Atlético Madrid Planning Summer Move for Barcelona Midfielder Ivan Rakitic

?Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic could make a summer switch to Atlético Madrid, with his stay at Camp Nou seemingly coming to an end.

The Croatian moved to Barcelona in 2014 and has been a constant for the first team, but an abundance of young talent has seen the 31-year-old fall down the pecking order. With just eight starts this season, he may seek pastures new at the end of the season.

Ruben Rochina,Ivan Rakitic

The Catalan club are looking to balance the books by offloading some fringe players, and Rakitic is one of them. As reported by ?Cadena Ser, the midfielder is aware for the move by Atlético, and is open to contract talks. 

With his contract expiring in June 2021, Rakitic could be available at a reasonable price for the Rojiblancos, who have already decided to open talks with the midfielder. It is a priority for Barcelona’s rivals to secure the signing of the veteran Croatian.

Manchester United and Juventus were also interested in Rakitic, but a move failed to materialise for both sides, leaving the player frustrated.

Ivan Rakitic,Rochina

Speaking to ?El Larguero, Rakitic said: “There have been several things that I did not like. I say it very clearly.

“We know there are people who make decisions but we are here not to laugh or enjoy.

“In the end the best thing for the club has to be what is good. We must accept not to understand some things.”

His frustrations might be over though, with talks over a move to Atlético reportedly running smoothly, and the contract talks not hitting any obstacles so far. Although he had been a main-stay under previous managers and an influential part of the dressing room, his time has come to move on, especially with Atlético looking for a new central-midfielder.

He has made 292 appearances for Barcelona, more than any other club. Despite not recording a goal, and just three assists this season, he has 34 goals and 45 assists altogether for the club. one of his most notable coming against Tottenham in the Champions League.

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Lionel Messi Hits Back at Barcelona’s Director of Football Eric Abidal After Media Criticism

Lionel Messi has bitten back at comments made by Barcelona’s director of football Eric Abidal, who criticised some of the club’s players for their work ethic under former manager Ernesto Valverde.

Abidal risked turning Barcelona into a pantomime when he hit out at certain players this week, suggesting he was left with little alternative when replacing Valverde earlier this season and appointing former Real Betis boss Quique Setién.

A lot of players were not happy and did not work much and there was also a problem with internal communication,” Abidal said, quoted by Goal.

Eric Abidal

“The relationship between the coach and dressing room was always good, but there are things that as an ex-player I can sense. I told the club what I thought and we had to make a decision.” 

The director of football’s comments haven’t sat well with Barcelona captain Messi, who angrily responded to Abidal – a former teammate during his playing career – in a surprising post on his Instagram story.

I honestly do not like to do this kind of thing but I think that everyone has to be responsible for their job and take responsibility for their decisions,” Messi responded“Players for what happens on the field, we are also the first to acknowledge when we don’t play well.

“Those in charge of sporting direction should also face up to their responsibilities and above all take charge of their own decisions.

“Lastly, I think that when you talk about players, you should give names because otherwise, you are tainting everyone’s name and feeding rumours that spread and are not true.”

On top of disagreements with Barcelona’s hierarchy, it’s also emerged that Messi has actually been playing through an injury over the last few weeks.

ESPN reports Messi’s been ‘playing through the pain’ for several weeks to help lift some pressure amid an injury crisis for Barcelona, which has seen Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele ruled out.


For more from Ben Carter, follow him on Twitter!

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Barcelona Set to Launch Barça TV+ Streaming Service

?Catalan giants Barcelona are preparing to launch their subscription-based streaming service this spring. 

The 24/7 platform Barça TV+ is part of a wider overhaul of the club’s digital strategy and will allow fans to enjoy highlights from first-team matches, exclusive player interviews and archive footage.

FBL-ESP-BARCELONA-PRESSER

Not only that, but the platform will also include live streams from press conferences, Barcelona B games, and all the women’s team league home games. There will also be non-live content from the club’s other sports assets, including their basketball and roller hockey teams.

Speaking about the launch, Spanish entrepreneur and Barça board member Dídac Lee said, as quoted by Sports Pro Media: “Our competitors are no longer only the clubs playing football – there are new players we may not have expected ten years ago, such as Netflix, YouTube, Fortnite, Minecraft. Traditionally, we have been working with the biggest platforms in the world.

“We want to empower this vision by adding our own platforms. Our idea is very simple. We want to have a direct relationship with our fans, we want to learn about them, including what they like, and on what devices, so we can improve the fan experience,” he added.

FC Barcelona v Granada - La Liga Santander

The service forms part of an ambitious overhaul of the club’s digital strategy, which aims to triple the annual €100m the club currently generate from digital ticketing and merchandise revenue streams over the next five years.

Barça are yet to confirm prices for the membership platform, but it’s understood that the cost for will vary by country. It’s believed, however, that those who are part of the club’s new ‘Culers’ membership will enjoy unlimited access to Barça TV+ via the club’s official website and mobile app.

The Catalan’s chief marketing officer Gullem Grael has confirmed he doesn’t expect the platform to show live first-team matches that take place overseas – the Champions League, for example – although he did say it ‘could be an option’ in the future, as could streaming live pre-season coverage.

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The Reason Why Barcelona Moved Quickly to Seal €30m Francisco Trincao Deal

Barcelona’s €30m purchase of Braga striker Francisco Trincao would have cost the Catalans double had they had waited a few more weeks to complete the deal.

The 20-year-old – who has been with Braga since 2015 – completed his switch to Camp Nou last week and will ?join up with his new club next summer.

Having only recently earned a place in Os Arcebispos’ senior squad, the young striker impressed in 15 appearances in 2018/19, though none were starts, before collecting four goals and six assists in his 23 games this term.

Trincao

ESPN’s Barcelona correspondent Moises Llorens has revealed on Twitter that the Catalans moved fast to put the finishing touches on a deal this January before his contractual release clause rose to €60m ‘in a weeks’, with La Blaugrana also fighting off several other European powerhouses to land the striker.

German giants ?Bayern Munich were in pursuit of Trincao, as were Italian champions ?Juventus, but Barça won the race for his signature, and it’s understood he will join up with the first team at Camp Nou when he arrives in the summer. His new Barcelona contract also contains a massive €500m release clause, signalling just how highly he is rated by his new club.

Braga aren’t the only ones who profited from Trincao’s sale. Super-agent Jorge Mendes helped broker the deal between Barcelona and Braga, which earned him a €7m paycheck for his services, according to journalist Tariq Panja on Twitter.

Francisco Trincao

Catching the eye in Europe this season, Trincao scored and assisted during Braga’s Europa League meeting with Slovan Bratislava back in December, while he made cameos in three other fixtures, including the 3-2 away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

The imminent arrival of Trincao has cast doubt over the long-term future of Luis Suarez in Catalonia. The Uruguayan underwent knee surgery in January, potentially ruling him out for to the end of the campaign. It is expected that ?Barça will also consider a move for Inter forward Lautaro Martinez this summer.


For more from Ed Alexander, follow him on Twitter

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Ivan Rakitic Unhappy With Barcelona’s Treatment of Him in the January Transfer Window

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has admitted that he didn’t like the club’s handling of his situation in the January transfer window, with a number of sides rumoured to have been seeking his signature.

Rakitic has found himself on the fringes of first-team action this season, with summer arrival Frenkie de Jong seemingly ahead of the 31-year-old in the midfield pecking order.

Ivan Rakitic

With first-team action at a premium, it seemed his future was away from Camp Nou, but despite interest from Manchester United and Juventus, Rakitic failed to secure a move away last month.

Sunday’s 2-1 win over Levante saw Rakitic make just his eighth start in La Liga for the Catalan giants this season, and the midfielder has voiced his concerns regarding the club’s handling of his situation.

“There have been several things that I did not like,” he said, as quoted by Goal“I say it very clearly. We know there are people who make decisions but here we are not to laugh or enjoy.

“In the end the best thing for the club has to be what is good. We must accept not to understand some things.”

Ivan Rakitic

Despite his unhappiness, Rakitic insisted he did not wish to linger on any issues he may have with the Barcelona hierarchy, and was quick to express his gratitude at being selected for the victory over Levante.

“It’s not time to talk about [my unhappiness],” he added. “I’m happy to have played today and everyone knows it, you don’t have to open things again.

“Everything has already happened and I have to turn the page and not think too much about it.

Ivan Rakitic

“You have to work in the best way possible because the decisive part of the season is coming. I want my colleagues, technicians and fans to count on me.”

Rakitic’s contract with Barcelona runs until June 2021, but it seems unlikely at this rate that he will be at the club beyond this summer.

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Ousmane Dembélé Limps Out of Barcelona Training in Latest Injury Setback

?Ousmane Dembélé’s return from injury has been delayed after the Frenchman sustained a minor thigh problem during a training session with his Barcelona teammates.

The winger’s last appearance for the Blaugrana came in late November during a 3-1 Champions League victory over his old club Borussia Dortmund. He was taken off midway through that encounter, with subsequent scans revealing Dembélé had strained his hamstring.

FBL-C1-EUR-BARCELONA-DORTMUND

Barcelona announced news of the 22-year-old’s setback via their official website, explaining that he’d felt discomfort in his thigh on Monday morning.

Though he’s still in the early years of his career, this latest issue has raised concerns over Dembélé’s long-term fitness, with club officials frustrated by his ongoing injury problems.

In 2017, the Catalans paid Dortmund an initial fee of €105m to prise him away from Signal Iduna Park, though the deal could rise to a total of €145m, depending on the forward’s performances with Barça.

However, injuries have seriously impacted his game time, with Dembélé needing treatment on eight separate occasions since arriving at Camp Nou. His fitness struggles have seen him miss a total of 63 matches for the club.

Quique Setien

The World Cup winner has been increasingly linked with a move away from Barcelona over the past two years, with Liverpool thought to be among the sides vying for his signature.

Despite interest from the Reds, Dembélé has been thrown a lifeline by recently-appointed Blaugrana manager Quique Setién, who has spoken of his desire for the youngster to replace the ageing Luis Suarez in the Barça team.

The wide man had been expected to make his return to the first team during Sunday’s La Liga meeting with Real Betis, but that is doubtful in light of his latest setback.

Nevertheless, it appears he was removed from training as a precaution, meaning his comeback is still likely to happen over the course of the next month.


For more from Ed Alexander, follow him on Twitter

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Barcelona 2-1 Levante: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Ansu Fati Double Inspires Win

Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Ansu Fati lit up the Nou Camp with a quickfire double to help his side register a 2-1 home victory against Levante in La Liga on Sunday night.?

Lionel Messi once again delivered for La Blaugrana providing both assists for the 17-year-old – who became the youngest ever brace scorer in La Liga history – while the win moves Barça back to within three points of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table.

Ansu Fati,Nelson Semedo

After a slow start, ?Barcelona hit the visitors with a two-minute blitz on the half-hour mark. Messi’s exquisite pass found Fati who showed composure beyond his years to slot the ball between the Levante keeper’s legs.

No sooner had Levante conceded than the same Messi-Fati combination resulted in the hosts’ second of the night, the teenager receiving a perfectly weighted pass before rifling home.

Semedo hit the bar from yet another Messi pass but 2-0 is how it stayed at the break and after the interval, Levante came out with renewed vigour.

On multiple occasions, Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was called into action and Ruben Rochina fired over when it looked easier to score.

At the other end, Messi and co couldn’t find the third goal to kill the game off and as the game entered into injury time Rochina’s deflected half-volley sealed scant consolation for the visitors.


Barcelona

Key Talking Point

Ansu Fati

A two-minute burst completely changed the complexion of this game, orchestrated by the master and his apprentice.

Then in the blink of an eye, an injection of pace and a sudden burst of penetration had Barça establish a two-goal lead in as many minutes.

Messi of course was the creator. His slide-rule pass set up Fati for the opener and then his delayed pass once again found the teenager who smashed in his second.

The 17-year-old became the youngest ever scorer of a double in ?La Liga, ably abetted by arguably the Spanish top-flight’s greatest ever player.



??

Not quite a changing of the guard, from this performance it appears that Leo still has much to offer but Fati’s emergence smacks of Messi’s emergence onto the Barça scene. 

The Argentine was taken under Ronaldinho’s wing and now it appears Messi is repeating the trick with Fati. 


Player Ratings

Starting XI: Ter Stegen (7); Semedo (7), Pique (8), Lenglet (6), Alba (7); Busquets (8), Rakitic (7), De Jong (6); Messi (8*), Griezmann (6), Fati (8).

Subs: Roberto (7), Arthur (6), Puig (N/A) 


STAR MAN: Lionel Messi

Who else but Messi?

The skipper was the architect of his team’s first-half blitz. Having fired a few warning shots of his own, he dropped deeper and on Superbowl night, became Barça’s quarterback.






Messi’s first assist of the night was a thing of beauty, the vision to pick out the pass and then the perfect execution to put Fati clean through was nothing short of spectacular.

From near enough the centre-circle, he spotted Fati’s run and arrowed a laser-precision pass which carved Levante’s defence wide open. 

With the visitors rocking, Messi took full advantage, delaying his pass until the opportune moment to again roll a perfectly weighted ball into Fati’s path for the quick-fire second. 

The 32-year-old was at the heart of every attacking move but try as he might, he was unable to register on the scoresheet. However, his wand of a left foot did the damage in laying on both of Blaugrana’s goals as once again the number 10 was instrumental in securing victory for his side.


Levante

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Fernandez (7), Miramón (7), Vezo (6), Postigo (6), Toño (6); Rochina (7*), Vuk?evi? (7), Melero (6), Campaña (7); Roger (6), Morales (5)

Subs: Borja (5), Hernani (7), Bardhi (6)


Looking Ahead 

Quique Setién’s men face a quarter-final Copa del Rey clash away to Athletic Club before travelling to Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday.

As for Levante, they host struggling side Leganes in the league on Saturday lunchtime. 

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Javier Mascherano Admits He Prefers ‘Special’ Liverpool to Barcelona

?Javier Mascherano has revealed that he preferred his time with Premier League leaders Liverpool compared to the years he spent with Spanish giants Barcelona.

The Argentine midfielder joined the Reds on loan in 2007 but only spent three-and-a-half seasons on Merseyside before Barcelona snapped him up for £18m. Mascherano was with the Catalan giants for seven-and-a-half successful years before moving to China in 2018, but has admitted he would choose Liverpool over the La Liga champions despite the disparity in the amount of time he spent with each. 

Javier Mascherano

Following his move back to the Argentinian top flight in January, Mascherano was recently asked to choose between the two clubs he spent the majority of his career at. 

He told ?CNN: I obviously have a lot of love for Barcelona, I spent the best years of my career there but I would choose Liverpool.

“I feel something special for them. Yes, right now is the best in the world, Liverpool represents me a lot.”

Mascherano clearly has affection for both clubs, but opted for ?Liverpool in spite of his trophy-laden years with ?Barcelona. 

During his time in Catalonia, the converted centre-back won five Spanish league titles, five Spanish cups and two ?Champions Leagues as part of two treble-winning sides. 

FBL-EUR-C1-BARCELONA-CELEBRATIONS

Now 35 years of age, after two years in the Chinese Super League, Mascherano returned to Argentina this year to play for Estudiantes. 

Having started his career in the River Plate academy prior to the turn of the century, Mascherano’s return to South America has been hotly anticipated given the success he enjoyed in Europe throughout his career.

So far, Mascherano has only made two appearances for his new side, making his debut in a 1-1 draw away to San Lorenzo in which he fittingly picked up a yellow card, an occurrence Liverpool and Barcelona fans alike are familiar with.

While his time in Spain was longer and more successful, perhaps Mascherano’s choice is not so surprising given his tendency to tweet during the Reds’ matches. Most notably summing up the man-of-the-match performance Liverpool and England’s right-back delivered against Leicester with two words: “Trent Alexander-Arnold.”

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7 of the Weirdest-Looking Final League Tables in Recent Football History

?Football is a funny old game, eh? 

We all love an underdog (see Leicester City’s unthinkable achievements in 2016) but unlikely achievements are few and far between in a game which is increasingly dominated by riches and wealth.

TOPSHOT-FBL-ENG-PR-LEICESTER-EVERTON

And so, when the opportunity arises to bask in the success of the challenger, or to marvel at the true peculiarities of the sport – we embrace it with open arms. 

So, with our nostalgia in full swing, let’s take a trip down memory lane to some of the weirdest and most wonderful league tables in recent European football history…


Premier League 2019/20

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain,Gini Wijnaldum

?

?Position  ?Team ?GD Points?
?1 ?Liverpool ?+45 ?73
2 ?Manchester City ?+38 ?51
3 ?Leicester City +?28 ?49
4 ?Chelsea +?9 ?41
?5 Sheffield United? ?+3 ?36
?6  ?Manchester United ?+7 ?35
?7 ?Wolves ?+3 ?35
?Tottenham Hotspur +?6 ?34
?9  ?Everton ?-6 ?33
?10 ?Newcastle United  ?-12 ?31
?11 ?Southampton  ?-15 ?31
?12 ?Arsenal  ?-2 ?30

Let’s start in the present day. This one isn’t the story of an underdog, but the fulfilling of a destiny which has been lying in wait for years. ?Liverpool, yet to lift the Premier League trophy, are top of the table. But their position is not the anomaly here. 

At the beginning of January – after only 25 games – the Reds sit an incredible 22 points clear of their nearest challengers, ?Manchester City – a side which had been celebrated as the greatest in English football history not so long ago.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are leaving everyone trailing in their dust, and the title is finally heading back to Anfield. 

A special mention to ?Arsenal who are languishing in 12th place. Good effort, fellas. 


Premier League 2015/16

?

?Position ?Team GD? ?Points 
?1 ?Leicester City ?+32 ?81
?2 ?Arsenal +?29 ?71
?3 ?Tottenham Hotspur ?+34 ?70
?4 ?Manchester City +?30 ?66
?5 Manchester United? ?+14 ?66
?6 ?Southampton  ?+18 ?63
?7 ?West Ham  ?+14 ?62
?8 ?Liverpool  ?+13 ?60
?9 ?Stoke  ?-14 ?51
?10 ?Chelsea +?6 ?50

Leicester City v Arsenal - Premier League

Ah, yes, the ultimate fairytale. Seemingly dead and buried at the bottom of the Premier League table a year prior, ?Leicester City performed a miracle that our lord and saviour would have been impressed by. 

The Foxes escaped relegation, and continued their great form into the following season, where they shocked the world under Claudio Ranieri and won the 2015/16 Premier League title. Leicester’s achievements will go down as possibly the greatest sporting feat in history, and their success will live long in the memory of football fans all over the world. 

Special mention for Stoke City sandwiching themselves between Liverpool and ?Chelsea with a minus 14 goal difference. What a season. 


Serie A 2005/06

Fans of Italian Serie A team Inter Milan...


?Position ?Team ?GD Points?
?1 ?Inter +?38 ?76
?2 ?Roma +?28 ?69
?3 ?Milan +?54 ?58
?4 ?Chievo  ?+5 ?54
?5 ?Palermo  ?-2 ?52
?6 ?Livorno ?-7 ?49
?7 ?Parma ?-14 ?45
?8 ?Empoli ?-14  ?45
?9 ?Fiorentina ?-25 ?44
10? ?Ascoli ?-10 ?43
?11 ?Udinese ?-14 ?43
?12 ?Sampdoria ?-14 ?41
?13 ?Reggina ?-26 ?41
14? ?Cagliari ?-13 ?39
?15 ?Siena  -18? ?39
?16 ?Lazio  ?+10 ?32
?17 ?Messina  ?-26 ?31
18? ?Lecce ?-27 ?29
?19  ?Treviso ?-32 ?21
?20 ?Juventus +?47 ?0

And now to the grizzly side of football. Match-fixing is something that is rarely seen on our British shores, but it reared its ugly head in Italy during the 2005/06 season, where several clubs were caught up in the Calciopoli scandal. 

?Juventus were stripped of their title and relegated to Serie B, having initially ended the season with a whopping 91 points. Lazio suffered a points deduction and were almost relegated themselves, Milan also received a penalty, and ?Inter were handed the title almost by default.

We’re all for second chances though, and Juve are certainly making the most of their reprieve at the top of calcio.


Bundesliga 2006/07

?

?Position ?Team GD? ?Points
?1 ?Stuttgart ?+24 ?70
?2 ?Schalke  +?21 ?68
?3 ?Werder Bremen +?36 ?66
?4 ?Bayern Munich  ?+15 ?60
?5 ?Bayer Leverkusen  ?+5 ?51
?6 ?Nurnberg  ?+11 ?48
7? ?Hamburg +?6 ?45
?8 ?Bochum ?-1 ?45
?9 ?Borussia Dortmund  ?-2 ?44
10? ?Hertha Berlin  ?-5 ?44

RESTRICTIONS / EMBARGO - ONLINE CLIENTS...

?Bayern Munich finishing outside of the Champions League spots? It cannot be! 
?

Well, my football friends, it can. In 2006, Bayern suffered a wretched season, amassing a measly 60 points and finishing in fourth spot, which meant the Bavarian giants missed out on Champions League football the following season – a campaign that would see them draw 2-2 with Bolton in the UEFA Cup. 

A shock – one which could damage the club forever, perhaps? 

Somehow, I doubt it…


La Liga 2002/03

?

?Position Team? ?GD Points?
?1 ?Real Madrid +?44 ?78
?2 ?Real Sociedad +26? ?76
?3 ?Deportivo +20? ?72
?4 ?Celta Vigo ?+9 ?61
5? ?Valencia ?+21 ?60
?6 ?Barcelona ?+16 ?56
?7 ?Athletic Bilbao +?2 ?55

Louis Van Gaal

The thought of ?Barcelona finishing outside the top three in Spain is simply unfathomable in this day and age – but it has happened before. Back in 2002/03, Barcelona suffered a horror show of a season – with Louis van Gaal at the helm for the first half of the campaign, La Blaugrana slumped to a sixth-place finish. 

Barça returned to second place the following season, and clinched the title in 2005 to regain their status among Spain’s elite. But that single-season drop-off will go down in history as a true nightmare for the Catalan giants. 


Ligue 1 2011/12

Montpellier's French forward Olivier Gir

?Position Team? GD? Points ?
?1 ?Montpellier +?34 ?82
?2 ?PSG ?+34 79?
?3 ?Lille  +?33 ?74
4? ?Lyon +?13 ?64
?5 ?Bordeaux ?+12 ?61
?6 ?Rennes +9? 60?

Can anyone actually remember the days when Paris Saint-Germain weren’t dominating the league by 45 point margins? Nope, me neither. 

But those with a better memory will harp back to the glory days of 2011/12, when a Montpellier side spearheaded by the glorious Olivier Giroud, shocked all of France by claiming the Ligue 1 title. 

The underdogs finished three points ahead of rivals PSG, and it remains their only title to date. A real moment of history. 

Meanwhile, Joe Cole’s Lille finished third while usual big-hitters Marseille only managed tenth. Weird.


Bundesliga 2008/09

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Position ?Team ?GD Points?
?1 ?Wolfsburg  +?39 ?69
?2 ?Bayern Munich  +?29 ?67
?3 ?Stuttgart +?20 ?64
4? ?Hertha Berlin ?+7 ?63
?5 ?Hamburg ?+2 ?61
?6 ?Borussia Dortmund  +?23 ?59

Sorry Bayern, it’s your turn again. There was nothing quite as dramatic as a fourth-place finish this time, but Die Roten did suffer the heartbreak of missing out on the Bundesliga title to Wolfsburg. 

The challengers – who had a young Edin Dzeko firing in the goals – claimed a dramatic title by two points, much to the surprise of the football world. 

?What Germany would do to have another winner emerge from nowhere.


Let’

30 Footballers With a Mad Fashion Sense

In the current era of social media and paparazzi, snaps and style have become almost as important to football players as their performances on the pitch, Instagram profiles taking centre stage for the beautiful game’s biggest stars.

To mark the unquestionable influence that fashion has in modern-day football, 90min has put together a list comprising of 30 footballers with the most outlandish yet stylish tastes in fashion.

Let the countdown commence. 


?30. George Best 


This list wouldn’t be about stylish footballers if it didn’t include the late, great George Best whose lavish off-field antics led him to be arguably the first celebrity footballer.

Appearing on Top of the Pops in 1965 and opening a Manchester nightclub called Slack Alice in 1973 emphasised Best’s playboy attitude when he wasn’t mesmerising spectators at Old Trafford.


29. David Alaba

David Alaba

This shot of David Alaba at Bayern Munich’s Christmas Party serves as proof of his love for fashion. 

A suave, outlandish appearance runs in his family though. His sister, Rose May, is a songwriter who has had songs at number one on the Austrian iTunes Chart whilst his father works as a rapper and DJ. Quite the talented bunch these Alabas.


28. Michy Batshuayi

Batshuayi’s exploits on the pitch for Chelsea over the past three years do not correlate in the slightest with his chic appearance. 

Nicknamed ‘Batsman’, which seems rather odd as Belgium is unheard of in cricketing circles, Batshuayi probably wishes he could score for the Blues in equal measure to the number of 

high-end suits he purchases on the Kings Road. 


27. Memphis Depay

Depay has resurrected his career somewhat in Lyon after a disastrous couple of years in Manchester where nothing went right for him under Louis van Gaal.

The Dutchman was once engaged to American TV personality Steve Harvey’s daughter Lori, who must love the look of a tattoo or two – Depay has them covering every spare skin cell.


26. Wilfried Zaha 

These days, fewer footballers are repping a chequered suit better than Crystal Palace talisman Zaha. 

Although he does get plenty of stick for his on-field antics, with many believing him to be a compulsive diver, few can question the sharp, swaggering collection that his wardrobe boasts. 


25. Tammy Abraham

Although he has suffered a recent setback with an ankle injury, Abraham has enjoyed an enormously successful first season at Stamford Bridge when many pundits doubted if he had the ability to become Chelsea’s main man.

The young striker has also got some panache to go with his clean pair of wheels. Nice Mercedes for a 22-year-old, that. 


24. Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann is one dapper guy. Even if football teams were decided by a player’s trendiness, the Frenchman would still be in the starting XI ten times out of ten. 

He’s won the FIFA World Cup and would be a strong contender to win the Football Fashionista World Cup, if it existed.


23. Presnel Kimpembe

As emphasised by this wonderful retro-chic photo from Adidas, KImpembe loves to be in the limelight. 

The French defender can’t resist a pose and he would be higher up the list but that moustache takes away a few brownie points. Gillette need to start sponsoring him as soon as possible. 


22. Divock Origi

Remember that Carlsberg advert when they sponsored Liverpool: ‘Probably the best in the world’.

Well, if it’s true of Liverpool now, it’s also true of their old kits as Divock Origi demonstrates here. The Belgian sure knows how to strike poses in front of a camera. Liverpool should make him lead model him in every kit launch from now on.


21. Serge Gnabry 

The caption for this? 

“Yeah mate I was busy scoring four at Spurs in the Champions League, so I’m just happy we could re-arrange the photoshoot. You picked a great location by the way, the outdoors make me look great in this white sweater”.


20. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The Ox has got everything right for this post. Lighting, angles, suit, bow tie. Faultless.

It’s easy to see why Oxlade-Chamberlain had a reputation as one of the best dressed at Arsenal, and now at Liverpool. He’s also made the shrewd move of going for a bow tie so the excruciatingly short ‘footballer’s tie’ knot can be avoided. Smart thinking. 


19. Hidetoshi Nakata

An icon of Japanese football, Nakata has always had a great interest in fashion, which he has clearly developed further during retirement. 

The guy could be a world-famous model, let alone one of the biggest football stars of the early 2000s. He’s only gone and made it with Louis Vuitton. What a baller.


18. Timothy Weah

This is the son of the President of Liberia, you might know his father better as George Weah. 

Timothy Weah is tipped as one of the future stars of world football but if he doesn’t make it to the top, he could always use the fashion industry as a backup option. 


17. Pep Guardiola

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-BRIGHTON

Guardiola’s smooth smart-casual attire in the City dugout has become almost as regular an occurrence as his team winning trophies each season. 

Pep clearly knows the importance of dressing to impress, even on the sideline, whilst Sam Allardyce wouldn’t go near cashmere even if you offered him a free packet of chewing gum. 


16. Thierry Henry

“What we doin’ today, cuz”?

Repping. That’s what Stormzy does best and Henry thought he’d fancy a bit of that too given his somewhat understated love for fashion, his gloves back in his prime were iconic. He’s carried a suave look into retirement too. Top marks for the hat, Thierry.


15. Olivier Giroud

Ever since his arrival in England back in 2012, Giroud has always been one to enjoy the finer aspects of fashion.

Mostly seen in fine formal wear as above, Giroud is unquestionably one of the sharpest-dressing footballers in the modern game. 


14. Luis Suárez

For someone with enormously large teeth (which he made good use of on Giorgio Chiellini), Suárez posts a pretty decent picture.

One of the best players of the 2010s, the Uruguayan fitted in effortlessly at Barcelona after a £75m move from Liverpool to the Nou Camp back in 2014.


13. Leighton Baines

Think of the most unlikely celebrity friendship that you can.

Got it? I’m willing to bet it doesn’t come close to anywhere like the mysterious bromance between Leighton Baines, Alex Turner and Miles Kane. How this came to happen I will never know but Baines certainly looks the part alongside the Arctic Monkeys frontman. 


12. Sergio Ramos 

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think Sergio Ramos wins this latest internet craze.

Famous for being a bit of a pretty boy who cared more about his reflection than stopping strikers early on in his career, Ramos developed into one of the world’s best centre-halves at Real Madrid and still going strong at 33. 


11. Kylian Mbappé

We knew this kid was good before the World Cup. Just not that good.

The 2018 World Cup-winning sensation that is Kylian Mbappé has the looks as well as the ability. Having already collaborated with a number of big-time brands, Mbappé is making a name for himself in football and fashion. The best of both worlds.


10. David Ginola

Not only was the man an extremely talented footballer but he made a good model, too.

His long locks were a sight to behold in the late 90s, when foreign players weren’t as widely heard of in the Premier League. The guy was on the catwalk for Cerruti, does it get any more stylish than that?


9. Neymar

The Brazilian might be a whining, whingeing wimp on the pitch at times but he looks cool, calm and collected whenever a camera is thrust into his face, as demonstrated by this pensive pose to celebrate his partnership with Dior.


8. Gareth Bale

Golf > Madrid. 

That is exactly what Bale is thinking in this picture. Who needs to entertain thousands at the world famous Santiago Bernabéu when you could just be lowering your par with a cheeky 18 holes anyway? Respect man, respect. 


7. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the world.

Not content with that, the diminutive Argentine looks like he’s on a mission to conquer the world of fashion in this picture, sporting a striking blue suit at the FIFA Football Awards. 


6. Xabi Alonso

This video brilliantly demonstrates the Spaniard’s easy-going nature off the field. 

This is the way every guy dreams of looking whenever someone films them driving. Unfortunately for all the wannabes out there, only one man can perfectly execute this look and that man is Xabi Alonso.


5. Andrea Pirlo

One could argue that Pirlo had an unfair advantage when it comes to style as he was born and raised in Italy’s famous Lombardia region, home to the fashion capital of the world, Milan.

Pirlo also spent ten of the finest years of his career at Milan, so it’s no surprise that he makes into the top five of this list. Props to Pirlo for that pinstripe number. A sight to behold.


4. Hector Bellerín

You just have to love Hector Bellerín.

But, if his wonderful Catalan-Cockney accent doesn’t do it for you, his fashion sense surely will. Pictured here in London’s Primrose Hill, the WWF shirt and retro Arsenal badge is the type of shirt that would have hipsters from nearby Camden with their eyes out on stalks. Dazzling. 


3. Paul Pogba

Being the most expensive footballer in British transfer history clearly isn’t enough for Pogba.

How much longer he will remain in Manchester is unclear, but what is transparent is that the Frenchman has got some serious expertise when it comes to fashion. Pogba can be spotted here in a pretty-patterned Versace outfit which half the world would be envious of.


2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is as surefire an entry on this list as any. The man loves himself almost as much as Brits love to moan about the weather. 

You’ve got to give it to him though, he does look alarmingly photogenic, as seen here with his fragrance “Legacy”. His love of fashion is no recent phenomenon either, having opened his first CR7 boutique back in 2006. 


1. David Beckham

We all know how good he looks these days so here’s boyish Becks instead. 

Of course, the fact that he married Posh Spice helped him gain almost worldwide stardom. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Beckham also delved into fashion himself, launching his own fragrance collection, “David Beckham Instinct” that has earnt him $13.7 million.

If that’s not enough, he also has a lifetime contract with Adidas worth $160 million. That really is worthy of the top spot. 


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