Jordi Alba is determined to stay at Barcelona until his contract expires in 2024 and hopes he could still be reunited with Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.
Spain left-back Alba has his focus on World Cup duties for the coming weeks, believing La Roja are well-placed to challenge in Qatar, with a first game against Costa Rica coming up on Wednesday.
At the end of the last transfer window, Alba was linked with a shock move to Italian giants Inter, but he said in an interview with Cadena Ser that "nobody told me anything" about that prospect.
"My intention is to stay until the end of my contract because I think I can help; when I don't, I'll be the first to go," said the 33-year-old, a five-time LaLiga winner with Barcelona.
"I've improved and people who know realise it. Many things were heard about my decision at the club, but I decided to stay. Nobody told me anything about Inter."
Alba said he helped out financially stricken Barcelona with his contract after last year's European Championship, at a time when the club were looking to cut costs.
"Whenever they asked me for help from the club, I gave it. Nobody can say otherwise," he said. "Whenever the club has asked me for anything, and whatever it is, I have helped. I am from Barcelona and I feel the colours."
He saw Messi, Barcelona's record scorer and greatest player, leave to join Paris Saint-Germain after a contract offer was withdrawn, with the Catalans unable to afford to keep him.
Almost 18 months later, Messi continues to be linked with a switch back to Barcelona.
"Of course I would like Leo Messi to return to Barca," said Alba, in a separate interview with Cope. "He is the player with whom I have had the best understanding on a field and for the club it was a great loss."
Such is the intense focus on Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Spain national team can feel like a poor relation at times. However, the success they enjoyed from 2008 to 2012, winning two European Championships and the World Cup, meant the group united the country, and Alba feels they could also have an outstanding 2022 World Cup.
He said of the team's coach, a former Barcelona boss who played for both Clasico rivals: "Luis Enrique has done very well.
"We hadn't met our expectations for a while and the European Championship [where Spain reached the semi-finals] was very good.
"People got hooked again and I think they will do it again with the World Cup. I hope and want to go far in this World Cup."
West Ham boss David Moyes is expecting another tough test against Crystal Palace.
The Eagles are unbeaten in their last four visits to the London Stadium, winning two and drawing two.
But West Ham have won four of their last five matches in all competitions ahead of Sunday’s London derby.
“Crystal Palace have always been a tough team to play against throughout the years,” said Moyes.
“Roy Hodgson, as a manager, is always really well organised and highly prepared for whoever they’re playing against. It will be a really tough game for us, as are all the games in the Premier League.”
Former England boss Hodgson is the oldest manager in the Premier League having turned 76 in August.
Moyes, a relative spring chicken at 60, added: “I hope Roy stays working in the Premier League because that then means I’m not the oldest.
“Roy is doing a fine job and let’s hope he continues. He has been an incredible ambassador for football. The way he’s gone about the job, he’s a gentleman in what he does.
“To continue working in football now shows just how much love for the game he has.”
Moyes hopes to have Jarrod Bowen available after the forward missed the last two matches with a knee injury picked up on England duty.
Mohammed Kudus and Vladimir Coufal sat out the midweek Europa League win over Backa Topola in Serbia through illness and will also be assessed.
Striker Michail Antonio is still sidelined with a knee problem.
Asenjo, Marte on the double as Dom Rep maul Barbados 7-1 in Group C of League B
The Dominican Republic took a step forward in its efforts to finish atop Group C in League B of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers, with a 7-1 victory over Barbados at the Wildey Astro Turf Stadium in Bridgetown on Friday.
With the win, Dominican Republic moved up to 12 points, one behind leaders Bermuda, who were awarded a 3-0 win over St Vincent and the Grenadines by the disciplinary committee. The top two are scheduled to meet on Tuesday's final matchday to decide group honours.
On Friday, Mia Asenjo opened the scoring in the 21st minute when she connected with a pass over the top to beat Barbados goalkeeper Rhea Holder.
Acacia Small pilled Barbados level in the 32nd after she dispossessed a defender and later finished a lobbed attempt from outside the 18-yard box.
However, their celebrations were short-lived, as Dominican Republic regained the advantage in a minute later through Asenjo, who connected with another ball over the top and expertly headed past Holder.
Lucia Marte added a third for the visitors in the 48th with a strike at the left post from a Kathrynn Gonzalez cross.
Alyssa Oviedo notched a fourth for Dominican Republic in the 68th with a right-footed shot inside the box.
Gonzalez then got on the board in the 77th on a free kick hit with enough force that gave Holder no chance at a save.
Winibian Peralta extended the gap in the 82nd when she applied the finishing touch to a tidy build-up orchestrated by Jazmin Jackson.
Marte completed her brace in the 87th with a curling free kick to add the exclamation point and keep the Dominican Republic in the race for first place.
St Lucia's Louis, St Louis combine to put five past Guadeloupe
Krysan St. Louis notched a hat-trick and Arnicka Louis bagged a brace, as St Lucia hammered Guadeloupe 5-1 in their Concacaf Women's Gold Cup Qualifying Group B, League C encounter at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet on Friday.
The victory puts St Lucia within three points of group honours, which they can secure with victory away to leaders Cuba in their finale on Tuesday.
Just like she did in their first meeting when she scored four goals, Louis picked up where she left off and gave St Lucia an early seventh-minute lead when she converted from a goalmouth melee, after an initial effort was deflected on the post.
St Lucia doubled the lead in the 22nd minute when a counter-press opened up the defence for Louis to fire home her brace.
From there, it became the St. Louis show, as the Texas A&M forward notched her first with a deft chip over the keeper in the 39th, after her initial effort was blocked.
St. Louis looked poised to bag her second of the game shortly before half-time after a Guadeloupe handball resulted in a penalty. However, Guadeloupe's goalkeeper Maina Mornal denied her from the 12-yard spot, and in the process registered a third penalty save in three matches.
But St. Louis was not to be stopped and she eventually got a second in the 57th. She split a pair of defenders and later fired past Mornal.
Guadeloupe never threw in the towel, and they got their reward with a late goal in the 89th, when Sydjalhia Garriba fired in a right-footed shot.
Still, it was too little too late, as St Louis and St Lucia had the final say when she completed her hat trick with another tidy finish in time added.
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