Piqué bade a fond farewell to the Catalan giants in November, with a tearful on-field goodbye to the supporters before proceeding to get sent off in his final game in Barca colours. Piqué has enjoyed a glittering career with Barca and Manchester United, although he doesn’t quite make the cut for the ultimate centre backs in the 2000s era. Although it looked like Piqué wouldn’t kick a ball again in anger, there is a possibility that he may drop down a division and turn out for the club he owns, FC Andorra.

Piqué is a man with fingers in many pies right now. His Kosmos Tennis company had been going from strength to strength. In 2018, he sealed a partnership with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) worth $3bn to help revolutionise the Davis Cup tournament format. Despite a successful shift towards a week-long World Cup-style event, the finances haven’t stacked up for Kosmos in the first few years. ITF recently revealed the 2023 Davis Cup will be its last with Kosmos, having informed them that they will be serving notice of their arrangement.

SOURCE: Photo

Aside from the tennis, Pique is also a keen poker player. He is an impressive 33^rd on the all-time money list of Spanish poker players, raking in $668,155 in live poker earnings to date. His biggest and best live cash came in a European Poker Tour (EPT) No Limit Hold’em event in his native Barcelona, taking home a cool €392,515 for finishing in second place. Overlooking Port Olimpic, Casino Barcelona is the finest place in the Catalan city for poker. It’s therefore no surprise to see the EPT scheduled to return there in August 2023. The EPT carries some of the richest live events for professionals, which makes Piqué’s cash in 2019 even more impressive.

Piqué has been involved with FC Andorra for almost five years

Despite all of these other interests going on in the life of Piqué – as well as a rather acrimonious split from his popstar ex-wife – he’s still hellbent on returning to football in the colours of FC Andorra. Situated in Andorra la Vella, this team was acquired by Kosmos Holding in December 2018, with Piqué becoming the club’s owner. At the time, FC Andorra were playing in the fifth tier of Spanish football, but within a matter of weeks they secured promotion to the Tercera Division. They then paid to replace CF Reus Deportiu in Segunda Division B, with Reus hit by financial difficulties. FC Andorra then claimed promotion to the Segunda Division in May 2022 at the second time of asking, having lost in the promotion playoffs 12 months earlier.

Piqué is inspired to follow in the footsteps of what Marc Gasol did with Basquet Girona and play for the club he owns. The road to becoming an FC Andorra player is by no means a straightforward one for Piqué. First and foremost, it must be an economically viable transfer for the club. LaLiga’s stringent economic controls determine the ‘value’ or worth of each player signed. The LaLiga Valuation Committee decide how much each player is worth towards a club’s salary cap. Given that Piqué’s last Barca contract earned him almost €30m, the committee is unlikely to permit FC Andorra to pay him minimum wage.

Piqué’s Andorran adventure will not come cheap

With it not being as straightforward as drastically slashing his salary demands to play for the club, Piqué is likely to have to stump up further cash to invest in FC Andorra. A capital increase of up to 25% is allowed per season, which reports say could raise a further €2.5m in the salary cap. Additional sponsorship may also be necessary to add further wriggle-room in the budget. This too is by no means straightforward as new sponsorship deals must seek the approval of an independent auditor.

As the club’s owner, Piqué will be all too aware of the road blocks that lie ahead to achieve his Andorran ambition. Could the centre back step out onto the Estadi Nacional and lead ‘Els Tricolors’ into La Liga for the first time? Now that would be a fine way for Piqué to bow out of the beautiful game.

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Finishing third in a Champions League group that also contained Benfica and Dynamo Kiev, that was far below the ambitions of Barcelona this season, regardless of all the turmoil which surrounds this huge club economically. Being bounced unceremoniously out of the elite competition will bring further financial disappointment, just when they least need it, amidst a pressing need to bring in much-needed funds.

However, aside from the inevitable dismay at falling by the wayside in one competition, Barcelona can at least continue their continental adventures this term, should they choose to take the UEFA Europa League seriously. Alongside the likes of Borussia Dortmund and fellow Spanish outfit Sevilla, the side now led by Xavi has already been installed as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈 pic.twitter.com/tIxyDRZXZr

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2021

By contrast, predictions in LaLiga are looking pretty grim. Even with the arrival of Xavi, who was initially tipped to bring fresh impetus to a largely underperforming team, Barcelona has yet to find the rhythm which many believe they are still capable. Prior to the Champions League exit, Barcelona also suffered a frustrating 1-0 home defeat against Real Betis, leaving them seventh in the table and 16 points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Inevitably, the title odds for Barcelona continue to lengthen and at the moment, they are priced at 33/1 to win LaLiga. Just to put this into some context, this is equal to what many bookies are offering for Real Sociedad, while Sevilla and Atlético Madrid are both valued at much shorter odds. Meanwhile, even finishing in the top four may be a difficult proposition, as those odds also continue to lengthen.

Comparing odds and offers is always good advice, before deciding who to back. This is why Arabian Betting has produced a comprehensive list of the best online sports betting sites, carefully evaluating each with detailed reviews and a transparent rating system. This covers key elements like safety and security, the overall quality of service provided, plus the diversity and range of betting markets each site has to offer.

Insofar as the betting markets for Barcelona are concerned this season, while backing them to win LaLiga currently seems like a speculative punt at best, the cup competitions could bring some welcome relief to their millions of disgruntled fans. Although they might sniff at the perceived lesser value of the UEFA Europa League, you can bank on Xavi being motivated. He will undoubtedly set the competition as a primary objective.

Barcelona will be playing in the Europa League for the first time in 17 years pic.twitter.com/f7uWRBtKs5

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 8, 2021

There is one clearly added incentive to winning the UEFA Europa League, given that lifting the trophy also provides a pathway back into the UEFA Champions League next season. That could prove important, should Barcelona continue to stutter and stumble in LaLiga, unable to finish within the top four. Likewise, continental competition brings valuable experience for the younger players, which Xavi will regard as being highly valuable towards their progress.

Although restoring some pride in LaLiga will be crucial towards restoring confidence, there is absolutely no substitute for the tangible success of lifting a trophy. Assuming that hunting down the UEFA Europa League will be the primary objective; the secondary will most surely be going all the way in the Copa del Rey. After all, this is the one competition Barcelona has won more times than any other team in Spain, achieving their 31st Copa del Rey title last season.

Given they don’t enter the Spanish cup competition until the Round of 32, and the format is seeded to ensure matchups with lower league teams until the Round of 16, it’s fair to say that Barcelona would have an easy pathway to the Quarter-Finals. From then onwards, it’s luck of the draw which dictates their opponents, while the biggest LaLiga Santander rivals might view their other objectives with more importance.

Indeed, the road to redemption for Xavi and this Barcelona team could be the cup competitions. They genuinely offer the best chance of silverware this season, which is certainly what the iconic new head coach will be seeking, eager to lay down strong foundations of early success upon which he can build. 

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This decision is coming off the back of a 1-0 away defeat to Ray Vallecano on Wednesday. That defeat was Barca’s fifth defeat so far this season and fourth defeat in six games in all competitions.

They currently sit 9th in La Liga, with 15 points from a possible 30 and sit 3rd in their Champions League group.

Koeman’s sacking has been spoken about for months, with defeat to Rayo Vallecano following their 1-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clasico.

FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first team coach

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 27, 2021

After their defeat on Wednesday night, a brief statement was released on the club’s website and social media accounts confirming Koeman’s sacking with President Joan Laporta confirming the news.

The statement read;

”FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first-team coach. The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva.  

FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”

The pressure had been building on the Dutch manager after the club made their worst-ever start to a Champions League campaign.

Sitting 3rd and three games, winning one but losing to Bayern Munich and Benfica 3-0 in consecutive matches and hold a -5 goal difference.

Their 2-1 home loss to Real Madrid on October 24th was Koeman’s third straight El Clasico defeat, with fans attacking his car after the final whistle.

A search for a new manager is underway with reports circulating out of Spain that former midfielder Xavi will take charge.

For more News and Stories on all things Football, click here.

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Roman Abramovich has spoken optimistically about the chances that Eden Hazard will return to his club. According to outlet El Nacional, the Belgian winger will try to rejoin Chelsea by the start of next season.

There are high hopes of the deal going through with Abramovich ‘increasingly convinced’ of the star’s return to Stamford Bridge.

Hazard left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 for a price of around €100 million with plans of becoming the new Ronaldo figure at the club. Injuries and what seems to be a lack of motivation have really hampered his chances at the club.

In his first two seasons at the club, he could not manage more than 15 starts in the league, only getting 4 goals and five assists in total. This year has not started much better with him picking up a muscle injury on international duty.

Even if he is not sold for much, the club will want him off their wage bill. Hazard’s highly lucrative deal will last for another two years so it is best that they sell him now.

"When I am finished here in Madrid, I will come back to Chelsea. They are doing well, they are young.

I do my job here and I return."

– Eden Hazard in 2019 pic.twitter.com/DXDZfID7H9

— Sporting Index (@sportingindex) October 11, 2021

How would the deal work out?

If the deal happened, Madrid will want Chelsea to part with a reported €40 million. This would be a €60 million profit for the Blues but is it still worth their money.

There is another option on the cards for the London club. Rumors have circulated that Real Madrid would be interested in a swap deal where right-back Reece James would move to Spain.

This option would help the Galacticos with their defensive options. Their main starter Dani Carvajal has been hit with spells of injuries in recent years. James would be a great steal for the club if he can get over the language barrier.

Although the move is unlikely, it is of much interest and debate amongst the Chelsea fans.

Eden Hazard in his prime was just unplayable pic.twitter.com/ANv0Hh9Ius

— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) October 12, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club news, click here.

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Even during the presidential campaign, Joan Laporta made the stay of Lionel Messi in Barcelona a priority, and it is now clear that the Spanish businessman is really keeping his promises.

All Is Buzzing in Catalonia: New Contract Ready For Messi

Catalonia is on its feet. While the race for the title in the La Liga this season intensifies, with the odds that are rapidly changing at the best Irish online casinos that can be found here, all is buzzing with what the newspaper Sport learned – that negotiations between Barcelona and Lionel Messi about a new contract and player’s staying at Camp Nou after the summer have already begun. The head of the Catalan giants and Lionel’s father Jorge, who is also his representative, have already held several talks in recent days in order to define player’s plans for the future and, of course, the financial and sports segment.

As reported by one of the two most reliable sources when it comes to FC Barcelona, the club’s final offer for Messi in economic and sports terms will mostly depend on the results that will be achieved by the end of the season. In other words – whether Barcelona will be able to win the title in Spain or not.

The Two Sides Managed to Agree on Common Goals

What is perhaps most important for ‘Barça’ fans at the moment is that there is a solid foundation for renewing the contract. The two sides managed to agree on common goals, and Laporta presented the first version of the contract for the Argentine superstar to father Jorge in detail. This is only the first, but a huge step towards the final outcome in the direction of signing a new contract, considering that in recent months, and especially since last summer and the chaos in the club under the command of Josep Maria Bartomeu, stories about Messi’s departure from Barcelona after a decade and a half could be heard.

Now things have turned drastically in favor of staying and prolonging the cooperation, and it would not be wrong to say that Joan Laporta is most deserving for that, trying to raise from the ashes – which remained behind Bartomeu – a new, stronger Barcelona with Messi as the main figure of the project. Sport points out that both sides are on the same task and that now it is only necessary to find the final form of agreement.

We have already had the opportunity to see some of the drafts of the deal in the last days and weeks. Laporta is preparing a contract for Messi, which would bond him to the club for life, with a few more years of playing career, then toughening in the executive position – most likely in some MLS club – after which he would sit in an armchair and take over one of the most responsible positions in Barcelona.

Messi Worries About How the Club Will Cope With the Huge Debt

Messi’s biggest concern is allegedly next season, that is, how will a club with a debt of over one billion euros be able to remain competitive? There have already been rumors that Laporta provided a financial injection of 500 million euros from an unknown American investor, which should patch some holes, but what Messi is looking for are guarantees that Barcelona will have a long-term plan and project worth a European giant. This means that Messi is asking the club for reinforcements in all positions in order to remove the large portion of pressure from him, considering the age he is entering.

Barcelona and Messi’s father have a long way to go in negotiations because Lionel is now entering the phase of his career when he needs to think about the time after playing. However, it seems that Messi is now, more than ever in the last year, ready to commit to a new loyalty to the club and thus put an end to all existing speculations and remove the stain from his name after the financial details of his long-term cooperation with the club from Catalonia (four years ago, the Argentine initialed a contract ‘weighing’ 555 million euros) leaked out. And that is what Barcelona needs. 

There are good vibes, now the two sides just need to find a common language on all the most important issues. So, let’s see what Barcelona will prepare for us for the summer.

For Now, Messi Is Only Thinking About the Pitch

What is certain is that the Argentine still thinks exclusively about the pitch. This is confirmed, as we have already mentioned, by one of his conditions for extending the cooperation, which is that the club should bring some ‘top’ reinforcements so that Barcelona will be competitive again, not only for the Champions League trophy but also for domestic trophies.

That the Catalans need something like that is as clear as day. This is best seen at the finish of the ongoing season in La Liga, where ‘Barça’ is making a mistake after a mistake. Ronald Koeman’s team misses every opportunity that comes their way to take over the top of the championship from Atlético Madrid and also prevents Real Madrid from hoping for the title.

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Whether you support Real Madrid or Valencia, Barcelona or Athletico, there are plenty of opportunities for you to watch your favourite players in the La Liga. And since its inception through to the present day, La Liga has grown and developed, racking up some impressive stats and interesting facts along the way.

It is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world

Since it formed in 1929, La Liga is one of the most followed football leagues in the world. The average attendance for league matches in 2018-19 was over 26,000. At the moment it is the third-highest professional football league in the world in terms of match attendance, behind only the German Bundesliga and the English Premier League.

Lionel Messi is the all time top goalscorer

Still active in La Liga, Lionel Messi is the top goalscorer and is far ahead of any other players. Considering he has scored 447 goals in 492 matches for Barcelona so far, you might be waiting a while for another player to beat his record. Most other top goalscorers are still hundreds of goals behind him – even close rival Ronaldo, who is the league’s second highest scorer, only netted 311 La Liga goals playing for Real Madrid before departing to play for Italian team Juventus in 2018.

Real Madrid have been the champions the most times

In second place on the list of champions, Barcelona have won La Liga an impressive twenty-six times. However, that is still nothing on the number one spot! Real Madrid are top of the board having been champions of La Liga an incredible thirty-four times so far. Having first won in the 1931-32 season, their last winning season was 2019-20. If you missed out on the recent season, there are some La Liga videos available to watch online to catch up on all the highlights.

Andoni Zubizarreta is still the player with the most appearances

While he was active from 1981-1998, Zubizarreta still holds the record for the player who has had the most appearances in La Liga. During his time playing for Barcelona, Athletico Bilbao, and Valencia, he made an incredible 622 appearances! While these appearances are an outstanding number, Zubizarreta never netted a single La Liga goal during his career.

Vicenç Martínez was the youngest player in the league

The youngest player ever to play for a La Liga team was Vicenç Martínez Alama (12 January 1925 — 2 October 2018). On 19 October 1941, he put on a Barcelona shirt at just sixteen years old and became Barcelona’s youngest ever player. That day he played in ‘El Clasico’ against Real Madrid but, unfortunately, was on the 4-3 losing side. Unfortunately for him, an injury caused him to retire in 1953 at just the age of twenty-eight.

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Patrick also came on as a sub against Sevilla at the weekend and impressed enough to earn himself a start in the Copa Del Rey this evening. Club Deportivo Anaitasuna were the opposition as he started as striker, before moving into a familiar midfield role based on his previous cameos. He impressed on the night, playing a key tole in the build up to his side’s first goal.

He did receive national media attention several years ago when he first signed for Real Madrid as a 9-year-old. Following that, though, he gradually faded into obscurity up until a couple of weeks ago.

Before making his move to Getafe, Patrick played in Real Madrid’s youth teams, including a spell at their affiliate club CD Canillas. After signing for Getafe, he played for their C team before being fast-tracked into the first team over the last few weeks.

Patrick was born to an Irish father and a Cameroonian mother in Spain, meaning he’s eligible to represent those 3 countries. He is also reportedly eligible for England, likely through his late Irish father, John.

Ireland are likely to face fierce competition if they are to secure his services given his recent increase in reputation.

Time will tell which nation he decides to represent.

𝟭𝟳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝟳𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀.

John Joe Patrick Finn ‐ of Irish and Cameroonian descent ‐ became @GetafeCF‘s youngest player EVER in #LaLigaSantander earlier this month!#LaLigaHistory pic.twitter.com/u7l4BnBVSn

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) December 15, 2020

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1. Overall: 

The European Handicap, also known as the “1 × 2 handicap” is the odds that 188BET bookmaker uses to determine which team is stronger and weaker. This is a common bet among bookmakers. Players need to have the skill and understanding of this 1 × 2 bet to predict the match.

There are 3 ways to bet on this handicap: Win – Loss – Draw. Players can choose to put on their favorite team; But the best bet based on the odds to choose the team to bet. That is, the European handicap does not care what the score is. Players only need to know which team wins, fails or draws. These are the three odds of the 1 × 2 bet. 

• How to read the European handicap: To read European handicap easily, you need to understand the symbols of the odds chart. The European Handicap is written as follows: 1 × 2

• 1: Home Team: Home team wins, you win.
• X: Draw (Draw): if the score is tied, you win.
• 2: Away Team: Away team wins, you win.

• Currently, there are 2 main types:

• FT.1X2: 1 × 2 European handicap for the whole match.
• 1H.1X2: European 1 × 2 handicap for the first half.

Bet on 3-way odds. So your odds of winning are only 33.33%. For new players this is an okay level for them to bet on.

1. Tips to play the European handicap:

The dealer will give the odds for the weaker team very high. They are always looking for ways to get the most profits. In terminology, this is the form of the lure. They will lure players to pump money into the bottom door with the highest odds.

If you win, you can eat a lot of money. Placing a tie door also reaped quite a profit. But winning in these 2 doors is not easy for players.

Experience is to place bets 3-5 days before the match. This time, the house rarely changes the odds table. Only when it is almost time for the match to take place, the house will continuously switch the handicap.

Furthermore, it is possible to put in multiple probabilities instead of just one based on feelings. Putting on only one probability makes it easier for us to fall into the house trap when the match is that the two teams are not too different.

Like all other types of markets, players should also spend time searching for information on the two teams. The parameters we need to pay attention to are: performance, lineups, history of confrontation between two teams, weather situation, field, etc. to be able to make the most accurate judgments before placing a bet. To be more confident, you can refer to the expert’s comments and predictions to be able to bet more accurately. European markets are often very unpredictable, so you should study carefully and meticulously to win.

CONCLUSION

In sports betting is not a game of chance because it directly affects your finances, which can make you more likely to lose if you do not know how to play. Longtime bettors can still play Europe and other bets to ensure their financial income. Hope that the above article has helped you get more experience playing European handicap at 188BET. Wish newcomers win more with this bet. Hope to receive good news from you soon.

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