Latest news with #Balond'Or
News18
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
'First Step For...': Pep Guardiola Practicing Caution Despite Rodri Return
Rodri made his first appearance for the Mancunian side in over 8 months in City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth and was given a raucous ovation when he was subbed on. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expressed his delight on the return of Balon d'Or winner Rodri following a lengthy stint on the sideline due to a knee injury. Rodri, who played a crucial part in helping City to the treble a couple of seasons ago, made his first appearance for the Mancunian side in over eight months and was given a raucous ovation when he was subbed on against Bournemouth in the side 3-1 win over the Cherries. 'We're really pleased he's back, really pleased for the reaction for our people to him, I'm pretty sure he's so pleased with that," Guardiola said. The Spaniard, however, cautioned that it would be a while before the Spanish midfielder returned to his very best. 'There's still a long way to be the Rodri he was," the City gaffer added. 'Guess will be next season we start to be Rodri not in the way like we have seen before the injury where he played 70 games every three days," the 54-year-old said. advetisement 'It will take longer for that because the experience with this surgery is to be careful otherwise have muscular problems and this kind of stuff," Guardiola explained. ALSO READ| 'Forever A Part Of Madridista Family': Real Madrid Confirm Carlo Ancelotti Exit 'But this is the first step for mind and knee still is not to see Rodri the way we know him," the Catalan genius stated. City, who are placed third in the Premier League this season and locked in a five-way-battle for the remaining three UCL spots, need a draw against Fulham at the Craven Cottage on Sunday to secure their place in the upcoming edition of the UEFA Champions League. Guardiola voiced ease with their qualification chances relying on their own performance instead of results from elsewhere. 'It's better. Arriving in the last games, it depends on you, it depends on us, yes it's better," the Spaniard said. 'We have to look at ourselves. We need one point to be in the Champions League next season and we have to go to win against a top side," he concluded. ALSO READ| Caroline Garcia To Bid Farewell At French Open 2025 Liverpool and Arsenal have punched their tickets to the elite European competition by securing the top-two places in England, ahead of an engaging final gameweek which will witness Chelsea and Nottingham forest, two of the side vying for a top-5 finish clash against each other, while Newcastle take on Everton and Aston Villa welcome Manchester United. First Published: May 23, 2025, 21:13 IST
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona wins La Liga title in Hansi Flick's first season as head coach
Barcelona came within minutes of clinching the 2024-25 La Liga title without even taking the field. All it needed was for Mallorca to hold on for a draw against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Mallorca looked set to do just that, until it collapsed in stoppage time, conceding a game-winner in the 95th minute and keeping Madrid's slim hopes alive. But the celebration in Barcelona wasn't delayed very long. On Thursday, Barcelona sealed the title on its own terms with a 2-0 win over Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. It's the 28th league championship for the Catalan club, second only to Real Madrid's 36, and capped a triumphant first season under manager Hansi Flick. More than a display of dominance, the trophy stands as validation for a season defined by a clear, deliberate shift in direction. After a period of inconsistent results and financial strain, Barcelona appointed Flick as manager. One of his first major decisions was to trust the club's younger players to play meaningful roles immediately. Lamine Yamal, still just 17, became an essential part of the attack, not as a novelty but as an extremely reliable contributor. His goal and assist Thursday gave him 21 goal contributions on the season with two games to play. LAMINE YAMAL WITH A WORLDIE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX TO GIVE BARCELONA THE LEAD!!! IT HAD TO BE HIM! 😱THEY ARE LALIGA CHAMPIONS AS IT STANDS! 🏆 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 15, 2025 Pau Cubarsí, 18, helped anchor the defense during critical stretches. Fermín López, 22, another graduate of La Masia, played significant minutes in midfield. And it was Flick who orchestrated their development into trophy-winners by consistently relying on them even when the margin for error was thin. Rather than building around star signings, Flick constructed a system in which young players had space to make mistakes and also room to grow. The season was not without setbacks, however, as Barcelona lost key matches and faced stretches of uneven form. But those moments didn't derail the broader project. When the season demanded composure, the team responded with maturity. Among the more seasoned players, Raphinha provided stability and edge all season. His goals in tight matches often made the difference, and while a Balon d'Or nomination is far from guaranteed, his performances this season have put him in the conversation. Barcelona's 4-3 win over Madrid on Sunday at the Montjuïc effectively turned the tide. Madrid had more experienced players and greater depth all season, but couldn't keep up with Flick's youth movement. Barca didn't sprint to the finish. It simply lasted. With youth at the center and an organized approach behind it, La Blaugrana won the league by doing more with less. And sticking with that approach until the end.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona wins La Liga title in Hansi Flick's first season as head coach
Barcelona came within minutes of clinching the 2024-25 La Liga title without even taking the field. All it needed was for Mallorca to hold on for a draw against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Mallorca looked set to do just that, until it collapsed in stoppage time, conceding a game-winner in the 95th minute and keeping Madrid's slim hopes alive. But the celebration in Barcelona wasn't delayed very long. On Thursday, Barcelona sealed the title on its own terms with a 2-0 win over Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. It's the 28th league championship for the Catalan club, second only to Real Madrid's 36, and capped a triumphant first season under manager Hansi Flick. More than a display of dominance, the trophy stands as validation for a season defined by a clear, deliberate shift in direction. After a period of inconsistent results and financial strain, Barcelona appointed Flick as manager. One of his first major decisions was to trust the club's younger players to play meaningful roles immediately. Lamine Yamal, still just 17, became an essential part of the attack, not as a novelty but as an extremely reliable contributor. His goal and assist Thursday gave him 21 goal contributions on the season with two games to play. LAMINE YAMAL WITH A WORLDIE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX TO GIVE BARCELONA THE LEAD!!! IT HAD TO BE HIM! 😱THEY ARE LALIGA CHAMPIONS AS IT STANDS! 🏆 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 15, 2025 Pau Cubarsí, 18, helped anchor the defense during critical stretches. Fermín López, 22, another graduate of La Masia, played significant minutes in midfield. And it was Flick who orchestrated their development into trophy-winners by consistently relying on them even when the margin for error was thin. Rather than building around star signings, Flick constructed a system in which young players had space to make mistakes and also room to grow. The season was not without setbacks, however, as Barcelona lost key matches and faced stretches of uneven form. But those moments didn't derail the broader project. When the season demanded composure, the team responded with maturity. Among the more seasoned players, Raphinha provided stability and edge all season. His goals in tight matches often made the difference, and while a Balon d'Or nomination is far from guaranteed, his performances this season have put him in the conversation. Barcelona's 4-3 win over Madrid on Sunday at the Montjuïc effectively turned the tide. Madrid had more experienced players and greater depth all season, but couldn't keep up with Flick's youth movement. Barca didn't sprint to the finish. It simply lasted. With youth at the center and an organized approach behind it, La Blaugrana won the league by doing more with less. And sticking with that approach until the end.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona wins La Liga title in Hansi Flick's first season as head coach
Barcelona players celebrate at the end of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton) Barcelona came within minutes of clinching the 2024-25 La Liga title without even taking the field. All they needed was for Mallorca to hold on for a draw against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Mallorca looked set to do just that, until the collapsed in stoppage time, conceding a game-winner in the 95th minute and keeping Madrid's slim hopes alive. But the celebration in Barcelona wasn't delayed very long. On Thursday, Barcelona sealed the title on their own terms with a 2-0 win over Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. It's the 28th league championship for the Catalan club, second only to Real Madrid's 36, and capped a triumphant first season under manager Hansi Flick. Advertisement More than a display of dominance, the trophy stands as validation for a season defined by a clear, deliberate shift in direction. After a period of inconsistent results and financial strain, Barcelona appointed Flick as manager. One of his first major decisions was to trust the club's younger players to play meaningful roles immediately. Lamine Yamal, still just 17, became an essential part of the attack, not as a novelty, but as an extremely reliable contributor. His goal and assist Thursday gave him 21 goal contributions on the season with two games to play. Pau Cubarsí, 18, helped anchor the defense during critical stretches. 22-year-old Fermín López, another graduate of La Masia, played significant minutes in midfield. And it was Flick who orchestrated their development into trophy-winners by consistently relying on them even when the margin for error was thin. Advertisement Rather than building around star signings, Flick constructed a system where young players had space to make mistakes and also room to grow. The season was not without setbacks, however, as Barcelona lost key matches and faced stretches of uneven form. But those moments didn't derail the broader project. When the season demanded composure, the team responded with maturity. Among the more seasoned players, Raphinha provided stability and edge all season. His goals in tight matches often made the difference, and while a Balon d'Or nomination is far from guaranteed, his performances this season have put him in the conversation. Barcelona's 4-3 win over Madrid on Sunday at the Montjuïc effectively turned the tide. Madrid had more experienced players and greater depth all season, but couldn't keep up with Flick's youth movement. Barca didn't sprint to the finish. The simply lasted. With youth at the center and an organized approach behind it, La Blaugrana won the league by doing more with less. And sticking with that approach until the end.
Fox Sports
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo's son named to Portugal's U-15 squad
The eldest son of Cristiano Ronaldo was selected to Portugal's under-15 squad for the first time ahead of an upcoming tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo Júnior, 14, will be part of Portugal's 22-player squad that will participate at the Vlatko Markovic international tournament in Croatia, held from May 13-18. Other teams include England, Greece, and Japan. The eldest Ronaldo posted an image of the two on Instagram, adding "Proud of you, son!" Cristiano Ronaldo Junior is part of the youth academy at Al-Nassr, the club in Saudi Arabia where his father has played at since 2023. He previously played at the Manchester United and Juventus academies, also two of his father's former clubs. The elder Ronaldo, 40, remains in the mix to make a sixth World Cup appearance if Portugal qualifies for the 2026 World Cup. He is the men's all-time leading scorer in international football with 136 goals and holds the world record for most international appearances at 219. The five-time Balon d'Or winner has previously expressed interest in playing with his son. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal FIFA Men's World Cup Get more from Cristiano Ronaldo Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
