Sports Burst - Barcelona's Got Talent
Barcelona repeat roaring success of giving literally anyone the chance to play alongside Lionel Messi as Martin Braithwaite is signed from Leganes
By Tim Stannard
Leganes season ruined after 'Barcelona's Got Talent' gives Dane nearly five year deal at the Camp Nou club
The 2019 inaugural edition of 'Barcelona's Got Talent' proved such a success that the club has opted to continue the show for a brand new season.
Who can forget Kevin-Prince Boateng being plucked from relative obscurity, brought in on loan from Sassuolo and given a starting role alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez?
Many fans won't. And not in a good way. Leo Messi certainly won't. And not in a good way, either.
Nevertheless, the reality show spectacle of Barcelona this year - 'Housewives' meets 'Below Deck' - demands more satisfaction and Barcelona have delivered. Danish striker Martin Braithwaite began the day playing for Leganes - second from bottom of LaLiga with the player in question 24th in the scoring rankings in Spain's top-flight this season. It has ended with a peg in the Barcelona locker room.
From turning out for Middlesbrough and Toulouse, the 28-year-old has been handed a four-and-a-half year deal with Barcelona and a buyout clause of over $300 million for a footballer who has only gone into double figures for league goals twice in ten seasons.
Technically, the transfer window is closed in Spain, but Barcelona pleaded poverty due to the long-term injuries to Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele and triggered a buyout clause for Braithwaite for $19 million to leave an outraged Leganes without a single functioning forward and probably doomed to relegation.
But Barcelona's show must go on. 'Barcelona's Got Talent' season 2 gets underway live on beIN SPORTS on Saturday at 10AM ET with a home clash against Eibar.
Hammer time for Ludogorets and Cluj as Europa League returns
Merciful Zeus, the Europa League is back, back, back!
The wait is over!
Time to sit back and enjoy Manchester United against...er...someone Slovenian? And Sevilla! They are probably in the competition! Sevilla normally are.
And that's the fundamental problem of the Europa League. Aside from a few big cheeses such as Inter and Ajax or Arsenal and Manchester United - who are only begrudgingly in the competition as their entire sporting existences went pear-shaped - the competition remains the battle to find Europe's most middling club.
Name the last two winners. Without the internet. Sports Burst dares you.
This time last year, Ajax were in the process of dismantling Real Madrid. Now, the Dutch side has returned to the Spanish capital to take on Getafe. That can't be a pleasant feeling.
Inter face an inconvenient Ludogorets intervention in the middle of a grueling campaign to win Serie A. Manchester United are at Brugge while...eh...12 other matchups are being played.
Have a look for yourself.
The Sports Burst live show today happens to have the world's biggest Europa League fan in Eric Krakauer, guesting with Gabrielle Amado. But don't let that put you off. Head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page and Youtube channel at 12PM ET for all the juice.