time took responsibility to send Trapp the wrong way.

And the Brazilian also showed a cool head amongst a mad final minute when he cut inside before chipping into the box for substitute Roberto to extend his right leg just enough to beat Trapp and leave PSG floored.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trailing 0-4 after first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar-inspired Barca pumped in 3 late goals to propel his team to the last eight

Barcelona scored three goals in seven late minutes to pull off a stunning comeback against French champions Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Sergi Roberto's last-gasp goal meant Barcelona thrashed PSG 6-1 to memorably overcome a 0-4 deficit. Despite Luis Suarez's early opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and Lionel Messi's penalty, Barca, who lost the first leg 4-0, looked down and out when Edison Cavani volleyed home what seemed to be the vital away goal for PSG. However, Neymar restored Barca's belief as he firstly fired home a sensational free-kick two minutes from time and then converted from the penalty spot. And Roberto capped the biggest comeback in Champions League history when he stretched to turn home Neymar's dinked cross to the delight of a near 100,000 at a rocking Camp Nou, making the score 6-5 on aggregate. Barca also enter the record books by reaching the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season. Outgoing Barca coach Luis Enrique warned the French champions on Tuesday that his side were capable of scoring six and they needed the full 95 minutes to pull of a miracle revival. No side had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Champions League, but after much pre-match hype of a historic turnaround, Barca truly believed when Suarez opened the scoring after just three minutes. The PSG defence was stationary as Marquinhos headed Rafinha's cross high into the air and Suarez nipped in ahead of the flapping goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to nod in despite Thomas Meunier's best efforts to clear off the line. In a role reversal from the first leg, Barca's high pressing wasn't allowing the visitors any restbite, whilst PSG failed to take advantage of the huge spaces in behind the Barca defence on the counter-attack. Neymar was inches away from delivering a spectacular second when he drilled just wide from well outside the area before Trapp easily collected a Suarez effort from an acute angle. However, Barca's hopes were further raised five minutes before the break thanks to more shambolic PSG defending. Andres Iniesta reached Suarez's hopeful through ball and his backheel provoked Kurzawa into shanking the ball into his own net on his weaker right foot. The second period started just as the first ended as Barca edged closer to the history books when Neymar was clipped by the prone Meunier and, after consultation with one of his assistants, German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot. Messi made no mistake with the penalty to rifle home his 11th Champions League goal of the season. Only when 3-0 down did PSG begin to come out in search of the crucial away goal and were nearly rewarded immediately as Meunier got to the by-line and his low cross was turned onto the post by Cavani. The Uruguayan had to wait just 10 minutes more, though, to find the net. Kurzawa made amends for his earlier error by heading down a free-kick and Cavani connected sweetly on the volley to register his 38th and seemingly most important goal of the season. PSG were then to rue to huge missed chances to put the tie completely beyond Barca. Firstly, Cavani should have had his second as he was played in by Draxler, but this time Marc-Andre ter Stegen stood up to block with an outstretched leg. PSG's two-goal hero from the first Angel di Maria had started on the bench, but the former Real Madrid man should have rubbed salt in Barca's wounds five minutes from time when he somehow skewed wide with just Ter Stegen to beat. Just when Barca looked down and out Neymar restored hope when he curled home a sensational free-kick high into the top corner. And as the match entered stoppage time, Barca were awarded a second controversial penalty when Suarez tumbled under a challenge form Marquinhos. Neymar this time took responsibility to send Trapp the wrong way. And the Brazilian also showed a cool head amongst a mad final minute when he cut inside before chipping into the box for substitute Roberto to extend his right leg just enough to beat Trapp and leave PSG floored. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Barcelona barnstormer spurs stunning comeback against PSG

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season,&nbsp;saying he needs to &quot;rest&quot;.

Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match press conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to stay in the hunt for a third league title.

&quot;I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it&#39;s been three unforgettable years,&quot; said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King&#39;s Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014.

&quot;It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think,&quot; said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer.

&quot;It&#39;s about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect,&quot; the Barcelona coach added.

&quot;I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That&#39;s the principle motive,&quot; he said.

&quot;The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around,&quot; he hoped.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rnhh5ZAYpy0" width="854"></iframe>

Watch: Enrique&#39;s best moments

Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16.

Luis Enrique&#39;s final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season.&nbsp;

(WION)

He said he needed to 'rest', and that 'it's been three unforgettable years'

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season, saying he needs to "rest". Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match press conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to stay in the hunt for a third league title. "I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it's been three unforgettable years," said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King's Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014. "It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think," said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer. "It's about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect," the Barcelona coach added. "I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That's the principle motive," he said. "The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around," he hoped. Watch: Enrique's best moments Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16. Luis Enrique's final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season. (WION)

Luis Enrique to quit as Barcelona coach at end of season

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