Julian Nagelsmann expressed his desire to see Robert Lewandowski receive a warm welcome on his Bayern Munich return, as he backed the striker to continue his fine start to life at Barcelona.

Lewandowski, who scored 238 Bundesliga goals during an eight-year spell with the Bavarian giants before heading to Camp Nou in July, has made a scintillating start to his Barcelona career. 

The Poland international has scored six goals in his first five outings in LaLiga, and turned on the style with a hat-trick in Barca's 5-1 Champions League thrashing of Viktoria Plzen last week.

Lewandowski will make a swift return to Munich with his new club for Tuesday's huge Champions League fixture, and despite the less-than-amicable nature of his departure, Nagelsmann believes he should be received warmly.

"If I see him before [the game] then I'm certainly going to give him my hand. I'm not sure if I'll see him beforehand, usually I don't," Nagelsmann said.

"I'm looking forward to our fans welcoming him back. When a player has been so strong for the team over the years, I think it's important. 

"He was an important part of the Bayern family. We had a personal exchange a couple of weeks back, not regarding football. I am looking forward to seeing him again."

Asked about Lewandowski's start to life in Spain, Nagelsmann added: "I think he can still continue to play at that level for a couple of years, I'm not sure how many goals he can score this season, I'm no genie. 

"I think it will be plenty. He has scored 40 plus usually, so I think he can do that in the Spanish league as well.

"I'm not sure if he's the most dangerous, but he's certainly one of their most dangerous players, the one that can score the most goals. They have great solutions there.

"Lewandowski always has great runs and positions inside the box. He's the most dangerous in front of goal, but if he doesn't get a lot of balls, it's difficult [for him]."

Having coached Lewandowski when he brought up a half-century of goals in all competitions last term, Nagelsmann is acutely aware of his talents, and believes Dayot Upamecano's past experiences of facing him could aid Bayern. 

"I have plenty of positions that I'm already pretty clear on," Nagelsmann added. "Upamecano has memories of playing against Lewandowski, back when he was at RB Leipzig. He knows him from our practice as well."

While Upamecano is set to start at the Allianz Arena, Leon Goretzka will not, as Nagelsmann looks to ease the midfielder in following his injury lay-off.

"The position next to Joshua [Kimmich] is going to be [Marcel] Sabitzer," Nagelsmann said. 

"I've had a chat with Leon, it was my decision to keep him on [against Stuttgart on Saturday]. We decided to keep him on for 94 minutes, that was a long time for him after the injury. He reacted well to it and is feeling good. 

"Him having to play from the start is not going to happen, we need him for the whole season and don't want to give him too many minutes at the start."

Meanwhile, Barcelona have suffered eight Champions League defeats to Bayern – twice as many as they have lost against any other opponent (4 vs Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain).

Bayern also boast a 100 per cent record against the Blaugrana in the group stages and beat them twice in the competition last term, but Nagelsmann is keen to draw a line under those past meetings.

"We know Barcelona. They have a completely new mindset. You can delete the last few games against Barca from your memory, it's a whole different team, very aggressive," he said. "It reminds us of when Xavi still used to play himself. 

"In Gavi and Pedri they have great number eights that have great pressing actions as well. There's a great development there for the team, Xavi did a few things really well in the last weeks and months.

"They want to attack in a new way, and they're going to be very difficult opponents tomorrow."

Champions League football resumes on Tuesday, with Robert Lewandowski's return to Bayern Munich with Barcelona being an obvious highlight.

Barcelona travel to Bavaria in a match few would be disappointed to see replicated in next year's final, with Atletico Madrid also travelling to Germany to take on Bayer Leverkusen.

After Premier League football was suspended at the weekend as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, Liverpool are back in action against Ajax and are seeking to respond to a defeat to Napoli last week, while Tottenham travel to face Sporting CP.

Elsewhere, Inter face Viktoria Plzen after both sides lost their opening fixture and Eintracht Frankfurt, following defeat to Sporting, travel to Marseille – and the only remaining match of the day is Porto against Brugge.

For a closer look at all the action you can look forward to, Stats Perform has dived into the Opta data to highlight the most interesting facts for each match.

Bayern vs Barcelona

Scoring a hat-trick on his Champions League debut for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen, Lewandowski returns to Bavaria with a devastating record this season and his goals in the 5-1 triumph saw Barcelona scoring more in one game than they had in their previous nine matches in the competition (4).

While that will give the visitors confidence, Barcelona have a poor record against the Bundesliga champions having suffered eight defeats in the competition to Bayern – twice as many as they have lost against any other opponent (4 vs Milan, Chelsea and PSG).

Four of those losses have come in the group stages, with Bayern winning both matches in 1998-99 and 2021-22 to boast a 100 per cent record against Barcelona in that regard, who have not lost more than twice against any other opponent in the group stage.

On top of that, Bayern have won 35 of their last 37 home matches in the group stages of the Champions League – the only exceptions being a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in December 2013 and a 1-1 draw with Ajax in October 2018.

Liverpool vs Ajax

Liverpool won both meetings with Ajax in the 2020-21 Champions League group stages, the only campaign in the competition when they have met, with the Dutch side not beating Liverpool in any competition since a 5-1 win in December 1966.

Ajax's defeat to Liverpool in December 2020 is one of only two defeats that the Eredivisie champions have experienced in their last 25 matches (W13, D10) away from home in UEFA competition, the other being a 2-0 defeat to Getafe in February 2020 in the Europa League.

Having suffered defeat to Napoli last week, Liverpool are looking to avoid back-to-back defeats to start a Champions League campaign for the first time, while they have only lost their first home match in two of their previous 46 major European campaigns (W35, D9).

With seven Champions League wins in a row, Ajax travel to Anfield with a stellar run in the competition as only Bayern (8) boast a better winning streak currently.

Sporting vs Tottenham

While the two sides have never met competitively, Sporting are winless in all six of their Champions League matches against English opposition (D1, L5) and have lost all three of those games in Lisbon without scoring a single goal.

Tottenham's record against Portuguese opponents is scarce, winning against Pacos de Ferreira in the qualifying phases for the 2021-22 Europa League but not facing an opponent from the country in the Europe's premier competition since a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Benfica in the 1962-63 semi-final.

Sporting have never won their opening two matches in the Champions League, while Antonio Conte is looking to follow in the footsteps of Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs seek back-to-back wins to open a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2017-18 season under the Argentine.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico

Neither side has a particularly good record to encourage them heading into Tuesday's tie, with Leverkusen having won just four of their last 20 Champions League matches (D8, L8), while Atletico have only kept one clean sheet in 21 away matches against German opposition in major UEFA competitions.

Atletico have only won one of four away matches against Leverkusen, a 4-2 victory in February 2017 in the Champions League, and have won only one of their last seven matches in Germany – though that was the match in 2017.

Late drama is to be expected whenever Atletico compete in the Champions League, with five of their last 10 goals in the competition coming in the 90th minute of matches.

Other fixtures:

Viktoria Plzen vs Inter

8 - Viktoria Plzen have won their last eight home European matches (including qualifiers), scoring at least twice in every win (21 in total). They have only lost one of their last 19 on home soil in European football (W16 D2), a 5-0 reverse against Real Madrid during their last UEFA Champions League campaign in November 2018.

2 - Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Inter striker Lautaro Martínez has scored just two goals from 48 shots (inc. blocks) in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine’s shot conversion rate of 4.2 per cent (including blocks) is the lowest of any player to have attempted 30+ shots during this period.

Porto vs Brugge

3 - Porto have lost their last three UEFA Champions League matches, with two of those coming against Atletico; they have never lost four in a row in the competition before.

1 - In major European competition, Club Brugge have lost five of their six away matches in Portugal (W1), their one win coming against Sporting Braga in September 2011 in the UEFA Europa League.

Marseille vs Eintracht Frankfurt

15 - Marseille have lost 15 of their last 16 UEFA Champions League matches (W1), with the exception coming in their last home game in the competition in December 2020 against Olympiacos.

2 - Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt will face in European competition for only the second time, also meeting in the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League group stages. Frankfurt won both matches (2-1 away, 4-0 home).

After making a terrific start to the season, Arsenal are reportedly looking to bolster their squad further in the January transfer window as they weigh up a move for Barcelona winger Ferran Torres.

Torres, 22, was acquired by the Spanish giants this January after emerging at Manchester City as one of Spain's top young talents, costing €55million.

With his playing time inconsistent, and the numerous questions about Barcelona's finances and their need to sell players, it appears Torres is someone the club feels comfortable parting ways with less than 12 months after his arrival.

TOP STORY – ARSENAL WANT TO BRING TORRES BACK TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Torres has failed to establish himself as a regular starter, and with plenty of forward depth after the expensive additions of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha – along with Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati already being on the books – Barcelona are said to be looking to recoup their spending.

Fichajes is reporting Barcelona will be setting their asking price at the full amount they paid City, but for a young player who already has 13 international goals in 28 caps for Spain, it is not an unreasonable figure.

Meanwhile, 90min claims Barcelona are still looking to cash in on Frenkie de Jong after a lengthy transfer saga with Manchester United ended with no deal, indicating they may need to sell at least one player to keep balancing their books.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato are reporting Chelsea remain interested in United's Marcus Rashford, along with Atletico Madrid, if he does not receive a contract extension.

– According to The Sun, Wolves and Liverpool will both attempt to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, just months after he arrived from River Plate on a bargain €8million deal.

– Bayern Munich 's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has denied enquiring with Tottenham about the availability of Harry Kane, per Sport1.

– Corriere dello Sport is reporting Rafael Leao's contract demands with Milan have boosted his chances of leaving the club, with Chelsea named as the primary interested party. 

– Newcastle United's hunt for a goalkeeper did not end with their signing of free agent Loris Karius, with Portuguese publication JN reporting they are considering activating the £51m release clause for 22-year-old Porto goalie Diogo Costa.

Bayern Munich's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic believes Robert Lewandowski's return to the club in the Champions League with Barcelona will not be a "distraction".

The Poland international departed the Bundesliga champions during the transfer window, bringing an end to a trophy laden eight-year spell in Bavaria.

Lewandowski has quickly settled into life in his new surroundings, scoring nine goals in six games for Barca in all competitions – including a hat-trick in the Champions League victory against Viktoria Plzen last week.

All eyes are now firmly focused on the midweek clash between Bayern and Barca in Munich, but Salihamidzic is not worried about the prospect of Lewandowski affecting the preparation of Julian Nagelsmann's team, though he admitted better performances are required after a run of three straight Bundesliga draws.

"We have to go up one or two more gears. Even three. We need to play much better against Barca than we are currently doing," he told Sport.

"Barca have top-level players with Lewandowski at the helm and they will take advantage of every opportunity.

"We don't think Robert's return can be a distraction, we don't think so."

Bayern conceded a last-gap equaliser on Saturday against Stuttgart, Matthijs de Ligt giving away a penalty, while Barca swept aside Cadiz in a 4-0 win.

Robert Lewandowski has paid tribute to "great champion" Iga Swiatek following his compatriot's US Open triumph.

Swiatek became the first Polish singles champion at Flushing Meadows after defeating Ons Jabeur in straight sets on Saturday.

It was the world number one's second grand slam success of a brilliant season, having won a further six WTA titles including the French Open in June.

The 21-year-old became the first woman to triumph at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows in the same campaign since Serena Williams in 2013.

Swiatek and Lewandowski are among the pre-eminent Polish sports stars of this generation and shared an embrace on Court Philippe Chatrier following the former's success in Paris.

The Barcelona striker, who was on target in the Blaugrana's 4-0 win at Cadiz this weekend, celebrated his compatriot's latest victory, hailing the 10th WTA title of her career on social media.

"Congratulations Iga!" he tweeted. "You're a great champion, and you've proven it yet again on the biggest stage. I am so happy for you."

Liverpool reportedly had a deadline-day bid for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 20-year-old is hot property with a long list of suitors, after an impressive second half of last season in the Premier League.

Caicedo joined Brighton from Independiente del Valle in January 2021 on a four-and-half-year contract.

TOP STORY – BRIGHTON TO OPEN TALKS WITH CAICEDO

Brighton and Hove Albion will open contract talks with hot property Moises Caicedo according to The Mirror.

The Ecuadorian has interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Seagulls are determined to fend off those suitors by pinning Caicedo down to a new contract.

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes reports French giants Paris Saint-Germain will look to sign Antoine Griezmann after this season, as they begin planning for Lionel Messi's departure. Griezmann is currently on a two-year loan at Atletico Madrid from Barcelona. Messi is contracted until mid-2023 and view Griezmann as a suitable replacement if they cannot convince him to extend his stay.

– Barcelona will resume their chase for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in January, reports Sport. LaLiga has increased the club's salary cap, allowing them to pursue the Portuguese midfielder again.

– The Telegraph claims that among those under consideration for the vacant Brighton managerial role are ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto de Zerbi and Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen.

– Carlo Ancelotti is set to be rewarded for his successful 2021-22 campaign with Real Madrid set to offer him a new contract, according to Marca. Ancelotti's current deal runs until 2024.

Cadiz confirmed a fan who suffered a cardiac arrest during the 4-0 defeat to Barcelona was resuscitated before being admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital.

Play was stopped with under 10 minutes of normal time remaining at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday after it became apparent someone in the stands had been taken ill.

Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma could be seen passing a defibrillator to those in the stands, and after close to 20 minutes, the referee spoke with the captains of both sides, with the players taken off the field and down the tunnel.

Treatment was administered to the fan, with play resuming around 40 minutes later and the visitors going on to win the game 4-0.

A statement from Cadiz after the game confirmed the situation, adding that a camera operator had also been taken ill, but without "major consequences".

"When the 81st minute was completed, the match against Barcelona was paused as a result of a health alert in the south end stands," the statement read. "The protocol established with the Red Cross quickly became operational, assisting a man in cardiac arrest.

"One of the medical teams with a defibrillator and monitor moved to the stands, beginning the resuscitation tasks. At the same time, Barcelona offered a second defibrillator in case its use was necessary, being moved to the area by the players themselves.

"The resuscitation was positive after a few minutes, and the fan was transferred to the ICU of the Puerta del Mar Hospital where he remains admitted.

"In addition, one of the Tribuna camera operators suffered a fainting spell that was also quickly treated by the stadium's medical staff without major consequences."

Cadiz praised "the exemplary behaviour" of supporters, "as well as the members of security and the Red Cross for their prompt action that resulted in this incident having a happy ending".

Barcelona head coach Xavi says "life is above football" after his side's LaLiga clash with Cadiz was temporarily suspended due to a supporter suffering a cardiac arrest.

The visitors were two goals up with nine minutes to go at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla when play was halted and the players were taken off the field due to the medical emergency.

Goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma was seen passing a defibrillator into the stands prior to the concerned players making their way down the tunnel.

Cadiz released a statement later on Saturday confirming the fan in question had been stabilised and taken to the nearby Puerta del Mar Hospital.

A camera operator also fainted in a separate incident and was quickly treated by the stadium's medical staff.

Once play resumed after a 40-minute delay, Barca added to goals from Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski through Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele.

While ultimately pleased to see his side maintain their positive start to the campaign, Xavi was quick to put the result into some perspective.

"It was an eventful situation," he told Movistar. "Some said a supporter had fallen from the stands, others that it was a heart attack. 

"If there had been a misfortune of any sort, we would have stopped the game. We are talking about a human life and that is above football.

"Luckily no misfortune has happened and we have been able to play football.

"In the end it was a matter of humanity, with human qualities coming out. Between all of us, we have tried to add and we hope it will turn out well for the person involved."

Barca's victory was their first against Cadiz in five attempts, having drawn two and lost two of their past four encounters in a run stretching back to April 2006.

The Catalans have now won four and drawn one of their first five LaLiga matches in what is Xavi's first full campaign in charge, conceding just once in the process.

Across the past 36 years, only in the 2014-15 season have Barca conceded fewer goals at this stage of a league season.

Reflecting on a fifth win in a row in all competitions for his side, Xavi said: "It's an important win at a difficult ground. We hadn't won here for two seasons. 

"We created chances and we dominated. The three points were very important to stay at the top of the table.

"Sometimes we need to understand the last pass better, but I'm happy despite having not played an excellent game."

With a Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich to come on Tuesday, Fati, Lewandowski and Dembele were named among the substitutes versus Cadiz. 

Asked if that upcoming match impacted his selection decision, Xavi said: "Even if we didn't have Bayern next week, we'd have played with the same eleven.

"We have a very large squad and those who participated today played very well. This will be a regular dynamic this season when we play every three days."

Robert Lewandowski continued his brilliant start to life in LaLiga to help seal a 4-0 win for Barcelona at lowly Cadiz, though a medical emergency in the crowd marred Saturday's match.

Introduced by Xavi just after Frenkie de Jong's first goal of the season had put Barca ahead in Andalusia, Lewandowski slid in to wrap up the points.

It marked Lewandowski's sixth LaLiga goal in his fifth appearance in the competition, with no player having managed as many goals in their first five games in Spain's top flight in the 21st century.

Yet a routine win was soured in the closing stages, with play halted and the players taken off the field following a medical emergency in the stands.

When the match eventually resumed after a 40-minute delay, Lewandowski turned provider for Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele scored as Barca saw out a rout that moves them top of LaLiga with four wins from their five games.

Cadiz relied on the woodwork coming to their rescue in the 10th minute, when Raphinha's low effort hit the right-hand post.

Raphinha blazed over from Barca's next chance, with Memphis Depay showing a similar lack of composure after connecting with Ronald Araujo's knockdown.

De Jong tried a cheeky lob early in the second half, but it never came close to testing Jeremias Ledesma. Yet after a warning shot from Fede San Emeterio at the other end, the Barca midfielder was presented with a simple chance.

It was one he took, thumping a first-time finish into a gaping net after Ledesma had parried Gavi's cutback.

On from the bench, Lewandowski needed just eight minutes to put the game to bed – the 34-year-old's poacher's instincts on show as he tucked in a loose ball from a yard out.

The match was already over as a contest, but Barca added two more after the restart, with Lewandowski squaring for Fati to tap in before Dembele's shot squirmed home.

A medical issue in the crowd resulted in play being halted in the match between Cadiz and Barcelona.

Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong had put Barca 2-0 up in Saturday's game in Andalusia.

However, with Barca cruising to an easy win, play was stopped with under 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

The players waited on the pitch as it became apparent that something in the crowd was amiss, with Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma passing what seemed to be medical equipment to those in the stands.

After close to 20 minutes, the referee spoke with the captains of both sides, with the players taken off the field and down the tunnel.

No indication was immediately given as to when or if the match would resume.

A short statement from Barca read: "The game has been stopped due to a medical emergency with a fan in the stands. The players are going to the locker rooms."

Raphinha was told by former Barcelona forward Neymar he would not regret moving to Camp Nou, and the former Leeds United winger is content with his decision to turn down Chelsea.

The new Blaugrana signing has one goal and one assist in his first four appearances for the Catalan giants.

Raphinha might have ended up elsewhere as he left Leeds before the season, with Chelsea widely linked with a transfer, but he sought advice from Brazil team-mate Neymar, who won two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey crowns and the 2014-15 Champions League during a four-year stint with Barca between 2013 and 2017.

And the Paris Saint-Germain superstar told Raphinha to make the "dream" move to Barca.

"I spoke a lot to Neymar. He told me that if I came to Barcelona then I would not regret it," Raphinha told La Vanguardia. "And he was right."

Explaining why he snubbed Chelsea, the Brazil man added: "My dream was to wear the Barcelona shirt. This is a club that I have followed since I was very young.

"Since Ronaldinho arrived, I began to understand a little more about the history of the club. I wanted to be a part of this.

"So that dream, those desires were stronger than any other proposal no matter how powerful it was financially."

Now, Raphinha believes Xavi's side boast the required characteristics to challenge in this season's Champions League, having kicked off their campaign with an emphatic 5-1 rout of Viktoria Plzen in midweek.

"Apart from the talent that the team has, I think the most important thing [for winning the Champions League] is to have a winning mentality," he said. "And we have it.

"[If Barca win the Champions League] I will do the same thing I did with Leeds when we managed to secure safety: I will cross Camp Nou on my knees or on the field where we play. It could very well be Istanbul [this season]."

Chelsea's first big transfer splash under new boss Graham Potter could reportedly be RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, after the club had a £77million bid rejected before the deadline.

Gvardiol is young at 20, but he does not lack experience, having already been awarded 10 senior international caps for Croatia, as well as racking up 47 club appearances in all competitions last season for Leipzig.

He was one of many high-profile defenders to be enquired about during Chelsea's search that ended up landing Leicester City's Wesley Fofana and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

But with Koulibaly already 31 and Thiago Silva now 37, the club may feel it is best to figure out the succession plan sooner rather than later.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN BIG MOVE FOR GVARDIOL IN JANUARY

With over £150m spent between Fofana, Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, while being tied with Manchester United for the fewest goals scored in the Premier League by a team in the top-half (eight from six games), it is curious to see the Stamford Bridge side still so desperate for defensive help.

It remains to be seen what kind of budget Potter will be allowed to use in the January window, given all the recent signings had been under Thomas Tuchel's guidance, and it is also fair to assume a potential Gvardiol deal would not have this season's results in mind, given their previous offer included loaning him back to Leipzig.

Ownership's willingness to open up the cheque book in January would have likely been discussed during their recruitment of Potter, and Bild remain convinced Chelsea's interest with the young Croatian is far from over.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Newcastle United will compete for the signature of 26-year-old Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo, who is said to be available for £8.6m due to being in the last year of his contract.

– The Metro is reporting United full-back Diogo Dalot turned down a move to Milan, instead wishing to fight for his spot at Old Trafford.

– According to inews, Newcastle are joining the race for Vasco da Gama teenager Andrey Santos, who reportedly has a £30m price tag and is a target of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

– Jordi Alba is unsettled at Barcelona amid interest from Inter, but remains committed to the club where he now has to contend with Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso for the starting role, according to Marca.

Xavi said Barcelona expect Antoine Griezmann to make his Atletico Madrid stay permanent amid reports the Catalan giants could take legal action if los Colchoneros fail to purchase the forward.

Griezmann is midway through a two-year loan spell at Atleti, but Diego Simeone recently suggested his minutes were being managed in order to avoid activating a purchase clause in their deal with Barcelona.

The France international – who scored a 101st-minute winner in Atleti's Champions League opener against Porto on Wednesday – has made four substitute appearances in LaLiga this season, totalling just 109 minutes on the pitch.

On Friday, reports suggested Barcelona could take legal action over Atleti's reluctance to purchase Griezmann, after he featured more regularly in his first season on loan in the Spanish capital.

Asked about Griezmann's situation ahead of Barcelona's trip to Cadiz, Xavi said: "This is a question for Cholo [Simeone], who has already made it clear that he is a club man.

"It is not an issue for me. Look, we have held meetings with the club, talking about players, but I have not spoken with Antoine's club. I can't do anything else."

Pressed on whether he would welcome Griezmann back to Camp Nou, the Blaugrana boss said: "It's a club issue, it's not up to me, the clubs must talk. 

"In fact, we think that he is already an Atletico Madrid player."

But Simeone was reluctant to comment on the forward's future ahead of Atleti's meeting with Celta Vigo, declaring: "I have been very clear on a day-to-day basis on this matter. 

"It's been four dates and I've always said the same. I have nothing more to add."

Referencing the club hierarchy's apparent desire to hold Griezmann back, he then added: "Where the captain commands, the sailor does not command."

Barcelona will need to reduce their wage bill next term, says LaLiga president Javier Tebas, as the club do not have the income in order to match their pay packets.

The Blaugrana have famously been in financial turmoil over recent seasons, yet have been able to conduct high-priced transfer dealings through the activation of financial "levers" and risky strategies.

These have been born out of selling off crucial non-playing assets, helping to secure moves for Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha ahead of the new campaign amongst others.

But Tebas and league corporate general manager Javier Gomez say Xavi's team will need to cut their cloth, while defending the league's actions that have seen them seemingly over-accommodate the club's needs.

"Barca have to reduce the wage bill," the former stated. "Next year, there will be no levers and they will have to reduce the salary that may correspond to them.

"They could make more levers, but I don't think [they can or will]. We'll see what arises from the sale of players, but it is very difficult, impossible even, for them to maintain next season.

"There has been no special arrangements. To even be able to register [Jules] Kounde, the president and his treasurer have had to put in a personal guarantee. There has been nothing extraordinary.

Gomez added: "Barca have given up income for the next year and that income diminishes that capacity to retain players. They will not have that next year and they will have to adapt to the situation."

Barcelona head coach Xavi warned his side will face a "dangerous" opponent in Cadiz on Saturday, making it clear he is not yet considering the upcoming test against Bayern Munich.

The Catalan giants will travel to Bavaria for a huge Champions League clash in Group C, with both sides having won their respective opening fixtures against Viktoria Plzen and Inter.

Tuesday's fixture will also see Robert Lewandowski, who scored a hat-trick on his European debut for Barcelona, return to face the side he recently departed and that adds further intrigue to the game.

Xavi, however, is focusing on Saturday's LaLiga away clash against Cadiz and is expecting a difficult encounter, with Barcelona's opponents desperate to secure a first win of the season.

"It's a difficult, rocky, very defensive opponent. It's been tough for us the last four games, we haven't beaten them. Good day for football revenge," Xavi said in Friday's press conference.

Indeed, Cadiz have won two and drawn two of their last four against Barcelona in LaLiga, but this season they have been slow starters, losing four in a row to sit bottom of the Spanish top flight, in which Barcelona hold down second spot.

"They haven't won, but that makes them more dangerous, they will come out more aggressive," Xavi said. "It's a difficult place to go, one of those which [can decide who] wins the league. Here they secured their safety [from relegation] last year, they work very well even if they have not started very well.

"We are focused on the Cadiz alone. I understand the euphoria, but this has just begun. We have to be humble, we play for three very important points, and we are waiting to win against Cadiz, not thinking about Bayern.

"It's not difficult to manage, there are experienced players as well as young players, and they're all motivated and plugged in, I need them all."

Xavi echoed that sentiment when asked about Real Madrid losing Karim Benzema due to injury, with the first Clasico of the season coming up next month.

"We are waiting for the Cadiz game. Neither of Benzema, nor of [Antoine] Griezmann, nor of debates, I think of Cadiz, of how to play them, surprise them," Xavi said.

"We are looking out for ourselves, not the rest. If I'm looking out for others, we're going [to do] badly."