Naijabarcelonalovers

La Liga chief Javier Tebas has warned that Barcelona would no longer be able to play in the division should Catalunya vote for independence from Spain at a referendum to be held next month. Catalan citizens will go the polls on 1st October to determine whether the semi-autonomous region secedes from the Spanish nation and goes it alone as a new sovereign country. Yet if that happens, Tebas has stated it will not be possible for clubs from Catalunya to continue playing their football within Spain, warning that Catalans won't be allowed to pick and choose which things they want to be independent from and what they want to keep. "If that process progresses, hopefully not, Catalan clubs could not play in the League," Tebas is gravely quoted as saying by Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo. "Unilateral independence is not  a la carte  and it would not be easy to reach an agreement. Catalan clubs could not play in the league. "I hope that the situation will be...

Barcelona in trouble. Those three words do not go together. The Catalans can cause trouble – a lot of it. But a team with Messi at its core and Suarez in its attack cannot be in trouble. It does not make sense. But, yet it seems that the La Liga powerhouse is in a bit of turmoil. In the past, they have occasionally been stumped. Juventus, Inter and Chelsea’s defence has stopped them in their Champions League tracks. Real Madrid’s resurgence over the last two seasons and Atletico Madrid’s occasional brilliance has ensured that the La Liga trophy is not Barcelona’s long-term possession anymore. But in the past, Barcelona has always known how to move forward from such reverses on the field. However, this time it seems that the trouble has begun off-field and is gradually becoming a threat to what happens on the field. Here, we take a look at three most important reasons why Barcelona and their fans should be worried about the future. Barcelona Risk Losing Key Players in a Year Bo...

Can Barça get a third straight league win before a tough Champions League opener? Will Dembélé hit the ground running? Barcelona  return to action after the international break on Saturday night in Catalonia when they welcome crosstown rivals  Espanyol   to the Camp Nou for what is a historically tough match in the  La Liga calendar. The  Blaugrana  won their first two matches and share first place in the league table with Leganés and Real Sociedad,  and a win on Saturday will be a major boost for the  Blaugrana  in this young season. With the Champions League opener at home against Juventus on Tuesday night, this match wouldn’t have great appeal to Barça fans, but one player will attract all the attention in this match: new signing Ousmane Dembélé, the most expensive transfer in club history who’s coming to replace Neymar and bring amazing skills and incredible potential to the Camp Nou. The 20-year-old is Barça’s biggest hope th...

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho has discussed Philippe Coutinho's unsuccessful attempt to join FC Barcelona in the recent transfer window. After reportedly handing in a transfer request at Liverpool weeks ago, Coutinho was not allowed to leave the Merseyside club for the Catalan giants. However, Ronaldinho believes Barca will try to sign the player again in the future. "Coutinho made it clear that he wanted to join Barcelona this summer – he will be disappointed as it is a dream for players to want to play for Barcelona – but I am sure he will still get that chance," he told the Daily Mirror. "They made it clear how much they wanted him and I am sure that they will come back for him." Despite not yet featuring for Liverpool this season, Coutinho has played twice for Brazil, in their recent 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Do you think Coutinho will still end up moving to Barca in the future? Let us know in the comments section below. 

Barcelona  have confirmed that midfielder Carles Alena has signed his new three-year contract extension and that it contains a release clause of €75 million. The club confirmed they had agreed the extension with Alena all the way back in June, but they have actually managed to get him to pen to paper now and it’s all official. Contract extensions are the talk of Barcelona at the moment with Lionel Messi’s all agreed, apparently, although unlike Alena, the club have yet to actually get him to sign the thing. Andres Iniesta’s is also agreed “in principle” according to Josep Maria Bartomeu, or not at all, according to the player himself.

“This president is a joke,” Neymar wrote on Instagram, firing back at Josep Maria Bartomeu’s criticism of the player and his father. “We committed the mistake of trusting too much in Neymar and his father,” Bartomeu was quoted as saying by  Esporte Interativo ’s Instagram account. Neymar volleyed back with sharp criticism of his own and a series of emojis. Neymar left FC Barcelona  this past summer transfer window, joining Paris Saint-Germain. He claims a rift between him and the president precipitated the transfer. Bartomeu refuses to pay Neymar a loyalty bonus, a matter which could see both parties in court.