Friday is here, marking the beginning of a long weekend of soccer action and the return of the German Bundesliga, but it’s not a good day for one Barcelona player, who was sentenced to one year in jail because of tax fraud.

On Thursday, defender Javier Mascherano was sentenced to a year in prison for avoiding tax payments in Spain; however, he is not expected to serve time in jail. (REPORT)

English international forward Daniel Sturridge will likely be sidelined for at least 10 more days, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. (REPORT)

Fiorentina has loaned 28-year-old forward Giuseppe Rossi to La Liga club Levante for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. (REPORT)

General manager of the FIFA Transfer Matching System Mark Goddard backed Football Leaks’ publishing of Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid transfer agreement, saying: ““It would be really good if we could have a verifiable transparent, credible source as opposed to just back pages … and soccer leaks websites.” (REPORT)

FIFA president hopeful and current UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino declared $542,000 (€500,000) in financial support from UEFA for his campaign. (REPORT)

Pep Guardiola, who previously revealed he wants to coach in the English Premier League next, has reportedly not been in contact with Manchester United about a potential move. (REPORT)

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says Ashley Young has a severe groin injury and could be out for “a long time.” (REPORT)

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has agreed to sign a new one-year contract. (REPORT)

THURSDAY REWIND

The Seattle Sounders officially unveiled forward Jordan Morris as their latest Homegrown Player signing on Thursday. (REPORT)

The U.S. Under-17 National Team progressed to the Aegean Cup final, where they will play Turkey, after defeating Belgium, 2-0, on Thursday. (REPORT)

The opening for Atlanta United’s stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, has been delayed until June 1, 2017, which means the club will have to play on the road in MLS for the first three months of its inaugural season. (REPORT)

D.C. United revealed goalkeeper Bill Hamid, 25, will miss four to six months after undergoing surgery to repair his right knee. (REPORT)

Midfielder Lynden Gooch, 20, has been loaned to English League One club Doncaster Rovers for one month by Sunderland. (REPORT)

Here are Thursday’s results from the top leagues and competitions:

SPANISH COPA DEL REY

• Valencia 1 – 1 Las Palmas
• Sevilla 2 – 0 Mirandes

FRENCH COUPE DE FRANCE

• St. Etienne 2 – 1 AC Ajaccio

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What do you think of Mascherano’s sentence? When do you expect Sturridge be fully fit for Liverpool?

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