MARCUS RASHFORD VS CHELSEA: BARçA'S LOAN STAR RETURNS FOR CL SHOWDOWN
Marcus Rashford is fit and available for Barcelona's crucial Champions League trip to Chelsea. The in-form loanee returns from illness, giving coach Hansi Flick a fully stocked attack for the Group D clash.
Marcus Rashford is back from the flu and ready to play for Barcelona in their Champions League game against Chelsea in London this week.
Rashford, 28, didn't play in Barça's 4-0 win against Athletic Club on Saturday because he wasn't able to train in the days before the game.
He was back training with his teammates on Sunday and Monday and will be in coach Hansi Flick's team at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The Manchester United player, who is on loan at Barça, has been great in Europe this season. He has scored four goals, including two against Newcastle United, and has one assist in four games.
He has scored six goals and has eight assists in 16 games in all competitions for the Spanish champions.
His return gives Flick a selection headache since some other key players are also back from injury.
Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal started up front against Athletic, and Raphinha came on as a substitute after being out injured for two months.
With Rashford available, Flick has five players for three positions, though he has used Raphinha as an attacking midfielder before.
Goalie Joan García also came back at the weekend after being out for two months. He helped Barça keep their first clean sheet since September, but Pedri, Gavi, and Marc-André ter Stegen are still out.
Pedri could be back for the game against Alavés this weekend, but Gavi and Ter Stegen won't be back for a while.
Tuesday's game in London is a chance for Barça to improve after a disappointing 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in their previous Champions League match.
Like Chelsea, they have seven points from four games, which puts them 11th in the standings. A win this week would help them move closer to their goal of finishing in the top eight.
Barcelona Nears a New Contract with Eric García
Barça is close to reaching a new long-term deal with Eric García, according to sources at ESPN.
García's contract ends next summer, but talks have gone well recently, and an agreement is expected soon.
The former Manchester City defender has become an important player under Hansi Flick this season, playing well as a central defender, right-back, and even as a holding midfielder.
García will be the latest player to have his contract renewed for strategic reasons, following Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong. Sporting director Deco will now focus on Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen.
Once García signs his new contract, they will be the only permanent players in the current squad whose contracts end in 2026.
ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION
Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.
Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.
Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.
From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.
That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.
By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.
They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.
Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.
It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.
Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.
PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.
Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.
JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL
Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.
Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.
Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”
He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”
On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”
Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”
At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a