The Premier League terminated a lucrative broadcasting contract with its licensee in China on Thursday, dealing a further blow to the English top-flight as clubs adjust to heavy losses as a result of the coronavirus.

Streaming service PPTV agreed a reported $700 million (£524 million) deal for the right to broadcast all 380 Premier League matches per season from 2019 to 2022.

However, the first season of that deal was hit by the coronavirus pandemic with a three-month shutdown between March and June before the season was completed behind closed doors.

PPTV reportedly failed to make a £160 million payment due in March for coverage of the 2019/20 season.

"The Premier League confirms that it has today terminated its agreements for Premier League coverage in China with its licensee in that territory," the Premier League said in a statement.

"The Premier League will not be commenting further on the matter at this stage."

The English top-flight is already facing huge losses due to coronavirus.

The new season is set to start on September 12 in empty stadiums, while domestic and international broadcasters were due rebates because of the disruption to the 2019/20 season.

PP said in a statement that after many rounds of talks disagreements remained on the value of the rights.

"Regrettably, we have not reached an agreement with the Premier League," it said.&nbsp;

"Despite PP paying more than the copyright cycle fee to Premier League in advance, as agreed, PP will terminate its cooperation with the Premier League."

It remains to be seen whether the Premier League will be able to negotiate a new rights deal in China on similar terms due to challenging economic and political conditions.

Last season was marked by political tensions between Britain and China.&nbsp;

In December, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV pulled a game between Arsenal and Manchester City from its programme after Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil expressed support for mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Relations between the two countries have also soured as the British government has ordered the phased removal of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from its 5G network.

It also offered citizenship to millions of Hong Kong nationals in response to a sweeping new security law that Beijing has imposed on the former British colony

The Premier League terminated a lucrative broadcasting contract with its licensee in China on Thursday, dealing a further blow to the English top-flight as clubs adjust to heavy losses as a result of the coronavirus.

The Premier League terminated a lucrative broadcasting contract with its licensee in China on Thursday, dealing a further blow to the English top-flight as clubs adjust to heavy losses as a result of the coronavirus. Streaming service PPTV agreed a reported $700 million (£524 million) deal for the right to broadcast all 380 Premier League matches per season from 2019 to 2022. However, the first season of that deal was hit by the coronavirus pandemic with a three-month shutdown between March and June before the season was completed behind closed doors. PPTV reportedly failed to make a £160 million payment due in March for coverage of the 2019/20 season. "The Premier League confirms that it has today terminated its agreements for Premier League coverage in China with its licensee in that territory," the Premier League said in a statement. "The Premier League will not be commenting further on the matter at this stage." The English top-flight is already facing huge losses due to coronavirus. The new season is set to start on September 12 in empty stadiums, while domestic and international broadcasters were due rebates because of the disruption to the 2019/20 season. PP said in a statement that after many rounds of talks disagreements remained on the value of the rights. "Regrettably, we have not reached an agreement with the Premier League," it said. "Despite PP paying more than the copyright cycle fee to Premier League in advance, as agreed, PP will terminate its cooperation with the Premier League." It remains to be seen whether the Premier League will be able to negotiate a new rights deal in China on similar terms due to challenging economic and political conditions. Last season was marked by political tensions between Britain and China. In December, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV pulled a game between Arsenal and Manchester City from its programme after Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil expressed support for mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang. Relations between the two countries have also soured as the British government has ordered the phased removal of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from its 5G network. It also offered citizenship to millions of Hong Kong nationals in response to a sweeping new security law that Beijing has imposed on the former British colony

Premier League cancels China broadcast deal

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Thursday confirmed that there is a possibility that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will continue his career in Barcelona. A lot has been said and written about Messi’s future since he sent a burofax to Barca asking them to allow him to leave this summer, as per a clause in his contract. However, Barcelona remained firm in their stance and worked out a meeting with Messi’s father where they may have come to a conclusion that it is better for Messi to stay at Nou Camp for another year.&nbsp;

As per Deportes Cuatro, Messi’s father Jorge answered “yes” when he was asked whether there is a possibility that the left-footed maestro will continue his contract with Barcelona. When asked how did the meeting go with club president Josep Bartomeu, Jorge Messi answered “very well”, hinting that their stance to leave the club may have softened up a bit over the days.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lionel-messis-next-team-clubs-who-can-really-afford-to-sign-the-argentine-323423" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine</a>

Messi’s father Jorge arrived in Barcelona on Thursday where he had lunch in an Italian restaurant before meeting Bartomeu. While the first meeting ended in a stalemate, the second meeting seems to have come to a conclusion.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Messi has been strongly linked with Manchester City and a re-union with former Barca manager Pep Guardiola was on cards. However, with Jorge hinting that Messi could end up staying for another season at Barcelona, there might be some disappointment in the City camp.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230" hreflang="en">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures</a>

The likes of Luka Modric and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/should-lionel-messi-leave-barcelona-real-madrids-sergio-ramos-opines-324969">Sergio Ramos from Barcelona’s rival club Real Madrid have also said that Messi leaving the league will be a huge blow to La Liga</a> and the intensity which the Argentine brings into the El Clasicos.&nbsp;

However, an official verdict is still pending from Messi and Barcelona after the former skipped the PCR tests and eventually Ronald Koeman’s first training session for the club. 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Thursday confirmed that there is a possibility that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will continue his career in Barcelona. A lot has been said and written about Messi’s future since he sent a burofax to Barca asking them to allow him to leave this summer, as per a clause in his contract.

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Thursday confirmed that there is a possibility that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will continue his career in Barcelona. A lot has been said and written about Messi’s future since he sent a burofax to Barca asking them to allow him to leave this summer, as per a clause in his contract. However, Barcelona remained firm in their stance and worked out a meeting with Messi’s father where they may have come to a conclusion that it is better for Messi to stay at Nou Camp for another year. As per Deportes Cuatro, Messi’s father Jorge answered “yes” when he was asked whether there is a possibility that the left-footed maestro will continue his contract with Barcelona. When asked how did the meeting go with club president Josep Bartomeu, Jorge Messi answered “very well”, hinting that their stance to leave the club may have softened up a bit over the days. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine Messi’s father Jorge arrived in Barcelona on Thursday where he had lunch in an Italian restaurant before meeting Bartomeu. While the first meeting ended in a stalemate, the second meeting seems to have come to a conclusion. Meanwhile, Messi has been strongly linked with Manchester City and a re-union with former Barca manager Pep Guardiola was on cards. However, with Jorge hinting that Messi could end up staying for another season at Barcelona, there might be some disappointment in the City camp. IN PICS | What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures The likes of Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos from Barcelona’s rival club Real Madrid have also said that Messi leaving the league will be a huge blow to La Liga and the intensity which the Argentine brings into the El Clasicos. However, an official verdict is still pending from Messi and Barcelona after the former skipped the PCR tests and eventually Ronald Koeman’s first training session for the club.

Lionel Messi likely to stay at Barcelona after father Jorge's meeting with Barca's Bartomeu

With the second edition of the UEFA Nations League starting on Thursday, AFP Sport picks out some potential highlights as international football returns after 10 months in hibernation:

<h2>- Germany v Spain -</h2>

Two recent world champions meet in Stuttgart in their first competitive encounter since the 2010 World Cup semi-final in Durban, which Spain won 1-0 before going on to lift the trophy.

A decade on and there are few traces left in either squad. Toni Kroos is the only remaining German, while Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets and Jesus Navas are the only survivors in what is, remarkably, Luis Enrique's first Spain squad of his second spell in charge, despite being re-appointed in November last year.

Seventeen-year-old Ansu Fati of Barcelona is in the Spanish squad, as is Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara, while Germany will be weakened by the absence of most of their Bayern stars, rested by coach Joachim Loew after their recent Champions League exertions.

However, winger Leroy Sane -- Bayern's summer signing from Manchester City -- is included, and others to look out for are Chelsea new boy Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, who could be set to move to the London club too from Bayer Leverkusen.

<h2>- Bale in Wales squad -</h2>

Gareth Bale hardly featured for Real Madrid in their title run-in in La Liga after football restarted in Spain in June and July.

His club future remains extremely uncertain, but Wales coach Ryan Giggs named the 31-year-old in his squad to play Finland and Bulgaria.

"He always turns up to camp fit and raring to go," Giggs said of Bale after naming his squad.

Bale scored twice for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2020.

<h2>- Netherlands without Koeman -</h2>

The Netherlands, who reached the final of the inaugural Nations League before losing to Portugal, will be in action for the first time since the departure of coach Ronald Koeman when they host Poland in Amsterdam on Friday.

Koeman took over in early 2018 and helped revive the fortunes of a team who failed to qualify for Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup.

As well as leading the 'Oranje' to the Nations League final with notable wins over France, Germany and England, he helped them qualify for Euro 2020.

But Koeman has now taken over at Barcelona leaving Dwight Lodeweges to take interim charge of the team -- starring Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong -- who also play Italy at home next Monday.

<h2>- New-look England -</h2>

Gareth Southgate's England go to Iceland and Denmark for their first games since rounding out Euro 2020 qualifying with a 4-0 win in Kosovo last November, and the matches could see several new faces feature.

While Harry Maguire was withdrawn from the squad after his court case in Greece, and his Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford pulled out injured, their club colleague Mason Greenwood is one of a handful of players called up for the first time.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, Phil Foden of Manchester City, Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips, Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Conor Coady and Arsenal full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles are all targeting first caps.

There was also a place in the squad for prolific Southampton striker Danny Ings, who made his only previous England appearance in 2015.

<h2>- France v Croatia -</h2>

France host Croatia next Tuesday in a re-run of the 2018 World Cup final, but plenty has changed since that game in Moscow, which Les Bleus won 4-2.

For starters, Croatia come without Luka Modric or Ivan Rakitic, while Mario Mandzukic has since retired from international football.

Meanwhile Paul Pogba, one of France's goal-scorers in Moscow, is a high-profile absentee after testing positive for coronavirus.

So this could be the big chance for arguably the most exciting teenager in Europe to make his debut.

Eduardo Camavinga of Rennes, still just 17, is the youngest player called up to the full France squad since World War II.

"We will have to manage him in the right way because he is young and this call-up has come around fast," said France coach Didier Deschamps, whose team also play in Sweden on Saturday.

"But the fact he is in the squad means he is supposed to be able to play just like anyone else."

With the second edition of the UEFA Nations League starting on Thursday, AFP Sport picks out some potential highlights as international football returns after 10 months in hibernation: - Germany v Spain - Two recent world champions meet in Stuttgart in their first competitive encounter since the 2010 World Cup semi-final in Durban, which Spain won 1-0 before going on to lift the trophy.

With the second edition of the UEFA Nations League starting on Thursday, AFP Sport picks out some potential highlights as international football returns after 10 months in hibernation: - Germany v Spain - Two recent world champions meet in Stuttgart in their first competitive encounter since the 2010 World Cup semi-final in Durban, which Spain won 1-0 before going on to lift the trophy. A decade on and there are few traces left in either squad. Toni Kroos is the only remaining German, while Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets and Jesus Navas are the only survivors in what is, remarkably, Luis Enrique's first Spain squad of his second spell in charge, despite being re-appointed in November last year. Seventeen-year-old Ansu Fati of Barcelona is in the Spanish squad, as is Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara, while Germany will be weakened by the absence of most of their Bayern stars, rested by coach Joachim Loew after their recent Champions League exertions. However, winger Leroy Sane -- Bayern's summer signing from Manchester City -- is included, and others to look out for are Chelsea new boy Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, who could be set to move to the London club too from Bayer Leverkusen. - Bale in Wales squad - Gareth Bale hardly featured for Real Madrid in their title run-in in La Liga after football restarted in Spain in June and July. His club future remains extremely uncertain, but Wales coach Ryan Giggs named the 31-year-old in his squad to play Finland and Bulgaria. "He always turns up to camp fit and raring to go," Giggs said of Bale after naming his squad. Bale scored twice for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2020. - Netherlands without Koeman - The Netherlands, who reached the final of the inaugural Nations League before losing to Portugal, will be in action for the first time since the departure of coach Ronald Koeman when they host Poland in Amsterdam on Friday. Koeman took over in early 2018 and helped revive the fortunes of a team who failed to qualify for Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup. As well as leading the 'Oranje' to the Nations League final with notable wins over France, Germany and England, he helped them qualify for Euro 2020. But Koeman has now taken over at Barcelona leaving Dwight Lodeweges to take interim charge of the team -- starring Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong -- who also play Italy at home next Monday. - New-look England - Gareth Southgate's England go to Iceland and Denmark for their first games since rounding out Euro 2020 qualifying with a 4-0 win in Kosovo last November, and the matches could see several new faces feature. While Harry Maguire was withdrawn from the squad after his court case in Greece, and his Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford pulled out injured, their club colleague Mason Greenwood is one of a handful of players called up for the first time. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, Phil Foden of Manchester City, Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips, Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Conor Coady and Arsenal full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles are all targeting first caps. There was also a place in the squad for prolific Southampton striker Danny Ings, who made his only previous England appearance in 2015. - France v Croatia - France host Croatia next Tuesday in a re-run of the 2018 World Cup final, but plenty has changed since that game in Moscow, which Les Bleus won 4-2. For starters, Croatia come without Luka Modric or Ivan Rakitic, while Mario Mandzukic has since retired from international football. Meanwhile Paul Pogba, one of France's goal-scorers in Moscow, is a high-profile absentee after testing positive for coronavirus. So this could be the big chance for arguably the most exciting teenager in Europe to make his debut. Eduardo Camavinga of Rennes, still just 17, is the youngest player called up to the full France squad since World War II. "We will have to manage him in the right way because he is young and this call-up has come around fast," said France coach Didier Deschamps, whose team also play in Sweden on Saturday. "But the fact he is in the squad means he is supposed to be able to play just like anyone else."

Germany v Spain, Bale, Camavinga: What to look out for in the Nations League

Bayern Munich formally bid farewell to Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho on Wednesday after his year-long loan deal from Barcelona expired with the newly-crowned European champions declining, as expected, to sign him permanently.

"With his creativity and excellent technique, he livened up our game in this triple-winning season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who made it clear last month they would not bring Coutinho to Munich permanently.

The 28-year-old rebooted his career in Bavaria after a frustrating period in Barcelona following his high-profile transfer from Liverpool in 2018.

Coutinho netted 11 goals, creating nine more, in 38 games for Bayern, including scoring twice in the 8-2 mauling the Germans handed his club Barcelona in the jaw-dropping Champions League quarter-final.

He also came on as a second-half replacement in Bayern's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Lisbon final.&nbsp;

Coutinho struggled to make the starting side in Munich once Bayern head coach Hansi Flick replaced Niko Kovac last November, preferring Thomas Mueller in the attacking midfield role at the Brazilian's expense.

Having paid 8.5 million euros ($10 million) to have Coutinho on loan, Bayern opted not to use the buy option of 120 million euros.

"Making any further investments of this magnitude in these difficult economic times... are also difficult for us," Rummenigge said in mid-August.

However, Coutinho seems to have a future in Barcelona. New head coach Ronald Koeman reportedly phoned him on Monday to assure the Brazilian he is part of his planning for the coming season.

Bayern Munich formally bid farewell to Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho on Wednesday after his year-long loan deal from Barcelona expired with the newly-crowned European champions declining, as expected, to sign him permanently.

Bayern Munich formally bid farewell to Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho on Wednesday after his year-long loan deal from Barcelona expired with the newly-crowned European champions declining, as expected, to sign him permanently. "With his creativity and excellent technique, he livened up our game in this triple-winning season," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who made it clear last month they would not bring Coutinho to Munich permanently. The 28-year-old rebooted his career in Bavaria after a frustrating period in Barcelona following his high-profile transfer from Liverpool in 2018. Coutinho netted 11 goals, creating nine more, in 38 games for Bayern, including scoring twice in the 8-2 mauling the Germans handed his club Barcelona in the jaw-dropping Champions League quarter-final. He also came on as a second-half replacement in Bayern's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Lisbon final. Coutinho struggled to make the starting side in Munich once Bayern head coach Hansi Flick replaced Niko Kovac last November, preferring Thomas Mueller in the attacking midfield role at the Brazilian's expense. Having paid 8.5 million euros ($10 million) to have Coutinho on loan, Bayern opted not to use the buy option of 120 million euros. "Making any further investments of this magnitude in these difficult economic times... are also difficult for us," Rummenigge said in mid-August. However, Coutinho seems to have a future in Barcelona. New head coach Ronald Koeman reportedly phoned him on Monday to assure the Brazilian he is part of his planning for the coming season.

Coutinho returns to Barca after Bayern loan spell ends

East Bengal on Wednesday confirmed Shree Cements Ltd as the new sponsor for the club while further giving good news to millions of fans that the Red and Gold Brigade is likely to be the 11th team of Hero Indian Super League 2020. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and East Bengal executive committee member Debabrata Sarkar held a join-press conference on Wednesday to update the fans on the development as they announced East Bengal is looking to play in ISL with Shree Cements Ltd as primary sponsors.&nbsp;

Talking about the development, Debabrata Sarkar said that WB CM had given him a call on the day ATK joined hands with Mohun Bagan for the much-talked-about merger while assuring the club that they will soon find a sponsor. Sarkar thanked Banerjee for her whole-hearted support during the crisis time while adding they all are looking forward to a bright future.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-difficult-jorge-gives-lionel-messi-verdict-ahead-of-talks-with-barcelonas-bartomeu-324715" hreflang="en">'Difficult...' - Jorge gives Lionel Messi verdict ahead of talks with Barcelona's Bartomeu</a>

Meanwhile, East Bengal has now finally found a sponsor after months of deliberation and negotiations. The COVID-19 pandemic is said to be a major reason behind the delayed negotiations and announcement.&nbsp;

East Bengal fans, who boast a rich history and are known as one of the biggest and passionate fan-bases in India, were calling for new sponsors so that the club can participate in ISL like their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan. Now, with the deal and announcement finalised, fans can look forward to the derby.&nbsp;

However, after crossing the final hurdle by finding a new investor, East Bengal will now look to start a fresh journey and continue their legacy in India’s first division – ISL. 
&nbsp;

East Bengal on Wednesday confirmed Shree Cements Ltd as the new sponsor for the club while further giving good news to millions of fans that the Red and Gold Brigade is likely to be the 11th team of Hero Indian Super League 2020.

East Bengal on Wednesday confirmed Shree Cements Ltd as the new sponsor for the club while further giving good news to millions of fans that the Red and Gold Brigade is likely to be the 11th team of Hero Indian Super League 2020. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and East Bengal executive committee member Debabrata Sarkar held a join-press conference on Wednesday to update the fans on the development as they announced East Bengal is looking to play in ISL with Shree Cements Ltd as primary sponsors. Talking about the development, Debabrata Sarkar said that WB CM had given him a call on the day ATK joined hands with Mohun Bagan for the much-talked-about merger while assuring the club that they will soon find a sponsor. Sarkar thanked Banerjee for her whole-hearted support during the crisis time while adding they all are looking forward to a bright future. ALSO READ: 'Difficult...' - Jorge gives Lionel Messi verdict ahead of talks with Barcelona's Bartomeu Meanwhile, East Bengal has now finally found a sponsor after months of deliberation and negotiations. The COVID-19 pandemic is said to be a major reason behind the delayed negotiations and announcement. East Bengal fans, who boast a rich history and are known as one of the biggest and passionate fan-bases in India, were calling for new sponsors so that the club can participate in ISL like their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan. Now, with the deal and announcement finalised, fans can look forward to the derby. However, after crossing the final hurdle by finding a new investor, East Bengal will now look to start a fresh journey and continue their legacy in India’s first division – ISL.

East Bengal announce new investors, all set to play in ISL

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Wednesday morning arrived at Barcelona, Spain to hold talks with club president Josep Bartomeu regarding the future of six-time Ballon d’Or winner. There is massive anticipation surrounding the meeting between Jorge and Bartomeu as fans expect to see a clearer picture of what future holds for Messi.&nbsp;

Media hoarded Jorge Messi as soon as he arrived in Barcelona while answering some of the questions asked by the Spanish media present in the scene. When a reporter asked him whether Messi will leave Barcelona, Jorge said: “I don't know”.&nbsp;

The second question was asked to Jorge whether he sees Messi staying in the Nou Camp to which he answered “difficult” while refusing the claims that he has already held talks with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lionel-messis-next-team-clubs-who-can-really-afford-to-sign-the-argentine-323423" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine</a>

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🚨 Jorge Messi describes Messi's continuity at Barça as DIFFICULT. 
 
[<a href="https://twitter.com/DeportesCuatro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeportesCuatro</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazquezFont?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlazquezFont</a>]<a href="https://t.co/wbvJ4t2UX4">pic.twitter.com/wbvJ4t2UX4</a>
— City Chief (@City_Chief) <a href="https://twitter.com/City_Chief/status/1301089499682934784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230" hreflang="en">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures</a>

Jorge and Bartomeu are set for showdown talks on Wednesday afternoon in relation to Messi’s future. As per reports, Messi wants to leave his lifelong club and hasn’t changed his mind despite not showing up for PCR tests conducted by the Catalan club while missing out on the first training session under new manager Ronald Koeman.&nbsp;

Messi, last week, had sent a buro-fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave for free, as per an existing clause in his contract. However, Barcelona refuse to listen to Messi and are firm that the EUR 700 million release clause is still active and if the Argentine maestro has to leave the club then the full amount needs to be paid.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/stay-or-go-messi-in-legal-tangle-with-barcelona-over-leaving-club-323132" hreflang="en">Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club</a>

Even La Liga jumped in between and issued a statement agreeing to Barcelona’s stance as the Spanish league said that the full release clause needs to be paid by any other team if they want to acquire Messi’s services.

While Jorge and Messi’s entourage are hopeful of getting into a mutual agreement, Bartomeu wants Messi to stay and sign an extension with the club. 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Wednesday morning arrived at Barcelona, Spain to hold talks with club president Josep Bartomeu regarding the future of six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Lionel Messi’s father Jorge on Wednesday morning arrived at Barcelona, Spain to hold talks with club president Josep Bartomeu regarding the future of six-time Ballon d’Or winner. There is massive anticipation surrounding the meeting between Jorge and Bartomeu as fans expect to see a clearer picture of what future holds for Messi. Media hoarded Jorge Messi as soon as he arrived in Barcelona while answering some of the questions asked by the Spanish media present in the scene. When a reporter asked him whether Messi will leave Barcelona, Jorge said: “I don't know”. The second question was asked to Jorge whether he sees Messi staying in the Nou Camp to which he answered “difficult” while refusing the claims that he has already held talks with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine 🚨 Jorge Messi describes Messi's continuity at Barça as DIFFICULT. [@DeportesCuatro via @BlazquezFont]pic.twitter.com/wbvJ4t2UX4 — City Chief (@City_Chief) September 2, 2020 × IN PICS | What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures Jorge and Bartomeu are set for showdown talks on Wednesday afternoon in relation to Messi’s future. As per reports, Messi wants to leave his lifelong club and hasn’t changed his mind despite not showing up for PCR tests conducted by the Catalan club while missing out on the first training session under new manager Ronald Koeman. Messi, last week, had sent a buro-fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave for free, as per an existing clause in his contract. However, Barcelona refuse to listen to Messi and are firm that the EUR 700 million release clause is still active and if the Argentine maestro has to leave the club then the full amount needs to be paid. IN PICS | Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club Even La Liga jumped in between and issued a statement agreeing to Barcelona’s stance as the Spanish league said that the full release clause needs to be paid by any other team if they want to acquire Messi’s services. While Jorge and Messi’s entourage are hopeful of getting into a mutual agreement, Bartomeu wants Messi to stay and sign an extension with the club.

WATCH: 'Difficult...' - Jorge gives Lionel Messi verdict ahead of talks with Barcelona's Bartomeu

Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, club sources have confirmed to AFP, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer.&nbsp;

After skipping coronavirus tests on Sunday, Messi was absent again from the club's Ciutat Esportiva training ground, where Ronald Koeman held a session at 5:30pm, his first since being appointed Barca coach.&nbsp;

It appears increasingly likely Messi will try to force a transfer by refusing to play in La Liga next season, which begins on September 12.

The 33-year-old and his lawyers believe that participating in Barcelona's pre-season programme would contradict their argument that Messi no longer belongs to the club.&nbsp;

They insist a clause in his contract that allows Messi to depart for free this summer was activated last Tuesday, when the burofax stating his intention to leave arrived at the Camp Nou.&nbsp;

But Barcelona maintain that clause had to be activated by June 10 and the deadline has not been extended, despite the season being prolonged due to the pandemic, with the men's Champions League final played on August 23.&nbsp;

La Liga backed up Barca's position on Sunday by announcing that the release clause in Messi's contract, set at 700 million euros ($833 million), still applies.&nbsp;

The club's captain and greatest ever player, who has scored 634 goals for them and won 34 titles, now risks being punished either by a fine or, if his absence continues, a reduction in salary.&nbsp;

Manchester City remain favourites to sign Messi, whose basic salary alone amounts to around 60 million euros.

The Argentinian has reportedly spoken to City coach Pep Guardiola but other clubs remain in the running, including Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, club sources have confirmed to AFP, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer.

Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, club sources have confirmed to AFP, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer. After skipping coronavirus tests on Sunday, Messi was absent again from the club's Ciutat Esportiva training ground, where Ronald Koeman held a session at 5:30pm, his first since being appointed Barca coach. It appears increasingly likely Messi will try to force a transfer by refusing to play in La Liga next season, which begins on September 12. The 33-year-old and his lawyers believe that participating in Barcelona's pre-season programme would contradict their argument that Messi no longer belongs to the club. They insist a clause in his contract that allows Messi to depart for free this summer was activated last Tuesday, when the burofax stating his intention to leave arrived at the Camp Nou. But Barcelona maintain that clause had to be activated by June 10 and the deadline has not been extended, despite the season being prolonged due to the pandemic, with the men's Champions League final played on August 23. La Liga backed up Barca's position on Sunday by announcing that the release clause in Messi's contract, set at 700 million euros ($833 million), still applies. The club's captain and greatest ever player, who has scored 634 goals for them and won 34 titles, now risks being punished either by a fine or, if his absence continues, a reduction in salary. Manchester City remain favourites to sign Messi, whose basic salary alone amounts to around 60 million euros. The Argentinian has reportedly spoken to City coach Pep Guardiola but other clubs remain in the running, including Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Messi misses first pre-season training session as Barcelona stand-off continues

Former Manchester City midfielder David Silva has tested positive for coronavirus, his new club Real Sociedad announced on Monday.

The 34-year-old joined La Real on a free transfer earlier this month but returned a positive Covid-19 test after arriving to San Sebastian.

The Liga club said it was Silva's second test within 72 hours since landing in Spain, having previously tested negative.

The Spaniard, a former World Cup and European Championship winner, left Man City at the end of his contract before signing a two-year deal with Sociedad.

He is self-isolating and is displaying no symptoms, the club said.

Silva's new teammate Mikel Oyarzabal has also contracted the virus and was replaced in Luis Enrique's Spain squad by Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

Spain face Germany in their Nations League opener in Stuttgart on Thursday, before hosting Ukraine three days later.

The 2020/21 La Liga campaign gets underway on September 12.

Former Manchester City midfielder David Silva has tested positive for coronavirus, his new club Real Sociedad announced on Monday. The 34-year-old joined La Real on a free transfer earlier this month but returned a positive Covid-19 test after arriving to San Sebastian.

Former Manchester City midfielder David Silva has tested positive for coronavirus, his new club Real Sociedad announced on Monday. The 34-year-old joined La Real on a free transfer earlier this month but returned a positive Covid-19 test after arriving to San Sebastian. The Liga club said it was Silva's second test within 72 hours since landing in Spain, having previously tested negative. The Spaniard, a former World Cup and European Championship winner, left Man City at the end of his contract before signing a two-year deal with Sociedad. He is self-isolating and is displaying no symptoms, the club said. Silva's new teammate Mikel Oyarzabal has also contracted the virus and was replaced in Luis Enrique's Spain squad by Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno. Spain face Germany in their Nations League opener in Stuttgart on Thursday, before hosting Ukraine three days later. The 2020/21 La Liga campaign gets underway on September 12.

David Silva tests positive for coronavirus

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was facing questioning Tuesday by a Swiss prosecutor over a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) made to former UEFA boss Michel Platini in 2011.&nbsp;

The 84-year-old arrived around at 09:00 am at the headquarters of the Public Ministry of the Confederation (MPC) in Bern, where Platini, the former head of European football, had been questioned the day before by&nbsp;prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand.&nbsp;

"This is the moment when we start to talk about this dossier which has lasted for five years, and about which I have never been asked questions, so I am happy to be able to give information on it," said Blatter as he arrived.

The investigation, which was set up in 2015, is looking into the payment&nbsp;Platini&nbsp;received from FIFA in&nbsp;2011 for&nbsp;an advisory job completed in 2002, on suspicion of "complicity in unfair management, embezzlement and forgery".

Platini said in June when he was added by Hildebrand to the investigation that the Swiss Attorney General's office had "confirmed in writing in May 2018" that his case was closed.

The 65-year-old former French football great now has the status of "accused" alongside Blatter.

Blatter, who led the global football body from 1998 to 2015,&nbsp;told&nbsp;AFP&nbsp;the&nbsp;payment was above board.

"It was back pay for work done by Michel Platini. The sum was validated by the finance commission. It cannot be a criminal offence," said Blatter.

FIFA deemed the sum a "disloyal payment" and suspended Blatter and Platini from all football-related activities, which prevented the former UEFA chief from running for another term as president&nbsp;in 2016.

Two other former FIFA&nbsp;executives,&nbsp;Frenchman Jerome Valcke, the former secretary-general, and German Markus Kattner, the former financial director, are being investigated on "suspicion of unfair management", the OAG has said.

Kattner will be questioned on September 4.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was facing questioning Tuesday by a Swiss prosecutor over a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) made to former UEFA boss Michel Platini in 2011.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was facing questioning Tuesday by a Swiss prosecutor over a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) made to former UEFA boss Michel Platini in 2011. The 84-year-old arrived around at 09:00 am at the headquarters of the Public Ministry of the Confederation (MPC) in Bern, where Platini, the former head of European football, had been questioned the day before by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand. "This is the moment when we start to talk about this dossier which has lasted for five years, and about which I have never been asked questions, so I am happy to be able to give information on it," said Blatter as he arrived. The investigation, which was set up in 2015, is looking into the payment Platini received from FIFA in 2011 for an advisory job completed in 2002, on suspicion of "complicity in unfair management, embezzlement and forgery". Platini said in June when he was added by Hildebrand to the investigation that the Swiss Attorney General's office had "confirmed in writing in May 2018" that his case was closed. The 65-year-old former French football great now has the status of "accused" alongside Blatter. Blatter, who led the global football body from 1998 to 2015, told AFP the payment was above board. "It was back pay for work done by Michel Platini. The sum was validated by the finance commission. It cannot be a criminal offence," said Blatter. FIFA deemed the sum a "disloyal payment" and suspended Blatter and Platini from all football-related activities, which prevented the former UEFA chief from running for another term as president in 2016. Two other former FIFA executives, Frenchman Jerome Valcke, the former secretary-general, and German Markus Kattner, the former financial director, are being investigated on "suspicion of unfair management", the OAG has said. Kattner will be questioned on September 4.

Blatter's turn to face Swiss prosecutor over Platini payment

A lot has been said and written about since Lionel Messi officially sent a fax to Barcelona asking the club to allow him to leave for free. While Barcelona and La Liga have maintained that a full release clause of EUR 700 million needs to be paid by a club to have Messi’s services, many reports have stated that the release clause expired after the completion of 2019-20 season, triggering another clause which allows the Argentine to leave for free.&nbsp;

While Messi hasn’t come out in public about this, as a mark of respect for his life-long club, Barcelona aren’t treating the six-time Ballon d’Or that well. Messi didn’t show up for the PCR test and training as Barca started their pre-season training with the left-footed megastar.&nbsp;

As per latest reports, Messi’s father Jorge is set to arrive in Barcelona to start talks with club president Josep Bartomeu on Thursday. While Bartomeu doesn’t want to listen to anything which relates to Messi leaving the club, Jorge is set to ask the Barca boss to allow his son to leave the club.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lionel-messis-next-team-clubs-who-can-really-afford-to-sign-the-argentine-323423" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine</a>

Apparently, Messi hasn’t received Bartomeu’s call while ignoring his messages on WhatsApp with the Barca president trying to convince the Argentine that the club can get back their glory days.&nbsp;

Interestingly, officials from Manchester City, especially Ferran Soriano is in Spain, and reportedly, is set to meet Messi’s father later in this week. Senior officials in Barcelona have started to think that time is up for Messi and that the 33-year-old has made up his mind about leaving the club.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/stay-or-go-messi-in-legal-tangle-with-barcelona-over-leaving-club-323132" hreflang="en">Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club</a>

The matter could very well end up in court if Barcelona don’t allow Messi to leave the club, as per a clause which allows him to walk out for free. However, both Messi and Barcelona won’t look forward to such face-off and could come to a mutual agreement. But all depends on how the meeting and Bartomeu and Jorge Messi ends.

Since making his debut in the 2003/04 campaign, Messi has played 731 games for Barcelona, scoring 634 times in all competitions.

A lot has been said and written about since Lionel Messi officially sent a fax to Barcelona asking the club to allow him to leave for free. While Barcelona and La Liga have maintained that a full release clause of EUR 700 million needs to be paid by a club to have Messi’s services, many reports have stated that the release clause expired after the completion of 2019-20 season, triggering another clause which allows the Argentine to leave for free.

A lot has been said and written about since Lionel Messi officially sent a fax to Barcelona asking the club to allow him to leave for free. While Barcelona and La Liga have maintained that a full release clause of EUR 700 million needs to be paid by a club to have Messi’s services, many reports have stated that the release clause expired after the completion of 2019-20 season, triggering another clause which allows the Argentine to leave for free. While Messi hasn’t come out in public about this, as a mark of respect for his life-long club, Barcelona aren’t treating the six-time Ballon d’Or that well. Messi didn’t show up for the PCR test and training as Barca started their pre-season training with the left-footed megastar. As per latest reports, Messi’s father Jorge is set to arrive in Barcelona to start talks with club president Josep Bartomeu on Thursday. While Bartomeu doesn’t want to listen to anything which relates to Messi leaving the club, Jorge is set to ask the Barca boss to allow his son to leave the club. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine Apparently, Messi hasn’t received Bartomeu’s call while ignoring his messages on WhatsApp with the Barca president trying to convince the Argentine that the club can get back their glory days. Interestingly, officials from Manchester City, especially Ferran Soriano is in Spain, and reportedly, is set to meet Messi’s father later in this week. Senior officials in Barcelona have started to think that time is up for Messi and that the 33-year-old has made up his mind about leaving the club. IN PICS | Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club The matter could very well end up in court if Barcelona don’t allow Messi to leave the club, as per a clause which allows him to walk out for free. However, both Messi and Barcelona won’t look forward to such face-off and could come to a mutual agreement. But all depends on how the meeting and Bartomeu and Jorge Messi ends. Since making his debut in the 2003/04 campaign, Messi has played 731 games for Barcelona, scoring 634 times in all competitions.

Lionel Messi's father Jorge set to meet Josep Bartomeu as Man City stay alert

The first three episodes of the much-awaited series All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur was released on OTT platform Amazon Prime on Monday as the docu-series gave a glimpse&nbsp;life is inside the London club.&nbsp;

While the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and appointment of ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho was one of the most-talked-about incidents in the footballing world when it comes to 2019-20 season, the series, with an unprecedented access to Tottenham Hotspur, provided fans with the ups and downs of the club following their super successful season in 2018-19 where they managed to get to the final of UEFA Champions League.&nbsp;

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🍿 Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllorNothingSpurs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllorNothingSpurs</a> NOW! <a href="https://t.co/Q4a9NSDDEa">pic.twitter.com/Q4a9NSDDEa</a>
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ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-misses-first-pre-season-training-session-as-barcelona-stand-off-continues-324446" hreflang="en">Messi misses first pre-season training session as Barcelona stand-off continues</a>

The series starts with life under Pochettino in what became his final few months with the club. Tensions started&nbsp;to broil, cracks started to appear as players became ‘clueless’ in the start of 2019-20 season as Tottenham found themselves in the bottom-half of the Premier League table while struggling in the UEFA Champions League group stage.&nbsp;

Boss Daniel Levy, who is shown as a passionate businessman, is forced to take 'harsh' calls for the betterment of the club, sacks Pochettino to appoint Mourinho as his successor in the club. Pochettino’s sacking came after five and half years with the London club.

"My heart was telling me, 'don't do it'. My brain was telling me 'I need to' - it was more than just an employer-employee relationship," Levy is seen saying.

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🎬 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllOrNothingSpurs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllOrNothingSpurs</a> has arrived! 
 
Sign up for your free <a href="https://twitter.com/primevideosport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@primevideosport</a> 30-day trial now! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THFC</a> ⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COYS</a>
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But after disappointment of Pochettino’s sacking, the buzz returns with Mourinho. Players are alerted as they are seen discussing the appointment. “He is going to be super tactical”, “He is the most tactical coach in the world,” the players discuss.&nbsp;

As soon as Mourinho takes charge of Tottenham, we see the Portuguese in new avatar. During his initial days in the club, pundits start criticizing Mourinho for losing his ‘aura’ in the football management world. The Portuguese simply walks and shuts the TV off. The tactical masterclass follows.

The first three episodes mainly focus on how Mourinho builds relationship with his players and fans, who know him as ‘Mr Chelsea’. Even the fans are seen saying they don’t know whether to chant Mourinho’s name in the stands.

You must be thinking why we are writing only about Mourinho, because the first three episodes focuses more on Mourinho than the players or coaching staff. The way he terms Dele Alli as ‘lazy’ to help him get back to form and get back to form is the highlight of the series so far. In contrasting look, Mourinho explains Harry Kane how he can help him ‘explode’ and reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. There are different shades of Mourinho and the docu-series covers that incredibly well so far. Mourinho is blockbuster as always.

How good a coach Mourinho is after consecutive sacking in his previous clubs? The way he asked Serge Aurier to get forward only for the right-back to score a goal shows his tactical awareness and class he possess. In another incident, he subbed off Eric Dier in the first half for Christian Eriksen and Spurs turned the tables to win the match comfortably. Mourinho certainly hasn’t lost his charm.&nbsp;

However, as the episodes go, fans might be left craving for more other than Mourinho and how he is dealing with his tactics and players.&nbsp;

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Even though the series shows glimpses of how the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium was built and turns Levy into some sort of messiah, it would have been a bit better had they focused how the sacking of Pochettino happened.&nbsp;

In what can be termed as the most ‘gripping’ scenes from the first three episodes, Kane discusses Pochettino’s sacking with other players in the canteen. Vetronghen asks: "Apparently they (Pochettino’s camp&nbsp;knew already?"

"No," responds Kane, explaining that he spoke to the former Spurs boss the previous night. He relays that exchange by saying: "The chairman came in and said, 'can I talk? You're being sacked - you need to pack your things and you leave tonight'."

The series, so far, is about Mourinho opening up with his players, getting their names right, building a bond with the players in his eerie style. A bit disappointed start to the series but hope it picks up pace when other episodes come out next week.&nbsp;

(Note: We will give a final rating once the entire series is out)

The first three episodes of the much-awaited series All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur was released on OTT platform Amazon Prime on Monday as the docu-series gave a glimpse life is inside the London club.

The first three episodes of the much-awaited series All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur was released on OTT platform Amazon Prime on Monday as the docu-series gave a glimpse life is inside the London club. While the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and appointment of ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho was one of the most-talked-about incidents in the footballing world when it comes to 2019-20 season, the series, with an unprecedented access to Tottenham Hotspur, provided fans with the ups and downs of the club following their super successful season in 2018-19 where they managed to get to the final of UEFA Champions League. 🍿 Watch #AllorNothingSpurs NOW! pic.twitter.com/Q4a9NSDDEa — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) August 31, 2020 × ALSO READ: Messi misses first pre-season training session as Barcelona stand-off continues The series starts with life under Pochettino in what became his final few months with the club. Tensions started to broil, cracks started to appear as players became ‘clueless’ in the start of 2019-20 season as Tottenham found themselves in the bottom-half of the Premier League table while struggling in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Boss Daniel Levy, who is shown as a passionate businessman, is forced to take 'harsh' calls for the betterment of the club, sacks Pochettino to appoint Mourinho as his successor in the club. Pochettino’s sacking came after five and half years with the London club. "My heart was telling me, 'don't do it'. My brain was telling me 'I need to' - it was more than just an employer-employee relationship," Levy is seen saying. 🎬 #AllOrNothingSpurs has arrived! Sign up for your free @primevideosport 30-day trial now! #THFC ⚪️ #COYS — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 31, 2020 × But after disappointment of Pochettino’s sacking, the buzz returns with Mourinho. Players are alerted as they are seen discussing the appointment. “He is going to be super tactical”, “He is the most tactical coach in the world,” the players discuss. As soon as Mourinho takes charge of Tottenham, we see the Portuguese in new avatar. During his initial days in the club, pundits start criticizing Mourinho for losing his ‘aura’ in the football management world. The Portuguese simply walks and shuts the TV off. The tactical masterclass follows. The first three episodes mainly focus on how Mourinho builds relationship with his players and fans, who know him as ‘Mr Chelsea’. Even the fans are seen saying they don’t know whether to chant Mourinho’s name in the stands. You must be thinking why we are writing only about Mourinho, because the first three episodes focuses more on Mourinho than the players or coaching staff. The way he terms Dele Alli as ‘lazy’ to help him get back to form and get back to form is the highlight of the series so far. In contrasting look, Mourinho explains Harry Kane how he can help him ‘explode’ and reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. There are different shades of Mourinho and the docu-series covers that incredibly well so far. Mourinho is blockbuster as always. How good a coach Mourinho is after consecutive sacking in his previous clubs? The way he asked Serge Aurier to get forward only for the right-back to score a goal shows his tactical awareness and class he possess. In another incident, he subbed off Eric Dier in the first half for Christian Eriksen and Spurs turned the tables to win the match comfortably. Mourinho certainly hasn’t lost his charm. However, as the episodes go, fans might be left craving for more other than Mourinho and how he is dealing with his tactics and players. 🎬 Behind-the-scenes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the #AllOrNothingSpurs Premiere Event... #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/9Gcpvx9yEW — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 25, 2020 × Even though the series shows glimpses of how the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium was built and turns Levy into some sort of messiah, it would have been a bit better had they focused how the sacking of Pochettino happened. In what can be termed as the most ‘gripping’ scenes from the first three episodes, Kane discusses Pochettino’s sacking with other players in the canteen. Vetronghen asks: "Apparently they (Pochettino’s camp knew already?" "No," responds Kane, explaining that he spoke to the former Spurs boss the previous night. He relays that exchange by saying: "The chairman came in and said, 'can I talk? You're being sacked - you need to pack your things and you leave tonight'." The series, so far, is about Mourinho opening up with his players, getting their names right, building a bond with the players in his eerie style. A bit disappointed start to the series but hope it picks up pace when other episodes come out next week. (Note: We will give a final rating once the entire series is out)

Review | All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur - Jose Mourinho masterclass so far

Japan star Saki Kumagai's strike proved crucial as Lyon continued their reign as Europe's dominant women's club side on Sunday, beating Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Champions League final to win the trophy for the fifth year running.

Kumagai scored after Eugenie Le Sommer had handed the French outfit the lead in San Sebastian, giving Lyon a 2-0 half-time advantage and leaving Wolfsburg with too much to do even if Alexandra Popp did pull one back for the Germans in the second half.

Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir's late effort made sure of the victory for Lyon, whose fifth consecutive Champions League crown is also their seventh overall, comfortably a record.

A fifth straight title sees them equal the feat achieved by the Real Madrid men's team between 1956 and 1960, in the early days of the European Cup.

All of Lyon's seven titles have come in the last decade and this latest triumph confirms their status as the finest club team around even as rivals around Europe step up their investment in the women's game.

Jean-Luc Vasseur's team edged out Bayern Munich 2-1 in the quarter-finals at the 'Final Eight' in Spain's Basque Country, played out behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

They then claimed a narrow 1-0 win in the semi-finals over domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain, the team they beat to claim a 14th successive French title earlier this year and defeated on penalties in the French Cup final.

This victory, against a Wolfsburg side who themselves claimed a German domestic double and were unbeaten in 40 games coming into the final, showcased the depth of their all-star squad.

Lyon were missing four of their biggest stars, with France duo Griedge Mbock and Amandine Henry injured and Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg -- the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner -- not fully fit. England forward Nikita Parris was suspended.

But Lyon's long-serving president Jean-Michel Aulas continues to be rewarded for his heavy investment in a women's team, despite the prize money for winning the Champions League being a mere 450,000 euros ($535,000), a tiny fraction of that on offer in the men's competition.

Here, despite the absences, Lyon were still able to call upon a host of French internationals and foreign stars like Kumagai, Germany's Dzsenifer Marozsan and England right-back Lucy Bronze.

<h2>- Unbeaten in 65 games -</h2>

They are now unbeaten in 65 matches stretching back more than two years, and this is also the third time in five editions in which Lyon have beaten Wolfsburg in the final, leaving the Germans still searching for a third Champions League crown to go with their titles in 2013 and 2014.

They defeated OL in 2013, but the French side have now overcome the Germans en route to winning each of their five straight titles.

Previous finals between these sides have always been close affairs, although on this occasion the holders started strongly and were rewarded with the opening goal in the 25th minute.

Without Hegerberg or Parris, it was Le Sommer who led the attack. And when a move down the right ended with Delphine Cascarino cutting the ball back for Le Sommer, she pounced to convert the rebound after her first shot was blocked by goalkeeper Friederike Abt.

The second goal came in the 44th minute. Ingrid Engen stopped Amel Majri shooting but only succeeded in setting up Kumagai, who let fly with a terrific left-foot strike from 23 yards.

There was hope for Wolfsburg when they pulled one back just before the hour, Ewa Pajor setting up Popp to head in from close range.

But they could not find an equaliser and instead Lyon scored again in the 88th minute.

When a corner was not properly cleared, Le Sommer went for goal and her wayward shot was deflected in by Gunnarsdottir, who was on the losing side with Wolfsburg in 2018 but is this time a Champions League winner.

Japan star Saki Kumagai's strike proved crucial as Lyon continued their reign as Europe's dominant women's club side on Sunday, beating Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Champions League final to win the trophy for the fifth year running.

Japan star Saki Kumagai's strike proved crucial as Lyon continued their reign as Europe's dominant women's club side on Sunday, beating Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Champions League final to win the trophy for the fifth year running. Kumagai scored after Eugenie Le Sommer had handed the French outfit the lead in San Sebastian, giving Lyon a 2-0 half-time advantage and leaving Wolfsburg with too much to do even if Alexandra Popp did pull one back for the Germans in the second half. Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir's late effort made sure of the victory for Lyon, whose fifth consecutive Champions League crown is also their seventh overall, comfortably a record. A fifth straight title sees them equal the feat achieved by the Real Madrid men's team between 1956 and 1960, in the early days of the European Cup. All of Lyon's seven titles have come in the last decade and this latest triumph confirms their status as the finest club team around even as rivals around Europe step up their investment in the women's game. Jean-Luc Vasseur's team edged out Bayern Munich 2-1 in the quarter-finals at the 'Final Eight' in Spain's Basque Country, played out behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. They then claimed a narrow 1-0 win in the semi-finals over domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain, the team they beat to claim a 14th successive French title earlier this year and defeated on penalties in the French Cup final. This victory, against a Wolfsburg side who themselves claimed a German domestic double and were unbeaten in 40 games coming into the final, showcased the depth of their all-star squad. Lyon were missing four of their biggest stars, with France duo Griedge Mbock and Amandine Henry injured and Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg -- the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner -- not fully fit. England forward Nikita Parris was suspended. But Lyon's long-serving president Jean-Michel Aulas continues to be rewarded for his heavy investment in a women's team, despite the prize money for winning the Champions League being a mere 450,000 euros ($535,000), a tiny fraction of that on offer in the men's competition. Here, despite the absences, Lyon were still able to call upon a host of French internationals and foreign stars like Kumagai, Germany's Dzsenifer Marozsan and England right-back Lucy Bronze. - Unbeaten in 65 games - They are now unbeaten in 65 matches stretching back more than two years, and this is also the third time in five editions in which Lyon have beaten Wolfsburg in the final, leaving the Germans still searching for a third Champions League crown to go with their titles in 2013 and 2014. They defeated OL in 2013, but the French side have now overcome the Germans en route to winning each of their five straight titles. Previous finals between these sides have always been close affairs, although on this occasion the holders started strongly and were rewarded with the opening goal in the 25th minute. Without Hegerberg or Parris, it was Le Sommer who led the attack. And when a move down the right ended with Delphine Cascarino cutting the ball back for Le Sommer, she pounced to convert the rebound after her first shot was blocked by goalkeeper Friederike Abt. The second goal came in the 44th minute. Ingrid Engen stopped Amel Majri shooting but only succeeded in setting up Kumagai, who let fly with a terrific left-foot strike from 23 yards. There was hope for Wolfsburg when they pulled one back just before the hour, Ewa Pajor setting up Popp to head in from close range. But they could not find an equaliser and instead Lyon scored again in the 88th minute. When a corner was not properly cleared, Le Sommer went for goal and her wayward shot was deflected in by Gunnarsdottir, who was on the losing side with Wolfsburg in 2018 but is this time a Champions League winner.

Dominant Lyon beat Wolfsburg to claim fifth straight Women's Champions League title

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was called up to the England squad for the first time on Monday after Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks withdrew from the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.

Villa captain Grealish was a surprise absence from Gareth Southgate's initial squad for the Nations League matches after his impressive form helped his club avoid relegation from the Premier League last season.

But the withdrawals of Manchester United forward Rashford and Tottenham midfielder Winks created a vacancy the 24-year-old will fill.&nbsp;

Grealish, recently linked with a move to Manchester United, has previously represented England at Under-21 level and was a member of Southgate's Toulon youth tournament-winning squad in 2016.

Southgate had already added Wolves defender Conor Coady and Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles to his squad on Saturday after dropping Manchester United captain Harry Maguire following the guilty verdict over in his Greek court case.

Maguire, who had pleaded not guilty, is appealing after being handed a suspended prison sentence after the street brawl.

Rashford has been nursing an ankle problem suffered towards the end of last season and he tweeted: "Gutted. Never want to let this team down but these fixtures just came a little too soon for me.

"I tried my best but I have to focus on starting the season at my strongest for club and country. Good luck boys, I'll be cheering you on from home."

England's players met up at their St George's Park training camp on Monday ahead of the clash with Iceland in Reykjavik on September 5 and the trip to face Denmark in Copenhagen three days later.

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was called up to the England squad for the first time on Monday after Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks withdrew from the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was called up to the England squad for the first time on Monday after Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks withdrew from the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark. Villa captain Grealish was a surprise absence from Gareth Southgate's initial squad for the Nations League matches after his impressive form helped his club avoid relegation from the Premier League last season. But the withdrawals of Manchester United forward Rashford and Tottenham midfielder Winks created a vacancy the 24-year-old will fill. Grealish, recently linked with a move to Manchester United, has previously represented England at Under-21 level and was a member of Southgate's Toulon youth tournament-winning squad in 2016. Southgate had already added Wolves defender Conor Coady and Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles to his squad on Saturday after dropping Manchester United captain Harry Maguire following the guilty verdict over in his Greek court case. Maguire, who had pleaded not guilty, is appealing after being handed a suspended prison sentence after the street brawl. Rashford has been nursing an ankle problem suffered towards the end of last season and he tweeted: "Gutted. Never want to let this team down but these fixtures just came a little too soon for me. "I tried my best but I have to focus on starting the season at my strongest for club and country. Good luck boys, I'll be cheering you on from home." England's players met up at their St George's Park training camp on Monday ahead of the clash with Iceland in Reykjavik on September 5 and the trip to face Denmark in Copenhagen three days later.

Grealish earns first England call-up as Rashford, Winks withdraw

La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s contract with Barcelona is still valid and the league will not allow the transfer of the Argentine to any other club unless the EUR 700 million release clause is paid.&nbsp;

Messi stunned the entire world as he earlier asked Barcelona to allow him to leave for free, as per a clause in his contract, and even didn’t attend the PCR test conducted by the club on Sunday.&nbsp;

“In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid,” La Liga said in a statement.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lionel-messis-next-team-clubs-who-can-really-afford-to-sign-the-argentine-323423" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine</a>

Messi was due at Barcelona’s training ground at 10:15 am local time on Sunday but didn’t arrive, clearing the air that he is serious about leaving the club. Reportedly, his father Jorge Messi is due to arrive in Barcelona this week in a bid to have discussions with club president Josep Bartomeu.&nbsp;

Messi’s decision to leave Barcelona, his lifelong club, came after the Blaugrana’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League 2019-20 quarter-final.

IN PICS&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230" hreflang="en">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record-breaking career in pictures</a>

However, as reported by many media outlets, Messi’s EUR 700 million release clause has expired after the completion of 2019-20 season and the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is clear to leave for free. But the left-footed maestro wants to compensate the club he loves and favourites to sign him, Man City are willing to offer around EUR 100-150 million for him.

Reportedly, Messi wants a winning project again and believes re-uniting with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City will fulfill his dream of lifting the UEFA Champions League again. 
&nbsp;

La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s contract with Barcelona is still valid and the league will not allow the transfer of the Argentine to any other club unless the EUR 700 million release clause is paid.

La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s contract with Barcelona is still valid and the league will not allow the transfer of the Argentine to any other club unless the EUR 700 million release clause is paid. Messi stunned the entire world as he earlier asked Barcelona to allow him to leave for free, as per a clause in his contract, and even didn’t attend the PCR test conducted by the club on Sunday. “In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid,” La Liga said in a statement. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine Messi was due at Barcelona’s training ground at 10:15 am local time on Sunday but didn’t arrive, clearing the air that he is serious about leaving the club. Reportedly, his father Jorge Messi is due to arrive in Barcelona this week in a bid to have discussions with club president Josep Bartomeu. Messi’s decision to leave Barcelona, his lifelong club, came after the Blaugrana’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League 2019-20 quarter-final. IN PICS | What's next for Lionel Messi? A record-breaking career in pictures However, as reported by many media outlets, Messi’s EUR 700 million release clause has expired after the completion of 2019-20 season and the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is clear to leave for free. But the left-footed maestro wants to compensate the club he loves and favourites to sign him, Man City are willing to offer around EUR 100-150 million for him. Reportedly, Messi wants a winning project again and believes re-uniting with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City will fulfill his dream of lifting the UEFA Champions League again.

Lionel Messi will be allowed to leave Barcelona only if release clause is paid: La Liga

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo said Thursday that his "spirit and ambition were as high as ever" as he strives to "break records and conquer the world" next season.

The Portuguese forward won his second 'Scudetto' with Juventus, but despite his double against Lyon the Italian giants exited the Champions League to the French club in the last 16.

"As I'm getting ready for my third season as a 'Bianconero', my spirit and ambition are as high as ever," the 35-year-old wrote on Instagram.&nbsp;

"Goals. Victories. Commitment. Dedication. Professionalism.

"With all my strength and with the precious help from my teammates and all of the Juventus staff, we work once again to conquer Italy, Europe and the World! Breaking records."

Former Italy and Juventus star Andrea Pirlo replaced Maurizio Sarri as coach with the team targeting a tenth consecutive league title in 2021.

But the team's failure in the Champions League, which they last lifted in 1996, was a low point for five-time winner Ronaldo, who signed from Real Madrid for 100 million euros in 2018 to help win the trophy.&nbsp;

"Overcoming obstacles," continued Ronaldo of his ambitions for next season which starts on September 19.&nbsp;

"Winning titles and achieving personal goals. To do more and better once and again.

"To reach higher and to succeed in all challenges that may come our way."

"We are Juventus! We are the Champions! We are back and stronger than ever! We are counting on you! All together! Fino Alla Fine!"

Ronaldo achieved some landmarks last term becoming the first player to score 10 or more Champions League goals for three different clubs.&nbsp;

He was also the first player to score 50 or more goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, and the first to score 30 or more in a single season in three of Europe's top five leagues.

Ronaldo matched another Serie A mark when he scored in 11 consecutive Serie A games, equalling the record of Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.&nbsp;

In total he scored 37 goals in all competitions, a record for a Juventus player in a single campaign.

But he fell short in the Serie A scorers' chart with his 31 goals trailing Lazio's Ciro Immobile's 36.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo said Thursday that his "spirit and ambition were as high as ever" as he strives to "break records and conquer the world" next season.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo said Thursday that his "spirit and ambition were as high as ever" as he strives to "break records and conquer the world" next season. The Portuguese forward won his second 'Scudetto' with Juventus, but despite his double against Lyon the Italian giants exited the Champions League to the French club in the last 16. "As I'm getting ready for my third season as a 'Bianconero', my spirit and ambition are as high as ever," the 35-year-old wrote on Instagram. "Goals. Victories. Commitment. Dedication. Professionalism. "With all my strength and with the precious help from my teammates and all of the Juventus staff, we work once again to conquer Italy, Europe and the World! Breaking records." Former Italy and Juventus star Andrea Pirlo replaced Maurizio Sarri as coach with the team targeting a tenth consecutive league title in 2021. But the team's failure in the Champions League, which they last lifted in 1996, was a low point for five-time winner Ronaldo, who signed from Real Madrid for 100 million euros in 2018 to help win the trophy. "Overcoming obstacles," continued Ronaldo of his ambitions for next season which starts on September 19. "Winning titles and achieving personal goals. To do more and better once and again. "To reach higher and to succeed in all challenges that may come our way." "We are Juventus! We are the Champions! We are back and stronger than ever! We are counting on you! All together! Fino Alla Fine!" Ronaldo achieved some landmarks last term becoming the first player to score 10 or more Champions League goals for three different clubs. He was also the first player to score 50 or more goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, and the first to score 30 or more in a single season in three of Europe's top five leagues. Ronaldo matched another Serie A mark when he scored in 11 consecutive Serie A games, equalling the record of Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella. In total he scored 37 goals in all competitions, a record for a Juventus player in a single campaign. But he fell short in the Serie A scorers' chart with his 31 goals trailing Lazio's Ciro Immobile's 36.

Ronaldo 'wants to conquer the world'

Chelsea on Friday announced the signing of Thiago Silva on a free transfer after the Brazilian left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) following the completion of his contract. Chelsea roped in Silva for a one-year deal with an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.&nbsp;

The 35-year-old Brazilian joined the London club managed by Frank Lampard after spending eight seasons in Paris where he won seven Ligue 1 titles and five French Cups while making more than 300 appearances for the club

“I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Lampard’s exciting squad for next season and I’m here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon,” he said.

Silva had previously spent four season at AC Milan winning the Serie A title in 2010-11 season. He has represented Brazil 89 times and was part of the squad which won Copa America tournament in 2019 and the Confederations Cup in 2013.

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“We are delighted to be able to add a player of Thiago Silva’s proven world-class credentials to our squad,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said.

“Having performed at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt his experience and quality will complement the many exciting talents we already have here.”

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Silva is Chelsea’s fifth major signing for the new season following the arrivals of Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

They have also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz as Lampard bids to improve his squad to challenge for the Premier League title. 
&nbsp;

Chelsea on Friday announced the signing of Thiago Silva on a free transfer after the Brazilian left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) following the completion of his contract.

Chelsea on Friday announced the signing of Thiago Silva on a free transfer after the Brazilian left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) following the completion of his contract. Chelsea roped in Silva for a one-year deal with an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months. The 35-year-old Brazilian joined the London club managed by Frank Lampard after spending eight seasons in Paris where he won seven Ligue 1 titles and five French Cups while making more than 300 appearances for the club “I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Lampard’s exciting squad for next season and I’m here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon,” he said. Silva had previously spent four season at AC Milan winning the Serie A title in 2010-11 season. He has represented Brazil 89 times and was part of the squad which won Copa America tournament in 2019 and the Confederations Cup in 2013. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Members of Chennai Super Kings contingent test positive for COVID-19 “We are delighted to be able to add a player of Thiago Silva’s proven world-class credentials to our squad,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said. “Having performed at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt his experience and quality will complement the many exciting talents we already have here.” IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine Silva is Chelsea’s fifth major signing for the new season following the arrivals of Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. They have also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz as Lampard bids to improve his squad to challenge for the Premier League title.

Chelsea announce signing of Thiago Silva on free transfer

A lot has been said and written about the ongoing transfer saga involving Lionel Messi but nothing concrete has come out officially either from Messi’s entourage or Barcelona. Messi, earlier this week, made a formal to request to Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending close to two decades with the Catalan club.

Since then a plethora of clubs have been linked to the Argentine maestro including Premier League champions Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp on Friday clarified the club’s stance on Messi’s transfer while admitting the Reds have “no chance” of signing the six-time Ballon d’Or winner while adding that the addition of the Barcelona megastar would be a great addition to the English top-flight.

"Interest? Who doesn't want to have Messi in their team? But no chance," Klopp told reporters on Friday.

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Liverpool finished 18 points ahead of Man City as they lifted their first English title sincle 1990. Klopp admitted that Liverpool’s title defense would be under threat if Messi joins the blue side of Manchester.

"It would obviously help Man City and make it more difficult to beat them," Klopp said.

"For the Premier League it would be great, but I am not sure the Premier League needs that boost.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures</a>

"Good player to be honest! It would be interesting to see as well. Messi has never played in another league, other than Spain.

"Actually, I would like to see it but I'm not sure I will."&nbsp;

Messi has been strongly linked with Man City and reportedly the Argentine has spoken to manager Pep Guardiola and his best friend Sergio Aguero regarding a move to Manchester. However, there are many contractual complications linked to Messi and they have to resolved before this deal could go through. 
&nbsp;

A lot has been said and written about the ongoing transfer saga involving Lionel Messi but nothing concrete has come out officially either from Messi’s entourage or Barcelona.

A lot has been said and written about the ongoing transfer saga involving Lionel Messi but nothing concrete has come out officially either from Messi’s entourage or Barcelona. Messi, earlier this week, made a formal to request to Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending close to two decades with the Catalan club. Since then a plethora of clubs have been linked to the Argentine maestro including Premier League champions Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp on Friday clarified the club’s stance on Messi’s transfer while admitting the Reds have “no chance” of signing the six-time Ballon d’Or winner while adding that the addition of the Barcelona megastar would be a great addition to the English top-flight. "Interest? Who doesn't want to have Messi in their team? But no chance," Klopp told reporters on Friday. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine Liverpool finished 18 points ahead of Man City as they lifted their first English title sincle 1990. Klopp admitted that Liverpool’s title defense would be under threat if Messi joins the blue side of Manchester. "It would obviously help Man City and make it more difficult to beat them," Klopp said. "For the Premier League it would be great, but I am not sure the Premier League needs that boost. ALSO READ: What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures "Good player to be honest! It would be interesting to see as well. Messi has never played in another league, other than Spain. "Actually, I would like to see it but I'm not sure I will." Messi has been strongly linked with Man City and reportedly the Argentine has spoken to manager Pep Guardiola and his best friend Sergio Aguero regarding a move to Manchester. However, there are many contractual complications linked to Messi and they have to resolved before this deal could go through.

Lionel Messi to Liverpool? Jurgen Klopp gives his verdict

Manchester United defender and England international Harry Maguire on Thursday said that he was “scared” for his life when he was arrested on a Greek holiday island of Mykonos while adding he felt he was a victim of kidnapping.&nbsp;

The Manchester United captain was slapped with a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days after being found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after his arrest in Mykonos island.

However, Maguire said that plain-clothed police officer didn’t identify themselves and pulled his group over to a minibus and hit him in his legs while adding he regrets putting fans and Manchester United through this.

"They hit me a lot on the legs. I was in that much of a panic. Fear. Scared for my life," Maguire told BBC. 
The central defender said his "conscience is clear".

"I don't wish it on anybody. Obviously the situation has made it difficult for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I regret putting the fans and the club through this, but I did nothing wrong," he added.

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"I found myself in a situation where it could have happened to anybody and anywhere."

On Wednesday, Maguire filed an appeal against the verdict and under Greek law, the appeal cancels the original verdict hence forcing a full retrial. Notably, Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty on a range of charges.&nbsp;

The three men denied all the charges.

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"My initial thought, I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us," Maguire added.

"They were hitting my leg saying my career's over: 'No more football. You won't play again'.

"And at this point I thought there is no chance these are police or I don't know who they are so I tried to run away."&nbsp;

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When asked about the bribery allegation, he replied: "No, for sure. As soon as I saw that statement, it's just ridiculous."

England manager Gareth Southgate withdrew Maguire from his squad for the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark next month, having initially selected him on Tuesday. 
&nbsp;

Manchester United defender and England international Harry Maguire on Thursday said that he was “scared” for his life when he was arrested on a Greek holiday island of Mykonos while adding he felt he was a victim of kidnapping.

Manchester United defender and England international Harry Maguire on Thursday said that he was “scared” for his life when he was arrested on a Greek holiday island of Mykonos while adding he felt he was a victim of kidnapping. The Manchester United captain was slapped with a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days after being found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after his arrest in Mykonos island. However, Maguire said that plain-clothed police officer didn’t identify themselves and pulled his group over to a minibus and hit him in his legs while adding he regrets putting fans and Manchester United through this. "They hit me a lot on the legs. I was in that much of a panic. Fear. Scared for my life," Maguire told BBC. The central defender said his "conscience is clear". "I don't wish it on anybody. Obviously the situation has made it difficult for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I regret putting the fans and the club through this, but I did nothing wrong," he added. ALSO READ: Paul Pogba, Tanguy Ndombele test positive for COVID-19; pulled out of France squad "I found myself in a situation where it could have happened to anybody and anywhere." On Wednesday, Maguire filed an appeal against the verdict and under Greek law, the appeal cancels the original verdict hence forcing a full retrial. Notably, Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty on a range of charges. The three men denied all the charges. IN PICS | Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine "My initial thought, I thought we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees, we put our hands in the air, they just started hitting us," Maguire added. "They were hitting my leg saying my career's over: 'No more football. You won't play again'. "And at this point I thought there is no chance these are police or I don't know who they are so I tried to run away." ALSO READ: 'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded When asked about the bribery allegation, he replied: "No, for sure. As soon as I saw that statement, it's just ridiculous." England manager Gareth Southgate withdrew Maguire from his squad for the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark next month, having initially selected him on Tuesday.

Harry Maguire opens up on Greece arrest, says he was 'scared for life'

Angry Barcelona fans chanted for the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu after captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday that he wished to leave the Catalan side.

“We love you, Messi stay, Messi stay!” and “Bartomeu resign!” chanted several hundred fans outside Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday night.

“I am very upset, for me Barca is Messi and Messi is Barca. They are the same, he is the symbol of Barca ... They should erect a monument in Camp Nou. I don’t think this (departure) should be allowed to happen,” 80-year-old Joana Polo, wearing a Barcelona face mask, told Reuters on Wednesday outside Camp Nou.

The decision by the Argentine forward has thrown the club into turmoil less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich.

“It’s a huge outrage. I never thought this would ever happen ... you can take defeats in sports but I can’t handle Messi leaving,” said Oriol, 40. “We will defend him until death. He is not the one to blame. The blame is on (Barcelona’s) board.”

“Total War!” daily newspaper Sport declared on its front page referring to the situation.

Messi, who has been named world’s best player of the year a record six times, has grown increasingly unhappy over the last 12 months on how the club is being run under Bartomeu. He criticised club officials for forcing players to take a pay cut to cope with the financial hit of the coronavirus pandemic.

Albert, 28, another disgruntled Barca fan, told Reuters: “They have been doing things badly for a long time and this guy (Messi) has got tired of not having a project, of not keeping the philosophy we used to have ... and he said enough is enough.”

“The only situation available right now is for him (Bartomeu) to resign.”

After Barca surrendered the Spanish La Liga title to Real Madrid in July, Messi slammed the team as “weak” and “vulnerable” during an uncharacteristically fiery post-match interview.

Barca are in the midst of overhauling their squad following the Champions League defeat, and some Spanish media have reported that new coach Ronald Koeman told Messi’s close friend and strike partner, Luis Suarez, that he does not wish the Uruguayan to stay at the club.

Angry Barcelona fans chanted for the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu after captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday that he wished to leave the Catalan side.

Angry Barcelona fans chanted for the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu after captain Lionel Messi announced on Tuesday that he wished to leave the Catalan side. “We love you, Messi stay, Messi stay!” and “Bartomeu resign!” chanted several hundred fans outside Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday night. “I am very upset, for me Barca is Messi and Messi is Barca. They are the same, he is the symbol of Barca ... They should erect a monument in Camp Nou. I don’t think this (departure) should be allowed to happen,” 80-year-old Joana Polo, wearing a Barcelona face mask, told Reuters on Wednesday outside Camp Nou. The decision by the Argentine forward has thrown the club into turmoil less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich. “It’s a huge outrage. I never thought this would ever happen ... you can take defeats in sports but I can’t handle Messi leaving,” said Oriol, 40. “We will defend him until death. He is not the one to blame. The blame is on (Barcelona’s) board.” “Total War!” daily newspaper Sport declared on its front page referring to the situation. Messi, who has been named world’s best player of the year a record six times, has grown increasingly unhappy over the last 12 months on how the club is being run under Bartomeu. He criticised club officials for forcing players to take a pay cut to cope with the financial hit of the coronavirus pandemic. Albert, 28, another disgruntled Barca fan, told Reuters: “They have been doing things badly for a long time and this guy (Messi) has got tired of not having a project, of not keeping the philosophy we used to have ... and he said enough is enough.” “The only situation available right now is for him (Bartomeu) to resign.” After Barca surrendered the Spanish La Liga title to Real Madrid in July, Messi slammed the team as “weak” and “vulnerable” during an uncharacteristically fiery post-match interview. Barca are in the midst of overhauling their squad following the Champions League defeat, and some Spanish media have reported that new coach Ronald Koeman told Messi’s close friend and strike partner, Luis Suarez, that he does not wish the Uruguayan to stay at the club.

Barcelona fans chant for Messi to stay, want management out

England left-back Ben Chilwell on Wednesday became Chelsea's third high-profile signing of the summer, leaving Leicester for a fee reported to be around £50 million ($66 million).

Chilwell's arrival at Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal follows the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner from Ajax and RB Leipzig, with more business expected before the transfer window closes.

While neither Chelsea nor Leicester officially disclosed the sum paid for Chilwell, the Foxes said on their website it was "one of the largest transfer fees ever received" by the club.

"I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club," 23-year-old Chilwell said on Chelsea's website.

"I'm looking forward to being a part of this young, dynamic squad led by Frank Lampard as we challenge for honours next season."

Leicester academy product Chilwell, who has 11 England caps, made his debut for the Foxes in October 2015 and made 123 appearances for the club.

"Ben leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Leicester City, and the club would like to thank him for his contribution to an exciting period for the team and its fans as they look forward to another season of European football," the Foxes said in a statement.

Chelsea sealed fourth place and a Champions League spot at the expense of Leicester on the final day of the Premier League season in July.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: "We are very pleased to have completed our third addition to our exciting squad for the coming season.&nbsp;

"Ben brings plenty of top-level experience playing in the Premier League, Champions League and at international level, despite his young age."

Chelsea have been heavily linked with a swoop for PSG's veteran Brazil defender Thiago Silva while Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz is still in line to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.

The club have also been considering a number of goalkeeping options, with Ajax's Andre Onana and Burnley's Nick Pope both linked with a move to London.

West Ham's Declan Rice remains on the Blues' radar.

Owner Roman Abramovich's staunch backing has put Chelsea in a strong position in the transfer market, with the club able to offset the effects of the coronavirus better than many other clubs.

England left-back Ben Chilwell on Wednesday became Chelsea's third high-profile signing of the summer, leaving Leicester for a fee reported to be around £50 million ($66 million).

England left-back Ben Chilwell on Wednesday became Chelsea's third high-profile signing of the summer, leaving Leicester for a fee reported to be around £50 million ($66 million). Chilwell's arrival at Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal follows the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner from Ajax and RB Leipzig, with more business expected before the transfer window closes. While neither Chelsea nor Leicester officially disclosed the sum paid for Chilwell, the Foxes said on their website it was "one of the largest transfer fees ever received" by the club. "I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club," 23-year-old Chilwell said on Chelsea's website. "I'm looking forward to being a part of this young, dynamic squad led by Frank Lampard as we challenge for honours next season." Leicester academy product Chilwell, who has 11 England caps, made his debut for the Foxes in October 2015 and made 123 appearances for the club. "Ben leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Leicester City, and the club would like to thank him for his contribution to an exciting period for the team and its fans as they look forward to another season of European football," the Foxes said in a statement. Chelsea sealed fourth place and a Champions League spot at the expense of Leicester on the final day of the Premier League season in July. Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: "We are very pleased to have completed our third addition to our exciting squad for the coming season. "Ben brings plenty of top-level experience playing in the Premier League, Champions League and at international level, despite his young age." Chelsea have been heavily linked with a swoop for PSG's veteran Brazil defender Thiago Silva while Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz is still in line to make the switch to Stamford Bridge. The club have also been considering a number of goalkeeping options, with Ajax's Andre Onana and Burnley's Nick Pope both linked with a move to London. West Ham's Declan Rice remains on the Blues' radar. Owner Roman Abramovich's staunch backing has put Chelsea in a strong position in the transfer market, with the club able to offset the effects of the coronavirus better than many other clubs.

Chelsea sign Leicester's Ben Chilwell on five-year deal

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/several-chelsea-players-test-positive-for-covid-19-reports-323461" hreflang="en">Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports</a>

The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-ban-looming-for-lionel-messi-argentines-contract-situation-decoded-323445" hreflang="en">'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded</a>

Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

<o:p></o:p>

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8. ALSO READ: Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time. Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial. ALSO READ: 'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

Paul Pogba, Tanguy Ndombele test positive for COVID-19; pulled out of France squad

Many Chelsea players have not returned for pre-season training after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Players who tested positive will have to self-isolate for 10 days and return with a negative COVID-19 test before they taking part in the training sessions.

However, the reports didn’t mention the name of the players while Chelsea haven’t officially confirmed the news. As per a report in Times, Sheffield United, Brighton &amp; Hove Albion and West Ham United were among the other Premier League clubs to report positive for COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.&nbsp;

The Frank Lampard-managed outfit, who finished fourth last season, will commence their 2020-21 Premier League season against Brighton on September 14 but the unavailability of some of the players, who tested positive for COVID-19 might irk the management.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-ban-looming-for-lionel-messi-argentines-contract-situation-decoded-323445" hreflang="en">'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded</a>

Meanwhile, Chelsea have been super active in the transfer market and have already secured the big-name signings of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell. Chelsea will also announce the signing of Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz soon in what has been one of the biggest transfer window for the London club.&nbsp;

The Lampard-managed side finished fourth in the 2019-20 season while securing the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 berth despite not signing a single player due to their transfer ban.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Chelsea announced the signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-sign-leicesters-ben-chilwell-on-five-year-deal-323369" hreflang="en">Chelsea sign Leicester's Ben Chilwell on five-year deal</a>

‘I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club and the manager played a massive part in me signing here,’ said Chilwell.

‘I think every player wants to play for a huge club in their career and I’m no different, but talking to Frank before I signed really made up my mind that I wanted to come and play here.

‘He installed a lot of confidence in me, he told me about the system he wants to play, how I’d fit into that and he just seemed a really good guy that you could talk to about anything. It’s important to have that relationship and trust with a manager and he’s also very keen on young players being given a chance.

‘We’ve seen that over the past season under Frank, he does play the younger players if they are good enough and just from speaking to him, I’m really excited to be here and I can’t wait to get started.

Many Chelsea players have not returned for pre-season training after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Players who tested positive will have to self-isolate for 10 days and return with a negative COVID-19 test before they taking part in the training sessions.

Many Chelsea players have not returned for pre-season training after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Players who tested positive will have to self-isolate for 10 days and return with a negative COVID-19 test before they taking part in the training sessions. However, the reports didn’t mention the name of the players while Chelsea haven’t officially confirmed the news. As per a report in Times, Sheffield United, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United were among the other Premier League clubs to report positive for COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. The Frank Lampard-managed outfit, who finished fourth last season, will commence their 2020-21 Premier League season against Brighton on September 14 but the unavailability of some of the players, who tested positive for COVID-19 might irk the management. ALSO READ: 'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded Meanwhile, Chelsea have been super active in the transfer market and have already secured the big-name signings of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell. Chelsea will also announce the signing of Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz soon in what has been one of the biggest transfer window for the London club. The Lampard-managed side finished fourth in the 2019-20 season while securing the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 berth despite not signing a single player due to their transfer ban. On Wednesday, Chelsea announced the signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City. ALSO READ: Chelsea sign Leicester's Ben Chilwell on five-year deal ‘I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club and the manager played a massive part in me signing here,’ said Chilwell. ‘I think every player wants to play for a huge club in their career and I’m no different, but talking to Frank before I signed really made up my mind that I wanted to come and play here. ‘He installed a lot of confidence in me, he told me about the system he wants to play, how I’d fit into that and he just seemed a really good guy that you could talk to about anything. It’s important to have that relationship and trust with a manager and he’s also very keen on young players being given a chance. ‘We’ve seen that over the past season under Frank, he does play the younger players if they are good enough and just from speaking to him, I’m really excited to be here and I can’t wait to get started.

Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports

With Lionel Messi making his stance clear that he wants to leave Barcelona after spending nearly two decades with the Catalan club, Manchester City have been touted as favourites to sign the Argentine megastar. However, there are plenty of complications in regards to Messi’s transfer – his whopping wages, a mind-boggling EUR 700 million release clause, free exit clause which apparently expired in May 2020, a possible FIFA ban and much more.&nbsp;

While any club in the world would want to have Messi on their team sheet, signing the six-time Ballon d’Or may not be as easy as it sounds. Even though Barcelona want to keep Messi and continue their sporting project with the ‘best player in the world’, the left-footed maestro is now looking at a new challenge.&nbsp;

If Messi walks out of Barcelona citing an exit clause which allows him to leave for free at the end of every season, the Catalan club would be left in a mess. Reports have stated that the exit clause had expired on May 31, 2020 but Messi’s entourage says that the season has been extended to August due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, if Messi leaves for free without resolving the contract dispute, he could be banned by FIFA for months.&nbsp;

TRENDING:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lionel-messis-next-team-clubs-who-can-really-afford-to-sign-the-argentine-323423" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine</a>

"If it ended up anywhere, it would be most likely in the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber because Messi, being Argentinian, the FIFA rules would apply, and FIFA has its own set of laws and rules," De Marco, of Blackstone Chambers, told The Transfer Show on Sky Sports News.

"So, it's unlikely to be Spanish law or English law or Swiss law but it would be the FIFA rules that apply, and they have a commission that can determine these things,” said Nick De Marco QC who has the experience of representing governing bodies, players and agents in such issues.

"Ultimately, either party can then appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That's how these sorts of issues are normally dealt with. One possibility, and it's certainly not one I'm advising anybody, is a player simply just walks out and says, 'I'm entitled to walk out, so I'm walking out'.

TRENDING |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures</a>

"The risk with that strategy is, although FIFA will normally allow the registration to move with the player, if the club then brings a claim and succeeds, not only is the player liable to [pay] damages but also is likely to be banned under FIFA rules for a period of months and the new club signing him have a transfer embargo.

"It's such a high-risk strategy that, unless you were sure that the player was in the right, it's not a risk one would take. You have to read the contract as a whole," he explained. "Even if it's a date, and the date is the date, if that's linked to other provisions that show what the parties really meant was the end of the season, then there's still an argument it's the end of the season.”:

Man City are reportedly eager to shell out around EUR 200 million for Messi if the player and Barcelona come to an agreement of compensating his release. &nbsp;However, there is still likelihood that the matter could be taken to court if Barcelona demand the entire EUR 700 million release clause.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adios-lionel-messi-323161" hreflang="en">Adios, Lionel Messi?</a>

<h2>There are three situations if the conflict is taken to court:</h2>

1)&nbsp;FIFA can order the Spanish football federation to issue an international transfer certificate pending a resolution.

2)&nbsp;A major risk for the club signing Messi will be that if the court finds the ruling in Barcelona’s favour then they would be liable to pay his EUR 700 million release clause. If it is in Messi’s favour, then it would a jackpot – a free transfer.

3) The final option would be that adjudicators fix a mutual fee. 
&nbsp;

With Lionel Messi making his stance clear that he wants to leave Barcelona after spending nearly two decades with the Catalan club, Manchester City have been touted as favourites to sign the Argentine megastar.

With Lionel Messi making his stance clear that he wants to leave Barcelona after spending nearly two decades with the Catalan club, Manchester City have been touted as favourites to sign the Argentine megastar. However, there are plenty of complications in regards to Messi’s transfer – his whopping wages, a mind-boggling EUR 700 million release clause, free exit clause which apparently expired in May 2020, a possible FIFA ban and much more. While any club in the world would want to have Messi on their team sheet, signing the six-time Ballon d’Or may not be as easy as it sounds. Even though Barcelona want to keep Messi and continue their sporting project with the ‘best player in the world’, the left-footed maestro is now looking at a new challenge. If Messi walks out of Barcelona citing an exit clause which allows him to leave for free at the end of every season, the Catalan club would be left in a mess. Reports have stated that the exit clause had expired on May 31, 2020 but Messi’s entourage says that the season has been extended to August due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, if Messi leaves for free without resolving the contract dispute, he could be banned by FIFA for months. TRENDING: Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine "If it ended up anywhere, it would be most likely in the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber because Messi, being Argentinian, the FIFA rules would apply, and FIFA has its own set of laws and rules," De Marco, of Blackstone Chambers, told The Transfer Show on Sky Sports News. "So, it's unlikely to be Spanish law or English law or Swiss law but it would be the FIFA rules that apply, and they have a commission that can determine these things,” said Nick De Marco QC who has the experience of representing governing bodies, players and agents in such issues. "Ultimately, either party can then appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That's how these sorts of issues are normally dealt with. One possibility, and it's certainly not one I'm advising anybody, is a player simply just walks out and says, 'I'm entitled to walk out, so I'm walking out'. TRENDING | What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures "The risk with that strategy is, although FIFA will normally allow the registration to move with the player, if the club then brings a claim and succeeds, not only is the player liable to [pay] damages but also is likely to be banned under FIFA rules for a period of months and the new club signing him have a transfer embargo. "It's such a high-risk strategy that, unless you were sure that the player was in the right, it's not a risk one would take. You have to read the contract as a whole," he explained. "Even if it's a date, and the date is the date, if that's linked to other provisions that show what the parties really meant was the end of the season, then there's still an argument it's the end of the season.”: Man City are reportedly eager to shell out around EUR 200 million for Messi if the player and Barcelona come to an agreement of compensating his release. However, there is still likelihood that the matter could be taken to court if Barcelona demand the entire EUR 700 million release clause. ALSO READ: Adios, Lionel Messi? There are three situations if the conflict is taken to court: 1) FIFA can order the Spanish football federation to issue an international transfer certificate pending a resolution. 2) A major risk for the club signing Messi will be that if the court finds the ruling in Barcelona’s favour then they would be liable to pay his EUR 700 million release clause. If it is in Messi’s favour, then it would a jackpot – a free transfer. 3) The final option would be that adjudicators fix a mutual fee.

'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded

Lionel Messi's next team: Clubs who can really afford to sign the Argentine

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was on Tuesday given a 21 month and 10 day suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, bribery and other charges by a court in Greece.

The England international, who announced he would appeal the verdict, was arrested late last Thursday after a fight at a nightclub in Mykonos.

He was charged with assault, bodily harm, verbal abuse and attempted bribery, all of which he denied.

Maguire, who did not attend his trial on the Greek island of Syros, in a statement declared: "Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing.

"I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims."

Manchester United backed their player.

"Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence," the club said.

The statement from Old Trafford went on to spell out grounds for an appeal.

"It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare.

"A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied. On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire's legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date."

The sentence is suspended for three years.

According to media reports the nightclub fight started over claims his sister Daisy was injected with what the defence claimed was a suspected drug.

Maguire was arrested along with his brother and a friend after being driven from the club to a police station, where there was an altercation with the prosecution claiming Maguire offered money to be released.

The 27-year-old defender, who has 26 England caps, spent two nights in police custody before flying home at the weekend.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Withdrawn from England squad -</h2>

&nbsp;

Maguire's brother Joe was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery.

The friend, Christopher Sharman was found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.

Both were sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for three years.

As his fate was being decided in Greece, Maguire was simultaneously being named by manager Gareth Southgate in England's Nations League squad, only to be removed hours later.

"In light of this evening's developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark," Southgate told the Football Association's website.

Earlier in the day the England boss explained he had stood by him after speaking to Maguire, the world's most expensive defender following his £80 million ($105 million) move from Leicester to United last year.

"It is clearly a decision that is not straightforward," Southgate told a press conference.

"I have spoken with Harry. I have the insight to the story which is very different to what is being recorded. You can only make decisions on facts you are aware of.&nbsp;

"If facts or information change I will have to review that decision, but I have a fantastic relationship with the boy -- he has been a fantastic character for us. He has my support at this moment."&nbsp;

Later Tuesday Daisy Maguire posted on Instagram: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun; the moon, and the truth - Buddha."

While Maguire is now out of immediate involvement on the international scene his club United are due back in training on September 2, with no pre-season

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was on Tuesday given a 21 month and 10 day suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, bribery and other charges by a court in Greece.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was on Tuesday given a 21 month and 10 day suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, bribery and other charges by a court in Greece. The England international, who announced he would appeal the verdict, was arrested late last Thursday after a fight at a nightclub in Mykonos. He was charged with assault, bodily harm, verbal abuse and attempted bribery, all of which he denied. Maguire, who did not attend his trial on the Greek island of Syros, in a statement declared: "Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing. "I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims." Manchester United backed their player. "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence," the club said. The statement from Old Trafford went on to spell out grounds for an appeal. "It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. "A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied. On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire's legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date." The sentence is suspended for three years. According to media reports the nightclub fight started over claims his sister Daisy was injected with what the defence claimed was a suspected drug. Maguire was arrested along with his brother and a friend after being driven from the club to a police station, where there was an altercation with the prosecution claiming Maguire offered money to be released. The 27-year-old defender, who has 26 England caps, spent two nights in police custody before flying home at the weekend. - Withdrawn from England squad - Maguire's brother Joe was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery. The friend, Christopher Sharman was found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees. Both were sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for three years. As his fate was being decided in Greece, Maguire was simultaneously being named by manager Gareth Southgate in England's Nations League squad, only to be removed hours later. "In light of this evening's developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark," Southgate told the Football Association's website. Earlier in the day the England boss explained he had stood by him after speaking to Maguire, the world's most expensive defender following his £80 million ($105 million) move from Leicester to United last year. "It is clearly a decision that is not straightforward," Southgate told a press conference. "I have spoken with Harry. I have the insight to the story which is very different to what is being recorded. You can only make decisions on facts you are aware of. "If facts or information change I will have to review that decision, but I have a fantastic relationship with the boy -- he has been a fantastic character for us. He has my support at this moment." Later Tuesday Daisy Maguire posted on Instagram: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun; the moon, and the truth - Buddha." While Maguire is now out of immediate involvement on the international scene his club United are due back in training on September 2, with no pre-season

Man Utd captain Maguire gets suspended prison sentence on Greek charges

Former football star Ronaldinho arrived home in Brazil on a private jet on Tuesday, following more than five months in detention in Paraguay over a fake passport scandal.

The former Ballon d'Or winner arrived at Rio de Janeiro's international airport from Paraguay's capital Asuncion just before 4:30 pm (1930 GMT.)

A judge on Monday released Ronaldinho, 40, and his brother, who had both been held for a month in jail and another four months under house arrest in a hotel in Asuncion.

The brothers arrived in Paraguay on March 4 because Ronaldinho was due to take part in an event in support of disadvantaged children.

However, two days later,&nbsp;the pair were taken into police custody when investigators raided their hotel following the discovery they had fake documents.

The former World Cup winner is now "free to travel to whatever country in the world he wants but he must inform us if he changes his permanent residence" for a period of one year, the judge said.

"He has no restrictions except for the fulfilment of reparations for damage to society."

Dressed in jeans, a black beret and black shirt at Monday's court hearing, Ronaldinho accepted the terms of his release, which include payment of $90,000 in damages.

His brother Roberto de Assis Moreira, who is also Ronaldinho's business manager, must pay $110,000.

The judge stressed that he was not issuing a "definitive dismissal" of the case but that Ronaldinho was benefitting from a "conditional suspension of the procedure."

His brother was given a two-year suspended sentence.

<h2>- 'Vilely deceived'? -</h2>

Prosecutors said they did not believe Ronaldinho took part in the plan to manufacture the fake Paraguayan passports but believed de Assis Moreira was aware that the passports were false.

"They flagrantly used a public document containing false content," said Marcelo Pecci, one of the public prosecutors, who said it was a "very serious" offense.

Before Monday's trial the public prosecutor said that Ronaldinho displayed no "personal characteristics or criminal behavior that... would put society at risk."

The defense issued a statement insisting on the innocence of both brothers, saying "the people they trusted deceived them vilely."

After being held in a police station in Asuncion, where Ronaldinho celebrated his 40th birthday on March 21, the two men had been under house arrest in a luxury hotel, on bail of $1.6 million.

The investigation has since expanded into a case of possible money laundering and criminal association.

Some 18 people have been arrested in connection with the case, most of them immigration officials or police officers.

Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was crucial in Brazil's 2002 World Cup win.

He played for European giants such as Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain during a hugely successful 10-year stint in Europe.

He won the Champions League and two La Liga titles with Barcelona and Serie A with Milan.

After returning home to Brazil he won the Copa Libertadores -- South America's equivalent of the Champions League -- with Atletico Mineiro.

Former football star Ronaldinho arrived home in Brazil on a private jet on Tuesday, following more than five months in detention in Paraguay over a fake passport scandal.

Former football star Ronaldinho arrived home in Brazil on a private jet on Tuesday, following more than five months in detention in Paraguay over a fake passport scandal. The former Ballon d'Or winner arrived at Rio de Janeiro's international airport from Paraguay's capital Asuncion just before 4:30 pm (1930 GMT.) A judge on Monday released Ronaldinho, 40, and his brother, who had both been held for a month in jail and another four months under house arrest in a hotel in Asuncion. The brothers arrived in Paraguay on March 4 because Ronaldinho was due to take part in an event in support of disadvantaged children. However, two days later, the pair were taken into police custody when investigators raided their hotel following the discovery they had fake documents. The former World Cup winner is now "free to travel to whatever country in the world he wants but he must inform us if he changes his permanent residence" for a period of one year, the judge said. "He has no restrictions except for the fulfilment of reparations for damage to society." Dressed in jeans, a black beret and black shirt at Monday's court hearing, Ronaldinho accepted the terms of his release, which include payment of $90,000 in damages. His brother Roberto de Assis Moreira, who is also Ronaldinho's business manager, must pay $110,000. The judge stressed that he was not issuing a "definitive dismissal" of the case but that Ronaldinho was benefitting from a "conditional suspension of the procedure." His brother was given a two-year suspended sentence. - 'Vilely deceived'? - Prosecutors said they did not believe Ronaldinho took part in the plan to manufacture the fake Paraguayan passports but believed de Assis Moreira was aware that the passports were false. "They flagrantly used a public document containing false content," said Marcelo Pecci, one of the public prosecutors, who said it was a "very serious" offense. Before Monday's trial the public prosecutor said that Ronaldinho displayed no "personal characteristics or criminal behavior that... would put society at risk." The defense issued a statement insisting on the innocence of both brothers, saying "the people they trusted deceived them vilely." After being held in a police station in Asuncion, where Ronaldinho celebrated his 40th birthday on March 21, the two men had been under house arrest in a luxury hotel, on bail of $1.6 million. The investigation has since expanded into a case of possible money laundering and criminal association. Some 18 people have been arrested in connection with the case, most of them immigration officials or police officers. Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was crucial in Brazil's 2002 World Cup win. He played for European giants such as Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain during a hugely successful 10-year stint in Europe. He won the Champions League and two La Liga titles with Barcelona and Serie A with Milan. After returning home to Brazil he won the Copa Libertadores -- South America's equivalent of the Champions League -- with Atletico Mineiro.

Ronaldinho arrives back in Brazil after Paraguay detention

If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next.&nbsp; His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation.&nbsp;

Messi has not asked for a transfer to put his feet up for the final years of his career. This is a considered move aimed at bolstering his successes, and in one competition in particular.&nbsp;

The Champions League has become his obsession, which puts all of Europe's super-clubs in contention and eliminates the less intensive, or more romantic, options, at least for now.&nbsp;

A fairytale return to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, a project-build Stateside in the MLS or even a challenge at an aspiring European team in the mould of Diego Maradona's time at Napoli, will all become more likely once Messi is out of Barcelona.&nbsp;

But that is not likely to be his next step. Instead, Messi wants titles and a club he believes in again.&nbsp;

There will be no shortage of clubs pining for arguably the greatest player of all time but once they have done the sums, particularly in the heat of the coronavirus crisis, only a few will be able to make the numbers work.&nbsp;

On the back of their Champions League triumph, Bayern Munich are the pre-eminent force in Europe but they are unlikely to be able to afford Messi, aged 33, and with a base salary of around 60 million euros per year.&nbsp;

The same goes for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as well as Juventus, who remain restricted by the enormous outlay needed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago.&nbsp;

Perhaps Ronaldo's transfer, which is yet to deliver Juve the European success they hoped it would, might even make some of Messi's potential suitors nervous.&nbsp;

Madrid, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to prize Messi from their rivals - and they have tried before - but even if Messi wants to leave Barca, he is not out to burn his reputation and legacy.

<h2>- Wealthiest left standing -</h2>

Only the wealthiest are left standing but would the history of Manchester United or the upward momentum of Frank Lampard's Chelsea be enough to persuade Messi?&nbsp;

In recent seasons, neither has lasted in the Premier League's title race, let alone been serious contenders in the Champions League.&nbsp;

Those able both to afford Messi, and convince him, may only be Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, with Inter Milan a third option.&nbsp;

City would appear favourites but the club have always trodden carefully around the prospect of Messi. Their sporting staff, including coach Pep Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, all have connections with Barcelona they are keen to respect.&nbsp;

If City could be seen to be offering a safe haven for Messi's desire to go, rather than snatching him away, it would surely be an opportunity they could not pass up.

Messi could propel them in the Champions League and launch the City brand, so important to the club's Abu Dhabi owners, to a different level.

For PSG, whose frustration in Europe has been comparable to City's, even if they broke new ground by reaching last weekend's final, Messi would also represent a seismic addition to the Qatari project.

A Neymar-Messi-Kylian Mbappe front three would not be a difficult sell.

Inter's pitch would be more personal, given Messi's father Jorge has reportedly bought a house close to the club's offices while the Italian outfit have fostered close relations with the Messi family for years.

With Antonio Conte as coach and ambitious Chinese owners, Messi might be drawn to Inter, where the tax regulations would be less punitive and the disapproval less pronounced, given the club's history and tradition.

None of the options are without risk. Of the leading trio, only Inter have ever won the Champions League but even that was in 2010.

Success is not guaranteed for club or player, with Messi enduring an injury-interrupted season himself last term.

Staying at Barcelona remains a possibility, particularly if under-pressure president Josep Maria Bartomeu decides to resign.

But despite calls from fans and rival candidates, there is no suggestion yet that Bartomeu is considering his position.

Bartomeu's new sporting director Ramon Planes said on Wednesday the club "would have to fight" to ensure the relationship between Barcelona and Messi continues. It may be too late.

If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next. His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation.

If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next. His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation. Messi has not asked for a transfer to put his feet up for the final years of his career. This is a considered move aimed at bolstering his successes, and in one competition in particular. The Champions League has become his obsession, which puts all of Europe's super-clubs in contention and eliminates the less intensive, or more romantic, options, at least for now. A fairytale return to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, a project-build Stateside in the MLS or even a challenge at an aspiring European team in the mould of Diego Maradona's time at Napoli, will all become more likely once Messi is out of Barcelona. But that is not likely to be his next step. Instead, Messi wants titles and a club he believes in again. There will be no shortage of clubs pining for arguably the greatest player of all time but once they have done the sums, particularly in the heat of the coronavirus crisis, only a few will be able to make the numbers work. On the back of their Champions League triumph, Bayern Munich are the pre-eminent force in Europe but they are unlikely to be able to afford Messi, aged 33, and with a base salary of around 60 million euros per year. The same goes for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as well as Juventus, who remain restricted by the enormous outlay needed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago. Perhaps Ronaldo's transfer, which is yet to deliver Juve the European success they hoped it would, might even make some of Messi's potential suitors nervous. Madrid, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to prize Messi from their rivals - and they have tried before - but even if Messi wants to leave Barca, he is not out to burn his reputation and legacy. - Wealthiest left standing - Only the wealthiest are left standing but would the history of Manchester United or the upward momentum of Frank Lampard's Chelsea be enough to persuade Messi? In recent seasons, neither has lasted in the Premier League's title race, let alone been serious contenders in the Champions League. Those able both to afford Messi, and convince him, may only be Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, with Inter Milan a third option. City would appear favourites but the club have always trodden carefully around the prospect of Messi. Their sporting staff, including coach Pep Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, all have connections with Barcelona they are keen to respect. If City could be seen to be offering a safe haven for Messi's desire to go, rather than snatching him away, it would surely be an opportunity they could not pass up. Messi could propel them in the Champions League and launch the City brand, so important to the club's Abu Dhabi owners, to a different level. For PSG, whose frustration in Europe has been comparable to City's, even if they broke new ground by reaching last weekend's final, Messi would also represent a seismic addition to the Qatari project. A Neymar-Messi-Kylian Mbappe front three would not be a difficult sell. Inter's pitch would be more personal, given Messi's father Jorge has reportedly bought a house close to the club's offices while the Italian outfit have fostered close relations with the Messi family for years. With Antonio Conte as coach and ambitious Chinese owners, Messi might be drawn to Inter, where the tax regulations would be less punitive and the disapproval less pronounced, given the club's history and tradition. None of the options are without risk. Of the leading trio, only Inter have ever won the Champions League but even that was in 2010. Success is not guaranteed for club or player, with Messi enduring an injury-interrupted season himself last term. Staying at Barcelona remains a possibility, particularly if under-pressure president Josep Maria Bartomeu decides to resign. But despite calls from fans and rival candidates, there is no suggestion yet that Bartomeu is considering his position. Bartomeu's new sporting director Ramon Planes said on Wednesday the club "would have to fight" to ensure the relationship between Barcelona and Messi continues. It may be too late.

Messi on the market but only Europe's richest and most ambitious need apply

Lionel Messi on Tuesday dropped a bombshell after officially asking Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending more than two decades at the Catalan club. Messi, who has been upset over Barca board, has made up his mind that his glorious chapter with the club has come to an end.&nbsp;

While Barcelona on Wednesday made it clear that they want to keep the ‘best player in the world’ and start a fresh sporting chapter, Messi seems to be final in his decision to leave the club. Barcelona’s technical director Ramon Planes, after unveiling new signing Trincao on Wednesday, said that the club do not contemplate any sort of exit for Messi as they want him to stay while adding he is convinced that Barcelona’s future will be full of positivity.&nbsp;

TRENDING |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-lionel-messi-a-record-breaking-career-in-pictures-323230" hreflang="en">What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures</a>

"We do not contemplate any kind of exiting by Leo at the contractual level, because what we want is for him to stay here. I think that Leo knows he has enormous respect because we are talking about the best player in the world, the best player in history. And I'm absolutely convinced the upcoming future will be positive. We have to be optimistic and talk about the future, about young players, very talented players and players with a lot of experience like Leo who are in the team and have won great things. Together we have to build the Barça we all want,” Planes told the media.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adios-lionel-messi-323161">Adios, Lionel Messi?</a>

However, reports suggest that Messi has already spoken to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola while showing his interest in working with him again. Other reports suggest that Man City are preparing a contract for Messi which will bring him to the Etihad Stadium.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/stay-or-go-messi-in-legal-tangle-with-barcelona-over-leaving-club-323132" hreflang="en">Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club</a>

The likes of Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano and other staff members know Messi in and out as they have worked together in Barcelona earlier. And that relationship could lure Messi away from the Spanish giants. Sergio Aguero, Man City record goal-scorer, is Messi’s best friend and have shared the Argentina jersey over the years.&nbsp;

But the question remains, will Messi leave Barcelona? If he does, then all road lead to Manchester. 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi on Tuesday dropped a bombshell after officially asking Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending more than two decades at the Catalan club. Messi, who has been upset over Barca board, has made up his mind that his glorious chapter with the club has come to an end.

Lionel Messi on Tuesday dropped a bombshell after officially asking Barcelona to allow him to leave after spending more than two decades at the Catalan club. Messi, who has been upset over Barca board, has made up his mind that his glorious chapter with the club has come to an end. While Barcelona on Wednesday made it clear that they want to keep the ‘best player in the world’ and start a fresh sporting chapter, Messi seems to be final in his decision to leave the club. Barcelona’s technical director Ramon Planes, after unveiling new signing Trincao on Wednesday, said that the club do not contemplate any sort of exit for Messi as they want him to stay while adding he is convinced that Barcelona’s future will be full of positivity. TRENDING | What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures "We do not contemplate any kind of exiting by Leo at the contractual level, because what we want is for him to stay here. I think that Leo knows he has enormous respect because we are talking about the best player in the world, the best player in history. And I'm absolutely convinced the upcoming future will be positive. We have to be optimistic and talk about the future, about young players, very talented players and players with a lot of experience like Leo who are in the team and have won great things. Together we have to build the Barça we all want,” Planes told the media. ALSO READ: Adios, Lionel Messi? However, reports suggest that Messi has already spoken to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola while showing his interest in working with him again. Other reports suggest that Man City are preparing a contract for Messi which will bring him to the Etihad Stadium. IN PICS | Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club The likes of Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano and other staff members know Messi in and out as they have worked together in Barcelona earlier. And that relationship could lure Messi away from the Spanish giants. Sergio Aguero, Man City record goal-scorer, is Messi’s best friend and have shared the Argentina jersey over the years. But the question remains, will Messi leave Barcelona? If he does, then all road lead to Manchester.

Barcelona want Lionel Messi to stay but for the Argentine all roads lead to Manchester

What's next for Lionel Messi? A record breaking career in pictures

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club.&nbsp;

Fed up with board politics and how the club has been performing on the pitch, Messi on Tuesday handed in a transfer request to Barcelona board requesting them to release him of his duties. Interestingly, Messi has a EUR 700 million release clause but another crucial clause in his contract states he can leave the club for free after the end of every season. With COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardship clubs had to face, it is near to impossible that any club with shell out EUR 700 million but will Messi leave the Spanish giants for free?&nbsp;

<img alt="Messi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dbbfad67-1eb5-4102-b2d5-344645e5f064" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1WI6MU.jpg" />

Apparently, Messi’s clause which allows him to leave for free ended on May 31, 2020&nbsp;but the entourage of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner argues that the season was extended due to the shutdown and restart and hence, the clause remains active. What’s next? A legal battle may follow if Messi pushes his exit.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/stay-or-go-messi-in-legal-tangle-with-barcelona-over-leaving-club-323132" hreflang="en">Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club</a>

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🎥 Dozens of fans in front of the club's offices showing their disagreements with the board with several shouts. <a href="https://twitter.com/esport3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@esport3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCB</a> 
 
<a href="https://t.co/t0tQBKNHut">pic.twitter.com/t0tQBKNHut</a>
— Hagrid ✆ (@HagridFCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HagridFCB/status/1298374886633725956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Messi on Tuesday sent a fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave the club. Tweets from Catalan President Quim Torra i Pla, club legend Carles Puyol confirmed that if Messi were to leave Barca then it is now or never. Fans started to gather outside Barcelona offices, chanting 'Bartomeu out' and that sums up the seriousness of the entire matter.

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Respeto y admiración, Leo. Todo mi apoyo, amigo.
— Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carles5puyol/status/1298315936592797697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Barcelona have not been the same on the football pitch since the departure of Pep Guardiola. While Tito Vilanova tried to continue Guardiola’s legacy, his untimely demise due to cancer left everyone in shock. Gerardo Martino, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien came and went.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-hands-in-his-transfer-request-to-barcelona-323113">Lionel Messi hands in his transfer request to Barcelona</a>

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Catalunya serà sempre casa teva. Moltes gràcies per tots aquest temps de felicitat i d’un futbol extraordinari. Hem tingut la sort de compartir uns anys de les nostres vides amb el millor jugador del món. I un noble esportista No t’oblidarem mai. Leo Messi, Creu de Sant Jordi. <a href="https://t.co/Ojev577MoE">pic.twitter.com/Ojev577MoE</a>
— Quim Torra i Pla (@QuimTorraiPla) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuimTorraiPla/status/1298327109459378179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

While many will argue Barcelona won good number of trophies under Enrique but it was largely due to the epic troika of Neymar-Suarez-Messi. Players were unhappy with how the team performed in the UEFA Champions League and managers were continued to be sacked. The defeats against AS Roma, Liverpool didn’t help their case and the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich felt like the house of cards could just crumble and it did.&nbsp;

<img alt="Lionel Messi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ffe10511-7210-453a-afae-e4cf21ffb3da" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_13W71S.jpg" />

Ronald Koeman, a Barcelona legend, was appointed as the manager but the way he is approaching the senior players to discuss about their roles in the club has played a role in the fallout. Koeman, apparently, told Suarez that he is not needed in the club over a phone call. Sergio Busquets was told he would not have a key role in the club next season. Messi was reportedly told by Koeman that ‘privileges’ are over. Something which may have irked the Argentine megastar.&nbsp;

Bartomeu’s presence as club president hasn’t had a long-lasting impact – on the squad and financially. The club is in debt, the big buys of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele haven’t worked out. Neymar has left the club and was never bought back despite heavy interest from both sides. Messi felt enough is enough.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-lionel-messi-leave-barcelona-man-city-crunching-numbers-for-argentine-maestro-322969" hreflang="en">Will Lionel Messi leave Barcelona? Man City 'crunching numbers' for Argentine maestro</a>

Messi wants a winning project where he can continue to win trophies and satisfy the hunger he has developed over the years. And this time, Messi is serious about leaving the club. He doesn’t trust the board. He doesn’t see them competent enough to turn the situation around. He sees them unable to assemble a good squad. Everything seems to point that Messi is leaving Barcelona.&nbsp;

Only few clubs can afford to have Messi on their wage-sheet. Barcelona pay him around £60 million annually. Even if Messi leaves for free, his wage could be an issue for clubs interested in acquiring his services. Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City are the only two clubs capable of paying that amount of money.

Man City have an advantage as they have Pep Guardiola as managers while Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, club director and CEO respectively of Man City,&nbsp;have also worked with Messi during their time at Barcelona. The Catalan club likes two players in Eric Garcia and Gabriel Jesus and if Messi is to join Barcelona then these two players can leave Etihad Stadium for Nou Camp. Reportedly, Messi has even had a phone call with Guardiola and Sergio Aguero, his best-friend since early footballing days.&nbsp;

<img alt="Messi and Guardiola" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f71f49ce-4d9c-41f7-b78d-f12b0baea07f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_Par7039479.jpg" />

Barcelona board’s presidential elections are also around the corner and the candidates battling for the top chair have call for immediate resignation by Bartomeu. Jordi Farre, another presidential candidate, on Wednesday, filed a vote of no confidence against Bartomeu with a view that his resignation could just force Messi to change his decision. But will he?

While Cristiano Ronaldo have found success despite changing clubs, Messi may be thinking it is time to take up a new challenge and freshen up things. But the question remains, will the year 2020 bring the biggest transfer news of all time?

LIONEL MESSI in numbers:

International Honours

2005: U-20 world champion

2008: Olympic gold

Club honours

Champions League: (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)

La Liga titles: (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)

Copa del Rey: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

European Super Cup: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016)

Spanish Super Cup: (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2018-2019)

World Club: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016)

Individual honours

Ballons d'Or: (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)

UEFA's best European player of the season: (2011, 2015)

World Cup Golden Ball best player award: 2014

Best Copa America player: 2015

Top Champions League scorer: (2008-2009: 9 goals; 2009-2010: 8; 2010-2011: 12; 2011-2012: 14; 2014-2015: 10, 2018-2019: 12)

Top La Liga scorer: (2009-2010: 34 goals, 2011-2012: 50, 2012-2013: 46, 2016-2017: 37, 2017-2018: 34, 2018-2019: 36, 2019-20: 25)

Best player at an Olympics: 2008

Best player at U-20 World Cup: 2005

Records

Number of Ballon d'Or: 6

Number of goals scored in La Liga: 444

Record number of goals scored in one season in a major league: 50 (2011-2012)

All time top scorer for Argentina: 70 (2006-19)

Number of goals scored in a calendar year in all-competitions: 91 (2012)&nbsp;

Number of goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 (2011-2012)

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club.

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club. Fed up with board politics and how the club has been performing on the pitch, Messi on Tuesday handed in a transfer request to Barcelona board requesting them to release him of his duties. Interestingly, Messi has a EUR 700 million release clause but another crucial clause in his contract states he can leave the club for free after the end of every season. With COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardship clubs had to face, it is near to impossible that any club with shell out EUR 700 million but will Messi leave the Spanish giants for free? Apparently, Messi’s clause which allows him to leave for free ended on May 31, 2020 but the entourage of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner argues that the season was extended due to the shutdown and restart and hence, the clause remains active. What’s next? A legal battle may follow if Messi pushes his exit. IN PICS | Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club 🎥 Dozens of fans in front of the club's offices showing their disagreements with the board with several shouts. @esport3 #FCB pic.twitter.com/t0tQBKNHut — Hagrid ✆ (@HagridFCB) August 25, 2020 × Messi on Tuesday sent a fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave the club. Tweets from Catalan President Quim Torra i Pla, club legend Carles Puyol confirmed that if Messi were to leave Barca then it is now or never. Fans started to gather outside Barcelona offices, chanting 'Bartomeu out' and that sums up the seriousness of the entire matter. Respeto y admiración, Leo. Todo mi apoyo, amigo. — Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) August 25, 2020 × Barcelona have not been the same on the football pitch since the departure of Pep Guardiola. While Tito Vilanova tried to continue Guardiola’s legacy, his untimely demise due to cancer left everyone in shock. Gerardo Martino, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien came and went. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi hands in his transfer request to Barcelona Catalunya serà sempre casa teva. Moltes gràcies per tots aquest temps de felicitat i d’un futbol extraordinari. Hem tingut la sort de compartir uns anys de les nostres vides amb el millor jugador del món. I un noble esportista No t’oblidarem mai. Leo Messi, Creu de Sant Jordi. pic.twitter.com/Ojev577MoE — Quim Torra i Pla (@QuimTorraiPla) August 25, 2020 × While many will argue Barcelona won good number of trophies under Enrique but it was largely due to the epic troika of Neymar-Suarez-Messi. Players were unhappy with how the team performed in the UEFA Champions League and managers were continued to be sacked. The defeats against AS Roma, Liverpool didn’t help their case and the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich felt like the house of cards could just crumble and it did. Ronald Koeman, a Barcelona legend, was appointed as the manager but the way he is approaching the senior players to discuss about their roles in the club has played a role in the fallout. Koeman, apparently, told Suarez that he is not needed in the club over a phone call. Sergio Busquets was told he would not have a key role in the club next season. Messi was reportedly told by Koeman that ‘privileges’ are over. Something which may have irked the Argentine megastar. Bartomeu’s presence as club president hasn’t had a long-lasting impact – on the squad and financially. The club is in debt, the big buys of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele haven’t worked out. Neymar has left the club and was never bought back despite heavy interest from both sides. Messi felt enough is enough. ALSO READ: Will Lionel Messi leave Barcelona? Man City 'crunching numbers' for Argentine maestro Messi wants a winning project where he can continue to win trophies and satisfy the hunger he has developed over the years. And this time, Messi is serious about leaving the club. He doesn’t trust the board. He doesn’t see them competent enough to turn the situation around. He sees them unable to assemble a good squad. Everything seems to point that Messi is leaving Barcelona. Only few clubs can afford to have Messi on their wage-sheet. Barcelona pay him around £60 million annually. Even if Messi leaves for free, his wage could be an issue for clubs interested in acquiring his services. Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City are the only two clubs capable of paying that amount of money. Man City have an advantage as they have Pep Guardiola as managers while Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, club director and CEO respectively of Man City, have also worked with Messi during their time at Barcelona. The Catalan club likes two players in Eric Garcia and Gabriel Jesus and if Messi is to join Barcelona then these two players can leave Etihad Stadium for Nou Camp. Reportedly, Messi has even had a phone call with Guardiola and Sergio Aguero, his best-friend since early footballing days. Barcelona board’s presidential elections are also around the corner and the candidates battling for the top chair have call for immediate resignation by Bartomeu. Jordi Farre, another presidential candidate, on Wednesday, filed a vote of no confidence against Bartomeu with a view that his resignation could just force Messi to change his decision. But will he? While Cristiano Ronaldo have found success despite changing clubs, Messi may be thinking it is time to take up a new challenge and freshen up things. But the question remains, will the year 2020 bring the biggest transfer news of all time? LIONEL MESSI in numbers: International Honours 2005: U-20 world champion 2008: Olympic gold Club honours Champions League: (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) La Liga titles: (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) Copa del Rey: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) European Super Cup: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016) Spanish Super Cup: (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2018-2019) World Club: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016) Individual honours Ballons d'Or: (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019) UEFA's best European player of the season: (2011, 2015) World Cup Golden Ball best player award: 2014 Best Copa America player: 2015 Top Champions League scorer: (2008-2009: 9 goals; 2009-2010: 8; 2010-2011: 12; 2011-2012: 14; 2014-2015: 10, 2018-2019: 12) Top La Liga scorer: (2009-2010: 34 goals, 2011-2012: 50, 2012-2013: 46, 2016-2017: 37, 2017-2018: 34, 2018-2019: 36, 2019-20: 25) Best player at an Olympics: 2008 Best player at U-20 World Cup: 2005 Records Number of Ballon d'Or: 6 Number of goals scored in La Liga: 444 Record number of goals scored in one season in a major league: 50 (2011-2012) All time top scorer for Argentina: 70 (2006-19) Number of goals scored in a calendar year in all-competitions: 91 (2012) Number of goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 (2011-2012)

Adios, Lionel Messi?

Manchester City left back Oleksandr Zinchenko set aside some time on his wedding day to clarify comments he and his new bride Vlada Sedan made about manager Pep Guardiola in the wake of the club’s Champions League defeat by Olympique Lyon.

Television reporter Sedan delivered a scathing assessment of Guardiola’s tactics and posted an interview with Zinchenko to her YouTube channel after City crashed out in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 loss.

The video prompted an angry response from City supporters and Zinchenko took to social media to defend his comments.

“First of all, I didn’t say anything bad or judgmental about our tactics so don’t confuse my words please,” he said in a lengthy Instagram post.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/bayern-munich-10-psg-uefa-champions-league-final-all-the-action-in-pictures-322813">Bayern Munich 1:0 PSG, UEFA Champions League Final: All the action in pictures</a>

“On the night we lost to Lyon that doesn’t mean the manager was wrong to try. If you have seen my interviews in the past and the way how I talk about our manager then you can believe me. He’s number one.

“Second one about my wife. Although she is a journalist, she is also a fan ... in the video you can see her emotions straight after the game and she gave an opinion like all fans do because she wanted us to do better.

“I’m writing right now from my wedding and instead of enjoying that unbelievable moment I have to do this because I can’t skip it and leave it like that.”

Manchester City left back Oleksandr Zinchenko set aside some time on his wedding day to clarify comments he and his new bride Vlada Sedan made about manager Pep Guardiola in the wake of the club’s Champions League defeat by Olympique Lyon.

Manchester City left back Oleksandr Zinchenko set aside some time on his wedding day to clarify comments he and his new bride Vlada Sedan made about manager Pep Guardiola in the wake of the club’s Champions League defeat by Olympique Lyon. Television reporter Sedan delivered a scathing assessment of Guardiola’s tactics and posted an interview with Zinchenko to her YouTube channel after City crashed out in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 loss. The video prompted an angry response from City supporters and Zinchenko took to social media to defend his comments. “First of all, I didn’t say anything bad or judgmental about our tactics so don’t confuse my words please,” he said in a lengthy Instagram post. IN PICS | Bayern Munich 1:0 PSG, UEFA Champions League Final: All the action in pictures “On the night we lost to Lyon that doesn’t mean the manager was wrong to try. If you have seen my interviews in the past and the way how I talk about our manager then you can believe me. He’s number one. “Second one about my wife. Although she is a journalist, she is also a fan ... in the video you can see her emotions straight after the game and she gave an opinion like all fans do because she wanted us to do better. “I’m writing right now from my wedding and instead of enjoying that unbelievable moment I have to do this because I can’t skip it and leave it like that.”

Manchester City's Zinchenko interrupts wedding day to clarify Guardiola comments

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