SERGIO BUSQUETS

Barcelona’s president has presented a grim picture of the club’s financial situation.

Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne will make their first starts at the European Championship in Belgium’s final group match against Finland on Monday.

Christian Eriksen was named player of the match in Denmark’s 1-0 loss to Finland at the European Championship.

The biggest sporting event since the coronavirus brought the world to a halt has kicked off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Spain defender Diego Llorente has returned to the national team’s European Championship squad after being cleared from what officials consider to be an erroneous positive test result for COVID-19.

Sergio Ramos has been left off Spain’s squad for the European Championship following a season plagued by injuries.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – Paris Saint-Germain withstood early pressure from a much-improved but wasteful Barcelona side to draw 1-1 on Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Neymar and Messi tormented PSG that night, but there was to be no reply this time. Navas then tipped Sergino Dest’s drive onto the crossbar as Barcelona opened PSG up with its passing and movement. Incessant pressure led to a penalty for Barcelona, again following a VAR check, when Kurzawa was adjudged to have impeded Griezmann. With that miss, some of the belief seemed to sap from Barcelona and the second half was more even.

A worker holds a shirt with the name of Barcelona soccer player Lionel Messi at a F.C Barcelona store in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Barcelona is banking on a face-to-face meeting with Lionel Messi to try to convince him to stay. Talks with Messis father-agent are expected this week in Barcelona but the club also hopes to sit down with the player himself. Messi invoked a clause that allowed him to leave for free at the end of the season, but Barcelona said the clause expired in June. But so far no word from Messi on anything, and as he keeps quiet, Barcelona keeps reeling.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi leaves the pitch after the the Champions League quarterfinal soccer match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. The Spanish league is about to see another top player leave one of its clubs, all within a four-year span. The league wasnt hugely affected financially after Neymar left Barcelona or Ronaldo left Real Madrid. The league still benefited from Messis presence after Ronaldo left, but now it wouldn't have that same star power anymore. Since Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Spain gained few top-notch players.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi during the Champions League quarterfinal match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez/Pool)MADRID Lionel Messis surprise decision to leave Barcelona has dealt a blow to the clubs restructuring project even before it began. What might have upset him the most was the decision to get rid of Luis Surez, Messis longtime teammate and friend. With its aging team, Barcelona endured one of its toughest seasons, the first without a title since 2007-08. A lengthy legal batter would further hurt Barcelonas restructuring project, as would Messis departure without any financial compensation.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts during the Champions League quarterfinal match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. Gerard Piqu says Barcelona "hit rock bottom" in an 8-2 humiliation from Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. Rumors of clubs wanting to sign Messi started to surface immediately after the teams loss to Bayern, with Pep Guardiola-coached Manchester City reportedly among the front-runners. Earlier this season, Messi criticized Barcelona directors for some of their decisions. He had also said that he didnt think Barcelona would succeed in the Champions League the way things were at the club.

Barcelona will be without midfielders Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal and Arthur for Saturdays second leg of their round-of-16 tie. The match will be played five months after the Spanish side earned a 1-1 draw at Napoli before the pandemic brought most sports to a halt. Both Rique and Ansu are ready to play, Setin said Friday. Fati, 17, made a huge splash this season by becoming the youngest player to score in the Spanish league and the Champions League, among other precocious scoring milestones. With only 13 first-team players available, Setin has called up seven members of Barcelonas youth squad, including American Konrad de la Fuente.