Joan Laporta wants Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona and believes he has an advantage over the other presidential candidates.

Messi, 33, is coming out of contract at the end of the season, having sensationally requested to leave Barca ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Previously president between 2003 and 2010, Laporta is running again, with the election to take place on January 24.

The 58-year-old wants Messi to remain at Barca and feels he has an advantage over the other candidates.

If I win the elections, I want to make a very competitive proposal and I know he will listen to me. I want him to stay, Laporta told RAC1.

I have an advantage over others, he knows I ve always fulfilled what I said. We have a good relationship, we appreciate each ot…

David Alaba has confirmed he will leave Bayern Munich when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Versatile defender Alaba came through the youth ranks at Bayern but will end his 13-year association with the club after the 2020-21 campaign.

The 28-year-old announced his decision at a news conference on Tuesday, though he did not disclose what his next destination would be.

Alaba has been heavily linked with a switch to Real Madrid, while Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest.

I ve decided for me personally to do something new after this season. I will leave the club and it was not an easy decision, it was very difficult because I have been here for 13 years and I really identify with…

With all eyes focused on Sunday’s north London derby, we have a stacked schedule on the cards this weekend.

As Europe’s elite offer a string of heavyweight affairs, we have plenty of interesting betting markets that are worth keeping an eye out for.

So, for those of you looking to stick on a Sunday flutter, we have found a pair of the most intriguing betting tips that are available.

14:00 Tottenham vs Arsenal 

While Arsenal might have suffered Champions League heartbreak away at German giants Bayern Munich last week, the Gunners certainly made a major statement earlier in the week. Putting in what was a stunning performance in north London as they stormed their way to a 5-0 romp against Chelsea, Mikel Arteta will be dreaming of a repeat display he…

Jude Bellingham questioned the integrity of referee Felix Zwayer in a remarkable rant after Saturday s Klassiker – one that could see him face disciplinary action.

Borussia Dortmund succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at home to rivals Bayern Munich, with the second half seeing controversial decisions go in favour of Die Roten.

Firstly, Marco Reus protests were ignored when the Dortmund man was tripped in the Bayern box by Lucas Hernandez, before the visitors got their winner in similarly contentious fashion.

Mats Hummels threw himself between two players in an attempt to reach a corner delivery, but he appeared to start stumbling and ultimately fell into the ball with his arm first.

While replays showed Hummels was not looking at the ball, seemingly rendering it…

When FIFA announced last year they were set to introduce limits on the number of players teams could send out on loan, unsurprisingly many people s first thoughts turned to Chelsea.

At the time, the Blues had a remarkable 28 players at other clubs, though this was by no means a recent trend; in 2018-19, that figure was 41.

The hoarding of talent might be a solid ploy when looking to stunt the growth of a rival team or generate long-term revenue on Football Manager, but in the real world it was a practice that had long attracted criticism.

While by no means the only club in the world to have lots of young players out on loan, Chelsea have – rightly or wrongly – arguably been the most synonymous with it.

Some feel this has directly contributed to the c…

Antonio Conte hailed Richarlison s versatility after the Brazilian opened his Tottenham account with a brace to seal a 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille on Wednesday.

Spurs took full advantage of Chancel Mbemba s red card as Richarlison twice headed past Pau Lopez inside the final 15 minutes, ensuring Conte s men won their opening match in a Champions League campaign for only the second time.

Richarlison became the 39th Brazilian to score on his debut in the competition, the most of any nation, but is the first Brazilian since Oscar in September 2012 to net a brace on his Champions League bow.

The 25-year-old joined from Everton in a £60million deal in July and Conte believes his display was a perfect demonstration of why they signed him.

First of…

Barcelona are interested in signing Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, according to . The report has claimed that defending Premier League champions City will hold talks with Portugal international Silva in the coming weeks to understand if he wants to stay at the Etihad Stadium for the long term. La Liga giants Barcelona are looking to take advantage of the situation and bring the 28-year-old to Camp Nou.

Silva, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, has been on the books of City since 2017 and has been superb for Pep Guardiola’s side over the years. The 28-year-old has won the Premier League title four times, the FA Cup once, and the EFL Cup on four occasions with City so far in his career.

It is very unlikely that City will sell one of their b…

Xeka s first-half thunderbolt proved the difference as Lille secured the Trophee des Champions for the first time, in the process ending Paris Saint-Germain s eight-year domination of the competition.

The Lille midfielder was teed up by Burak Yilmaz before blasting in from long range on the stroke of half-time, with PSG unable to make their possession count from there on in.

The story of the final could have been different, however, had Abdou Diallo taken the best second-half opportunity, failing to convert a headed effort from inside the six-yard area with just Leo Jardim to beat.

After dethroning the capital side as Ligue 1 champions last campaign, Jocelyn Gourvennec s side have now collected the first piece of silverware of France s domestic season, with the s…

Aston Villa are in advanced negotiations to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town this summer, according to several sources. Villa boss Unai Emery is believed to be keen on having the experienced midfielder in his ranks, and Barkley is also keen on the move.

Barkley has already played for Aston Villa, spending the 2020/21 season there on loan from Chelsea. He returned to Stamford Bridge for the following season, until his contract was terminated in 2022. He joined OGC Nice as a free agent, and last summer he moved back to the Premier League to sign for Luton.

In 2023/24, the 30-year-old scored five goals and produced six assists in 37 matches across all competitions, but his presence couldn t help Rob Edwards team remain in the English top flight as they finished 18th, six …

Ronald Koeman has hit back at suggestions Lionel Messi is not working hard enough for Barcelona following criticism of his efforts against Dynamo Kiev.

Messi scored a penalty to help the Catalan giants to a 2-1 victory at Camp Nou on Wednesday, a result that left them three points clear at the top of Champions League Group G.

A clip of the Argentina star failing to press the Dynamo defenders in second-half injury time went viral after the match, though, as viewers called the forward s work rate into question.

Messi had more shots (six) and created more chances (four) than any other player in the match, but he also lost possession more frequently than anyone else (20 times) without once winning it back.

His form has been scrutinised ever since he failed to…