Neymar confirms he is staying at FC Barcelona

On the other hand FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu referred to Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus.

Josep Maria Bartomeu had indicated that Neymar was due to renew his contract when he appeared before the press on Thursday morning.

On Thursday night, Neymar himself took the step of confirming that both parties have reached an agreement, with a message on his Twitter account that leaves no room for doubt.

"Very happy to continue living this dream. Long live Barça and long live Catalunya", wrote the Brazilian star, who accompanied the text with a photo of himself wearing the Barcelona shirt from last season. He couldn't have made things any clearer.

The negotiations of the past weeks have ended in success, and just as Bartomeu announced, Neymar will continue at Barça for the seasons to come, extending his contract at Camp Nou until June 30, 2021.

On the other hand, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu referred to Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus during his Thursday press conference.

The player is one of Barcelona's main priorities this summer, though Bartomeu was cagey with regards to the open negotiations: "We do not confirm or deny the things that are being published as that is your job", he told the assembled media.

"I can say that I have seen him play for Palmeiras many times and he is a great player. That is my opinion, as a lover of football, but the club will not say anything until there is something confirmed."

When pressed on the matter, Bartomeu laughed and added: "I am not saying if we are trying to sign him or not. If it were true, saying so could harm the negotiations. And if the opposite were the case, it could seem as if we are rejecting him, and that is not true."

Sandro will leave FC Barcelona this summer

Robert Fernandez emphasised the great behaviour from the player as, despite "having a lot of offers to leave the club last summer," he decided to stay.

FC Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez has said that the club won't be holding Sandro Ramirez back with the striker is set to leave the club this summer.

The striker has had a difficult time making his mark at the Camp Nou and talking to Barca TV on Sunday, Robert Fernandez made it clear the club won't try to keep him for another season, saying "The doors are open for him to leave."

Robert Fernandez emphasised the great behaviour from the player as, despite "having a lot of offers to leave the club last summer," he decided to stay.

"We really value that he stayed with us due to the situation the club was in - not being able to sign any players.

"After his great efforts and behaviour we now have to consider to open the doors for him to leave this summer."

Discussing the outcome of the season, Fernandez noted that it had been "extraordinary", while praising the opposition.

"The team has been able to maintain a very high level throughout the league season, which isn't easy, and against very difficult teams."There are seven, eight or nine teams that who were fantastic and we had to fight until the last match day because we were forced to it."

Neymar praised FC Barcelona's efforts to win the league and Spanish Cup titles but admitted the club's Champions League exit was a thorn in their side. FC Barcelona lost 3-2 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid on April 13 as Luis Enrique's dream of a second treble were quashed.

"It's a great season for us, very difficult," Neymar told the jubilant crowd at the Camp Nou on Monday.

"We were very sad for the Champions League but we've done everything to win two trophies."I'm very happy at this club and I am FC Barcelona."

Neymar will stay in the FC Barcelona

The Brazilian star wants to put the lid on the speculation of his renewal, Neymar has given instructions to not listen to any offers in the coming months.

Neymar is not going through his best moment as a FC Barcelona player and knows that in the coming weeks the campaign against him will continue with all sorts of rumours about his future.

FC Barcelona and Neymar have spent several months talking about his renewal. Everything is practically agreed, but it will not be made public until the summer.

And, during this gap, some European clubs have tried to get close to the 24-year-old to find out his availability for a transfer.

PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester United are the most interested sides, but the footballer’s intentions are clear.

There have been some problems during the contract talks, but nothing to damage his relationship with the club and his desire is to remain dressed in blaugrana for many years.

At FC Barcelona there are no concerns over Neymar’s performances. They know he’s been at a very high level since he arrive and that now it’s logical he will have a dip, given the demanding schedule of his last three years.

He’s one of the club’s most important players and could be the most important in years to come. The club know he will recover his best form.

Both parts are in agreement to extend the deal to 2021. Neymar has become the second highest paid player at the club behind Leo Messi, something he understands.

Since he arrived, he has never disputed that Lionel Messi is the leader and understands that to play alongside him is the best thing for his career.

Neymar hopes to resolve his future in the coming months and then FC Barcelona will begin talks with Luis Suarez to improve his terms. The trident will be tied down and tied down for the coming seasons. 

Things are going well for Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan is fighting on a collective level for the double, and on an individual level for the Pichichi, with 30 Liga BBVA goals.

The FC Barcelona striker scored 25 goals in his first season with the club, and now, after his four against Deportivo de la Coruna, he has 49. One less than double the number he achieved in his first year.

He is fighting on a collective level for the double, and on an individual level for the Pichichi, with 30 Liga BBVA goals, to Cristiano Ronaldo's 31.

In his first season, in which he missed the first months because of a FIFA sanction, he scored 16 league goals in 27 games, 7 Champions League goals in 10 games, and two Spanish Cup goals in six games.

After FC Barcelona hammered Deportivo La Coruna, Luis Enrique praised his players and lauded a "positive" victory which ended the Catalan side's bad run of results. 

The Asturian coach, though, was keen to point out they'd played well against Valencia, too: "We played a great game and were very effective, creating infinite chances, just like we did against Valencia - and look what happened in that game. But football can be like that, it was a spectacular result for us, against Depor. We didn't concede any goals and won away from home."

Luis Enrique acknowledged that his team needed the three points here, but also pointed out there are still four finals left. "The need for a good result and win was key for us.

The team who is the best over 38 games will win the league, though. Not the team who is best in game 32, 37, 35 or 31. There are four games left and it will be difficult."

“We made sure we took our early chances, too, and from there on, we were on a roll. Now we have a wonderful challenge ahead of us - to retain the league title”.

The Basque team claimed a shock 1-0 victory over FC Barcelona

Luis Enrique: “This is an open and exciting league and to win you have to be the best”. 

Luis Enrique was quick to remind the press that FC Barcelona are yet to claim the league title following Saturday's defeat at Real Sociedad.

The Basque team claimed a shock 1-0 victory over FC Barcelona at Estadio Anoeta through a fifth minute goal from Mikel Oiarzabal, inflicting a second successive Liga BBVA defeat on FC Barcelona after last weekend's loss to Real Madrid.

"This is an open and exciting league and to win you have to be the best," he said. "We never said it was easy, or that the league was won. " They are players, not machines. We will need the help of all the fans.

Luis Enrique was rueful of a poor first half performance from his players, but did not believe that his side deserved to come away empty handed."The game began in the worst way possible - they scored from their first shot," he explained.

"We had a very poor first half."The second half was better, we created more chances. It still was not a great performance but I do not think we deserved defeat."

Despite feeling that his side should have come away with at least a point, Enrique had nothing but praise for Real Sociedad, who moved up to ninth in Liga BBVA.

"The basque team are always a stone in the shoe. If I have to lose, I'd rather do so against teams who play football like Real Sociedad."

To end, Messi, meanwhile, is having his own dry steak as the Catalan side's bid for a consecutive treble wobbles. 

In all competitions, the Argentine star has now failed to score in 362 minutes, including games against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

The last time he went on such a long run without scoring was in April and May of 2011 when he failed to score over 417 minutes of football. His last goal came in the 88th minute of the 3-1 Champions League win over Arsenal in March.

An honourable action by the FC Barcelona forward

On the other hand, planet football paid their respects to Johan Cruyff this weekend with various memorial acts.

Messi, Barcelona's Argentine star, showed once again that apart from being a great footballer, he is a great sportsman. Despite not having a good performance, being disappointed by both the defeat and his own rendition, Leo Messi showed at the end of the ‘Clasico’ his true character.

Leo Messi went over to Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's star and his historic rival in the battle to be best in the world, to congratulate him. An honourable action by the Barcelona forward.

Doing this after Cristiano Ronaldo's winning goal shows that for him there is no rivalry with the Portuguese star off the pitch. Lionel Messi is only focused on improving day to day, and bringing success to FC  Barcelona and Argentina.

On the other hand, planet football paid their respects to Johan Cruyff this weekend with various memorial acts, including FC Barcelona on Saturday and Ajax on Sunday. Both sets of fans held up card to create mosaics to hail the former star of both teams. The mosaics created will live long in the memory.

If the prologue of the Clasico and minute 14 were dedicated to the Dutchman, the whole match in Amsterdam between Ajax and Zwolle was centred around Cruyff. 

His son was present to represent the family and watched the game from the presidential box. Meanwhile, at Camp Nou fans watched a video in his honour which recalled some of his career and featured quotes about him.

To end, Both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will see the two Spanish teams wearing their second kits.

Despite wearing their home kit at Vicente Calderon Stadium in Liga BBVA this season, FC Barcelona will sport their yellow strip in place of their traditional red and blue colours while the Atletico Madrid will wear dark blue.

UEFA have made this a requirement so the referee and the fans will be able to distinguish between the two sides.

Luis Suarez spoke about his good relationship with his team-mates

The Uruguayan is also good pals with Neymar and Mascherano, but the closest relationship he has at the club is with Messi.

The FC Barcelona forward spoke about his good relationship with his team-mates in an interview with Uruguay's El Pais.

"Leo Messi has an older child than Benja and one younger than Delfi, and the kids play," Luis Suarez said, of Lionel Messi.

The Uruguayan is also good pals with Neymar and Mascherano, but the closest relationship he has at the club is with Messi. "With Leo Messi we are the same age and we share anecdotes from when we were teens, our partners also get along well," said Suarez. 

Then he spoke about the MSN as a whole, saying: "There's always something we laugh about. We laugh on and off the pitch. Ney is a happy guy, Leo too, although people don't think it

Forward Luis Suarez also spoke about the best decision he ever made: "When I was young another agent came to give me money so I would sign with him. I was dubious because it was a lot of money, but for the best I did not sign and kept going with my 3,000 pesos.

Not everything's about money, but when a player is 17 or 18 he has to get what he can get to keep moving forward. You have to take the steps at the right moment," he said, explaining his best footballing decision.

"As good as you may be, if the agents give you 15,000 dollars a month you start to relax and then end up there. If you're still getting 2,000 or 3,000 Uruguayan pesos, which is what they were giving me, and keep fighting and working to move forward, this gives you more expectation and amibition. I bought my first car in 2009 and I'd been a professional for four years.