barcelona

Extraordinary Assembly in first quarter of 2013

2012-12-16T14:53:00.001+08:00

Spokesman Toni Freixa has also confirmed that there will be an Extraordinary Assembly in the first quarter of 2013 that will propose a reform of the statutes

The Members’ Solidarity Day will also always be held for the second leg of the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.

Toni Freixa has also announced that there will be an Extraordinary Assembly in the first quarter of 2013 that will propose a reform of the statutes. “We are waiting for the definitive results of the mixed commission and hope to be able to reveal the basic content of that Assembly at the next meeting, proposed for December 17”, he added.
Freixa explained that it is the Board of Directors that is calling the Assembly and the that Statute Reform Committee “is no more than a work group that was commissioned by the Board, and which has worked hard on a technical investigation”.
The Solidarity Day, always in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey
The Board has also agreed to definitively establish the second leg of the Copa del Rey round of 32 for future Solidarity Days. The most recent was just a few days ago against Alavés and was a huge success, with more than 42,000 tickets given away for free to people who don’t usually get the chance to come to the Camp Nou.
Freixa explained that there were no plans for the same to happen when Barça host Cordoba. “They are a top level team that deserves our utmost respect. Our members will be interested in coming to the ground”, he said. He added that next season, people will be able to free their seats for this game from the start of the season.

SOURCES : fcbarcelona.com

Messi, Villa and Pedro, devastating trident

2011-06-03T15:38:00.000+08:00

The MVP attacking trio of Messi, Villa and Pedro scored 62% of the team’s goals this season. Together they have scored 98 goals in 62 official matches, making an average of 1.58 goals a game.

Messi, Villa and Pedro have been the incarnation of goals this season. Even since the departure of such legendary strikers as Ibrahimovic, Eto’o and Henry, thanks to these players Barcelona have been as effective in front of goal as they ever were.

Record breakers
Messi, Villa and Pedro have managed to do better than the strikers managed last term. David Villa came in as the replacement for Ibrahimovic and this has led to improvements in all departments. Last season, the three first choice strikers scored 93 goals, five less than this year. They did play three fewer games the season before, but the average was also lower: 1.57 goals a game.

Two from the 100 goals of 2008/09
This season’s trident came two shy of the hundred that Eto’o, Messi and Henry did manage in Guardiola’s first year in charge of the first team. That season, the three strikers scored 100 goals, an average of 1.61 goals a game.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

League leaders for passes

2011-06-03T15:37:00.000+08:00

8 Barça players are among the 10 who made the most passes this season just ended. Xavi tops the table with 126 passes a game.

Barça’s midfield is admired all around the world. They are the cogs that make the team work, featuring Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets as attacking playmakers. Most of the play passes by their feet.

Xavi is the main guide. Busquets is his watchman and Iniesta provides the magic. They hold onto the ball and pass the ball like no other midfield in the world. They know exactly what they are doing as they generate space and goalscoring opportunities, and are supported in everything they do by other players that are versed to perfection in making the FCB system effective. They are the hallmarks of the famous Barça style.

Xavi the leader
Barça have 8 of the 10 best passers in the league. Top is Xavi with 126 passes every 90 minutes followed by Alves, Busquets and Mascherano with 91. Fifth is Iniesta with 86. Valencia’s Éver Banega is the first non-FCB man on the list with 80 passes a game.

Rest of list
The top ten of Liga passing also includes Maxwell, Abidal and Keita with 75, 73 and 71 passes a game. That’s especially impressive from the Brazilian and Malian as they are not regular starters, but they still have a lot to do with the creation of play. The final place in the list goes to Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso with 70.9 passes per 90 minutes.

sources ; fcbarcelona.cat

Best friends of the ball

2011-06-03T15:36:00.000+08:00

FC Barcelona are known all round the world for their attacking football and total control of the ball, so it comes as no surprise that their 73.4% possession is better than any other club in Europe.

They have dominated in results, goals and once again in possession. No team on the continent has managed to keep hold of the ball for as much as Guardiola’s team. Barça have an average of 12% more possession than any other team in the main European leagues.

Kings of possession
Barça have 73.4% average possession of the ball. Bayern Munich have 61.5%, and are second followed by Arsenal with 60.5%. Their main rivals in the league, Real Madrid, are ninth (56.61%) and the European runners up, Manchester United, are tenth with 56.4%.

Absolute dominance
In the last five seasons, Barça have ruled the ball in Spain. But this year more than ever, they were massively ahead (16.4%) of second placed Valencia. Their 73.4% was vastly superior to the 57% recorded by the ‘che’.

More and more
With Pep Guardiola on the bench, the team’s possession has improved regularly. In his first season (2008/09) they had an average 65.8% possession, the next ended with 68.7% and this term the figure has further improved to a spectacular 73.4%.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Good record against English

2011-06-03T15:35:00.000+08:00

Barça have won 6 of the 7 European finals they have played against English clubs. Their only defeat was in the Cup Winners Cup final in Rotterdam in 1990/91.

Wembley again, be it the old one or the new. The legendary and the majestic. It was here that Barça won their first European Cup 19 years ago, and also where they made it four. London has seen Barcelona come of age. But Barça also have a fantastic record in European finals against clubs from that country.

3 in Fairs Cup
Of their 17 continental finals, seven have been against English clubs, and FC Barcelona have won 6. Their three first were in the Fairs Cup, in the late 60s and early 70s, against the London XI, Birmingham XI and Leeds United. Evaristo, Vergés, Tejada and Dueñas were among the players that brought these early triumphs for Barça.

Last 3 Champions Leagues
Barça’s wins in recent years have all been in the continent’s premier club competition. Three Champions League wins have situated them among the elite and the finals have been won against Manchester United in 2009 and 2011 and Arsenal in 2006. That’s one win under Frank Rijkaard and two under Pep Guardiola.

Only defeat
Barça have only ever lost one European final against an English team, and that was the Cup Winners Cup in 1990/91. Here again the rival was Manchester United. At the De Kuip, the Red Devils won 2-1, with both goals coming from former FCB man Mark Hughes.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Dani Alves: “These are the best moments in history”

2011-06-03T15:34:00.000+08:00

“We and the Club are on the best page in club history. These are unrepeatable moments and we should enjoy them intensely” said the Brazilian full back.

Dani Alves was speaking to www.fcbarcelona.cat and Barça TV, and couldn’t be feeling happier right now. “The most important thing is to have a good time and we are doing that both on and off the pitch. The most important thing is for the fans to enjoy themselves as much as we are. This wins and titles mean that right now Barça is enjoying the greatest moments in its history”.

Pride and honour
He added that “it is a pride and honour to form part of this team … I feel privileged to be able to play in a game like that one at Wembley. To win the Champions League after winning the League the way we did is amazing. To end the season like we have just done is historic”.

That’s Barça
He knows that maintaining the same level achieved this season “will be difficult, but we have to try … We are a winning team, and despite the recognition, we have set ourselves a very high standard, but that’s Barça, and we have to get even better. I can only say that we’ll be trying as hard as we can”.

The Copa America
Argentina is hosting the Copa America, where Brazil will be defending the title won four years ago in Venezuela, and people are already talking about a potential Argentina v Brazil final. “Both us and them will have to work very hard to make that final possible, and like happens so often, just a few hours ago I was hugging Leo for scoring the second goal and within a few days we could be playing on opposite teams”.

Alves feels “football has these things. But it will be a challenge for us, to defend the title but they will want to win the title, being the host country”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Puyol, two to three months out

2011-06-03T15:33:00.000+08:00

Puyol has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a floating piece of gristle from the femoral trochlea. The surgery was carried out by Dr. Cugat and his team, and Dr. Pruna. He’ll be out for two or three months.

Following the operation, doctors Ramon Cugat and Ricard Pruna offered a press conference at the Camp Nou to explain all the details surrounding Puyol’s injury. "The injury has been ongoing for about four months and has several episodes. It started with a badly bruised knee. We suspect that it happened in the Barcelona-Malaga game in late January. This caused pain, restriction, and loss of balance, and we managed to sort the problem out for the tie with Arsenal" Pruna said..

Pruna carried on with his explanation: "We entered into a new period regarding the injury when a floating piece of gristle from the femoral trochlea appeared, and we kept him for the big games. It required a lot of teamwork by coaches, the player, recovery coaches, and physios ... we have always thought first about the player's health, and made sure it didn’t get any worse". Pruna also made it clear that he played against Madrid because "he was 100%", but not in the Cup Final, when he had to rest.

Dr. Cugat added: "The player decided to wait until the end of the Champions League and he was right. It’ll be him who decides when he’s ready to make a come-back". Cugat stressed that Puyol’s cartilage is "fine, just like that of a 15 or 16 year old". In principle, he’ll leave the hospital this Thursday and in about two or three months he’ll be able to play again.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Fourth European Cup is ours! (3-1)

2011-05-29T11:50:00.000+08:00

Barça put in a sublime performance to take their fourth European Cup by beating Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley tonight . Pedro, Messi and Villa were on target to ensure the team repeated the 1992 Wembley success.

Barça again lifted the European Cup at Wembley after a great performance whish saw the Club claim their fourth European Cup. The team repeated the success of 1992, when the Club took its first European Cup and with goals from the great trio of Messi, Villa and Pedro, they brushed aside the challenge of a competitive Manchester United to win 3-1.

The first half saw Barça dominate much more than the scoreline might suggest, with Rooney pegging back Pedro’s opener very much against the run of play. Even so, the first 10 minutes of the game recalled the 2006 final, with United coming out of the blocks the stronger, which Barça answered with some solid defending and a gradual development of their trademark possession football. Valdes showed his worth early on with a punch out when Rooney closed in on a Van der Saar clearance.

Messi-Xavi-Iniesta

After Valdes’ intervention, Barça really began to turn on the style as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi began to combine and there was nothing that Ferguson’s much vaunted tactics could do to stop the trio as they began to put Villa and Pedro into dangerous positions.

Chances aplenty

The chances were coming thick and thin now, with Messi tiptoeing through the sluggish United defence, Villa trying his luck from the edge of the box and finally, Pedro opening the scoring with a well struck shot after receiving a killer pass from Xavi – the Spanish forward’s fifth goal in the Champions League this campaign.

Equaliser spurs Barça on

Despite the Barça domination though, a quick move between Giggs and Rooney saw the England centre forward hit home an equaliser on 34 minutes. That goal just seemed to push the Barça players to even greater control and they had a number of chances to take the lead again before the break, including a great set piece move that nearly undid the English defence.

Two great strikes

If the first half was dominated by Barça, then the second was an even more one sided affair as two great goals on 53 and 69 minutes gave Guardiola’s team a well deserved 3-1 lead. Messi hit home a wonderful strike from outside the box to culminate a lovely team move for the second goal and Villa hit a beautiful curling shot home for the third. It wasn’t just those moments of magic that were doing for United though, it was the almost total control that Barça were showing that was silencing the Manchester fans and leaving their team helpless to respond to Guardiola’s men’s domination.

Back to Wembley and back for a win!

Koeman’s brilliant free kick gave Barça their first European Cup at Wembley in 1992, but it was the collective play of Guardiola’s team that brought the trophy back this time. The win puts a fantastic end to the double winning season and it was achieved with the team’s trademark domination based on their great understanding and control of possession. Make a space in the Museum –the fourth European Cup is on its way back home!

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Guardiola happy with the way his team won

2011-05-29T11:47:00.000+08:00

After tonight’s win Josep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction at beating a team of Manchester United’s stature and even more so at the way his players had achieved the victory.

Referring to the style his players showed at Wembley tonight Guardiola told reporters: “you are always happy with a win –but the way we won it…!” before adding: “now we’ve got four – that’s a good number!”

Thanks to the players
The boss went on: “it’s a privilege to have these players and be the boss at this Club. Once again I want to express my gratitude and admiration for these players and to everybody who has contributed to what we have done once again. We’ve all achieved this!”.

“We are proud to have beaten a team with such quality”
After a journalist had quoted Ferguson as saying he’d never before faced such a good team, Guardiola was also quick to praise United : “we are proud to have beaten a team with such quality. I’m very grateful for those words. It’s an honour that somebody with his values should say that -I’d like to thank him publically”.

Man of the Match Messi
Lionel Messi was named man of the match and his boss commented: “he is probably the best player I’ll ever see. He makes the difference. Messi is unique –unrepeatable”. Guardiola also thanked UEFA for the organisation of the final: “the pitch was fantastic and that meant both teams could play football”.

“I hope this team will be remembered in the future”
Asked whether this had been the most complete season he’d ever experienced, Guardiola replied: “every year has been. There are problems that need sorting out every season – how do you do that? Thinking and focussing on how we play to try and improve it all the time. I hope this team will be remembered in the future”.

sources : fcbarceloina,cat

Another Wembley success for Guardiola

2011-05-29T11:46:00.002+08:00

Pep Guardiola has now added a third European Cup/Champions League to his long list of personal successes, one as a player and two as team manager.

Pep Guardiola has played a leading role in three of Barça’s four European Cup/Champions League successes. He was part of the team that won the Club’s first at Wembley in 1992 and has now claimed the trophy twice as team manager, in Rome and the new Wembley.

Guardiola makes it three
The 21-year-old Pep Guardiola was a vital component of the Dream Team midfield that broke Barça’s European Cup jinx against Sampdoria in 1992. He was the third member of the team to hold up the trophy and made a long remembered speech on the team’s return to Barcelona.

Glory in Roma
Guardiola’s initial season in charge of the first team was a truly memorable one, as the Barça completed an historic treble. First came the Spanish Cup, then the league title and lastly the Champions League in Rome. Despite missing a number of important players in defence, he inspired his players with – among other things – a specially prepared video that they watched just moments before he led them out onto the pitch. His men responded marvellously and beat Manchester United 2-0.

Back to Wembley
Barca’s fourth success in the European Cup/Champions League, and the third in Guardiola’s personal tally, couldn’t have come in a more suitable and symbolic place. After clinching the Spanish league title, Barça have returned to the city where it all started in 1992, to lift the trophy once against Manchester United. On Sunday, we’ll have the CL Trophy back here once again in Barcelona.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Hyde Park blooms in the Barça colours

2011-05-29T11:45:00.002+08:00

The UEFA Fan Zone in Hyde Park in central London is awash with the Barça colours as thousands of supporters from both teams gather together ahead of tonight’s final, many of them enjoying the chance to have their photo taken with the Cup.

As the almost 24,000 Barça fans with tickets continue to arrive in London, many of them are making their way to Hyde Park to enjoy the UEFA Champions Festival. Whether it’s to take part in the activities organised by UEFA, to have their photograph taken with the Cup or simply to soak up the atmosphere, the fact is the Barça fans and the Barça colours clearly outnumber those of Manchester United.

Queues for the photo
Many fans have waited patiently in long queues to have their photo taken together with the CL Cup. Another feature of the Festival that is enjoying great success is the Museum of Football, with a variety of exhibits from previous finals, including the boots with which Ronald Koeman scored the winning (and only) goal of the 1992 Wembley final, on loan from the FC Barcelona Museum.

The UEFA Champions Festival will be open until 5 pm and so it will not be possible to watch the match from any of the giant screens.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Guardiola: “More than ever we have to show our football to the world”

2011-05-29T11:44:00.002+08:00

Manager Pep Guardiola has asked Barça to show their identity in the Wembley final. He added that he has already picked his eleven and that Barça need to be more intense than they were in Rome.

“You don’t get to enjoy finals much. You have to compete and suffer a lot, and win through football. More than ever we have to show our football to the world”. Pep Guardiola was speaking in his press conference before tomorrow’s Champions League final, which marks FCB’s return to Wembley: “The ball should fly and try to break the players’ balance. I’d be happy for us to play the way we have over all this time”.

“We’re ready”
Guardiola has been happy with what his men have been doing since arriving in London on Tuesday. “They have transmitted good sensations to me. I’m proud of this team. Because of how they have behaved this week I feel a responsibility and duty to them … These days we have been focused on United, and on our physical and mental condition. We have only thought about the final, very calmly, and we’re ready to play the best game possible”.

Game of the decade
The Manchester United manager considers this to be the final of the decade. “I am full of pride to hear his words, but we both have to demonstrate that. We’ll try to play the best football possible and I think it’ll be a great final” said Guardiola. “When a team reaches three out of four finals and also three out of six, it’s because they have done things well, maybe a bit better. We have both had an extraordinary decade and whoever loses will feel hurt, but all that was achieved in recent years will still be there”.

More intense than Rome
He also said he has already decided on his line-up and bestowed praise upon praise on Saturday’s opponent. “It is one of the most complete teams I have ever seen. An example for all the world … They have many variants, we have tried to learn about the maximum number of them, their strong and weak points, and we’ll try to beat them”. He feels such respect for United that he even said “if we play like we did in Rome, we won’t win. Watching the final, I realise we played a lot worse than I thought. We have to change things, we must be quicker and more intense”.

A great season
Regardless of the Wembley scoreline, Guardiola believes that “for me it has been a very good season. We are extra happy to be here”. On what he told the fans after losing in the semis last year, he said “we have already paid them back more than well. It was a bit cheeky of me, but the people have really enjoyed themselves already”. And he is also glad the fans have finally been able to travel to London without trouble “because a final without your people would not be such a final”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

FCB v Manchester Utd. Did you know…

2011-05-27T21:08:00.002+08:00

With just a few hours to go before we find out who will win this year’s Champions League final, we look at some of the juiciest trivia surrounding the game at Wembley between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

►This is their fourth Champions League meeting. They met in the group stages in 1994/95 and 1998/99. In the 2008 semis the Red Devils won and Barcelona got their revenge in the Rome final a year later (2-0).

►Since the competition has been called the Champions League (1992/93), Barça and United have scored and leaked the same number of goals (303 and 158).

►Of the nine games the Red Devils have played at Wembley (all in domestic competitions), five have been decided on penalties.

►Barça’s last official visit to the place where they won their first European Cup was in the group stages of the 1999/00 season. They beat Arsenal 4-2.

►The team has already played at the new Wembley. That was in two preseason games in 2009/10 against Tottenham and Al Ahly.

►Barça have scored the most goals in this Champions League, with 27, and Manchester United have conceded the fewest goals, 4.

►Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have taken the most corners (76).

► These are the two clubs with the highest possession in this year’s Champions League. The Catalans have 62% and the Mancunians 58%.

►Goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar is retiring after the final. At 40 years of age, he already has two Champions League winners medals (1995 and 2009).

►Thanks to his 11 goals, Leo Messi will almost certainly be top scorer in the Champions League for the third season in a row. Only Gerd Müller and Jean Pierre Papin have achieved the same feat.

► The Argentinian is just one shy of the all time record under the current format. Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored 12 in 2003.

►Messi has taken the most shots in the competition (31) and is also the player who has been on the receiving end of the most fouls (30).

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Rosell: “It’s already an excellent season”

2011-05-27T21:07:00.003+08:00

Sandro Rosell is about to experience his first Champions league final as an FC Barcelona president. He is confident his team can perform well, but feels that whatever happens “it’s already an excellent season”.

Rosell has been in London since Monday and has been able to see the players preparing for the final at Wembley. “They have recovered well psychologically. The end of the season has been tough, very tough. Now the score is set to zero” said Rosell.

On Thursday, the president spoke to ‘Tu diràs’ on Rac 1 and ‘El Club de la Mitjanit’ on Catalunya Ràdio, to explain how happy the team is feeling. “In this team they show what good team mates they are … It is like being with a group of friends, with the family, without stridencies and nothing said that is out of order. There is a good atmosphere, they’re always joking with each other”.

Completed objectives
Rosell obviously hopes the side can win, but regardless of Saturday’s result, he is still convinced that “it’s already an excellent season … this team’s future doesn’t depend on one match … We have played every game possible and the best way to play is the way they always have done, with dedication and valour”.

On a more personal note, the Barça president said “these are historic times for us and to experience them as a Barça fan, club member, board member, club employee … it is a source of pride to form part of this family”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Parallel lives in the Champions League

2011-05-27T21:07:00.000+08:00

There are many similarities between the two finalists’ histories in this competition since it adopted its modern format. In fact, both teams have even scored and conceded exactly the same number of goals.

There are several strange coincidences between FC Barcelona and Manchester United’s UCL pasts. They both won the title once in its old guise and twice in the new one, both having made huge strides forward since the 1990s. But that’s not all. Since 1992/93, the two teams stats are almost identical.

Same goals for and against
Barça and Manchester United have both scored 303 goals in the 18 editions of the Champions League. Barça did that in 158 games for an average of 1.91 goals a game. The Red Devils did the same in 175 games, making for a slightly lower average haul of 1.73 goals a game.

The stats are just as tight in terms of goals against. Here again they share the same tally: 158. That means the Premiership club have let in 0.9 goals a game and the Catalans exactly one.

Barça win more
As for wins and defeats, Barça have a better record than Man Utd. Barça have won 88 games, 55.7% of the total, while the English club might have won more matches, 96, but the percentage is lower on 54.8%.

Barça are also better off in terms of defeats. They have suffered a total of 28, making for 17.7%, while since the 1992/93 season, the Brits have 34 losses, 19.4% of their total outings.

As for draws, Barça have also have more than United with 26.5% from 42 draws, while United’s 25.7% has come from 45 tied matches.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Bartomeu: “We’re coming to win!”

2011-05-27T21:05:00.005+08:00

Barça’s sporting vice-president expressed the Club’s ambition before Saturday’s game, whilst insisting that whatever the result at Wembley, this has been a “magnificent” season.

“Our team aren’t coming to play the final –we’re coming to win it!” declared Sr Bartomeu in London today and also stressed the great sprit in the squad: “they are very competitive, they have shown over the years that they have a winning mentality. There may not be any historical urgency about winning – but they are as ambitious as ever”.

Bartomeu also insisted that the squad were highly motivated for the game: “they have won everything - in fact they’ve lost so few games over recent years, but now, ahead of this final, there is maximum focus”.

Wembley ‘92 experience
The vice-president also reminded reporters that there are three members of the ’92 winning team in the party; “I’m sure their experience will be useful. That European Cup changed the history of the Club. European clubs’ histories are built around the trophies they have won and this is the biggest of them all. If we can win this, we will make our Club history even greater. Our main objective was the league title and this is an extra prize for us”.

“A magnificent season”
Bartomeu preferred not to get drawn into comments about planning for next season, but believes this season: “we have been very happy with how things have gone. It has already been magnificent and excellent. Win or lose, we are the best team in the world right now. Whatever happens, we won’t be changing our plans”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Players check in to new hotel

2011-05-27T21:05:00.002+08:00

After two nights at The Grove Hotel, the Barça players have moved to the hotel they had originally planned to stay in, The Wyndham Gran Hotel in Chelsea, where they will stay until Sunday.

The volcanic ash threat over Europe meant that Barça travelled to London ahead of schedule and they spent the extra time at The Grove in Hertfordshire, but today they have returned to the original schedule and have moved to the Wyndham Gran Hotel in Chelsea.

Training session at Colney
The players made the trip to their new hotel after training at Arsenal’s London Colney facilities this morning and will stay at the Wyndham until Sunday.

Friday training at Wembley
On Friday evening, both teams will train on the Wembley turf. United will train first, at 17.30, with Sir Alex Ferguson due to hold a press conference at 16.45. Barça will then have their own training session at 19.00 (local time), with Pep Guardiola, Víctor Valdés and Carles Puyol facing the press at 18.15.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Training in the rain

2011-05-27T21:04:00.002+08:00

The team trained again at Arsenal’s training facilities in London Colney this Thursday morning. The session was held behind closed doors and in typical English style –in the rain!

The whole squad trained normally as they continued their preparations for Saturday’s Champions League Final against Manchester United .

Under 21 call ups
News came through during the session that Bojan, Jeffren, Thiago, Miño and Montoya had been called up to represent Spain at the European Under-21 Championship this summer.

The squad should have travelled to England today, but they arrived a couple of days early in order to avoid any complications caused by the Icelandic volcano ash cloud. Today they went back to the original plan and travelled to the new team hotel in Chelsea after having spent a couple of nights at The Grove.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Terry Venables: “Barcça play five star football”

2011-05-27T21:03:00.002+08:00

Ex-Barça boss Terry Venables is looking forward to Saturday’s Wembley final and reckons that we could be in for: “a clash of titans”. Venables is a great admirer of the Barça style and of Pep Guardiola, who he describes as a “360º manager!”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, Terry Venables declared: “if anybody can stand up to this Barça team, it’s Manchester United”, and he reckons there will be more than just the result at stake on Saturday: “neither team will be satisfied with just winning – they will also want to show the potential and the strength they have. Manchester United have got their form back, but if Barça dominate possession, United won’t get a look in”.

”This will be a special final”
FC Barcelona and Manchester United both won their first European Cups at Wembley and this is the first time for both of them that they are returning to the famous stadium for a European final. Venables reckons: “the pride of re-conquering Wembley, the desire for revenge at United for the defeat in Rome two years ago and an improved Barça will make this game a fantastic explosion of footballing talent like we’ve never seen before”. Without wishing to undervalue the importance of those Wembley wins, Venables believes: “this will be an even more special final”.

Big Barça fan
It’s been 24 years since Terry Venables left the Barça manager’s job, but he’s always kept a close eye on the Club and indeed declares himself a big fan; “Barça play five star football. They don’t just score goals, they also have a very strong defence. They are like a boxer who wins by giving his opponent a series of little jabs, then when he’s groggy, hits them with the knockout blow. Barça don’t look for just one blow, they work at it and undermine the other team’s patience. They know who they are and what to do and that’s not something you find a lot in today’s football”.

Support for home grown talent
Venables also supports Barça’s position on home grown talent and sees Guardiola as the cornerstone of that philosophy: “he’s gone back to his roots and looked for players from the Club and shown trust and confidence in them. He only signs players when he really needs to and that gives a lot of incentive to the youngsters to work hard and then he gives them an opportunity. That’s the hardest way to success –the easiest is just to spend lots of money”.

Guardiola – a great all round manager
Venables reckons: “Guardiola is a great all round manager –a 360º manager! He represents the perfection of both sides of the coin –he’s both a teacher and he gets results. When I see how his team performs and the way they stick to the Club’s philosophy, I have to tell you I am especially proud and privileged to have been a part of the history of the Club”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Piqué, Iniesta and Messi in UEFA.com Team of the Year

2011-05-27T21:02:00.002+08:00

Visitors to UEFA.com have chosen three Barça players as part of their Team of the Year - Piqué, Iniesta and Messi.

Uefa.com have published the 11 players chosen by visitors to its website to form part of its Team of the Year and it includes three Barça players. The full list of players is: Van der Sar (United), Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Piqué (Barça), Vidic (United), Marcelo (Madrid), Özil (Madrid), Iniesta (Barça), Giggs (United), Bale (Tottenham), Messi (Barça) and Raúl (Schalke 04).

So, the two finalists on Saturday share three players each in the Team. Uefa themselves will reveal their own Team of the Year in August –the day before the European Super Cup.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Zubizarreta: “We need our fans”

2011-05-27T21:01:00.002+08:00

Andoni Zubizarreta has asked the Barça fans to make every effort to get to London for Saturday’s final, despite all the potential difficulties. Zubi also revealed that he feels this team is under less pressure than the 92 team.

Barça’s Sporting Director of Professional Football, Andoni Zubizarreta spoke to the media in London on Wednesday and talked about his feelings ahead of Saturday’s final.

Zubizarreta accepted the difficulties that the Barça fans could face in reaching the final, but made a plea for them to make every effort: “I know it’s not easy, but let’s hope we can all be there for the final. Football is for the fans and a club is nothing without them .I want the fans to know that we need them and I hope that they can get here as easily as possible”.

Less historical pressure than in ‘92
Zubizarreta is of course back at the scene of 1992’s first European Cup win and he revealed: “since we got here, I’ve been looking for little signs that will make me think we will win like we did in 1992”.

Zubi reckons the situation now is different from that which Cruyff’s team faced in 1992 though: “in 1992, we had the opportunity to win the Club’s first ever European Cup and there was some nervousness about that. This team have less historical expectation on their shoulders than we did, though I don’t think that means they will be going into the game with any less desire. You have to treat each game with the particular circumstances surrounding it and right now we have a final against a great team ahead of us”.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Lorca in our hearts

2011-05-14T13:41:00.000+08:00

FC Barcelona has again expressed its solidarity with the people of Lorca. The Club did this during the celebration of the parade through the city, with a banner showing the slogan 'Lorca in our hearts' in the top part of the bus.

On Wednesday Sandro Rosell and Pep Guardiola were the first to express their sympathy for the victims and survivors of the earthquake in Lorca (Murcia), which killed 9 people. This Friday, it was the turn of the whole squad: a banner with the slogan 'Lorca in our hearts' was prominent on the bus that carried the champions through the streets of Barcelona.

Flags at half mast
As well as the banner on the bus, the Club will join in the days of mourning in an institutional way. During this Friday and Saturday, the flags at the Camp Nou and the Joan Gamper training ground will fly at half mast as a sign of mourning..

Black armbands
Also, on Sunday next, before the match against Deportivo at the Camp Nou there will be a minutes silence and the players will wear black armbands as a sign of mourning. The same will apply in the basketball game on Sunday (19.00) at the Palau Blaugrana where Regal FC Barcelona will entertain Unicaja.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Guardiola, King of League Titles

2011-05-14T13:39:00.000+08:00

Josep Guardiola has won, as a player and manager, 9 of the 11 league titles that Barça have won over the last 20 years. Guardiola has now won 25 official trophies, ahead of Miguel Munoz, Real Madrid player and coach, who won 23.

The FC Barcelona manager, Josep Guardiola, can boast, amongst many other things, that he has the most number of titles won by a player and a manager for the same club in Spain. The third league title won this season can be added to the 24 titles he had already won as a player and later as first team manager of FC Barcelona. Guardiola exceeds the number of titles won by Miguel Munoz as a player and manager of Real Madrid, who won 23, in the years 1948-58 and 1959-74.

Protagonist in 9 of the last 11 league titles
FC Barcelona has won 11 league titles in the last 20 years, of which, in 9 of those Pep Guardiola has played a big part. As a first team player, Guardiola won six league titles (1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1997/98 and 1998/99). The first four he won as a member of the Dream Team led by Johan Cruyff, whilst in the last two he was Barca`s captain in the team managed by Louis van Gaal.

To these six league titles can be added the three consecutive titles he’s won since he took over as manager of the first team in June 2008. Three seasons, three league titles, a perfect record.

16 titles wearing the Barça shirt
Few players in the world can boast a track record like Guardiola’s. In the 11 seasons he wore Barca´s first team shirt, they won 16 trophies: 1 European Cup (1991/92), 1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97), 2 European Super Cups (1992/93 and 1997/98), 6 league titles (1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1997/98 and 1998/99), 2 Spanish Cups (1996/97 and 1997/98) and 4 Spanish Super Cups (1991/92, 1992/93, 1994/95 and 1996/97).

This track record as a player is better that of Miguel Munoz, who as a Real Madrid player (1948-58) won 9 titles (4 Leagues, 3 European Cups and 2 Latin Cups) and later as manager (1959-74) he won 14 more.

9 titles as manager
While the Champions League Final still has to be played, on May 28th, Pep Guardiola carries an impressive track record as a manager, despite his youth and his brief career in that role. Three seasons, nine titles, an average of three per season. In his debut season for Barça they won everything: Champions, League, and Spanish Cup. In the following season, more trophies were to come, winning the European Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, the World Club Championship and his second consecutive League title. In the current season Guardiola already has two trophies: the Spanish Super Cup and League. Now he has the chance to win the fourth Champions League title in the Club’s history.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

#campionsfcb, first world ‘trending topic’ in Catalan in club history

2011-05-14T13:36:00.000+08:00

Thousands of Barça fans around the world have celebrated the league title using the word proposed by FC Barcelona through social networks.

The comments made from the official FC Barcelona accounts - twitter.com/fcbarcelona_cat, twitter.com/fcbarcelona_es and twitter.com/fcbarcelona-, just after Josep Guardiola and his players clinched the Liga title led to this hashtag becoming a World Trending Topic throughout the night both in Spain and Catalonia. Moreover , #campionsfcb generated 0.16% of all comments around the world between 23.00 and 1.00 am.

Top tweets
Of all Tweets, some even became TOP Tweets, which are those that received more than 200 Retweets each. Such was the case, for instance, with “Barça now have 21 league titles” and another that said “the team has just arrived at Camp Nou.”

Success of our own social networks
Apart from Twitter, the Club’s other social networks also achieved considerable interest on occasion of Barça’s third league in a row with Guardiola on the bench, and the 21st in club history. Barça’s joy was evident on all of the club’s social networks, and the excitement grew as the night drew on.

Facebook and Youtube
All of the multimedia material in the form of photos and videos that appeared on different social networks also attracted plenty of interest. On Facebook, for example, almost 100,000 people made comments over the night. Here, for example, nearly 80,000 clicked that they ‘like’ the post that included the “League champions” video. On Youtube, this video had been watched by almost 60,000 people between being posted at 22.00 and Wednesday night and Thursday at 14.00.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat

Champions back training

2011-05-14T13:28:00.000+08:00

After winning the league at Levante, Barça had a gentle training session today to warm down at the Ciutat Esportiva. Adriano was able to work with the rest of the squad.

This was surely the happiest Barça training session of the season. After eight months of competition, Barça finally have the league trophy secured.

But despite the celebrations last night, it was back to the hard graft today and the players was called in for training at the Ciutat Esportiva at midday.

Adriano with group
All of the players that were in Valencia last night were back at work, but for the first eleven, today was an easy session to recover from the exertions. Adriano was also there, and despite still being treated, he was able to join in with the group activities today.

Milito, the other injured player, also put in an appearance, but he worked out in isolation, as did Carles Puyol.

Friday off
Pep Guardiola has given his players the day off on Friday and so there will be no further training until Saturday. On Friday the players will be celebrating the league title in an open-top bus parade through the streets of Barcelona.

sources : fcbarcelona.cat