FC Barcelona News: 11 May 2018

Dembélé turns in top performance against Villarreal | FC Barcelona
Barça striker Ousmane Dembélé put on a show at Camp Nou on Wednesday night, leading Els Blaugrana to a 5-1 win over Villarreal. The 20-year-old Frenchman got Barça’s first scoring play started and went on to score the team’s final two goals of the night, the last one coming just seconds before the final whistle.

Ousmane Dembele strike to force Barcelona move from Dortmund showed ‘bad style’ - Weidenfeller | ESPN
Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has hit out at Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele for his conduct in forcing a move to the Camp Nou last summer. Dembele, 20, left Dortmund for €105 million plus add-ons after going on strike, refusing to train unless the club allowed him to move.

Levante: Victims of Andrés Iniesta’s first ever goal for FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
Andrés Iniesta’s days at FC Barcelona are drawing to a close and to celebrate his 34th birthday today, we’re bringing you a reminder of his first ever goal for the club. And it was against none other than Levante, they very side he’ll be facing this coming Sunday in his penultimate game in the blaugrana shirt.

If you don’t like Iniesta, you don’t like football – Rakitic | FC Barcelona
But wherever he ends up, Rakitic has acknowledged that Barca are losing a fine player and one who embodies football. ”If you do not like Iniesta, you do not like football,” Rakitic told beIN SPORTS. “Honestly, you’ve made a mistake.”

Time running out to catch Messi in race for European Golden Shoe | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi’s goal against Villarreal on Wednesday moves him even closer to what would be a record fifth Golden Shoe for finishing as top goalscorer in European league football. The Argentinian has 34 goals (which equate to 68 points using the UEFA coefficient system), leaving him three clear of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who has 31.

Report claims Liverpool have agreed deal to loan Barcelona’s Yerry Mina | HITC
Mina’s Barca career hasn’t really taken off so far, however. He has made just three La Liga appearances in the last four months, two of those coming form the start, with Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Antoine Griezmann’s £88m buyout clause is cheap, says Filipe Luis | Sky Sports
The France international has been linked with a move to Barcelona and Atletico’s chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin said they were “fed up” with the behaviour of the Catalan club, with Griezmann insisting he wants his future resolved before the start of the World Cup.

Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta: Next move not about boosting wine brand | ESPN
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has dismissed claims that boosting the profile of his wine brand overseas will be key to deciding where he plays next. Last month, Iniesta announced that he would be leaving Barcelona, who he joined at the age of 12, and has been strongly linked with clubs in China, Japan and Australia.

Barca ‘world’s best brand’ | Football Espana
Brand Finance – a British-based independent business valuation consultancy – found that the club’s success on the pitch, added to its popularity in emerging football markets in the Far East plus the United States, saw it leapfrog Real Madrid (96.2) with a ranking of 96.6.