Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday became the first player to score 50 goals in a Spanish season as Barcelona and arch-rivals Real Madrid both triumphed ahead of their mouth-watering Champions League duel.
Messi reached his latest landmark when he found the target three minutes from time in his team's 2-0 win over Osasuna as Barcelona maintained their eight-point lead at the top of La Liga.
He had already equalled the previous best mark of 49 goals scored by Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas when he netted in the 1-1 draw against Real last weekend.
Now Messi has 31 goals in the league and nine in the Champions League after finishing with seven in the King's Cup and three in the Spanish Supercup.
Earlier Saturday, Real crushed Valencia 6-3 to set the foundation for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg clash at their Bernabeu home.
In midweek, Barca's hopes of a treble had come to an end when Real beat them 1-0 in the King's Cup final, but coach Pep Guardiola shrugged it off saying that the league is their main priority.
However, ahead of another 'clasico' in Europe, Guardiola chose to leave the likes of Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta on the bench against Osasuna.
The impressive Jeffren Isaias supplied the 24th minute cross for Spain international David Villa to end one of his worst spells in front of goal when he fired passed the keeper after having gone eleven matches and two months without scoring.
In the second half Barca tightened up and substitute Messi came on to secure the three points and his place in the record books.
"It wasn't a very strong performance from us. Osasuna are always a difficult team and we had players who don't play that often. It was important for Villa to get his goal to boost his confidence," said Guardiola.
Looking ahead to the game with Real he added: "If we go to the Bernabeu aiming to defend they will take advantage. We need to go and score goals even though we have problems with injuries. At the moment not many people would back us as Madrid are playing a lot better."
A second-string Real side romped to a 6-3 win over Valencia.
Coach Jose Mourinho fielded just Iker Casillas and Ricardo Carvalho from the side which beat Barcelona in the final of the King's Cup as he also looked to rest his players.
Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain made the most of his opportunity with a hat-trick while Brazilian star Kaka grabbed a brace.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring when the keeper failed to reach a Higuain pass and the Frenchman slotted passed two defenders on the line.
Higuain then slipped the ball home while defender Jeremy Mathieu dawdled in possession.
Still before half time Kaka and Higuain netted from crosses with the Valencia defence again ball watching.
After the break Valencia were a little better with Higuain completing a hat-trick before Roberto Saldado finally got the home side on the score sheet.
A piece of quality from Kaka saw him finish clinically after nutmegging a defender and then Valencia gave some respectability to the scoreline with goals from Jonas Goncalves and Jordi Alba.
"We want to finish the season well and with the feeling that we are capable of winning in any stadium. Our aim is that Barca win the league with the points they pick up and not those that we give away," said Mourinho.
"This is a competition in which we aren't favourites but after winning a trophy, we have won well here and played spectacular football. We did our job and have had two very tough games after each other."
Athletic Bilbao boosted their European hopes with a 2-1 win in a hard-fought Basque derby against Real Sociedad.
They are now five points clear of sixth-placed Sevilla thanks to goals from Iker Muniain and Gaizka Toquero.
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Showing posts with label FC Barcelona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FC Barcelona. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Messi: "Fabregas will return to Barca"
Argentine striker Lionel Messi has paid rich tributes to Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and said he hopes that the Spanish striker and he will be reunited at Nou Camp "at some point".
"Cesc has a place for Arsenal in his heart but he has Barcelona in his blood...There are only a few players in the world who can improve this squad we have but Cesc is one of them," Messi was quoted as saying by the Daily Express.
Despite the fact that Fabregas is under contract to Arsenal until 2014 and has pledged his future to the club on a number of occasions, he has been consistently linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he joined as a 10-year-old in 1997.
Messi said that he understood that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Fabregas shared a father-son relationship, but Barcelona was like family. "Barcelona is his city and it is the club of him and his family."
Asked if he would play for an English club, 22-year-old Messi said, "I will be here for as long as they want me. I owe Barcelona more than for for giving me a chance - I owe them for changing my life."
"Cesc has a place for Arsenal in his heart but he has Barcelona in his blood...There are only a few players in the world who can improve this squad we have but Cesc is one of them," Messi was quoted as saying by the Daily Express.
Despite the fact that Fabregas is under contract to Arsenal until 2014 and has pledged his future to the club on a number of occasions, he has been consistently linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he joined as a 10-year-old in 1997.
Messi said that he understood that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Fabregas shared a father-son relationship, but Barcelona was like family. "Barcelona is his city and it is the club of him and his family."
Asked if he would play for an English club, 22-year-old Messi said, "I will be here for as long as they want me. I owe Barcelona more than for for giving me a chance - I owe them for changing my life."
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lionel Messi joins an elite list
Lionel Messi became only the sixth player in history to have bagged four goals in a UEFA Champions League match.
The Argentine's four-goal haul against Arsenal on Tuesday night took his team into the semi-finals and also won him another new record to go along with it.
Only five other players have managed the same feat namely, Marco Van Basten, Dado Prso, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andrei Shevchenko and Simone Inzaghi.
Van Basten's goals came against IFK Gothenburg back in 1992 while playing for AC Milan.
It took another eight years before Lazio's Simone Inzaghi stunned Marseille with four of his own in a 5-1 win over the French giants.
Croatian hitman Prso netted four times in Monaco's 8-3 trouncing of Deportivo
The last player to have achieved that feat was Shevchenko who bundled four goals past Fenerbahce for AC Milan in the 2005 edition of the UEFA Champions League.
2010 - Lionel Messi Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal
2005 - Andrei Shevchenko Fenerbahce 0-
2004 - Ruud van Nistelrooy Manchester United 4-1 Sparta Prague
2003 - Dado Prso Monaco 8-3 Deportivo
2000 - Simone Inzaghi Lazio 5-1 Marseille
1992 - Marco Van Basten AC Milan 4-0 IFK Gothenburg
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Arsenal vs Barcelona FC preview: Messi set to steal the show with Gunners legend Henry consigned to the bench
This was supposed to be about Thierry Henry making his emotional return to Arsenal. But instead the 22-year-old who has been called the best player ever will take centre stage tonight.
Messi and Fabregas played in the same youth team at
Click here to find out more!
But Messi has blossomed at
His brilliant recent performances have brought him eight goals in his last three starts. That is why Henry will get a hero’s reception on his homecoming tonight, but all eyes will be on the player expected to be the big star of this summer’s World Cup and held up to be a name as big as Pele, Maradona and Cruyff in the future.
The only problem for
“I’m sure that when he finishes his career he will be one of the best players in the world. Absolutely." Messi’s
“He has already won everything and can get better. “The biggest threat to him is the motivation and whether he can keep going and improving at the highest level.” Messi will have even more pressure on his shoulders as
However, even the absence of Iniesta will not guarantee former Arsenal captain Henry a starting place for
“He’s returning home but winning is the most important thing.“Titi has a lot of experience, he’s an exceptional player. He’s used to playing in big games. He is the best player to have played at Arsenal, scored more than 100 goals and he’s a special player.”
But while Guardiola was rich in his praise for Henry, that was nothing compared to his admiration for Arsene Wenger. Ex-Spain and Barca midfielder Guardiola spent time at Arsenal’s training ground, learning from Wenger earlier in his career. Guardiola insisted he was one of the best coaches in the world – but warned that
Guardiola said: “Mr Wenger is one of the best coaches in the world, and has won many, many titles.
“He’s changed the mentality of this club and is the reason why people around the world respect and admire him and Arsenal. They are a phenomenal team.
“We all know that scoring an away goal is very important for the away leg so we will have attacking intentions. We will also defend well, but we will try to score – that’s our main idea.” Cesc Fabregas is the big concern for with Wenger naming a 19-man squad with youngster Craig Eastmond on standby for the bench.
Samir Nasri will step in for Fabregas if he does not make it with Tomas Rosicky ready to, slot in on the right.
Source: Mirror
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lionel Messi overtakes David Beckham in football rich list
Argentinean forward Messi, who scored a second successive
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho tops the manager’s rich list with €13 million per year, ahead of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini with €12 million.
According to France Football, Messi’s annual wage is made up of a €10 million basic salary, €4 million in bonuses and €19 million from personal endorsements which include Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Gillette, Gatorade, Konami, Air Europa, Telefonica/Movistar, SportCenter/ESPN, Damm, Danone, Lody For Men, Storkman, Repsol YPF, SanDisk and Mirage/Seiko.
Despite suffering a slight drop in income from the 2009 list, Beckham places in the top two of footballers’ earnings for the ninth consecutive time. Part of Beckham’s salary decrease is due to the fall in value of the dollar.
The top ten:
1. Lionel Messi (
2. David Beckham (
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) €30m
4. Kaka (Real Madrid) €18.8m
5. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) €18m
6. Ronaldinho (AC Milan) €17.2m
7. Carlos Tevez (
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (
9. Frank Lampard (
10. Samuel Eto’o (Inter
Source: Sport Business
Monday, December 14, 2009
Lionel Messi and Barcelona FC at Abu Dhabi
Barça are already on their way to
After their record-breaking victory over Espanyol, Josep Guardiola’s team is already on their way to
Their flight has been made even longer owing to the 2-hour stopover in Intanbul imposed by Civil Aviation. Along with the squad and staff, some 25 fans will be on board.
Club president Joan Laporta will be travelling, along with vice-presidents Rafael Yuste, Albert Perrín and Joan Boix. Technical secretary Txiki Begiristain and football director Raul Sanllehí are also on the trip. Other board members will join the squad on Wednesday.
Source: Barcelona Press
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Historical victory of Rubin Kazan squad at Barcelona FC
Barca suffered their first defeat of the season as Rubin Kazan shocked the Nou Camp with a 1-2 win tonight. Barca had the lion's share of the ball and hit the woodwork twice, but the Russians proved more effective in front of goal.
On paper Rubin Kazan were the weakest team of the Group F, but they showed that upsets are still a part and parcel of the game with their shock win at the Nou Camp. After a very early goal put them ahead, they defended doggedly and in the end inflicted Barca's first defeat of the season.
Barca seemed to have punctured Rubin's hopes when Ibrahimovic drew them level just after half time and with nearly 70% of possession, Guardiola's men certainly dominated, but the Russian team hit them on the break to make it 1-2 and with two posts denying them late on, Barca were left to rue their bad luck on a disappointing evening at the Nou Camp.
After just a minute,Rubin Kazan were one up when Ryazantsev connected with a scorching 35-yard drive that gave Valdes no chance as it shot into the top left hand corner. Barca seemed unperturbed by the goal though and were soon in charge with Ibrahimovic making the keeper Ryzhikov work on 4 and 10 minutes.
For their part, Rubin tried to sit on their lead, closing down midfield and packing their defence against Xavi and Iniesta's clever probing and with Messi coming deep, Barca found the congested centre hard to break through.
It was therefore out on the flanks that Barca got most joy with Alves cutting in and hitting the side netting with a shot on 15 minutes and Pedro heading just wide on 38 minutes, but it was still the Russians who went in ahead at the break.
The second half began as almost a carbon copy of the first, but this time it was Barca who got the early goal. And what a goal it was: Xavi lofting a pinpoint pass for Ibrahimovic in the inside right lane to turn and fire low past the keeper. Now the fans were roaring Barca on as they searched for their second against opponents who were determined to sit back and defend.
Despite having nearly 80% of the possession in the second half, it wasn't Barca, but rather Rubin who broke the deadlock as Karadeniz rounded off a lightening quick counter attack on 73 minutes. That second goal was a real body blow to Barca and though there was still time for Ibrahimovic on 79 minutes and Toure in injury time to both hit the woodwork, it just wasn't to be -sometimes there's just no justice in football!
FC Barcelona Press
On paper Rubin Kazan were the weakest team of the Group F, but they showed that upsets are still a part and parcel of the game with their shock win at the Nou Camp. After a very early goal put them ahead, they defended doggedly and in the end inflicted Barca's first defeat of the season.
Barca seemed to have punctured Rubin's hopes when Ibrahimovic drew them level just after half time and with nearly 70% of possession, Guardiola's men certainly dominated, but the Russian team hit them on the break to make it 1-2 and with two posts denying them late on, Barca were left to rue their bad luck on a disappointing evening at the Nou Camp.
After just a minute,Rubin Kazan were one up when Ryazantsev connected with a scorching 35-yard drive that gave Valdes no chance as it shot into the top left hand corner. Barca seemed unperturbed by the goal though and were soon in charge with Ibrahimovic making the keeper Ryzhikov work on 4 and 10 minutes.
For their part, Rubin tried to sit on their lead, closing down midfield and packing their defence against Xavi and Iniesta's clever probing and with Messi coming deep, Barca found the congested centre hard to break through.
It was therefore out on the flanks that Barca got most joy with Alves cutting in and hitting the side netting with a shot on 15 minutes and Pedro heading just wide on 38 minutes, but it was still the Russians who went in ahead at the break.
The second half began as almost a carbon copy of the first, but this time it was Barca who got the early goal. And what a goal it was: Xavi lofting a pinpoint pass for Ibrahimovic in the inside right lane to turn and fire low past the keeper. Now the fans were roaring Barca on as they searched for their second against opponents who were determined to sit back and defend.
Despite having nearly 80% of the possession in the second half, it wasn't Barca, but rather Rubin who broke the deadlock as Karadeniz rounded off a lightening quick counter attack on 73 minutes. That second goal was a real body blow to Barca and though there was still time for Ibrahimovic on 79 minutes and Toure in injury time to both hit the woodwork, it just wasn't to be -sometimes there's just no justice in football!
FC Barcelona Press
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ibrahimovic: “Guardiola explains well what he wants”
Barca's latest signing talks to the “Revista Barca” in their latest addition about his career so far and his first few months at the club.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke to the club's magazine before the game against
Winning mentality
Zlatan's father was Bosnian and his mother Croatian and he grew up in the a quiet Swedish town. He began playing football at Rosengard where he began to develop his strong personality: “you have to be strong in life and I didn't let anybody put me down. If you show me respect, I'll respect you. I like people to speak clearly and say things as the are. I don't want to be second, third or fourth . That's the same as being last. I want to be first – or nothing”,
Inter
Eto'o
The Swedish striker's goals and assists so far this season have put a stop to any yearnings for Eto'o from the fans, but Ibrahimovic has plenty of respect for the African striker: “ he did a great job at Barca and I've got a lot of respect for what he did. He's one of the greats, but that pressure doesn't affect me, maybe the opposite in fact, it drives me on. However, I don't think you can compare us as we are so different”.
Guardiola
After working under bosses such as Koeman, Capello, Mancini or Mourinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic likes Guardiola's system: “he explains well what he wants and wants to know what you like most, what you want to do......There's always a very open dialogue. He's got a winning mentality like me, but he also wants to win with elegance and by playing attractive football”.
A place in history
With five goals in his first five League appearances, Ibrahimovic has made his mark and entered into club history, a history he is very well aware of: “I remember the times of Romario, then Ronaldo, one of the bets ever players – the most complete footballer ever for me. Players like Stoichkov, Ronaldo, Romário, Eto'o... they've all done extraordinary things here and I'd love to be able to leave my mark too”.
Source: Barca Press
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Zlatan Ibrahimovic goals video in Barcelona: he is on fire!
On Saturday, 26 September, FC Barcelona play their fifth
The Swede can equal the club record of scoring in the first five matches of the season for FC Barcelona.
According to Infostrada Sports, the all-time
Ibrahimovic is the first debutant to score in the first four league matches for
Scoring in most successive matches since start of season for FC Barcelona in
# Name Nation Season
5 César ESP 1950/1951
4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic SWE 2009/2010
4 Ladislao Kubala ESP 1953/1954
4 Cayetano Ré PAR 1964/1965
3 Arocha ESP 1930/1931
3 José Samitier ESP 1931/1932
3 César ESP 1947/1948
3 Fusté ESP 1963/1964
3 Zaballa ESP 1966/1967
3 Bernd Schuster GER 1981/1982
3 Hristo Stoichkov BUL 1990/1991
3 Luis Enrique ESP 2002/2003
3 Samuel Eto'o CMR 2006/2007
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Barcelona UCL Group: European rivals up and running
Barca’s three rivals in the Group Stage of the UCL this season will all be going into the competition with more games under their belts than Guardiola’s team, with the Russian team Rubin Kazan actually reaching the end of their season.
When Barca visit Milan to take on Inter in 11 days time, they will have just played their second league game, away to Getafe, having already beaten Sporting in the league opener and taken the Spanish and European Super Cups in August. Their rivals have all had the benefit of a few more games and the Russians are almost at the end of their season.
Inter
Barca’s first game in the Group Stage is in Milan and Inter have already played one more league game than their visitors, boasting a 0-4 win over Milan and a draw against Bari. Sampdoria lead the Scudetto with Inter lying fifth alongside
Dinamo Kiev
On 29 September, Barca entertain Dynamo Kiev at the Nou Camp. The Ukranians top their league with 16 points, three more than Shaktar Donetsk, having won 5 of the six games played so far and drawn the other, scoring 24 goals and conceding just 4.
Rubin Kazan
The third Group Stage game will be against the Russian team Rubin Kazan. There are just 10 games to go in the Russian league and Rubin have a 4 point lead over second place Spartak Moscow, who beat them 0-
Sandra Sarmiento / FC Barcelona Press
Monday, August 31, 2009
Dmytro Chygrynsky signs with Barcelona
Chygrynskiy has sign a five-year contract with FC Barcelona after the club agreed a €25million fee with Shakhtar Donetsk. The central defender’s deal will include a buy-out clause worth €100million.
Chygrynsky arrived at the club offices this lunchtime after a fligh
t from Nice and the first thing he did was have his photo taken alongside the club’s coat of arms.
Chygrynsky, accompanied by his agent, his brother and club officials arrived at
The Ukrainian defender got a taste of what to expect from the fans at his new club when he landed at El Prat, as he coincided with an expedition from the Penya Barcelonista Teixonera, who’d just returned from
Chygrynsky was driven straight to the Nou Camp where he had his photo taken outside the club offices. Looking relaxed and dressed in jeans and a blue shirt, Chygrynsky also posed for the local media and was warmly received by fans who’d come to the club to welcome him.
Speaking exclusively to Barca TV Chygrynsky said: “I feel lucky to sign for Barca. I’m hoping to improve and form a part of this great team”.
Dmytro Chygrynsky career
2004–2005 / 2006-2009 Shakhtar Donetsk 83 matches, 7 goals
2005–2006 Metalurh Zaporizhzhya 15 matches, 2 goals
Barcelona Press
Friday, August 28, 2009
Pedro goal gives Super Cup 2009 against Shaktar Donetsk: Messi, the player of the match
Barça play in the European Super Cup for the seventh time tonight, thus equalling
Just by taking part in tonight’s game at the Louis II, Barça are making history, as they equal
The ‘rossoneri’ have a record five titles. Barça, despite competing six times before, have only brought home the trophy twice.
Lionel Messi: the best player of Europe 2009: he dedicate awards to the hole squad
Players of FC Barcelona stole the limelight at the UEFA awards ceremony in Monaco on Thursday. Messi was voted best forward and best club footballer while Xavi lifted the award for best midfielder.
After picking up their awards at the UEFA ceremony in Monaco, Xavi and Messi stressed that the merit belonged to the whole Barça squad.
Barça’s excellent 2008-09 season culminated in the Club’s third Champions league title. Now, UEFA has recognised the individual achievements of two members of the team, Xavi and Messi. On learning of their awards, both players emphasised the important of the whole squad.
Speaking to Barça TV, Xavi Hernández dedicated the award to his team-mates: “I know that this is all a team success. I’m very happy and I dedicate it to them because without their contribution I’m nobody on the pitch”. Lionel Messi spoke in similar terms: “The whole group deserves recognition for our season last year”.
They also stressed that the players must keep their feet on the ground if they want to carry on winning. Messi, who today picked up the first of what will surely be many individual awards in years to come, was determined to play down comments that rate him as the best player in the world: “I just concentrate on doing my job, on improving as a player and on learning. I will never believe that I’m the best in the world and my objective is to work hard to carry on winning”.
Xavi is obviously delighted to have been voted best player in the European Nations Cup, best player in the Rome final and now best midfielder in the competition. However, he stressed: “Everyone likes to receive awards and it’s clear that these come from collective success. Now we’re immersed in a new season and there’s a lot at stake”.
As a product of the Barça youth academy, Xavi is pleased that all five nominees came up through the youth ranks: “It’s another sign that the youth football is very well organised. Barça’s great teams have always had home-grown players and I believe this should never be lost. It’s a privilege and an honour that there are so many home-grown players in the first team”.
Fully focussed on the European Super Cup: although it’s nice to receive awards, Xavi and Messi known that the most important thing is Friday’s final and that there’ no room for mistakes. Xavi told us: “We’ll be 100%: We know that we have to give our all and be humble. We are aware that Shakhtar is a great team against whom we can win or lose but we will never lose our humility”.
For his part Messi said: “Above everything else is Friday’s match. It’ll be very complicated and we can’t repeat the defeat from the past. We have to start well and mentalise ourselves that it’ll be very difficult”.
The winners
Best goalkeeper: Van der Sar (Manchester Utd)
Best defender: John Terry (Chelsea)
Best midfielder: Xavi Hernández (Barça)
Best forward: Lionel Andrés Messi (Barça)
Best club footballer: Lionel Andrés Messi (Barça)
European Super Cup 2009: Final session before leaving for Monaco
The senior squad had their last training session in
The session, the second of the week focussed on Friday’s European Super Cup match against Shakhtar Donetsk, started at 6.30 pm and was held behind closed doors. Reserve team youngsters Marc Bartra and Oriol Romeu joined the usual group.
All available players: as happened last year for the
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ibrahimovic and Messi: injury free?
Both Ibrahimovic and Messi were declared to be fully recovered from injury by Club doctors on Tuesday and will now be available to manager Josep Guardiola for the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Both players took a full part in the training session held from 9 am behind closed doors at the Joan Gamper Sports Centre. Afterwards, Club doctors informed waiting reporters that they are now cleared to play. This means that they will be available to take some part in Wednesday’s match against Manchester City in the Camp Nou.
A possible debut for Ibrahimovic: Ibrahimovic has made a complete recovery from the operation on the second metacarpal of his left hand, an injury which prevented him from playing in the recent USA tour. As such he may well make his debut in a Barça shirt on Wednesday evening.
Messi recovers from leg injury: as for Lionel Messi, he has recovered from the muscle problem in his left leg that was detected while on international duty with Argentina, causing him to miss the match against Russia.
Since then he has been receiving treatment to reduce the inflammation and took no part in the Spanish Super Cup match against Bilbao as a precaution.
Picture: golsud.com via www.blaugranas.com
Monday, August 17, 2009
FC Barcelona 2009 / 2010 squad and numbers: Spanish League "La Liga" and Champions League
FC Barcelona squad and numbers are confirmed:
1 Víctor Valdés
2 Daniel Alves
3 Gerard Piqué
4 Rafael Márquez
5 Carles Puyol
6 Xavi
7 Eiður Guðjohnsen
8 Andrés Iniesta
9 Zlatan Ibrahimović
10 Lionel Messi
11 Bojan Krkić
13 José Manuel Pinto
14 Thierry Henry
15 Seydou Keita
16 Sergio Busquets
18 Gabriel Milito
19 Maxwell
22 Éric Abidal
23 Henrique
24 Yaya Touré
25 Albert Jorquera
27 Pedro
Henrique
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Messi skip start of season 2009 / 2010 to travel to Argentina
Lionel Messi will be allowed to skip
If Messi had played, he would have been late to join
"The European Super Cup is on the Friday and at the end of the day it is the player who suffers in these situations," Guardiola told a news conference.
"He wants to play with
Diego Maradona's
Monday, August 10, 2009
Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona?
Barcelona have confirmed that they are interested in signing the Arsenal captain Cesc Fábregas, but have ruled out breaking the bank to bring the Spain midfielder back to Camp Nou.
Fábregas, who left
"It depends on how much we want to spend," Begiristain said in the Spanish tabloid Marca. "If we spend a lot of money, it is possible [to bid for Fábregas]. We do not know how much it will be yet. We have not asked Arsenal. If the amount is too high, we will not try."
"We find it difficult to improve what we have and that is the reality," added Begiristain. "Improving a team that has won a treble is difficult, and trying to improve dramatically can get you into trouble. Any new player must be compatible with the plans of the coach. Here the views of Pep Guardiola are critical."
One possible target is Shakhtar Donetsk's Dmytro Chygrynskiy, and Begiristain would not rule out a move for the Ukranian. "I don't want to dismiss any of the players we like and will help us improve," he said. "There are several options."
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Lionel Messi, on top of the world!
Messi is at the top of his game – everyone knows that, but today he also stood on top of the world’s when he was invited to go up Space Needle – the iconic Seattle building.
The Space Needle, built in 1962, is the symbol of Seattle. and the Sounders, and Messi is the symbol of Barca. “Why don’t we put the two together?” More or less, that was the question posed by the Barca organization and the company in charge of the US Tour and it only needed the player’s OK to make it happen.
Off to the top!
Once the Tuesday morning training was over, Leo Messi showered at this hotel and was driven over the city’s main attraction –The Space Needle. In less than a minute the express lift took Messi up nearly to the top of the building, with steps taking the party up the final few metres to an area reserved for only the most special of guests.
Spectacular scenes
With the spectacular backdrop of the city as a setting, Messi posed for a series of photographs, including helicopter shots from Barca TV, before heading down to the public area where he again posed with a football for the cameras.
With a tactical session organized by Guardiola for 13.15, Messi had to rush back to the hotel, but he’d left a lasting impression on Seattle’s iconic building – on top of his game and on top of the world!
Source: Barcelona Press
The Space Needle, built in 1962, is the symbol of Seattle. and the Sounders, and Messi is the symbol of Barca. “Why don’t we put the two together?” More or less, that was the question posed by the Barca organization and the company in charge of the US Tour and it only needed the player’s OK to make it happen.
Off to the top!
Once the Tuesday morning training was over, Leo Messi showered at this hotel and was driven over the city’s main attraction –The Space Needle. In less than a minute the express lift took Messi up nearly to the top of the building, with steps taking the party up the final few metres to an area reserved for only the most special of guests.
Spectacular scenes
With the spectacular backdrop of the city as a setting, Messi posed for a series of photographs, including helicopter shots from Barca TV, before heading down to the public area where he again posed with a football for the cameras.
With a tactical session organized by Guardiola for 13.15, Messi had to rush back to the hotel, but he’d left a lasting impression on Seattle’s iconic building – on top of his game and on top of the world!
Source: Barcelona Press
Friday, July 31, 2009
Bobby Robson RIP
Sir Bobby Robson, the former England manager, has died, aged 76, after a long struggle against cancer.
Sir Bobby, who was in charge of the national team for eight years, guided England to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
He made his playing debut in 1950 but was better known as a coach, managing Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, PC Porto and his beloved Newcastle United.
A statement issued on behalf of his family said: "It is with great sadness that it has been announced that Sir Bobby Robson has lost his long and courageous battle with cancer.
"He died very peacefully this morning at his home in County Durham with his wife and family beside him.
"Sir Bobby's funeral will be private and for family members only. A thanksgiving service in celebration of Sir Bobby's life will be held at a later date for his many friends and colleagues.
"Lady Robson and the family would very much appreciate it if their privacy could be respected at this difficult time."
Ray Wilkins, who played under Sir Bobby for England, said he was "absolutely devastated" at the news.
"He was an absolute gentlemen," he said in an interview with Sky News. "You don't come across people like Bobby very often.
"He lived his life with humility. He was a joy to be around."
On Sunday, a crowd of 33,000 turned out at St James' Park as a team including several of Sir Bobby's 1990 England squad took on a Germany XI to raise money for the former manager's own cancer charity.
Robson attended in a wheelchair and was introduced to both teams and presented with a Uefa lifetime achievement award before kick-off.
Former England star John Barnes played under Robson for both England and Newcastle.
Barnes, who played in Sunday's game, said: "People have flown in to play for Sir Bobby, that is the esteem in which he is held.
"He is a great man, a great football person, so enthusiastic."
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