Excl. Marc Cucurella interview ▪️The impact of the PSG defeats ▪️Lack of experience at Chelsea’s squad ▪️Maresca’s departure: “If you asked me, I wouldn’t have done that” ▪️Rosenior settling well, but no time no train @theathleticfc.bsky.social 🔗: www.nytimes.com/athletic/715...

Raphinha superstar. After a season of ups and downs, the 7-2 win vs Newcastle unleashed the peak version of Flick’s most important player. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/712...

Barcelona players and Hansi Flick hold critical talks after Atletico defeat @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

The Roony Bardghji derby tonight. Many doubted he had the physicality to cope with the move up to Barça last summer. Now he faces his former team established as a first-team player for Flick - and as a great piece of business. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

🇪🇺 EURO POD!🇪🇺 18 games? All at once? That's child's play 🏆🍿 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @tomwfootball.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social & @jameshorncastle.bsky.social look ahead MD8 in the Champions League. Plus a whistle stop around the weekend's action in 🇫🇷,🇩🇪,🇪🇸&🇮🇹! pod.fo/e/3815e3

The most irritated Hansi Flick I've ever seen in a presser. Lamine Yamal has a groin injury, will miss the Valencia game and a doubt for Newcastle. Flick was fuming at Spain's management with Yamal over the break. www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

📬 FC Barcelona mailbag alert 📬 Camp Nou, Gavi, Balde and De Jong injuries, Flick's egos quote, Valencia game on Sunday... Send us any question, we'll be responding with @laiacervello.bsky.social over here ⤵️

Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams over personal terms and do not view the forward's €60m release clause as an obstacle to deal this summer. More from @polballus.bsky.social: bit.ly/4kGioeq

This has been a long but lovely piece of work to do. Barça players from this season's squad assessed by their first coaches ever. Not their pro football coaches - from the first time they ever kicked a ball. Beautiful stories in there. www.nytimes.com/athletic/638...

Hansi Flick has spoken of his admiration for Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford calling them “fantastic players” with Barcelona looking to add “more quality” in the summer transfer window. More from @polballus.bsky.social

■ Those endless comparisons with Lionel Messi ■ Barcelona's dominance of Real Madrid ■ The treble pursuit ■ That new haircut Lamine Yamal conducted his first press conference on eve of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter. @polballus.bsky.social on what we learned ⤵️

Champions League semi-finals preview and a bit of Pedri appreciation in here

Copa del Rey final vs Real Madrid tomorrow. Ter Stegen back to the squad - will not start though. Lewandowski and Balde are officially out (injured).

Hansi Flick in talks to sign a one-year contract extension at Barça. ▪️ Nothing will be signed or announced before the end of the season. Full focus on games remaining and potential trophies to win. ▪️ Flick has rejected to sign a longer extension. He prefers to go year by year.

🇪🇺 EURO POD! 🇪🇺 Champions League quarter-finals, you say? 🏆 Let @acjimbo.bsky.social, @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social & @zonal-marking.bsky.social get you warmed up for some very tasty ties... Plus, all the latest on the domestic front 🇪🇸🇩🇪🇫🇷🇮🇹 pod.fo/e/2c4649

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong wants to stay at the club and is in talks over a new contract. While a breakthrough is yet to be reached, De Jong is very happy with life in Barcelona and feels very settled with his family. @polballus.bsky.social 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/622...

🇪🇺 EURO POD! 🇪🇺 Get some of @acjimbo.bsky.social, @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social & @rorysmith.bsky.social in your ears... 🇪🇸 Oh, Atleti 🫣 🇮🇹 Inter take advantage 🇫🇷 Could PSG do the treble?! 🇩🇪 Laterkusen are back Plus, McTominay loves tomatoes 🍅 pod.fo/e/2ba5fe

Szczesny, Benfica, that game, that mistake... 📍 Tonight the GK returns to Da Luz as stablished No 1 and more adapted to Flick’s ‘radical’ high-line. 🧤 Piece with contributions from other GK such as Álvaro Valles, Heuer Fernandes and Andrés Palop about life behind such an advanced defense.

🇪🇺EURO POD!🇪🇺 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @zonal-marking.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social & @sebsb.bsky.social ahead of #UCL week: 🤩PSG v Liverpool, Real v Atleti 🇩🇪Bayern v Leverkusen 🇳🇱@jongsma.bsky.social on PSV & Feyenoord 🇮🇹Napoli 1-1 Inter podfollow.com/totallyfootb...

Ronald Araujo signed a contract extension up until 2031, but here's why he could still leave next summer. ▪️ €65m release clause in his contract ▪️ New deal was a convenient solution for all parties ▪️ Doubts over his suitability in Flick's system ▪️ Tah in the back-burner

🇪🇺 EURO POD!🇪🇺 We've got F-bombs, extraordinary comebacks, a potentially decisive 0-0 draw - and a whole load of #UCL action 🏆 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social & @zonal-marking.bsky.social have got you covered 👇 pod.fo/e/2ae47f

🇪🇺 EURO POD! 🇪🇺 Get yourselves all warmed up for the start of the #UCL play-offs 🔥🏆 @acjimbo.bsky.social's got @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @rorysmith.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social & @polballus.bsky.social with him to look ahead to all the action and look back on domestic matters 👇 pod.fo/e/2ab5df

Liverpool blew Spurs away at Anfield, @jamespearcelfc.bsky.social and @jaydmharris.bsky.social were there to see it. @polballus.bsky.social was watching Barcelona bullying Valencia for the second time in a fortnight and we've got a bit of an announcement at the end... podfollow.com/daily-footba...

🇪🇺 EURO POD! 🇪🇺 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @julienlaurens.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social, @jameshorncastle.bsky.social & @sebsb.bsky.social: 🇮🇹 1-1, anyone?! 🇫🇷 Dazzling Dembele's back-to-back hat-tricks 🇪🇸 Real slip up as chasers close the gap 🇩🇪 Kane likes goals but Tel's at Tottenham pod.fo/e/2a8686

📈 Barça are well back in La Liga’s title race after the perfect weekend for them - Madrid lost vs Espanyol and the Catalans beat Alavés. 💫 But what fans attending will remember for some time is that 14 seconds solo run from guess who:

It's a packed show tonight, we've got @amylawrence.bsky.social who is very happy and Sam Lee who is markedly less so. @jaydmharris.bsky.social saw Spurs win, Carl Anka saw Man Utd lose and @polballus.bsky.social welcomes Barca back into the title race. Listen here. podfollow.com/daily-footba...

Mad stuff from @polballus.bsky.social on Camp Nou possibly not ready for next May's La Liga Clasico v Madrid, and Montjuic already booked for the Rolling Stones www.nytimes.com/athletic/609...

🔴🔵 Barça will host the next league Clasico (May 11), but still don’t know where. 🏟️ Club’s hope is at a Camp Nou return, Montjuic won’t be available and moving it abroad was discussed. The state of play, The Rolling Stones role & Laporta’s wish here:

Barcelona’s return to their Camp Nou stadium has been further delayed until May at the earliest. More @polballus.bsky.social & @colinmillar.bsky.social

After a surprisingly mature performance by Spurs, DFB invites @jackpittbrooke.bsky.social and @jamespearcelfc.bsky.social to make sense of a world gone mad, Roshane Thomas tells us if Jools Lop deserved the axe and @polballus.bsky.social explains Barca's Olmo result... podfollow.com/daily-footba...

What you need, and we know, on Olmo and Pau Victor re-registrations. ▪️Temporary permission until final resolution ▪️CSD believe Barça have grounds for a legal dispute ▪️Measure taken as Barça could suffer sporting & financial damage before resolution @theathleticfc.bsky.social

Raphinha on how the Dani Olmo and Pau Victor saga can affect future Barça signings. 🗣️ "Yes, it can have an impact, I can’t say the opposite. If I was in another club seeing the situation they are going through, I would probably wonder if coming here is the best option"

Euro show with an immaculate Conceicao and the Olmo balls-up @jameshorncastle.bsky.social @polballus.bsky.social @julienlaurens.bsky.social @totallyshow.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Barcelona are planning to file a complaint to the Spanish government in their final attempt to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. @polballus.bsky.social

🇪🇺EURO POD! 🇪🇺 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @polballus.bsky.social, Julien Laurens & @jameshorncastle.bsky.social are feeling all festive... We've got turrón, panettone, a trip to Lapland... and we've even got some important football to talk about 🇪🇸🇩🇪🇫🇷🇮🇹 Perfect Christmas Eve listening👇 pod.fo/e/2951d9

Walked through here today and thought I’d share it

As things stand, Dani Olmo won't be able to play for Barcelona from the start of next month. What's worse: he could leave for free due to the club's registration issues. @polballus.bsky.social explains Barca's dilemma with their €60m summer signing ⤵️ bit.ly/4gFtCNO

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal out for up to a month with ankle injury www.nytimes.com/athletic/599...

...And breathe! Eventful end of the game. Dortmund - Barça match briefing, alongside @sebsb.bsky.social & @markcarey93.bsky.social. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Guirassy, Flick's high line and Ferran Torres.

Ah Raphinha mate tap that in next time so I can plug Lamine Yamal’s trivelas piece. Well I’ll do anyway. www.nytimes.com/athletic/598...

Applies for Flick’s team selection and an overrated (?) Radiohead’s tune: No surprises.

Lamine Yamal has 10 La Liga assists this season - and three of them have been trivela passes. A deep dive into how he’s mastering the craft, his use of it in La Masia, a nod to PlayStation and Barcelona street art. www.nytimes.com/athletic/598...

Ronald Araujo gets the medical clearance and will travel with the team to Dortmund. The Uruguayan got injured last July while playing in the Copa America.

🇪🇺EURO POD!🇪🇺 @acjimbo.bsky.social's got the whole gang to get you ready for another busy week of Champions League action... All bases covered across 🇮🇹,🇪🇸,🇩🇪 & 🇫🇷with the help of Julien Laurens, @jameshorncastle.bsky.social, @sebsb.bsky.social & @polballus.bsky.social pod.fo/e/28e6fc

Frenkie de Jong won't want to remember the last match vs Betis. But reality goes beyond him - nobody in Barcelona's second unit has been able to raise the bar. And they are paying a price for that. www.nytimes.com/athletic/597...

We're all used at this point but I don't think anyone would have guessed in summer THIS would become Hansi Flick's preferred XI. Betis - Barça, 16.15h local time kick-off.

Vitor Roque set to face Barcelona courtesy of ‘fear clause’ absence – but can he prove a point? www.nytimes.com/athletic/597...

Huge personality shown by ref Sanchez Martinez in the Athletic Club - Real Madrid. He was called by VAR to check a potential penalty from Gorosabel to Rodrygo. Checks the footage for a while, sees no foul and trusts his initial decision. Not what you tend to see in those cases.

There's so much football on this week, you really NEED this podcast. We've got @robtannerathletic.bsky.social at Leicester, @mattwoosie.bsky.social at Ipswich, @polballus.bsky.social on Barca and I absolutely refuse to use the headline 'Ruud Awakening' podfollow.com/daily-footba...

Briefing - Mallorca 1 Barcelona 5: Yamal’s trivela, Torres’ travails, and is this Raphinha’s Barca? www.nytimes.com/athletic/596...