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The Argentine may be the greatest player of all time, but he's sadly come to symbolise everything that's wrong with the Qatari-backed club

On Thursday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier finally confirmed the worst-kept secret in football: Lionel Messi will play his final match for the club this weekend, against Clermont. It won't be a fond farewell.

Galtier was grateful for having had the opportunity to work with "the best player in the history of football" – and while the fans wouldn't dispute that claim, they have a very different view of the Argentine. As far as they are concerned, Messi is the personification of PSG's problems, the most miserable manifestation of the Qatari's club's obsession with superstar signings that come to Parc des Princes for nothing other than money.

He may have scored 32 goals in two seasons, and provided ample evidence of his enduring genius, but the majority of supporters don't feel blessed to have had the chance to watch The GOAT in action; they mostly feel used.

Getty Images'Messi doesn't win us anything!'

In their eyes, it is no coincidence that they only saw something resembling the very best version of Messi in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup. The pervading feeling is that PSG primarily served as a springboard, allowing Messi to arrive in Qatar in optimal physical condition.

"The joke is that we saw his matches in Qatar, I saw his movements, how he invested himself," former PSG winger Jerome Rothen fumed on after the pathetically tame Champions League last-16 exit in Munich. "And I don't mind that, considering it's the national team jersey, a separate thing, but hey, respect the club in the [French] capital a little, the one which allows you to maintain a status and salary.

"Only PSG could give him all of that and, obviously, PSG fell at his feet because they thought Messi was going to help us win [the Champions League]. But he doesn't win us anything!" At least nothing of real consequence.

AdvertisementGettyInsignificant, inevitable Ligue 1 titles

PSG won back-to-back to Ligue 1 titles with Messi but, honestly, so what? Just look at the reaction to those inevitable victories. The fans were so disgusted by last season's Champions League capitulation in Madrid that they skipped the club's subsequent title celebrations at Parc des Princes. Some players felt that was disrespectful – but not one dared complain this year, given the meekness of their European exit.

They know full well that such a high-spending club has to be held to higher standards. The success of a season is determined by Champions League results – and the same simply has to be said of Messi's transfer. There were also numerous commercial considerations but, ostensibly, that's why he was signed: to help PSG win a first European Cup.

It was also his stated reason for joining. Messi felt that PSG offered him his best shot at winning a fifth Champions League. In reality, though, it was more to do with the fact that they were the only elite side willing to meet his wage demands.

Understandable fan fury

Let's face it, Messi could have joined a better-run and better-equipped club to challenge for the club game's top trophy, but he followed the money – and the fans were aware of that from early on. They noted that the only time he came to acknowledge their support after a game, he had been pressured into doing so by his good friend and team-mate Neymar.

Has some of the criticism he's come in for been over the top? Undoubtedly. Some supporters have also gone way too far in expressing their dissatisfaction with both Messi and Neymar. However, Messi has never come close to investing as much in PSG as they did in him, meaning this has always felt more like a transaction than a transfer, one that didn't benefit the fans in any way.

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(C)Getty ImagesThe Messi effect

PSG obviously received a significant boost on a commercial level. As PSG's sponsorship director, Marc Armstrong, told GOAL in December 2021, "We have really felt an impact in all of our business areas: from sponsorship and merchandising to hospitality and ticketing.

"The club also gained 20 million new subscribers to their social media accounts in the week which followed his arrival. We had the highest engagement rate in the history of player announcements," Armstrong enthused.

These impressive numbers explain why PSG were initially so keen to keep Messi for another season. He was utterly integral to a brand built on high-profile players. "Messi was more of a marketing deal than a sporting signing,"one fan recently told GOAL's Marc Mechenoua. "He ended up representing everything we hate about the QSI project for the past three or four years."

Raphinha's first half goal and a solid defensive display lifted Barcelona to a uncomfortable 1-0 win over Athletic Club to go nine points clear

Athletic Club enjoyed the better of the play in the first half, forcing two strong saves out of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and rattling the bar from a Raul Garcia header. But Barcelona broke the deadlock before half-time, with Raphinha firing into the far corner from the right corner of the box.

The Blaugrana have made a habit of winning by fine margins of late, and the same happened here. They created little in the second half but defended diligently enough to grind out a result. Ter Stegen was crucial in the final minutes, breaking out a flurry of saves as the clock ran down.

Barcelona also benefitted from VAR, which ruled out a potential late equaliser from Inaki Williams after a questionable handball in the build-up.

It was all emblematic of Xavi's new Barcelona. They created less than their opponent but were simply more clinical, and dug in enough in front of their own net to win. These aren't pretty performances, but Barca now have a nine-point La Liga lead over Real Madrid with the Clasico looming next Sunday.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from San Mames…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (8/10):

Made some immense saves to help retain his side's lead, including one terrific diving stop in stoppage time. Absolutely massive to this club.

Sergi Roberto (6/10):

Struggled to deal with the pace of Nico Williams in the first half, and did little to support Raphinha.

Jules Kounde (7/10):

Effective at centre-back, exploited at right-back as Athletic Club went more direct. Far better with Ronald Araujo for support. Made a crucial block in stoppage time to help see out the win.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

Won his headers, passed well, but was given problems by the lively Inaki Williams.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Was effective going forward and gave everything defensively. Showed why he's currently preferred to Jordi Alba in the XI.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Gavi (7/10):

One daring tackle with his head marked a scrappy first half showing. Got on the ball more in the second half, and Barca were far better for it.

Sergio Busquets (6/10):

Assisted Raphinha's opener with an angled pass. Was a bit loose on the ball after the break, which helped Athletic Club build some momentum

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

An accurate passer and rarely dispossessed, but didn't create much. Is more effective in a midfield four.

GettyAttack

Raphinha (8/10):

Scored the opener on the stroke of half time, drilling a shot into the bottom corner. Was lively down the right and held on to the ball well despite a lack of attacking support.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

A heavy touch cost him what should have been a certain goal. Missed a clear header in the second half, and didn't retain the ball as effectively as usual. Will need to find his shooting boots before the Clasico.

Ferran Torres (5/10):

Saw an early shot saved, argued with Lewandowski quite a bit. Didn't exactly inspire confidence.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Franck Kessie (6/10):

Replaced the toiling Torres for midfield legs, didn't offer the midfield solidity that was required.

Ansu Fati (5/10):

Relieved a leggy Raphinha, failed to impact the game.

Marcos Alonso (5/10):

Watched the ball sail over his head for what should have been an Athletic Club equaliser, but saw the goal ruled out.

Angel Alarcon (N/A):

Didn't have time to make an impact.

Xavi (6/10):

An interesting one. Xavi benched Kessie and went back to a 4-3-3, which didn't quite pay off. Barca lacked creativity but the signature solid defending was on display. His side were very fortunate to see VAR rule out what would have been a late equaliser for the home team. The Blaugrana will need to be much better than this against Madrid. Still, they are nine points clear — which isn't bad at all.

Jake Hyde has confirmed that Aaron Hayden did the famous ‘Siuuuu’ celebration in front of Cristiano Ronaldo when scoring for Wrexham in a friendly.

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Dragons faced Red Devils in friendlyHayden scored inside 60 secondsVarane also figured in pre-season gameWHAT HAPPENED?

The Welsh outfit faced Premier League opposition in a behind-closed-doors encounter back in the summer of 2022. That contest saw Christian Eriksen make his first appearance for the Red Devils, as he scored a stunning free-kick, but it was the Dragons that took the lead inside 60 seconds when Hayden found the target.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Quizzed by the on whether Hayden went full Ronaldo mode after hitting the net – with the Portuguese superstar watching on as he was still on United’s books at that stage – Hyde said: “That's a fact, I can confirm! Ronaldo stood there, watching the game from the side. So Ronaldo witnessed this himself. Azza (Aaron) did what he does; he got above someone from a corner, and he scored after one minute. And he ran off into the corner; all the boys were jogging behind him to congratulate him. He ran off and just went, 'Siuuuuu!'. All the boys were like, 'Oh my god, what have I just seen?'. He was buzzing with himself. One of the memorable things I've witnessed.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Hyde also figured in that game, as he stepped off the bench to get pre-season minutes under his belt, and found himself lining up against World Cup-winning former France international Raphael Varane. Hyde added on passing that test: “That was a great experience. I think I played 30 minutes in the Manchester United game. A fantastic experience and something that comes with the calibre of the club Wrexham are striving to be. I came on, and we had a goal kick, and Varane was playing. I'm just standing there looking at him, saying, 'This guy has won the World Cup'. I won the header, and then Varane went off, and I was just like, '100 per cent record; what more can I do there?' So that was nice. To be honest, they were a cut above, but they were always going to be. It was just nice to see that in real life.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Wrexham faced United again in the summer of 2023, with star striker Paul Mullin suffering a punctured lung in a friendly encounter that was played out on American soil – with Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney helping to put that Stateside tour in place.

Despite a superb 113 from Luke Wright, Yorkshire eventually completed a comfortable victory that keeps them ahead of Nottinghamshire in the race for the County Championship

Jon Culley at North Marine Road18-Aug-2014
ScorecardYorkshire returned to the top of the table after ending Sussex’s resistance•Getty ImagesDespite a superb 113 from Luke Wright, Yorkshire eventually completed a comfortable victory that keeps them ahead of Nottinghamshire in the race for the County Championship, in which the contenders each have three matches to run and is now realistically a three-horse race, with Warwickshire the outsiders.Yorkshire’s lead over Nottinghamshire is extended, in fact, by one point to six, with Warwickshire a further 15 points behind in third place, having effectively ended Somerset’s hopes with their win at Taunton. Nottinghamshire kept Yorkshire in their sights with a five-wicket victory over Northamptonshire, who are all but doomed, which made it particularly important that Andrew Gale’s side did not let this opportunity slip through their grasp.This was acknowledged afterwards by Tim Bresnan, who took what was effectively the match-winning wicket when he dismissed Wright in the afternoon session.”It was not a must-win game because there are three important games left in the season,” Bresnan said. “But we knew that Nottinghamshire had a chance to leapfrog us in the table so it is nice to stay in front of them. We have a game against Notts to come and that is the one we are targeting as crucial.”Having said that, it is important that we keep our focus on the next game against Lancashire at Old Trafford, because they are a good side despite where they are in the table.”There is a great atmosphere in the dressing room right now, as you would expect, and we feel that if we can win one, hopefully two, of our last three games and get a good draw in the other one, we will be there or thereabouts.”Blustery showers delayed the start, with a fierce gale blowing in off the North Sea. The smug faces on the cliff-top paths belonged to those holidaymakers wise enough to bring a decent anorak.The counter-attack launched by Wright on Sunday evening continued, but Yorkshire remained confident that wickets would fall at the other end, no matter how well the England limited-overs specialist put bat to ball.He did play well, too, adding to the argument that his four-day cricket deserves more respect than it tends to be given. He made 113, his third first-class century of the season and his fifth in the last two summers, over which his first-class average stands at 60.88.Wright was the main reason why Yorkshire endured a morning of frustration, cut short by five overs, before Sussex wickets began to fall, although a catching chance put down by Tim Bresnan at fourth slip, when Steffan Piolet was on 15, and a missed opportunity to run out Wright on 69 when Ryan Sidebottom’s throw failed to hit the stumps did not help.The breakthrough came just before lunch, when Piolet, whose support for Wright had already taken him to his best Championship score for Sussex, edged a ball from Steve Patterson, the best of Yorkshire’s bowlers in this match, to Kane Williamson at third slip.Patterson claimed another victim after the break with no addition to the score, as Ben Brown was leg-before, after which it was the introduction of Bresnan at the Trafalgar Square end with 55 overs left in the day that brought the important breakthrough.Wright, whose innings was characterised in the confident aggression with which he reached 100, driving Adil Rashid through the covers for his 16th boundary, had added one more four when he pushed forward to Bresnan’s fourth delivery and was leg before, at which Bresnan celebrated in the manner of Jack Brooks, peeling away on a sweeping run towards the hospitality marquee, where he happened to run into the Headband Warrior himself, who did a little hop before the two embraced.After Wright’s departure, Sussex added only 29 for the last three wickets, which left Yorkshire with a target of 106 runs to win with 39 overs left in the day. They knocked them off with time to spare, losing only Alex Lees, who had smacked one big six off James Tredwell and was looking for another when he top edged a ball from Matt Hobden and was caught at mid-off.Mark Robinson, the former Yorkshire quick who is Sussex’s head coach, pointed out that without Chris Jordan and James Anyon to support Steve Magoffin it was never going to be an even contest against a side he considers as strong as any. But he could not conceal his affection for his former county, nor the fact that he would be delighted to see them take the title. “They are a great county with a passion for producing great cricketers and it is important for English cricket that Yorkshire prosper,” he said.

Mumbai have recalled the experienced duo of Hiken Shah and Kshemal Waingankar for their next two away games, after they were further weakened by Wasim Jaffer’s unavailability due to an injury and Dhawal Kulkarni’s India call-up

Amol Karhadkar11-Dec-2014Mumbai’s squad for rounds 2 and 3

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Nayar (vice-captain), Aditya Tare, Hiken Shah, Bravish Shetty, Praful Waghela, Shreyas Iyer, Sushant Marathe, Kevin Almeida, Vishal Dabholkar, Akshay Girap, Shardul Thakur, Javed Khan, Badre Alam, Kshemal Waingankar

Mumbai have recalled the experienced duo of Hiken Shah and Kshemal Waingankar for their next two away games, after they were further weakened by Wasim Jaffer’s unavailability due to an injury and Dhawal Kulkarni’s India call-up.The selectors also brought in Sushant Marathe as a back-up wicket-keeper-batsman in place of left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla.Jaffer fractured his right index finger while attempting a catch during Mumbai’s six-wicket loss against Jammu & Kashmir and has been ruled out for both the upcoming matches in Delhi, against Railways, and Kanpur, against UP. He could also miss the fourth league game against Bengal, which will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata from December 28.Shah had lost his placed in the squad after a mediocre performance last year. The left-handed middle order batsman had tallied 443 runs at 36.91 in 14 innings last season. However, sections of the team management felt Shah, given his experience and his 773 runs at 55.21 in 2012-13, required to be persisted with to maintain the balance of the team. The selectors had no option but to bring Shah in once Jaffer had been ruled out.Lanky new-ball bowler Waingankar may have lost a bit of pace over the last few years but his wealth of experience has paved way for yet another comeback in Mumbai’s squad. After featuring in just two games for Mumbai when he was at his quickest, Waingankar moved to Goa in 2009-10. After returning to Mumbai a year later, he has made sparring appearances. He will be hoping to get a decent run this time around.

Friday’s hearing in the Supreme Court relating to how the BCCI plans to implement the various recommendations proposed by the Lodha Committee in January, has been postponed to April 5

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Mar-2016Friday’s hearing in the Supreme Court relating to how the BCCI plans to implement the various recommendations proposed by the Lodha Committee in January, has been postponed to April 5. According to the legal counsels involved in the case, as per the supplementary list released by the Supreme Court, they were informed that the bench will not be sitting on Friday. There was no specific reason given for the postponement.This allows the BCCI a bit more breathing space as it was expected to face further chin music from the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court hearing the case.At the last hearing, held on March 3, the bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah strongly retorted at every argument raised against the Lodha Committee recommendations by the host of counsels representing the BCCI and various state associations.Offering minor respite to the BCCI, the court said that it would ascertain whether the objections raised against a few of the recommendations could be entertained. If the bench could not sort it, it said, then it would approach the Lodha Committee to review “very limited points”.When the hearing reopens, the BCCI is likely to present detailed audited accounts statements of the board’s disbursement to the states in the last five years. That was one specific demand of the court at the March 3 hearing, as the bench wanted to know how the states had spent the money on development of infrastructure among other things.*15:45 GMT – This story was updated following the news that the hearing was postponed

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed what impressed him most about youngster Kobbie Mainoo's performance against Everton last weekend.

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Mainoo starts vs EvertonYoung midfielder is stand-out performerTen Hag reveals what impresses him mostWHAT HAPPENED?

The 53-year-old has waxed lyrical about Mainoo's influential performance against the Toffees, after the Red Devils secured a 3-0 win on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was on the bench for the recent 3-3 draw against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but Ten Hag's comments about his performance against Everton could hint at a return to the starting eleven to face Newcastle United this weekend.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Ten Hag commented on a possible return to the starting line-up for the young midfielder. "If he's ready or not, he showed on Sunday [vs Everton] he was ready," Ten Hag said. "We have to manage three games in six days to get the best results of all the games. We have more than 11 players, we have good options there. Sofyan [Amrabat] also showed he was playing a very good game. We have the options, you manage the load of the players and it's about freshness as well."

When asked what impressed him most about the midfielder, Ten Hag added: "His scanning. It looks like he always has time because he is scanning, he is running free, then he is scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up. He makes the right decisions."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mainoo's performance in the Premier League is only made more impressive when considering it was his first game in the starting line-up after a four-month spell on the sidelines, after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAINOO?

After a disappointing draw to Galatasaray on Wednesday, the focus will now shift to a tough clash against Eddie Howe's impressive Newcastle side on Saturday evening. The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place, just one point ahead their upcoming opponents in seventh, highlighting how important the upcoming clash will be.

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz would realise a childhood dream if he were to join Barcelona, his father says.

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Winger linked with Barcelona moveFather says he would love Camp Nou transferScored twice as Colombia beat BrazilWHAT HAPPENED?

The Colombian has been linked with a move to the Spanish side in recent weeks following his impressive performances for the Reds. Interest in the the 26-year-old will likely have been boosted after his double helped Colombia to a 2-1 win against Brazil in World Cup qualifying this week.

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The winger's father has given Barca a boost in their hopes of signing the ex-Porto star by admitting that his son is a big fan of the Catalan club. Luis Manuel spoke just over a week since he was released by the National Liberation Army (ELN), an insurgent group that kidnapped him along with his wife before letting him go 12 days later.

WHAT LUIS MANUEL DIAZ SAID

"The truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment. It is true that Luis is a loyal Barcelona fan and it would be his dream to go there," he told . "So far I would like to thank Porto and Liverpool for the way they welcomed him and received him. Luis is a player who finds it easy to win over because of the way he is, because of his humility, his work, his dedication, he is a very disciplined player, thank God. There would be no problem if Luis came to Barcelona because it is a top team and one of the best in the world."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DIAZ?

Luis Diaz will be in action again when Colombia take on Paraguay on November 21. His father, meanwhile, will hope to see his kidnappers punished by the Colombian legal system following his abduction at the end of October.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that the side employed an eight-batsmen strategy in the first ODI against South Africa to bolster the sagging confidence of the line-up

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur10-Jul-2015Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that the side employed an eight-batsmen strategy in the first ODI against South Africa to bolster the sagging confidence of the line-up. He said the decision was taken despite the fact that five-bowler plan was working in the last nine months.The home side were bowled out for 160 with 3.3 overs to spare in match that was reduced to 40-overs-a-side after rain delays. The score suggests the long batting line-up didn’t work and the bowling attack was left weakened with only four specialist bowlers.”During the World Cup the batsmen were in form,” Mashrafe said. “Back then the bowlers weren’t doing well so we gave them the space to have five bowlers. Now the batsmen aren’t in form, so we wanted them to play with some freedom. Batsmen become comfortable when they think that they are in form.”But when the batsmen are not scoring, we have to support them. Also, we had Mahmudullah to attack their left-handed batsmen, so it was not as if we didn’t have spin-bowling options. We had seven bowlers.”Mashrafe said that Kagiso Rabada’s early hat-trick had much to do with the eight-wicket loss, but there were no demons in the pitch, something Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain proved during their innings of 48 and 31 respectively.”Obviously the hat-trick was a reason. He [Kagiso Rabada] should be given credit,” Mashrafe said. “Definitely you are on the back foot after those three wickets. The wicket though was really good, Shakib and Nasir proved that.”We had started a partnership. Had Mushy [Mushfiqur] and Shakib extended it a bit more, and if we could have scored 200-220, I believe it could have been a different ball game.”Despite the hat-trick in the fourth over, Soumya Sarkar and later Shakib, Mushfiqur and Nasir batted at a higher tempo than the situation of the match suggested. Most of these batsmen, barring Nasir who was the last wicket to fall in the 37th over, were dismissed soon after they looked settled. Mashrafe said this was an issue the team had to work out soon.”Some batsmen who are getting set are getting out. It’s very difficult to explain this,” he said. “The particular batsman can explain it better. But we have to work this out and come out of this scenario.”I hope that those who are starting and getting runs should finish their job. We need to turn around from this. Maybe we can’t change much after one day’s practice, so we have to change our mentality.”

The Real Madrid and Juventus centre-backs head up the list of the best defensive players on the new iteration of the game

Getty Images10. Toby Alderweireld | CB | Tottenham | Belgium

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 78

AdvertisementGetty Images9. Miranda | CB | Inter | Brazil

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 76

Getty Images8. Thiago Silva | CB | PSG | Brazil

Overall rating: 88

Defending: 88
Physical: 79

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Getty7. Samuel Umtiti | CB | Barcelona | France

Overall rating: 87

Defending: 88
Physical: 82