الثلاثاء، 31 مارس 2015

The race is officially over: Real Madrid announces signing of Barcelona target Danilo


Well, so much for the "Danilo to Barcelona" thing.


Even though it was set in stone that the FC Porto star full-back was going to sign with Real Madrid, the deal had not been made official yet, which gave Barça fans a little bit of hope that the Blaugrana could maybe sign the Brazilian.


Now, it is officially over. Los Blancos announced on Tuesday that they have reached a deal with both Porto and the player, and Danilo will sign for Madrid for the next SIX (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) years.


Here's their statement on the signing:



Real Madrid CF and FC Porto have agreed to the transfer of player Danilo, who's going to join the team next season and will stay with the club until June of 2021.


Source: RealMadrid.com



I'm not surprised, but I'm still sad. Not only because we lost perhaps the best right-back on the market; not only because we lost perhaps the best right-back on the market to OUR BIGGEST FAWKING RIVAL; but mainly because we're now stuck with Glen Johnson rumors.


What a day.







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Villarreal forward Luciano Vietto on playing with Lionel Messi: "It would be a dream"


With a possible Pedro Rodríguez departure shaping up as the hours go by, Barcelona has to look for a good backup option at the forward position. We've reported about Fernando Llorente and others, but one name that is being strongly considered among Barça executives is Villarreal's Luciano Vietto, a young and fun attacker who can beat you with speed and talent.


Vietto is from Argentina, and obviously a Lionel Messi fan. Earlier this season, when he visited Camp Nou for a La Liga match against Barcelona, he looked like a kid while talking to the world's best player. Barça and the Yellow Submarine had a nice little rivalry this year, and all four games they've played showcased Vietto's skills in a way that backs the Blaugrana's wish to sign the 21-year-old.


If the interest becomes official, Vietto would play for Barça in a heartbeat, as the player himself said in an interview with Argentine newspaper Diario Olé. Here's a few nuggets:



"It would be a dream to play with Messi, of course. When we faced them at Camp Nou, it was an unique experience. Not only did I play against him but I got the chance to know him better as a person. He's a great guy, and it meant the world to me that he decided to give me his shirt after the game. I'll never forget it.


"Barça rumors? I take them calmly, I'm only thinking about Villarreal. I use those rumors as a motivation to keep working to get better. I'm really young, I have a lot of things to work on and I know that things will happen naturally as long as I continue to improve."


Source: Olé via MD



Vietto would clearly love to play with Messi. Do you think he's good enough to earn a transfer to Catalunya? Talk away, Blaugranes!






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FC Barcelona News: 31 March 2015; Espanyol Game Kickoff Time Announced, Non-Internationals Return to Training


Return to training without international players | FC Barcelona

The squad have returned to training this Monday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper without the players who are still away on international duty. As such, Luis Enrique had under his orders: Montoya, Xavi, Luis Suárez, Douglas, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Dani Alves, Mathieu, Masip and Vermaelen, who as last week trained for part of the session with the rest of the squad. The goalkeeper Guille Lara from the U19 A side also took part in the session.


The derby against Espanyol Saturday 25 April at 4.00pm CET | FC Barcelona

The LFP (Spanish Football League) have announced that game between Espanyol and Barça in week 33 of the league campaign will be played on Saturday 25 April at 4.00pm CET at the Power 8 Stadium. In the first Catalan derby of the season at Camp Nou, Luis Enrique’s team ran out 5-1 winners against Sergio González’s team.


Barcelona's Xavi cools speculation of a move to Qatar | Football News | Sky Sports

Al Sadd’s first-team manager Abdullah Al-Berik even posted a picture of the Spain legend on his Instagram account, accompanied by a message claiming the player had signed for his club, over the weekend but nothing has been made official yet. Xavi returned to Barcelona on Monday afternoon and was asked about his trip by reporters at the city’s El Prat airport.


The 10 most watched videos from March | FC Barcelona

Plenty of content from the Clásico in the top 10 from the last 30 days


MATCH REPORT: Spain thrashes Belarus (4-0) | SEFutbol

However, Spain started well from the outset thanks to the outstanding performances of Oliver Torres, Denis Suárez, Deulofeu and Ceballos. The second half could not have got off to a better start: Gerard Deulofeu and Munir scored the second and the third for the Spanish side.


England U21 3-2 Germany U21: MATCH REPORT | Daily Mail Online

England starting XI: Bond, Jenkinson, Garbutt, Forster-Caskey, Stones, Gibson, Lingard, Ward-Prowse, Ings, Hughes, Redmond; Germany starting XI: Ter Stegen, Gunter, Ginter, Bittencourt, Leitner, Emre Can, Korb, Knoche, Hofmann, Younes, Meyer


The IV FCBEscola International Tournament is under way | FC Barcelona

Easter week is here and with it a new edition of the FCB Escola International Tournament in which more than 1,000 youngsters will take part in a tournament which is now in its fourth year. The competition got under way on Monday with a short opening presentation before the action began for real at 10.30am CET with the first of the 276 matches that will be played in the annexe pitches at the Miniestadi between Monday and Thursday 2 April.


Bartomeu at the ECA General Assembly in Stockholm | FC Barcelona

Josep Maria Bartomeu is taking part this Monday and tomorrow Tuesday in the ECA (European Club Association) General Assembly that is taking place in Stockholm, Sweden. FC Barcelona has been present in several working meetings and this evening will attend dinner.


Gareth Bale crowned world’s fastest player | Eurosport

Bale came second in the survey behind Manchester United's Antonio Valencia last season, but this time round the FIFA-backed report - carried out by Mexican club Pachuca - claims Bale is quickest, the Welshman reaching a top speed of 36.9km/h - or 22.9mph.Second on the list is Mexico's Jurgen Damm - a 22-year-old who has the ability to outpace almost all of the world's best players, and who has been a transfer target for Manchester United and Chelsea in recent times.


Gareth Bale would benefit playing Mesut Ozil's old Real Madrid role | Sky Sports

Bale put in a superb performance for Wales in the 3-0 win at Israel on Saturday, and according to Gibson the forward looked "liberated" after going through frustrating form for Real. And Bale can benefit from the position Mourinho utilised Ozil in, a central role of the attacking three in a 4-2-3-1 formation during the Portuguese boss’ time at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013.


Fabio Coentrao says a move to Manchester United would be 'an honour' | Sky Sports

Reports in Spain on Tuesday morning claim United are preparing to renew their long-standing interest in Coentrao, who was on the verge of joining them back in August 2013. The Portugal international has been a bit-part player at Madrid this season and would has said he would jump at the chance to revive his career at United.







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الاثنين، 30 مارس 2015

FC Barcelona News: 30 March 2015; Luis Suarez Takes Part in Charity Match, Barcelona B Pick Up One Point


Part two of Xavi Hernández's memory test: Assists | FC Barcelona

In the first installment of the Xavi Hernandez memory test, the midfielder knew the goals and guessed the results of five of the 750 games he has played. In this second installment, Xavi tries to correctly recall five of his past assists and the final score of each match they came in.


Suarez steals the show at Anfield | Football Espana

Luis Suarez was the star of the show on his return to Anfield on Sunday to play in a charity match in aid of the Liverpool FC Foundation. The Barcelona star was introduced as a half-time substitute, along with another former Liverpool player Fernando Torres, and won the penalty that allowed Steven Gerrard to level from the penalty spot as the game ended in a 2-2 draw.


Neymar wins the duel with Claudio Bravo | FC Barcelona

Brazil and Chile have met at the Emirates Stadium in London with Neymar and Claudio Bravo captaining their respective national sides. The Brazilians came out on top thanks to a goal from striker Roberto Firmino who had come on as a substitute in the second half. He collected a long pass from the back to then take the ball around the Barça keeper and score the only goal of the game in the 71st minute of the encounter.


Training schedule for this week | FC Barcelona

As the squad’s international players return to Barcelona this week, Luis Enrique will begin preparations for Sunday’s trip to Vigo to face Celta, as the team aim to maintain their lead at the top of La Liga following the win over Real Madrid.


Lionel Messi top in 2015 with Cristiano Ronaldo 29th - CIES study - ESPN FC

Lionel Messi has been the best performing forward in Europe's elite leagues in 2015, according to a CIES Football Observatory study, while it ranked Cristiano Ronaldo only 29th among forwards. The CIES study assessed players in La Liga, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A according to six Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) -- shooting, chance creation, take-ons, distribution, recovery and rigour.


Taxman chases Barca midfielder Xavi | Football Espana

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez is being investigated by the Spanish tax authorities, according to La Vanguardia. The report claims the 35-year-old owes up to €4m in taxes connected to his image rights and money paid to his representatives by the club. The Barcelona legend is the latest in a long line of players to come under scrutiny for unpaid taxes in Spain, with teammate Lionel Messi the most high profile of them.


Barça Fans 'Face to Face' is coming back | FC Barcelona

The Barça Fans section ‘Face to Face’ will be back soon more videos in which the FC Barcelona players show just how well they know their team mates. As such, in pairs, the blaugrana players have to decide if their partner’s statements about their careers are true or false. Consequently, the fans can find out a little more about the Barça players and be entertained at the same time.


Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin explains switch from Barcelona - ESPN FC

Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has said he is unsure if he would have made the grade if he had stayed at Barcelona and is pleased to have been given a chance by Arsene Wenger. Bellerin, 20, has deputised for the injured Mathieu Debuchy this season and has looked comfortable despite having started the season without a Premier League appearance to his name.







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Report: Fernando Llorente tops the list of potential Barcelona striker targets


Barcelona's new sporting comission, led by Ariedo Braida, is working hard to improve the squad.


According to reports from Diario Sport, Braida and coach Luis Enrique have discussed the possibility of adding a striker with a different set of skills. Barça plays a style that doesn't favor the presence of a "Classic Nine" - a guy who occupies the center-forward position and is the main option on the attack, especially with crosses and set pieces. Luis Suárez would be the closest player to fit that mold, but we've seen a more mobile and versatile Suárez at Barça.


In light of the La Liga losses against Real Sociedad and Málaga, in which the Blaugrana suffered greatly to break those teams's barriers, adding a more static striker that is an aerial threat could become a nice alternative for those types of games. Braida and Lucho aren't looking for a world-class ultra-expensive striker. They don't want to change the system; they just want to add some wrinkles to it.


Fernando Llorente, the competent goalscorer from Juventus, is at the top of the list. Llorente is a well known player in La Liga during his Athletic Bilbao years, and his 49 goals from 2009 to 2012 in the Spanish League show that he could be a valuable piece if used correctly. His market value is set at around €12 million, which is not bad for a good role player in the Blaugrana system.


If Barça is indeed interesting in Llorente's signing, having Braida is helpful. He has good relationships with many Serie A clubs, but his best connection is Giuseppe Morata, the Juve's sporting director. That business friendship could help with Barça's biggest Juve target, Paul Pogba. Maybe he can get one more guy.


The Blaugrana are ready to sign another big striker if Llorente doesn't work, though. Premier League's Edin Dzeko and Graziano Pellè have also been discussed internally, even though there isn't a formal offer for either player, sources say. Dzeko would want expensive wages and wouldn't be happy with a diminished role compared to the one he has at Manchester City, but he's still on the table just in case.


What do you think, Blaugranes? Like the idea of a Classic Nine for games against tough defenses, or is Barça's current front-line capable of doing the job?






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الأحد، 29 مارس 2015

Today in "WAIT, WHAT?!" - Barcelona rumored to sign Liverpool defender


Brace yourselves, something ridiculous is coming your way.


As the Dani Alves Era comes closer to an end, Barcelona is obviously looking at a backup plan in case the experiment with Martín Montoya and Douglas Pereira doesn't work. Names like Danilo Pereira of FC Porto (who's going to sign for Real Madrid), AC Milan's Mattia De Sciglio and Borussia Dortmund's Lukaz Piszczek have been discussed, and they're all very good. But there's one name floating around the Barça Rumor Mill that is absolutely ludicrous.


It's Liverpool's Glen Johnson, who's also at the end of his deal with the Reds, and seems like he's not going to stay at Anfield any longer. Maybe because Liverpool is tired of dealing with his injuries, along with his subpar performances week in and week out, but hey, what do I know.


According to Diario Sport, Johnson's agents have been in contact with Barça representatives trying to work a deal for the 31-year-old. There's no indication at this point of any interest from the Blaugrana, and this looks like another one of those desperate agents attempting to put their players in a big market, but hopefully new sporting director Ariedo Braida is smart enough to say no.


But hey, we've signed Douglas this season! Who knows?







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Neymar Jr. and Claudio Bravo appear in Brazil win over Chile


It wasn't pretty, at all. Like, really horrible. And the stars of the game never did anything nice. But in the end, Brazil won their eighth game in a roll under their new coach Dunga, and fought hard against a tough Chile side in a friendly played at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.


Neymar and Claudio Bravo were the Barcelona representatives on this one, and they weren't that great. Especially the Brazilian, who served as a punching bag for the fierce defenders in red. Neymar eventually got tired of all the beating and delivered some blows himself, which awarded him a yellow card. That was really the highlight of the day for Neymar.


Oh, wait, I forgot this one:



Pretty basic stuff, right?


It was a true battle, with almost 50 fouls called, and LOTS of yellow cards. The only real chances came with Alexis Sanchez, the former Blaugrana who created havoc on Brazil's defense in the second half. He forced Brazil GK Jefferson to make some pretty good saves, but he wasn't able to find the net.


The only one who did find the net did it in beautiful fashion: young Roberto Firmino, who's establishing himself as a permanent answer in one of the Seleção's most precarious positions, scored a beauty after receiving a spectacular deep pass from almost-Barça player Danilo. He got past Bravo with ease, and delivered a nice no-look shot to bag the opener.



With another win, Brazil gets more confident as we get closer to the Copa América. And despite not having a great game, Neymar still showed us his brilliance.






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Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano sit out in Argentina's win vs El Salvador


Argentina ended up beating El Salvador, but they did it without their best player.


Lionel Messi was forced out of the game because his foot contusion was too much of a problem for that match. He didn't play one single minute in the friendly against El Salvador in Washington on Saturday, and he watched from the sidelines as his teammates had lots of difficulties trying to break the barrier set up by the opponent. It almost looked like a Barcelona match against a weaker adversary, only this time they didn't have Messi there to help break the ice. Javier Mascherano also didn't enter the game, as the midfielder himself wanted some time off from the marathon of matches he played for Barcelona before last night.


Messi's absence was almost a surprise, since Leo himself vowed to play through pain, but the pain was just too big. Argentina coach Tata Martino later confirmed that Messi couldn't appear because he had some swelling in his foot, and they decided to be cautious and preserve the world's best player.


Without Leo and Mascherano, Argentina found the net only twice, with Banega and Mancuello finishing as the scorers. It wasn't pretty, but the Albiceleste got the W, which is an important boost of confidence as the team gets closer to the Copa América.


Argentina returns to the pitch on Tuesday against Ecuador, and there's still no confirmation of Messi's presence.






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FC Barcelona News: 29 March 2015; Lionel Messi Misses Argentina Match with Swolen Foot, Ivan Rakitić Helps Croatia Beat Norway


Tata explains Messi absence | Football Espana

"Messi didn't play because his foot was swollen," he said after the game. "He tried [to prove his fitness] in the last training season but was unable to do so. Therefore, it was decided that he wouldn't play. The doctors' images didn't show any damage, but when he began to train, his foot swelled up."


Rakitić and Croatia rout Norway 5–1 | FC Barcelona

Ivan Rakitić and Croatia continue to lead their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 2016, winning 5-1 over Norway on Saturday in a game that saw the Barça midfielder play the first 76 minutes until being replaced by Gordon Schildenfeld when it was still just a 3–0 match.


Dani Alves yet to agree move away from Barcelona with contract up - ESPN FC

Alves, who turns 32 before the end of the season, has been at the Camp Nou for seven years after moving from Sevilla for a fee in the region of £23 million. The Brazil international could be set to move on with both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain linked. He insists he is happy at Barca, though he knows the club are very much in control of his future.


Paris Saint-Germain's road to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League | FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s coming quarter-final opponent in the UEFA Champions League are tough. At least tough enough to get to the quarters by knocking out Chelsea. In Paris, the Blues secured a 1–1 draw on the back of great goalkeeping by Thibaut Courtois, putting PSG at a certain disadvantage going into the return leg at Stamford Bridge.


Pepe to renew until 2018? | Football Espana

Pepe is set to renew his contract with Real Madrid for a further two years, according to AS. The 32-year-old has regained his first-choice centre-back status under Carlo Ancelotti and is only a few small details away from signing an extension until 2018.


'Man United will target Bale' | News | Sunday Supplement | Sky Sports

Manchester United are likely to be on red alert should signing Gareth Bale become even the slightest possibility this summer, Andy Dunn told the Sunday Supplement. The winger scored twice and set up the other as Wales won 3-0 in Saturday's European 2016 qualifier in Israel, but has become a target for the boo-boys at the Santiago Bernabeu following some below-par performances for Real Madrid this season.


Odegaard shows that he is not ready for Real Madrid yet - Goal.com

All eyes were on Martin Odegaard on Saturday. The teenage wonderkid lined up for Norway in its Euro 2016 qualifier against Croatia - his first competitive start for his country. The attacking midfielder has been tipped for greatness following his highly publicized 4 million euro transfer to Real Madrid this January from Stromsgodset. At the age of just 16, he is already earning over 100,000 euros a week.







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السبت، 28 مارس 2015

Barcelona Left-Back Jordi Alba Out Ten Days with Hamstring Injury


As it turns out, the news on Jordi Alba's injury aren't that bad.


The Barcelona full-back had to leave the UEFA EURO qualifying match between Spain and Ukraine after he started feeling pain in a run down the left wing. He quickly asked to be replaced and left international duty to return to Barcelona for further testing.


Barça's medical services released a quick statement on the extent of the injury, as well as the recovery time:



Tests performed by the FC Barcelona Medical Services on Saturday morning has revealed that Jordi Alba has a grade 1 injury to the adductor muscle in his right leg. This hamstring injury means he’ll be out of action for approximately ten days.


Source: FCBarcelona.com



Being out for ten days means Alba will only miss the La Liga match against Celta Vigo, next Sunday, and possibly the one against Almeria, which happens in exactly ten days. There's no concern about Alba missing the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Paris Saint-Germain, which is the best news.


Alba will start rehab on Monday morning, and he's expected to train with the squad as early as next Friday.






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FC Barcelona News: 28 March 2015; Jordi Alba Injures Hamstring as Spain Beat Ukraine, Ruled Out for Ten Days


Jordi Alba out for ten days | FC Barcelona

Tests performed by the FC Barcelona Medical Services on Saturday morning has revealed that Jordi Alba has a grade 1 injury to the adductor muscle in his right leg. This hamstring injury means he’ll be out of action for approximately ten days.


Spain beat Ukraine 1–0 | FC Barcelona

Spain won 1–0 over Ukraine in Euro 2016 qualifying on Friday night thanks to a single goal by Morata in a duel featuring Barça players Piqué, Busquets, Iniesta and Alba, who left with an injury in the 76th minute. Pedro played the last half hour.


12 goals from set plays: The most for six seasons | FC Barcelona

Mathieu’s header against Real Madrid in the Clásico was the prime example of how much more lethal Barça are from dead ball situations this season. Much of that goal came down to Juan Carlos Unzué, the assistant manager, who got up from the bench and stood in the technical area. That was a clear indication that a planned strategy was on the way. Unzué made a gesture, telling the players what he wanted them to do and moments later the ball was in the back of the net.


Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu refuses to rule out summer exits for Xavi and Dani Alves - ESPN FC

Marca quotes Bartomeu as saying: "With regards to Xavi, let me repeat what I said last year. He will make his own decision and is under contract until next year, but if he feels he has to leave then he will have our full support. "With regards to Alves, that is a planning matter and I can't comment. However, it's true that steps are being taken and wheels are in motion. News will be forthcoming, and not only about Dani Alves."


Luis Suarez: FIFA treated me like a hooligan | Eurosport

"A suspension is one thing, but I wasn't even able to train at the start [of the ban]. I was being treated than if I were a hooligan," he told Kicker."During my [summer] holidays, I was even afraid of going to see my nephews play in Uruguay at youth level. "As punishment, I couldn't step onto a football pitch, [a decision] which I still don't understand to this day."


Guardado leaves Valencia for PSV | Football Espana

PSV have confirmed that Valencia loanee Andres Guardado will join them on a permanent basis this summer. The winger arrived at Philips Stadion on loan prior to the start of the season and has played a key role in the Dutch giants' charge towards the Eredivisie summit.







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Report: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique asks for Atlético Madrid star


With the now certain departure of Xavi Hernández, Barcelona needs a new centerpiece at center-field. And coach Luis Enrique knows exactly who that guy is going to be.


Forget Paul Pogba, who is more of a dream than anything. With so many candidates to land the French Phenom, it is dificult for Barça to get the 21-year-old Juventus star, especially with the transfer ban that makes it more difficult for the Blaugrana to attract market darlings this year.


The alternative to Pogba is not bad, though. Diario Sport is reporting that Barça manager Luis Enrique has specifically asked for Koke Resurrección, the 23-year-old Atlético Madrid midfielder. Koke was a target for last summer, but the negotiations never advanced once Barça signed Ivan Rakitic, their favorite transfer target. The Blaugrana at the time offered €60 million to take Koke away from Vicente Calderón, but the player himself decided to stick around at Atleti for one more season.


Now, the situation is different. Atlético has been eliminated from contention in the Copa del Rey by Barça, and the La Liga repeat seems unlikely this season. The Colchoneros also have a difficult opponent in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, as they face the defending champions, Real Madrid. If Atlético ends up trophy-less this season, we might see a change of scenery for the team's most important players, including Koke.


Koke would be the perfect replacement to Xavi. He has anything you could ask for a Blaugrana mid: he's young, has amazing awareness, world-class passing skills and a reliable, injury-free history. Basically, you can count on Koke to deliver in every match. He's already playing the Xavi role on the Spanish national team, and his performances have been impressive.


Sources say that Barcelona is one of Koke's favorite destinations, and he'd sign for Barça in a heartbeat. If that's true, we can forget Pogba and focus on the New Xavi.






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الجمعة، 27 مارس 2015

Jordi Alba Injured During Spain UEFA EURO Qualifying Match


Bad, bad news from the UEFA EURO qualifying game between Spain and Ukraine.


Near the end of the match, which La Roja won by a 1-0 margin, Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba had to leave the game after he started limping, which forced him to be replaced by Bayern Munich's Juan Bernat. Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque confirmed a groin contusion, and also announced that Alba will leave duty to return to Barcelona for further tests that will confirm the extent of the injury.


Alba has been one of Barça's most consistent performers all season, and losing him at this point of the campaign would be devastating. There's no one like Alba, not only on Barça's roster, but in the world. Hopefully this is nothing serious and he won't miss a lot of time.


Thank you, international break!






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FC Barcelona News: 27 March 2015; Xavi Linked With Qatar Move, Neymar Shines in Brazil Win


Barcelona midfielder Xavi 'to leave for Qatari club Al Sadd' | Sky Sports

Reports in Spain suggest Xavi will earn over £7million a year and have the option of a fourth year with the club. The 35-year-old, whose contract at Barcelona runs out in the summer, has been at the club for his entire career, going back 24 years, and has been linked with moves to the Middle East and United States.


Victory for Neymar, defeat for Claudio Bravo | FC Barcelona

With Neymar taking the role of captain of the ‘canarinha’, France and Brazil met in Saint-Denis in Paris in a reenactment of the World Cup final of 1998 in the same stadium. The two captains that day, Didier Deschamps and Dunga, ironically enough are now in charge of their respective national sides with the latest meeting seeing the South Americans emerge with a 3-1 victory.


Neymar hits fifth in all-time Brazilian goalscoring charts | FC Barcelona

Neymar found the target in Brazil’s 3-1 friendly win against France on Thursday, and that puts him joint fifth in the all-time goalscoring charts for the five-time World Cup winning nation. He’s matched with two of the biggest legends in his country’s football history, the great Jairzinho and Rivellino, who both starred in the unforgettable side that wowed the world at Mexico 1970.


FC Barcelona v Valencia on Saturday 18 at 4.00pm CET | FC Barcelona

The time and date of the Barça v Valencia league match has been announced. The game at the Camp Nou between the teams currently first and third in the table will kick off on Saturday 18 April at 4.00pm CET. The clash is sandwiched between the two legs of the Champions League quarter final against Paris Saint-Germain, to be played on April 15 and 21.


Camp Nou has hosted eight finals in four different competitions | FC Barcelona

On 30 March Barça and Athletic Bilbao will meet in the final of the Spanish Cup at Camp Nou. The stadium has previously been used for eight finals in four separate competitions. The game against the Basque club will be the fourth Spanish Cup at Barça’s ground. The first came on 23 June 1963 when the blaugranes beat Zaragoza 3-1 to claim the trophy.


Lionel Messi Neymar and Luis Suarez have 'special relationship' at Barcelona - ESPN FC

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said there is "no hint of jealousy" in the relationship between his club's all-star strike force of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. The three South Americans have been in excellent form in 2015, with Barca moving four points clear in the title race, reaching the Copa del Rey final and qualifying for the Champions League quarterfinals.


Simonsen says there's nothing wrong with believing in a possible treble | FC Barcelona

Allan Simonsen was not only one of the most charismatic of foreign players in club history. He was also one of the protagonists of a memorable final that Barça played at Camp Nou: the 1982 Cup Winners’ Cup final. Thanks to Simonsen’s second goal, Barça turned the tables on the scoreboard in that title match to defeat Standard Liège and win the second Cup Winners’ Cup in Club history.


Real Madrid fans set to be banned for kicking and punching Gareth Bale's car - ESPN FC

Three Real Madrid fans are set to be fined €3,001 each and banned from attending all games for six months after kicking and punching the cars of Blancos players, including that of Gareth Bale, on the night of the team's 2-1 defeat at Barcelona.







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Inside El Clasico: A first-person account


Review of the El Clasico action from a first-person point of view


The too long to read version of this article would be: "I was at the El Clasico". But I hope you continue reading as I extrapolate a little bit.


I'm going to start this article with an apology to, well, everybody on Barca Blaugranes, but especially to Arron Duckling with whom I regularly communicate, but we exchanged many email par day before my "trip", and not once did I mention where I was going. I always referred to my leave as the "trip" to whomever I discussed it with. It wasn't always easy, but somehow I always managed to call it the "trip". The reason behind it? Every single time I went to a Barcelona game incognito, Barcelona always won. We even pummeled Malaga once, something we would've gladly taken this season. Call me superstitious, crazy, or stupid, I wasn't going to jinx it (again). And the way this panned out I might actually start practicing this more often.


But back to the story at hand. As a matter of fact, this story begins on 7 December 2014, when I drew four tickets out of a hat for the New Year lottery held by Slovenia's only official Barcelona supporters club, Penya Blaugrana Eslovena Triglav. The top prize of the draw? A ticket for the El Clasico played on 22 March 2015. Late in January the draw was held. With 603 lottery tickets in contention for the top prize chances of winning were slim. But wouldn't you know it ticket number 0175, one of my four tickets, was picked out of the bowl. What followed was a mixed bunch of disbelief, elation and shock, and I honestly didn't really celebrate until the official results were released a couple of days later.


After the "honeymoon" phase ended I booked the flights, reserved an apartment with four great guys, and simply waited for the departure date to arrive. Being in Barcelona many times now you aren't drawn to the major landmarks as much as you were in your first trips. As you get to know parts of the city you start wondering the streets and discovering places not featured at the top of the "must visit locations" lists. But it's always a good idea to keep your camera on your person. I have to remember that one next time...


Waking up on Sunday was immediately different to the days before. The light-heartedness was replaced by anxiety and anticipation. The confidence in a positive result - a win - remained, but you started thinking about the starting lineups, the availability of Sergio Busquets, the inevitability of Real Madrid's hard tacking, Mateu Lahoz, weather, etc. Speaking of the weather, before leaving to Barcelona the weather report looked gnarly: 20 mph wind throughout my stay with heavy showers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with light showers on Monday. With a report like that the only thing that we could hope for was that the game would be played in nice weather because avoiding rain altogether seemed impossible. But somehow we woke up to a sunny Sunday morning with only a light shower in the night from Friday to Saturday before. Fears about the rain remained, but some of Barcelona's best El Clasico victories came in the rain, like the Manita El Clasico, so we were confident in a win regardless.


Hoping on the metro a couple hours before kickoff we joined up with a 20-some strong Slovenian Penya contingent and made our way to our seats in time to boo Real Madrid players as they came out to warm up and cheer on the Barcelona players as they came out to stretch. Armed with a camera and my piece of the nearly 100.000 strong mosaic I watched on as the players got ready and returned to their dressing rooms for a couple of minutes before returning to the collective singing of the Cant del Barça, FC Barcelona's anthem. I've been to a few Barcelona games before, including an El Clasico, but the singing this time around, combined with the stunning mosaic made this the best build up to a Barcelona game I have ever witnessed.


Sadly, the cheering had only one way to go from there - down. And it went way down. My first El Clasico was a loss and the atmosphere at the Camp Nou then was much better than on this day. Granted, we largely played a poor game on this rain-free night, but sometimes the lift in play can come from the stands, but, sadly, this crowd was not up to the task. There were people that didn't even jump out of their seats on goals scored by Barcelona - and I'm not talking about the few hundred Real Madrid fans.


A crowd of 98.700 should be loud enough to force all the nearby birds to fly 5 miles away from the Camp Nou, but apart from the Barcelona goals and a couple strong chants late in the game the crowd was largely disappointing. Considering I was barely able to speak later that night because of all the screaming (and cursing of Neymar) I did, I think I have the right to call out all those that didn't offer the support the team playing in front of them deserved. The spectators were probably consistently the loudest on occasions when Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball. Boos were flying in from all sides of the stadium then. The calma celebration just fired everybody even more.


I was sitting in sector 351, which is located right behind the North goal, the side that only one of the goals were scored on, and I had a perfect view of it all the way. The swinging cross from Lionel Messi from the left side, Jeremy Mathieu escaping his marker, before finishing the chance off with a perfect header. But that doesn't mean I didn't see the plays that happened on the other side of the pitch. Thankfully my eyesight isn't as bad a Lahoz's is as even I saw how many mistakes he made and I was sitting about 80 yards from some of them.


Even though Neymar missed the most chances, none of them made me feel the agony as Messi's miss did. It's not because he missed a sitter or anything, the reason behind it was that he dribbled past numerous defenders before making his way to the middle and firing not a foot wide of Iker Casillas' right post. It was because that immediately after he started the run it reminded me of so many gorgeous goals he scored from similar plays, and with the form he was in games past me, and just everybody at the Camp Nou, expected that ball to finish in the back of the net.


It wasn't to be on that play, but Luis Suarez was there to rescue Barcelona with his brilliant control and finish after a stunning Dani Alves pass to cause an eruption at the stadium. With Real Madrid fading, especially compared to the first half, and Barcelona picking up speed everybody started waiting for the goal that would secure the win and put Barcelona level on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Sadly, the misses kept adding on for Barcelona who continued to waste chance after chance. Neymar was the main culprit as to why Barcelona only won by a single goal, but other also drew profanities from the Camp Nou crowd. It's difficult to explain how in the two minute onslaught in the dying minutes of the game none of Jordi Alba, Suarez or Messi managed to find the back of the net.


But had it not been for Claudio Bravo it could've ended much worse for Barcelona. Bravo was especially dominant in the second half where I once again had a great view of the action. His two saves on Karim Benzema could simply be called "point-savers". From my point of view the second one looked especially impressive. Set up for a shot before it was deflected on its way it looked like the ball would squeak just inside Bravo's left post, but fully outstretch the Chilean tipped the ball out of danger.


The final whistle provided the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief. The three points were in the bag, and even though there was a sour taste because of all the misses, Barcelona still won the El Clasico. A task they failed miserably at earlier in the season. A drink to calm the nerves and analyze the game were now on the docket.





The following day was the nicest of the five days I was Barcelona. The morning afterglow of the El Clasico win and the sun was shining. I was on my way to the Museum to relive some of the greatest moments in Barcelona history and go down to the sacred ground, the ground that Barcelona defeated Real Madrid on not 24 hours ago. Those that haven't been on the full Camp Nou Tour, I fully recommend it, it is absolutely worth the money. Monday was the last full day in Barcelona as the flight home was the only thing left to do in Barcelona.


The next morning as we were getting ready to fly back home when we found out about the unfortunate Germanwings flight 4U9525. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of everybody involved. To us who use airplane travel only a couple of times every year flying will never feel as natural as driving in a car. On days like this that uneasy feeling of being at the mercy of the weather, the pilots, the mechanics, etc. are exacerbated. Travelling by airplane is still by far the safest method of travel, but occasionally tragedies do happen and when they do they are always hard to swallow. It added a very sad note to what was otherwise a great trip.








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Gallery: Inside El Clasico: A first-person account

View this gallery here.



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الخميس، 26 مارس 2015

Neymar Scores as Brazil Come From Behind to Beat France


In one of their last games before the Copa América, Brazil showed strength and resilience, as the Seleção came from behind to beat France 3-1 in an exciting friendly played at Stade de France in Paris on Thursday.


The only Barcelona representative was Neymar, and he once again shined. The captain and star of the team came through big and scored one of the three goals. It wasn't just the Neymar Show, though; Roberto Firmino and Willian played nice matches even without scoring. Oscar and Luiz Gustavo joined Neymar in the scoreboard, and Raphael Varane was the only man who found the net for France.


It was a mini-Clásico that featured Neymar vs Benzema and Varane. All three stars had strong performances, and the crowd was excited with a good showing by both teams. France lost for the first time since the 1-0 defeat against World Cup champions Germany in Brazil, and they shouldn't be that worried with a friendly loss. They're still pretty good.


Brazil has a lot to take from this win, however. Dunga's pack was slow and unreliable on defense at times, but for the most part, especially in the second half, the Seleção played a very good game. The team fought hard and kept coming back for more. Although all three goals were sort of fortuitous, happening in part because of France's mistakes, the Yellow and Green showed composure and never gave up.


And, as always, Neymar happened.






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Xavi Hernández Set to Sign for Qatar Team


As it turns out, the Xavi Hernández Era is coming to a close at Barcelona.


After a summer of rumors, the legendary Barça captain decided to stay with the Blaugrana, and he still was able to contribute heavily to Luis Enrique's system. Now that the transition process is over, Xavi's role at the club tends to get smaller and smaller. Number Six wants to go out in style, so he picked this season as his last.


According to widespread reports from Spain, Xavi will sign with Al Sadd from Qatar. Sources close to the situation also confirmed the news to Barça Blaugranes. Xavi has traveled to Qatar to sign a three-year deal that includes responsabilities on the pitch and coaching the youngsters off the pitch. Since the football season in Qatar only lasts six months, Hernández is not going to deal with a lot of physical stress and all the pressure that comes with his current situation at the Blaugrana.


With the most games played with the Barça shirt in history, Xavi will always be remembered as the maestro of a glorious decade, and especially the victorious years under Pep Guardiola.


You'll never be forgotten, Captain. We'll love you until eternity.


Thank you.






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Barcelona 1-0 Manchester City: Tactical Review


Lionel Messi and Joe Hart sparkled on a night that also saw Yaya Touré try to torch his reputation. Barça deservedly go into the last eight among the favourites to win the Champions League.


Author's note: apologies for the severe delay in posting this - moving to another continent at short notice doesn't leave much time for blogging.


Barcelona’s Champions League Round of 16 second leg victory over Manchester City was a comfortable one, aided by the 2-1 first leg scoreline and the lethargy and openness of the English Premier League champions. Lionel Messi gave a sparkling individual performance and Gerard Piqué and Jérémy Mathieu impressed in the centre of defence, but more than anything this was a game which underlined Barça’s powers as a collective and strengthened their credentials as potential European Cup winners.


The starting elevens held few surprises. Luis Enrique selected what has become known as his ‘Gala XI’ with two expected changes: Marc-André ter Stegen replaced Claudio Bravo in goal, as he routinely does for Champions League fixtures, and Javier Mascherano took the place of the injured Sergio Busquets.


Manuel Pellegrini chose a side full of familiar faces but with some in unfamiliar roles: James Milner was used as a defensive winger on the left to help Aleks Kolarov and Fernandinho cope with Messi, which meant Samir Nasri went out to the right flank and David Silva started behind Sergio Agüero.


The two sides’ strategies were as foreseeable as their line-ups. Barça played a relatively conservative game, looking to find Messi whenever possible and relying on him to play through a wide open City outfit. The visitors had to chase the game and score at least twice to progress in normal time, so they tried to press hard, force turnovers and generate lots of shots on goal.


However, their display was disjointed and hampered by certain players’ refusal to work for the team – Yaya Touré and Samir Nasri gave horrible performances that came close to scoring 0/10. This torpedoed their team showing, and as in the first leg the patchwork appearance of their pressing system meant that the success of their tackling was very poor indeed and Barça found it easy to play the ball into dangerous areas.


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Touré’s showing summed up why this Man City team, so expensively assembled, has failed to progress in the Champions League. At 2-1 down and away in the Nou Camp, a central midfielder has to be prepared to give everything to protect the centre of the pitch and prevent Messi from receiving the ball in front of his back four. He has to trust that those ahead of him will do their job and create scoring chances, not see himself as an attacker first and as a defender second.



Touré completely phoned it in, finishing the match with zero tackles won, zero interceptions made and zero blocks. He was always at least a few yards out of position and this left Messi with acres of space to play and Man City’s defence with huge problems to solve. Several of Barça’s advances on City’s goal stemmed directly from Touré’s refusal to defend. It’s a wonder that 1) Fernandinho didn’t murder him in his sleep after the game and 2) that Pellegrini left him on until the 72nd minute.


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By contrast, Messi’s individual performance was exactly what his team needed it to be: motivated, menacing and majestic in equal measure. It helped that for the second game running, Man City gave a textbook example of how not to play against Messi. Contrast his performance here with the one against Málaga, in which Javi Gracia’s team showed exactly how to shut him down. Against City he made considerably more forward passes, key passes and successful dribbles, as well as taking more shots. Málaga kept him much further away from goal, made him play square passes and prevented his forward play from connecting with his teammates.


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Although there was a clear gulf between the sides by the end, the opening half hour of the match was fairly even. Barça had the majority of the ball and moved City around very well but, Nasri and Touré aside, the away side generally defended well, limiting Barça to one shot on target. That being said, yet another moment of madness from Vincent Kompany should have led to the opening goal, but Neymar’s shot hit the post and rolled wide on the other side of the goal.


In the end it was City’s refusal to sit back and their inability to plug the midfield that cost them. In the 31st minute they committed several players forward for an attack from the right flank, but Jordi Alba forced a turnover and sprinted out of defence, starting a move which quickly covered the length of the pitch and ended with Ivan Rakitić lifting the ball over Joe Hart. A more savvy side than City would never have left themselves so open, even when chasing the game away from home. As soon as Rakitić brought down Messi’s excellent crossfield pass and put the ball in the net, the tie was dead.


Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this Barça performance was the sturdiness of the defence. Luis Enrique’s move away from the positional play and possession-based principles of the Guardiola/Vilanova era has been and probably always will be controversial, but it’s hard to think of a recent Barça side that has been this good at the back, and the manager deserves full credit for building a new system that doesn’t leave the back four so easily exposed. They drop deep and keep their shape brilliantly, the midfield supports them without question and Piqué and Mathieu clear everything that comes into the box.


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To his credit, Pellegrini recognised that Nasri and Touré weren’t pulling their weight and replaced both. Jesús Navas replaced Nasri at half-time and Wilfried Bony came on for Touré with 18 minutes left, although by that point it was too late. Pellegrini also got Silva and Milner to switch positions at half-time in a bid to increase the former’s involvement in the game.


What actually happened was that his demoralised outfit collapsed: Barça had four good shots on goal in the first three minutes of the second half. But for Joe Hart, the game would have become an embarrassment. After that, however, Barça made their own tactical error, sitting back and inviting City forward, presumably to create space for Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez to play on the break.


This emboldened City and for the first time in the game their press became effective. Piqué and Mathieu sometimes found themselves with no time to pick a pass into midfield and hit long balls towards Suárez, which were inevitably cut out. The period between minutes 49 and 67 was by far City’s best of the game, but even so they only worked ter Stegen once – Kolarov hammered the ball straight down ter Stegen’s throat from distance for the second time in the game.


The penalty awarded to City in the 77th minute could have changed the game on the night, but Agüero’s dismal spot-kick was easily saved by ter Stegen and that was pretty much that. Barça had several more chances to extend the margin of victory but the score stayed at 1-0 due to a combination of Hart’s excellence and the laziness of the strikers. They had several chances to break with a numerical advantage but messed each one up due to poor decision-making. Take the below shot, for example: it should always end in a goal, and it didn’t.


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That’s a minor quibble, however, and this was generally a very positive Barça display. The champions of England were once again vanquished with consummate ease and Luis Enrique must feel very confident about the prospect of facing a Zlatan-less Paris Saint-Germain team in the next round.






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Joe Hart thinks Lionel Messi will be "the best ever"


After Barcelona defeated Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League to qualify for the quarterfinals several days ago, it was hard to argue against City goalkeeper Joe Hart as the man of that match. He was absolutely sensational, and his Save Show was the reason why Barça didn't leave Camp Nou with a historical win on the books.


It's hard to have those games where the losing player is the best player on a match. Remember how Tim Howard was the star of United States vs Belgium in the 2014 World Cup, even though the US lost? Joe Hart was the star of Barça vs City. It's that simple.


But Hart doesn't remember that night with the best of feelings. He's still upset because of the loss, but he was full of praises for the guys he stopped, especially Lionel Messi:



"I'm pretty sure that in a few years when Messi gets truly recognized as the best player ever, I'll have good memories about that night. I'm certain that I'll remember that game differently once I retire.


"I don't feel great about that performance now simply because it was a tough night for us, and we lost. But it was a great night for me because I got stops against some of the best players in the world.


"Even though I'm a teammate of Sergio Agüero, Messi is absolutely extraordinary. He's a phenomenal player. Last year he scored against me with the outside of his foot, over my shoulder, when there was just no space to pull that off. He shouldn't have been able to do that, but it just seemed like an easy finish for him. He's phenomenal."


Source: MD



YOUR GODDAMNED RIGHT, HART.






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Barcelona Launches New Mobile App


Barcelona has launched today a very good new app for mobile phones and tablets.


The app was totally re-designed to look more modern, intuitive and functional. It gives you news, results and a complete coverage of all Barça sports, with a bigger focus on the football teams, obviously. You can set up notifications for games, read news and follow matches live with it. It's really cool.


Here's a quick description on the app from Barça's website:



The new FC Barcelona app, available in English, Spanish and Catalan, differs from the previous version by offering a more modern, functional and intuitive design. It also allows for simple and easy set up, allowing for personalised content to the tastes and interests of each user. Thus, users can select any Barça sport they wish to follow, including football, basketball, handball, roller hockey, futsal, Barça B and the women's football team.


Source: FCBarcelona.com



I personally encourage you to download it. It's available for iTunes and Android users. Get it now!






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FC Barcelona News: 26 March 2015; Camp Nou to Host Copa del Rey Final, Thomas Vermaelen Continues to Train


FC Barcelona observes official three day mourning period for plane accident victims | FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona has joined the three days of official mourning declared in memory of the victims of the plane accident involving the Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf on Tuesday. The Catalan, Barcelona City and Club flags are all being flown at half-mast as a sign of respect for the victims.


Camp Nou will be the venue for the Spanish Cup final between FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao | FC Barcelona

Camp Nou will be the venue for the final of the Spanish Cup which will be played on Saturday 30 May between Athletic Club and FC Barcelona. The Spanish Football Federation has made public the decision this Wednesday on where the final will take place.


Dani Alves works out with the team | FC Barcelona

On Thursday morning, FC Barcelona completed their third workout of week. Head coach Luis Enrique conducted a session consisting of 11 players, 10 from the first team and goalkeeper Ortolà, from Barca B. The majority of the players are away with their national teams this week. The big news of the day was that Dani Alves trained with the group after working out individually on Tuesday and Wednesday.


10 players in training | FC Barcelona

Barça’s skeletal first team squad trained for the second time this week on Wednesday morning. Luis Enrique had just nine first team players under his orders - Masip, Montoya, Xavi, Suárez, Douglas, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Mathieu and Vermaelen, who were joined by B team keeper Ortolá.


Timelapse video of the Clásico buildup | FC Barcelona

Three hours in just one and a half minutes. This accelerated time lapse video follows Sunday's events at the Camp Nou from six in the evening through to kick off and features all the preparations for the Clásico before the gates open, the stadium filling up with the 98,760 crowd and the massive mosaic that greeted the players as they came out onto the pitch.


An historic Clásico for FC Barcelona's digital platform | FC Barcelona

The Clásico at the weekend between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is only an experience to be had at Camp Nou. The social networks witnessed Barça’s global impact and the victory once again showed the Club’s projection around the world.


Blaugrana to appeal in Neymar case | Football Espana

Barcelona are to launch an appeal against the decision to send current club President Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell to trial. AS reports that the pair are due to appear in court over alleged irregularities and tax fraud in the signing of Brazilian star Neymar from Santos in June 2013, while a recent development in the case has seen prosecutors ask for prison sentences and fines for both men.


Xavi Hernández's memory test: Goals | FC Barcelona

A game and a season. That is all the information that Xavi Hernández has in a quiz that sees the Barça midfielder tested on his 751 official appearances with the team. The blaugrana captain watches the build up on an iPad and when the action is frozen, he has to guess how the move ended and the result of that particular game.


FC Barcelona presents new official app | FC Barcelona

Today marks the inauguration of FC Barcelona’s new official app that is now available for mobiles and tablets running iOS and Android. With totally renewed design and content, this free app puts Barça in the pocket of its fans and takes over for FCBWorld, which had over two million downloads and more than 200,000 active monthly users.


Instagrammers group enjoy exclusive visit to Camp Nou Experience | FC Barcelona

The Camp Nou opened only for a small group of people. This is the dream of many Barcelona fans that came true Wednesday for an exclusive group of nearly 20 Instagrammers. The #empty InstaMeet movement event held at the Club’s facilities is the first ever in Spain, while Barça became the first club in the world to open its doors to an event such as this.


The IV FCBEscola International Tournament is upon us | FC Barcelona

The fourth edition of the FCBEscola International Tournament is almost upon us. On Monday 30 March the tournament will get under way at the annexe pitches at the Miniestadi where more than a thousand young players from 15 different countries will play more than 276 football matches, a real blaugrana footballing festival for Easter Week.


FC Barcelona welcome the Ryder Cup Evaluation Committee to Camp Nou | FC Barcelona

The five members of the committee, accompanied by the president of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Gonzaga Escauriaza, amongst others, were received by Club director Ramon Pont, who is also first vice president of the FC Barcelona Foundation. The visit started with a trip to the Museum where special interest was shown in the New Espai Barça and the interactive table where the 100 most important moments in the Club’s history can be viewed.


Gareth Bale is Real Madrid's fall guy despite replicating his 2013-14 form - ESPN FC

When two of a country's leading newspapers -- and renowned supporters of Real Madrid -- rail against a player of their beloved club, it won't be long before the fans are baying for blood. Despite netting a match-winning brace the game previous, the daggers were out for Gareth Bale once again after the Clasico. AS awarded only referee Mateu Lahoz a lower rating on the day than the Welshman and Marca refused outright to even give the 25-year-old a score.


Alaba now on Madrid radar | Football Espana

Marca understands that representatives from the Spanish giants met George Alaba, the player’s father and agent, in Vienna recently to discuss the possibility of a switch to La Liga. The 22-year-old penned a new deal with the Bavarians in December 2013, tying him to the club until June 2018, but his situation now appears to have changed and his father is considering a move.


Sami Khedira confirms he will leave Real Madrid in the summer | Sky Sports

Sami Khedira has confirmed that he will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer, but says he is not yet sure where he will go next. The Germany international has been linked with a move to Arsenal and Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Schalke.







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Thomas Vermaelen’s return gives Barça a boost in depth


After an injury drenched year, and a torrid start to his Barça career, Thomas Vermaelen finally seems to be injury free. Whether he’ll relapse, or get a new injury remains to be seen. In the meantime, Barça's roster is back to full strength.


With Real Madrid beaten, Barça enter a critical month, one packed with intense games. It’s safe to assume that the players will need to be in top form to win all of these games. The outcome of this month sees us on a good platform to win all the trophies set before us, or it sees us lose everything. Playing Manchester City and Real Madrid was just beginning of a grueling few weeks, in which we play Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, an in form Valencia at the Camp Nou, and Paris Saint-Germain both home and away for a place in the Semifinals of Champions League. Excluding the Copa Del Ray final and the UEFA Champions League games past our PSG tie, here is Barça's schedule for the rest of the season.




All of these high profile games have the potential to be season deciders, and Lucho will probably implement his famous rotation policy, or infamous, depending on how you see things. One thing is for certain, Enrique’s rotations earlier in the season greatly helped the team’s fitness in the later stages of the season. Now, with Vermaelen finally being injury free, Lucho can hand Thomas his debut while simultaneously adding more competition in the CB position. Vermaelen was a doubt for this season. It seemed that his recovery would take the entire season, and the possibility of him being injury free was questionable at best. Now, however, Thomas has made a quick recovery after getting surgery allowing him to possibly get his debut in the coming weeks. Ovara, Vermaelen’s surgeon, had this to say on his recovery.






Since playing Sevilla away and facing Valencia are rather hard fixtures, it might be possible to see Thomas make his debut in the coming weeks, possibly against the likes of Almeria, with all due respect. Barça face off against Almeria at the Camp Nou in three weeks time, making it an excellent fixture for Vermaelen to be eased back into the first team, if he is fully fit by then.







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الأربعاء، 25 مارس 2015

Official: 2015 Copa del Rey Final to be Held at Camp Nou


The Real Federación Española de Fútbol has decided where the Copa del Rey final will be contested.


Following weeks of impasse and disagreement between Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and the Spanish Federation, it was announced on Wednesday that the Spanish Cup ultimate game will be played on May 30th at Camp Nou, Catalunya, home of the Blaugrana.


It seems strange that Bilbao would agree with the title-decider being played at the rival's ground, but it's a smart financial decision, since the profits from the final will be equally shared between the clubs and the Federation. Athletic will also get a higher share of tickets than it usually gets when it goes to Camp Nou, since the Spanish Cup Final will be technically held at a "neutral environment", which requires a good distribution of tickets to both groups of fans.


Since Barça and Bilbao reached the final, the teams quickly requested the game to be played at Santiago Bernabéu, home of football and political rival, Real Madrid. The Blancos obviously refused to accept the proposal, so the search for a site began. Atlético Madrid's Vicente Calderón has an AC/DC concert scheduled for the same date, which naturally impedes the stadium to be used for a football match.


Valencia and Sevilla's grounds have been recently selected to hold La Final, so the Spanish Federation wanted an alternative stadium.


Now we got one. It's Barça's sacred ground.






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Impasse Continues Regarding Copa Del Rey Final Stadium; Santiago Bernabéu Now Completely off the Table


Still nothing new regarding the site of this year's Copa del Rey final, to be contested in May 30th between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Both teams had been lobbying to play the ultimate game at Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's home, but that option is no longer available after the Blancos vehemently refused to concede their stadium to the club's biggest football and political rivals.


With Bernabéu now off the table, there's a huge disagreement between all three parties involved (Barça, Bilbao and the Spanish Football Federation) on the official home of the Spanish Cup title-decider. Barça is still pushing for it to be in Valencia, while Athletic wants it to be in Sevilla. The Spanish Federation doesn't have a favorite option, so they're not favoring any of the teams just for the sake of showing some authority.


There's still a narrow possibility that Camp Nou will be the site, with a 50-50 share of the tickets for the teams. Unsurprisingly, Bilbao is not against the option, since the financial outcome of doing it at a giant venue is tremendous for the club, especially with an equal share of the profit with the Blaugrana, after the Spanish Federation takes its piece of the cake.


San Mamés, Athletic's home, is the last resort if nothing works out. The Federation promises an official decision for tomorrow or Friday.






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FC Barcelona News: 25 March 2015; La Liga Meeting Over TV Right Scheduled, Seven Clubs After Dani Alves


FC Barcelona offers its condolences to flight #4U9525 accident victims | FC Barcelona

President Bartomeu and first team players from the various professional teams have expressed their sadness at the news of the crash of the Barcelona to Düsseldorf flight #4U9525


Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid: both sides threaten but Barca superior at finishing | Zonal Marking

Barcelona moved four points clear at the top of La Liga thanks to Luis Suarez’s winner. The sides were evenly matched here. Both teams had good spells but this game wasn’t decided one particular zone, or because either side did much better than their opponents – aside from finishing.


See Messi preparing for the Clásico: FC Barcelona v Real Madrid | FC Barcelona

Moments before a game are always special, but in the case of the Clásico, even more so. In this video you can follow Leo Messi's pre-game moments. From his arrival at the stadium amidst great expectation to the moment when the players emerge for their pre-game warm up. It is the best way to find out how the Argentine get himself ready for a game of such importance.


Suárez joins Clásico elite | FC Barcelona

Luis Suarez made his official debut for FC Barcelona on October 25 2014 against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu and six months later he scored the winner in Barça’s 2-1 win at the Camp Nou to join a select group of players -Maradona, Lineker, Romário, Kodro, Ronaldo and Neymar -who’ve scored in a Clásico in their debut season at the Club.


Seven clubs chase Barca’s Dani Alves | Football Espana

The 31-year-old’s contract at the Camp Nou expires in June and the Catalans are yet to make him the offer of a new one. However, Liverpool and Manchester United are believed to be among those interested in the Brazil international, along with Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, while Barcelona have still not ruled out the possibility he could stay at the club and may offer him reduced terms.


Barça’s 26 cup victories | FC Barcelona

The club has a wonderful record in the Spanish Cup and there are some great memories to look back on


Spanish clubs to meet on TV rights strike action | Eurosport

Many clubs in La Liga, including the likes of champions Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Valencia and Sevilla, are hopeful a collective deal would enable them to demand more cash from broadcasters which would then be shared out more equitably to create a more level playing field.


Real Madrid suspend member for attack on players - Goal.com

Real Madrid provisionally suspended a member and banned him from its facilities after players were insulted and one of their cars was attacked Sunday. Gareth Bale's car was punched and kicked by angry fans as he left the Valdebebas training ground, having returned from Barcelona following Real's 2-1 Clasico loss.


Cristiano Ronaldo faces probe over goal celebration | Football News | Sky Sports

The Portugal captain, regularly the subject of abuse himself, has gained a reputation for winding up opposing fans and was widely criticised when he tore off his shirt to celebrate his successful penalty in last season's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid.


Real Madrid's James Rodriguez steps up recovery from foot injury | Sky Sports

James Rodriguez has returned to training with Real Madrid after recovering from a broken foot. The Colombian has been out of action since the start of February, when he broke his metatarsal against Sevilla.


Real Madrid total-team Clasico goal proof of their imminent return to top form, writes Graham Hunter - ESPN FC

Of course, it's what Madrid did when Ronaldo scored to equalise, and I'm left feeling that the rush to extrapolate such questions like, "Who will win the league?," "Will Ancelotti be sacked?," "Is this Iker Casillas and Xavi's last Clasico?" has likely meant that across the world's media, an utter gem of a goal has been under-appreciated.







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الثلاثاء، 24 مارس 2015

Lionel Messi Injured During Argentina Practice


Scary and worrying news coming out of Washington, D.C., where the Argentina national team is getting ready for friendlies. According to Argentine media, Lionel Messi has sustained an injury that caused him to leave the practice facility and rush to a hospital for additional testing.


Messi has had an injury-free season so far at Barcelona, and he was in top form for the last few weeks. He wasn't complaining about any contusions at Barça, sources say. So if he's indeed injured, it's not something that's been lingering for some time. It's recent and it happened today with the national team.


Damned international break. Let's hope it's nothing major. We'll continue to update this story as more information become available.


UPDATE: AFA, the Argentine Football Association, has provided an update via Twitter on Messi's status.




According to AFA, Messi was tested for a foot contusion he could have suffered against Real Madrid last Sunday, but those tests showed no signs of severe injury. Leo will continue to be treated and doing light work not to force the issue until he's fully recovered.






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الأحد، 22 مارس 2015

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from tonight's Clasico


Some quick thoughts on tonight's 2-1 La Liga win over Real Madrid at the Camp Nou


The Good



  • Mathieu owned his airspace.

  • Piqué owned the rest.

  • Suárez's touch for the goal - not to mention his constant danger up front.

  • Xavi's contribution to the stability of the last ten minutes.

  • Three points in a critical match.


The Bad



  • Neymar's wastefulness in possession.

  • Neymar's wastefulness in attack.

  • Neymar.

  • Being dominated in midfield... by Real Madrid... at the Camp Nou.

  • Enrique lost in the headlights of yet another Clasico...or just a general inability to spot problems when they arise in midfield.

  • The total lack of a leader from midfield up until Messi appeared in the second half.

  • The complete absence of any organisation, pattern, tactics, or game-plan.

  • Needing Madrid to tire before getting back into the match.


The Ugly



  • The referees' double standard for what constitutes a foul.








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5 Observations from El Clasico


Barça played Real Madrid in the Camp Nou to fight for the top spot in the League. Barça ended up winning 2-1, after a brilliant goal from Luis Suárez. Here are some observations.


Barça NEED to be more clinical.


Neymar missed a couple of absolutely vital chances, and one minute later, Real Madrid was on the board. After a bit of brilliant play from Luis Suárez, who low crossed the ball in the penalty area, Neymar was left with a gaping net, the goal at his mercy. Much to the shock of all the fans, and the relief of the Real Madrid fans, he simply hit ball upwards towards Casillas, gifting him the ball. Aside from this, Neymar was largely selfish and wasteful on the night. He had one good chance after Messi put the ball on a plate for him to strike, only to hit the side netting. And then there was the chance he had to pass to Suárez who would have been in on goal, which took by himself, missing the target completely. Lucho would do well to talk to Neymar about this.


Sergio Busquets is absolutely vital for Barça.


Without Busquets in the first half, Barça suffered in possession. Our passes were aimless, and without good circulation. Sergio is an absolutely vital part of Barça’s midfield, and while taking him out against smaller sides would work, it is almost suicidal in big matches like El Clasico. Immediately as Busquets entered the pitch, Messi started seeing the ball more, Barça's midfield looked more fluid, and our passes started to have direction, all of which was lacking without Busquets. So to all those who claim to know about football, and then proceed to say that Busquets is a terrible player, stop talking, because you have absolutely no idea what you’re saying. There is a reason as to why all of his coaches absolutely adore him and he is an undisputed starter for Spain, and Barcelona.


Barça weren’t at their best, but still won.


Compared to previous games, Barça were not at their best. This may have to do with the midweek clash with Manchester City in the Champions League. While Real Madrid was resting all week, Barça were securing their place in the last eight of the UCL. Our UCL hangover almost proved costly, as we started the game slowly, and allowed Real a foothold in the match. As the game progressed Barça started getting better in possession, and the Introduction of Busquets was vital. Near the end Barça became more dominant and created plenty of chances, ones the team should have buried.


Add this game to our win section, which is growing larger day by day, allowing us to build good momentum for rest of the season. The team has tough matches coming up in the shape of Valencia, Sevilla, and Atletico Madrid. We can win if we do our best. If we can face against Real Madrid on a bad day and win, God help our opponents when we have a good day.


Pique is channeling his inner Puyol


Pique has been the best defender in the world this season bar none. He’s been there again and again, defending superbly and bailing teammates out of trouble. As one could guess, he was immense today, getting in the way of everything the opponent had to throw at him. His position was perfect, his passing was crisp and to the point, and his tackles were striking to behold. He gave away no space, no penalties, and few chances. Pique is having the season of his life, not only in his defensive contributions, but also in his goal scoring. He has six goals this season, which is his best ever goal scoring season in his career. Once again, good job Gerard, Puyol would be proud.


Barça lead La Liga by 4 points


More good news for Barça fans as we've now tore open a four point gap between second placed Real Madrid. The title is in our hands, and we must win every game to keep it. If we do this La Liga is ours, and already being in the cup final would mean a domestic double is on the cards. If Barça can round off the season with world class Champions League performances, then we just might be on our way to a fabled treble. As of now, we are in a good position, but we must not get overconfident...








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