As the holiday season approaches, Barcelona’s main mission is clear: survive the pressure and secure points rather than pursue dazzling football. During this critical stretch, Lionel Messi remains sidelined and unable to help the team on the field. Following Barcelona’s 2-0 Champions League win over BATE Borisov, Gerard Piqué summed it up well: “The most important thing is winning, and we did that.” Since the summer, challenges have piled up. FIFA’s transfer ban (which kept newcomers Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal from playing until January),… Read More »Barcelona Fight On Despite Messi’s Absence

The second leg of the Chinese FA Cup semifinal will kick off tomorrow night. Jiangsu Sainty will host Shandong Luneng at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center. This evening, the entire Luneng squad arrived at the venue for a pre-match training session to adapt to the field. Before training began, Shandong Luneng assistant coach Ma Baogang and key player Wang Yongpo attended the official pre-match press conference. During the conference, Coach Ma made it clear that the entire team is full of confidence and is determined… Read More »Shandong Luneng Confident of Reaching Final

The China U-19 team wrapped up the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers with a perfect record — three wins in three games, scoring 16 goals without conceding once. Li Ming and his coaching staff successfully completed the team’s midterm goal for the 1997-born generation. After a short break, preparations will begin for the next major test: the AFC U-19 Championship finals in Bahrain next year. In an interview, Li Ming already shifted his focus to 2016. Speaking about the team’s overall performance in the qualifiers, he… Read More »Li Ming Leads China U-19 Side to Finals Victory