Messi can negotiate with Man City from January 2021; Portugal wins big despite Ronaldo's absence
(Baonghean.vn) - Lionel Messi is allowed to negotiate with another team, 6 months before the end of his contract with Barca, according to FIFA regulations; Portugal began defending their Nations League title with a 4-1 victory over Croatia on the evening of September 5, witnessed by Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands.
Lionel Messi is allowed to negotiate with other teams
From January 1, 2021, Messi is free to negotiate a deal to join Man City, if he wants. Messi can reach an agreement first, then move after the end of the contract. Messi's current contract with Barca expires on June 30, 2021.
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| Messi can still freely move to Man City in 2021. Photo: Goal |
Barca can only prevent this if they convince Messi to renew. President Josep Maria Bartomeu has offered Messi a two-year extension, but he has not agreed. It is possible that the 33-year-old striker could change his mind, depending on Barca's performance next season.
The next Barca presidential election is in March 2021. At that time, Messi may have agreed to join another team. Bartomeu cannot run because he has been in office for two consecutive terms. He may support someone else from his faction to run. It is unclear whether Messi will agree to stay if Barca has a new president who is not from Bartomeu's faction.
On September 4, Messi said that he decided to leave despite his wife and children crying over leaving Barcelona. He only stayed because he did not want to fight a legal battle with Barca. The Argentine striker is expected to return to training with his teammates on Monday, September 7.
Portugal wins big despite Ronaldo's absence
This is the first time Ronaldo has missed a match for Portugal since November 2018. The 35-year-old striker suffered a toe injury and sat in the stands watching his teammates play the opening match of Group A3 of the Nations League - a friendly tournament for European teams.
Ronaldo's absence, in fact, did not affect the European champions' attack much. Playing with the familiar 4-3-3 formation, Portugal easily controlled the match thanks to midfielders in good form such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. Coach Fernando Santos's team launched a total of 27 shots, 11 of which were on target.
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| Joao Cancelo (number 20) celebrates with his teammates after opening the score. Photo: EPA |
If it weren't for the brilliance of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, Croatia might have conceded earlier. The highlight of Livakovic's performance came when he parried Pepe's thunderous header, then used his foot to block the veteran's rebound while he was on the ground. From Bruno Fernandes' pass, Diogo Jota headed the ball into the far corner. This time, the shot beat Livakovic, but hit the post.
Croatia responded weakly with Andrej Kramaric's dribbling and inaccurate finishing. Without veteran midfielders like Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic or Marcelo Brozovic in the starting lineup, the 2018 World Cup runner-up's midfield was completely outclassed.
The goal came early for Portugal in the second half. After a one-two with Guerreiro on the left, Jota quickly penetrated the penalty area and fired into the far corner. More than 10 minutes later, it was Felix's turn to get on the scoresheet. Although the striker's powerful shot from outside the area allowed Livakovic to concede a third goal despite getting a hand to the ball.
Croatian substitute Bruno Petkovic's goal denied Anthony Lopes a clean sheet, but Andre Silva converted a corner before the hour mark to restore the home side's three-goal lead.
On the evening of September 8, Portugal will meet Sweden in the second match, while Croatia will meet France.
Thanh Chung scored again, Hanoi continued to easily beat Viettel
Center back Thanh Chung continued to leave his mark with a goal to help Hanoi defeat Viettel 3-0 in the second leg practice match on the afternoon of September 5.
Hanoi FC took to the field with an all-domestic squad. They kept the same lineup that helped them beat Viettel 3-1 in the first leg. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem continued to start Van Hau as a central defender, while Thanh Chung was pushed up to play as a striker.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the front line, Viettel fielded a squad lacking some key players such as Nguyen Manh, Ngoc Hai, Trong Hoang. Coach Viet Hoang surprised everyone when he tested U23 Vietnam striker Nham Manh Dung at left back. In addition, Viettel still used a trio of foreign players and familiar faces such as Tien Dung, Hoang Duc, Khac Ngoc, Trong Dai...
With a "Western" squad, Hanoi FC still showed superiority over Viettel. The capital team maintained their familiar ball control style of play. Hanoi FC soon took the lead in the 4th minute thanks to Van Quyet's penalty.
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| Van Hau played a good role in Hanoi's 3-0 victory over Viettel. Photo: TX |
This “reluctant striker” continued to show his scoring talent with a smart header after Hung Dung’s free kick. This was also Thanh Chung’s third goal after two matches against Viettel.
In the second half, both teams continuously made substitutions to test their players. Hanoi FC continued to dominate the game, but no more goals were scored. The match ended with a 3-0 victory for the capital team.
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