Premier League

Aguero, who joined Barcelona from City earlier this year, confirmed his decision to retire on Wednesday at an event featuring president Joan Laporta and the Blaugrana's first-team players, while representatives of the 33-year-old's other clubs – including Pep Guardiola – also attended.

The Argentina international suffered chest pain in a LaLiga match against Deportivo Alaves on October 30, which Barca confirmed was down to a heart arrhythmia.

Further tests resulted in Aguero being ruled out for three months to undergo a "diagnostic and therapeutic process". After consultations with specialists, he was told it would be too great a risk to continue playing.

Aguero scored 260 goals in his 10 years at City, with 184 of these coming in the Premier League, making him the highest-scoring overseas player in the competition's history.

Having scored league goals at a rate of one every 108 minutes, the best frequency of any player to net at least 20 in the competition, Aguero could play another 2,520 minutes of Premier League action (the equivalent of 28 full games) without scoring and he would still have the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any player to have scored 20 times or more.

Aguero scored seven league goals against Liverpool, with his last such strike a thumping opener in a crucial 2-1 win in January 2019. City edged out the Reds by a single point in that season's title race.

Asked about Aguero's impact on the Premier League, Klopp – whose side face struggling Newcastle United on Thursday – told a news conference: "Massive, massive.

"I really feel for the boy. He obviously made a move to Barcelona not to retire but for another exciting move in his career, he was not able to contribute because of his issues and I really feel for him.

"He had a great career, there will be a moment where he will see that as well and see that 33 is an age where other players retire but for other reasons, but of course for him at the moment he is of course in shock, that's what you get when you have to announce something like this.

"The impact he had on the Premier League, on football, I think was incredible. The whole time at City, even before Pep arrived there, the goals he scored, the importance of the goals he scored.

"Since I'm here, when we played against City, even if he was not too busy scoring against us, he was massive. He scored a very important one I remember. I don't know him as a person but as a player I can say he's one of the best I ever faced."

The Barcelona forward confirmed his decision to retire on Wednesday at an event featuring president Joan Laporta and the Blaugrana's first-team players, while representatives of Aguero's other clubs – including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola – also attended.

Aguero, who starred for Atletico Madrid before becoming a City great, suffered chest pain in the draw with Deportivo Alaves on October 30, which the club confirmed was down to a heart arrhythmia.

Further tests resulted in the Argentina forward being ruled out for three months to undergo a "diagnostic and therapeutic process". After consultations with specialists, Aguero was told it would be too great a risk to continue playing.

Aguero was in tears as he confirmed his retirement at Camp Nou but is happy with what he achieved throughout an astounding career.

"I was in good hands with the medical staff who did their best, who told me the best thing would be to stop playing," Aguero said.

"So, ten days ago I made that decision, but I want to tell everyone I did everything to have some hope, but there wasn't very much.

"I'm very proud of the career I've had, I'm very happy. I always dreamt of playing football since I was five, my dream was to play in the Primera [Argentina] – I never thought I'd get to Europe, so I want to thank everyone.

"Atletico took a bet on me when I was just 18, people at City – you know how I feel about City, I did everything to the best I could there, I'm very grateful because they looked after me very well, and everyone here at Barca. The team has been great to me, without doubt one of the best clubs in the world.

"I'm grateful because they treated me really well, and of course the Argentina national team, what I love the most. I'm grateful to everyone who's come today, my family, people who've worked with me, and to my team-mates – most recently of Barca – I think I always did my best to help them win.

"I also give my thanks to my team-mates who helped me to grow, and I'll leave now with my head held high, happy. I don't know what awaits me next, but I know there's lots of people who love me and want the best for me. I'm grateful to everyone who's here, all the clubs I played at, and I'll always remember the amazing things."

Aguero helped City win five Premier League titles during his time with the club – his last-gasp goal against QPR in 2012 securing one of the most memorable titles successes in the competition's history.

He left City having scored 184 times in the Premier League at a rate of one every 108 minutes, the best frequency of any player to net at least 20 in the competition's history. In fact, Aguero could play another 2,520 minutes of Premier League action (the equivalent of 28 full games) without scoring, and he would still have the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any player to have scored 20 or more.

The City player closest to that ratio (min. 20 goals) is Edin Dzeko, who scored a goal every 141.6 minutes for City in the English top flight. 

Aguero is also the Premier League's highest-scoring overseas player and holds the record for the number of goals scored for one club.

His only goal for Barcelona came in a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in October. A calf injury prevented him from playing more before his heart issue, though he helped Argentina win the Copa America in Brazil during the off-season.

Asked if he had processed the change in his life, Aguero replied: "I feel okay right now, obviously the first two weeks were really difficult. When they did the first physical test on me in the clinic, the medical staff called to say there was a big possibility I wouldn't be able to keep playing.

"I started to process then but it wasn't easy. I'm still processing everything – one of the doctors told me straight up, that's enough. When it was definitive, it took another few days to process. Right now, I'm okay but it was difficult."

The 25-year-old is set to be an important figure for his country at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where he will have another chance to impress possible suitors.

The former Club America player was said to have been the subject of a €50million offer from Chelsea in the last transfer window, which Ajax refused, leaving Alvarez by his own admission "very disappointed".

Alvarez has been unable to prevent Ajax slipping to an early exit from the Champions League, but domestically they are leading the way in the Eredivisie, even after losing head coach Erik ten Hag and star winger Antony to Manchester United.

United are among the clubs to have been linked with Alvarez, who hopes the "difficult situation" of the last transfer window can be quickly forgotten.

"Of course there was interest from Chelsea. Nobody expected that they would make another offer," Alvarez said. "Ajax really couldn't go anywhere. They couldn't do anything more. They didn't have a player in my position."

Speaking to ESPN, Alvarez said he "fought as far as I could" before committing to Ajax for this season, knowing future opportunities could arise should he again be a top performer.

He has attempted more tackles (38), contested the most duels for the ball (174) and made more interceptions (22) than any other Ajax player so far this term.

By producing on the pitch, he is keeping the door open for more transfer opportunities in the future.

"Eventually you are aware that everything changes. A better competition, a better life for yourself and for your family. Because that's what it's all about in the end," Alvarez said.

"I've always thought for myself that I'm here because of my love for football, but also for my family.

"On the other hand, it motivates me enormously that clubs of that size keep an eye on my matches, my actions. I am very disappointed, but I am convinced that sooner or later a big club will come for me."

Sidelined after suffering a slight problem in training, the goalkeeper missed last month's 3-2 extra time defeat to Atletico at Anfield that ended the Reds' reign in Europe.

Adrian deputised in the Brazilian's absence, though the back-up was at fault for the first of two goals scored by Marcos Llorente that helped the LaLiga side seal a 4-2 aggregate triumph and a place in the quarter-finals.

That game was Liverpool's last outing before the season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, though Alisson - who had also sat out the 2-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth on March 7 - was nearing fitness before the break.

"He sent videos, doing some jumping and exercises,” goalkeeper coach John Achterberg told the club's website about Alisson's progress.

“Obviously, we were working with him until the lockdown and he was basically fit. Now it's for him to maintain it in the house, like the other goalkeepers.

"They all get their programmes from the fitness department so they will do the job and the work to try to stay as fit as they can, like all the other players as well."

Alisson and the rest of the squad are in a unique situation as they train at home due to social-distancing measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus.

However, the Premier League leaders have made sure all their keepers have the equipment required to remain sharp during the suspension, with no immediate sign of a return to action.

"If they needed boots, we got them boots; if they needed balls, we got them some balls. So at least they have the stuff to work in the house as much as they can," Achterberg explained.

"The physical department sent all the weights around that the boys wanted and needed, because some live in apartments and some didn't have all the equipment needed, so the club has provided that with Andreas [Kornmayer's] team.

"They put all together all exercises and some live training sessions. So we've all been in there to try to keep the banter going but also keep the fitness levels going."

The winger was absent for Erik ten Hag's side at Old Trafford, with the manager simply stating he was injured.

But ahead of Friday's FA Cup clash with Everton, the club revealed Antony had been training on Wednesday, putting concerns to rest over any lingering problems.

Antony netted in his first three Premier League games for the Red Devils following his arrival at the start of the campaign, although he has not scored again since then.

The Brazil international's most recent goal came against Everton, and he will hope to be involved against the Toffees this week.

However, it appears former Everton loanee Donny van de Beek is set for a spell on the sidelines.

In just his second league start of the season, the midfielder was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge from Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi.

Ten Hag was unable to disclose the extent of the issue in his post-match comments, acknowledging: "We need to wait 24 hours. But it is not looking very good."

Aouar has reportedly emerged as a target for Guardiola's Premier League giants City and Ligue 1 champions PSG following his exploits for Lyon.

The 22-year-old French midfielder – also linked to the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal – played a key role in Lyon's memorable run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019-20.

Asked about Aouar's future and interest from PSG and City, Juninho told RMC Sport: "I think that has been happening directly with agents. We were not directly contacted. Maybe Vincent Ponsot [director general] was contacted by Manchester City, I am not sure.

"It is like that with these two teams, two enormous teams who play to win the Champions League every year, they have the capacity for that and that makes any player dream. I don't know if Houssem is ready to change project for a big Ligue 1 team like PSG.

"For City, of course Guardiola likes the player, but is that the profile that they are looking for today? We don't know that either and we have not received any official offers."

Juninho also discussed former forward Alexandre Lacazette and rumours linking Barca defender Samuel Umtiti with a return to Lyon.

Lacazette left Lyon for Arsenal in 2017 but he has found himself playing second fiddle to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in London, while Umtiti – who departed the French club a year earlier – reportedly finds himself on the transfer table.

"In January I called Alexandre Lacazette to chat a bit with him because he was having problems at Arsenal and I said to myself, 'Why not do a loan for six months with us where you will enjoy yourself, play all the games and score the goals like you know how to? And then you go back to Arsenal or somewhere else'," Juninho said.

"But from the moment that you start looking at the level of the contract of these players, like with Juventus and Barcelona, it is not possible for us today. Today, we have to tell the truth, we cannot pay the salary for a player like Umtiti.

"We have to be honest with the supporters. But if the player is looking for a project, is willing to make an effort maybe with a longer contract, wants to come home, then I will go and get him straight away."

A double for Eddie Nketiah helped fire Mikel Arteta's men into the fourth round with a 3-0 victory earlier this month.

But Arsenal were subsequently charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players after they surrounded referee David Coote protesting for a penalty in the first half.

Arsenal appealed the charge but have now seen their appeal turned down, and will have to pay out the financial sanction.

"Arsenal FC has been fined £40,000 after its players surrounded a match official during the FA Cup tie against Oxford United FC on Monday 9 January 2023," read a statement from the FA.

"Arsenal FC denied an allegation from the FA that the club had failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 34th minute, and the club also requested a hearing.

"An Independent Regulatory Commission subsequently upheld the allegation and imposed the club's fine.

"Its written reasons for these decisions will be published in due course."

This is the second financial penalty Arsenal have been hit with in January, having also been fined for their conduct against Newcastle United in a Premier League encounter.

On that occasion, the Gunners were also cited for failing to control their players in response to a no-penalty call from the officials in the closing stages of a 0-0 draw.

Gunners players mobbed referee Andy Madley in the 95th minute of the stalemate on January 3, convinced they should have been given a penalty.

Granit Xhaka's cross struck the arm of Jacob Murphy from a few yards away, and Madley opted against awarding a penalty.

Arsenal players reacted furiously, surrounding the official, while head coach Mikel Arteta vented his frustration on the sidelines.

A statement from the Football Association on Friday confirmed their punishment.

It read: "Arsenal have been fined £40,000 for breaching FA Rule E20.1 during their Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Tuesday, January 3.

"Arsenal admitted they failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 95th minute. An independent regulatory commission imposed the club's sanction during a subsequent hearing."

Arsenal are also awaiting confirmation of another sanction relating to the FA Cup, having been charged for the same offence after players reacted in a similar fashion to another penalty claim against Oxford United.

Turner was voted MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 after helping the Revs to Supporters' Shield success, though his side fell short in the playoffs with defeat to New York City in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

The 27-year-old joined the Revs as a free agent in 2016 after going undrafted and has been a regular for the past four seasons, racking up 97 MLS appearances over that time, including 28 last year when recording five clean sheets.

Arsenal have recently been linked with the USA international, who has been capped 13 times by his country, and Revs chief Arena has confirmed talks are ongoing between the two teams.

However, a transfer is not expected to go through this month, with Arsenal instead expected to wait until the end of the Premier League campaign before bringing in Turner – potentially to replace Bernd Leno, the back-up to Aaron Ramsdale.

"As speculated, there's a chance we could lose Matt Turner," Arena told the Sports Hub on 98.5 radio.

"If things work out the right way, we will lose him in the summer. We are in negotiations with Arsenal to complete the transfer. The likelihood of that happening is pretty strong."

Arsenal will reportedly pay an initial £4.5million ($6m) for Turner in a deal that could rise to £7.5m ($10m) with add-ons, which is the same amount Manchester City agreed to pay Columbus Crew for international rival Zack Steffen in 2019.

The delayed move for Turner may now see Leno stay in place for the remainder of the season.

Should he complete a switch, Turner will become the fifth American to sign for Arsenal after Gedion Zelalem, Danny Karbassiyoon, Frank Simek and Doug Farquhar.

The latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) put the number of confirmed cases at 86,927 in 59 countries, with 2,976 people killed.

Sporting events have been affected as countries take measures to contain the outbreak, with Swiss Super League and some Serie A fixtures having been postponed this weekend.

Matches in England have not yet been disrupted but, with 23 confirmed cases of the disease in the UK as of early on Sunday, there are growing concerns that competitions could be impacted.

Arsenal head coach Arteta insists there is no great anxiety within the club but accepts the players' families, particularly those from abroad, are worried.

Arteta also made it clear the club are following advice from authorities as they prepare for Monday's FA Cup fifth-round meeting with Portsmouth on Monday.

"[We are] not anxious," he said. "Obviously, we read the information, it's all the time in the media.

"Our families are concerned. We have a lot of foreign players with foreign families in different countries so it's something that is on a daily basis.

"The club and the authorities are in contact every day. We are following all the instructions from the club doctor.

"So far, the protocols we have been doing are enough but obviously don't know to what stage it is going to develop.

"We've seen in other countries the difficult decisions they have to make around it to protect the situation, so we have to wait and see and be guided by them."

Arsenal endured a difficult week as they exited the Europa League following a shock 2-1 home defeat to Olympiacos on Thursday, which saw them lose the last-32 tie on away goals.

Arteta is now hoping for a long run in the FA Cup to bring some positivity to the Gunners' season.

"It's really special," he said of the competition. "It's probably one of the nicest games and days of the season when you play the final day in England, at Wembley, nice weather and an incredible atmosphere.

"And you know, it's a trophy that's been very much linked with our history. So, we want to continue to be attached to that, knowing that on Monday night in Portsmouth, it will be tough."

The Arsenal manager worked under Guardiola at Manchester City before taking charge at Emirates Stadium in December 2019, and is now in the middle of a title race in the Premier League with his former mentor.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday's game between the Gunners and City and the Etihad Stadium, Arteta said he was inspired by Guardiola, and compared his impact on football to that of Johan Cruyff.

"I feel gratitude, first of all, because he inspired me as a player, and he inspired me and gave me the opportunity as a coach," the Spaniard said. 

"I wouldn't probably have had the career that I had as a player, the understanding of the game or the purpose that I had as a player if he hadn't been at that time at Barcelona.

"And I wouldn't be sitting here and having that willingness and that love for coaching if we hadn't crossed in my life and he hadn't given the opportunity that he gave me. That's it."

Arteta spent three years as a player in Barcelona's C and B teams before leaving for Rangers in 2002, while Guardiola was a part of the Blaugrana's first team at the same time.

"I was looking at him and I just wanted to do it what he was doing," Arteta explained. "And I loved the way he played and the way he was transmitting on the pitch and his understanding what was happening on the pitch. It was an inspiration, since I was 18 years old."

Guardiola helped turn Barca into a dominant force as a head coach, before successful spells at Bayern Munich and City, and Arteta said he has picked up a lot from working with him closely.

"I think the influence that Pep has had on football in the past 20 years, it's just incredibly powerful," he said. "He changed the game, like Johan did in the past... we have been inspired by a lot of things that he's done. 

"Everyone has to build his own career and his own pathway. A career is not for six months, or a year, or two years. Let's see and let everybody develop the way that they should."

Arteta worked under the tutelage of Guardiola as his assistant from July 2016 until departing to replace Unai Emery as Arsenal head coach last December.

Earlier this month, Arteta had an unhappy return to the Etihad Stadium as the Gunners were beaten 3-0 by City when the Premier League returned from its coronavirus hiatus.

He has a chance to avenge that defeat before the end of the campaign after the teams were drawn to face one another in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Arsenal overcoming Sheffield United and City defeating Newcastle United to make the last four.

Arteta recognises the challenge Arsenal face but acknowledges to win the biggest prizes Arsenal have to overcome the best teams.

"We have spoken a few times in recent weeks. Facing them again in the semi-final is a tricky one but look at the level of the teams who are involved in the competition," Arteta said. 

"If you want to win the title, you have to beat the best teams and if we want to do that we have to beat City."

Arteta may no longer work under Guardiola but says he is still able to seek his counsel.

"Yeah, he's a person that I have huge respect and admiration [for] and we talk about a lot of things," he added. 

"When I need advice or I want him to support me he's always there and willing to help me. For me it's great to have someone like him around."

Since leaving City for Arsenal, Arteta has sought to blood the youngsters within his squad.

Bukayo Saka has particularly flourished under Arteta, while big things are expected of academy prospect Folarin Balogun.

Both youngsters are out of contract in June 2021, with Saka linked to the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, while Southampton are said to be monitoring Balogun's situation.

But Arteta is confident of tying both players down to long-term contracts.

"I am not worried because I know that the club is doing their best to try to keep them," he added. 

"Hopefully we can have some good news about them very soon. They know my opinion on them and how much I like working with them, the intention that I have in the future with them. 

"I see them really committed and hopefully we can find the right agreement for both parties and move on, because I think there's a great future ahead of us with these kids."

The 31-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Madrid and was taken off at half-time in Wales' 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday as his lack of fitness told.

Giggs revealed after the match the substitution was planned for Bale, who had played a combined 100 minutes since February prior to the Nations League clash in Helsinki.

However, the Wales boss is not worried about forward's tribulations at club level and expects an improved display against Bulgaria on Sunday.

"With his situation, it doesn't change. I'm always happy with Gareth when he comes here," Giggs said at a pre-match news conference on Saturday.

"He's great around the camp and is one everyone looks up to. Like anyone else he needs to get more training time and more minutes.

"I was pleased with Gareth the other night that he was able to get 45 minutes under his belt.

"He'd only done two or three days' training. Finland are a physical team of giants and made it difficult for us so he'll be all the better for that 45 minutes."

Bale earned cap number 84 for Wales last week on the day that Liverpool right-back Neco Williams made his senior international bow.

The youngster came on as a second-half substitute and is now in contention to start against Bulgaria, with Wales looking to make it back-to-back wins in Group B4.

"It was a fantastic debut from Neco," Giggs said.

"He came on and gave us real energy and he's shown his quality in training. He's definitely given me a problem [with selection]. It's a good problem to have.

"We're really happy with Neco and he's in my thoughts with regards to starting."

Lionel Messi scooped the accolade for a seventh time on Monday, but many felt this would be Lewandowski's time to take the glory.

Klopp benefited from the brilliance of Lewandowski when both men were at Borussia Dortmund, with the Poland international scoring 103 goals before switching to Bayern.

At club level, Lewandowski has scored 53 goals already in 2021, with six assists taking him to 59 goal involvements, the most in Europe's top five leagues.

Messi sits fifth on that list (32 goals, 12 assists) but helped Argentina to win the Copa America, thereby winning one of the few trophies that had eluded him.

That likely tipped the vote his way, with Messi's form since leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in August having so far been sketchy by his mercurial standards.

Asked initially whether he was surprised there were six players who ranked higher than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Klopp said: "I was surprised to be honest, but it's not in my hands. If you think he should be higher up, then you'll have to convince your colleagues."

Then Klopp turned his focus to Lewandowski, a player he once described as the best he has ever coached. Lewandowski was second to Messi for the coveted Ballon d'Or, which is voted for by journalists from across the world.

The 33-year-old scored 41 Bundesliga goals last season, breaking a record for the most in the division that was previously held by Gerd Muller.

"I think that you always can give it to Lionel Messi for the career he has and the footballer he is, all these kinds of things, but if you don't give it to Robert Lewandowski this time then it's quite tricky to get it at all," said the Liverpool boss.

"And yes, Mo definitely should have been high up."

Lewandowski would also have been a frontrunner in 2020, only for organisers France Football to cancel the awards due to the impact of the COVID-19 enforced break in the football year.

He managed 57 goals involvements (45 goals, 12 assists) in 2020, which was 10 more than Cristiano Ronaldo (41 goals, 6 assists), who had the second-most in the elite leagues, and 12 ahead of Messi (26 goals, 19 assists).

Messi won football's top individual accolade for a record-extending seventh time on Monday largely thanks to his success at international level with Argentina.

The 34-year-old played a key part in Argentina's Copa America success, contributing to nine of the 13 goals his side scored as he ended his long wait for an international trophy.

He has had a rather more mixed year at club level, having scored 28 goals in 29 games for Barcelona before completing a shock transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in August.

Messi has netted just four times in his first 11 games for PSG, but he did enough to finish ahead of favourite Robert Lewandowski for his latest Ballon d'Or triumph.

Lewandowski finished second despite scoring 53 times in 42 games this year so far – 15 more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues across all competitions.

Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was third, followed by Benzema – who has 34 goals this year – in fourth and N'Golo Kante placed fifth. 

Five-time winner Ronaldo finished sixth – the first time he has failed to make the top three in 11 years – but Kroos insists his former team-mate, as well as current colleague Benzema, have impressed more this year than Messi.

"[Messi's] award is absolutely not deserved," Kroos said on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast. "There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano, has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should've been others ahead of him.

"For me, Karim would have been the number one if you were really looking for the best individual player of the last year. I can see from close quarters what an outstanding footballer he is.

"When I see how many decisive goals Cristiano has scored lately – Manchester United are still in the Champions League thanks to him alone – then, in my eyes, Cristiano would have also come before Messi."

Messi won the first of his seven Ballons d'Or in 2009 and now has two more than Ronaldo, with Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten next on the list with three each.

The PSG superstar's latest success has caused plenty of debate, however, with legendary Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas also questioning the outcome of Monday's vote.

"It is increasingly difficult for me to believe in football awards," he posted on his personal Twitter account.

"For me, Messi, he is one of the five best players in all of history, but you have to know how to list the most outstanding players in a season. It's not that hard."

Planes, who was recently linked with a switch to Newcastle United, heads out of Barcelona within a fortnight of Xavi arriving as head coach.

He had a contract running through to the end of this season but will depart with immediate effect, having requested to be freed from his deal.

Barcelona said in a statement: "FC Barcelona and Ramon Planes have reached an agreement to terminate the contract that bound both parties until 30 June 2022, at the request of the man who had until now been the club's technical secretary.

"The club wishes to publicly express its gratitude to Ramon Planes for his commitment, professionalism and contributions throughout this last two years, and wishes him the best of luck and every success in the future."

Spanish sports daily Marca last week claimed there had already been contact between Planes and Newcastle, who are newly wealthy after a takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund but are also fighting a Premier League relegation battle.

Newcastle have appointed Eddie Howe as their new head coach but are seeking reinforcements to their staff elsewhere, and recruiting a man who has spent three and a half years at Barcelona would be seen as a coup, despite the LaLiga team having struggled in recent times.

Planes joined from Getafe in 2018 and was initially assistant technical secretary to Eric Abidal before taking on the lead role in August 2020.

His exit continues the process of overhauling Barcelona's football staff since Joan Laporta was elected as president in March.

The team sit ninth in LaLiga after winning just four of their opening 12 games, managing 19 goals so far from an expected goals (xG) tally of 21.03. Expected goals totals are judged by quality of chances.

Since the 2010-11 season, the point from which Opta has such records available, Barcelona have always exceeded their xG across a LaLiga season. Last term, before Lionel Messi's exit, they scored 85 goals from an xG score of 73.96.

Patience in former head coach Ronald Koeman ran out in October, paving the way for club legend Xavi to return to the club from Qatari club Al Sadd.

The departure of Planes will allow Xavi and Laporta to build their own leadership group.

Xavi is set for his first match as head coach when Barcelona host Espanyol in Saturday's derby.

Hansi Flick's team won a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble in 2019-20, seeing off Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the European football's premier competition in August.

Robert Lewandowski and Joshua Kimmich were the only Bayern players to make the long-list last year, and those two again feature this time around.

Lewandowski scored a remarkable 55 goals across all competitions for Bayern last term, and has hit the ground running this season, netting 15 times to take his tally for the year so far to 70.

Manuel Neuer enjoyed something of a resurgence last term and heads up a list of 10 goalkeepers.

David Alaba was last on the list in 2017 but returns after starring at centre-back alongside Jerome Boateng, who also makes his first appearance in three years.

Thomas Muller is back after a four-year absence, while Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka are all included for the first time.

Philippe Coutinho was something of a bit-part player though did score twice and provide an assist in a thumping 8-2 win over Barcelona – where he has now returned after a loan spell in Munich – in the Champions League semi-finals, while Thiago Alcantara, now of Liverpool, also features.

The list, which is based on players who received the most votes from other professionals, also includes 11 new faces.

It is no shock to see Borussia Dortmund's scoring sensation Erling Haaland make the cut, while Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is also involved.

Dele Alli, meanwhile, is something of a surprise inclusion.

The Tottenham midfielder has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, making only two Premier League appearances, with his only top-flight start coming in the opening day defeat to Everton – in total, Alli has played just 66 league minutes this term.

Premier League champions Liverpool have eight players on the list, including new signing Thiago.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are included among 15 forwards, while Dani Alves is the only player on the list not to play in Europe's top five leagues.

The 2020 FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11 will be made up of the goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers who receive the most votes, with the final spot going to the highest-ranking outfielder outside of the top nine.

Rather than just run through the usual categories highlighting the best player and best coach – although we will do that, too – why not focus on some alternative prizes?

The NBA Awards provide a fine blueprint, rewarding superstars alongside breakout performers, recovering veterans and valuable bench players.

Relying heavily on Opta data, we'll steer clear of team honours – a blow to Wout Weghorst, whose eight blocks (leading all forwards in Europe's top five leagues) might have carved out a spot leading the All-Defensive First Team – but there remains plenty to go at...

Most Valuable Player

Only one player had more goal involvements than Karim Benzema (39) in the top five leagues this season, and Real Madrid would really rather not talk about the man top of the charts. That other leading France forward had a hand in 45 goals, yet the value of Benzema's contributions to a LaLiga title triumph separates him from the rest.

Benzema's goal involvements were worth 29 points across the season, the most of any player, with Kylian Mbappe, of course, second on 28. Just considering Benzema's 27 goals, he accounted for 20 points – trailing Dusan Vlahovic (22 points) alone.

Required to perform repeated rescue acts in the Champions League, too, Madrid's number nine played only 2,596 minutes in LaLiga – or 75.9 per cent of the full season. He was therefore involved in a goal every 67 minutes, narrowly second in this regard behind Erling Haaland (66 minutes) among those to play 1,000 minutes or more across Europe.

Coach of the Year

Were this the NBA, Carlo Ancelotti would surely also qualify for the Lifetime Achievement Award. In guiding Benzema and Madrid to the LaLiga title, the Italian became the first coach to win each of Europe's top five leagues, following successes in Serie A with Milan, the Premier League with Chelsea, Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti, also the oldest LaLiga-winning coach at 62, earned only two more points than Zinedine Zidane had in finishing second in the prior season, but Madrid maintained this high standard despite losing both of their senior centre-backs heading into the campaign as they seemingly saved for the now failed pursuit of Mbappe.

Meanwhile, Everton, the team Ancelotti left for his second Madrid stint, finished 20 points short of their 2020-21 total, spending the season battling relegation rather than chasing Europe and perhaps putting his work at Goodison Park in context.

Rookie of the Year

Given the differences between the NBA and Europe's top five leagues, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many players might be considered 'rookies', let alone identify the best of them. Someone like Luis Diaz, for example, played his first minutes in the top five leagues this season, yet he had already scored goals in the Champions League and Copa America so surely doesn't fit the bill.

On the other hand, Hugo Ekitike definitely does.

Among the nine players who were teenagers at the start of the season and finished with 10 or more goal involvements, only Ekitike had never previously started a game in Europe's top five leagues. His 13 involvements in 2021-22 (10 goals, three assists) arrived every 98 minutes on average, the best rate of this group and the 18th-best overall – just behind Neymar (also 98 mins) and ahead of Son Heung-min (101 mins).

The 19-year-old Reims forward, who turned down a transfer to Newcastle United in January before sustaining a thigh injury, scored with an astonishing 32.3 per cent of his shots – second behind Wissam Ben Yedder (34.7 per cent) among players with 20 or more attempts – and has been linked with moves to PSG and Borussia Dortmund, as well as St James' Park.

Defensive Player of the Year

As elsewhere, many of these awards focus on offensive talents, so there is a dedicated category for the best defender – and there could really only be one winner this year.

Injury restricted Virgil van Dijk to 371 minutes in 2019-20, and he was badly missed by Liverpool in their title defence, as they conceded 42 Premier League goals – their most since shipping the same number in the season before the centre-back's 2018 arrival.

With Van Dijk fit again this term and missing only four matches, the Reds conceded the joint-fewest number of goals across the top five leagues (26, tied with Manchester City). No defender played a part in more clean sheets (21).

Those figures show the impact Van Dijk had on the team as a whole, but his performances in individual battles were equally impressive. The Liverpool man won 73.5 per cent of his duels and 77.5 per cent of his aerial duels – both the best marks of defenders to make 30 or more appearances in the top five leagues.

Comeback Player of the Year

Okay, so the NBA no longer highlights a Comeback Player of the Year, but the NFL continues to identify an individual who has overcome the adversity of the previous campaign, allowing us to recognise one of the stories of the season.

Of course, for the reasons outlined above, Van Dijk might have had a claim to this prize in any other year, yet he is beaten this time by a player who actually won Serie A in 2020-21.

Within weeks of that title triumph, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, prompting fears for his life and then, even after his recovery, his career.

But Eriksen was fitted with an ICD, left Inter, joined Brentford in January and promptly won each of the first five Premier League games he started for the relegation-threatened Bees. Finishing with seven victories from 10 starts, only nine players in the top five leagues created more chances over this period than Eriksen (29, including four assists).

Most Improved Player

There were no shortage of players showing signs of significant improvement in 2021-22. Five-goal Euro 2020 forward Patrik Schick starred on the club stage at last, Newcastle striker-turned-midfielder Joelinton enjoyed a resurgence and Vinicius Junior was outstanding as Benzema's foil, but Christopher Nkunku stood head and shoulders above the rest as he swiftly established himself among Europe's elite.

Nkunku had scored a mere six goals and assisted the same number for RB Leipzig in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, but those goal involvements increased dramatically from 12 to 33 this season, ranking fifth across Europe's top five leagues and joint-third when excluding penalties (32). With 20 total goals and 13 assists, the newly capped France international was one of just 12 players to reach double figures in both categories.

Of players to feature in at least 20 games in each of the past two campaigns, only Moussa Dembele (20) and Schick (15) improved their season-on-season goal tallies by a greater margin than Nkunku (14); Dembele alone (24) showed greater improvement in terms of goal involvements (21).

In a season in which Leipzig recovered from a slow start to make the top four by a single point, Nkunku's contributions were vital. He had a hand in 45.8 per cent of their Bundesliga goals and 50.8 per cent of those he was on the field for.

Twelfth Man of the Year

The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year is recognised as the season's most impactful bench player, which feels like a nice addition here.

Were this a long-standing European football award, it might have by now been renamed in honour of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored 17 goals in 84 Premier League substitute appearances – one every 88 minutes on average. Given Rodrygo Goes and Eduardo Camavinga largely reserved their heroics for the Champions League, the 2021-22 equivalent in the top five leagues could be Matheus Cunha.

Ben Yedder scored the most goals from the bench this season, but those seven counted towards 25 in total as he also started 29 matches. Cunha was restricted to only eight starts for Atletico Madrid, yet he scored three and assisted four in 21 outings as a substitute, matching Ben Yedder and Ignacio Pussetto with a Europe-high seven such goal involvements.

Atletico's man in times of need, Cunha contributed to vital goals, too. He was one of only two players to both score and assist in the same game as a substitute on more than one occasion (also Arnaud Nordin), with the second of those two performances seeing the Brazil forward introduced against Valencia with his side 2-0 down; Cunha scored seven minutes after his introduction and later teed up the winner in a 3-2 victory, justifying his season-long role as a super-sub.

Roberto Firmino scored the first-half winner as the unbeaten Reds recorded their 20th top-flight victory in 21 games to take their tally to 61 points this term.

In the three-points-for-a-win era, that is the biggest points haul any team in Europe's top five leagues has ever managed after 21 games.

The likes of Barcelona, PSG, Juventus and Bayern Munich have enjoyed spells as all-conquering giants in their respective domestic leagues, yet none of those sides have been able to achieve such a total at the same stage.

In avoiding defeat, Klopp's side also extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 38 games, the equivalent of a full season.

They have accrued 104 points in that time, winning 33 times and drawing on five occasions, bettering the previous record totals Manchester City and Chelsea (both 102) managed across 38-match spells in 2017-18 and 2005 respectively.

Boehly headed the consortium that bought the Premier League side in May after the UK government received assurances former Blues owners Roman Abramovich would not benefit financially.

Abramovich had put the club up for sale after being sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Boehly and Clearlake Capital's acquisition ending a 19-year spell for the Russian with Chelsea.

Chelsea were the most successful team during the Abramovich era, winning 21 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.

That success came after significant investment from the Russian oligarch, but Boehly cannot foresee similar spending as Chelsea prepare for a new dawn under the American.

"Financial fair play is starting to get some teeth and that will limit ability to acquire players at any price," Boehly said at the SuperReturn International conference in Berlin.

"UEFA takes it seriously and will continue to take it seriously. [More teeth] means financial penalties and disqualification from sporting competitions."

Earlier in the week, LaLiga filed another UEFA complaint against Paris Saint-Germain over FFP breaches, as they did with Manchester City last April.

LaLiga chief Javier Tebas has repeatedly expressed his disappointment with the inflated spending levels, with PSG being taken to court over their actions.

That is perhaps why Boehly is considering alternate revenue channels to further aid the cause at Stamford Bridge, as he looks to bring an American-style thinking to English football.

"We think the global footprint of this sport is really undeveloped," Boehly said. "There are four billion fans of European football. There are 170 million fans of NFL.

"Global club football is a fraction of the NFL media money. We are also going to be thinking about, how do we get more revenues for the players?

"If you look at [NBA's] LeBron James, for example, he has a whole business and a whole team dedicated to what's not on the court.

"So I think there is an opportunity to capture some of that American mentality into English sports and really develop them."