Gerardo Martino is "not optimistic" that Neymar will play again for Barcelona this season.

The Brazilian damaged the fourth metatarsal in his left foot during Wednesday's Copa del Rey final defeat to Real Madrid, with the club confirming he could be out for up to four weeks.

With Barca's last game of the season - a potential La Liga title-decider at Atletico Madrid - in four weeks' time, the Argentinian is not convinced that Neymar will be able to return, while Carles Puyol will not face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday as he continues to struggle with a knee injury.

"It will be difficult to see him (Neymar) get a game," said the Barca coach. 

"It will take about four weeks so I'm not optimistic that he'll play again this season for us."

The Catalan giants have lost all of their three previous matches - in three separate competitions - to dash Barca's hopes of a treble, with the spotlight heavily on Martino and his future at the club.

But Martino is reluctant to talk about what will happen at the end of the season, preferring to concentrate on the job in hand.

"I think all my focus has to be on this season," he said. "It's almost betraying the group thinking of being in charge next season when we're still not finished this season.

"We have to use all the strength that we've got to finish this season, then next season we'll see."

After Atletico's 2-0 win over Elche on Friday, Barca go into Sunday's game seven points behind the leaders and Martino concedes his side are relying heavily on results elsewhere.

"We have to understand that we still have a chance of winning the league and we have to hope teams above us slip up," he said.

"We can't depend on what we do so now it's a different situation. If the other teams do slip up it will be a great incentive for us."

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has voiced his hope that Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to play against his side in the Champions League semifinals in midweek.

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has voiced his hope that Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to play against his side in the Champions League semifinals in midweek.

The 29-year-old picked up a muscular injury during his side's 3-0 quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund and has not played since, most notably missing the Copa del Rey final Clasico win against Barcelona.

However, Rummenigge is hoping that the former Manchester United man lines up against his side to underline the tie's status as the better last-four clash.

"I always want to ensure that the best players are on the pitch because the semi-finals are a great spectacle shown all over the world," he told TZ.

"The other game [Atletico Madrid-Chelsea] is also good but if Real Madrid play Bayern Munich, then it is the game the whole world will be watching.

"I always wish for the best players to be on the pitch, but whether Ronaldo will be fit, I cannot say now."

MESSI

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has ruled out selling Lionel Messi, revealing that the Catalans plan to offer the attacker an "improved" contract - on the proviso that the he maintains his incredibly high level of performance.

There have been reports that the Blaugrana could consider selling their most prized asset as they bid to overhaul the club following a week in which they were eliminated from the Champions League, slipped back to third in the race for La Liga and beaten by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.

However, Bartomeu has reassured Barca fans that the club will not cash in on Messi, explaining that they instead intend to give him a better deal.

"It’s not a question of offering a new contract," the Blaugrana supremo told 'Gol a Gol'. "We have proposed a modification of his existing contract, which will run until 2018. We want to offer him improved terms in line with the current climate in football. All we ask of him is that he continues to play as he has done until now."

However, while Messi's form, and indeed his motivation, have been the subject of much debate this season, Bartomeu insists that he has never lost confidence in the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"We’ve been unfair to him," he mused. "He had led the team for a number of years, he’s done an excellent job and we are sure that he will continue to be our standard bearer – and that is what he wants too. He’s still young, he’s the best player in the world and we have complete faith in him."

However, Bartomeu refused to confirm whether under-fire Barca boss Tata Martino will still be at Camp Nou next season.

"We respect the coach and we have to look towards the future as there are five league games left and we are in touch with the league leaders, who may slip up between now and the final day," he stated.

"We will deal with other issues when the time is right. Right now, we are focused on the league. We are behind him and will support him in these last few matches of the campaign."

c.Ronaldo

Real Madrid have been boosted by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to training ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.

The 29-year-old missed Wednesday's Copa del Rey final win over Barcelona with a knee injury and looked set to be absent for the first-leg of his side's last four European tie on Wednesday.

However, he could now be available for the clash with Pep Guardiola's side after coming through the first part of Sunday's training session.      

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will also be encouraged by the participation of Marcelo, who emerged unscathed from the practice having been sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Copa del Rey hero Gareth Bale was also present following his match-winning heroics in midweek, while defender Sergio Ramos worked alone inside the club's training facility.

The news that Ronaldo will be back for the crunch clash will not only come as a relief to Madrid, with Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitting that he was eager to see the Portuguese face his side.

"When Real Madrid play Bayern Munich, then the whole world will be watching. I always want the best players to be on the pitch," he told TZ.

grig

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

mr dimitris

i love all the people in the world....

bale

me and mr.bale

king dimitry

dimitry is back to africa

PSG LOST HIS STAR

GOAL 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out of action for four weeks, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi has announced.

The forward pulled up in the 68th minute of his side's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Chelsea on Wednesday and was forced to be substituted, with test later confirming a hamstring problem.

PSG have now revealed the Sweden international will miss the second leg against the Blues as he will likely be sidelined for a month, with scans expected to confirm the severity of the injury tomorrow.

"It's an MRI [scan] at this time," Nasser Al Khelaifi told RMC. "We will have the result within half an hour, an hour. But he will need at least four weeks of rest. He won't play the next game against Chelsea."

As well as missing Tuesday's return leg at Stamford Bridge, the 32-year-old will also be unavailable for the Coupe de la Ligue final against Olympique Lyonnais on April 19. Lucas Moura, who replaced Ibrahimovic against Chelsea, has been given a vote of confidence by Al Khelaifi, who has backed the Brazilian to step up in the Swede's absence.

"I think Zlatan is very important for the team, but Lucas is ready," he said.

Al Khelaifi went on to stress that Edinson Cavani will not leave the club this summer, despite the player hinting at a possible exit admid reported interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

He added: "Cavani is very important for us, he is very professional, very generous on the field, he gives everything. I appreciate that. If he wants to change position, it is not his decision, it is that of the coach and he understands. He is a star of PSG. And of course he will stay with us next season."

PSG

PSG's Laurent Blanc said his squad was thinking ahead to a Champions League clash during today's Ligue 1 match.

Edinson Cavani

Photo by AFP/Getty Images

GOAL

Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has admitted that his players are already thinking about their Champions League trip to Chelsea on Tuesday.

The French champions recorded an easy 3-0 win over Reims at the Parc des Princes thanks to a strike from Edinson Cavani and two Aissa Mandi own-goals.

They also hold a 3-1 advantage over Jose Mourinho's men in the Champions League quarterfinals and Blanc is looking forward to the return leg.

"Every game has its worth, but it was placed before a Champions League match which everyone is thinking about," he told reporters.

"It is never easy to approach these games with the right mindset. It's a very good thing to have won this match. It's worth three points and, in our position, we cannot lose points at home."

BARCHA

Barcelona Manager Gerardo Martino admitted that he wasn't concerned about how his squad played as long as they won.

Gerardo Martino

Photo by Getty Images

OMNISPORT

Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino was not concerned by the nature of the 3-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday, with the points all important.

Two goals from Lionel Messi either side of half-time and an own goal from Jordi Figueras secured victory for the champions, with Ruben Castro responding for the visitors in a less-than-straightforward afternoon for the home side. 

The win means that Barcelona kept pace with Atletico at the top of the table, after Diego Simeone's side had claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Villarreal earlier in the day.

Despite the scoreline, it was far from a vintage performance from Barca, but Martino believes that wins, not performances, are more important at this stage of the season.

He said: "In a sense, I was expecting today's match to not play out like our previous ones. For once, I'm going to focus 100 percent on the result, not how we played.

"I don't want to make excuses. The feeling that I have is that in between the game this past Tuesday (against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League) and the one next Wednesday (in the second leg) this match against Betis snuck up on us.

"We needed to win in order to continue putting pressure on the leaders."

With the second leg of their European tie to come next week and the games both domestically and on the continent coming thick and fast, Martino admitted that he had missed a chance to keep some of his players fresh.

"I wanted to rest some of the players ahead of Wednesday's game against Atletico if today's game had gone differently. It didn't play out that way," he added.

"I probably could have given more rest to some of the players who featured on Tuesday. Perhaps I didn't go far enough with the rotations."

share

DIEGO COSTA

La Liga Wrap: Atletico and Barca labour to wins, Real thrash Sociedad

Atletico Madrid continued their push towards their first La Liga title since 1996 with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Villarreal.

A 12th minute header from Raul Garcia proved to be enough for the hosts, much to the delight of coach Diego Simeone and the home faithful at the Vincente Calderon.The win stretches Atleti's unbeaten run at home to 18 league games and opened up a four point lead at the top of the table.

That gap was cut to one by second-placed Barcelona later on Saturday, as the Catalan club secured a 3-1 win over Real Betis at the Camp Nou to end a difficult week on a high note.

The reigning champions hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after being hit with a transfer embargo by FIFA for next season in relation to irregularities in their youth set up.

Any suggestions of Gerado Martino's side being distracted by those events were banished after 15 minutes, when Lionel Messi stroked home a well-struck penalty, following a foul from Jordi Figueras on Alexis Sanchez.

It went from bad to worse for Figueras, who put the ball into his own net after attempting to cut out an Adriano cross after 67 minutes.

Betis were handed a lifeline just a minute later, when Ruben Castro turned in Alfred N'Diaye's cutback, setting up a nervy finish for Martino's men, but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished four minutes from time, when Juanfran was adjudged to have handled Neymar's cross in the box.

Messi saw his resulting spot-kick saved by Adnan but was first to the rebound to wrap up a hard-fought win.

That left third-placed Real Madrid in need of a win to stay in touch with the top two at Real Sociedad.

Former Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi gave Madrid the lead just before half time, poking home Karim Benzema's effort that was well saved by Claudio Bravo.

That lead was doubled after 66 minutes when Gareth Bale took advantage of Bravo's poor kick to smash home from 30 yards, before Pepe added a third late on.

Angel Di Maria came off the bench to extend his side's lead further two minutes from time, following some terrific link-up play with Alvaro Morata, completing a convincing win for the visitors.

In the day's only other game, 10-man Rayo Vallecano gave their survival hopes another significant boost with a 3-0 win at home to Celta Vigo, courtesy of a second-half brace from Alberto Bueno, who added to Ruben Rochina's 26th minute opener.

Razvan Rat saw red for an off the ball incident after 64 minutes but it failed to have an impact on proceedings as Paco Jemez's side held on for their fifth straight home win.

MADRID WIN

REAL MADRID WON 4-0

C.RONALDO WITH HIS FRIENDS IN MADRID

The Brazilian was an unused substitute in Real's 5-0 demolition of Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, but has since sustained the injury to his left leg.

No recovery time has yet been set by the club, but any kind of involvement in his the UEFA Champions League quarter-final clashes with Borussia Dortmund now appears unlikely, and he could also be a doubt for the Copa del Rey final versus Barcelona on April 16.

Marcelo has made 33 appearances in all competitions for Real this season.
Carlo Ancelotti's men sit third in La Liga, three points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid and two short of Barcelona.

DIMITRIS WITH Pep Guardiola IN SANTIAGO BERNABEO

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is insistent that Manchester United have the quality to upset his side at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Holders Bayern are firm favourites for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, despite it being played in Manchester.
The Bavarian giants have swept aside all before them this term, with the Bundesliga title already sealed in record time.
They have lost just once in 41 outings this term and face a United side who languish seventh in the Premier League and have lost seven home games in all competitions this season.
Guardiola is wary of David Moyes' side though, and says the firepower at his counterpart's disposal - such as Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata - could result in a surprise.
He said: "Manchester United are one of the world's best teams. It doesn't matter what situation they're in right now.
"Manchester United have good players. These two games could be the best two performances of their season. They can beat us."
Guardiola was also asked about the future of midfielder Toni Kroos, who has been linked with a move to United.
The 24-year-old is a regular for both club and country but has not agreed to an extension on his contract, which expires in July next year.

The Spaniard was keen to refute the talk linking Kroos to Old Trafford, though, and said, extension or no extension, that he will play his football for Bayern next season.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer added United's poor league position does not mean they are ripe for the picking - using the example of Chelsea, who beat the Germans in the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League final despite struggling domestically.
"We know just how well Manchester United can maintain their focus," Neuer said.
"The name Manchester United deserves a lot of respect alone. They fought back well against Olympiacos (in the round of 16).
"Think of Chelsea who finished sixth and went on to win the Champions League - unfortunately."
Bastian Schweinsteiger, a key member of Bayern's midfield, shared a similar view.
"It's something very special to be able to play at Old Trafford," he said.
"Everyone knows what to expect tomorrow…it will be an incredibly difficult game."

PSG DAY

Following their narrow 1-0 win over OGC Nice on Friday and AS Monaco’s surprise 1-0 defeat at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain are now practically assured of a second successive title triumph.
The French champions have never secured back-to-back titles before.
But with les Monegasques slipping further and further behind as their challenge fades, can Laurent Blanc and his side switch their full and undivided attention to the UEFA Champions League?
Paris is bracing itself for the visit of English Premier League side Chelsea this week, as Jose Mourinho and the Blues return to the French capital for the first time since the Portuguese tactician engineered a 3-0 victory at the Parc des Princes back in 2004.
Considering the massive bonus that PSG have been handed by Claudio Ranieri and his side’s inept performance in Annecy last weekend—incidentally the only place the titleholders have also lost domestically this season—the Parisians will now look at this first leg differently.
If Blanc’s men can build up a significant enough lead on Wednesday, not to mention keep a vital clean sheet, then they will surely view Saturday’s Ligue 1 encounter as sacrificial if it means they can travel to Stamford Bridge next week with a fully rested and focused team.
They have the depth to cope with playing all three matches in the space of just seven days.
Now, thanks to their unerring consistency so far this season, PSG have also earned the right to place a higher priority on these next two continental outings than on one increasingly meaningless league encounter.
Of course, the title is not yet won. However, both sides showed last weekend that their minds were already on this mammoth quarterfinal doubleheader. In their current positions, PSG can afford to prioritise the Champions League, but Chelsea cannot.
Despite Mourinho’s bleatings about a possible EPL title being “impossible” after a surprise defeat to Crystal Palace, his team remain in the mix. As long as that is the case, the Blues will always have one eye on the league throughout the two-legged affair.
But assuming they get past Chelsea, is getting to the Champions League semifinals an adequate enough step for PSG?
Absolutely.
Blanc’s mission at the start of the season was to better last campaign’s showing under Carlo Ancelotti.
Defending the title, reaching the semifinals or better in Europe and also being involved in a domestic cup final is a massive improvement on last term’s performance. The Italian could only guide the team to the title, the Champions League quarterfinals and the last eight in both domestic cups.
Still, should PSG not reach the semifinals, that does not mean that progress has not been made under Blanc.
The real signs of improvement have come closer to home, where PSG have generally swept all before them—except for Evian—and improved their domestic cup record under the ownership of Qatar Sports Investments.
Going out in the Champions league quarterfinals is no less an achievement than the same result last season and certainly cannot be used as a potential stick with which to beat Blanc at the end of the season.
At the very least, le President has equalled Ancelotti’s showing on the continent. This demonstrates continuity, while the improved league and cup record in France illustrates how much stronger the team has become over the past 12 months.
The French champions are seven points away from equalling last season’s total points tally of 83 with as many games remaining.
The fact that PSG have also been able to see off a new rival in Monaco, who have already run the capital club closer than bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille did last campaign, is another boon.
What cannot be overlooked, though, is the importance of the Coupe de la Ligue final.
Blanc has bettered Ancelotti’s PSG by reaching a first final in the competition since 2008, but the Italian’s Coupe de France performance was better. The Parisians crashed out in the round of 32 to Montpellier HSC this time around, but at least reached the quarterfinals last year.
There they lost, ironically, to Evian on penalties.
In order for the underperformance in the Coupe de France to be rendered obsolete by PSG’s Qatari owners, a Coupe de la Ligue triumph is now expected. Along with securing the first-ever consecutive titles in the capital outfit’s history, it would also be a first-ever league and cup double (they won a domestic cup double in 1997-98).
Therefore, with league success almost assured, provided that PSG do not lose their focus in April 19’s Coupe de la Ligue final against Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de France, Blanc and his players can solely focus on their upcoming Chelsea encounters.
Parisian dreams of an unprecedented treble are still alive, for now.

PSG

The Ligue 1 leaders are set to face Jose Mourinho's men in the first leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, with the return tie to follow at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.
And Cavani, who was part of the Napoli side that lost to Chelsea in the 2011-12 round of 16 after taking a 3-1 first-leg lead, has a personal incentive to knock out that season's champions.
"To me I will be using the game looking for revenge, because I faced Chelsea with Napoli," he said. "We didn't deserve to lose, although we didn't play well in London to get through but we showed a lot in Naples, where we were better than them (winning 3-1 having lost the first leg 4-1).
"It's like revenge against one of the biggest teams in the world, with the best players and against a team who are playing in a really attractive league. It's awesome (the Premier League).
"One of my goals when I arrived at Paris was to play in European competition. As a player, you always try to play in competitive teams which fight for the Champions League.
"Paris are doing well and did well last year where they went out undeservedly. But we are showing the same mentality and we are a more solid team after some time working together.
"We beat Leverkusen 4-0 away, so we didn't arrive here playing badly, we came through the ties playing well and that give us more motivation."
The Uruguayan frontman also expressed his belief that playing in England was a "beautiful" prospect.
"Facing Chelsea and playing in England are one of those beautiful things you can do in football," he added.

Ryan Giggs and David Moyes

No Problem With Moyes

Ryan Giggs admits he has no problem with David Moyes despite reports of a falling out between the two.
Full story › Most recent

REAL madrid

¡Preparando el partido ante el Dortmund! / Preparing for the match against Dortmund! #RealMadridDortmund #halamadrid 

king

dimitris yalouris the owner of the site.

Mesi By Jason Pettigrove (@jasonpettigrove)

By Jason Pettigrove (@jasonpettigrove)
Where would Barcelona be without Lionel Messi’s goals?
Since the turn of the year, the Blaugrana’s record-breaking front man just cannot stop finding the net, and his penalty against Espanyol was his 22nd goal in all competitions since Jan. 1.
No one in the top five leagues in Europe has scored more in that time frame.
Throw nine assists into the mix, and we really begin to get a sense of exactly how important the player is for his club.
After the summer signing of Neymar and a successful goal-scoring start to his career in Catalonia, there was a general consensus that “Messi dependence” was actually over.
It was a view that held even more weight when Alexis Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez continued contributing to the goals-for column.
Yet despite their best efforts, none have been as prolific or as decisive as their colleague— and he has missed over two months of the season.
Messi has scored in 12 out of his last 14 games and looks in ominous form every time he crosses that white line.
His recent hat-trick against Real Madrid, his second in a week, brought Barca right back into this season’s title race, and a team that were written off as dead and buried seven days prior were levitated to the highest echelons once again.
Football connoisseurs amongst you will also have noted that it’s not just Messi’s goals that have been doing the damage.
With assists and key passes aplenty, La Liga and Champions League opposition must be wary that Messi’s speed of thought and speed across the ground have returned. The pint-sized assassin is back.
And far from being subdued and having one eye on the World Cup, he continues to play at the very highest possible level, week-in and week-out.
It’s hard to comprehend that there is any room for improvement in his game, but Messi’s shots-to-goals ratio could be better…if we want to be really picky. Per Squawka, Messi tends to convert from one in every six shots, but that is a ways behind some of his contemporaries.
Coincidentally, it was the same sort of average from last season when he set what must be regarded as one of the most outrageous all-time records ever—a record run so preposterous that if you hadn’t borne witness to it, you’d be convinced it was the figment of someone’s very active imagination.
Scoring against every other team in the league consecutively is unlikely to happen again in our lifetime, if ever. It’s taken over 150 years of football on planet Earth for someone to achieve the feat, and it gives a very real indication of just how special a mark it is.
And just how special a talent Barcelona have in Lionel Messi.

Diego Simeone by Bein Sport US

GOAL
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone refused to label his team favourites ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Barcelona.
Simeone's men face Barca at Camp Nou in the first leg of their quarter-final tie in a meeting between two sides competing in an enthralling La Liga title race.
Atleti lead the way in Spain's top flight, but are just one point ahead of defending champions Barca - who they will play on the final day of the domestic season - with seven matches remaining.
The duo played out a goalless draw in the league back in January, and Simeone is expecting another tight contest as Atleti aim to reach the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition since their run to the 1974 final.
"Barcelona are in top shape. They are used to these kind of matches," the Argentinian said.
"The match will be very difficult. The two teams meet in a great moment. I expect the best Barcelona, they will want to settle it here, in their home stadium and not wait for the return leg.
"If we say we are favourites, they will say that we are arrogant. If not, they will say that we are underdogs.
"What is certain is that we are going to compete and that it will be a beautiful tie."
Striker Diego Costa could well be crucial to Atleti's fortunes in the tie having scored 33 goals in all competitions for the Spanish capital club.
And Simeone believes that Costa is as important for Atleti as superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
He added: "Diego Costa for us, Messi for Barca and Cristiano for Madrid, each in their own way with their style, are highly momentous for the teams."