football

Unlike Riqui Puig, who has preferred to bet on Barça, Carles Aleñá instructed his agent, Iván de la Peña, to look for a team in the winter market. Kind of not getting into Ronald Koeman’s plans, the Mataró midfielder ended up agreeing to leave on loan to Getafe, where one of his best friends, Marc Cucurella, plays. But, as ARA has learned, this was the alternative to his first choice, which was to be transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The British offered seven million euros to keep it owned.

The same club that helped clean up Barça’s accounts a few months ago by signing Nélson Semedo for 40 million – in an operation led by Jorge Mendes – tried to go fishing again at the Camp Nou with Aleñá, who was looking forward to trying his luck in English football. , where he would have met Adama Traoré, also trained at La Masia. However, the Barça manager did not see the operation clearly: seven million is just half the market value of the footballer. Carles Tusquets rejected the proposal and, in return, the possibility of depositing money that the entity has now been unable to pay to advance the signing of Eric García, an express request from Koeman and Ramon Planes since Piqué was injured.

“If the club says it is not possible [fer fitxatges d’hivern] for an economic issue, we will continue with what we have until the end of the season “, explained the coach in yesterday’s press conference, hours before seeing the faces in the Barça offices with Tusquets and the three aspirants to the Koeman made a last-ditch attempt to repatriate Garcia in the short term despite the institution’s financial difficulties in considering any investment, the power vacuum that exists in the absence of elections, and the debate among the candidates. on whether or not it is appropriate to make an effort for a footballer whose contract expires on June 30. The Dutchman’s will was thwarted by a lack of consensus.

Joan Laporta, who always tries not to make judgments about Koeman, is not in favor of spending now and is betting on the free arrival of García in the summer window. The former president is in tune with Toni Freixa. Víctor Font, on the other hand, had a terrible day. “Eric is a unique case. The sports structure insists on the need to arrive now and it must be a possible investment, as there are no transition seasons at Barça,” said the candidate, who proposed to satisfy the ‘coach with a formula to pay for the modest transfer of Garcia – five million fixed – in installments. On the other hand, the footballer was pressing to be able to leave City now, as he has to play the European Championship between the eyebrows.

Rotations against the Cornellà

Beyond this debate, Koeman wants his Barça to take flight in the Copa del Rey after Sunday’s painful defeat in the Super Cup. Barça visit Cornellà in a single match with the casualties of Leo Messi due to suspension and Sergiño Dest due to injury in connection with the match against Athletic. “We know there can be surprises. It will be complicated, because they will play the game of the year and we are not used to artificial turf, for example. We will have to face the appointment with seriousness and mentality,” said the Dutchman. which has summoned more players from the subsidiary than usual and will make rotations that will reward the less usual ones, such as Junior, Trincao or Pjanic. Especially the lane, Jordi Alba’s substitute, still has options to leave in January. Several Spanish clubs have been interested in taking it on loan.

After the disappointing defeat in the Spanish Super Cup, Barça will also regret not being able to count on Leo Messi for the sanction he has lost due to the red card he saw in La Cartuja, a punishment he had never received in the his career. The Argentine will eventually have to serve a two-match suspension, a minor injury considering he was exposed to four games away. However, the club will write an appeal today with documentary evidence to reduce the penalty and try to make the striker only lose the commitment of Thursday’s Cup against Cornellà.

Gil Manzano will go down in history as the first referee to take Messi out of a match. And Asier Villalibre, as the person responsible for kicking the 10-yarder with the ball in play. Known as the Buffalo of Gernika, the Athletic Club striker is a unique character. In unrefined forms on the green, outside the playing fields he expresses himself by singing and playing the trumpet. Yes, the same metal wind instrument he pulled out to liven up Marcelino’s team celebration. A party that he made possible first by scoring a goal that led the game to extra time, then causing the expulsion of the main danger of Barça and, finally, encouraging his teammates for lack of public in the stands. This 23-year-old bearded man will never forget Sunday night at La Cartuja.

Villalibre, at present substitute of Iñaki Williams and Raul Garci’a, arrived at Lezama, the quarry of the Athletic, in cadet age. It was his first coach in grassroots football for the Basque club who gave him the nickname. “As a child I was more of a boss than my teammates. The coach said that he attacked them as if nothing had happened, he started telling me Buffalo and that’s how I stayed,” explained the footballer in an interview during the confinement. training in Lezama, it has not been easy for him to settle in San Mamés Gaizka Garitano, coach of the Biscayans, decided to stay in the squad after three transfers to Numancia, Valladolid and Llorca, accumulating eight goals in 41 appearances. with the first team.

Fito Cabrales and Aritz Aduriz

But Villalibre, as a good team player, does not play alone. He is accompanied by a group called Orsai, made up of five members of the Athletic dressing room who also disconnect with the music: Lekue, Vesga, De Marcos, Balenziaga and Dani García. “We even have a teacher who teaches us technique once a week. It’s a very nice hobby. We vote for the songs we like best and then we play them,” says the striker, who admits that the most versioned set in rehearsals is Fito and Fitipaldis.

If Fito Cabrales is one of Villalibre’s references when it comes to a microphone, his preferences are also clear on the pitch. To check this just look at the number he wears in his first season in the first team of Athletic. Gernika had no doubts or fear of pressure when he decided to inherit the 20 of Aritz Aduriz, one of the best strikers who have passed through San Mamés. Villalibre still has a lot to do if it wants to get closer to the legacy of the Gipuzkoan exariet. Now, after the glory, it’s his turn to catch his breath and not miss a single note.