Barcelona gave outgoing coach Pep Guardiola a fitting send-off with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey on Friday.

Two goals from Pedro Rodriguez and one from Lionel Messi in the match at Estadio Vicente Calderon sealed a record 26th Copa del Rey title for Barca.

It was the 14th major trophy of Guardiola s extraordinary four-year spell in charge of the Catalan side.

In a re-match of the 2009 final between the two clubs, Barca began at a breathtaking tempo and earned the lead as early as the third minute in Madrid.

Messi gave Athletic an early warning when he shot narrowly wide after running at the opposition defence.

Adriano then crossed for Pedro, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner. Pedro reacted first from…

Barcelona have announced on their official website that Seydou Keita has decided to leave the club.

The Mali international still had two years left on his contract with Barca, but a clause in the deal says he can leave Camp Nou after failing to feature in at least 50 percent of the club s official matches last season.

He is expected to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with newly-promoted Chinese club Dalian Aerbin on Sunday, with the club linked to Didier Drogba and Amauri earlier this year.

Seydou Keita announced tonight that he will not continue at the club next season, a Barca statement read.

Barcelona would like to thank Seydou Keita for his role at the club in the last years and wish him new professional and personal successes in the future.

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Antonio Cassano claimed he has promised Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero that he will behave himself to earn a contract at the Genoa-based club.

Cassano signed a two-year deal with Sampdoria in August, ending a seven-month stint without a club after terminating his contract with Parma in January due to unpaid wages.

But the controversial attacker conceded he had to make a commitment to avoid the kind of negative headlines that have plagued his career, before Sampdoria agreed to sign him.

Although Cassano could not resist blaming the likes of former Sampdoria coaches Sinisa Mihajlovic and Delio Rossi for denying him a transfer to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris over the past few years.

Thank you a thousand times to the president and everyone else who worked …

To most of the outside world, the ongoing, constantly heated rivalry between Israel and Palestine is something that is increasingly difficult to understand. For individuals living within the confines of this small, dry strip of Middle Eastern land, however, it’s just how life goes. You learn to celebrate your victories and revel in hope rather than dwelling on the negatives. And this is exactly how after being released from an Israeli prison after three years.

A talented, prized member of the , al-Sarsak was accused in 2009 of being an active member in an Islamic Jihadist group. When Mahmoud, a promising young soccer talent, left Gaza to play the sport he loved in the West Bank, many warned him of the dangers, but no one close to the young athlete could have foresaw what wou…

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his return to the Borussia Dortmund line-up in emphatic fashion by scoring four goals in an impressive 5-2 victory over Bundesliga strugglers Hamburg at the Volksparkstadion.

It was a fine response from Aubameyang, who was left out of the 1-0 Champions League win against Sporting CP on Wednesday due to internal reasons  having reportedly attended a party in Italy without permission.

Concerns over any lingering discord were dispelled when the striker ran to the dugout and embraced coach Thomas Tuchel after opening the scoring with his quickest Bundesliga goal in the fourth minute.

The imperious Aubameyang was unrelenting and made the most of shoddy Hamburg defending to complete his third hat-trick in the German top flight by the …

Dutch Football Association (KNVB) president Michael van Praag has ruled himself out of contesting the next FIFA election, instead backing suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini.

Van Praag had been a candidate to run against Sepp Blatter in the election won by the incumbent Swiss against his only rival, Jordan s Prince Ali bin Hussein, in May.

The Dutchman withdrew from contention a week before that vote.

With FIFA then rocked by arrests and investigations into alleged corruption, Blatter subsequently announced he would step down from his position following a new election in February.

The timing of the 79-year-old s departure was taken out of his hands last week, when FIFA suspended its own president after he became the subject of a specific criminal investi…

Kevin Strootman expects to stay at Roma for the long haul to show his gratitude to the Serie A club for standing by him during serious injury problems.

Strootman has featured in 20 out of Roma s 24 league games this season, with the Giallorossi fourth in the table and on track for Champions League qualification.

The Netherlands international was linked with a move to Liverpool during the January transfer window, having proved his fitness after managing only 11 league appearances across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

But Strootman confirmed he sees his future at Roma regardless of speculation the 28-year-old could leave the club.

I ve extended my contract and want to stay here for a long time, Strootman – who signed a long-term deal in May 2017 –�…

The best footballer in the world?

The contemporary football world appears to be divided into two spheres.

One of those consists of football fans and aficionados who support and glorify wizard , whereas another one is enchanted by the Portuguese star and the leader of – .

One of the greatest footballers of our time and generally speaking as well, Cristiano Ronaldo is considered one of the physically fittest athletes in the world. His skills, explosive technique and power make him a forceful goal-machine which keeps breaking records for club and country.

Being one of the most popular players on the globe is likely to generate an incredible fan-base globally, but we are fairly confident that there are some aspects of Ronaldo’s life and career you are n…

Jan Vertonghen does not appear too concerned by the question marks over Toby Alderweireld s future at Tottenham.

The centre-backs became partners in the Ajax senior side after coming through the club s youth system and have played together in north London since Alderweireld s arrival in 2015.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a move away from Spurs, though, with Manchester United among the clubs reportedly interested in a player who has a little over two years left on his contract.

Vertonghen, however, is not worried about his compatriot s future, telling Sky Sports News:  Whenever we play we understand each other. When I left for Tottenham, Toby left for Atletico [Madrid] and Southampton but we found each other quite quick after that, so no stress.

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Bayern Munich are interested in signing Samuel Umtiti from Barcelona, according to Tuttosport.

Having started his professional career at Olympique Lyon, the central defender arrived to Barcelona from the Ligue 1 side in 2016 for a fee of €26 million as they looked to add some defensive composure to their formidable attacking game. However, though the French international showed indisputable quality in Spain, his time at the Camp Nou has been severely hampered by injuries. He has only just recovered from the latest one, starting ahead of Jean-Clair Todibo in a 0-3 win away to Eibar on Saturday, but he is now set to miss the Blaugrana s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague on Wednesday with a bruised knee.

Barcelona are reportedly prepared to let the 25-year-old go…