Her mother and Kobe’s widow Vanessa Bryant made sure to spread Gigi’s love in most amazing way Gigi tragically passed away with dad Kobe in the January of 2020 helicopter crash in Southern California that took the lives of nine people RELATED: Vanessa Bryant gives amazing Gigi tribute after UConn championship A photo of Gigi Vanessa shared on her would-be 19th. / Vanessa Bryant/InstagramOther tributes poured in for her, including from good friend Pau Gasol and his wife Catherine, who received Gigi’s special edition Kobe 9 Protro “Mambacita” shoes that released on 5/1 for her birthday Cat wrote on her IG a touching message: “Even just the box is pretty but somehow even more special on the inside We continue to be so proud of you and miss you so much Kat Gasol/InstagramRELATED: Vanessa Bryant gets heartfelt Kobe anniversary gift from Pau Gasol, wife The amazing part about the super awesome “Mambacita” sneakers gift with all the Gigi details on them was Cat revealed she received the box at exactly 5:01 PM on 5/1 The Bryants and the Gasol families have remeained super close after Kobe’s death, including taking a family ski trip recently where they took some adorable family photos Cat and Pau also sent Vanessa an amazing flower arrangement for Gigi Vanessa Bryant/InstagramWhat an awesome way to honor Gigi by Vanessa with her gift and impeccable timing to the Gasol family Pau Gasol (right) is presented the 2023 Kobe &Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award by Vanessa Bryant (center) during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game at Vivint Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images— Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI — First Lady!: Steve Sarkisian’s wife Loreal stuns in first public outing since baby Ex-wife too!: Shedeur, Shilo celebrate making NFL with mom Pilar, Deion in epic pic Brotherly love: Shedeur, Shilo have funny ‘wager’ playing tennis during NFL draft Holy moly: Texas star Quinn Ewers’ insane NFL draft hunting room looks bonkers Dethroned: Paige, Clark crushed by surprising No. 1 WNBA social media star The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER the NBA Hall of Famer and 2x champ Pau Gasol on Knuckleheads Pau looks back on his journey from growing up in Barcelona to becoming the highest drafted international player at the time helping the Grizzlies lay their foundation and what it was like to get traded for his brother and go to the Lakers We get Kobe stories and look back on those Lakers championship runs NBA veterans Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles are lifelong friends and bona fide truth-tellers musicians and entertainers to get brutally honest about everything from current events to untold stories from the golden era of sports and culture Named for the on-court celebration they made wildly popular hilarious and surprising podcast is like playing NBA 2K with no fouls Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Knuckleheads with David WestThis week on Knuckleheads we got a true enforcer and pick-and-pop master Knuckleheads with Gary PaytonWe got a Top 75 player on Knuckleheads this week as The Glove aka Gary Payton joins Q and D © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Victor Wembanyama and Pau Gasol have shared their heartfelt thoughts as well Gregg Popovich stepped down as the San Antonio Spurs‘ head coach after 28 and a half years in the job Pop named himself to the role in 1996 and led the team to five NBA championships The announcement that he would no longer be courtside was followed by disbelief from fans This is despite his health concerns this season which meant that this was always a possibility Popovich retires as the winningest coach in NBA history. He started his career coaching David Robinson, drafted and developed Tim Duncan into an all-time great, and has been coaching Victor Wembanyama during his first two seasons The young Spurs superstar took to social media to share his admiration for the San Antonio legend Wemby came into the league with great expectations The Frenchman owes a lot to Popovich’s influence on his early career Wembanyama had hinted at the new head coach he might want if Popovich retired but that doesn’t lessen how much his impact meant His heartfelt tribute on X is proof of that “But most importantly for being a great and inspiring person It was an honor to be a part of those 29 years Wishing you the best on your new chapter.” for the culture you created…But most importantly for being a great and inspiring person It was an honor to be a part of those 29 years🙏🏽 Wishing you the best on your new chapter.🐐 Pau Gasol experienced playing against Popovich, competing in the playoffs against the mighty Spurs sides with the Los Angeles Lakers He also got to learn from the great coach when he played for the Spurs from 2016 to 2019 “It was an honor to learn from your knowledge and your love of basketball Happy to see you stay with Spurs doing what you enjoy It was an honor to learn from your knowledge and your love of basketball. Happy to see you stay with @spurs doing what you enjoy, Coach. https://t.co/kFw5Oi5zeh The 76-year-old will be staying on as Team President, as Gasol’s post implies. His successor, Mitch Johnson, has already been named by the organization. Fans that thought it would be Michael Malone have been disappointed The future looks bright for the Spurs with Wembanyama leading the way and Popovich still in charge at the decision-making level The legendary coach will be missed courtside Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will be allowed to play for Barcelona for the rest of the 2024-25 season after the Spanish government upheld the club’s appeal over their registration issues In January, the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), the Spanish government’s High Sports Council, suspended a decision reached by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga to cancel the pair’s sporting licenses required by players in Spain to represent their club or country Barcelona had missed the December 31 deadline to extend the licenses of Olmo The CSD gave the pair temporary permission to continue playing for at least three months until a definitive ruling was made The CSD confirmed on Thursday that both players would maintain their licenses as it deemed the ‘monitoring committee’ established by La Liga and the RFEF which had initially revoked the licenses was not entitled to make such decisions La Liga announced it intends to “immediately” appeal the CSD’s decision La Liga argue the two players’ licenses expired on December 31 and therefore deny revoking them A league statement read: ”La Liga reiterates its dedication to legality competitive equity and the objective application of the norms in terms of the economic control and registration of players and not considering the aforementioned resolution to conform to the law The CSD also addressed further concerns raised by La Liga this week. La Liga has reported to the authorities an auditor Barca had employed for four days and which played a vital role in them being allowed to register Olmo and Victor La Liga said Barcelona had reported three auditors to La Liga in the space of three months and that only the unnamed auditor had included the sale of VIP seating worth €100million at the as-yet unfinished Camp Nou in their statements to the league The CSD said this decision “was not about the economic controls that La Liga realises with its associated clubs” La Liga typically grants licenses to players for the duration of their contracts but Olmo and Victor were only given temporary permits for registration until the end of December due to Barcelona being over their salary limit This was to allow the club time to prove fresh revenue streams Olmo was only allowed to be registered for the first half of the season due to long-term injuries sustained by other Barcelona players If a club lose a player to injury for at least four months La Liga rules allow them to allocate 80 per cent of that player’s salary in the club’s allowance to register another player Barcelona took steps to address their financial situation, announcing a new sponsorship deal with Nike in November La Liga confirmed in January Barcelona had received money from the sale of VIP boxes at the Camp Nou Olmo joined Barca from RB Leipzig in a €60m move in August He has made 28 appearances in all competitions The midfielder had a clause inserted into his contract that would allow him to leave on a free transfer if Barcelona had been unable to register him Victor made his loan move from Girona to Barca permanent in the summer and has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season the majority of which have been from the bench Barcelona are top of La Liga with nine games remaining leading second-place Real Madrid by three points This is a huge win for Barcelona and president Joan Laporta specifically who has avoided what could have been another significant institutional crisis this is fantastic news for Hansi Flick’s side They enter a crunch period in their season with hopes of a treble very much on and have now left behind a saga that threatened the team’s excellent dressing room harmony this is just the latest episode in a tense relationship that will remain between Barcelona and La Liga and particularly with the competition’s president Javier Tebas The Catalans have been pushing the league’s rules to their limit over the last few seasons and while La Liga is helped by Barca fighting for all major trophies this decision has created major doubts over their salary limit system – which has bitten hard at other Spanish clubs A significant number of La Liga clubs had been pressing the competition to be stricter than ever with Barca over the Olmo-Victor situation This CSD ruling does not question the competition’s financial rules but states La Liga and the RFEF were not entitled to revoke Olmo and Victor’s licenses But do not expect this to be the last time you hear of these issues There is a new transfer window coming up in summer in which Barcelona will try to bolster their squad with high-calibre signings it is hard to see La Liga being anything but extremely firm towards the Catalan club Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here playHow 'scary' Barcelona kept their LaLiga title charge on track (1:47)Alejandro Moreno reacts to Barcelona's 4-1 win against Girona in LaLiga The league has questioned the €100 million deal which led to the CSD granting Olmo and Víctor temporary registrations in January saying they will report the unnamed auditor Barça used to verify the sale of VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou The deal was not recorded in the accounts Barça submitted to LaLiga last week for the 2024-25 season which were approved by a different auditor "The financial statements show Barcelona did not have on Dec. 31, 2024, nor on Jan. 3, 2025, nor since that date the capacity to register Olmo and Víctor," the league said in a statement on Wednesday Dani Olmo has made 13 appearances in all competitions, including seven in LaLiga. Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesLaLiga add that they have subsequently communicated to Barça "the reduction of their spending limit," which had risen to €463m in February while forwarding all information to the CSD and reporting the unnamed auditor to Spain's Institute of Accounting and Auditing of Accounts (ICAC) A club source told ESPN that Barça did not plan to respond to LaLiga's statement The CSD are due to make a final decision before April 7 on whether Olmo and Víctor's registrations should be revoked for the rest of the season saying the move was "another huge attempt to destablise Barcelona." "Today we are playing a final against Atlético Madrid and the reactivation of controversies of this kind isn't a coincidence It is just another huga attempt to destabilise our team and sometimes I get the feeling that what they can't beat us on the field ​​I won't allow this and I will continue to defend the club's interests." The issue has been ongoing since the turn of the year when Barça missed a Dec 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with LaLiga's financial regulations in order to register Olmo and Víctor for the second half of the campaign They had initially received temporary registrations via a league rule which allowed them to be registered in the place of a long-term injured player, in this case Andreas Christensen LaLiga later confirmed the sale of VIP seats for €100m had brought the club back within the regulations on Jan but that the chance to prolong Olmo and Víctor's registrations had passed who agreed to reinstate the registrations while they analysed the case during a three month window The CSD's decision provoked outrage across the league, with LaLiga president Javier Tebas and Athletic Club chief Jon Uriarte voicing their complaints while several top flight clubs also released statements questioning the ruling Olmo, who joined Barça from RB Leipzig last summer for around €60m is sidelined with an adductor injury which is set to rule him out until the middle of April the Spain international has made 13 appearances in all competitions scoring two goals and providing four assists has featured just five times in the same period All of the young forward's outings have come as a substitute Scripting a new chapter to bridge the domains of agriculture and technology and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today The agreement sets the stage for collaborative ventures in precision agriculture and joint research and training programmes heralding a new era of interdisciplinary excellence The signing ceremony took place in the Committee Room of the Vice-Chancellor amidst an august gathering of senior academic and administrative officials from both the institutions Prominent attendees from BITS Pilani were Col Biological Sciences Department (Dubai Campus) Gosal described the collaboration as a progressive step toward integrating scientific innovation with real-world agricultural challenges It would facilitate the integration of cutting-edge tools viz. He emphasized PAU’s continued pursuit of partnerships that convert research into scalable field-level solutions to benefit farmers and industry stakeholders Reflecting on the significance of the partnership Rishi Pal Singh observed that the MoU presents new vistas for the convergence of academic strength and technological prowess He assured that both institutions are aligned in their vision and will ensure a meaningful and result-oriented implementation of the agreement affirming that the alliance with PAU resonates with BITS Pilani’s vision of expanding its impact beyond the boundaries of technical education He underlined the necessity of channeling computational and engineering sciences toward sustainable agricultural advancement and rural development elaborated on the university’s leading role in agricultural innovation He cited its monumental contributions in crop breeding and its pivotal role in the Green Revolution this strategic tie-up would infuse PAU’s research ecosystem with the latest technological insights College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology Designed to enable faculty and student exchange the agreement aims to build long-term institutional synergies to address the emerging challenges in Indian agriculture Associate Director (Institution Relations) who noted that this collaboration lays the groundwork for a robust ecosystem of knowledge-sharing and innovation the visiting dignitaries were presented with mementoes and taken on an in-depth tour of PAU’s cutting-edge facilities The itinerary included visits to the Field Experiment Area of the Department of Agronomy the School of Agricultural Biotechnology and Dr and the Research Hall of the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology The visit culminated with a group interaction chaired by the Vice-Chancellor setting the tone for future joint initiatives The MoU will be valid for five years and shall renew automatically unless either party opts for termination This agreement signifies a promising confluence of agricultural science and advanced technology geared towards excellence in research His former teammate Pau Gasol and his wife made sure the widow of the NBA legend still felt special RELATED: Vanessa Bryant, daughter Natalia enjoy Dodgers game together in awesome LA hats The Gasols and the Bryants / Vanessa Bryant/InstagramOn what would’ve been a special day since their intimate wedding with 12 guests in Dana Point, California, in 2001 — and also because it matched Kobe’s jersey number 24 — Vanessa posted an amazing throwback photo were she looked unrecognizable She also showed off the very sweet gift Kobe’s former teammate Pau and his wife Cat got them with a giant heart wreath filled with red roses RELATED: New Kobe 9 Protro ‘Mambacita’ kicks to honor Gigi Bryant are absolutely perfect Vanessa Bryant/InstagramWhat a touching gesture from the Gasols on a day that must have been very tough for Vanessa playFlick 'very happy' about Dani Olmo registration (1:06)Barcelona boss Hansi Flick believes it is the "right decision" to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the Spanish Supercopa final this weekend The players had been denied registration by both LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after the Catalan club missed a Dec. 31 deadline to prove it was compliant with the league's financial fair play rules Barça successfully appealed to Spain's Sports Council (CSD) for Olmo and Victor to be temporarily allowed to play before a definitive ruling is made Speaking before his team's 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in Wednesday's Spanish Supercopa semifinal in Jeddah Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte called the decision "grotesque." "It is a provisional measure taken by a political body," Uriarte said. "Now it is LaLiga and the [Spanish Football] Federation that will have to defend the decision they took it is that we are eight days into the new year and we are experiencing something that is incredible to make our competitions bigger on the one hand and on the other hand to make efforts to come here [to Saudi Arabia] to play these [Supercopa] games but then we experience situations of this type that are grotesque "A situation like that cannot happen because it is very bad for football." Fellow LaLiga club Las Palmas joined Athletic in publicly reacting to the CSD's decision on Olmo and Victor, releasing a statement later on Thursday "The decision poses grave danger to the integrity of the competition and sets a worrying precedent that could destabilise football in this country," it read "It's especially eye-catching that the decision was adopted without the participation of LaLiga or the RFEF ignoring previous decisions taken by the CSD." Barcelona's sporting director Deco defended the club in response to Uriarte's comments "Every club has their own issues and their own problems and should focus on themselves," Deco said. trying to do things in the best way possible Barcelona's Dani Olmo (centre) and Pau Víctor have been granted temporary playing registrations. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images"Everything else is in the hands of the governing bodies or the courts And if they have given [the players registrations] for the moment Athletic forward Iñaki Williams said he thinks Spanish football may be "tarnished" by the ordeal It seems that the rules are not the same for everyone but we are not the ones who have to decide," Williams told reporters the image of Spanish football may be a little tarnished because there is a lot of division because many things are not understood "We have to close this chapter for the good of Spanish football "I am happy for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor because I think it is a very difficult situation for them and all they want is to play football LaLiga president Javier Tebas weighed in on the matter, expressing surprise at the CSD decision. He also took the opportunity to ask why there has been a "complicit silence" from Real Madrid TV "CSD president [Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes] seems to hear a single voice, which does not represent Spanish professional football," Tebas said on social media. maintains a complicit silence in this case Real Madrid TV has been a critic of some of LaLiga's actions and especially comments by Tebas Olmo, a €60 million ($62m) summer signing from RB Leipzig, and Víctor, who joined in August on a permanent transfer from Girona will be available to play in Sunday's Spanish Supercopa final after missing Wednesday's game Centre-back Pau Cubarsi is set to return to Barcelona after picking up an injury while on international duty with Spain The 18-year-old was forced off in the 41st minute of Spain’s 2-2 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands on Thursday He went down holding his ankle and received treatment on the pitch Cubarsi was replaced by Dutch-born Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen who was making his senior international debut Spain have confirmed Cubarsi will not part of the squad for the return leg against the Netherlands on Sunday and is returning to his club Lazio centre-back Mario Gila has replaced him A statement from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Friday read: “After scans conducted Spanish FA have decided Pau Cubarsi returns to his club to start recovery from the problems he had in his right ankle and that prevented him from completing last game against the Netherlands.” Barcelona confirmed that Cubarsi underwent further tests on Saturday and will continue to be monitored “Pau Cubarsi has an elongation of the anterior tibiofibular ligament in his right ankle,” the club said and his tolerance to activity will be re-evaluated in 48 hours.” Any kind of significant injury would be a blow to Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick who has seen Cubarsi form an impressive partnership with Inigo Martinez in central defence but there is hope within the club that the teenager will be fit to face Osasuna on Thursday La Liga Barcelona leaders then take on Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on April 2 and play Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League quarter-final first leg a week later Cubarsi made his first team debut for the Catalan club in January 2024 and went on to establish himself as a first-team regular in the remainder of the season and received his first senior cap for Spain in March which enabled him to sign a longer-term contract with Barcelona until 2029 Cubarsi has been a fixture of Flick’s side this season playMarcotti blasts Barcelona for Dani Olmo mismanagement (1:21)Gab Marcotti explains the latest in Barcelona's struggle to register Dani Olmo The Consejo Superior de Deportes [CSD] has ruled that Olmo and Víctor should both be available for selection until there is a definitive ruling in the case Neither player was listed in the squad for Barcelona's 2-0 win over Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday LaLiga said it disagreed with the CSD's decision in a statement "The content of the resolution will be studied carefully in order to present the appropriate appeals without prejudice to expressing its absolute disagreement with it," it said manager Hansi Flick said it was a huge relief to his side ahead of the game but I am also happy for the whole team," Flick said I think the whole club is very happy for this decision It was a good signal for us before the match because everyone wants to show also that we are a team and we win also for them." Dani Olmo has been granted a temporary playing registration. Diego Souto/Getty ImagesOlmo and Víctor were both unregistered by LaLiga on Dec 31 after Barça missed a deadline to prove they were compliant with the league's financial fair play [FFP] rules LaLiga eventually confirmed Barça had shown they were able to fulfil certain FFP requirements on Jan LaLiga added that players who have had their registrations cancelled cannot be re-registered with a club for a second time in the same season arguing against the interpretation of the rule and submitted a 52-page report to the court on Tuesday with their reasoning The duo both joined Barça permanently last summer but were only registered temporarily via a rule which allows clubs to allocate up to 80% of the salary due to an injured player -- in this case Andreas Christensen -- on replacements Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed Pau Torres has suffered a broken metatarsal Torres required Villa’s medical staff to help him down the tunnel after sustaining the injury in the first half of the 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on December 30, with Tyrone Mings taking his place Emery had hoped the metatarsal injury would not be too serious and scans were conducted in the days after to determine the extent of the damage However, speaking before Villa’s match against Leicester City Emery confirmed the prognosis of Torres’ injury “Pau Torres has broken his fourth metatarsal and he is going to be out for The 27-year-old has made 24 appearances across all competitions this season and is a key staple within Emery’s build-up system, utilising his passing dexterity and ball progression in higher positions. He has made 63 appearances in all for the club since joining from La Liga side Villarreal in July 2023. Meanwhile, Emery revealed another central defender in Diego Carlos will miss the game against Leicester, as well as Jaden Philogene Jhon Duran, who was sent off against Newcastle, and Morgan Rogers are suspended and will also be unavailable How Pau Torres helps conduct Aston Villa's attack Jacob is a football reporter covering Aston Villa for The Athletic. Previously, he followed Southampton FC for The Athletic after spending three years writing about south coast football, working as a sports journalist for Reach PLC. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the Year. Follow Jacob on Twitter @J_Tanswell playWhat's happening with Dani Olmo's Barcelona registration (1:02)Julien Laurens and Nedum Onuoha discuss the Dani Olmo registration situation at Barcelona and what it means for both parties A source confirmed to ESPN that the deal should finally help Barça operate within LaLiga's financial fair play regulations (FFP) The problem is that the money arrived too late as Barça president Joan Laporta and his closest advisors celebrated Friday's cash injection other sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN there was "surprise" at the club's optimism because the deadline has quite clearly passed Barça have used different methods (or "levers") to register signings while complying with the league's regulations directors providing bank guarantees and court cases The club has always managed to pull something off at the 11th hour Dani Olmo joined Barça last summer but might not play for them again for months. Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWhy Olmo and Víctor's registrations have failedOlmo and Víctor joined Barça last summer Barça were not in a position to register either player as they were in breach of their league-imposed annual spending limit All clubs in Spain are assigned a personal limit by LaLiga It is roughly determined by the difference between a team's revenue minus non-sporting outgoings and debt repayments Barça's for the current season stands at €426m But they remained in excess of that amount on Dec Teams in breach of their limit are allowed to spend a certain percentage of any savings -- through transfers wage reductions or new revenue streams -- on new additions There is also a rule that allows teams to temporarily use up to 80% of the salary owed to an injured player on an alternative At the time, Laporta said in a news conference that he was unconcerned the registrations were only temporary, expressing confidence the club would be operating within LaLiga's limit soon. A new €100m-plus deal with kit supplier Nike -- which was approved by members in December -- was cited as a major reason for that optimism but sources told ESPN the agreement with the American company did not raise enough to extend the registrations On Friday, Barça were still expressing confidence that they could reverse the situation. Coach Hansi Flick said that neither he nor the affected players were happy about the situation in a news conference ahead of Saturday's Copa del Rey game against fourth-tier Barbastro Barça received €28m of the payment relating to the VIP box deal Sources told ESPN the club had sent the required paperwork to LaLiga and were now able to operate at what is known as the league's 1:1 ratio rule The problem is they sent it three days too late for Olmo and Víctor and as result the RFEF and LaLiga rejected their latest attempt Summer 2022 brought more creative accounting to ensure new signings. Barça sold 25% of their LaLiga television rights to global investment firm Sixth Street for 25 years. The initial 10% was sold for €207.5m, and the next 15% for around €320m Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only). In 2023, Barça successfully sought a court order to allow academy star Gavi's registration to be transferred from the youth team to the first team the money from Libero never actually arrived and is one of the major reasons LaLiga have been so prudent in wanting to see proof of funds from the recent sale of the VIP boxes Christensen and Ter Stegen have now all been utilised to help push through temporary registrations It makes for a remarkable list and illustrates how close Barça have been to failing to register key players for years Barça are adamant they will solve the situation A source told ESPN that Laporta will not speak publicly until Olmo and Víctor are registered "That scenario is not being considered," the source added Barça argued that certain hold-ups prevented them from meeting the Dec 31 deadline and applied for a new licence for both players with the RFEF RFEF rules clearly state that players cannot be re-registered with the same team for the second time in the same season with a source at the RFEF also telling ESPN they "cannot process any licence without prior approval from LaLiga" regardless A source close to the club added that Barça argued against the interpretation of that rule in this scenario But Olmo and Víctor face being left in no-man's land for at least six months One option is that the players stay at Barça and train Olmo has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave for free if he remains unregistered, but sources close to the player have always insisted he does not plan to exercise it. His agent, Andy Bara, reiterated that point on Friday, saying Olmo is only thinking about a future at Barça, the club he played for until he was 16 before leaving for Dinamo Zagreb Due to no longer having a licence with the RFEF even a short-term move away would be complicated A loan would not be possible as it requires a prior license with a parent club a complicated agreement would have to be struck where Olmo's contract is rescinded allowing him to join another club for six months before returning to Barça to re-sign in the summer Víctor's case would be similar, with sources telling ESPN that Real Betis, Espanyol and several clubs from the Segunda Division have asked to be informed if a short-term exit becomes a possibility Barça could even find themselves in a situation this month whereby they are not able to re-register Olmo or Víctor but they are allowed to sign players from elsewhere At the end of the game on Saturday, Pau Cubarsi was unhappy Having taken five points from 21 in the final La Liga games of 2024 A promising start to 2025 — four convincing wins including 10 goals scored in their previous two games — gave them cause for optimism in Getafe but the trip has proved challenging recently Jose Bordalas’ team are just one point above the relegation zone and are very defensive which is the Achilles’ heel for Barca’s style Barca had not scored a goal at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez since 2019. They broke that streak through Jules Kounde after an incredible assist from Pedri but were pegged back and the game finished 1-1 — their fourth consecutive draw at Getafe This was not the result Cubarsi would have wanted as he marked the first anniversary of his senior debut That came in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey in January 2024 against Unionistas de Salamanca from the third-tier Primera Federacion, when he came on after half-time for Andreas Christensen and being given his debut at the club that has formed such a central part of his life was the perfect early present from then-manager Xavi Cubarsi was one of the best players during his 45 minutes in Salamanca and his confidence and performance levels have continued to grow at a dizzying rate Of Barca’s academy graduates, Lamine Yamal Yamal has already positioned himself as one of the best players in the world — but Cubarsi is not far behind Being a teenager and centre-back for Barca is not easy In addition to fulfilling the defensive side of the role Barca centre-backs must be comfortable with the ball at their feet while Cubarsi’s most common passes are in the defensive area of the pitch he also progresses his team into the opponent’s half and switches play Many of the best defenders in Barca’s history graduated from La Masia but Cubarsi has established himself unusually quickly This summer, he was an important part of the Spain team that won Olympic gold and was nominated for the Golden Boy award, for the best under-21 footballer in Europe (won by Yamal) his market value has risen from €1.5million (£1.3m; $1.5m) to €70million in one year Many defined him as a mixture of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol His intelligence makes him the perfect partner to find passes where no one else sees them and to be well-positioned to defend opposition moves Cubarsi had a 93 per cent passing accuracy But while he showed his usual judgement and intelligence he was not attentive enough to remove the danger for the Getafe goal and had a dangerous turnover towards the end that he recovered with a saving tackle Cubarsi returned to the changing room after the game with a more serious complexion Cubarsi has matured and established himself in the elite and has an immovable place in Barcelona’s starting XI Many consider him to be one of the best centre-backs in Europe — and he only turns 18 this week That seems remarkable even if Yamal’s absurd talent means Cubarsi is sometimes overshadowed and does not get the exposure he warrants Cubarsi could not mark the anniversary of his debut as he would have liked but Barca once again have a starting centre-back made in La Masia And his progression and maturity are traits to celebrate (Top photo: Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) Before joining The Athletic as a football writer, Laia Cervelló worked at Diario Sport reporting on FC Barcelona for four years. She has also worked for another four years for BeIN SPORTS Spain and GOLTV. She began her career as a journalist at 'betevé', the public television station in Barcelona, where she spent almost nine years. Follow Laia on Twitter @Laia_Cervello playHansi Flick 'not happy' about the Olmo situation (1:43)Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick speaks about his frustration about not being able to register midfielder Dani Olmo As things stand, neither Olmo, a €60 million ($62m) summer signing from RB Leipzig, nor Víctor will be able to play for Barça again until after the summer, with both players omitted from the squad for Saturday's Copa del Rey trip to fourth-tier Barbastro a source told ESPN Barça plan to fight the decision in court after the club missed a Dec 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with LaLiga's financial fair play (FFP) regulations LaLiga say Barça finally provided the necessary documentation to have their spending limit for the season extended on Friday who had their registrations cancelled on Wednesday "A commission of representatives from LaLiga and the RFEF met to address Barça's request for federative licences for [Olmo and Víctor]," a statement said "Following the fulfilment of LaLiga's FFP requirements by Barcelona on Jan with the club having completed the relevant documentation LaLiga has decided to extend their spending cap from the aforementioned date the commission agrees not to grant the licenses requested for the players [Olmo and Víctor] in accordance with the interpretation of articles 130.2 and 141.5 of the RFEF's general regulations that prevent a player whose license is cancelled from obtaining a license at the same club to which they were already linked." Barça said they will appeal the decision at Spain's supreme sports court "Barcelona expresses their disagreement with today's decision and will proceed to file the appropriate appeal before the CSD," the statement said "Regarding the matter of the registrations the club will not comment again until the matter is resolved by the CSD." Olmo and Víctor both signed for Barça permanently last summer but were only registered temporarily at the end of August Barça took advantage of a rule that allows clubs to use up to 80% of the salary due to an injured player -- in this case Andreas Christensen -- to register the duo until the end of 2024 That gave the Catalan club four months to prove to LaLiga they were compliant with the league's FFP rules and extend Olmo and Víctor's registrations until the end of the season After losing two court hearings against the interpretations of LaLiga's regulations Barça agreed a deal to sell VIP boxes at Spotify Camp Nou Barcelona's Dani Olmo was unregistered by LaLiga on Wednesday. Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty ImagesHowever they were unable to prove to LaLiga that the deal had been closed and provide proof of funds until Jan with Olmo and Víctor already unregistered by that point Sources have told ESPN that Barça will take the case as far and high as they can in a bid to have the players available for the second half of the campaign have said they are extremely disappointed but still harbour hopes of staying at the club despite having clauses in their deals that would allow them to leave for free in the event they are not registered Neither player plans to execute that clause but the options to leave on a short-term basis are not straight forward Barça cannot loan them out for six months as they do not have their federative licences while rescinding their contracts to allow them to sign a deal elsewhere before re-signing them in the summer also poses plenty of complications Olmo has made 15 appearances since re-joining Barça, who he left for Dinamo Zagreb as a 16-year-old while Víctor has scored twice in 17 outings although he has started just one of those games Question: What does your medical background look like Response: I am an intensivist and neurointensivist with a background in internal medicine I started medical school at the American University of Antigua when I was 15 years old and graduated with a medical degree at age 20 I then completed an internal medicine residency at Staten Island University Hospital Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a multidisciplinary critical care medicine fellowship at Saint Louis University School of Medicine I have worked in teaching and non-teaching hospitals in Alabama in the Medical Corps of the US Army Reserve Question: What brought you to University of Utah Health Response: I was aware of the excellent care provided at the University of Utah Health I knew I wanted to join the team here at the U Response: Having started residency when I was 20 years old I wrote my first prescription for a controlled substance before I could legally drink alcohol Copyright © 2025 University of Utah Health There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting If footballers are to be compared to thoroughbred racehorses — athletic fast and with a muscular physique — Pau Torres is more of an ethereal “The adaptation of Pau has been quicker than I expected,” Unai Emery said in a press conference last season It is representative of modern football that the central defender’s best qualities are in possession. Fundamentally, they serve as the reason Emery wanted to reunite with him in the summer of 2023, the pair having worked together at Villarreal “He’s the coach that I’ve played the most games with and I’m happy with him,” said the Spain international in Villa’s programme last weekend “He knows how to get the best out of me and I know he’s a professional who works 24 hours for football.” What Torres can give Villa in build-up play is his outstanding trait had looked at Torres but question marks remained regarding his mobility and lack of physicality saw a left-footed ball-progressor who could greatly influence Villa’s in-possession style “He draws so many players in and gives us more space,” said captain John McGinn earlier this year “He’s really good on the ball and a top defender He’s one step ahead in the brain and adapted so well to the league He’s a top player and we’re lucky to have him.” McGinn’s views are shared widely across the club with Torres regarded as an instrumental player to enable Emery’s system Being left-footed naturally adds variation to Villa’s build-up with his passing trajectory opening up different passing lanes and angles Villa often configure in an asymmetrical 3-4-2-1 shape with their right-back tucking in to form a back three and the width provided by the left-back and right-winger By pushing a left-back upfield, Torres, as the left centre-back, has more space to either pass or dribble into more advanced areas, as illustrated below from this example against Wolves earlier this season “(Lucas) Digne is playing in our structure and he is the full-back (operating) more forward,” explained Emery in a press conference last month “This means Pau can build up and get higher on the left side He’s a very good player; connecting with our midfielders Torres tends to take the highest and widest positions among Villa’s back three when his team have the ball when Wolves aimed to stop Villa from progressing in central areas in September Villa could play around their defensive shape because of the centre-back’s positioning Here, Diego Carlos passes around Wolves’ front players to Torres Torres has had a larger chunk of his touches in the attacking half this season most notably in the inside-left channel (20 per cent) This is both a consequence of Villa being tasked with breaking down low-sitting defensive blocks and Torres effectively moonlighting as a central midfielder A high share of the 27-year-old’s possession is in the left channel and beyond the halfway line where he was shuttling within a more constrained area Torres pushing upfield means Digne can hold a high position, allowing Villa’s winger/left No 10 — such as Jacob Ramsey This creates a triangular shape and through those three players and the closest central midfielder Consequently, Ramsey offers a central passing lane while Digne stays close to the touchline and/or makes a run behind. This is particularly effective against teams who defend in a compact mid-block, such as West Ham During Villa’s 2-1 win at the London Stadium in August, note Torres pushing higher than traditional right-back Matty Cash who has tucked in to form a back three with the ball It is not even unusual for Torres to find himself ahead of Villa’s midfielders either, as this example from their 3-2 win over Everton last month shows In the second half against Wolves a week later, Ian Maatsen replaced Digne as Villa’s left-back Torres’ passing dexterity allows Maatsen to create the movements of a winger and Meanwhile, Villa’s passing network in their 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town demonstrates the subtle change within Emery’s overall structure Torres (14) operated as an inverted left-back/central midfielder, in line with Amadou Onana (24) and Youri Tielemans (8) The considerable distance between him and centre-back partner Diego Carlos (3) is a concerted ploy from Emery with Villa wanting to possess the ball across the width of their back line and move Ipswich from side to side Torres’ influence is a product of Emery bringing his strengths to the fore and the player’s inherent tendencies He ranks in the top four per cent of Europe’s central defenders for carries into the final third (1.6 per 90 minutes) and among the top three per cent for total carrying distance which is the total number of yards a player moves the ball upfield His passing incision cuts through compact defensive blocks and, as Emery desires from his deeper players, the Spaniard is adept at punching passes into forward players’ feet, as shown below against Fulham last season This is key to several of Villa’s choreographed patterns of play. A common routine, for instance, is for Torres to find Ollie Watkins, who has dropped off his marker This serves as a trigger for rotations to form around the striker (see another example from September’s 3-1 win against Wolves) Or, as a variation on the theme, Torres’ vision can be used as Villa surprise the opposing defence with a run behind, with the standout case being Jhon Duran’s match-winning goal against Bayern Munich. Torres saw Duran’s movement and whipped a left-footed pass to match the Colombia striker’s run The ball itself was slightly off the ground ensuring Bayern’s midfield could not intercept and it had enough speed for Duran to take it in his path “He (Duran) has scored one goal similar, ” said Emery. “Last year against Hibernian (in the UEFA Conference League qualifying round) Pau passed one pass similar and Duran drove through to score.” The graphic below illustrates Torres’ most common passes that travel 15 yards or more His second-most common pass is the ball that comes from him being wider and in the left channel Breaking early pressure when playing out is a prerequisite for any Emery defender. It is why, in part, Villa’s manager thinks highly of academy graduate Lamare Bogarde who is seen to make confident and clear decisions on the ball sets the golden standard and is comfortable in either dribbling through pressure to generate attacks — exemplified in that opening-day victory at West Ham… A lofted diagonal ball out to the right-back is one of Torres’ trademarks This tends to materialise when the opposing team has set traps down one side of the pitch and forced Villa into the left-back position before pressing Torres completed more switches of play than any other Villa player (26) His ability to twist his hips and pass from left to right is intelligently disguised and a way of Villa evading pressure (this example is taken from Villa’s pre-season game against Columbus Crew in July) Villa are at their best when Torres can affect the game in possession He remains reliable defensively and concerns over his physicality — a reason why other clubs did not buy him sooner — have largely eased Yet it is what he does with the ball and how Emery deploys him which makes this aesthetically pleasing and graceful player so effective The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Pau Cubarsí has emerged as a key part of the Barcelona defence over the past year. Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesBarcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí has signed a contract extension through June 2029 has established himself as a key player for Barça since gaining promotion to the first team last season His previous deal was due to expire in 2027 The player's buyout clause remains at €500 million ($519.8m) "Not only he is a resolute defender, which goes with the territory, but he reads the game very well and can play line-breaking passes worthy of the best midfielders," Barcelona said in a statement on Thursday and he is set to remain so for many years more." who came through the ranks at La Masia youth system was promoted to the first team in January 2024 under former coach Xavi Hernández and made 24 appearances for Barça last season He has continued to flourish under manager Hansi Flick and has played all 36 games for Barça this season The 18-year-old won his first cap for Spain in March 2024 and was part of the team that won gold at the Paris Olympics Vanessa wasn’t going to leave good family friends Pau and his wife Catherine McDonnell hanging for the holidays as she sent them a pair as well Catherine posted the reaction on Instagram RELATED: Vanessa Bryant gifts Russell Wilson Nike Kobe Grinch cleats in epic box Catherine McDonnell/InstagramRELATED: Vanessa Bryant gets unreal Khloe Kardashian Christmas gift with Kobe, Gianna tribute It must be a very hard time for Vanessa during the holidays without her husband and daughter The five-year death anniversary is also coming up in January She’s remained so strong for her family and is choosing to celebrate the good times and share the love while winning the holidays She truly embodies the the “Mamba Mentality” and no doubt Kobe would be proud — Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI — First Lady…: Loreal Sarkisian flaunts giant icy ring, $100 bills before Steve’s Texas game …of Texas: Loreal Sarkisian is Texas sparkly denim-white cowgirl for CFP game Wowza: Gracie Hunt stops traffic with yellow puffer at Chiefs-Texans game Totally adorable: Hailee Steinfeld’s sweet selfie will make Josh Allen jealous Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi has withdrawn from the Spain squad after suffering an injury against the Netherlands Pau Cubarsí was only able to play 41 minutes of the Spanish national team's match against the Netherlands in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals The center-back suffered an injury and had to be substituted before halftime in a game that eventually ended 2-2 where he underwent medical tests on Saturday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper The tests revealed that the player has a strain in the anterior tibiofibular ligament of his right ankle Cubarsí will follow a conservative treatment plan and his tolerance to activity will be reassessed in 48 hours Gasol is like an uncle to the Bryant family making Kobe’s daughter Natalia Bryant a big aunt to Gasol’s kids After the tragedy in 2020 and the loss of his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and his daughter Gigi she’s helping mom raise her sisters Bianka RELATED: Kobe Bryant’s daughter Natalia stuns with USC sorority look Gasol and his wife Cat McDonnell also have two young children, a son named Max and a daughter named Elisabet Gianna. They are expecting their third child in fall 2024. Max just turned two, and Vanessa wished him a sweet happy birthday followed by Natalia Natalia Bryant/InstgramNatalia Bryant/InstagramRELATED: Vanessa Bryant’s $10 million California mansion exudes luxury Pau and Kobe won back-to-back championships in 2009-2010 where Kobe would’ve been 46 if alive today Kobe’s family carries on the bond they forged and these sweet birthday messages show just how close they remain — Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI — Oh dear: Cameron Brink betrays Stanford with USC cheer still stunning courtside Star is born: Cowboys cheerleaders Netflix star Sophy Laufer flaunts nightie turning 21 Racy darling: Danica Patrick fires up red leather fit for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix NFL queen: Gracie Hunt slays all-white low-cut top, miniskirt combo for Chiefs game Playoff be damned: Lane Kiffin’s daughter Landry slays low-cut top despite Ole Miss loss RELATED: Vanessa Bryant shares amazing memory with Kobe and her crazy basketball shot Pau Gasol embraces Vanessa Bryant during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime in the NBA. / IMAGO / ZUMA Press WireThe families were able to get away for a ski trip together where Vanessa showed off on Instagram a video of how good of skiers Natalia Vanessa Bryant/InstagramRELATED: Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa is gifted amazing NFL Eagles coat with special meaning The 42-year-old mom was gliding along as well there was an amazingly intimate picture with Pau The Gasols and the Bryants / Vanessa Bryant/InstagramWhat an amazing photo These are the special moments the family needs to heal after the five-year death anniversary of Kobe and Gigi just passed in January FC Barcelona and the player Pau Cubarsí have agreed a contract extension that sees him set to stay with the Club until 30 June 2029 The blaugrana defender signed his new contract today at midday alongside FC Barcelona president ​​Joan Laporta The Catalan's contact extension again shows the Club is committed to keep promoting the young talent coming out of La Masia he also already played 60 games for the first team These have all come in just over a year since the Copa del Rey match against Unionistas on that cold 18 January evening in Salamanca in 2024 It was clear that Cubarsí was a special player from that moment onwards but he reads the game very well and can play line-breaking passes worthy of the best midfielders and he is set to remain so for many years more and you will find yourself surrounded by the low-rise sprawl of bland industrial estates near the city’s airport The contrast is so striking that for a moment you feel like you have entered The Shire the imaginary world described in JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit stories: rich meadows surrounded by volcanic hills narrow lanes winding between them with wild poppies on either side In the middle of this sea of calm lies the village of Estanyol This is where Pau Cubarsi lived until he was 11 years old he still lives at Barca’s La Masia academy complex now The power of Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy – and why for years it was ignored Comparisons with Barca predecessors Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol are not far wrong Cubarsi made his La Liga bow on January 21 and went on to play 24 times for Barcelona over the second half of the season becoming a crucial member of then-manager Xavi’s team is showing on the big stage why he is an exceptional talent When Cubarsi stepped out with the other Barca players onto the Parc des Princes pitch before that latter game as the group took a stroll in the hours leading up to kick-off a section of fans already in the stands aimed abusive chants towards them he was still a 17-year-old boy about to play in hostile territory on one of the biggest stages in world football and against perhaps the sport’s best current player in Mbappe But the Frenchman was quiet that night, thanks to the efforts of Cubarsi and fellow defenders Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo he did so with that same calmness he had shown pre-game — it’s a state of mind which has roots in his upbringing and of a family that has for generations run their carpentry business there passes through the veins of a young man seemingly unaffected by his meteoric rise to sporting fame football really is just a game and he is just a kid out to have a good time He takes his time on the ball and rarely picks a bad pass Estanyol’s residences are scattered disparately across a large area What you would call the centre of the village is formed by a small church a restaurant and the Cubarsi carpentry shop In the middle of this collection of buildings is a square It is a world away from the excesses and glamour of elite football Albert and Judith are the owners of that restaurant but after the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 they decided to move in search of a quieter life they live next door to the Cubarsis’ carpentry shop “He gets up every day at 7am and switches on the machine in his workshop It’s a noisy machine and sometimes it wakes me up “I take round a tray of xuixos (a pastry filled with Catalan cream then fried and coated in sugar) that we make in the restaurant and leave them at their door,” Albert continues with a grin on his face explaining he does this because he knows that Pau’s father is on a diet so should not eat such treats Both he and Judith get on well with the Cubarsis They describe the footballer’s parents as hardworking and very good neighbours the kind of people who are there to help if something happens “You can’t say that about all the neighbours,” Judith says as Albert jokingly complains that Robert “sings very badly” Albert says Cubarsi comes back to town often and that he can often be seen carrying wood to help his dad with the family business He says with conviction that the teenager is not the “typical young player” who might “go astray” that the environment in which he was brought up would never allow it Despite the fact their 17-year-old son is already a first-team Barcelona player Robert and Judith have not stopped doing what they have done all their lives: being carpenters including a media tsunami that has accompanied Cubarsi’s remarkable rise to the first team They appreciate the interest in him but want to stay out of the spotlight Estanyol does not have a football pitch. Cubarsi’s first team as a boy were based in nearby Vilablareix, on the outskirts of Girona. That is also where he went to primary school. At the age of eight, Girona heard about this central defender with potential and signed him Barcelona’s youth academy directors Jordi Roura and Aureli Altamira came knocking “We found out about him through one of the many observers we had distributed around Catalonia,” Roura told The Athletic “We received information that Girona had a centre-back who was showing promise and we went to see him several times The last time was at a tournament in Cornella de Llobregat We decided to talk to his parents and explain the sporting project at Barca; what we had in mind and why we wanted to sign him “The issue of centre-backs has never been easy for us to solve Playing as a centre-back at Barca is not like playing as a centre-back elsewhere firstly because Barca normally play in the opposition half which can lead to lots of tough one-on-one situations and you have to be very quick they have a very big responsibility in the beginning of attacking play We always looked for young players who had good feet he had a good aerial game and understanding of defensive concepts — that’s very difficult to find.” Roura also says Barca were surprised by the maturity they found in Cubarsi “We found him to be a very well-rounded boy for his age Many times I would tell him to laugh a bit Albert Puig was one of the first coaches Cubarsi had at Barcelona “The first memory I have of Pau is from before I coached him,” Puig says “He arrived in the 2018-19 season as a senior Alevin (under-11 age group) there was an action where an opposing striker was left alone and Pau fouled him outside the box something unusual in games involving such young kids Barcelona’s transfer window raises the question: How do they convince new signings now “When a child of that age is shown a red card He went away so calmly and just started to watch from off the pitch It was the image of a player a few steps ahead in terms of maturity.” Cubarsi picked up gold at the Paris Olympics a few weeks later How to spot a La Masia star: The secrets of Barcelona's youth academy How is it possible that they can display such maturity at such an age Puig believes a change in how youth football is played has to be part of the answer “A lot has changed at grassroots level,” Puig says “Now there are so many tournaments that are followed by the media and available to watch on social networks that they are already growing up with a certain amount of name recognition “The pressures of elite level are multiplied many times over but they already have a base from which to make the leap.” Cubarsi, 17, has been called up for Spain’s Nations League games against Denmark and Switzerland despite missing training with Barcelona on Wednesday due to illness Torres withdrew from camp earlier on Monday and Spain have since turned to Cubarsi who has been struggling with illness and did not train in Barcelona because of sickness The Spanish FA (RFEF) said Cubarsi would train on Thursday before travelling to Denmark with the rest of the squad Torres arrived at camp with muscular discomfort following his participation in Villa’s Premier League defeat by Liverpool on Saturday The 27-year-old centre-back received treatment on the pitch at one stage during the second half of the clash at Anfield but completed the rest of the game following the issue it was estimated that Torres would not be fit for the Nations League fixtures and the decision was made for him to withdraw to avoid “running any kind of risk” Torres has been a mainstay in Villa’s team this season starting all 11 of their Premier League matches and three of their four Champions League games Villa dropped to ninth in the Premier League following the 2-0 loss at Liverpool but are only a point behind third-placed Chelsea in a congested top half of the table After the international break, Villa face Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the league either side of a Champions League home game against Juventus Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor have been registered for La Liga and are therefore available for selection by coach Hansi Flick including for Sunday's Spanish Super Cup Final at 8pm CET the Higher Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes CSD) announced an injunction giving the green light for the two players to play Pau Cubarsí is following in the footsteps of his heroes the defender shows a maturity beyond his lean years out on the field In a press conference before the remarkable win against Benfica in the Champions League coach Hansi Flick had this to say on the Catalan teenager: "He's having a brilliant season he's a very stylish player and can play on the left or right as centre back - he always does it well." The coach's faith in Cubarsí is backed up by statistics as the defender is the third most used player in 2024/25 The player has developed at a tremendous pace with 2024 seeing Cubarsí's first team debut on 18 January before he ended the year as a fixture in the first team XI The young defender calls it a "dream" and his aim in 2025 is just to keep working hard and developing as a player Cubarsí goes into more detail about the last 12 months The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Thursday revoked the suspension of Amrik Singh who was suspended following an argument with a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on the campus the reinstatement came with a tragic turn of events —Singh’s wife passed away early Thursday morning due to a heart attack reportedly triggered by stress over her husband’s suspension PAU and police were criticised for turning the campus into a fortress with the police chief on field to suppress the protest by employees’ union (HT File) The PAU had invited controversies over the suspension the PAU and police were criticised for turning the campus into a fortress with commissioner of police Swapan Sharma on the field to suppress the peaceful protest initiated by the PAU employees’ union against the suspension on Tuesday with some reportedly picked up from their homes—a first in the university’s history who works in the department of plant breeding was suspended on Monday following a reported altercation with a local leader of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Singh had objected to the leader’s unauthorised presence on campus late at night stated that a three-member committee — comprising the registrar and the estate officer — reviewed Amrik Singh’s request and recommended his suspension be revoked a follow-up order confirmed that the vice-chancellor had accepted the recommendation and lifted the suspension Amrik Singh said the emotional toll of the ordeal had already taken a devastating toll on his family who had been undergoing kidney dialysis for four years died from a heart attack after learning of his suspension The police crackdown and subsequent events have sparked outrage among university staff Both the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) labelled the police action as “unprecedented” and “undemocratic,” pointing out that never before had authorities interfered so harshly with a peaceful protest on campus claimed the suspension was imposed under “political pressure.” sources within AAP confirmed the party is considering action against the leader involved in the altercation with Amrik Singh PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal was not available for comments The judgment comes a day after La Liga said Barcelona still did not comply with the salary limit set and that it would report the club’s former auditors after €100m effectively disappeared from their accounts. Olmo and Víctor faced having their registration removed with immediate effect after which Barcelona will again have to meet financial fair play limits to register them for next season Barcelona’s ability to register them in the next window was again cast in doubt on Wednesday when the league alleged that contrary to what had been believed in January Barcelona have not reached what is known as 1:1 where a club operates normally The league said that the income from a €100m deal from two unnamed investors to buy VIP boxes at the new Camp Nou which allowed them meet the threshold in January does not now appear in the club’s profit and loss statement With time running out Barcelona had employed unnamed auditors on 31 December– on Thursday reported by Cadena Ser to be a Catalan company called Abauding – which provided the certificate that accredited the income That firm took over from the previous auditors Grant Thornton and was then replaced by Crowe Auditores Crowe prepared the club’s accounts that were delivered to the league after the close of the transfer window those audited accounts do not now include the €100m deal The Camp Nou site in August 2023 La Liga is questioning a €100m deal from two unnamed investors to buy VIP boxes at the new stadium Photograph: Pau Barrena/AFP/Getty Images“Neither on 31 December nor on 3 January nor today do Barcelona have the margin to comply with financial fair play,” a La Liga statement said It also said it had asked the CSD to investigate fully and that it would report the auditors who certified that income to the Institute of Accounting and Accounts Auditing (ICAC) claimed that the league’s announcement was part of a campaign against his club “That they come out with controversies like this is not chance,” he said La Liga announced on 31 December that Barcelona had missed the deadline to comply with financial controls that meant that the temporary registrations given to Olmo and Víctor in August ran out and the pair were removed from the squad Barcelona said that a late €100m deal to sell VIP boxes at the new Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors had been completed The club’s vice-president Elena Fort said she did not know who the two companies were that had bought the package Laporta subsequently said there was one Qatari company and another from Saudi Arabia but he did not name them Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Although the league ratified that income on 3 January based on an auditor’s certificate it said that the necessary documentation had not been received in time to extend the registration of Olmo and Víctor Federation (RFEF) rules prevent a club registering a player twice in one season denying them the opportunity to effectively re-sign the two players A statement from the Comisión de Seguimiento del Convenio de Coordinación RFEF-LaLiga the body that oversees the relationship between the league and federation then announced that they could not be included in the squad Barcelona had previously failed in two legal challenges raised against the ruling but succeeded in convincing the CSD to apply a cautelar essentially an injunction suspending the decision pending an investigation The CSD said then that it did so in order to avoid irreparable damage to the players and to Spanish football Barcelona provided a 60-page document defending the players’ right to work and alleging that the Commission does not have the competence to rule in this case rejecting La Liga and the RFEF’s argument that the Commission had only communicated decisions made by the relevant bodies at both institutions The CSD insisted that its ruling did not bring into question the legitimacy of the salary limit rules at La Liga although some clubs are concerned that the structure may now have been severely undermined Nor did the ruling make any mention of the €100m payment that La Liga is now questioning; those are effectively two different Barcelona have not responded formally to La Liga’s statement You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed I want to make the most of every minute because it’s something I’ve been fighting for all my life.” Pau Victor was talking after being named the player of the match following Barcelona’s penalty win over Manchester City in Orlando His half-smile betrayed his innate shyness even if his eyes hinted at his high personal confidence and the happiness of a boy who enjoys playing football He had just stood out above the rest as Hansi Flick’s ‘Barcelona kids’ had their first run out against City He was involved in the two goals that took Barcelona to penalties against Pep Guardiola’s side after a 2-2 draw He had three big moments. The first started with a mistake, losing the ball. He quickly reacted, stealing the ball from the City defence, dribbling past them and playing a heeled pass back to Marc Casado Víctor embraced his teammates after the match several advertisements for Orlando amusement parks could be seen as younger and younger team-mates joined in to congratulate their team-mate They looked like children enjoying themselves at Disneyland Victor wore the number 8 on his back — no name yet because it was a pre-season friendly was greatly admired by Victor and his father it is easy to feel like a veteran even if you are only 22 years old and your football career has only just begun Victor has been close to elite football on several occasions but life has now finally led him to take the definitive step forward He is close to the Poland international — despite not having the same player profile Victor comes from a very footballing and very Barcelona family He is the eldest of three brothers and they all play football plays for AE Prat in the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system as a defensive midfielder is a right-back and is doing pre-season with Barcelona Atletic despite being a Barcelona Juvenil A player Victor arrived at Barcelona last season on loan from Girona — where he spent four years playing in the youth team and the reserve team he had a chance in the first team under Francisco Rodriguez how to get out of the box and how to look for space They say that his time at Girona was very important to him even though he was not able to break into the first team permanently They highlight his capacity for resilience for working hard and channelling bad moments as a learning process He can adapt to bad situations and has learned to overcome them Victor felt he had found a place where they were betting on him Sporting director Deco and football coordinator Bojan Krkic both like Victor a lot He felt valued from the first moment he joined — even more so this summer when they decided to make his move permanent During his time at Barcelona Atletic, when Rafa Marquez used Marc Guiu as a centre forward Barcelona sources explain that he is a player with a very clear head He is not afraid of big challenges such as playing against City in front of more than 63,000 people They point out that his mind is very quick Victor can visualise the next move and he already knows what he is going to do He has also developed his ability to press and persevere over the years Victor has worked with an analytical coach and used tools from his environment He has also become more mature and more able to withstand pressure — especially around trying to break into an elite side One of the moments he had to overcome was when he started to be called up to Xavi’s Barcelona first-team squad Xavi brought in several players to cover for absentees Marquez’s squad was being dismantled by the needs of the first-team Marquez asked for him to be left in the Barcelona Atletic dynamic Victor was needed to achieve the objective of qualifying for the promotion play-offs Xavi allowed this to happen — and they qualified for the play-offs The opportunity did arise for a centre-forward from La Masia to make his debut for the first team against Athletic Club Guiu scored a goal a minute after coming on and gave Barcelona the win and Victor’s chances of making his first-team debut — which was his goal especially as he was older than many of his teammates — plummeted without complaining and was happy his friend had the opportunity He continued to believe in the process and his quality finishing as the top scorer for Barcelona Atletic and also the top scorer in the Primera RFEF league Many at Barcelona say that the key to the talent of the current generation of powerful youngsters is that he cannot play for the reserves — so will either be in the first-team or loaned out Although it was only in a pre-season friendly and no conclusions can be drawn yet, his performance had a big impact. He was much better than Vitor Roque who cost Barcelona €31million (£26.4m; $33.8m) First — should he replace Lewandowski in the side when the veteran is unable to play is the answer once again in the Barcelona youth teams Should the club be more willing to look down into the reserve team and academy during their complicated financial situation rather than take millions out of an increasingly empty wallet (Top photo — Pau Victor (left) celebrates against City: Rich Storry/Getty Images) What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed.