Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: 2020 Spanish Super Cup TV Schedule, Live Stream
Jan 8, 2020
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal with Antoine Griezmann, centre and Luis Suarez during a Champions League soccer match Group F between Barcelona and Dortmund at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid clash on Thursday for a place in the 2020 Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The winners will play against Real Madrid or Valencia, who meet in the first semi-final on Wednesday.
Barca are the Super Cup holders, but the competition now has an expanded midseason format to include four sides.
Barcelona and Atletico line up at King Abdullah Sports City with a potential El Clasico or Madrid derby in the offing.
Valencia could block Los Blancos' progression, and La Liga fans in Jeddah will likely be hoping for a dream fixture in Sunday's final.
Barca have made the journey without injured goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, while Ousmane Dembele is also missing due to a hamstring problem, per George Flood of the Evening Standard.
Atletico have their own injury absences, though, and Diego Costa will miss the tournament along with Thomas Lemar and Stefan Savic.
Barcelona announced their Super Cup squad on Tuesday:
Atletico have been tough to beat in La Liga this season and have lost one game less than the Blaugrana, despite Barca leading the division.
The Spanish top flight is more competitive this season. The champions lead Real Madrid on goal difference, with Diego Simeone's side trailing the pair by five points.
Meanwhile, some Los Rojiblancos players spoke about their enthusiasm for the tournament after the La Liga winter break:
Barcelona are 13-time winners of the Spanish Super Cup, and Atletico collected the trophy in 1985 and 2014.
The decision to switch the revamped competition away from Spain has drawn criticism, according to Reuters (viaMailOnline), but it's not the first time the Super Cup has been played abroad.
Barca won the 2018 edition with a 2-1 victory over Sevilla in Morocco.
Lionel Messi, Barcelona Drop Points with 2-2 La Liga Draw with Espanyol
Jan 4, 2020
BARCELONA, SPAIN - JANUARY 04: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona reacts during the Liga match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at RCDE Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Barcelona dropped points in La Liga on Saturday after Espanyol held them to a 2-2 draw in a Catalan derby at the RCDE Stadium.
The visitors started the game poorly and fell behind midway through the first half when an unmarked David Lopez nodded Marc Roca's free-kick past goalkeeper Neto.
Barcelona struggled to cause Espanyol problems but did go close to an equaliser just before half-time when Luis Suarez saw a shot hit the post.
The Uruguay international levelled the scores early in the second half from a Jordi Alba cross and then teed up Arturo Vidal to head Barcelona in front on the hour mark.
Barcelona were reduced to 10 men when Frenkie de Jong was sent off on 75 minutes, and Espanyol made the most of their man advantage by levelling late on through Wu Lei.
The champions saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages but were slow and predictable in possession and did not threaten Diego Lopez in the Espanyol goal.
The first serious attack of the game brought the opening goal for the visitors. De Jong conceded a foul on the edge of the area from which Roca delivered an accurate ball for Lopez to nod past Neto (UK video only):
⚽ David López puts Espanyol ahead in the Catalan derby!
Barcelona offered little in the way of a response initially. Lionel Messi managed a tame shot, which was comfortably saved by Lopez, and then went tumbling in the box but saw his penalty appeals correctly waved away.
ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan noted the difference in Espanyol's play under new manager Abelardo:
Marc Roca out-battling Rakitic, then skips away from Busquets. Didn't see much of that during Espanyol's really limp end to last year.
The champions came closer to an equaliser just before half-time. Messi forced Lopez into a save with a strong header from a Sergi Roberto cross, while Suarez toe-poked a shot on the woodwork.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde made a change at half-time, bringing on Vidal for Ivan Rakitic, and the substitution helped shift the game in the visitors' favour.
Suarez needed just four minutes of the second half to fire Barca level. The striker latched on to Alba's cross to beat Lopez at his near post with a clinical finish.
The Uruguay international then teed up Vidal to place a firm header past Lopez at the far post to put Barca in front nine minutes later:
10 - Luis Suárez has been involved in each one of the @FCBarcelona’s last nine goals in #LaLiga (four goals & six assists). The Uruguayan is the player to have scored & assisted both in a single LaLiga game more often (four as Karim Benzema). Key#EspanyolBarça#Derbyhttps://t.co/pL0rDO9day
The Dutchman had already been booked for a foul on Matias Vargas and received his second yellow for pulling back Jonathan Calleri, leaving Barca to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men.
Lei came close to an equaliser for Espanyol, getting a firm header on a ball in from deep but seeing a diving Neto claim comfortably.
However, the substitute was not to be denied a second time. Vargas' pass released the winger down the right channel, and he made no mistake with a fine shot across Neto and into the far corner:
The result means Barcelona go back to the top of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, but they have seen their two-point advantage over Los Blancos wiped out on the opening weekend of 2020.
What's Next?
Barcelona play Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Espanyol's next fixture is against San Sebastian de los Reyes in the second round of the Copa del Rey on Sunday, January 12.
Dani Olmo Wants Barcelona Return 'As Soon as Possible' Amid Transfer Rumours
Jan 2, 2020
ZAGREB, CROATIA - DECEMBER 11: Dani Olmo of Dinamo Zagreb celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League group C match between Dinamo Zagreb and Manchester City at Maksimir Stadium on December 11, 2019 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Luka Stanzl/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)
Dinamo Zagreb forward Dani Olmo has said he hopes a transfer to Barcelona can be finalised "as soon as possible" amid speculation linking him with a move to the Camp Nou.
Olmo has enjoyed a strong season with the Croatian club and turned in a number of eye-catching performances in the UEFA Champions League. Unsurprisingly, speculation regarding his future has started to intensify, with the Blaugrana said to be in the hunt for the player.
The 21-year-old was actually part of the La Masia setup with the Catalan giants before making his move to Zagreb. Speaking to L'Esportiu (h/t Stephen Crawford of Goal), Olmo said he was excited by the prospect of a return to the club:
"It makes me happy that the rumours have become a concrete proposal and that Barca considered the possibility of bringing me back home. I spent six years at La Masia, and they taught me lifelong values.
"My goal is to go to the next European Championship, and that will be difficult for me in the next six months if I only play in a minor competition like the one in Croatia. I want to take a step forward, not only to go to the European Championship but also to keep improving.
" ... If there is an agreement between both clubs then it is better to leave now, as soon as possible."
Per Crawford, Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach are also said to be interested in signing the player.
Olmo's technical ability and understanding of the game is indicative of a La Masia footballing education.
He scored this stunning volley against Manchester City in the Champions League earlier in the season:
Olmo's qualities would make him a useful addition for most teams in Europe. Not only is he a goalscorer, he's dynamic, hardworking and versatile in where he can operate—the Spain international can play through the middle or on either flank.
Having made his senior Spain debut in November, it's understandable that Olmo has ambitions to represent the nation in next summer's European Championship. However, Richard Martin of Reuters is unsure whether a move to Barcelona would help those hopes:
If Dani Olmo does want to return to Spain to try and get into the Euro 2020 squad then surely he'd be better off going to somewhere like Sevilla or Valencia than Barça
After all, Blaugrana manager Ernesto Valverde has a number of high-class attacking options to choose from.
Before the winter break, there were encouraging signs from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann as an attacking trio. Additionally, Barcelona will have Ousmane Dembele returning from injury soon, while 17-year-old Ansu Fati has shown he can make an impact at the highest level.
Olmo's career is on an upward trajectory, and it's understandable that a move back to Barcelona is tempting for him. However, at this juncture, it's important he continues to get regular minutes—something that might not be the case if he returns to the Camp Nou.
Luis Suarez 'Very Happy' at Barcelona, Open to Extension Amid Contract Rumours
Dec 31, 2019
BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 21: Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring the fourth goal of his team during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou on December 21, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has said he's "very happy" at the Camp Nou as he prepares to enter the final 18 months of his deal.
Suarez—who turns 33 in January—has a contract with the Blaugrana until June 2021, but he could agree a new deal to take him beyond that date.
The Uruguay international told Jordi Gil and Albert Roge of Sport: "I am very happy at the club. I have always given my all. The statistics and the numbers back that up. I think I am still at the top of my game, and when it's time to talk, we will come to an [agreement]."
It's inevitable for players to be scrutinised the further they creep into their 30s, particularly for Suarez, who is an attacker that relies largely on speed and quick reflexes.
Suarez has scored 13 goals and recorded nine assists in 21 appearances for Barcelona this season.
ESPN FC's Alex Kirkland agreed with the striker that his goal during a 5-2 win over Mallorca in early December might have been the best of his career to date, via Premier Sports:
🤤 Any excuse to see this finish from Luis Suarez again
🗣 @alexkirkland thinks this is the Barca strikers best ever goal 🤔
The South American joined Barcelona from Liverpool in July 2014 and was regarded as arguably the fiercest finisher on the planet at the time.
Suarez scored 59 goals in 53 appearances for the Blaugrana during the 2015-16 campaign, but his numbers have steadily declined since then. He netted 37 times in 2016-17, 31 goals in the following campaign and 25 last term, his joint-lowest tally since his first full season with Liverpool (2011-12).
Manager Ernesto Valverde will also take into account the fact talismanic Lionel Messi looks so at ease playing alongside the Uruguayan, with both Barca stars sitting among La Liga's most prolific players this year:
Spanish football experts Guillem Balague and Graham Hunter recently appeared on Premier Sports, agreeing Suarez has been Messi's best strike partner to date:
Suarez will be 34 by the time his current agreement at the Camp Nou is scheduled to end, but his upbeat attitude towards a new deal suggests the club may be happy to keep him into more senior years.
Barcelona will return from the winter break on Saturday when they travel to Catalan rivals Espanyol.
Report: Barcelona Accuse Arturo Vidal of Trying to Force Inter Transfer in Suit
Dec 28, 2019
Barcelona's Arturo Vidal celebrates after scoring a goalduring a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona have reportedly accused midfielder Arturo Vidal of trying to force a quick transfer to Inter Milan by bringing a lawsuit involving unpaid bonuses against the club.
Spanish newspaper ABC reported on the legal action, and Vidal has confirmed his agent and legal team are looking into the matter, per Radio ADN (h/t Football Italia): "I find it unfair that my claim is not being recognised. I am not responsible for this. My agent and my lawyer are dealing with the issue."
Per the report, Vidal believes he is owed some €2.4 million in unpaid bonus money.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 21: Arturo Vidal of FC Barcelona warms up before the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou on December 21, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
But according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Italia), Barcelona have now responded in a note to the tribunal in charge of the dispute. The Blaugrana stated the Chilean only brought the issue up just before the January transfer window because he is hoping for a quick move to Inter:
"This is a unique case in history: Someone pays you a debt, and it seems to you that the rules are not respected, then wait six months without politely warning that there may have been an error, and then request that within 24 hours you have to be paid a certain figure, only when the media publish news of interest from another team.
"The actions of Mr. Vidal show that he has peacefully received a payment in accordance with the agreements, and only now, for reasons unknown to us, does he express this. In these six months Vidal has not considered it necessary to communicate anything to us about this issue."
The 32-year-old has been strongly linked with a return to Italy after a steep decline in playing time. Vidal started 22 La Liga matches last season and made a further 11 appearances off the bench, but he has only started in four so far in the 2019-20 campaign.
According to ESPN FC, he responded angrily to not making the starting XI for the Clasico against Real Madrid, and speculation has been in overdrive since:
Arturo Vidal stormed out of Barcelona training on Tuesday after learning he would not start against Real Madrid, sources have told ESPN.
Per Goal's Liam Blackburn, manager Ernesto Valverde has ruled out any exits in January. Vidal has also side-stepped the speculation, per Javier Villodres at Sport:
"My representative is who has to see that, but I'm calm and happy at Barcelona. When I return, we'll see. Now I want to be with my family, and after that return and take a decision. I'll keep taking advantage of all the opportunities and scoring. I hope to lift the titles we have before us."
The arrival of Frenkie de Jong and the strong form of Arthur―who played just once in December due to injury―have turned Vidal into a depth option, a role he does not seem happy with. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets also sit ahead of him in the pecking order, while Carles Alena and Riqui Puig provide even more depth.
While Vidal's role with Barcelona has shrunk, he is still a tremendous player who has been productive when given the chance:
Inter are locked in a tight race for the Serie A title with Juventus and could use the added depth in midfield. Vidal played arguably the best football of his career under coach Antonio Conte in Turin, so a reunion in Milan could be beneficial to all.
Vidal and his team-mates are on a winter break. Barcelona's next outing will be on January 4 against local rivals Espanyol.
Ivan Rakitic Says He Wants to Stay at Barcelona amid Transfer Rumours
Dec 27, 2019
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has said he wants to stay at the Camp Nou amid speculation he could leave the club in the January transfer window.
The 31-year-old told Sportske Novosti (h/t Colin Millar of Football Espana) he has not spoken to manager Ernesto Valverde about his future but made it clear he wants to remain with the Catalan giants.
"I have not spoken with Ernesto Valverde. There is nothing to say, I think everything is clear. For me it is important to enjoy football. I am happy to go training in the morning and prepare for the game in the best way possible. In the end, it is the coach who decides who will play and how often.
"I don't think about anything else apart from Barcelona. Of course, in football you must be prepared for anything, but my idea is to be here. I am very happy and proud to be here. Many things have happened that cannot be changed, but my goal is to play and do it in Barcelona."
Rakitic has been a regular under Valverde but lost his place in the starting XI at the start of the campaign, as the Barca coach went with a midfield of Arthur, Sergio Busquets and new signing Frenkie de Jong.
The Croatia international spoke in November about his sadness at being benched:
Rakitic on his situation at Barça: "How does my daughter feel when they take her toy away? Sad. I feel the same. They've taken my ball away, I feel sad" https://t.co/jAaByyC5yU
Yet injury to Arthur has seen Rakitic return to action for the Spanish champions. He started six of the club's last seven games before the Christmas break and captained the side in the 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Inter Milan.
Serie A giants Juventus and Inter Milan have been linked with a move for Rakitic, but the Croatian has played down the rumours and said Barca is "the perfect place for me," per Goal's Liam Blackburn.
Barcelona do have an overcrowded midfield with Rakitic competing with Arthur, Busquets, De Jong, Arturo Vidal and Carles Alena for a spot but are expected to allow players to leave in the winter.
Luis F. Rojo and Antonio Cejas at Marca have reported that Alena will join Real Betis on loan at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have reached agreement with Vidal over a winter move, according to Tuttosport (h/t Sport).
Rakitic has shown in his most recent games he remains an important member of the squad, and while there may be departures in January, it seems as if he has done enough to stay at least until the end of the current campaign.
Report: Barcelona to Target PSG's Neymar for 2020 Summer Transfer Window
Dec 24, 2019
PSG's Neymar looks on during the French League One soccer match between Saint-Etienne and Paris Saint-Germain, at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium, in Saint-Etienne, central France, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
A reunion between Barcelona and Neymar may happen as soon as the 2020 transfer window.
Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN reported Barcelona are planning a pursuit of the Brazil international, who played for the Catalan club from 2013 to 2017. Barcelona management reportedly have Neymar tabbed as the "natural replacement" for Lionel Messi, though no end appears in sight for Messi's tenure with the club.
Paris Saint-Germain has, to this point, put up a fortified front against Neymar returning to Camp Nou, including blocking a reunion last summer. The ESPN report notes Barcelona could go to FIFA to force soccer's governing body to set a transfer fee because Neymar's contract does not include a release clause.
PSG paid a €222 million transfer fee for Neymar in 2017. At the time, Neymar was a young, rising superstar whose shine was overshadowed by the pure brilliance of Messi. While he's nearing the end of his prime, Messi remains one of the world's premier players and recently captured his record sixth Ballon d'Or.
Adding Neymar would give Barcelona the world's preeminent one-two punch and perhaps allow Messi to extend his career by lessening his daily burden.
For now, Neymar will be tasked with leading PSG to a Champions League crown ahead of what could be another record-setting summer.
Remembering Leo Messi's Magical Decade at Barcelona
Dec 24, 2019
Jerome Boateng is a formidable defender. He was widely regarded as the best player on the pitch in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. A year after picking up his World Cup winners' medal, he played for Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. He was 26 years old, at the peak of his powers.
With less than a quarter of an hour left in the match, the teams were still tied scoreless. Then Leo Messi struck. In the 77th minute, he got a pass from Dani Alves and rifled it into the net from outside the box. Three minutes later, he received the ball in much the same position and ran at Boateng.
Messi took a few touches, bringing the ball closer and closer to Boateng until the German defender could almost sniff it. Then, at the last fraction of a second, he pulled the ball past Boateng and dinked it into the net.
Caught off balance, Boateng fell to the ground like he'd just fainted. The internet had a field day with his misfortune, as jokes and memes flew around the online world, one depicting Boateng falling into a crater. His life's work reduced to a moment of ridicule. Life can be cruel.
"He made Boateng look like a fool," says Andy West, author of Lionel Messi and the Art of Living. "He made him look like a bow-legged 10-year-old who couldn't control his body. This is one of the best defenders in the world who was playing for Bayern Munich and absolutely focused in that moment, and he just fell over. He couldn't deal with how Messi had run past him."
Boateng isn't alone.
Messi regularly makes an ass out of top-class footballers, having put Iker Casillas on his backside in the 2011 UEFA Champions League first-leg semi-final after waltzing through Real Madrid's defence, for example, or audaciously nutmegging James Milner in another 2015 UEFA Champions League knockout game. It's what Messi does. He has been operating at a higher level over the last decade.
10 years. 579 goals. 50+ goals in 9 out of 10 calendar years.
"Messi is not a dynamic sprinter," says West. "He's never been that rapid. It's his speed of movement. One of the amazing things about that goal against Bayern Munich was that he lobbed Manuel Neuer, who most people at the time regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, with his right foot.
"Messi finds solutions. He finds the most effective way of doing things even if they wouldn't be his first choice. He has that speed of thought to know if he needs to finish a goal-scoring chance with his right foot even though he'd prefer to dance around with the ball and get it onto his left. That decision-making process is something he excels at. A lot of his majesty is in his brain. He always does the right thing, and he always knows to do it quickly."
His intelligent decision-making is perhaps most evident with his passing. If Messi had never scored a goal over the last decade—and he's been Europe's top scorer six times during that period—we would still be talking of him as one of the game's great playmakers alongside the likes of, say, Andrea Pirlo.
"He provides assists like a basketball player," says Jaime Rodriguez, a journalist with El Mundo. "Against Real Madrid last week in the Clasico, for example, it was the same—he picked out Jordi Alba with a pass [to create Barcelona's clearest goal-scoring chance in a scoreless draw]. If you threw the ball with your hand, you couldn't do better than Messi does with his foot. It's like he has a glove on that left leg of his, as we say in Spain. He's so precise. It enables him to have this brutal precision. Take, for example, his accuracy with free kicks. He's a beast."
Messi's free-kicks have become works of art, among them that scorcher in last season's UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg against Liverpool. His dribbling—especially at close quarters—is unrivalled.
Who can forget him walking through a forest of Espanyol defenders during a La Liga game in 2016 or that wondergoal against Athletic Bilbao in the 2015 Copa del Rey final? And, of course, there are his lobs like the one last season against Real Betis, which drew a standing ovation from spectators in the Benito Villamarin Stadium.
Football writer Jimmy Burns, who has investigated Messi's career and his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in his book Cristiano and Leo: The Race to Become the Greatest Football Player of All Time, as well as written several other football books, including Maradona: The Hand of God, makes an interesting point about how Messi has been shaped by his association with FC Barcelona, which he has helped to unprecedented glory, including seven league titles and two European Cups in the last decade. Their ties go back to 2000 when Messi trialled with the club as a 13-year-old.
"I already had a suspicion about something that was confirmed when writing the Cristiano and Leo book, which is the extent to which Messi's destiny and his evolution as a player has been absolutely determined by his experience in Barcelona, not just with the club but with the physical reality of living away from Argentina and specifically in Catalonia," says Burns.
"If you compare him with another subject I'm familiar with—Diego Maradona—what really saved Messi was the fact he got away from Argentina. If he had set off his career as an adult footballer in Argentina and lived there, his life might have been very different. His ambition may not have been realised, certainly at club level.
"What we saw at Barcelona, which surprised me, is that Barca really did become his extended family, and the importance of his evolution as a personality and as a player by his managers, Frank Rijkaard and, in particular, Pep Guardiola. The way Guardiola handled Messi. He got his measure, giving him a lot of freedom to develop as a player. At the same time making sure that he didn't go down the rocky path of being a Maradona. Messi owes a lot to Barcelona. They formed him into the great star that he is."
According to the Swiss-based research group CIES Football Observatory, no other out-field footballer played as many minutes in the top five leagues over the last decade. Messi played 83.4 percent of the total minutes played by Barcelona in La Liga. It's a staggering statistic and hints at one of the keys to his success: He loves the game. He can't stop playing, even if it's just to kick around in his garden with his dog.
"Messi really, really likes his sport," says Damia, a former teammate of Messi's at Barcelona. "Footballers have different personalities. For some, football is not a passion. They see it just as a job. They don't care about it. They don't even know which player they will be marking in the next game.
"There are others who are professional. They try to do their best all the time. They like to read the newspapers, to study, to be prepared. They are the majority of us. I was never happy not knowing the player I was going to mark. I needed to know how he performs, his skills.
"Then there are those who are really, really passionate about their jobs. They are watching football all the time. Messi is that kind of player who really loves his job. He is always with a football at home. He really has a passion for football."
How long that passion will sustain him remains to be seen.
He will turn 33 at the end of the season. When he picked up his sixth Ballon d'Or award earlier in the month, he hinted at retirement. The end is possibly near. It is a vista that saddens Argentina fans—he has unfinished business with the national team—and one that terrifies Barca fans, a club that has become utterly dependent on his genius.
"The thought that Messi will one day retire generates panic amongst Barca fans," says Rodriguez. "It's a normal reaction—after Messi, there will never be another player like him. He instills intimidation and fear in rival teams that no other footballer in the history of the game has provoked.
"The club will experience a hangover, a hard one. It will be like an orphan: 'Daddy's not here anymore, so what are we going to do?' This notion can be taken with a pinch of salt, but there are independentista people in Catalonia who would prefer to forsake their pursuit of national independence if it meant instead Messi continuing to play for Barca for the rest of their lives."
He might not play for the rest of our lives, but let's enjoy him while we can.
Next week, we will look back on the other iconic player of the last decade: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Frenkie de Jong 'Never Doubted' He Was Capable of Stepping Up at Barcelona
Dec 24, 2019
Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong warms up during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona against Deportivo Alaves at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 21, 2019. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has said he "never doubted" whether he was good enough to play for the club.
De Jong made one of the most high-profile transfers of the summer window, moving to the Blaugrana from Dutch giants Ajax for a reported £65 million. After an inconsistent start to life at the club, the Dutch international has found his rhythm as of late and is showing why Barcelona were ready to spend big to sign him.
Speaking to De Telegraaf (h/t Sam France of Goal), De Jong said his belief never wavered that he was good enough to play for an elite outfit:
"I had actually expected that the step up from Ajax would not be that big. I know what level we achieved last season.
"There is even more quality here; I play with even bigger players, some of whom are of course very special due to their exceptional qualities, such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. Despite those big names, I never doubted I could make the step up."
De Jong has been an almost ever present for Barcelona in La Liga, helping the team establish a two-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table at Christmas.
The 22-year-old can look back on a remarkable 2019, in which he established a reputation as one of the best midfielders on the planet. De Jong was crucial to Ajax winning the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup, as well as putting together a memorable run to UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Even though he has left the Amsterdam juggernauts, there's still a clear affinity between De Jong and his former club:
It was no surprise to see De Jong make a move to Barcelona on the back of that success, although it did take the playmaker some time to fully settle in.
During the recent Clasico stalemate with Barcelona, even though he's playing to a higher level now, De Jong is still having some issues at the Camp Nou due to a lack of support:
Frenkie de Jong has no-one to run with or run the midfield with. I wish he had overlapped just one season with Iniesta, for the apprenticeship.
Given the remarkable strides he has made this year, it's easy to forget that De Jong is still in the early stages of his career. There have been some teething problems at Barcelona, although there's no indication he won't be anything other than a success at the club.
De Jong referenced the likes of Messi, Suarez and Busquets as crucial figures for the side, although they are all 31 years old or older. The onus will be on the likes of Dutchman to help eventually usher the team into a new era in the coming years.
Arturo Vidal 'Calm and Happy' at Barcelona amid Inter Milan Rumours
Dec 23, 2019
Arturo Vidal has said he is "calm and happy" at Barcelona amid speculation he is a January transfer target for Serie A side Inter Milan.
The Chile international has struggled to force his way into Ernesto Valverde's starting XI this season and plans to make a decision on his future after the Christmas break, per Javier Villodres at Sport:
"My representative is who has to see that, but I'm calm and happy at Barcelona. When I return, we'll see. Now I want to be with my family, and after that return and take a decision. I'll keep taking advantage of all the opportunities and scoring. I hope to lift the titles we have before us."
Vidal made the surprise move from Bayern Munich to Barcelona in 2018 at the age of 31 in a deal worth £27 million and has been a useful signing for the Spanish champions.
He is not a guaranteed starter under Valverde but is an important squad member and contributes goals from midfield, scoring five times already in 2019-20:
Vidal spoke about his frustration at being on the bench in November in an interview with TV3 (h/t Javier Miguel at AS).
"You have to be objective and live from day to day. If, by December or when the season finishes, I don't feel important, I will have to make a decision and look for another place to go and be important," he said.
Barcelona have an overcrowded midfield with Vidal vying with Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Arthur, Ivan Rakitic and Carles Alena for a starting spot.
Yet the Chilean offers something different to his team-mates. He is an aggressive, physical presence, contributes important goals and loves to win the ball back:
52 - Arturo Vidal made the most tackles in the Champions League last season (52). Enforcer.
Serie A side Inter Milan have been linked with a move for the Chile international in the January transfer window.
Manager Antonio Conte is keeping tabs on Vidal, who could join on loan in January with a purchase option of €20 million, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Espana).
Vidal has bags of Serie A experience already. He won four titles in four years with Juventus and also reached the final of the UEFA Champions League with the Turin giants.
Manager Valverde has been asked about Vidal and said he is "counting on" the Chilean and team-mate Alena staying at the club, per Marca's Alejandro Segura.
Barcelona could look to trim their squad in the January transfer window but may not want to allow a player with the experience and goalscoring ability of Vidal to depart midway through the campaign.
