Despite the bad omens surrounding them, Barça does not want to throw in the towel prematurely. The blaugrana team overcame a softer UCAM Murcia than they had imagined (68-91) and will have two opportunities to seal their qualification to play in the ACB League semifinals. The culé team played a very serious game on a court where no ACB rival had won in 2026.

A week ago Tim Payne was an anonymous player, practically unknown to the general public. With just over 4,700 followers on Instagram, the center-back of the New Zealand team, ranked 85th in FIFA, was the least media-friendly footballer among the 1,248 called up for this summer's World Cup. But overnight he became internationally famous and his number of followers increased at a dizzying pace, becoming the viral phenomenon in the days leading up to the World Cup. Not Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: the man of the moment is Tim Payne.

It has rained since that January 27, 2024, when, after being thrashed (3-5) against Villarreal at Montjuïc, Xavi Hernández hit rock bottom and announced at the post-match press conference that he would say goodbye to the bench "at the end of the season." There were still twists to come, such as the "sushi night at Joan Laporta's house, a tearful press conference from the president to ratify him in his post, and yet another final dramatic turn to fire him at the end of the season. The former bluegrana footballer and coach ended up parting ways with Laporta and his main advisor, Alejandro Echevarría, who, although he was the main supporter of his return in 2021, the coach also considers him one of the architects of his dismissal. Basically, he felt betrayed.

The spirit of Barcelona 92 never dies. It is always special when the notes of the songs that people learned by heart that very special summer are played. Notes that have sounded again at the tribute and remembrance event for Joan Antoni Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee who, a few years earlier, in 1986, uttered those words “A la ville... de Barcelona”.“A la ville... de Barcelona”. The name of his native city. 16 years after the death of the Barcelonian who achieved the greatest international sporting success, an event was held at the Palauet Albéniz that brought together many of the faces who, together with Samaranch, made Barcelona Olympic. It was a day of reunions and greetings among those who wanted to vindicate a figure who was capable of modernizing the Olympic movement and, by extension, the Catalan capital.

Few times has a football jersey generated so much noise even before going on sale. Two weeks ago, Athletic Club presented what will be their jersey for the next season. Like other clubs, they did so right at the end of the current season, debuting it in their last league match away to Real Madrid. The jersey, however, is not to everyone's liking, as the Basque club has made a small modification. In recent years, they played with a small Basque flag, the ikurriña, on the back of the neck. But for the next season, they have opted for a map with the silhouette of Euskal Herria with an ikurriña inside. The reaction of parties like Vox or UPN has caused quite a stir, especially in Navarre.

The organizers of Roland Garros are in despair. First they discovered that Carlos Alcaraz would not be going due to injury. So they prepared to place the crown on Jannik Sinner, who was coming off winning all the clay court tournaments he had played. But the Italian felt unwell in his third-round match against the Argentine Juan Manuel Cerúndolo and surprisingly fell in five sets. "I haven't slept well and I've been wiped out, without energy," he explained afterwards. The organizers had Novak Djokovic left, who at 39 was aiming for one last major triumph. But he also fell, in his case against the Brazilian João Fonseca. While awaiting what the young Madrilenian Rafa Jódar might do, the tournament has been left without stars in the men's draw.And all this in a strange context. The main players, men and women, have been raising their voices in recent months to complain about the prizes they receive. Currently, Grand Slam tournaments allocate 12% and 15% of their profits to awarding prizes to players, which they consider to be too little given the huge amounts of money involved in Melbourne, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Last season, a players' revolt was already simmering, which has escalated this year. Almost all of them have decided to show their discontent not only with their statements but also with their actions. For example, many refuse to participate in Roland Garros organizers' proposals to make viral videos. In press conferences, they answer increasingly briefly and never spend more than fifteen minutes with journalists. If the organizers don't go beyond 15%, they don't go beyond 15 minutes. The first to strongly raise their voice was the best player of the moment, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, world number 1. "When you realize the numbers we generate and see what we players receive... I think we are the ones who put on the show. We are fed up. I feel that without us there would be no tournament, there would be no entertainment. We deserve to be paid a higher percentage. At some point, maybe, we will boycott the Grand Slams, yes. I feel that it is the only way we have to fight for our rights, there is no other," she said. Other players have since joined. Djokovic supported her: "The new generations are arriving and I am happy to see leaders of our sport, like Sabalenka, taking a step forward and truly understanding how tennis politics works." And he added that he was a little disappointed with the two great players of the moment, Sinner and Alcaraz, because they weren't saying anything.

Barça obtained in March the permission to use all of the first and second stands without them being completely finished. A walk through the bowels of the venue is enough to see that some finishes are provisional and that there are elements, such as the catering offer, that have been set up with mobile shelving while waiting to assemble the definitive structure. It's nothing serious. It's one thing for the Camp Nou to be operational and another for all the pending work to have been done. It happens at the Santiago Bernabéu, which can fill all its seats and there are still workers inside. And the same happens in many buildings, where tenants can live there even if there's still a curtain to hang, a piece of furniture to assemble, or a room to paint.

Valencia Basket exposed the shortcomings of a Barça that will have to play the quarterfinals with home-court advantage against them (77-102). The Catalan team suffered a very painful defeat, bleeding at times, both in form and consequences. The Palau Blaugrana used whistles and some handkerchiefs to criticize the apathy of some players.

The 2025-26 season will be remembered for many years by blaugrana fans. For the second year in a row, Barça has won all the titles it has competed for – Champions League, League, Copa de la Reina, and Spanish Super Cup. A historic quadruple that has served for Pere Romeu's team to reassert themselves after a season marked by doubts and criticism, especially due to the short squad that was assembled in the summer and that has forced academy players like Clara Serrajordi and Aïcha Camara to step up.

The triumph of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final led to a night of incidents in the French capital. While the team led by Luis Enrique celebrated winning the title, incidents began in the streets of Paris that ended with the death of one person, a motorcyclist who fell. The French government announced 780 arrests – 457 of them in police custody – 32% more than a year ago for the same celebration. For years in France, sporting successes, both for clubs and the national team, have ended in serious riots. In this case, 57 police officers were injured, as well as 219 participants in the festivities, eight of whom seriously. Of the 780 arrests, 480 took place in Paris.

New York wants to end a curse that has lasted more than half a century. The Knicks will play in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Fans have waited 27 years for this. It will be their third final since they won their second ring in 1973. Their opponent will be the San Antonio Spurs, who have eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning champions.

The Italian Marco Bezzecchi has caused euphoria at the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Mugello circuit, achieving his fourth victory of the year and strengthening his lead in the general classification. Bezzecchi waited for the opportune moment to overtake his compatriot Francesco Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Desmosedici GP26), the leader until that moment, to escape alone on the way to a fourth triumph of the season that makes him the leader of the category. Spaniard Jorge Martín (Aprilia RS-GP) finished third. Marc Márquez (Ducati Desmosedici GP26) started very strong, but finished in seventh position, conditioned by returning to the circuits only twenty days after undergoing surgery.

Barça has convincingly won the League thanks to a competitive spirit developed in relation to last season. The Blaugranes have achieved the objective with three games to spare against a Real Madrid in tatters. Nevertheless, Hansi Flick, recently renewed until 2028, has not been satisfied with the team's performance in certain stages of the season due to muscular injuries. Key players in the squad such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri, or Raphinha suffered around decisive matches, and this – according to the German coach's feelings – has deprived the Culer team, for example, of progressing further in the Cup and the Champions League, two objectives lost to the same rival, Atlètic de Madrid.

When The Killers started to hit it big, Arsenal won what was their last Premier League in 22 years (2004) and played their first Champions League final (2006). Mr. Brightside, the first big hit from the well-known band from Las Vegas, defined a generation at the beginning of the century. It was, just like other tracks by The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand or Arcade Fire, a classic on DJ Amable's playlists at Sala Razzmatazz and caused dopamine rushes at Karma, a club that closed a few months ago after half a century filling the nights of thousands of Barcelonans. Then came Human, which became one of Pep Guardiola's Barça anthems, and other anthems of verse, chorus, bridge, coda, and raised fist. What times those were.

As Xavi Pascual predicted, Barça is doing well heading into the final stretch. The Blaugrana team secured a victory on MoraBanc Andorra's court and will reach the last game with options to finish in third place (95-100). Kevin Punter sent the game into overtime with a three-pointer and had a decisive performance in the extra period. The Culer squad welcomed back Nico Laprovittola and Jan Vesely, but Youss Fall injured his right ankle. Despite the loss, the Andorrans secured their permanence.

In a cadet match against Barça with Messi, Cesc, and Piqué, Fran Rubio realized he would never become a professional player and that if he wanted to dedicate himself to football, it would have to be off the field. That's why he trained as a coach, and at 15 years old, he began working in the youth academy of Can Vidalet, a modest neighborhood club in Esplugues de Llobregat. “At university I met Carles Romagosa and David Hernández, who together with Joan Vilà –one of the great defenders of the Barça DNA and discoverer of Xavi Hernández–, founded the Ekkono method,” says Fran Rubio, who convinced Pedro Rubio, the club's president and his father, to start using this revolutionary training methodology at Can Vidalet.

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of athletes were chatting at the facilities of the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona. Jordi Ros and Víctor Garcia were looking at some photos of themselves from 1992, when they were the first Catalans to participate in the Paralympic Games in wheelchair tennis. It was the year this discipline debuted on the Paralympic calendar. And it was precisely in Barcelona. "In our time, the miracle was being able to play. People thought we were crazy when they saw us in wheelchairs with rackets. And suddenly we found ourselves playing in front of a packed court cheering us on," Garcia recalled. The Madrid native Dani Caverzaschi, one of the best players at the moment, is chatting with them. And looking at the photos, he notices an important detail: before, they competed with the same chairs that people used in their private lives, not like now. Now there are specialized chairs for competing with a small wheel just behind to provide balance and prevent players from falling backward when they gain momentum to hit the ball. "How did you serve?" Caverzaschi asked. "Well, as best we could," Ros replied humorously. "We served differently. You couldn't gain momentum by bringing your arm back, you had to serve with less power, but when we started competing, we always ended up falling on our backs at some point," they remembered.

Ramon Rodríguez Verdejo (San Fernando, 1968) is known by everyone as Monchi and is identified as the architect of the greatest Sevilla in history and one of the best sporting directors in the world. He is backed by more than a dozen titles, including seven Europa Leagues, and many millions in capital gains. With this resume, it is not surprising that his signing for Espanyol has unleashed euphoria among many 'periquitos'. Seduced by Alan Pace, with whom he began to meet more than two months ago, he will try to replicate his successful formula as the entity's general sporting director, which presented him to society on Tuesday.

Míchel Sánchez is no longer the coach of Girona, after the Girona club and the coach from Vallecas have parted ways with the relegation to the Second Division. Míchel ends a beautiful spell on the bench sadly. This is the first official move by the entity, which has decided that the sporting director, Quique Cárcel, will continue to lead the project from the offices. Who will replace the man from Madrid is currently unknown. His assistants, Salva Fúnez, David Porcel, and Juan Carlos Balaguer, also leave Montilivi.