Latest news with #JoanLaporta
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
FC Barcelona Shockingly Puts Captain Up For Sale
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has effectively put its captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen up for sale according to RAC1, which cited anonymous sources. The German missed most of 2024/2025 thanks to a serious ACL rupture suffered away at Villarreal in September, which resulted in the Catalans bringing Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement as back up. Inaki Pena soon became Hansi Flick's number one choice, but disciplinary and punctuality problems at the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia at the turn of 2025 resulted in 'Tek' taking over the reins and playing a key part in Barca's eventual domestic treble win. Ter Stegen returned as that campaign drew to a close, but the future of the goalkeeping department isn't clear. Barca looks to be closing in on Espanyol's Joan Garcia who became a breakout star last term in La Liga, while Szczesny looks set to extend his one year contract. With Pena also still on the books, that's at least four men for one position without mentioning American prospect Diego Kochen. While there have been rumors that Garcia would be bought and then loaned out to another Spanish club such as Valencia, which doesn't make much sense, RAC1 reports that President Laporta told the board on Thursday night that they trust in the Espanyol 'keeper's 'yes' and 'want to get rid of the German goalkeeper' i.e. Ter Stegen. If true, this is a major plot twist at Can Barca, with Ter Stegen an 'untouchable' for a decade since winning the Champions League against Juventus in the capital of his homeland Berlin back in 2015. Basically, it is Laporta allegedly saying in public for the first time that if Garcia comes, Ter Stegen must go. This will be music to the ears of a certain corner of Barcelona fans that have been behind a 'TerStegenOut' campaign on X, formerly known as Twitter, which has made a point of using such a hashtag as often as possible. With a contract until 2028, however, Ter Stegen is under no obligation to move on and could anger some even more by refusing to leave. By offloading Ter Stegen, FC Barcelona would free up money to go after Marcus Rashford and also have the much-needed space it needs to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play by getting his salary off the payroll.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Barcelona reveal first game at renovated Nou Camp as 100,000-seater stadium finally nears completion
BARCELONA president Joan Laporta has revealed when the Nou Camp will officially be reopened. The iconic stadium has been undergoing a period of redevelopment over the last two years. 2 2 As a result, the capacity is expected to increase from 99,000 to around 105,000 when the building work is finished. The ground was initially expected to open at the end of last year, but delays pushed the date back. Now, Barcelona expect to return in August. Club president Laporta has earmarked August 16 - the day of the Gamper Trophy match - as the potential reopening. Speaking on TV3 while reviewing the club's season, the Spaniard said: "We want it to serve as the pilot test for the stadium's reopening. We're working on this idea. "The Gamper is expected to be held at the Spotify Camp Nou. "We want it to be a pilot test in terms of access, operational capacity, etc. "We believe it's the best way to run a full-scale trial." The new stadium is expected to cost Barcelona £1.25billion overall. But, it is also anticipated to earn the club an extra £25million per year in revenue. Since leaving the Nou Camp, Barcelona have been playing their home matches at the nearby Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. When they return, the ground would have officially been renamed to the Spotify Camp Nou following a £235m deal with the music streaming service. The Spanish giants go into the 2025-26 season as La Liga champions having beat Real Madrid to the title by four points.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Barcelona reveal first game at renovated Nou Camp as 100,000-seater stadium finally nears completion
BARCELONA president Joan Laporta has revealed when the Nou Camp will officially be reopened. The iconic stadium has been 2 Joan Laporta has revealed when he expects Barcelona to return to the Nou Camp Credit: Alamy 2 The reopening of the stadium could be in August Credit: AFP As a result, the capacity is expected to increase from 99,000 to around 105,000 when the building work is finished. The ground was Now, Club president Laporta has earmarked August 16 - the day of the Gamper Trophy match - as the potential reopening. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Speaking on TV3 while reviewing the club's season, the Spaniard said: "We want it to serve as the pilot test for the stadium's reopening. We're working on this idea. "The Gamper is expected to be held at the Spotify Camp Nou. "We want it to be a pilot test in terms of access, operational capacity, etc. "We believe it's the best way to run a full-scale trial." Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The new stadium is expected to But, it is also anticipated to earn the club an extra £25million per year in revenue. Spectacular Timelapse of the works in the Spotify Camp Nou Since leaving the Nou Camp, Barcelona have been playing their home matches at the nearby Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. When they return, the ground would have officially been The Spanish giants go into the 2025-26 season as La Liga champions having beat
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Real Madrid Expels Huge Group Of Members
Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid revealed that it has expelled a group of over 100 members through ... More an official statement. Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid revealed that it has expelled a group of over 100 members through an official statement. Like bitter rival FC Barcelona, Madrid is essentially owned by its members, who are known as 'socios' locally and have the power to make their voice heard in important matters such as voting for presidents in elections and greenlighting certain projects. Though Barca's current leader Joan Laporta relaxed the requirements to become a socio of the Catalan club not long after members voted for him to enjoy a second spell in charge in 2021, it isn't just anyone that can decide to enjoy a similar status in the Spanish capital. As Los Blancos themselves specify, 'to become a new Real Madrid member, you must be the child or grandchild of a current member. Once this requirement is met, the applicant must complete the membership registration form and submit the necessary documentation proving their relationship at the club's Member Services Office.' Madrid was reported in March 2025 to have 99,781 members. And the club isn't taking any new ones that don't match the mentioned strict criteria, it confirmed that 112 of them have been expelled from the club. "The Social Discipline Commission, in accordance with the Club's Statutes, has initiated 641 files for resale and improper use of season tickets and tickets, of which 112 have led to the definitive loss of the status as a member of the Club, leaving the rest pending resolution," it said in an official note on Thursday. The update was provided as Madrid announced the new prices for its season tickets, which have gone up by around 3% in value compared to what they cost in 2024/2025. In 2025/2026, there should be around 60,000 season ticket holders regularly attending matches in the Bernabeu. The cheapest one, which includes tickets only for 19 La Liga home matches will cost €370 while the most expensive will set you back €2,462. The Euroabono includes tickets not just for the league but also for the Copa del Rey and Champions League, though, and its cheapest version costs €507 while the most expensive in the grandstand goes for €3,211. Whether they are members or season ticket holders or not, Real Madrid fans will have high hopes for next season after a trophyless campaign last time out. Xabi Alonso will now lead the first team, which is making reinforcements such as Dean Huijsen while linked to the likes of Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
17-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal signs contract extension with Barcelona until 2031
Lamine Yamal has signed a contract extension with FC Barcelona, the club announced Tuesday, in a deal which keeps the 17-year-old superstar with the Blaugrana until the end of the 2030-31 season. News of the contract extension comes after Yamal exclusively told CNN Sports' Amanda Davies at the Globe Soccer Awards in December 2024 that 'Barça is the club of my life,' adding: 'I want to play in the Spanish league. I want to play for Barça, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.' Details of the deal – which was signed at the club's offices in front of president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco – were not provided by Barça, but multiple reports from Spanish media say that the precocious teenager is set to become one of the highest earners in the squad with a potential annual salary of roughly 19 million euros (about $21.5 million) after taxes. Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, seemed to hint at those figures in his Instagram Stories, linking to a post celebrating his son's contract extension with the number '19.3' written above it. CNN Sports has reached out to Barcelona for comment on Nasraoui's Instagram post and the details of the contract extension. Yamal first burst onto the scene last season in Spain's La Liga, where he broke multiple records, but stormed into the spotlight at last year's European Championships, setting numerous new landmarks on the way to helping lead La Roja to its fourth Euros victory. Yamal then received further global recognition this season, in particular for his masterful performance against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, which – despite his play that had people saying he was the best player in the world – saw Barça get eliminated in an all-time classic knockout tie. In a reminder of how young Yamal is right now and a potential nightmare for opponents, the new deal is set to keep one of soccer's best young players at the Catalan club until he turns 23 years old, when many players begin entering their prime. After winning a domestic double this season with the Blaugrana, the future seems bright for both the Catalan giant and Yamal, but as he told CNN's Davies in December, he isn't getting too ahead of himself. 'It's true that things have happened very quickly,' Yamal said. 'I don't think this is normal for a teenager. I think it's nice being the first teenager to be doing these things. 'In the end, I only think of the future. I only think of the good things that happen and that's it. As my mother says, 'Always enjoy the moment because everything goes by so quickly.''
