La Liga

Zidane looks to gee up squad amid talk of Madrid crisis

Madrid - Emiratesvoice

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has defended his players and dismissed talk of a crisis at the reigning Spanish and European champions after seeing them fall further behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Madrid ended an outstanding 2017 with a 3-0 defeat at home to their bitter rivals in the Clasico and their first La Liga outing of 2018 saw them draw 2-2 at CeltaRead more

Barcelona fans seek "justice" for Catalan ministers

Barcelona - Emirates Voice

A huge Catalan flag and banners reading "justice" in Catalan and English were displayed before Barcelona's La Liga clash with Sevilla on Saturday amid the escalating political crisis sweeping Barcelona. On Thursday eight ministers of the deposed Catalan government, following the enforcement of home rule by the Spanish government, were detained pending a possible trial for their roles in theRead more

Ronaldo wins FIFA player of the year award

London - AFP

The Portuguese ace, who has scored 44 goals in just 48 games for club and country so far this calendar year, played a major role in Real winning both La Liga and the Champions League. He scored twice in a 4-1 win over Juventus in the continental final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on June 3. Ronaldo saw off competition fromRead more

Catalan La Liga clubs to join region-wide strike

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

La Liga sides Barcelona, Espanyol and Girona have decided to join the general strike in Catalonia on Tuesday, October 3. The strike, called by more than 40 unions and associations in the region under the umbrella organisation Table for Democracy, is due to police forcefully attempting to stop Catalonia's independence referendum on Sunday, which was deemed illegal by the SpanishRead more

Man City winger Navas returns to Sevilla

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

Spanish international winger Jesus Navas returned to Sevilla on Tuesday, the La Liga club announced on their website. Navas had been a free agent since being released by Manchester City at the end of last season. "Sevilla FC have reached an agreement with Jesus Navas, with the player signing a deal on Tuesday keeping him at the club for theRead more

Striker Torres extends Atletico Madrid contract

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

Striker Fernando Torres will stay at Atletico Madrid until the end of next season after signing a contract extension, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday. The former Spain international's contract had run out, but he will now stay at Atletico until June 30, 2018. The capital-city side are under a transfer ban, but it has been a successful close-seasonRead more

Pitchside wizardry helps brands to hit the target

London - Arab Today

UAE fans watching Spanish football’s La Liga club matches on TV may be surprised to see the hoardings around the edge of the pitches showing adverts for firms such as the Bahraini fast-food chain Jasmi. It may be more of a surprise to learn that only viewers in the Mena region can see those ads. That is thanks to digitalRead more

Madrid draw sends Barca top as Enrique confirms exit

Madrid - Arab Today

Barcelona moved top of La Liga on the night Luis Enrique confirmed he will not continue as coach next season as Gareth Bale was sent-off in Real Madrid's thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas. Enrique announced his decision to step down after Barca's 6-1 rout of Sporting Gijon earlier on Wednesday which leaves Barcelona a point clear at theRead more

PSG host Barcelona in Champions League last-16 first leg tie

Paris - Arab Today

Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday with their Spanish coach Unai Emery desperate to improve his awful personal record against the Catalans. Emery was brought to the French capital last year as the successor to Laurent Blanc in order to help take PSG to the next level in Europe afterRead more

Barcelona "obliged" to fight back striker Luis Suarez insists

Madrid - ArabToday

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez insists the Catalans are "obliged" to chase down Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, despite losing more ground on the European champions in a 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Sunday. Even a fabulous last minute Lionel Messi free-kick couldn't prevent Barca falling five points behind Madrid, who also have a game in hand, afterRead more