Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera and Tottenham Hotspur forward Fernando Llorente are among the former Athletic Bilbao players whom new sporting director Rafa Alkorta identifies as potential January transfer targets. Limited by a strict policy to only employ players from Basque Country or players who came through the academies of other Basque teams, Alkorta said…
Barcelona withdraw from controversial Miami match
Barcelona officially backed out of La Liga’s controversial plan to stage a match in Miami but won’t rule out playing in a similar fixture in the future. The league champions’ trip to Girona on Jan. 26, 2019 was selected for a Florida billing as part of a 15-year partnership between La Liga and media company…
Real Madrid's Bernabeu to host Copa Libertadores final
The biggest match in Argentina will be played over 6,000 miles away from its original destination with confirmation the Copa Libertadores final second leg will be contested at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu. The encounter will be played Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m. EST. The highly anticipated second leg between Argentine rivals Boca Juniors and River…
Inside the Catalan restaurant that's a hotbed for Barcelona stars
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci spent five days in Catalonia ahead of the recent Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You can find the complete collection of stories from the trip here. BARCELONA – Inside Barcelona’s dimly lit museum, you’ll find everything from Champions League trophies – all five of them – to a shrine of Lionel…
Together forever: Getting married, and buried, at Espanyol's familial stadium
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci spent five days in Catalonia ahead of the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You can find the complete collection of stories from the trip here. BARCELONA – What does it actually mean to be “more than a club?” The famed Barcelona slogan – “Mes que un club” – can be grating…
Report: Madrid targeting ex-Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim
Leonardo Jardim might not be out of a job for too much longer. Real Madrid is considering hiring the former AS Monaco manager as their permanent first team coach, a source close to Jardim told Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC. Los Blancos have been on the lookout for a permanent replacement for Julen Lopetegui, who…
Espanyol's plan to topple the Barca 'monster' begins, and ends, with the academy
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci spent five days in Catalonia ahead of the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You can find the complete collection of stories from the trip here. BARCELONA – Tucked away inside Espanyol’s Dani Jarque training complex, the walls of a modest office are lined to the ceiling with a collection of autographed…
In pictures: What it's like to eat, sleep, and train at La Masia
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci spent five days in Catalonia leading up to Sunday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You can find the complete collection of stories from the trip here. BARCELONA – It trains over 700 young athletes – 79 of which live full-time on the campus – across five different sports, and is…
Inside La Masia: Learning the 'three Ps' at Barcelona's famed academy
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci spent five days in Catalonia leading up to Sunday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You can find the complete collection of stories from the trip here. BARCELONA – Possession. Position. Pressing. The three Ps – the bedrock of Barcelona’s footballing philosophy – can be seen everywhere you turn at the…