Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué has come out to rubbish reports that FC Barcelona have been considering ending Marcus Rashford’s loan deal early.
The well-known football reporter, who regularly works with the likes of Sky Sports, CBS Sports, BBC and more, is one of many to have publicly decried false claims made about the Manchester United loanee, who joined the La Liga giants at the start of this summer.
Barca themselves are also said to have quashed the rumours, with Balagué’s quotes having now been widely circulated online.
Speaking via X over the weekend, the 56-year-old put it simply: that the rumblings are nonsense, reassuring that the club have plenty of faith in his abilities.
Absolutely rubbish that Barcelona is planning to end up early @MarcusRashford loan deal
Barça told his representative that they have a lot of confidence in Rashford’s potential and that they believe he will recover as a top player
As you can see, the Catalan-born RCD Espanyol fan also chose to publicly align himself with former England footballer, Gary Lineker, who has suggested that a targeted and discriminatory narrative against Rashford has developed in recent years.
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Though he didn’t state it verbatim, Balagué added: “No more to say, apart from the fact I agree with Gary Lineker and his treatment by some media.”
In case you were unaware of what he’s precisely referring to, Lineker said in a chat with the Man United forward on his The Rest Is Football podcast that he believes Rashford “wouldn’t face the same criticism if he was white.”
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Having also made the move from Britain to Barcelona back in 1986 (spending a total of three seasons there), the 64-year-old knows plenty about adjusting from playing in one country to another.
You can see the interview in full here.
The interview was conducted shortly after Rashford’s loan deal was completed, and he had plenty to say about his boyhood team.
Responding to Balagué’s social media post, one commenter wrote: “This nonsense is coming from racist journalists in England who refuse to leave [Rashford] alone. They bullied him when he was in England, especially during times when he seemed unhappy.
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“Now, these haters have followed him to Barcelona. Rashford is one of the kindest players in the world, but these clowns just won’t let him live his life in peace.”
It is worth noting, however, that the original reports in question and ultimately aggregated by media across Europe and here in the UK come from a domestic outlet, El Nacional.
While he is yet to rediscover the form of his peak years in United red at the Camp Nou, he is now entering what are traditionally seen as the ‘prime’ period in a footballer’s career and did show more positive signs on loan at Aston Villa during the second half of the previous campaign.
At 27, there is still plenty of time to turn things around; that being said, after being brought back into the national team and with his parent club holding an option to buy clause for around a reported £20 million, the question remains whether he will be returning to Old Trafford at the end of the term. Speaking of…
A Greater Manchester run club is taking on a 24-hour ‘Everest’ memorial and charity challenge
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester run club is set to take on an impressive 24-hour feat of endurance dubbed the ‘Everest’ challenge later this week, and it’s all for charity.
Yes, running on behalf of not only a nearby organisation but also in memory of a beloved native, this deeply moving event will see the group of Trafford runners going up and down hills for a whole day.
We’ve seen the huge growth of the flagship Manchester 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness over the past half a decade – which has now spread to multiple other cities – and it’s great to see similar formats springing up across the region.
Set up by Batch Running Club, who are based in Altrincham, the Everest challenge gets underway this coming Friday and will run (pun very much intended) into the weekend.
Sharing a lengthy post on social media, they wrote: “On Friday, 5th June at 6pm, our amazing running club will begin a 24-hour challenge running backwards and forwards over Moss Lane Bridge near Tesco in Altrincham.
“Our goal? To cover the equivalent elevation of climbing Mount Everest — at least once, maybe even more! We’re taking on this challenge to raise much-needed funds for Trafford Carers Centre in memory of the wonderful Jim Edward Parsons.
“A couple of years ago, as a running club, we chose to support Trafford Carers because of a personal connection within the Batch family. Bards, owner of Batch Bottlestore, saw first-hand the incredible support Trafford Carers gave his mum, Kirsty, while she cared full-time for his stepdad Jim.
“Their help made a huge difference during an incredibly difficult time and ensured Kirsty never felt alone in her role as a carer.”
Unfortunately, Jim sadly passed away last December, and so in an effort to honour his life and support the crucial care network that has not only aided local families but touched so many other lives in the process, they’ll be taking on the ‘Big Tesco Hill’ for 24 hours straight. WOW.
As the poster would suggest, it runs right past the main Alty Tesco. (Credit: David Dixon via Geograph)
Having been lucky enough to enjoy the downhill version of that very same hill as part of the Manchester Marathon, we can only imagine how difficult it is running back up it in the other direction…
Encouraging people to come along and join, or even just come along and support as volunteers and/or cheer on from the sidelines, they’re hoping to complete as many laps as time will allow and, more importantly, raise as much vital funding as possible.
They signed off by adding: “This charity is incredibly close to our hearts, and Jim will always remain at the centre of why we continue supporting Trafford Carers.”
We hope 2026 is just the first of what will become a worthwhile annual fitness fundraiser; you can donate to the charity run HERE.
Counselling with Trafford Carers Centre
Counselling is an opportunity for you to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe, supportive and confidential setting. Our trainee counsellors are here to help you through this process without judgement or giving advice. pic.twitter.com/AkaaAROaO4
Stockport County are hosting huge World Cup screenings at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County are set to host one of the biggest World Cup screenings in Greater Manchester this year, with the nearby football club opening up their very own ground at Edgeley Park to host some huge watchalong parties.
And before you ask, no – you won’t be watching from the pitch, sorry.
Still, a dozen large TVs, loads of great street food and free-flowing drinks, not to mention plenty of stadium-level atmosphere, we’d absolutely call this the next best thing.
With the 2026 World Cup and a whole summer packed with sporting tournaments coming up, ‘The Hatters’ will be creating their own home camp to help cheer on the national squad.
As you can see, while you won’t quite be out of their on the turf for yourselves, and outrageous ‘scam’ ticket prices mean even fewer England supporters will likely be flying out to watch the boys in person, the Stockport side will be doing their best to create a proper good crowd.
Taking over the County Courtyard – the team’s dedicated social hub for before and after games, which opened back in 2022 – the local League One side will be turning this into a Three Lions fan zone for each and every game they play in the tournament.
Fingers crossed they give us plenty of rounds to witness, eh?…
Anyone who’s been to Edgeley Park‘s County Courtyard or simply even seen the scenes online will know how busy this place can get on a matchday, so just imagine what it will be like with the big screens showing the all-important games.
With resident cult figure ‘Chef John’ cooking up street food scran inspired by the cuisine and cultures that will be hosting this year’s World Cup, and a special, not to mention brand-new, US-inspired beer in collaboration with natives Runaway Brewery, it’s a great lineup – we just pray Thomas Tuchel matches it.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied via Stockport County Football Club)
Doors open at 6pm for all fixtures, and The Courtyard will remain open until midnight; with tickets starting from just a fiver for the group stage, you’d be foolish not to at least consider it.
If England do make it through to the knockouts, each following fixture will obviously be shown on the box, too, with tickets then rising to £10 per game (Edgeley Park is also a fully cashless venue).
You can find out more information about what will be on offer and find the ticket link right HERE.
As for Stopfordians and regular season ticket-holders, they’ll no doubt be gutted to hear that manager Dave Challinor has now departed SK3 after a hugely productive five-year stint – here’s hoping a great World Cup can help lift some spirits.
Memories that will last a lifetime 💙
We wish Dave and his family every success in the future – they will always be welcome back at Edgeley Park 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZxcH5Keag9
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) June 1, 2026
Danny Jones -
9th September 2025 
