CRISTIANO RONALDO has produced one of the misses of the season for Al-Nassr.

The experienced striker somehow missed the target from the six-yard box against Al-Ain on Monday evening.

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Ronaldo had been given the chance to equalize the AFC Champions League quarter-final after the goalkeeper spilled a shot.

However, after jumping on the rebound, he put his effort wide of the post.

He was left with his head in his hands as his teammates looked on in shock after the rejected opportunity.

It comes after he was mocked by fans during the first leg in the United Arab Emirates last week.

Reacting to the miss on social media, one fan said: “Messi could never do that.”

Another said: “How did Ronaldo miss from here?”

A third fan also wrote: “My goat would never do that.”

Meanwhile, someone else said: ‘Call it a day buddy.’

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The miss proved crucial as Al-Nassr won 3-2 in regular time, with the quarter-final draw ending 3-3 on aggregate.

Had Ronaldo scored, his side would have progressed to the semi-finals without the need for extra time.

Instead, they were forced to play the final 22 minutes of extra time with 10 men before losing 3–1 on penalties.

Ronaldo did get on the scoresheet, however, with his 118th-minute penalty sending the match into penalties after Al-Ain regained the lead on aggregate.

However, he was the only Al-Nassr player to find the net in the shootout, as they missed out on the last four places.

Ronaldo’s goal was his 29th in all competitions this season, alongside 11 assists in 32 appearances.

The 39-year-old is the current top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 22 goals in the competition.

Despite these goals, Al-Nassr is twelve points behind unbeaten leader Al-Hilal with eleven games to go.

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Whoopi Goldberg was unimpressed during Monday’s episode of The View when she was abruptly interrupted while celebrating Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar wins. and praised Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

The 68-year-old shared her joy at the duo winning Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards as the Oscars music started playing, causing the Sister Act star to pause in her songs as her co-host Sunny Hostin blurted out: “Oh, they’re playing you!”

Whoopi – who won an Academy Award in 1990 for her role in Ghost – was clearly irritated as she berated executive producer Brian Teta, telling him, “I’m not going,” and when the camera cut to him, he was seen gesticulating. for her to hurry up as he laughed nervously.

It was quite a chaotic part of the Oscars as Ana Navarro also ruffled a few feathers when she made a questionable observation live about Eva Longoria’s ‘t**ties’ and left some viewers unimpressed when she made a joked about Hollywood actor Will Smith and compared him to a dog.

When Sunny, 55, commented on the presence of dog Messi, who stars in the Oscar-winning film Anatomy of a Fall, Ana joked: “That dog was better behaved than Will Smith!” referring to the 2022 ceremony when Will took the stage and punched host Chris Rock after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Ana didn’t stop there, though, as she was quite sassy when it came to sharing her thoughts on the fashion looks on the 96th Academy Awards red carpet.

While Sunny complimented the pink and green dresses of Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Ana didn’t hold back, saying, “I hated it.” I thought she [Cynthia] looked like an iguana and the other [Ariana]… it looked like a tribute to cotton candy.’

Moments earlier, Sara Haines chided Ana as she praised her good friend Eva Longoria’s black dress and joked, “I don’t know where she got those titties from because I know her and she doesn’t have… I don’t know” not how that happened!’

Sara, 46, quickly intervened, telling her, “I’m not sure if you can say that…” as Sunny added, “Can you say that on TV?” to which Sara replied, “No!” while Alyssa Faraha Griffin giggled during the exchange.

Whoopi didn’t seem interested in the fashion talk, but she was keen to share her thoughts on Robert, 58, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer – winning a total of seven awards on the night.

“I would tell Robert Downey Jr. want to say it’s about damn time. About damn time!’ Whoopi announced as the live studio audience applauded her comments.

“He’s one of those actors who, in my opinion, should have had several by now, but you know, that’s the beautiful and the infuriating part of the Oscars. People vote, and this is what they voted for, and I have to say I’m so happy for him and for Miss Randolph too, it was great to see her win.”

When Ana noted, “Her speech was so moving and so beautiful, it brought me to tears,” Whoopi admitted, “I missed it all, but I’ve been rooting for her for a while now and also…” like the Oscars music suddenly started playing.

“Oh, they’re playing you, Whoopi! Are you going to play up the EGOT when you talk about the Oscars? Okay!’ Sunny blurted out, referencing Whoopi’s success in winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award.

‘Well, here’s the deal, I’m not going! I’m going to make sure I finish my sentence,” Whoopi said in all seriousness as Brian tried to lighten the mood and grinned at her off camera.

“I’ve been waiting for this for Robert Downey Jr. as long as I’ve known him, and I’ve worked with him, and he’s one of the greatest journeyman actors in the world,” she added before The View continued. a commercial interruption.

Viewers tuning in at home thought it was hilarious and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to comment on the hilarious moment.

“Producers playing the Oscar closing music to get Whoopi to pause sent me #TheView,” one person wrote.

Another commented: ‘Ooop Whoopi looked mad that they were trying to play her off on #theview,’ while a third person agreed, saying: ‘Brian pissed Whoopi off on #TheView.’

A fourth person commented: ‘I’m playing the #Oscars music on Whoopi, who’s an EGOT?! REAL?! No madam !!!! #The view.’

And someone else wrote: ‘Not them who played the Oscar music while Whoopi was still talking #TheView.’

“I don’t think #Whoopi really appreciated the music that drove her away.. She got the joke.. she just didn’t find it funny.. #TheView,” another person said.

Meanwhile, some viewers were left unimpressed by Ana’s joke about Men In Black star Will, as one person tweeted: ‘Ana, leave Will Smith alone. #The view.’

Another angry fan said: ‘Ana I like you but don’t ever compare a dog to Will Smith again #theview’, while a third added: ‘Ana look at you with Will Smith jokes. #The view.’

And someone else fumed: ‘I wish Ana would keep quiet about the slap. She thinks she’s funny, but it never works out. Lots of sadness – move on #TheView.”

Messi – the dog star of Anatomy of a Fall – was the standout star at the 96th annual Oscars ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday night. 

The seven-year-old collie from France made a surprise appearance in the audience where he was seen ‘clapping’ for Robert Downey Jr after his Best Supporting Actor win for Oppenheimer – in a moment that has since gone viral. 

He quickly became a firm favorite among guests and spectators alike, even earning a delighted nod of approval from Barbie star Ryan Gosling. 

Amid a slew of disasters from the show’s human attendees – as Al Pacino announced Oppenheimer as Best Picture without naming the other nominees, while Emma Stone suffered a wardrobe malfunction while claiming the prize for Best Actress in Poor Things – it was left to Messi to win over crowds. 

Messi flew over to LA from France in business class for the occasion with his trainer Laura Contini. 

On the night, he was the toast of Hollywood, cuddling up to the likes of Olivia Wilde, while Emma Stone and Gosling have also sung his praises. 

But his trainer Laura has revealed that his journey to stardom was not a simple one, partly down to his distinctive blue eyes and unusual looks. 

Laura adopted Messi when he was two months old from a neighbour – whose children had named him after the Argentine football player – and he’s the first dog she’s ever trained to be a cinema star. 

But the neighbour was surprised that Laura had chosen him, calling him the ‘ugliest dog’ of the litter – and it would take years of failing to crack the final stages of auditions before Messi landed his starring role.

Laura and Messi initially struggled to break into the film industry, and she calls her dog a ‘misunderstood artist’, meaning that he has only become a ‘canine celebrity’ later in life. 

Prior to Anatomy of a Fall, Messi had only landed French commercials like Pedigree, Truffaut, and a short film and music videos. Anatomy of a Fall was his breakout role and his ‘one chance’ to make it big, according to Laura. 

In an interview with IndieWire, Laura said their struggles were down to ‘something in his gaze or his eyes. [Anatomy of a Fall] is really the biggest film he’s ever made. He had one chance, and he gave it his all.

‘He gets calls now because he is now a star.’ 

She also told GQ: ‘He always went to the end of the auditions but was never accepted often because of his [unusual] look and his eyes.’ 

In French legal thriller Anatomy of a Fall, German actress Sandra Hüller plays a writer and a mother who is put on trial after her husband mysteriously falls to his death from the top floor of their chalet in the mountains. 

Messi stars as Snoop, the support dog of her blind 11-year-old son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), who becomes a major witness in the film’s court case scenes.

In the role of Snoop, Messi took part in several difficult scenes, including wandering through the house as police gather evidence, and lying on the bed next to Sandra near the end of the film.   

His most significant scene comes when tensions are at an all-time high: after being poisoned by Daniel, who is trying to gather evidence for the case, Snoop almost dies. 

Messi put on a world-class acting performance for the intense scene as he ‘played dead’ and managed to remain completely still even while being picked up.

Although it now seems like acting came naturally for Messi, in reality, Laura said it was a long and slow process and they had to start out by focusing on basics such as sitting, staying and lying down.

They then added cameras and boom mics so Messi would get used to the idea of being on a film set, as well as surrounding noise.

Laura worked hard to make sure Messi’s attention always stayed on her and managed it with the help of tasty treats. 

To land his coveted role in Anatomy Of A Fall, it took seven or eight in-person auditions, including a chemistry test with Milo, who plays Daniel. 

They trained every day for two months for the ‘playing dead’ scene, teaching him not to react even when being picked up, and managing to stick his tongue out to heighten the dead effect. 

On Sunday night at the Oscars, Anatomy of a Fall writers Justine Triet and Arthur Harari won the award for Best Original Screenplay, adding to a stellar awards season that has seen them claim, two Golden Globes, the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a BAFTA, also for Best Original Screenplay. 

But Messi himself was the star of the show – even featuring in a promotional video with Jimmy Kimmel before the ceremony began, where he barked at the comedian’s jokes. 

He also concluded the ceremony with a video of him appearing to wee on Matt Damon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

His starring moment came when he appeared to be ‘clapping’ the Iron Man star after his Best Supporting Actor win for Oppenheimer. 

While behind-the-scenes images revealed the moment to have been cleverly engineered with the use of two fake paws, that didn’t stop social media users from voicing their delight over the French dog’s appearance, with one hailing the pup as the ‘true star’ of this year’s ceremony. 

Other behind-the-scenes clips shared to social media that Messi’s ‘clapping’ moment had in fact been pre-recorded and was not part of the live Oscars broadcast, that didn’t stop the dog from becoming one of the most talked-about stars of the night. 

Some couldn’t help but gush over a clip that appears to show Ryan, 43, breaking into a huge grin at seeing the dog perched in his very own seat at the ceremony, looking incredibly dapper in a bow tie. 

Adding to seven-year-old Messi’s rising profile was a mention by host Jimmy Kimmel in his opening monologue, with the comedian joking that Messi ‘gave the performance of the year’. 

‘Messi, who even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in Anatomy of a Fall,’ Kimmel joked. ‘Messi has an overdose scene, if you’ve seen it you’ve known it. It’s incredible.

‘Honestly I haven’t seen a French actor eat his own vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu.’

Messi’s attendance at the ceremony came as a surprise to fans – after it was reported just days before the awards show that the French-based pooch would not travel to Los Angeles for the Oscars, despite already earning himself a reputation as one of this season’s most beloved guests. 

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, a source from Anatomy of a Fall claimed that Border Collie Messi would not travel from his native France to California for the awards show. 

But as the ceremony began to kick off, Messi was seen making his way to a reserved seat alongside his trainer and owner Laura Martin, who sat beside the pup throughout the awards show. 

Earlier this year, Messi’s trainer Laura opened up about his sudden fame, explaining that the attention on her pup began at Cannes – but quickly skyrocketed in the US. 

‘All of this attention began at Cannes,’ she told The Hollywood Reporter. 

‘There were a few interviews in France but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.’

Although Messi was not nominated for an Oscar, much to the upset of his biggest fans, he did walk away from this year’s Cannes Film Festival with an unofficial trophy: the Palm Dog – the canine equivalent to the prestigious Palme d’Or. 

Palm Dog awards have previously gone to the pooches of famous owners, such as Tilda Swinton and Quentin Tarantino – so Messi’s win from obscurity is unusual.  

After proving his acting chops in the five-time Oscar-nominated movie, Messi earned a place among some of this year’s biggest stars when he was invited to the annual nominees’ luncheon in Los Angeles – earning some one-on-one time with several A-list stars. 

‘The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,’ trainer Laura told The Hollywood Reporter. 

‘They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.’

Messi even reprised his ‘playing dead’ trick from Anatomy of a Fall, falling Gosling with his antics who rushed over to help him, before placing his hand over his heart when he realised Messi had only been pretending.

Emma Stone also could not believe it, telling Variety at the Oscars luncheon: ‘The dog pretended to die inside of the room! And everyone was really worried… but then the dog was like ‘hello’ and everybody was like ‘he’s an actor!’ It was crazy!’ 

The dog seems to have cemented his status amongst Hollywood royalty as he is gaining more and more A-list pals.  

At a live reading of the film last month, where he once again played Snoop, he also snuggled up to director Olivia Wilde. 

Messi seems to be enjoying life in the USA so far, and has spent time running along the sands of Venice Beach during his time in the USA – as documented by Laura on their Instagram account @lauraandmessi.  

Messi’s next role is set to be in a French TV show, although his trainer Laura said this is yet to be confirmed.  

ALLEGED “leaked texts” have called Christian Horner’s position as Red Bull team boss into question, but he still has the backing of Red Bull’s most powerful man.

The British boss was cleared of wrongdoing by his team’s internal investigation on Wednesday, but less than 24 hours later was hit with a dossier containing texts leaked to journalists and F1 team directors.

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The investigation into Horner, which relates to allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, began in February and has led to his previously untouchable position at Red Bull being called into question.

Crucially for Horner, however, he has the support of Red Bull majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya, 73.

The Thai businessman is estimated at Forbes have a net worth of £26.8 billion.

That’s almost 27 times the net worth of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are believed to be worth almost £1 billion between them.

Yoovidhya inherited much of his wealth when his father Chaleo died in 2012, although he was previously involved in running the Red Bull conglomerate.

He owns 51 percent of the Red Bull company and has veto power over shareholder decisions, making him a very important ally for Horner.

Although not much is known about the Thai businessman’s personal life, he lives in Bangkok and has three children – all potential heirs in the Red Bull dynasty.

According to the Daily emailHe is thought to be incredibly loyal to Horner, and has rebuffed all attempts from within the team to get rid of him.

The businessman has been pictured several times with both Christian and Geri Horner and is believed to have a good personal relationship with the couple.

There has been a power vacuum at Red Bull since the death of Dietrich Mateschtiz, who died in 2022.

Mateschitz founded Red Bull in 1984 together with Chaleo Yoovidhya in a joint Austrian and Thai venture.

Dietrich’s death means his son Mark, 31, inherits his 49 percent stake and while Dietrich was a staunch supporter of Horner, it is believed Mark is not.

He is reportedly joined in the power struggle against Horner by Oliver Mintzlaff, who oversees Red Bull’s other sporting activities as well as F1, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen’s father Jos, according to reports The mail.

They claim that Mark, along with Red Bull’s Austrian faction, wanted Horner to be dispatched “quickly” while the investigation was still ongoing.

But thanks to the support of Chalern Yoovidhya and the Thai branch of Red Bull, Horner has remained Red Bull’s team boss.

“Alles wat Robert won bij Bayern München, de doelpunten die hij scoorde, het was allemaal met het doel om te eindigen waar hij nu is: spelen voor Barcelona.”

De carrière van Robert Lewandowski was vol doelstellingen, maar twee zomers geleden vervulde hij wat we kunnen omschrijven als zijn ultieme ambitie. Het bovenstaande citaat komt van een bron die zeer dicht bij de 35-jarige spits staat – die, net als alle mensen die in dit artikel worden geciteerd, er de voorkeur aan gaf anoniem te spreken om de relaties te beschermen.

Tekenen bij Barca was een al lang bestaand doel van Lewandowski. Maar sinds hij in juli 2022 voor € 45 miljoen (£ 38,5 miljoen; $ 48,7 miljoen tegen de huidige koers) toetrad, is niet alles zo rooskleurig geworden als hij had verwacht. Dit seizoen is niet zijn beste geweest en er is onzekerheid ontstaan ​​over zijn positie bij de club, ook al komt de heenwedstrijd van de Champions League tegen Napoli deze week op het moment dat hij een betere vorm begint te tonen voor het doel.

Lewandowski was zaterdag de ster van de show tijdens de La Liga-overwinning van Barcelona op Celta Vigo. Hij scoorde een doelpunt, waaronder een winnaar in de 97e minuut vanaf de strafschopstip, en hij heeft nu vier doelpunten uit de afgelopen drie wedstrijden van Barcelona.

Dit recente momentum komt echter naar voren als een zeldzaam lichtpuntje als we terugkijken op wat tot nu toe een zeer teleurstellende campagne bij Barcelona is geweest. Lewandowski is niet de enige speler die ondermaats presteert, maar zijn status als grote aanwinst stelt hem bloot aan extra controle, en de bredere zorgen over zijn geschiktheid nemen al een tijdje toe.

De komst van Lewandowski bij Barcelona was bedoeld om het echte startpunt aan te geven van een nieuw project onder Xavi. Een van Europa's meest productieve doelpuntenmakers moest als rolmodel fungeren voor een nieuwe generatie en de club helpen het traumatische vertrek van Lionel Messi te vergeten.

Nu is dat 'project' in wezen al mislukt, waarbij Xavi aan het einde van het seizoen aftreedt. En Lewandowski lijkt klaar voor een gespannen transferperiode in de zomer, waarbij sommigen bij de club al besloten hebben een verkoop te zoeken – tenzij hij kan bewijzen dat de twijfelaars ongelijk hebben.

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“Veel mensen geloven dat Barcelona een franchisespeler nodig heeft. Een go-to man die shirts verkoopt, het publieke imago van het team vertegenwoordigt en een reden wordt om fans naar het stadion te lokken. Diep van binnen was dat de reden achter de ondertekening van Lewandowski in 2022.”

Dit is hoe een senior clubbron de gok beschrijft die Barcelona twee zomers geleden waagde met de overname van Lewandowski van Bayern. De afgelopen zomer was de grootste legende van de club, Messi, in tranen vertrokken, terwijl andere sleutelfiguren zoals Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets en Jordi Alba de laatste fase van hun carrière in Catalonië leken te bereiken. Er werd besloten dat Camp Nou een nieuw idool nodig had, en president Joan Laporta keek naar Lewandowski.

De deal om hem binnen te halen, ontsnapte destijds niet geheel aan de kritiek. In de zomer van 2021 besloot Barcelona het contract van Messi, waarvan de voorwaarden al waren overeengekomen, niet te verlengen om de financiële problemen van de club te helpen oplossen. Een jaar later gaven ze € 45 miljoen uit aan een 33-jarige Lewandowski, waarmee ze een contract voor drie jaar tekenden met een optie op een vierde. In augustus wordt hij 36 jaar.

Als de Messi-deal rond was geweest, zou de Argentijn in het eerste jaar van zijn nieuwe contract twintig miljoen euro hebben verdiend, voordat hij zijn loon aanzienlijk zou zien stijgen. Het jaarsalaris van Lewandowski, gemiddeld over vier jaar, is naar verluidt vastgesteld op € 26 miljoen.

Maar Lewandowski sloeg een vliegende start. In de periode 2022-2023 scoorde hij 33 doelpunten en gaf hij acht assists in alle competities. Hij was La Liga's topscorer met 23, terwijl Barca hun eerste landstitel in vier jaar won. Ondanks dat ze opnieuw te kampen hadden met het mislukken van de Champions League (ze werden uitgeschakeld in de groepsfase), hadden Barca-fans een reden om te hopen dat ze het begin van iets groters zagen.

Toch kun je ook de eerste tekenen zien dat de problemen zich beginnen op te bouwen tot waar ze nu zijn.

Het WK 2022 was duidelijk het keerpunt in het debuutseizoen van Lewandowski. Voor de start scoorde hij dertien doelpunten in de eerste vijftien La Liga-wedstrijden van het seizoen, waarbij hij ook vijf Champions League-doelpunten scoorde.

Nadat hij terugkwam van een teleurstellend optreden tegen Polen (hij scoorde twee doelpunten en zij werden in de laatste zestien uitgeschakeld door Frankrijk), was niets meer hetzelfde. Lewandowski verloor een beetje van zijn vonk, wat normaal kan zijn in een seizoen, maar het bleek dat die nooit echt terugkwam.

Lewandowski speelde na Qatar 2022 nog 19 wedstrijden in La Liga en scoorde 10 doelpunten, waarvan er vier waren met de titel al veiliggesteld. Er begonnen spanningen in de kleedkamer te verschijnen, evenals frustratie over zichzelf. Maar het belangrijkste van alles was dat het ook duidelijk werd dat de beste versie van Xavi's Barcelona niet volledig compatibel was met zijn favoriete speelstijl.

De overwinning van Barcelona in de Supercopa de Espana op Real Madrid in januari 2023 is nog steeds misschien wel het meest overtuigende optreden onder Xavi's ambtstermijn. Ze overtroffen hun Clasico-rivalen in een 3-1-overwinning die werd aangewakkerd door een tactische aanpassing: het opofferen van één vleugelspeler voor een ander lichaam op een vierkoppig middenveld.

Xavi was ervan overtuigd dat dit de weg bood die we moesten volgen, ondanks het effect dat het op Lewandowski had.

“Ik begreep dat dit team meer controle en minder overgangen nodig had en daarom hebben we onze aanpak een beetje veranderd”, zei hij op de dag dat Barcelona in mei vorig jaar tot landskampioen werd gekroond na de overwinning op stadsrivaal Espanyol.

“We hadden het gevoel dat we de bal beter onder controle hadden en ik gaf prioriteit aan de spelers die geen balverlies verloren. Zo begrijp ik voetbal, het hoort bij dat soort spelers: de middenvelders die altijd de bal kunnen houden.“

Lewandowski zag de zaken niet zo positief. In een exclusief interview met De Atletiek Tijdens Barca's pre-season tour afgelopen zomer beschreef hij hoe hij gefrustreerd was geraakt door de verandering. Hij wist dat het verliezen van een vleugelspeler minder kansen betekende om ballen en voorzetten in het strafschopgebied te ontvangen, het sterkste gebied van zijn spel.

Er was hier een situatie die moest worden opgelost. Vanuit tactisch perspectief moesten ze een betere match vinden voor hun steraanvaller. Aan de spelerskant moest hij de vorm herstellen die hij in 2022 liet zien.

In plaats dat er een oplossing werd gevonden, werd het alleen maar erger.

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“Wij bezitten niet de kwaliteit van Barcelona van 2010, dat hebben we gewoon niet. We moeten onze sokken uittrekken. Als we niet rennen als beesten, zullen we geen wedstrijden winnen. Als we niet klinisch kunnen zijn, moeten we als team een ​​ziel hebben. Dit is Barcelona, ​​er moeten dingen veranderen.”

Na de laatste competitiewedstrijd van zijn ploeg in 2023 sprak Xavi zijn meest kritische woorden als Barcelona-manager. Ze waren er net in geslaagd om weg te komen met een slordig 3-2 overwinning tegen La Liga-onderkant Almeria, in een wedstrijd die ze bij rust met 1-1 gelijkspeelden.

Een paar dagen later bleek dat Lewandowski sterke kritiek kreeg van Xavi tijdens een rusttoespraak in de kleedkamer, waarin hij tekeerging tegen een gebrek aan intensiteit en agressie onder zijn spelers.

Op dat moment waren bronnen bij de technische staf al begonnen de effectiviteit van Lewandowski's doelpunten te beschrijven als lager dan verwacht. Ze dachten ook dat hij een deel van zijn kracht had verloren in individuele duels, en waren bezorgd over zijn verslechterende koppelingsspel.

Als we zijn La Liga-statistieken van dit en vorig seizoen vergelijken (volgens Fbref.com), blijkt dat Lewandowski een vergelijkbaar aantal verkeerd gecontroleerde ballen per wedstrijd heeft (ongeveer 2,7) en gewonnen luchtduels (53,6 procent vorig seizoen; 52,8 procent dit seizoen). Maar zijn slagingspercentage is aanzienlijk afgenomen.

Voor korte passen is er een daling van 83,9 procent vorig seizoen naar 77,7 procent dit seizoen, terwijl passen voor middellange afstanden dalen van 77,1 procent naar 71,4 procent, en passen voor lange afstanden van 65,2 procent naar 55,6 procent. .

Zijn gegevens over verwachte doelpunten (xG) zien er op dit moment niet zo slecht uit. In de periode 2022-2023 scoorde hij 23 doelpunten uit 24,3 xG in La Liga, terwijl hij dit seizoen op 12 doelpunten uit 14,6 xG staat.

Het is echter de moeite waard om erop te wijzen dat hij vóór zijn vier doelpunten in Barca's laatste drie competitiewedstrijden op acht doelpunten stond van 12,1xG en sinds september slechts drie keer had gescoord in de competitie (met twee geblesseerde wedstrijden).

Lewandowski scoorde dit seizoen tot dusver zeventien keer en gaf zes assists in 33 wedstrijden in alle competities. Zijn wedstrijdwinnende treffer tegen Celta op zaterdag was zijn 50e voor Barcelona.

En toch heeft Xavi hem dit seizoen vier keer in de steek gelaten omdat het team tekende en doelpunten nodig had (tegen Real Sociedad, Las Palmas, Real Betis en Villarreal). Het is ook duidelijk dat teamgenoten moeite hebben om contact met hem te maken. Vorig seizoen scoorde hij gemiddeld 34,3 balcontacten per competitiewedstrijd. Zijn gemiddelde tot nu toe deze campagne is 26,7.

Is het volledig de schuld van Lewandowski dat hij in deze fase van zijn carrière iets lagere cijfers heeft? Waarschijnlijk niet – en Xavi's verandering van systeem had duidelijk ook effect.

Maar buiten het veld waren er ook problemen.

Lewandowski staat bekend als een eerlijk karakter. Zodra hij denkt dat er iets mis is, zal hij het zeggen. Dit heeft tot enkele momenten van wrijving geleid.

In februari vorig jaar zeiden bronnen in de kleedkamer dat Lewandowski, nadat Manchester United Barca op Old Trafford uit de Europa League had uitgeschakeld, een mondeling gesprek had met Ansu Fati, die hij bekritiseerde omdat hij te egoïstisch was en niet met teamgenoten samenwerkte toen hij betere opties hadden dan schieten.

Dit seizoen zagen we Lewandowski in november tegen Deportivo Alaves ook klagen bij de 16-jarige Lamine Yamal toen de buitenspeler besloot te schieten in plaats van voor te zetten.

Maar deze wrijving onthult geen fundamenteel slechte relatie, en niemand in de kleedkamer heeft ooit getwijfeld aan Lewandowski's toewijding aan het team. Toen Xavi de spelers persoonlijk vertelde over zijn besluit om af te treden, een dag nadat hij dit had aangekondigd op een persconferentie na de wedstrijd in januari, toonde Lewandowski zijn waardering voor het werk dat hij op een moeilijk moment voor de club had gedaan. Xavi was daar bijzonder door ontroerd.

Uren later liet Lewandowski zien dat hij nog steeds tot de leiders van de kleedkamer kon worden gerekend door een teamdiner te organiseren bij hem thuis in Castelldefels, waar alle spelers van het eerste elftal aanwezig waren. Het was een teambuildingsactiviteit, die met goedkeuring van de club werd gehouden, om de aandacht te helpen richten op de rest van het komende seizoen.

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Dus wat is de toekomst voor Lewandowski bij Barcelona?

Nu Barcelona spelers moet verkopen voordat ze nadenken over hoe ze hun selectie deze zomer opnieuw vorm kunnen geven (en een nieuwe manager kunnen benoemen), zeggen meerdere bronnen bij de club dat ze een lucratief aanbod voor hem zouden verwelkomen.

Maar hier – net als bij een aantal andere spelers die Barcelona het liefst verder zou willen gaan – ligt de macht aan de kant van de speler. Hij heeft een contract tot zeker 2025 en heeft geen zin om te vertrekken. Hij is er ook volledig van overtuigd dat hij in staat is om zijn recente vormdip te overwinnen en consistent terug te keren naar zijn beste doelpunten.

Lewandowski droomde er al jaren van om naar Barcelona te gaan, en bronnen dicht bij de speler zeggen dat ze begrijpen hoe de sfeer rond de club bijzonder bitter kan worden als de zaken niet volgens plan verlopen.

Wat zijn contract betreft, heeft hij nog één jaar volledige garantie voordat hij een optie krijgt voor een vierde, die automatisch wordt geactiveerd als hij in de periode 2024-2025 meer dan 55 procent van Barca's wedstrijden speelt.

Toch kunnen we verwachten dat er in de zomer druk zal komen, in de vorm van berichten in de media die suggereren hoe gunstig zijn vertrek zou kunnen zijn voor de financiën van de club. Het kamp van Lewandowski is zich volledig bewust van wat er in 2022 met Frenkie de Jong gebeurde, toen Barça de hele zomer probeerde hem eruit te dwingen.

Maar op dit moment, ondanks de twijfels bij een coachingsteam dat op het punt staat te vertrekken, ondanks de extra spanning en controle die zijn positie met zich meebrengt, bevindt Lewandowski zich op de exacte plek waar hij wil zijn. En voor hem en Barcelona zou er geen directe zorg urgenter moeten zijn dan het bezoek van woensdag aan Napels.

(Bovenste foto: DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

LIONEL MESSI admits it was a “shame” to miss another prestige friendly for Inter Miami.

Fans in Hong Kong – and even the territory's government – are furious that Messi was left on the bench for Sunday's match due to a hamstring injury.

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Messi said: “Unfortunately in football things can happen in any match that we can get an injury. It happened to me.

“I couldn't play in the Hong Kong match, and that was a shame because I always wanted to participate, I wanted to be there and even more so when it came to these matches.

“When we traveled so far and people were so excited to see our games… I hope we can come back and play another game and I can play like I do whenever I can.

“But the truth is that it is a game in which I have not been able to participate.”

Inter Miami, co-owned by former England and Manchester United star David Beckham, continued their globetrotting pre-season tour by beating a Hong Kong XI 4-1.

But supporters who had paid up to £100 to see Messi play demanded their money back and drowned out Beckham's post-match speech with boos.

And the row isn't over yet, with Hong Kong authorities threatening to withhold up to £1.6 million from organizers Tatler Asia after reportedly learning Messi would not take the pitch just 10 minutes before the final whistle.

Kevin Yeung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hong Kong, said: “One of the key conditions of our financing agreement with Tatler Asia was that Messi would participate in the match for a minimum of 45 minutes, subject to fitness and safety considerations. .

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“We immediately asked them to explore other solutions, such as Messi appearing on the pitch to interact with his fans and collect the trophy.

“Unfortunately, as you can all see, this did not work out.

'We haven't paid any money yet. We will maintain further contact with organizer Tatler Asia in the coming weeks.

“We will discuss the performance of the entire event and we will make a decision on how to handle the sponsorship.”

Earlier this month, fans in Saudi Arabia missed a showdown between Messi and arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo when both legends were unfit for Inter Miami's match against Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in Riyadh.

Messi trained yesterday ahead of the match with Vissel Kobe in Tokyo at 10am UK time on Wednesday.

DAVID BECKHAM was booed by 40,000 fuming fans demanding a refund.

The former England captain, 48, is in Hong Kong as Inter Miami prepares for the Far East.

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The 40,000 tickets were sold within an hour of going on sale.

However, locals who paid a whopping £360 for tickets expressed their anger as Lionel Messi was left an unused substitute.

The Argentinian icon, 36, is struggling with a hamstring injury which meant he played just seven minutes in Cristiano Ronaldo's 6-0 defeat to Al-Nassr on Thursday.

And the World Cup winner – who did take part in a very light open training – was not in danger against an XI from Hong Kong.

But that didn't go down well with the passionate supporters who were desperate for a glimpse of the footballing GOAT.

There were chants of “we want Messi” during the second half as Inter Miami won 4-1.

Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba both came off the bench, but Messi and Luis Suarez all watched from the sidelines.

The fans – who were told there would be no refunds if Messi did not perform – drowned out Beckham's speech to the crowd with their angry response.

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Beckham said on the pitch afterwards: “On behalf of everyone involved with Inter Miami, our club, I would like to thank you for the incredible welcome.

“I have always loved Hong Kong and we look forward to coming back one day to entertain you even more.

“Thank you to the media. Thank you to everyone in the stadium who showed up tonight and was here for us.

“It means a lot because seeing these great players inspires many young children in this country and around the world.

“I hope one day we will be back to entertain you. Hong Kong, thank you very much. I'll see you soon. Thank you.”

'MESSI IS NOT A SUPERMODEL'

But there were still many who cooked afterwards – especially after spending hundreds of pounds on tickets and some even traveling from abroad.

As reported by the Daily emailsaid one: “I have waited almost ten years to see him. This is a rare opportunity to see him as he may retire soon. We are very disappointed.”

Another added: “I flew from Melbourne for this. We waited a long time but he never showed up. I'm really disappointed.”

And a third angry: “I came for training and only saw him doing stretching exercises. Messi is not a supermodel. People don't pay just to see him sit.”

Inter Miami concludes its tour of Asia against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday, before a friendly final against Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys.

The Florida side start their 2024 MLS campaign at home against Real Salt Lake, before Beckham takes his club to his former team LA Galaxy.

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LIONEL MESSI has teamed up with Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudekis and NFL icon Dan Marino to create a football-themed ad for the Superbowl.

The World Cup winner stars in the advert, showing off his iconic skills on a beach in front of amazed fans.

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After approaching a bar, Messi asks for a Michelob Ultra beer, but is stopped when the tap breaks.

The barmaid in the ad then asks if he would like another beer, but the 36-year-old replies: “No no no, Michelob Ultra.”

Fans are baffled by Messi's appearance in the advert, with some highlighting his apparent reluctance to speak English.

One person tweeted: “Messi's complete refusal to force even a 'hello' and doing a Superbowl ad in pure Rosarino Spanish is simply awe-inspiring.”

Another added: “He is adamant about never speaking a non-Spanish word in public and I respect that immensely.”

While a third wrote: “Lionel Messi's Super Bowl advert with Jason Sudeikis and Dan Marino is simply PERFECT.”

According to The Mail, the Michelob Ultra Superbowl advert cost around £11 million to produce.

It also features Ted Lasso star Sudekis, who joked that he and Messi go “way back.”

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NFL Hall of Famer Marino is another big name featured.

Messi has become a huge star in the US since joining Inter Miami last summer.

The forward has scored eleven goals in fourteen games since moving to MLS.

FOOTBALL fans gear up for 'The Last Dance' as Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo, 38, has shown no signs of slowing down since joining Al Nassr, with the Portuguese phenomenon finishing as the world's top scorer in 2023 with 54 goals.

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However, there are fears Ronaldo could miss this match after having to withdraw from his side's Chinese tour due to injury.

Meanwhile, Messi, 36, had a great start in MLS as the World Cup winner scored a match-winning free-kick in stoppage time on his debut, before going on to score 10 in seven appearances.

But like Ronaldo, the Argentine magician hasn't been having the best of times lately, as his side recently suffered back-to-back defeats to FC Dallas and Al Hilal.

When is Al Nassr vs Inter Miami?

• The last dance between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will take place Thursday February 1.
• The start is scheduled at 6:00 PM GMT – 1:00 PM ET
• Kingdom Arena in Riyadh is the designated arena for this match and can accommodate approximately 30,000 fans.

Which TV channel can it be seen on and can it be streamed live?

• Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami is broadcast LIVE on DAZN in the United Kingdom.
• While fans in the US can stream the entire action on FuboTV.
• You can also follow SunSport's blog for minute-by-minute coverage of the match.

What happened when Al Nassr postponed their tour of China?

Al-Nassr pulled the plug on their tour of China after Cristiano Ronaldo suffered an injury.

And shortly afterwards, a video surfaced of angry football fans storming the team's hotel.

Ronaldo subsequently apologized and expressed his disappointment that he could not play the match.

The goal machine said: “As you know, in football, some things are out of your control. I have played 22 years in football and I am a player who does not have too many injuries.

“So I am very sad because Al Nassr and I came to China to enjoy the tour. I have been coming to China since 2003/2004, so I feel at home here – my second home.

“I felt that I am always special here. I feel sad. I know you are sad too, especially the people who love Cristiano, but we have to see this in a good way.”

Ronaldo added: “We are sad because we knew this could happen. We will come back to make the Chinese people happy, this is my goal.”

ANDREA ORLANDI lived the dream alongside Barcelona Lionel Messi And Ronaldinho.

Now he has a new job football – but his wife hates it.

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Orlandi, 39, earned a surprise two-year move from Alavés to hometown club Barcelona from 2005 to 2007.

And although he played just one LaLiga match for the Nou Camp giants, the shock transfer saw the winger train with two of football's GOATs.

After spells at Swansea, Brighton and Blackpool on British soil, he went on to play in Cyprus, India and England Italy.

But Orlandi was suddenly forced to retire in 2019 when doctors discovered a heart problem.

However, he did not stay out of the game for long.

In addition to his duties as a pundit at LaLiga TV, Orlandi also became an agent.

And he started at the very top, with World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann as his first customer.

Orlandi explained: “I really had to think about it. But I met Antoine Griezmann when he was a Barcelona player. I met his entourage.

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“His sister is his agent and she wanted to build an agency around Antoine.

“They were looking for a footballer who could run the agency for them. And I thought it was a great opportunity to work with a world champion to start with and to build what I think is a very good agency.

“I contacted him immediately.

“It's a huge responsibility to start with a player like Antoine, but it's also a huge privilege.”

Orlandi now provides a host of players at By and For Sport Management.

He added to LaLiga Talks: “It was something that came to me after I retired because I was playing in different countries and I started to make some contacts.

“A few agencies started calling and I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. Obviously it's a 24/7 job and it's hard. People may think it's easy: you call once and you arrange the deal and get the money and job done. It's not like that at all.

“We take care of players, we take care of them because I just want the best for them.

“I can give them advice in situations where I have made the wrong decisions at important moments in my career.

“Now I am a FIFA agent. I passed the exam. I have been working for more than three years now and am gaining experience.”

I was just living my dream. Ronaldinho was simply a rock star. I was so impressed, it was like going to Disney for me!

Andrea Orlandi

Orlandi has fallen seamlessly into the life of an agent and is clearly enjoying it.

But the same cannot be said for his wife, especially in January and beyond summer.

Orlandi revealed: “I love it.

“The excitement during the transfer window is incredible. It's tiring and stressful.

“My wife is not happy though! She's not happy with what I'm doing. I'm the lucky guy.”

Orlandi was also a happy boy when he got the chance to play with Ronaldinho at Barcelona.

Orlandi recalled his first training with Barcelona and said: “Ronaldinho. Wow.

“The first time I trained with the first team, he was the first to play in the starting line-up Dressing room and he did his “surfer” handshake.

“I couldn't believe it, I said to myself: 'This isn't real, this isn't happening.'

“I saw Messi as a young boy of 18 who broke through. But if you compare the magic of Ronaldinho to Messi, as Messi is probably the best player ever, Ronaldinho was different. He was by far the best I've seen.

“Even in terms of talent, he had something different. I just wanted to be close to him, to be in the same five-a-side team for training.

“I was just living my dream. He was just a rock star. When you see Ronaldinho and Xavi, I just wanted to be them. I was so impressed, it was like going there Disney for me!”

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