Check out all the notable action from Europe this weekend, including Lionel Messi’s injury, Thierry Henry’s debut and Icardi’s Milan derby heroics.
Barcelona took care of Sevilla at the Camp Nou, but victory came at a price as star-man Lionel Messi was subbed off in the 15th minute with an apparent arm injury.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the club will not move ahead with plans to change their badge after the proposal was met with anger by supporters.
Barca presented a redesigned crest in September, with the removal of the letters “FCB” among the minimal changes.
Fans were furious with the loss of “FCB” as when Franco came to power in Spain, the letters were replaced by “CFB” to reflect the way the club was forced to use the Spanish version of its name.
Club members protested against the changes before Saturday’s AGM, leading Bartomeu to postpone a members’ vote over the new badge — a decision which was met with jeers by the 1,000-strong crowd.
“There were doubts about whether the AGM was the right place to decide the matter,” Bartomeu told Catalunya Radio on Monday. “Some people thought it should have gone to a referendum. [In the end] we got rid of the issue, it was democratic.
“It was as simple as removing something because the members did not accept it. Now we will have some internal reflection over the badge.”
Barca’s original reason for changing the badge was to help the club “adapt to modern times.” They have previously updated their crest nine times, but not since 2002.
Bartomeu said they could still modify the design but under no circumstances will they remove “FCB.”
“The [proposed] badge is finished, we won’t present it again,” he added. “The members didn’t like it. ‘FCB’ will appear on any future changes, that’s clear. But there’s no rush.”
The president also spoke about the pending transfer window, and insisted Barcelona have no plans to make any signings in January.
With an injury crisis in defence, the La Liga leaders have been linked with a short-term move for a centre-back, while midfielders Frenkie de Jong, Adrien Rabiot and Paul Pogba remain of interest to the club.
“We don’t plan to sign anyone in January, unless the coaches ask for someone before then,” Bartomeu said. “It’s a smaller squad because we have B team players who can make the first team. Our objective is that players from La Masia make the first team.”
Bartomeu also knocked back the latest round of reports suggesting Neymar could come back to the club from Paris Saint-Germain.
“He left and there are no plans to bring him back,” he said. “I’ve not spoken with Neymar’s people. A lot of rumours come out but there’s been no call and no meeting. He decided his future, paid his clause and went to Paris.”
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