BARCELONA: Barcelona tied down captain Andres Iniesta for the rest of his career as the club announced on Friday the 33-year-old midfielder has agreed the first “lifetime contract” in Barca’s history.
“It is a way of rewarding an exceptional player,” said Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Iniesta insisted, though, that he has not planned any future role with the club beyond his playing career.
“The lifetime title doesn’t mean that I will remain here just for the sake of it. It isn’t my way of doing things,” said Iniesta.
“When I don’t have the same force or importance I have always had, things can always change.
“Today I am hugely grateful for the confidence the club has shown in me.”
Along with five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Iniesta is Barca’s most decorated player of all-time having won 30 trophies at club level, including eight La Liga and four Champions League titles.
Iniesta has also made the second highest number of appearances in a Barca shirt behind Xavi Hernandez with 639 since his debut 15 years ago.
“There is no other player in the club like him. He will be a reference for future generations,” added Bartomeu.
“I always say to the kids in the academy, to fixate on him as a player and a person.”
Born in the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha before joining Barca at the age of 12, Iniesta is a beloved figure across Spain as he scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final.
Normally determined to shy away from the spotlight, Iniesta repeated his call for cool heads and negotiation to prevent a spiralling political crisis over the battle for Catalan independence deepening.
Hundreds required medical attention on Sunday as voters in a referendum on independence, deemed illegal by Spain’s central government, clashed with police.
“One always tries to look at things with logic and sense. We hope that everything calms down,” he said.
However, Iniesta will not be present as Spain look to book their place in next year’s World Cup later on Friday against Alicante in Albania as he has pulled out with a hamstring strain.
Iniesta has previously tended to do his talking on the field as a fundamental figure in Barca’s most successful ever era.
Alongside long-time midfield partner Xavi for both club and country, Iniesta formed the axis of Pep Guardiola’s legendary side that won 14 trophies in four years between 2008 and 2012.
His previous contract was due to expire at the end of the season and doubts over his future were raised when he refuted Bartomeu’s claims that a deal “in principle” was in place last month.
However, he refused to rule out retiring at the end of the season should he continue to be dogged by injury.
“I will be here as long as my body, mind and all I have to give is enough,” he added.
“Right now it is difficult to imagine what I will think in May or June.”
Tying down Iniesta eases some of the pressure building on Bartomeu for his handling of both sporting and institutional matters in recent months.
However, Bartomeu is still to convince Messi, who is also out of contract at the end of the season, to sign a new five-year deal agreed back in July.
“The club want Leo to stay here and he wants to stay,” said Iniesta.
“Hopefully, this story never ends because he is unique and is indispensable for success.”
Iniesta agrees first ‘lifetime’ contract at Barcelona
Iniesta agrees first ‘lifetime’ contract at Barcelona
Fire breaks out ahead of Man City’s Champions League match against Brugge
- Security staff had cordoned off the area and kept supporters away
MANCHESTER: A fire broke out at a concession stand outside Manchester City’s stadium ahead of the team’s Champions League match against Brugge on Wednesday.
Videos shared online showed large flames and smoke coming from the stand, located near the players’ entrance at the Etihad Stadium.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the smell of smoke remained in the air for some time afterward as supporters waited to be let inside.
Security staff had cordoned off the area and kept supporters away.
City play Brugge in a must-win game as the new-look league phase of the Champions League reaches its conclusion.
The 2023 champion City are 25th in the standings. They need to win to secure a place in the playoffs for the round of 16.
French police arrest Feyenoord fans at the border ahead of Champions League match in Lille
- 86 fans of the Dutch team have been refused entry to France and that 30 have been arrested
- Police officers seized pyrotechnic devices and various objects
LILLE, France: Dozens of Feyenoord fans banned from traveling to Lille for a Champions League game between the two clubs have been turned away or arrested at the border, French authorities said Wednesday.
The Prefecture du Nord, which represents the French state in the Lille region, said 86 fans of the Dutch team have been refused entry to France and that 30 have been arrested.
Police officers seized pyrotechnic devices and various objects that could be used as weapons during their checks, the prefecture said.
France’s interior ministry said the travel ban was introduced because of a “real and serious risk of confrontation” between fans of the two teams ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The French authorities said Feyenoord’s travels are often marred by “public order disturbances due to the violent behavior of certain supporters or individuals claiming to be supporters of this team,” and they cited several examples of fan violence.
In May 2022, there were violent clashes in France between Marseille and Feyenoord fans outside the Stade Velodrome stadium before their Europa Conference League semifinal game.
There were also violent clashes in Lille city center when the club played Bulgarian side Levski Sofia in the Europa League in 2010.
Man City and PSG face unexpected early exit from Champions League in dramatic round of 18 games
- Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain each faces a shocking early exit from the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade
- Man City starts against Club Brugge outside the top-24 places that advance to the knockout stage
GENEVA: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain each faces a shocking early exit from the Champions League for ,the first time in more than a decade when the final round of games Wednesday decide the new 36-team standings.
When the 18 games kick off at the same time, 9 p.m. Central European Time (2000 GMT), to complete the inaugural league-phase format, Man City is outside the top-24 places that advance to the knockout stage and 22nd-place PSG risks dropping out.
Man City must beat Club Brugge at home to rise safely from 25th place. A draw for PSG at 24th-place Stuttgart should be enough for both teams — barring a freakish big win for Dinamo Zagreb over AC Milan to take the tiebreaker on goal difference among teams that end on 11 points.
A PSG loss in Germany risks ending a run of 12 straight years playing in the knockout stage.
The final-day jeopardy also was unexpected for Man City, the Champions League winner two years ago, which let a two-goal lead slip in a 4-2 loss at PSG last week.
The English Premier League champion advanced 11 years in a row from the old group stage since going winless in the 2012-13 edition.
It is the kind of scenario Champions League organizer UEFA hoped for when approving the new format under severe pressure from storied clubs who demanded more lucrative games and more of them against high-end opponents.
Those same influential clubs — including the super-wealthy state-backed pair of Man City and PSG — hardly imagined they would miss out on the knockout phase that brings global brand-building attention and tens of millions of euros in extra prize money from UEFA.
Real Madrid had to play just 13 games to win the Champions League last season, and now faces playing 17 to retain the title.
Madrid is 16th in the standings before going to play unheralded Brest after losing three of its seven games, including on its previous trip to France against Lille.
The record 15-time European champion can still rise to a top-8 finish — earning direct entry to the round of 16 in March — by beating 13th-place Brest, though needs other results to go its way.
Teams that finish from ninth to 24th enter Friday’s draw for the two-leg knockout playoffs played on back-to-back midweeks in February.
That shapes as an unwanted burden in the congested calendar for teams also chasing domestic titles, rather than bonus games to earn more revenue.
Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich is in 15th place, also on 12 points with Madrid, before hosting Slovan Bratislava, which has been overmatched losing seven straight games.
A 15-point tally, with a strong goal difference, could be enough to take eighth place currently held by Bayer Leverkusen, which heads a group of six teams on 13 points. Leverkusen hosts already eliminated Sparta Prague.
Bayern and Madrid can be helped by the tough schedule for teams ahead in the standings: Atalanta in seventh goes to Barcelona, 10th-place Monaco is at Inter Milan, while Lille and Feyenoord — 12th vs 11th — cannot both reach 15 points.
League-leading Liverpool has let most star players skip the trip to 19th-place PSV Eindhoven because it is one of the few teams with certainty.
Seven wins guaranteed Liverpool a top-two seeding in the tennis-like bracket for the knockout rounds. That draw will be made Feb. 21 after the playoffs round, setting up pairings through to the May 31 final in Munich.
Only Liverpool and Barcelona have already sealed their top-8 places, though Arsenal and Inter — both on 16 points — likely will join them. Atletico Madrid and Milan start Wednesday’s games on 15 points.
85 athletes to represent UAE at Asian youth jiu-jitsu tournaments
- Delegation includes 20 athletes competing in the U-14 division, 65 athletes in youth categories
ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has said that 85 Emirati athletes will take part in the 2025 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Cup (U-14) and the 2025 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Youth Championship.
The events will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from Feb. 13-15.
The Emirati delegation includes 20 athletes competing in the U14 division and 65 athletes in youth categories.
In 2024, Abu Dhabi hosted the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Youth Championship, where the UAE national team excelled with an impressive haul of 41 medals, including 11 gold, eight silver and 22 bronze.
Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the federation, said: “The Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship is one of the most prestigious events we participate in every year, showcasing the UAE’s leadership in the sport across the continent. It also provides a key platform to evaluate the progress of our youth athletes and their readiness to excel on the global stage.
“Youth competitions are central to the federation’s strategy, as they represent the future of jiu-jitsu in the UAE. We remain dedicated to identifying and nurturing young talent through world-class training and coaching programs.”
Pedro Damasceno, UAE national team coach, said: “We have carefully assembled a strong team, blending experienced athletes with fresh talent. The team is following an intensive training program and is fully committed to performing at its best in the upcoming championships.
“The athletes are showing great confidence and dedication, and we look forward to seeing them shine on the continental stage once again.”
Maxey leads 76ers past Lakers, surging Rockets hold off Hawks
LOS ANGELES: Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-104 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as the surging Houston Rockets pulled off a tense 100-96 win over Atlanta.
With Joel Embiid missing his 12th straight game and Paul George sidelined with a finger injury, Maxey stepped up and the Sixers won their third straight.
The defeat halted the Lakers’ four-game winning streak, which featured a victory over reigning champions Boston. Worse, star Anthony Davis exited in the first quarter with an abdominal strain.
The Lakers were up 20-17 when Davis — fresh off a 42-point, 23-rebound performance in Charlotte on Monday — departed and they struggled defensively in his absence.
The 76ers outscored them 48-32 in the second quarter and led 73-57 at halftime.
LeBron James scored 31 points with eight rebounds and nine assists but said 22 turnovers were too many to overcome.
“When your best player goes out it’s always challenging,” James said, but added: “We’ve just got to be better.
“We had too many turnovers tonight that resulted in too many buckets for them. You can’t make mistake after mistake after mistake.”
James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, had one steal to move into sixth place on the all-time steals list with 2,311.
In Atlanta, Jalen Green scored 25 points for the Rockets, who fended off a late Hawks surge to post a fourth straight win.
Coming off three big victories — two straight over Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland and a 114-112 victory on Monday over Boston, the Rockets delivered another gritty performance.
Green’s steal and layup pushed Houston’s lead to 96-80 with 5:16 to play. But Atlanta sliced the deficit to 98-96 with less than a minute remaining.
DeAndre Hunter had a chance to put the Hawks in front but missed a three-pointer and Alperen Sengun sealed the victory with a dunk.
Sengun finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jae’Sean Tate added 16 points off the bench for Houston.
Trae Young scored 21 for Atlanta, who dropped their sixth straight.
