La Liga

Longtime Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is scheduled to become a free agent Thursday, but the Spanish club reportedly remains confident in its ability to retain the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Wednesday there's a "loose agreement" in place between Messi and Barca, but the club is still working toward "squaring the numbers with La Liga and the tax office" to ensure it will remain financially compliant.

Pressure is on Barcelona president Joan Laporta to finalize a new contract for the legendary forward, who arrived to the club's famed La Masia youth academy in 2001 and quickly worked his way up the ranks to the first team.

Laporta, who previously served as Barca's president from 2003 through 2010, was reelected to the position in March after running a campaign heavily based on his prior relationship with Messi and his ability to re-sign the Argentine international.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said in a March debate. "I have a good relationship with him; there's a lot of respect. We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation. Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

Messi, who sought an exit from Camp Nou last year before ultimately staying because of a disputed clause in his contract, has "grown more open to staying" at Barcelona, and the return of Laporta has been a "major factor" in that change of heart, per Marsden and Llorens.

It was reported the club has gotten "creative" with its contract offer to the six-time La Liga Best Player Award winner since it can't match his previous four-year, €500 million deal.

Barcelona formally declined comment to Reuters on Tuesday when asked for an update on the state of negotiations with Messi.

Meanwhile, Messi has been his usual dynamic self for the Argentine national team in the 2021 Copa America, leading all players with three goals at the conclusion of the group stage. His participation with La Albiceleste is another factor "delaying any announcement" with Barca, per ESPN.

Argentina's next match isn't until a quarterfinal fixture against Ecuador on Saturday, giving the club a few days to finalize the contract. The tournament runs through July 10.

Barcelona officials reportedly have a positive outlook regarding the possibility of signing superstar striker Lionel Messi to a new contract.

According to Goal's Ruben Uria, Barcelona is "optimistic" a deal will get done despite there being no agreement in place at the moment.

Messi, who has been with the club for the past 17 seasons, will see his current contract expire at the end of June.

Uria added that Barcelona have remained in "constant dialogue" with Messi's father and agent, Jorge Messi, although an official offer hasn't yet been made to the Argentine.

Last summer, there were rumors regarding Messi wanting to leave Barcelona, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly making a push to sign him.

ESPN reported at the time that Messi had called Manchester City manager and former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to tell him he wanted to leave Barca.

Despite the rumors, the 33-year-old Messi played out the 2020-21 La Liga season for Barcelona and remained dominant, leading La Liga with 30 league goals in 35 appearances.

As a club, Barcelona had a somewhat disappointing season, though, as it finished third in La Liga behind Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Messi isn't used to team failure at Barca, as the Blaugrana are 10-time La Liga champions, seven-time Copa del Rey winners and four-time UEFA Champions League champions during his tenure.

According to Uria, Messi is concerned more about Barcelona fielding a more competitive team than he is with his salary.

Messi, who is currently playing for Argentina at the Copa America, is one of the greatest soccer players of all time with six Ballon d'Or awards to his credit and 672 career goals with Barcelona on his resume as well.

Continuing to win trophies during the latter part of his career could help set him apart from the likes of Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo in the history of the game, and based on Uria's report, Messi may be awaiting assurances that Barcelona can provide him with a winning formula moving forward.

Barcelona bolstered its attack on Saturday. 

The Catalan giants announced the signing of former Lyon winger Memphis Depay as a free agent, inking him to a two-year deal. 

Depay will be reunited with his former Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. Koeman tried to bring Depay to the Camp Nou last season, only for the move to fall apart because of La Liga's wage cap.

Instead, a year later he'll get his man on a free transfer. 

"Everyone knows I have been linked to Barca for a while now, and I want to play for Ronald Koeman," Depay told reporters this week during the Euros, where he's competing for the Dutch. "Just wait, and then the news will come."

Depay, 27, had a superb 2020-21 season for Lyon, scoring 20 goals and adding 12 assists in 37 Ligue 1 games (33 starts) while helping the club finish fourth in France's top league. He's continued his strong form at the Euros, with a goal in two games for the Netherlands. 

Barcelona will have an interesting and dangerous suite of attackers heading into the 2021-22 campaign, headlined by Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Depay, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Sergio Aguero. 

How Koeman utilizes that depth will be fascinating. There's little doubt that Messi will feature, and given Koeman's desire to bring Depay aboard over the past two years, he seems likely to play a major role as well. 

Real Madrid announced Wednesday that longtime defender Sergio Ramos will be leaving the club this summer.

The club said that "an institutional act of tribute and farewell to our captain" would be held on Thursday followed by a press conference with Ramos.

Ramos is a Los Blancos legend. His success at the club speaks for itself:

It's hard to imagine Real Madrid without Ramos patrolling the back. It's hard to imagine a different player donning the armband, or the rivalry between Los Blancos and Barcelona not featuring him trying to slow down Lionel Messi. 

Over the years, a number of excellent players have come and gone from the Bernabeu. Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Marcelo have been regular fixtures. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Iker Casillas ultimately moved on. Through it all, there's been Ramos. 

His centre-back pairing with Raphael Varane over the past decade has played a huge role in Real Madrid's immense success, both domestically and in Europe. 

Granted, Ramos' reputation is not spotless. His detractors have long labeled him as one of the game's dirtiest players. 

"If you put all of the situations of Ramos together then you will see a lot of situations with Ramos," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters in 2018 after accusing Ramos of a "ruthless and brutal" challenge on Mohamed Salah in the Champions League final that resulted in the star forward dislocating his shoulder. "The year before against Juve he was responsible for the red card for [Juan] Cuadrado. Nobody talks about that afterwards."

But there's no doubting his longevity, talent or success at Real Madrid. When you think Los Blancos, his name and face inevitably come to mind. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Tuesday that club legend Lionel Messi "wants to stay" at Camp Nou but a new contract hasn't been finalized.

Laporta, who won the Barca presidential election in March after retaining Messi was a major part of his campaign, told reporters:

"Talks are ongoing with Messi's people. As I have said, they're going well. We hope to keep making progress. It's not done, but I am convinced, like [Sergio Aguero] said, that they would like to play together here. I have always said the issue with Leo is not financial for him.

"[Messi] is showing a lot of understanding and wants to stay and have a competitive team that wins trophies. The sooner we have a decision the better, of course, but we're not in a rush."

Laporta previously held the role of Barcelona president from 2003 through 2010, and he used the prior relationship he built with Messi to help secure another term in charge.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said in March. "I have a good relationship with him; there's a lot of respect."

The future of Messi has predictably become a hot-button topic following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, which saw the club finish third in La Liga and get eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16.

"We lost the league and there will be consequences," Laporta said Tuesday. "That's the level of demand there has to be here. We want to improve the team and there will be more [signings]. We're working on it. We need to balance the squad, and you will see what we're working on soon. Next week there will be more news."

The Blaugrana already added Aguero on a free transfer from Manchester City to start the process of revitalizing the squad.

Being able to keep Messi, who confirmed he sought an exit from Camp Nou last summer before a dispute about a contract clause led him to stay, would prevent a major void from opening up.

The 33-year-old Argentine international has continued to produce at an elite level, scoring 35 goals and tallying 11 assists in 41 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League this past term.

Alex Milne of the Mirror reported Tuesday the superstar forward is prepared to sign a two-year contract extension with the Spanish club.

Messi has yet to publicly declare his intentions with his current contract set to expire at the end of June, though.

For now, he's returned to South America to compete for Argentina in the 2021 Copa America tournament, which kicks off June 13.

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who resigned from the post last week, wrote in an open letter to Diario AS (h/t Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez of ESPN) that he was leaving Los Blancos "because I feel the club is no longer giving me the trust I need, it isn't offering me the support to build something medium-to-long term."

He added that he felt the club's hierarchy was leaking negative news stories to the media.

"That's why it hurt me a lot when I read in the press, after a defeat, that they were going to sack me if I didn't win the next game," he wrote. "It hurt me and the whole team because these messages, intentionally leaked to the media, created negative interference with the staff. They created doubts and misunderstandings."

While Zidane praised his players at Real Madrid—he called them "fantastic lads who were with me to the end... when things got ugly, they saved me with great victories"—he added that he would have "liked my relationship with the club and the president in recent months to have been a little different from that of other coaches."

While he said he wasn't seeking preferential treatment, he noted that for a partnership to last in modern football between a manager and a club beyond a season or two, "human relationships are essential."

Zidane, 48, has had two separate spells as Real Madrid's manager since 2016, topping La Liga once and the Champions League an impressive three times in his first stint before leaving in 2018. Upon his return in March 2019, he led Los Blancos to another domestic title in the 2019-20 campaign. 

The 2020-21 season ended in disappointment, however, as Real Madrid finished second in La Liga behind champions Atletico Madrid, lost in the Champions League semifinals to eventual victors Chelsea and was eliminated in the Copa del Rey round of 32 by third-division side Alcoyano.

"Zidane is one of Real Madrid's all-time greats, and his legend goes beyond what he has done as a coach and player for our club," Real Madrid said in a statement after Zidane announced his resignation last week (via Reuters). "He knows that he is always in the heart of the club's supporters and that Real Madrid will always be his home."

Zinedine Zidane resigned as manager of Real Madrid on Thursday, the club announced via its official website.

The statement read:

We must now respect his decision and express our gratitude for his professionalism, dedication and passion over the years and what he means to Real Madrid.

Zidane is one of Real Madrid’s great icons and his legacy extends beyond what he has achieved as a coach and player at our club.

He is aware that he has a place in the hearts of the Real Madrid fans and that he will always have a home at Real Madrid.

World football insider Fabrizio Romano first reported the news Wednesday.

Zidane returned for a second spell in charge of Madrid in March 2019. 

This season, the club narrowly lost out on a domestic title, finishing two points behind La Liga winner Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos also reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, where they lost to Chelsea.

Zidane guided Madrid to the La Liga title in 2016-17 and three straight Champions League triumphs during his first spell. He also inspired an impressive turnaround in 2019-20, as the club won 10 straight matches to beat Barcelona to the league title.

Still, ESPN FC's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez reported in December that the 48-year-old was facing pressure when Madrid was in jeopardy of not qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages.

Patience is something Real Madrid managers typically don't get to enjoy.

In perhaps the most famous example, Vicente del Bosque was out of a job almost immediately after the club's La Liga triumph in 2003.

Because of what he has achieved both as a player and manager, Zidane will likely have plenty of clubs inquiring about his availability.

When it comes to his now-former employer, the Frenchman may have gotten out at just the right time.

Eden Hazard has struggled to stay fit, while Karim Benzema (33), Marcelo (33), Sergio Ramos (35) and Luka Modric (35) are all approaching the twilight of their careers. Ramos, the captain, might be out all together, with his contract set to expire in June.

This is an aging squad in need of a refresh, and many of the young stars who were supposed to be the bridge to the next generation haven't fulfilled expectations. Turning over the first-team roster will be difficult for Real Madrid since the ill-fated Super League was supposed to be the mechanism to fund marquee transfers.

Whoever succeeds Zidane is likely coming aboard during a period of transition, which isn't ideal given what club president Florentino Perez typically considers the bar for success.

Barcelona has granted superstar forward Lionel Messi permission to sit out Saturday's La Liga finale against Eibar to rest ahead of the Copa America tournament with Argentina, which kicks off in mid-June.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Friday the decision means Messi, who's once again become the focus of summer transfer rumors, may have already played his last match with the Spanish club.

Duncan Wright of The Sun reported Sunday that Premier League giant Manchester City, which showed interest in the Argentine international last summer, is once again at the forefront of the discussions. Wright reported Messi would be open to a one-year, $35 million contract with an option for a second season.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are among the other clubs linked to a possible Messi pursuit, but staying at Camp Nou remains the "most likely" outcome for the 33-year-old Barca legend, per Wright.

It'll be an unfortunate turn of events if Messi's Barcelona career comes to an end without a proper sendoff, especially since supporters have been barred from attendance for over a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, a departure wouldn't come as a surprise since the six-time Ballon d'Or winner told Goal in September 2020 he sought an exit last offseason but a dispute about a contract clause prevented him from leaving.

"I told the club, including the president, that I wanted to go. I've been telling him that all year. I believed it was time to step aside," Messi said in September.

The attacking sensation remained a dominant force for Barcelona throughout the 2020-21 term. He recorded 35 goals and 13 assists in 41 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.

While Barca captured the Copa del Rey title in April, with Messi scoring twice in the final, the club fell short in its main objectives this season. It sits third in the La Liga table heading into the final match and was eliminated by PSG in the UCL Round of 16.

The departure of Messi would usher in a new era, but club president Joan Laporta is confident of reaching an agreement on a new contract.

"Leo is the best player in the world and has a very strong bond with the club. I'm convinced he wants to stay, and we'll do everything in our hands to make sure he does," Laporta said in April.

The situation should have more clarity between now and mid-July while Messi is back home trying to win the Copa America title with co-host Argentina.

Zinedine Zidane's future at Real Madrid is up in the air. 

According to ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez, "sources say the feeling among the squad is that Zidane is likely to depart."

If he resigns from his managerial post, Los Blancos are reportedly "considering Massimiliano Allegri and club legend Raul" as Zidane replacements. 

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez is also reportedly being considered for the post should Zidane depart. 

"There are moments when you have to stay, and others when you have to go," Zidane told reporters Saturday, further fueling rumors that he might be on his way out.

Radio station Onda Cero previously reported that Zidane already told Real Madrid's players he would be moving on after the season, while Kirkland and Faez reported that "it was not left 'very clear' to multiple players that a definitive decision had been made."

But Zidane disputed Sunday that he's told his players anything about his future:

Zidane, 48, has served as Real Madrid's manager in two different stints (2016-18; 2019-present), leading the club to two Premier League titles and three Champions League triumphs. 

His first departure came as a shock move, coming off the heels of the team's third consecutive European conquest. 

“I know it is a bit of a strange moment but I think it is the right moment," he told reporters at that time. "This is a team that should keep on winning and it needs a change for that. After three years, it needs another discourse, another working methodology, and that’s why I took this decision.”

“There are complicated moments in the season when you ask: ‘Am I still the right person?' I don’t forget the hard moments too," he added in 2018. "There are lovely moments and we ended with a spectacular moment but there are hard moments that make you reflect."

It's fair to question if Zidane is currently mulling over those hard moments yet again.

While he decides, there's the matter of finishing out La Liga's season. Real Madrid is in the thick of the title race, trailing Atletico Madrid by two points with just one matchday remaining. 

Real Madrid defender Marcelo is reportedly in danger of missing the second leg of the club's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea because of election duty in Spain.

Jaime Rodriguez of Spanish outlet El Mundo reported on Wednesday (via The Athletic) that Marcelo was selected to work at a polling location for next Tuesday's Madrid Assembly elections, the same day the club is scheduled to travel to England ahead of Wednesday's rematch with the Blues.

Chelsea and Real Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg on Tuesday. Marcelo played 77 minutes before being subbed out.

Real Madrid have worked to get Marcelo out of election duty, saying he must travel with the club and can't fly to the match afterward because it would break the club's COVID-19 bubble, but so far the appeals have been denied.

Marcelo, a Brazil native who became a Spanish citizen in 2011, can formally appeal as a professional who "must participate in public events held on the day of voting" that were scheduled before he was alerted of the duty.

Rodriguez noted Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was freed from election duty on a second appeal in November 2019 and subsequently played in a La Liga match.

Marcelo, who's struggled to earn a full-time role for manager Zinedine Zidane this season, drew the start in the first leg against Chelsea because of an injury to Ferland Mendy, whose availability for next week's second leg is uncertain because of a calf injury.

Even if Mendy is unavailable, Los Blancos may look in a different direction after the 32-year-old left-back struggled with the pace of the Blues' attack in Tuesday's draw.

"They're very quick, have good players and started very well," Zidane told reporters. "In the second half, we had more control. We're still in the tie, and we're happy with the overall performance. We're also good at playing away from home. We press high."

The winner of the Chelsea-Real Madrid tie will take on either Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain in the 2021 Champions League final. City and PSG play their first leg on Wednesday.