Tag: La Liga

KARACHI: ARY Digital Network has once again announced an exciting update for sports lovers in Pakistan as the La Liga season 2023-24 will be broadcasted live on Pakistan’s first HD sports channel A Sports HD and ARY ZAP.

After successfully broadcasting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the previous edition of La Liga, A Sports HD and ARY ZAP will air the next edition of the Spanish league.

Notably, ARY Digital Network successfully secured the rights to the next two La Liga seasons in August last year.

Viewers in Pakistan can watch the event live on A Sports or stream it through the ARY ZAP application.

Administered by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, it is contested by 20 teams, with the three lowest-placed teams at the end of each season being relegated to the Segunda División and replaced by the top two teams and a play-off winner in that division.

La Liga has been the top league in Europe in each of the seven years from 2013 to 2019 (calculated using accumulated figures from five preceding seasons) and has led Europe for 22 of the 60 ranked years up to 2019, more than any other country.

La Liga Season 2023-24 will commence on August 12.

La Liga will embark with the home side Almeria taking on Rayo Vallecano in the curtain raiser at Power Horse Stadium on August 11. Whereas, Barcelona will be competing in the event to defend their title.

Known for promoting sports in the country, Mr Salman Iqbal- who also owns Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings- has the honour of launching Pakistan’s first HD sports channel A-Sports in October 2021.

A-Sports has previously aired ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and 2022, PSL Season 2022 and 2023, major bilateral series of the Pakistan cricket team, Formula 1 Grand Prix Season 2022-23, SA20, Major League Cricket, FairBreak Invitational, Karachi Open Squash Championship among other major sports events.

Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel also airs the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL).

ARY ZAP, the popular app owned by ARY Digital Network, recently, live-streamed the five-match ODI and T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand, earlier in April-May.

Real Madrid begin life after Karim Benzema looking to wrest back the Spanish title from Barcelona as the La Liga season kicks off this weekend, seemingly content to play the waiting game for Kylian Mbappe.

Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or, swapped the Santiago Bernabeu for Saudi Arabia in June after 14 seasons in Madrid, where he is second on the club’s all-time goalscoring list with 354 — trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo.

In a bid to bridge the 10-point gap that separated them from Barcelona last season, Madrid splashed out 103 million euros ($112 million) on England international Jude Bellingham and swooped for Turkish prodigy Arda Guler.

But Mbappe, who has scored 212 goals in 260 games for Paris Saint-Germain, is the player they have long targeted.

After missing out on the France captain last year as he agreed a new deal to stay in Paris, Madrid again appear the likely destination for Mbappe, who is locked in a contract dispute with PSG.

Mbappe is training with PSG’s reserves and has been told he must sign a new contract if he wants to remain with the French champions this term.

PSG are thought to suspect that Kylian Mbappe has already struck a deal to join the Spanish giants for free in June 2024, but Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been reluctant to broach the subject publicly.

Mbappe “is a player who is not at Madrid,” Ancelotti said last month. “To talk about players who are not here, it doesn’t seem right to me.”

While Madrid weigh up a late bid for the exiled Mbappe before this transfer window shuts, Vinicius Junior is set to become the focal point of the attack after inheriting the number seven shirt worn by Ronaldo, Raul and Emilio Butragueno.

Ancelotti plans to experiment with a system that exploits the attacking potential of Bellingham and Guler, with veteran striker also Joselu making a surprise return to his former club.

The 33-year-old journeyman, who played twice for Madrid in 2011, finished as the top-scoring Spaniard with 16 goals for Espanyol in the last La Liga season.

“For me, the squad has improved,” said Ancelotti. “We have lost a player who has been fundamental for years in Karim… a club legend. But we have a very young group that we are convinced will give us a lot of satisfaction.”

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has questioned whether he has enough depth for the upcoming season after a relatively quiet summer. That concern is even greater with the club unable as yet to register their new arrivals.

A year ago, the Catalan club’s board sold off various assets to raise enough money to comply with spending restrictions imposed on the club, but that didn’t stop them luring a raft of new signings including Robert Lewandowski.

Twelve months on, Barcelona have continued their recent policy of hiring experienced players at zero transfer cost, albeit fewer, bringing in Manchester City’s treble-winning captain Ilkay Gundogan.

They toyed with the idea of re-signing Lionel Messi, but the club’s perilous financial situation effectively ruled out a reunion and the Argentine instead moved to Inter Miami.

Centre-back Inigo Martinez has arrived from Athletic Bilbao, with Oriol Romeu returning to his boyhood club as what Barcelona hope will be a low-price replacement for Sergio Busquets.

The loss of the influential Busquets, who joined Messi and Jordi Alba in Miami this summer, is one of Xavi’s greatest worries.

“A player who has been so important for us, on and off the pitch… we have to find a very important player to replace Busquets,” Xavi said in May.

“We have to find this piece, if we want to compete well.”

French winger Ousmane Dembele is also poised to leave Barcelona after receiving an offer from PSG.

Atletico Madrid finished third last La Liga season, just a point behind their city rivals after a vastly improved second half, and hope a reinforced defence can strengthen their title prospects.

Cesar Azpilicueta signed from Chelsea, with Turkey’s Caglar Soyuncu arriving from Leicester and left-back Javi Galan moving from Celta Vigo.

Joao Felix, the club’s record signing in 2019, is not viewed as part of coach Diego Simeone’s plans following his return from an unsuccessful loan at Chelsea, and is expected to be offloaded.

Real Sociedad, who qualified for the Champions League, have brought in Portugal forward Andre Silva on loan following the retirement of Spain great David Silva after a serious knee injury suffered during pre-season.

Villarreal, fifth last term, are set for a rebuild after losing Nicolas Jackson and Pau Torres to the Premier League, and Samuel Chukwueze to AC Milan.

Granada are back in the top flight after securing promotion at the first attempt along with play-off winners Alaves, with Las Palmas returning after a five-year absence.

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MADRID: Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema netted a penalty in his farewell La Liga game at the Santiago Bernabeu but was unable to inspire his side to victory as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Club on Sunday.

Elsewhere Real Valladolid were relegated after a nil-nil draw with Getafe, while five other sides near the bottom were able to breathe a sigh of relief on the final matchday of the season.

Champions Barcelona end the La Liga 2022-23 with a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo, with Gabri Veiga’s brace ensuring that his side remains in the top flight next season.

Karim Benzema, who would leave Real Madrid after spending 14 years at the club, struck from the spot to level the game, before being substituted to great applause.

The draw ensured that Real Madrid would finish ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid in second place as Diego Simeone’s side was held to a 2-2 draw at Villarreal on the final day.

Apart from Valladolid, Espanyol and Elche were also demoted from the top-tier Spanish League, occupying the last two spots on the table.

Almeria, on the other hand, survived the La Liga elimination on a thin margin, with Adri Embarba’s netting a penalty three minutes before time to earn his side a 3-3 draw against Espanyol.

Almeria finished 17th on the table with 41 points, only one point above the relegated Valladolid.

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BARCELONA: La Liga 2022/23 champions Barcelona put on a dominant show amid their 3-0 triumph over 10-man Mallorca while also saying goodbye to two club legends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

Ansu Fati gave Barcelona the best possible start as he struck the opener within the first minute of the action after a great passing sequence down the middle, Robert Lewandowski found Gavi with a delicate backheel flick, who then gave Fati an easy finish.

The home side enhanced their domination over the 12th-placed Mallorca, who were reduced to 10 men after Amath Ndiaye was sent off for a horrific tackle that injured Alejandro Balde.

Spain international Fati then doubled Barcelona’s lead in the 24th minute at the back of an excellent passing by the home side. Barcelona veteran Robert Lewandowski once again played his part in his side’s goal as he set up Fati for an easy finish with a stunning assist.

The La Liga champions went into the break with a 2-0 advantage over Mallorca with Fati leading the chart with twin strikes.

The second half of the fixture featured almost similar domination by Barcelona as the hosts relentlessly made several attempts and created plenty of significant chances against depleted Mallorca’s defence but failed to convert their domination into the third brace.

Barcelona then finally got the reward in the 70th minute of their outstanding show after a brilliant pass from Ousmane Dembele that found Gavi inside the box, who fired a left-footed rocket into the top corner to finally give Barcelona a much-deserved goal.

Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets and defender Jordi Alba also played in their side’s 3-0 win over Mallorca at home for the last time, in the club’s penultimate fixture of the ongoing season, and received warm farewells from the crowd.

Meanwhile, in other La Liga fixtures, Real Sociedad succumbed to a 1-2 loss against Atletico Madrid and yet sealed Champions League qualification for the next season as Villarreal lost 1-2 against Rayo Vallecano.

Whereas, Espanyol was relegated from the top division as a result of Valencia’s Samuel Lino scoring a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time to draw the game level at 2-2.

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SEVILLE: Rodrygo scored twice to earn Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Saturday in a La Liga match that was missing Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio due to injuries.

Vinícius, who faced racial abuse last weekend at Valencia, did not travel with the team due to what coach Carlo Ancelotti described as a knee injury that also kept him from playing midweek against Rayo Vallecano.

His absence from the field comes amid an international outcry against racism that has reached his native Brazil.

With the win, second-placed Real moved to 77 points on the La Liga table, four ahead of city rivals and third-placed Atletico, who faces Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Barcelona have already won the championship with two games still left to be played.

Rafa Mir gave Sevilla an early lead within three minutes finishing off an initial shot by Bryan Gil that had hit a Madrid defender and fell to the striker in the area.

Rodrygo levelled in the 29th with a free kick that he fired around the side of the defensive barrier and caught goalkeeper Yassine Bounou off guard.

Érik Lamela almost put Sevilla back in front when he hit the post in the 36th.

Rodrygo scored his second in the 69th after Brazil forward received a ball from Toni Kroos on a counterattack and used a slick change of foot to guide past defender Gonzalo Montiel before beating Bounou.

Sevilla’s Marcos Ocuña was sent off for a direct red card in the 84th after his studs-first tackle on Dani Ceballos.

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Valencia’s punishment for their fans’ racist abuse of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was reduced on Friday after the La Liga side appealed against it.

The Spanish side must close the south stand of their Mestalla stadium for three home matches instead of the five-game ban initially set by the Spanish football federation’s Competition Committee on Wednesday.

The fine was also reduced from 45,000 euros to 27,000 euros ($29,000) by the federation’s appeal committee.

Valencia host Espanyol on Sunday in La Liga in a vital match with both teams battling relegation, in which the stand will be closed.

Three Valencia fans were arrested after the 22-year-old Brazilian winger was abused last Sunday during Los Che’s 1-0 win over Madrid.

Sports stars and other personalities across the globe have offered Vinicius Junior their support in the days since, including many in his homeland Brazil.

Earlier this week, Spanish police arrested seven people Tuesday over two incidents of racial abuse targeting Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, including the latest one that sparked an international outcry.

The player was taunted by opposition fans since he joined Real in 2018 but the latest incident has kicked up a storm over whether Spain is doing enough to stamp out racism in football.

Early on Tuesday, police confirmed arresting three youths in Valencia for “insults and gestures with racist overtones” towards the player that amounted to “an alleged hate crime” during Sunday’s match.

The game was held up for several minutes and the referee wrote in his post-match report that shouts of “monkey” had been directed at Vinicius.

Police said the investigation remained open to identify further suspects.

In a statement, Valencia confirmed three fans had been arrested, reiterating its “strongest condemnation against racism and violence” and saying the club was acting against those involved “by banning them for life from our stadium”.

Also Tuesday, Madrid police arrested another four men suspected of hanging an effigy wearing a Real Madrid shirt with Vinicius’ number on it from a bridge in January.

The dummy was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground on January 26 ahead of their match against Atletico Madrid.

Above it was a banner in Atletico’s red and white reading: “Madrid hates Real”.

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MADRID: Rodrygo thrashed a late winner to help Real Madrid edge Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in La Liga on Wedesday and go ahead of city-rivals Atletico Madrid, who were later held 3-3 at Espanyol. 

Players and fans at Santiago Bernabeu showed their supports for Vinicus Junior, who was racially abused at Valencia during Madrid’s 2-1 defeat against the home side on Sunday.

Rodrygo bowed his head and lifted his fist into the air in a salute to team-mate Vincius after scoring Madrid’s second goal in the 89th minute.

Karim Benzema scored the opener for Real after the half-hour mark before Raul de Tomas equalised for the visitors six minutes from full-time.

Five minutes later, Rodrygo restored the lead for home side with a low shot from just outside the box beating Rayo goalkeeper.

The game was marked by overwhelming compassion and sympathy for the Brazilian winger Vincius as all Real’s players took the pitch donning shirts carrying Vinicius’ No. 20 while the captains of both teams wore armbands with anti-racism messages.

Vinicius was not part of Real Madrid’s lineup for yesterday’s game but witnessed the proceedings sitting next to club president Florentino Perez.

He joined his teammates on the pitch for a standing ovation after all the players posed next to an official LaLiga banner “Racists, out of football.”

It is pertinet to mention here that Barcelona have already won the La Liga championship with two games to spare.

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VALLADOLID: Home side Valladolid pulled off an incredible 3-1 victory over champions Barcelona to bolster their La Liga survival hopes on Tuesday.

The hosts put on a dominant show in their victory over the La Liga champions and climbed to 17th, moving provisionally three points clear of the relegation zone.

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen opened the scoring for Valladolid as he scored an own goal while heading into his own net in the second minute.

Canadian striker Cyle Larin added the second for the hosts from the penalty spot after Eric Garcia tripped Gonzalo Plata in the area as Valladolid went into the break with a 2-0 advantage over the champions.

Ecuadorian winger Plata then reaffirmed Valladolid’s domination over Barcelona as he added the third in the 73rd minute to put his side in complete command.

La Liga’s leading scorer Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for the visitors in the final stages but it was not enough for the Catalans to avoid the defeat.

Valladolid remained in the 17th spot despite their victory over Barcelona but pulled three points clear of 18th-placed Getafe, in the relegation zone.

In other La Liga fixtures, fourth-placed Real Sociedad edged 15th-placed Almeria 1-0 while Celta Vigo and Girona settled for a 1-1 stalemate after Cristhian Stuani’s second-half penalty strike.

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MADRID: Spanish police arrested seven people Tuesday over two incidents of racial abuse targeting Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, including one this weekend that sparked an international outcry.

Spain’s football league, La Liga, has been engulfed in a racism scandal after the 22-year-old forward was subjected to racist taunts during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Valencia and later sent off.

The player has been taunted by opposition fans since he joined Real in 2018 but the latest incident has kicked up a storm over whether Spain is doing enough to stamp out racism in football.

Early on Tuesday, police confirmed arresting three youths in Valencia for “insults and gestures with racist overtones” towards the player that amounted to “an alleged hate crime” during Sunday’s match.

The game was held up for several minutes and the referee wrote in his post-match report that shouts of “monkey” had been directed at Vinicius.

Police said the investigation remained open to identify further suspects.

In a statement, Valencia confirmed three fans had been arrested, reiterating its “strongest condemnation against racism and violence” and saying the club was acting against those involved “by banning them for life from our stadium”.

Also Tuesday, Madrid police arrested another four men suspected of hanging an effigy wearing a Real Madrid shirt with Vinicius’ number on it from a bridge in January.

The dummy was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground on January 26 ahead of their match against Atletico Madrid.

Above it was a banner in Atletico’s red and white reading: “Madrid hates Real”.

Government spokeswoman Isabel Rodriquez welcomed the arrests, saying they showed Spanish authorities had “zero tolerance” for racism in sports.

“We must clearly say we are anti-racists, Spain fights these behaviours, condemns them and does everything to eliminate them,” she added.

The Brazilian government has formally protested to the Spanish ambassador and will lodge an official complaint with authorities in Madrid.

Brazil “deeply regrets that no effective measures have yet been taken to prevent the recurrence of these racist acts,” it said in a statement.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Sunday’s incident showed FIFA’s racism protocol in football was “obsolete”.

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea activated the racism protocol after Vinicius squared off with fans, singling out one supporter whom he accused of abuse.

But Ancelotti said the protocol should have been “applied when the team bus reached the stadium, because the insults started there”.

“It’s a moment to take drastic measures. Institutions have chances, above all now, to take radical measures on this important subject,” he added.

Vinicius was sent off later in Sunday’s game for hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro after the referee watched VAR footage of a brawl between the two teams.

Spain’s refereeing committee on Tuesday sidelined official Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva for his upcoming matches after his involvement in awarding Vinicius a red card against Valencia.

During the match, Iglesias Villanueva was in charge of VAR but the video he showed the referee did not include footage of Duro grabbing the Brazilian around the neck before the incident — which would also have been a red card offence.

Vinicius Junior was dismissed and will likely miss the next two or three matches, meaning he may not play again for Madrid this season.

Spanish media said Iglesias Villanueva had been sacked but the Spanish football federation would not confirm that when questioned by AFP.

There is growing anger in Brazil over the incident, with the lights on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro turned off for one hour in solidarity with the player.

“Black and imposing,” Vinicius Junior tweeted of the darkened statue, saying he was moved and thanking followers for their support.

“But I want, above all, to inspire and bring more light to our fight,” he added.

BARCELONA: Mikel Merino and Alexander Sorloth struck goals in each half to give Real Sociedad a 2-1 win at Barcelona on Saturday in La Liga.

Sociedad inflicted the first home defeat of the season upon La Liga champions on a day when they were celebrating their title triumph.

With the league title already at their disposal, the fans at Camp Nou were unmoved by the team’s loss and remained seated to see the post-game celebrations when Barca would lift the La Liga trophy.

However, Real Sociedad made sure to strengthen their position for the Champions League spot as they moved to 65 points, five ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal who beat Girona 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Winners Barcelona have an unassailable 14-point lead over second-place Real Madrid, who face Valencia on Sunday. Atletico Madrid are third with 69 points.

Merino scored the opener for Sociedad with a tidy finish in the fifth minute. They doubled their lead through Sorloth in the 72nd minute before Robert Lewandowski headed in a consolation goal for Barcelona from close range in the dying minutes.

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