Celta Vigo &#8211; CaughtOffside

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

And things are about to get even better for the English attacker, who has scored his first-ever goal for the club. Greenwood’s strike came just after the half-hour mark of the game and could prove decisive come the final whistle.

Celta 1 – [2] Getafe – Mason Greenwood 33′
byu/er_primo_der_rafa insoccer

Pictures via Sport Live 4.

The post (Video) Mason Greenwood scores first goal for Getafe vs. Celta Vigo appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain: Breaking down the Barcelona bribery case, injury crises and Jude Bellingham reigns supreme

Ruairidh Barlow — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 15:11:41 +0000

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Barcelona have been formally charged with bribery, in case you had missed it. The Negreira case was always going to rumble on, but now it looks as if the Blaugrana will have their day in court.

The court magistrate has charged Barcelona for paying a public official €7-8m (£6-7m) over 17 years for their business relations with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the Vice-President of the Referees Committee, between 2001 and 2018. The nuance is important here – previously Barcelona were being investigated for sporting corruption, which would require proof that Barcelona had received favourable treatment for their money. With bribery, just the intention is enough, the public prosecutor will only need to prove that.

This could result in anything from a warning to relegation to dissolving the club, depending on what the judge decides at the end of the case. Meanwhile UEFA could kick Barcelona out of next season’s Champions League too, although Barcelona feel they have found a loophole to get out of it.

On the pitch, they rumble onwards after stodgy wins over Sevilla and Porto, but the mood is one of concern. Robert Lewandowski is a major doubt for El Clasico on the 28th of October after spraining his ankle against the Portguese giants. That will keep him out for anywhere between three and five weeks.

The games Robert Lewandowski could miss:

??Granada
?Athletic Club
?Shakhtar Donetsk
?Real Madrid
??Real Sociedad
??Shakhtar Donetsk
?Alaves#Barca #ElClasico #Lewandowski pic.twitter.com/Jj8JajXRM6

— Football España (@footballespana_) October 5, 2023

Real Madrid are also suffering with injuries. David Alaba looks close to a return, to join their last standing central defender Antonio Rudiger. Nacho Fernandez will now begin a three-game ban after a horror challenge on Girona’s Portu last weekend in a 3-0 win. It sort of doesn’t matter when Jude Bellingham is in this form. Against Girona he provided a Luka Modric-esque outside of the boot assist for Joselu Mato, while he was imperious against Napoli in their 3-2 win in Italy. Bellingham now has 9 goals and 2 assists in 9 games, better numbers than Cristiano Ronaldo started off with. Modric on the other hand is not happy about being on the bench, something that has become very public over the last week.

Vinicius Junior is back on the pitch and scoring, but after testifying in a racism case from when he was abused at Mestalla during a match with Valencia. Reportedly, he told the judge the whole stadium was chanting ‘monkey’ at him rather than just some, which Valencia responded to quickly. ‘Racism cannot be combated with fallacies, nor unfounded lies’, say Valencia in another slightly uncomfortable statement.

It’s been a busy week for the courts, as various members of the Spain squad, staff and management testify in the sexual assault and coercion case against Luis Rubiales – including the man himself, who said he would do the same again if the war ended in Ukraine.

Real Madrid are back at the top of the table, closely followed by Atletico Madrid, Girona and Barcelona, which is impressive for Atleti given 11 of their players have missed game time this season through injury. They’ve only played 10 games. It’s not going so well for Rafael Benitez at Celta Vigo. He slipped into the relegation zone after a 97th-minute Las Palmas winner on Monday night, although his side did have a goal disallowed in dubious circumstances. The latest Liverpool-linked figure in the game to complain about VAR, ‘What are we doing here, this is football, not ping pong?’, Benitez fumed in a remarkable rant.

The post Inside Spain: Breaking down the Barcelona bribery case, injury crises and Jude Bellingham reigns supreme appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Video: Man City loanee scores very late winner in incredible comeback win

Darren Looney — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:43:36 +0000

Barcelona produced an amazing comeback on Saturday evening as the Catalan giants defeated Celta Vigo 3-2.

Xavi’s men found themselves 2-0 with ten minutes to go but a brace from Robert Lewandowski and a late winner from Joao Cancelo helped complete an incredible 3-2 comeback within the space of nine minutes.

The Man City loanee made a run into the box and was picked out beautifully by Gavi. The full-back knocked the ball into the net and celebrated widely after bagging the 89th-minute winner to continue his impressive start in La Liga with Barca.

What. A. Comeback! ??

João Cancelo potentially scores the winner for Barcelona who lead 3-2 now ? pic.twitter.com/K28iEWYSIU

— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) September 23, 2023

Cancelo is the best right back in the world, what a player???pic.twitter.com/0ILF3pLnfc

— Formula? (@1realFormula) September 23, 2023

Footage courtesy of Viaplay and beIN Sports

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

The post Video: Man City loanee scores very late winner in incredible comeback win appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Future of 24-year-old at West Ham is practically over as Moyes wants Spain international as replacement

Darren Looney — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 18:13:43 +0000

West Ham United could try and sign another midfielder during the January transfer window and David Moyes has his eye on Celta Vigo’s Fran Beltran.

The Hammers brought Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse to the London Stadium this summer as Moyes set about trying to replace Declan Rice who departed for Arsenal.

Beltran would see that midfield strengthened even further, being a Spanish international, but it would not be good news for one West Ham star.

Flynn Downes is currently on loan with Southampton and already faces an uphill task to cement a place at West Ham. The signing of Beltran would certainly end any hope of the 24-year-old making into Moyes’ best 11.

It is uncertain where the midfielder would go should he leave the London club or if he would be willing to stay and fight with the competition for a spot at the London Stadium.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

The post Future of 24-year-old at West Ham is practically over as Moyes wants Spain international as replacement appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Player admits he rejected Palace pay rise as he was desperate to leave South London

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:14:15 +0000

Crystal Palace under Roy Hodgson have been brilliant to watch in the main, and they’ve begun this season as they ended the last under the Premier League’s elder statesman.

Hodgson has proved that age is no barrier to success, and indeed, experience often wins out in the end.

The Eagles have a superb crop of young, hungry players in their ranks, and it isn’t too much of a stretch to believe they might get close to approaching the successes of the side of the early 1990s when Ian Wright, Mark Bright and Alan Pardew were in their pomp.

Wilfried Zaha decided that staying in south London wasn’t for him, a decision he may come to regret, whilst Vicente Guaita was another to pack his bags and move on from Selhurst Park.

More Stories / Latest News

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

Nov 1 2023, 9:14

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Nov 1 2023, 9:08

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Nov 1 2023, 8:37

Both decided to reject pay rises to stay at the club, and though it’s believed that Zaha really took his time before making a final decision, it appears that Guaita couldn’t wait to leave.

“At Crystal Palace, they offered me to extend my contract and be able to earn more money, but one of the things we wanted was to return to Spain, to be a little closer to the family and feel that human warmth, because in other countries they have different customs,” he was quoted as saying by Plaza Deportiva.

“In the club there were many things that I did not understand and it was better to put an end to it,” Atlantico also reported.

After appearing to kick up a real fuss behind the scenes at Palace, there was little doubt that the club would dispense with Guaita’s services.

With such strong team spirit at the club at present, the last thing that Hodgson needed is a dissenting voice upsetting the dressing room equilibrium.

The post Player admits he rejected Palace pay rise as he was desperate to leave South London appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain: Latest on the Spain kiss scandal, Barcelona registration drama and Real Madrid injury crisis

Ruairidh Barlow — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:27:11 +0000

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Somehow, it got worse. President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales topped of his week of lying in the name of Jenni Hermoso, putting together a ‘sorry if you were offended apology’ which he pressured her to be in, and then failing to heed the warnings of the Spanish Government to resign by acting out a Leonardo di Caprio scene from the Wolf of Wall Street. His shouting ‘I’m not resigning’ may have been applauded by most of the Federation Assembly, but it was met with horror by the rest of Spain.

Less than 24 hours later he was suspended by FIFA for 90 days, and now the Ministry for Sport has taken the matter to a tribunal. If they get the verdict they want, that it was a ‘very serious infraction’, Rubiales could be out of the game for 2-15 years. After he spun his story that Hermoso had consented during a conversation on the podium where he said ‘just a peck?’ and she responded ‘OK’, Hermoso came out with a public statement denying that, saying she felt vulnerable and was the victim of sexual assault.

#ÚltimaHora ?? Luis Rubiales no dimitirá como presidente de la RFEF:

?? "No voy a dimitir, no voy a dimitir". pic.twitter.com/VsHwl1T0mA

— Relevo (@relevo) August 25, 2023

79 players have signed a document put together by her union, which states that they will be pursuing action against him, and that they will not be playing anymore until change happens. Since, UEFA player of the Year Aitana Bonmati and Sarina Wiegman demanded better at the Champions League draw.

A video was released of Hermoso laughing off the incident on the team bus after, seemingly demanding that not only she process the incident and complain about it immediately, but also that she be miserable after winning the World Cup. It looks as if the applause and the player strike will cost both Rubiales and Manager Jorge Vilda their jobs. The RFEF regional bosses have demanded his resignation, and yet somehow Rubiales remains. His mother did go on hunger strike in a church for two-and-a-half days, demanding an end to the ‘witchhunt’ and that Hermoso change her story, but left out the back door and has ended it.

Sarina Wiegman, England women's head coach, has paid tribute to Spain's World Cup-winning side after picking up the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award.pic.twitter.com/bZKdyibdIC

— Football España (@footballespana_) August 31, 2023

Elsewhere Barcelona still haven’t signed Joao Cancelo – President Joan Laporta is using his own personal funds to push through the final deals of the transfer window, and it is strongly believed that Ansu Fati’s move to Brighton will facilitate the arrival of Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid. If 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, man of the match in a 4-3 win over Villarreal, continues his form, he might not see much game time.

Real Madrid continued their flawless start with another Jude Bellingham goal in a 1-0 win over Rafa Benitez’s Celta Vigo, but is quickly losing people around him. After Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao tore their ACLs, Vinicius Junior has a muscle tear which will keep him out for six weeks and probably the Madrid derby. For their part, Atletico Madrid just recorded their biggest ever away La Liga win, firing seven past Rayo Vallecano in an incredible performance.

The post Inside Spain: Latest on the Spain kiss scandal, Barcelona registration drama and Real Madrid injury crisis appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive Ben Jacobs column: Felix open to Chelsea return, Man Utd’s left-back transfer talks & more

Ben Jacobs — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:35:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to my latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside – click here to subscribe for more from myself, Fabrizio Romano, Jonathan Johnson and more!

Club chief personally flies star out of Chelsea and other potential Blues exits

Chelsea will be very busy with outgoings right up until the transfer window shuts.

Bayern want to sign Trevoh Chalobah, who doesn’t look like getting many minutes if stays at Chelsea. The German champions have already had a loan bid rejected and are still in talks.

Chelsea want a permanent sale and expect a £50m fee. Bayern will consider Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap if they can’t strike a deal for Chalobah.

Conor Gallagher also faces an uncertain future but has been playing for Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino and is content to stay and fight for his place.

Bayern, West Ham and Spurs have all looked at Gallagher during different parts of the window. Everton and Newcastle held a historical interest as well, but are not active currently.

Conor Gallagher in action for Chelsea

Brighton really like Gallagher, but not his wages, and that’s why nothing has materialised to date. Chelsea will listen to offers should they arrive around the £50m mark.

Romelu Lukaku is another Chelsea outgoing that’s basically done. He is off to Rome today to finalise his season-long loan after a lengthy and messy saga involving Inter Milan and Juventus. Believe it or not, Roma owner Dan Friedkin, who is a certified pilot, personally flew him over!

My understanding is the fee is £8m (higher than reported) and Lukaku is more than halving his wage. Chelsea have also inserted a €45m release clause into his contract. This has always been the ballpark required for a permanent sale.

Manchester United looking for Luke Shaw replacement

Manchester United are looking for left-back cover for Luke Shaw, who is out for a number of weeks with a muscle injury.

Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella is one name being explored. Talks took place between Manchester United and Chelsea over the weekend.

At the time of writing, no formal offer has been placed, but obviously things are going to have to move fast if Manchester United wish to move.

The reason why Manchester United have taken a bit more time is because Cucurella is one of four names discussed internally. Barcelona’s Marcos Alonso, Tottenham’s Sergio Reguilon and Lyon’s Nicolas Tagliafico are all being considered.

Cucurella and Alonso are well aware of the interest, and the chance to play Champions League football is of appeal. But the challenge is Shaw is out for weeks not months, so both would be keen to understand further their role and likely minutes when he returns.

Chelsea are comfortable with letting Cucurella leave on loan, but that may well change if Ian Maatsen doesn’t stay. But with Ben Chilwell fit, and Levi Colwill can also play left-back, there is enough cover in that position.

Why Gabri Veiga chose Saudi over Europe’s elite

Gabri Veiga’s move from Celta Vigo to Al-Ahli perhaps caught some by surprise, especially because it looked like Napoli were quite close. Veiga had been tracked all summer by several Premier League clubs as well.

The 21-year-old saw appeal in a switch to Al-Ahli because of the other quality the Saudi club has already signed this summer. He’ll be playing alongside Riyad Mahrez, Bobby Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Roger Ibanez, Franck Kessie, Merih Demiral and Edouard Mendy.

Manager Matthias Jaissle was another big factor in convincing Veiga, who was assured of regular game time.

And, of course, the package on offer was another significant motivating factor. At 21, Veiga will earn around £10m a year. Celta manager Rafa Benitez called this “life changing”.

A young player like Veiga can always come back to Europe in a few years and still play Champions League football – or stay and be part of the growth of the Saudi Pro League. The league is going to improve extremely fast. The strategy is both ambitious and long-term.

Dealmakers aren’t just targeting older or ‘star’ signings. They want young players for the future. That’s why Al-Ahli signed Veiga and there will be other players with a similar profile to follow over the coming windows.

Joao Felix an alternative to Mohamed Salah for Saudi?

Joao Felix is also a possibility for Saudi dealmakers. His preference is Barcelona, and the Portuguese playmaker is waiting to see if a deal is possible.

If it isn’t, keep an eye on a move to Saudi. Atletico Madrid would love to sell to Saudi and would expect a fee similar to the €90m Al-Hilal paid to PSG for Neymar.

However, the Spanish side may have to loan Felix simply because the player may prefer a season-long deal. Should a negotiation advance, the exact terms will have to be defined.

Felix hasn’t been allocated a final Saudi club yet because things are not that far long. But Al-Hilal had tempted Felix. He might have already moved had Atleti not rejected a £12m loan offer.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

If Al-Ittihad don’t get Mo Salah (and Liverpool’s position is he’s not for sale), they would also be interested in Felix. Even Al-Nassr considered Felix back in May as well.

And even Al-Shabab, who are not a PIF controlled club, discussed Felix internally in July, but board upheaval means all business is stalled for now. They also wouldn’t be able to succeed if a PIF-controlled club comes calling.

Felix has always indicated he wants to stay in Europe, but I wouldn’t rule out Saudi. He’ll wait and see what transpires with Barcelona right until the close of the window. Felix would also be open to a return to Chelsea, but even with Christopher Nkunku currently injured Mauricio Pochettino and his sporting directors haven’t changed their position and are focused on other targets as it stands.

The post Exclusive Ben Jacobs column: Felix open to Chelsea return, Man Utd’s left-back transfer talks & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Transfer expert explains why Gabri Veiga chose Al Ahli over Napoli and Premier League clubs

Mark Brus — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:35:00 +0000

Gabri Veiga could still end up back in Europe in the future if life in the Saudi Pro League doesn’t work out, according to transfer news expert Ben Jacobs in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside.

Jacobs has given some insight into why the exciting young Spaniard made this somewhat surprise move this summer, joining Al Ahli instead of Napoli, while he also had interest from Premier League clubs.

Veiga showed himself to be an elite prospect in La Liga last season, and few would’ve expected him to chose a move to Saudi over a top European club at this early stage in his career.

Still, it gives Veiga a chance to come back to Europe in a few years’ time, while he can also help become a key part in helping football in Saudi Arabia to grow.

Discussing Veiga’s decision this summer, Jacobs said: “Gabri Veiga’s move from Celta Vigo to Al-Ahli perhaps caught some by surprise, especially because it looked like Napoli were quite close. Veiga had been tracked all summer by several Premier League clubs as well.

Gabri Veiga recently joined Al Ahli

“The 21-year-old saw appeal in a switch to Al-Ahli because of the other quality the Saudi club has already signed this summer. He’ll be playing alongside Riyad Mahrez, Bobby Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Roger Ibanez, Franck Kessie, Merih Demiral and Edouard Mendy.

“Manager Matthias Jaissle was another big factor in convincing Veiga, who was assured of regular game time.

“And, of course, the package on offer was another significant motivating factor. At 21, Veiga will earn around £10m a year. Celta manager Rafa Benitez called this “life changing”.

“A young player like Veiga can always come back to Europe in a few years and still play Champions League football – or stay and be part of the growth of the Saudi Pro League. The league is going to improve extremely fast. The strategy is both ambitious and long-term.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

“Dealmakers aren’t just targeting older or ‘star’ signings. They want young players for the future. That’s why Al-Ahli signed Veiga and there will be other players with a similar profile to follow over the coming windows.”

Big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez have been among the signings made by Saudi clubs in recent times, and the big spending is sure not to end there.

The post Exclusive: Transfer expert explains why Gabri Veiga chose Al Ahli over Napoli and Premier League clubs appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer news: Man United enquire about Chelsea star, Man City to push for Premier League midfielder, talks ongoing for Lukaku & more

CaughtOffside Team — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 10:37:04 +0000

Good morning and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe for this round-up ad-free and straight to your inbox, as well as exclusive columns from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Jonathan Johnson, Christian Falk and Neil Jones!

Today’s top stories:

Ajax

Mohammed Kudus has successfully completed his medical in London ahead of becoming a new West Ham player.

Arsenal

Kieran Tierney is in Spain to complete his move to Real Sociedad on loan.

Aston Villa

Philippe Coutinho has reached an agreement with Qatari side Al Duhail over personal terms but an agreement needs to be reached with Aston Villa.

Barcelona

Alexis Sanchez was never close to returning to Barcelona, it was all fake news – more info here.

Brighton

A verbal agreement over a €27m fee, plus €3m in add-ons, has been reached between Lille and Brighton for Carlos Baleba. Personal terms have already been agreed ahead of a move as the player is set for his medical.

Celta Vigo

Gabri Veiga has completed his move to Al Ahli from Celta Vigo.

Chelsea

Roma are in talks with Chelsea to sign Romelu Lukaku. An important bid has been submitted with a loan fee but how the striker’s salary will be paid is being discussed. The owners are directly involved in order to get the deal over the line.

One player Man United have enquired about for the left-back role is Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella – for more info, click here!
Djordje Petrović has signed for Chelsea on a seven-year contract from New England Revolution.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are closing in on a permanent deal for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson. The final details of the deal will be completed on Sunday.

Everton

Udinese striker Beto is set to join Everton after an agreement was reached over a transfer fee, which will be in excess of €30m but under his €35m release clause.

Inter Milan

Alexis Sánchez has joined Inter on a short-term deal until 2024 as a free agent. The player was never close to returning to Barcelona, it was all fake news – more info here.

Liverpool

The latest on Liverpool’s transfer plans for the final week of the window can be found here!

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint