Messi opened the scoring at the Nou Camp, chipping the ball to Jordi Alba and volleying home the return.

His 365th La Liga goal equalled Gerd Muller’s record for goals in a single one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Luis Suarez produced a superb strike before half-time and Paulinho tapped in a third in second-half stoppage time.

Suarez stepped over Messi’s low ball across the six-yard box, affording Paulinho a simple finish for his seventh league goal of the season.

Suarez, took his own tally to 11 and could have added more but for a fine Oier save in the second period.

Aside from a Marc-Andre ter Stergen save to keep out Shaquell Moore in a one-on-one opportunity, Barca eased to victory, extending their run to 26 matches unbeaten in all competitions.

Messi’s goal – his 16th in La Liga this season – means he needs to score just once more to surpass the record Muller set while playing for Bundesliga side Bayern Munich between 1964 and 1979.

The three points cancelled out second-placed Atletico Madrid’s win over Getafe on Saturday to restore a nine-point advantage.

The success also arrived in a good-news week for the club as they finally landed long-term transfer target Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, with the Brazilian set to be confirmed as a Barca player imminently.

It is not yet clear how Coutinho will fit into Barca’s line-up, with some predicting he will be a long-term replacement for 33-year-old midfielder Andres Iniesta, who made his 650th club appearance.

Coutinho was not at the game, with reports in Spain suggesting he will complete a medical at Barcelona on Monday with a presentation to follow soon after.

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Source: BBC Sport

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Iago Aspas put Celta ahead after Marc-Andre ter Stegen parried Maxi Gomez’s shot, but Barca levelled moments later as Lionel Messi converted Paulinho’s pass for his 17th goal this season.

Luis Suarez had a goal harshly ruled out for offside and Messi hit a post.

Suarez put Barca ahead from Jordi Alba’s cross after a Messi pass, but Gomez equalised from Aspas’ cutback.

Barca defender Samuel Umtiti pulled up with a hamstring injury while chasing Aspas for that goal, and has been ruled out for eight weeks.

The Catalan side are five points above Valencia, who visit Getafe on Sunday.

Celta Vigo – who move up to eighth – were good value for their draw, with a positive attacking attitude. Aspas, in particular was excellent.

Barcelona did have chances to win an open game, and Messi, La Liga’s top scorer with 13 goals in 14 games, headed wide from four yards out.

Atletico Madrid are a point behind Valencia, having come from behind to beat Real Sociedad 2-1. Willian Jose put La Real ahead with a penalty, but Filipe Luis equalised before Antoine Griezmann’s 88th-minute winner.

Fourth-placed Real Madrid are at Athletic Bilbao at 19:45 GMT.

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Source: BBC

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The 30-year-old Argentina international’s deal now runs until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Since joining the club at the age of 13, Messi has helped Barcelona win eight Spanish league titles and won the Champions League four times.

Messi, whose previous deal was due to expire next year, has scored 523 goals in 602 appearances for the club.

He was presented with his fourth European Golden Shoe on Friday – the award given to the highest scorer in European club football – after finding the net 37 times in the Spanish league last season.

The club announced in July that Messi had agreed a new deal, after he had reportedly rejected an initial offer in May.

In a statement, the club said Messi “still has a lot more to give, which is music to the ears of all Barca fans who will get to continue marvelling at his greatness”.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said, “We are in luck with the Barça players. We continue to enjoy the best player in the history of football.”

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Source: BBC

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The 53-year-old was doing everything possible not to cry. But it ended up being too much for him, and he slumped into his seat in the Genoa dugout and let the emotion pour out.

Pellegri, the team’s administrator, had just seen his son, 16-year-old Pietro, score his and the side’s second goal of the night in a Serie A game against Lazio after coming on for Ricardo Centurion in the first half.

A dream come true for the boy’s father, Marco once said that if he ever got to see Pietro play for Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris he could die happy. Consider his life fulfilled then. The pictures of Marco’s sobs made headlines around the world and caused Pietro to choke up when shown to him after the game, a 3-2 defeat that condemned Genoa to their worst start in 40 years.

Suddenly it all came back to Pietro. The hours spent in the car as his dad taxied him from one game to the next. The afternoons spent standing in the wind and rain to see his boy. The young striker was overcome with emotion too. After all, this is what they had talked about all along; Pietro scoring in front of the Gradinata Nord, the stand the Genoa fans congregate in. One of their own.

The Pellegris are from Genoa. They live in Pegli, the seaside town to the west of the city where Genoa have their training ground. Marco has worked at the club for years, initially in the academy, now as team manager for the first team. His wife Marzia is from a family of Sampdoria fans. But Pietro “only ever had eyes for Genoa”.

When the club were relegated to the third division in a match-fixing scandal 12 years ago, Marco Rossi, the club’s talismanic captain, used to come around for dinner and play Playstation with Pellegri’s boy. Rossi made 286 appearances for Genoa and remains to this day an idol of the club’s fans. Pietro was only ever going to support one club: Genoa, the Grifone.

What makes his story all the more remarkable though is that, despite being so young, the best clubs in the world have been knocking on his door for years.

Pellegri’s landmarks
Pellegri is the joint-youngest player to have featured in a Serie A game, with Amedeo Amadei (both 15 years 280 days) Pellegri is the youngest player to score two goals in a Serie A match.

Pellegri is the third-youngest scorer in Serie A after Amadei and Gianni Rivera He has played in four consecutive Serie A games, starting the last three.

Beppe Marotta, the general manager of Juventus, claims he first tried to sign Pietro two years ago “when nobody” knew anything about him.

This summer Inter actually agreed to pay 60m euros (£53m) for Pietro and another of Genoa’s 16-year-old stars, Eddie Salcedo, only for a mix of financial fair play and the capital controls introduced by China’s government to scupper the plans of owners Suning.

And on transfer deadline day, AC Milan looked to immediately reinvest the money they got from Torino for M’Baye Niang with a move for Pietro. “But we were unsuccessful,” lamented chief executive Marco Fassone.

They will all try again. Some say it is too soon to be sure of Pietro’s talent and the watching world has to be cautious. But Italy’s Big Three don’t want to be too late in recognising it either.

Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi has been talking Pietro up for a while now. “We have the new Messi,” the toy-maker boasted in 2015. “He’s called Pellegri.” That was the year Roma said they would send Marco Borriello Genoa’s way and pay a big chunk of his wages as long as they got Pietro in return.

It was also the year Genoa participated in the Manchester United Premier Cup in Salford. Pietro starred in that tournament as Genoa knocked Real Madrid out and reached the final only to lose 4-3 on penalties to Right to Dream, the African football academy, at the AJ Bell Stadium. Shortly afterwards father and son were invited by United to visit the club’s Carrington training ground and watch the Reds play Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Pellegris declined, adjudging Genoa to be the best place for Pietro’s development, perhaps with the cases of Federico Macheda, Pierluigi Gollini and Davide Petrucci – who all arrived at Old Trafford with big reputations but did not make a lasting impression – still fresh in their mind.

Besides, Pietro always wished to play for Genoa and knew that sooner or later he might get his chance. The Grifone have produced 96 professionals over the past 12 years, giving debuts to players like Mattia Perin, Domenico Criscito, Stefano Sturaro, Rolando Mandragora and Stephan El Shaarawy.

What Pellegri could not have predicted, despite the belief of everybody at Genoa’s academy, is the speed at which it would come.

Pietro made his debut in the final moments against Torino last December. Another defeat, it was the Grifone’s last game before the winter break. Marco called it “a wonderful Christmas present”. But it was more than that.

Pietro made history, matching a record that has stood unchallenged for almost eight decades. At 15 years and 280 days, he became the youngest player to play in Serie A, equalling Amadeo Amadei, whose first top-flight appearance came at the exact same age for AS Roma in 1937.

Pietro did not let it go to his head. The next morning he was on the phone with Rocco Manganaro [the Under-19s fitness coach] to ask if he could come to Pegli and train with them.

He would have to wait until May, and the final game of the season, for his first start. It too was a day he will not forget in a hurry because it came at a sold-out Stadio Olimpico against Roma, with the home side needing a win to be absolutely sure of automatic qualification for the Champions League. It also just so happened to be Francesco Totti’s farewell game.

Three minutes in, Pietro scored and, not content with almost ruining the party, the tall, powerful centre-forward with notable acceleration, etched his name into the history books once more as Serie A’s youngest goalscorer after Amadei and Gianni Rivera.

In the mixed zone afterwards, Pietro’s thoughts understandably turned to Totti. Twenty five years at one club, which was the team he supported as a boy. Just imagine history repeating.

Pietro dedicated his first goal last weekend to the Genoani. “Because I am Genoano,” he reasoned. A Genoa supporter. The second was for Marco. Being Pietro, he of course broke another record. In 1931, Silvio Piola became the youngest player to score a brace in the top flight. Pellegri holds that honour now.

Who knows? Maybe one day he’ll do what Totti ultimately could not and replace Piola as Serie A’s all-time top scorer. His advantage is that he is a striker now at 16 – not 30, which is when Totti changed position from a deeper-lying playmaker – and, as with Gigio Donnarumma, Milan’s goalkeeping wunderkind, his size and build are remarkable for his age. Pietro is already 6ft 2ins and looks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for inspiration for his style of play.

For now, Pietro is keeping his big feet firmly on the ground. He seems very level-headed and getting carried away isn’t his style. When it was put to him last Sunday that he’d be the coolest kid in school on Monday morning and could expect girls to throw themselves at him, Pietro gave the impression of having little time for the idea. “My lessons are in the afternoon and I have a private tutor… I’ve already got a girlfriend.”

Pietro preferred to talk about his father instead, whose birth year 1964, is behind the number 64 shirt he wears. “Let’s hope I make him cry again,” he smiled.

–

Source: BBC

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The award will be presented at the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 24 August.

The shortlist of three players was selected by a jury comprising the 80 coaches of the clubs which participated in the group stage of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, along with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA’s member associations.

UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year Award recognises the best players, irrespective of nationality, playing for a club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the past season. Players are judged on their performances in all competitions – domestic, continental and international.

The final result was based on the total number of votes cast by the coaches and the journalists. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.

The players who make up the rest of the top ten are:
4: Luka Modrić (Croatia, Real Madrid)
5: Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
6: Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
7: Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
8: Kylian Mbappé (France, Monaco)
9: Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern München)
10: Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden, Manchester United)

Messi and Ronaldo have both won the award twice previously – Messi in 2010/11 and 2014/15, and Ronaldo in 2013/14 and last season. Other players who have won this accolade are Andrés Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona) in 2011/12 and Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern München) in 2012/13.

The UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award complements four new positional UEFA Champions League awards, which will crown the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward of the 2016/17 Champions League season. These awards will also be presented during the group stage draw on 24 August.

The following day, the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award will be presented at the competition’s 2017/18 group stage draw in Monaco. Three players, all from last season’s title-winners Manchester United, have been shortlisted – Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba.

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Source: UEFA

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Messi and his father Jorge, who manages his finances, were both convicted in 2016 of defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.6m) in taxes.

Jorge Messi’s jail term was reduced because he paid some of the taxes.

In Spain, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.

The case will now return to the court in Barcelona that handed down the original judgement.

Lionel Messi, a five-time world footballer of the year, has denied any involvement and told his trial in June 2016: “I only worried about playing football.”

But in its decision on Wednesday, the court said: “It defies logic to concede that someone who earns a large income does not know that he must pay taxes on it.”

Both men were originally convicted of three counts of fraud, for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay between 2007 and 2009, and were also given heavy fines.

They were found guilty of resorting to fictitious companies to evade Spanish taxes on income from companies using Lionel Messi’s image rights.

Jorge Messi’s jail term was reduced from 21 months to 15 by the Supreme Court to take into account the money he had since handed to the tax authorities.

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Source: BBC

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The shipment, weighing 1,417kg, was reportedly heading to Belgium, before it was intercepted by the anti-drug police force in Lima.

Each parcel of the class A drug contained the Argentinian forward’s face, his name and a counterfeited version of his personal branding – a stylised ‘M’ logo that he has been using on social media for several years.

Criminals often package drugs up to look like popular brands, in order to make it less likely that anyone will inspect the parcels while they are transported.

According to reports, several hundred packages were also found bearing a knock-off of the official seal of the king of Spain Felipe VI.

This is not the first time that 29-year-old footballing superstar has had his identity fraudulently used by smugglers trying to peddle their wears, with crooks found to be selling a drug under the street name ‘Messi’ in 2015.

The Barcelona star’s legitimate endorsements are worth an estimated £20 million a year.

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Source: Mirror

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Messi had just inspired the victory, scoring one goal and laying on the other two, to put Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign back on track.

“We have decided not to speak any more with the press,” Messi announced in the post-match press conference room with his 25 team-mates attending.

“We’ve received many accusations, a lot of lack of respect and we never said anything. We’re very sorry it has to be like this but we have no option.

We know there are lots of you who are not in the game of not showing us respect but getting into one’s personal life is very grave and that’s why we’re here [announcing this],” he added before they all walked out.

The players have suffered criticism by sectors of the Argentinian media over a loss of form and poor results, but their decision was sparked by a radio report alleging Ezequiel Lavezzi smoked marijuana after training. It transpired at the press conference that Lavezzi is taking the Radio Mitre reporter to court.

The coach, Edgardo Bauza, whose media conference was held afterwards, said the victory made him happy for the team.

“I told the players I’m happy for them after a week of criticism and because it wasn’t an easy match,” he said.

“Messi is a great and decisive player, he showed that in the first goal and with the others.” Argentina were slated by some media after going down 3-0 to Brazil in Belo Horizonte last Thursday.

It was their second consecutive defeat and followed two draws, leaving Argentina with two points out of a possible 12.

Tuesday’s win means they have 19 points from 12 matches and sit fifth in the South American World Cup 2018 qualifying group.

The top four go straight into the finals in Russia while the fifth qualifies for an intercontinental playoff.

There are six rounds of matches to go next year, with Argentina resuming their campaign at home to Chile, who are fourth behind Brazil, Uruguay and Ecuador.

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Source:Theguardian

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The Serb’s 4-6 6-3 6-3 victory was his fourth successive victory over Nadal but only his fourth on clay in their 41-match head-to-head series dating back to 2006.

After a slow start in which he twice dropped serve, Djokovic took control of the baseline rallies and finished the match with a flurry of precision groundstrokes that had Nadal reeling.

“Beating Rafa on clay is definitely a confidence booster,” Djokovic, who claimed his third Rome title and the 44th of his career, told reporters.

“Let’s hope it’s something I can take into Roland Garros.” Beating Nadal in the French capital is a different proposition altogether but the way Djokovic managed to dominate the Spanish world No.1 augurs well for his chances of completing his career grand slam next month.

He has won eight of the last nine sets they have contested. “It’s been a great week considering where I was a few weeks ago with the wrist injury,” said an emotional Djokovic, who was making his comeback in Rome after injuring himself in the Monte Carlo Masters last month and missing the Madrid Masters.

“I tried to be aggressive from the beginning to the end. It didn’t work at the start but I didn’t change the game plan and I found the right rhythm and everything started going in.”

Seven-times Rome champion Nadal had spent 10 hours on court reaching the final, including gruelling late-night wins over Gilles Simon and Andy Murray, and he looked powerless to stop Djokovic’s charge, although he did threaten a comeback in the decider when he broke back to 3-3.

Defeat for Nadal was his third on clay in a season for the first time in a decade and raised further questions about his form ahead of the French Open which starts next Sunday.

Source: Reuters

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Nishikori, the 10th seed and one of the game’s rising talents, made a blistering start on Nadal’s favoured clay to win the first set 6-2 and was a break up in the second and serving at 4-3 when disaster struck.

After a long rally with the score at 15-30, the Japanese pulled up clutching his back and Nadal went on to win the game and the set 6-4 to force a decider.

In a tremendously disappointing finish to an entertaining encounter, Nishikori could barely walk to the net to capitulate after Nadal had raced into a 3-0 lead in the third.

“First of all I am very disappointed about what happened today in this final,” Nishikori told spectators packed into the Magic Box arena.

“Unfortunately, I was hurting already and I tried to fight but Rafa was too good today so congratulations to him,” added the 24-year-old, contesting his first Masters 1000 final and fresh from his debut title on clay in Barcelona last month.

“It’s been a great few weeks for me in Spain,” he said. “I won in Barcelona and now here the final in Madrid so it’s becoming like a second home to me.”

Source: AP

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