After the suspension of games in early March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Spain’s La Liga has been rendered idled due to quarantine and social distancing guidelines, with teams unable to train as a group.

However, a bit of positive news came to light on Tuesday as Spanish president Pedro Sanchez announced new guidelines that could have teams back to training as early as early May.

According to the new guidelines established by the government, elite professional athletes will be able to train in small groups as soon as May 4th, provided that they test negative for the coronavirus.

While teams would not be allowed to train in full groups immediately, if the evolution of the pandemic continues to trend in a positive direction, teams could return to full squad training later in the month.

A return to game action, however, remains farther away. Teams will reportedly need at least a few weeks of full squad training in order to get back up to speed for game action.

This could lead to a return for La Liga in June behind closed doors.

FC Barcelona currently holds a slim two-point lead over Real Madrid for the top spot in the league, which still has a lot left to play for if it is ultimately able to return.

The post La Liga Teams Set to Return to Training in May appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, which has taken on a new severity during the past week, La Liga will meet with the Spanish Footballer’s Association and the Spanish Football Federation on Thursday to make a crucial decision.

After declaring on Tuesday that the league’s next two matchdays would be played behind closed doors, the bodies will now meet to decide whether or not to suspend the competition temporarily.

Spain went from having only around 80 cases of the novel virus at the beginning of the month to having over 2,000 cases as of this Wednesday, March 11th.

If the decision is made to suspend the league, La Liga would reportedly adopt a “wait and see” approach to see how the virus evolves over the next two weeks. The league will then decide whether to end the season, or alternatively, reschedule the canceled games for a new date.

Spain has already implemented changes in its soccer schedule due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. The Copa del Rey final between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad has already been postponed from its original April 18th date.

For now, La Liga fans must wait and see to see how the league ultimately reacts to the ever-changing health situation in Spain.

The post La Liga in Talks to Suspend 2019-20 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid won yet another title on Sunday night, taking home the 2020 Spanish Super Cup title after yet another tense game with bitter rival Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos played Los Colchoneros to a 0-0 draw in the first 90 minutes. After no goals were scored during 30 minutes of extra time, the game went to a penalty shootout which was never in much doubt.

Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde was shown a red card and ejected from the game in the final minutes of extra time after taking down Atletico forward Alvaro Morata, who had a clear path towards the goal.

Valverde’s decision proved wise as Real Madrid won the shootout 4-1 after a shaky performance by Atletico Madrid’s penalty takers, claiming their 11th Super Cup title in the 36th edition of the competition.

After Atletico Madrid’s Saul fired wide of the net and Thomas Partey shot right at Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois, who saved the shot, Sergio Ramos buried his decisive penalty to give Real Madrid the trophy.

This year’s Super Cup was marked by controversy after the Spanish federation’s decision to include Atletico and Real Madrid in the competition despite neither winning the Copa del Rey nor the league last season, instead opting for a four-team format.

Real Madrid and Atletico will head back to work next weekend as La Liga returns to action.

The post Real Madrid Wins Spanish Super Cup in Penalty Shootout appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Spanish Football Federation announced on Wednesday that head coach Luis Enrique had decided to step down from his position at the front of the men’s national team.

Robert Moreno, who also served on Enrique’s coaching staff at Celta Vigo, Roma, and Barcelona, will take over as La Roja’s head coach.

The circumstances regarding Enrique’s decision to leave the team have to do with personal issues. The press has respected Enrique’s privacy, not prodding into the reasons why he decided to take a step back. Some speculation has risen that one of his family members is dealing with a serious health issue, although this has not been confirmed.

Federation president Luis Rubiales stood behind Enrique’s decision at a press conference announcing his decision on Wednesday afternoon. He said that, “We have to thank Luis Enrique. We’ve learned a lot from him. We will continue to support him. He will always have the doors open in this federation. I ask the press to continue to respect him during this difficult time which is down to a personal issue.”

Enrique first left the Spanish National Team for what was deemed a temporary leave of absence back on March 26. Since then, Moreno has been in charge of the team.

Moreno will now lead Spain forward as they continue their run in the qualifiers for the Euro 2020 tournament as Enrique leaves La Roja after less than a year in charge.

The post Luis Enrique Steps Down as Coach of Spanish National Team appeared first on SportzBonanza.

According to recent reports from Spanish media, Barcelona has one hot name on their radar during the summer transfer window.

“Don Balón” reports that Barcelona is interested in acquiring the services of 19-year-old winger Samuel Chukwueze, currently playing for Villarreal.

Chukwueze has a 60€ million transfer release clause and the Blaugrana are apparently interested in paying it. The Nigerian winger would help to replace Philippe Coutinho, who is expected to be sold by Barça this summer after a disappointing year and a half.

Chukwueze has been one of mid-table Villarreal’s stars this season, scoring 8 goals and notching 3 assists in 34 games in all competitions for the first team after starting the season on the Yellow Submarine’s B squad.

The Nigerian winger is highly-regarded for his electrifying skill and passing ability. Apart from his ability to blow past defenders and provide assists, the teenage wonder is a capable scorer and would fit well in Barcelona’s offensive attack alongside Lionel Messi.

Barcelona and president Josep Bartolomeu could look to Chukwueze as one of the team’s pieces of the future if they pull the trigger on his acquisition this summer.

The post Barcelona Interested in Signing Villarreal Winger Samuel Chukwueze appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of Spain’s domestic trophy competitions got a lot more interesting after Real Madrid and FC Barcelona were drawn to play each other in the competition’s semifinal.

The most intense rivalry in soccer, known as El Clásico, will come to the Copa del Rey in its semifinals. The winner of the draw will face the winner of the Valencia-Real Betis draw.

It’s undeniable that this is the most intriguing draw that the competition could’ve hoped for. The fiercest rivalry game in soccer will happen twice in February, with the first leg of the draw being played on Wednesday night in Barcelona at Camp Nou.

The definitive second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on February 27th. The winning team will advance to the Copa del Rey final in Sevilla at the Benito Villmarín on May 25th.

FC Barcelona currently sits in first place in Spain’s La Liga with 50 points, 8 points ahead of third-place Real Madrid. Los Blancos have struggled at times this season under new coach Santiago Solari and without Cristiano Ronaldo, but are currently on a five-game win streak.

Lionel Messi and his Barcelona squad will do their best to dispatch their eternal rivals in the hopes of winning their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey title.

The post Barcelona and Real Madrid to Square Off in Copa del Rey Semifinal Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Barcelona claimed their 25^th La Liga title on Sunday in superb fashion as club talisman Lionel Messi scored a hat-rick to lead the club to a 4-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

In the process, Deportivo were relegated.  Barcelona knew that they would need to win the game in order to secure the League title this season and Philippe Coutinho put them ahead early on. Messi struck a volley during the 38^th minute to double the lead before Lucas Perez pulled one back for Deportivo before halftime while Emre Colak managed to snatch an equalizer during the second half.

Barca’s class eventually showed through as Messi and Luis Suarez combined for the Argentine to score his brace before slotting in to complete the 30^th La Liga hat-rick of his career.

One of the surprises was that Andres Iniesta was left on the bench.

The Spanish national team and Barca legend announced earlier on during the week that he will be leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season.

The post Barcelona secure 25th La Liga title appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the suspension of games in early March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Spain’s La Liga has been rendered idled due to quarantine and social distancing guidelines, with teams unable to train as a group.

However, a bit of positive news came to light on Tuesday as Spanish president Pedro Sanchez announced new guidelines that could have teams back to training as early as early May.

According to the new guidelines established by the government, elite professional athletes will be able to train in small groups as soon as May 4th, provided that they test negative for the coronavirus.

While teams would not be allowed to train in full groups immediately, if the evolution of the pandemic continues to trend in a positive direction, teams could return to full squad training later in the month.

A return to game action, however, remains farther away. Teams will reportedly need at least a few weeks of full squad training in order to get back up to speed for game action.

This could lead to a return for La Liga in June behind closed doors.

FC Barcelona currently holds a slim two-point lead over Real Madrid for the top spot in the league, which still has a lot left to play for if it is ultimately able to return.

The post La Liga Teams Set to Return to Training in May appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, which has taken on a new severity during the past week, La Liga will meet with the Spanish Footballer’s Association and the Spanish Football Federation on Thursday to make a crucial decision.

After declaring on Tuesday that the league’s next two matchdays would be played behind closed doors, the bodies will now meet to decide whether or not to suspend the competition temporarily.

Spain went from having only around 80 cases of the novel virus at the beginning of the month to having over 2,000 cases as of this Wednesday, March 11th.

If the decision is made to suspend the league, La Liga would reportedly adopt a “wait and see” approach to see how the virus evolves over the next two weeks. The league will then decide whether to end the season, or alternatively, reschedule the canceled games for a new date.

Spain has already implemented changes in its soccer schedule due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. The Copa del Rey final between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad has already been postponed from its original April 18th date.

For now, La Liga fans must wait and see to see how the league ultimately reacts to the ever-changing health situation in Spain.

The post La Liga in Talks to Suspend 2019-20 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid won yet another title on Sunday night, taking home the 2020 Spanish Super Cup title after yet another tense game with bitter rival Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos played Los Colchoneros to a 0-0 draw in the first 90 minutes. After no goals were scored during 30 minutes of extra time, the game went to a penalty shootout which was never in much doubt.

Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde was shown a red card and ejected from the game in the final minutes of extra time after taking down Atletico forward Alvaro Morata, who had a clear path towards the goal.

Valverde’s decision proved wise as Real Madrid won the shootout 4-1 after a shaky performance by Atletico Madrid’s penalty takers, claiming their 11th Super Cup title in the 36th edition of the competition.

After Atletico Madrid’s Saul fired wide of the net and Thomas Partey shot right at Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois, who saved the shot, Sergio Ramos buried his decisive penalty to give Real Madrid the trophy.

This year’s Super Cup was marked by controversy after the Spanish federation’s decision to include Atletico and Real Madrid in the competition despite neither winning the Copa del Rey nor the league last season, instead opting for a four-team format.

Real Madrid and Atletico will head back to work next weekend as La Liga returns to action.

The post Real Madrid Wins Spanish Super Cup in Penalty Shootout appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Spanish Football Federation announced on Wednesday that head coach Luis Enrique had decided to step down from his position at the front of the men’s national team.

Robert Moreno, who also served on Enrique’s coaching staff at Celta Vigo, Roma, and Barcelona, will take over as La Roja’s head coach.

The circumstances regarding Enrique’s decision to leave the team have to do with personal issues. The press has respected Enrique’s privacy, not prodding into the reasons why he decided to take a step back. Some speculation has risen that one of his family members is dealing with a serious health issue, although this has not been confirmed.

Federation president Luis Rubiales stood behind Enrique’s decision at a press conference announcing his decision on Wednesday afternoon. He said that, “We have to thank Luis Enrique. We’ve learned a lot from him. We will continue to support him. He will always have the doors open in this federation. I ask the press to continue to respect him during this difficult time which is down to a personal issue.”

Enrique first left the Spanish National Team for what was deemed a temporary leave of absence back on March 26. Since then, Moreno has been in charge of the team.

Moreno will now lead Spain forward as they continue their run in the qualifiers for the Euro 2020 tournament as Enrique leaves La Roja after less than a year in charge.

The post Luis Enrique Steps Down as Coach of Spanish National Team appeared first on SportzBonanza.

According to recent reports from Spanish media, Barcelona has one hot name on their radar during the summer transfer window.

“Don Balón” reports that Barcelona is interested in acquiring the services of 19-year-old winger Samuel Chukwueze, currently playing for Villarreal.

Chukwueze has a 60€ million transfer release clause and the Blaugrana are apparently interested in paying it. The Nigerian winger would help to replace Philippe Coutinho, who is expected to be sold by Barça this summer after a disappointing year and a half.

Chukwueze has been one of mid-table Villarreal’s stars this season, scoring 8 goals and notching 3 assists in 34 games in all competitions for the first team after starting the season on the Yellow Submarine’s B squad.

The Nigerian winger is highly-regarded for his electrifying skill and passing ability. Apart from his ability to blow past defenders and provide assists, the teenage wonder is a capable scorer and would fit well in Barcelona’s offensive attack alongside Lionel Messi.

Barcelona and president Josep Bartolomeu could look to Chukwueze as one of the team’s pieces of the future if they pull the trigger on his acquisition this summer.

The post Barcelona Interested in Signing Villarreal Winger Samuel Chukwueze appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of Spain’s domestic trophy competitions got a lot more interesting after Real Madrid and FC Barcelona were drawn to play each other in the competition’s semifinal.

The most intense rivalry in soccer, known as El Clásico, will come to the Copa del Rey in its semifinals. The winner of the draw will face the winner of the Valencia-Real Betis draw.

It’s undeniable that this is the most intriguing draw that the competition could’ve hoped for. The fiercest rivalry game in soccer will happen twice in February, with the first leg of the draw being played on Wednesday night in Barcelona at Camp Nou.

The definitive second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on February 27th. The winning team will advance to the Copa del Rey final in Sevilla at the Benito Villmarín on May 25th.

FC Barcelona currently sits in first place in Spain’s La Liga with 50 points, 8 points ahead of third-place Real Madrid. Los Blancos have struggled at times this season under new coach Santiago Solari and without Cristiano Ronaldo, but are currently on a five-game win streak.

Lionel Messi and his Barcelona squad will do their best to dispatch their eternal rivals in the hopes of winning their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey title.

The post Barcelona and Real Madrid to Square Off in Copa del Rey Semifinal Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Barcelona claimed their 25^th La Liga title on Sunday in superb fashion as club talisman Lionel Messi scored a hat-rick to lead the club to a 4-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

In the process, Deportivo were relegated.  Barcelona knew that they would need to win the game in order to secure the League title this season and Philippe Coutinho put them ahead early on. Messi struck a volley during the 38^th minute to double the lead before Lucas Perez pulled one back for Deportivo before halftime while Emre Colak managed to snatch an equalizer during the second half.

Barca’s class eventually showed through as Messi and Luis Suarez combined for the Argentine to score his brace before slotting in to complete the 30^th La Liga hat-rick of his career.

One of the surprises was that Andres Iniesta was left on the bench.

The Spanish national team and Barca legend announced earlier on during the week that he will be leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season.

The post Barcelona secure 25th La Liga title appeared first on SportzBonanza.