Neymar’s future with Paris Saint-Germain could hinge on the capital city club’s progress in the Champions League.
PSG are confident they can secure the long-term services of the Brazilian star despite his perpetual link with a return to Barcelona, but Neymar’s decision won’t come until April or May, reports ESPN FC’s Julien Laurens.
Neymar, 27, has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal, and it’s believed unofficial discussions between the player’s father and PSG sporting director Leonardo have already taken place. Neymar’s agent, Pini Zahavi, is also understood to be on good terms with Leonardo.
PSG will continue their pursuit of a Champions League title with a last-16, first-leg tie against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park on Feb. 18. The eight-time Ligue 1 champs have endured their fair share of heartbreak in Europe’s preeminent continental tournament, failing to progress beyond the quarterfinal round in each of the last seven tries, including three last-16 eliminations in the last three seasons.
Neymar has been in brilliant form for PSG since returning from injury, establishing a club record with goals in each of his last eight appearances in all competitions.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, changed the formation of its 2019 Team of the Year to create a spot for Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.
An unorthodox 4-2-4 was selected by UEFA’s brass in an effort to include Ronaldo in an attack-heavy frontline alongside Lionel Messi, Sadio Mane, and Robert Lewandowski, according to a report from ESPN FC’s Samuel Marsden.
The Portuguese international’s inclusion came at the expense of Chelsea fan favorite N’Golo Kante, who was initially part of the XI in a three-man midfield with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne.
Ronaldo currently sits joint-second in Serie A for goals with 14 in his second campaign with the eight-time reigning Italian champs. Juventus teammate Matthijs de Ligt was also named to UEFA’s 2019 team.
Five members of Jurgen Klopp’s Champions League winners Liverpool got the nod. Joining Mane are defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson, and ‘keeper Alisson.
The Team of the Year, which was unveiled Wednesday, was determined by a vote on UEFA’s website.
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Quique Setien was confirmed as Barcelona’s new manager on Monday.
The former Real Betis tactician was immediately drafted in following the dismissal of Ernesto Valverde after two-and-a-half years at the helm.
Setien, 61, signed a contract that runs until June 2022 with the back-to-back La Liga champions. He’s a long-term devotee to Barcelona’s proud playing philosophy.
“I remember when Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona came along,” Setien wrote for The Coaches’ Voice in 2018. “You played against them, and you spent the whole match running after the ball. I said to myself: ‘This is what I like. I would like to be in this team, and know why this is happening.'”
He continued: “I started to really watch football. To analyze it. To understand what I felt, and what I wanted to put into practice when I became a coach.”
Setien, who oversaw CD Lugo and Las Palmas before Real Betis, inherits a side that’s won just once in its last five competitive outings. The Santander native’s first jobs in Barcelona will be to unite a dressing room that reportedly lost confidence in Valverde, devise a way to replace in-form Luis Suarez after he underwent knee surgery, and arrest the team’s growing tendency to let leads slip in games.
Barca were up 2-1 against Atletico Madrid with nine minutes left in Thursday’s Supercopa semifinal but lost 3-2. The result was reminiscent of the Catalans’ infamous collapses to Roma and Liverpool in the two previous Champions League campaigns and was the final straw for the Camp Nou boardroom.
The Barcelona hierarchy only told Valverde it planned to sack him Monday evening, according to the Guardian’s Sid Lowe. He’s the first manager to be fired by the club since Louis van Gaal 17 years ago, despite Valverde winning two league titles, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana during his time in charge.
By comparison, Setien has only won the Supercopa since beginning his senior managerial career with Racing Santander in 2001. Xavi and Ronald Koeman, both Barcelona legends from their playing days, apparently turned down the opportunity to assume the post this January, leading to Setien’s scheduled presentation Tuesday.
Setien’s debut in the Barca dugout is set to be Sunday’s league visit from midtable Granada. He’ll take on Betis, the club he left at the end of last season, on Feb. 9, with his inaugural El Clasico clash against Real Madrid currently slated for Feb. 29.