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Moscow Says Calls to Ban Russian Athletes from Olympics ‘Unacceptable’

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
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Moscow Says Calls to Ban Russian Athletes from Olympics ‘Unacceptable’

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17, 2022. (Reuters)

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Saturday that calls from ministers of more than 30 countries to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics were unacceptable, TASS news agency reported.

A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, Lithuania's sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games.

The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is desperate to avoid the sporting event being torn asunder by the conflict unfolding in Ukraine.

"This is a direct interference of ministers in the activities of independent international sports organizations, an attempt to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions, which is absolutely unacceptable," Matytsin was quoted as saying by TASS.

The IOC has opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.

It has said a boycott would violate the Olympic Charter and that its inclusion of Russians and Belarusians was based on a United Nations resolution against discrimination within the Olympic movement.

"Now we see an undisguised desire to destroy the unity of international sports and the international Olympic movement, to make sport a means of pressure to resolve political issues," Matytsin was quoted as saying.

The RIA Novosti news agency also reported that Matytsin described as "humiliating" a proposal by Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk to create a team of refugees that would include Russian and Belarusian dissidents.

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Raphinha Leads Barcelona’s Thrilling 4-3 Comeback over Celta in La Liga

Barcelona's Raphinha, center left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Celta de Vigo at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)
Barcelona's Raphinha, center left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Celta de Vigo at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)
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Raphinha Leads Barcelona’s Thrilling 4-3 Comeback over Celta in La Liga

Barcelona's Raphinha, center left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Celta de Vigo at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)
Barcelona's Raphinha, center left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Celta de Vigo at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP)

Hansi Flick ran onto the field on the final whistle and lifted Raphinha off his feet in a bear hug.

The Brazil forward deserved being singled out for extra praise from Barcelona’s coach. He had just led a thrilling 4-3 fightback over Celta Vigo by scoring two late goals including a clutch penalty for an injury-time winner.

Barcelona remained on pace for the Spanish league title as it opened up a seven-point gap over Real Madrid before the defending champion hosts Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

“It was amazing to see at this stage how this team gives everything to never give up," Flick said. He added that at halftime he told Raphinha he needed him “as a leader” on the field.

Raphinha's double let him reach 30 goals in all competitions this season, the best of his career.

Barcelona top scorer Robert Lewandowski asked to be substituted in the final minutes while touching his left thigh.

“We have to wait until tomorrow,” Flick said.

There is no let up for Barcelona with three titles in play.

Barcelona faces Mallorca in the league on Tuesday and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final next weekend. Four days after that it will start its Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan.

It looked like another easy win for Barcelona when Ferran Torres fired the hosts ahead early.

But Celta striker Borja Iglesias started his spectacular three-goal performance just three minutes later, scoring on the break after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny failed to reach a low cross.

Iglesias stunned the home fans again by scoring twice more in the 59th and 62nd from passes from Celta’s own area that were poorly defended by Barcelona.

Iglesias got his second goal after Frenkie De Jong let a long goal kick that looked harmless bounce past him, apparently thinking a teammate would control it. Instead, Iglesias pounced on the ball and drilled a shot inside the far post. Iglesias made it a hat trick when Barcelona's defense let him run onto a long ball and dink his shot past Szczesny.

Barcelona looked done but Flick’s side quickly rallied behind Raphinha — with some help from substitutes Olmo and Lamine Yamal.

Raphinha slipped a ball through for Olmo to take Barcelona’s second goal. He then rose up to thump in Yamal’s cross with a powerful header. And with Lewandowski on the bench, Raphinha beat goalkeeper Vincente Guaita from the high-pressure penalty deep in injury time after a video review convinced the referee to penalize a foul by Celta defender Yoel Lago on Olmo.

Celta, which held Barcelona to 2-2 in their other meeting this season, fell into eighth place.

Meanwhile, third-placed Atletico Madrid’s visit to Las Palmas was also decided deep in stoppage time, when the host got a goal from Javi Muñoz to snatch a 1-0 upset

The loss in the Canary Islands left Atletico 10 points adrift of Barcelona with six rounds remaining.

Las Palmas escaped the relegation zone after Muñoz poked a ball past Jan Olbak that Atletico failed to clear.

Mallorca moved into seventh after a 0-0 draw with Leganes, while Umar Sadiq struck to help Valencia rally for 1-1 at Rayo Vallecano.