Latest news with #IñigoMartinez
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barcelona have closed their transfer window
Barcelona have closed their transfer window originally appeared on The Sporting News According to major Spanish outlet Barcelona are closing up shop for this transfer window after the departure of Iñigo Martinez. This news comes despite many fans wanting Barcelona to fill in the hole left behind by Iñigo and a backup fullback. Barcelona believe that they have enough depth even in the centre back position positions as they believe Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen are all starter level players and Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin are good enough to play the position. It also comes down to Barcelona once again struggling to meet financial fair play rules and having to focus more on trying to register players before trying to sign any. They do have ways to do it but Barca have to wait if La Liga will approve the sales of VIP seats and if they approve Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's medical report which would free up his wages for registration. This could all be approved and Barcelona would be well within the 1:1 rule but it seems they have learned from the past to wait and see if everything goes right. Barcelona fans may feel underwhelmed by letting a starting centre back go for free as the team is left with Cubarsi, two injury prone centre backs, Kounde and Garcia who haven't been playing centre back, and Gerard Martin who has never played the position at a professional level. It's probably the wrong decision to let go of a centre back when Barca have more talent and depth in a position like midfield where they could afford to let a player go ,but as long as Barcelona register their players, it is still a great team and it should be an exciting season.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment Barcelona's Inigo Martinez appears to SPIT on Inter Milan rival Francesco Acerbi during heated Champions League clash - and VAR cleared it
An on-pitch fight just before half-time during Inter Milan 's thrilling Champions League triumph over visitors Barcelona appeared to have been sparked by Inigo Martinez spitting on Francesco Acerbi. The hosts returned to the San Siro after a breathless first-leg on the road left the tie level at 3-3 going into the decider on Tuesday evening. It took very little time for Inter to assert their dominance, with Simone Inzaghi's side going ahead via a goal by Lautaro Martinez in the 21st minute. Inter doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, with Hakan Calhanoglu stepping up to strike from the spot after he was brought down in the box minutes earlier by Pau Cubarsi. But as viewers at home watched replayed footage of the penalty decision and Calhanoglu coolly slotting his effort past Wojciech Szczesny, when live action returned the players on the pitch were in disarray. Members of both sides appeared to be in dispute with the referee Szymon Marciniak, with commentary describing the possibility of VAR intervening to give a red card. 🚨 Iñigo Martinez SPAT on Francesco Acerbi. 💦 🎥 @JokerLaporta — Polymarket FC (@PolymarketFC) May 6, 2025 While all 22 players stayed on the pitch, after full-time on the eventual 4-3 classic new footage came to light of Martinez seeming to spit at his rival after the penalty was awarded. Pictures from the San Siro show Acerbi appealing to Marciniak, with a group of Barcelona players clustered around their team-mate. Footage from the stadium appears even more damning, with Martinez allegedly spitting towards Acerbi as the Italian runs past him into the box. Discussing the potential incident after the final whistle, Wayne Rooney on Amazon Prime stressed that if Martinez was found to have spat on his rival, UEFA would be quick to intervene. 'You certainly don't want to see that in a football game or anywhere,' the Manchester United legend said. 'If he has spat, then he'll get a punishment that he'll deserve.' Co-pundit Daniel Sturridge added: 'Absolutely right. If he's done that, then it's not good - it's not necessary, it's not needed. 'We'll let the people do their job and see if he's actually done it.' Acerbi, however, had the last laugh - despite no action being taken after the decision went to VAR. Barcelona came out of the starting blocks quickly as play resumed after the break, with Eric Garcia scoring in the 54th minute, with the fightback well and truly restarted when Dani Olmo provided the equaliser just six minutes later. Minutes before normal time, Raphina put Barcelona in the lead for the first time in the two-legged tie, their spot in the final all but sewn up. But just three minutes into added time, Acerbi was laser-focused inside the box to score his first ever European goal at the age of 37. Extra-time allowed Inter to find the winner through Davide Frattesi, with the Milanese side booking their second Champions League final in three years.
