Saturday, August 31, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Messi given medical all clear, named to 19-man team for tomorrow's Super Cup match against Atlético Madrid
The Argentine has been named to the team ahead of tomorrow’s match against Atlético Madrid
Adriano did not recover in time to make the squad, and Oier and Dos Santos weren’t named to the team
Leo Messi has successfully recovered from the postcontusional intramuscular hematoma injury in his left thigh and thus was given medical clearance to play against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday. However, Adriano Correia did not recover in time to make tomorrow’s match.
In addition to the Brazilian right back, Gerardo Martino also confirmed the absences of Oier and Jonathan Dos Santos against Atlético – neither player was named to the squad. Martín Montoya was named to the team, but it should be noted that the manager must cut one player before kick off tomorrow.
Training session at the Camp Nou
The team trained at the Camp Nou before the list of players named to the squad was revealed. The players trained in their official FC Barcelona home kits seeing that the Qatar Airways partnership was presented at the stadium just prior to the session. Before the session kicked off, Sergio Busquets was congratulated by his team-mates for renewing his contract with the Club.
It’s worth noting that FC Barcelona will complete one final session before tomorrow’s match. It’s scheduled for 12.30 at the Camp Nou.
Deco retires from football
Anderson Luis de Souza played for FC Barcelona for four seasons. In that time he won two league titles, two Super Cups and the Champions League
Anderson Luis de Souza announced this Monday that he’s officially retiring from football. Deco is hanging up his boots after 17 successful years as a professional footballer. The player, born in Brazil but of Portuguese nationality, played for Barça for four seasons, where he won two Ligas,tow Spanish Super Cups and the Champions League. Under the tutelage of Frank Rijkaard, and team-mates with Ronaldinho, Eto’o and company, Deco was one of the leaders of the Barça side that regained its winning mentality, a mentality that still persists today.
Deco signed with FC Barcelona in the summer of 2004, after being named the best player of the Euro Championship played in Portugal. The player featured 124 times for Barça, he scored 35 goals and he was named the best player of the Champions League in 2006.
In the summer of 2008 he signed with Chelsea. He played two seasons in London, where he won the Premier League, two FC Cups and the Community Shield. He also made 75 appearances for Portugal and scored 5 goals in his international career. In 2010 he returned to Brazil, where he concluded his successful 17-year career as a professional footballer.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Malaga v Barça: Fully focussed on the league
This Sunday, Barça goes into the first away match of the league campaign with the aim of emulating recent seasons and taking all three points from La Rosaleda. (9pm, Canal +)
Despite being without Messi, who has been left out as a precaution, Martino doesn’t want any excuses or distractions against a new-look team that is making their home debut after narrowly losing in the Mestalla
Ahead of next Wednesday’s Super Cup second leg, Bernd Schuster’s new-look Malaga will be the second league challenge for Gerardo Martino’s Barça (9 pm, Canal +). Barça make their first trip of the league season without Messi, who has been rested as a precaution due to the bruised thigh he picked up in the first leg of the Super Cup in the Vicente Calderón. The Barça manager has named a squad of 19 players for the clash and has ruled out any excuses or distractions. He expects his team to produce a good performance this Sunday evening in La Rosaleda. He told the fans on Saturday: “It’s nice to play finals but it’s also true that last year the league title was determined by what happened in the first four months. We mustn’t be distracted by anything”.
Messi’s absence is undoubtedly a setback but his team-mates have done more than enough to prove that it’s a setback they can overcome. Barça has won the last three league matches in which Messi was unable to play – Valladolid, Espanyol and Malaga. The side from the Costa del Sol was the final opponent of last season and will be the first to play host to Barça for their debut in front of their home fans.
Barça’s fine record in La Rosaleda,
Martino’s Barça will be looking to continue the good run of results in La Rosaleda. A win today will make it seven in a row, the eighth in total. Last season, Tito Vilanova’s team put on a fine show to win 1-3 in the league and finish the first half of the season with a record-breaking 55 points. This summer there have been changes, especially in Malaga.
Malaga with many new faces
Bernd Schuster, who will face FC Barcelona five years after the last meeting, has taken over from Pellegrini while the Malaga squad has also undergone a complete overhaul in the summer. Gone are many of the big names such as Isco, Joaquín, Demichelis, Toulalan, Baptista and Saviola, to be replaced by younger players with promise. Despite the many changes, they put up a good fight against Valencia last weekend and lost by the narrowest of margins in the Mestalla (1-0). The Polish under-21 international Pawlowski has received his transfer clearance and could get the nod from Schuster against Barça.
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Front: Sport 23-08-2013
ALARM MESSI
He’s almost ruled out to play against Málaga
He has only completed 1 out of the 25 last matches in 5 months
Sport reports: Godín’s gesture asking to be “finished off”
Neymar, after his first goal “I hope that more goals will arrive”
Tito, the best for La Selecció
Thursday, August 22, 2013
NEYMARAZO ! 22-08-2013
NEYMARAZO!
The Brazilian crack saved Barça and Messi felt muscle discomfort
Atlético 1 – 1 Barça
Big header. His first official goal puts the first title of the season closer to Barça
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Travelling through Ghent and Lille
(Jules Ottenstadion KAA Gent)
(Lille's old Grimonprez Jooris stadium)
Monday, August 19, 2013
Two matches in a tough week
Barça now faces a demanding week with difficult matches against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup followed by Malaga in the second round of the new league season.
The final whistle in the opening game of the season has barely faded but the rhythm of work keeps on going here at Barça. Tata Martino’s men will train on Monday and Tuesday with the focus on the game against Atlético on Wednesday (kick-off 11 pm, TV3). Barça will travel to the Calderón stadium for the first leg of the Super Cup, the first official trophy of the season. The players will be back in training on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to prepare the league match against Malaga on Sunday. A non-stop week!
Monday 19th August
11 am. Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
Tuesday 20th August
7 pm. Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
Wednesday 21st August
11 pm. Spanish Super Cup first leg, Atlético Madrid v Barça
Thursday 22nd August
1 pm. Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
Friday 23rd August
7 pm. Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
Saturday 24th August
10 am. Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
Sunday 25th August
9 pm. League match, Malaga v Barça
A look at the many records broken against Levante
The 7-0 win on Sunday was the best ever official debut for a Barça manager
Barça hadn’t scored such an early goal in La Liga since 1986, when Lineker scored in the 2nd minute
The 7-0 win against Levante, and the 6-0 scoreline at half-time, have set a number of new records, which we review here:
• The 7-0 win over Levante was the biggest win on the first weekend of Liga football since 1955.
• The best league debuts for Barça managers have been: Tata Martino (7-0 in 2013), Ferdinand Daucik (8-2 in 1950) and Joaquim Rifé (6-0 in 1979).
• Alexis scored the first Barça goal of the 2013/14 championship. Puyol (12/13), Thiago (11/12), Messi (10/11), Bojan (09/10) and Messi (08/09) opened the scoring in the previous seasons.
• Not since 1986 (Lineker) have Barça scored their first Liga goal so soon (2nd minute).
• Not since 2008 (against Almeria) have Barça led a Liga game 4-0 after 24 minutes.
• Not since 2001 have Barça been winning 6-0 at the break (against Athletic Bilbao).
• Previous 6-0 leads for Barça at half time in La Liga: four at home (Las Palmas 1959, Racing 1962, Athletic Bilbao 2001 and Levante 2013) and one away (Real Sociedad 2000).
• The last time any side other than Barça has led 6-0 at half-time was Athletic Bilbao over Sporting Gijon, way back in 1958.
• No side managed by Joaquín Caparrós had ever conceded seven goals before.
The Front: Sport 19-08-2013
OVERWHELMING BARÇA
Barça 7 – 0 Levante
The champions make their debut with a bunch of goals
Martino’s Barça start the season with a football recital which was really exciting for the fans
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