السبت، 31 ديسمبر 2016

Off-the-radar: 19th June, 2010.

At the Estadio Cartagonova, something happened that is somehow all too familiar and accepted in Spanish football...

This is the continuation of a previous piece about Real Betis. You can read it here.

Somewhere, at the end of the table, there were going to be tears.

Girona were losing to Murcia 0-1 at home, and Las Palmas were leading 1-0 against Gimnàstic de Tarragona courtesy of a Salomón Rondón goal. Girona, who had been in 13th place before the final day, were now in 19th and in deep trouble, and Las Palmas were about to silently escape relegation.

1200 miles away, Girona were down and Murcia were safe. And then the worst possible thing happened.

In the last minute Murcia’s Miguel Albiol (yes, Raúl’s brother) conceded a penalty.

Up stepped Kiko Ratón for the last kick of the game. If he scored, Girona were safe, and Murcia were down. Otherwise, Girona were down.

A striker who had made his professional debut with Tenerife at the age of 26, who had had his best season ever with Girona at the age of 34, stepped up to take the final kick of the season. In a way, his career hinged on this kick. He couldn’t spent more time in the Segunda B - he had spent too long in that league, and he knew he was too good for it. A competitive Segunda meant that even 51 points, Girona’s total, wasn’t good enough for survival. Girona needed this goal. He needed this goal.

31-year-old Alberto Cifuentes stood between him and the goal. The goal of survival.

It was a beautiful kick - bottom right corner, perfectly placed, a striker’s finish. But it was an even better save, the goalkeeper had guessed the right way and dived low to his left.

When you’re a goalkeeper, you know when the angle at which a save is made is right or not. You know if the save will be successful or not.

Alberto knew. And it wasn’t good news.

The ball rolled under his body slowly, but by the time Alberto looked behind him the ball had reached the goal.

The Estadi Montilivi erupted into a dizzying array of red and white, as black shirts fell to the floor. Alberto, wearing a dark blue kit, stared into empty space in disbelief. He was staring at a future that looked bleak.

He only returned to the Segunda after six years.


There was nothing left to play for. Elche were safe and Real Sociedad were champions, and were given a guard of honor at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.

He clapped, but as soon as the last Sociedad player had gone through the ritual he was ready to pounce.

In the 38th minute, a cross came in from the left. He took it down on his chest, swerved a full 180 degrees and placed the ball cleanly in the bottom right hand corner of the goal. In the 47th minute, on the counter attack, he received a pass and hit it first time, this time in the bottom left hand corner. In the 61st minute, he shot with his left foot and then, with his right, powered the parried shot into the empty net. And in the 88th minute, he took down another cross on his chest and placed the ball in the bottom right hand corner.

Four goals. Boring ones, but the ones a poacher makes. Jorge Molina, 28, was playing only his second professional season and had won the Pichichi Trophy, having scoring 26 goals.

In the grand scheme of things, the match didn’t mean much.

But for Jorge Molina, it meant a €1.6 million move to Real Betis, a La Liga debut in 2011 at the age of 29, playing in Europe in 2013, and a place in Betis folklore.


There was everything to play for. Albacete absolutely needed a win and they were up away against newly promoted Cartagena, a team that was on the verge of challenging for a second promotion in two years but were since brought back to earth and had nothing to play for.

At the Estadio Cartagonova, something happened that is somehow all too familiar and accepted in Spanish football.

It wasn’t even a contest.

They weren’t even trying. They got tackled too easily, their marking was too lax, they held onto the ball for too long, they didn’t even look like they cared. Even when they had conceded four.

On a sunny day at Cartagena, Fernando Sales, Antonio Hidalgo, Stuani and Antonio López took full advantage of a Cartagena team that looked nothing like the team that was challenging for a historic promotion to La Liga.

For the first goal the keeper parried the ball into the net. For the second he overcommitted to such a degree that a shot in any direction would have gone in. For the third goal the goalkeeper literally took the ball into the net, for the fourth they gave away the ball from a corner, then one of them just ran away from the player he was marking and let him score, and the keeper let himself get chipped.

4-0. And that was the half-time score.

Very conveniently, there was very little play afterwards, as both teams accepted that the result suited everyone. And so the full time score read the same.

32-year-old Juan Carlos Castilla was Cartagena’s keeper - it was only his second ever professional match.

It was also his last.

This is reproduced from an article about the final day of the 2009-10 Segunda season. You can read it here.



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FC Barcelona News: 31 December 2016; Players Back in Training, Jasper Cillessen Out Two Weeks

First training session following Christmas break | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona got back to work at the Ciutat Esportiva following the Christmas holidays. The first team took part in the penultimate training session of the year in which Barça started preparing for the first game of 2017 on the 5 January against Athletic Club at San Mamés. The fixture corresponds to the first leg of the Copa del Rey round of 16 and marks the start of a testing run of fixtures in the new year.

Andres Iniesta hopes Barcelona contract talks end quickly | ESPN
Andres Iniesta has confirmed he's begun talks with Barcelona over a new contract, adding that he hopes the situation is resolved as soon as possible. Iniesta is one of five figures -- along with Luis Enrique, Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic and Marc-Andre ter Stegen -- who the Catalan club hope to tie down to new terms in the new year.

Jasper Cillessen injures soleus muscle in left leg | FC Barcelona
The first team player Jasper Cillessen has an injury in his soleus muscle in his left leg and the doctors have said he will be out of action for around about two weeks.

Turan dismisses China speculation | Football Espana
Media reports suggested the Turkish midfielder was the subject of interest from Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande but the 29-year-old believes this is just paper talk and he does not want to leave the Catalans.

Barca, City target Weigl | FC Barcelona
The 21-year-old has drawn comparisons to Barca’s Sergio Busquets in his deep-lying midfield role for Dortmund and AS report that both clubs have scouted the German for a while and both will attempt to work on a deal that could sign him next summer.



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الجمعة، 30 ديسمبر 2016

Transfer Rumor: Barcelona In For Dayot Upamecano

The Red Bull Salzburg defender continues to be monitored by Barcelona

The papers continue to report a link between FC Barcelona and youngster Dayot Upamecano. Robert Fernández is hoping the Red Bull Salzburg man is the “new” Samuel Umtiti, meaning a young French defender who adapts to the Barcelona way quickly, that is according to a new report by Edu Polo and Fernando Polo for Mundo Deportivo.

Upamecano’s adaptability could be bolstered by the fact that his manager currently is former Barcelona youth coach Òscar Garcia. However, Red Bull Salzburg are not in any sort of dire financial need and are willing to ask for a high price, even more so if their sister club, Red Bull Leipzig qualify for the Champions League.

But his contract is up in 2018, so the timing could be right for Barcelona to make a move... that is, unless Juventus, rumored to also be interested, pounce first.



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Andrés Iniesta Wants Luis Enrique to Remain as FC Barcelona Manager

The captain gave a vote of confidence to his coach

Will Luis Enrique remain as FC Barcelona manager? At the moment no one knows, with the coach himself coy over his future. But there’s at least one player hoping Lucho continues, and it’s a heavyweight in the locker room: Andrés Iniesta.

"He seems well, motivated as always," the captain said about the manager. "I would be delighted if he continued because we are doing very well during his tenure." Iniesta hopes Lucho will "have the strength to continue" although "everyone has their own personal situation and is in charge of their own destiny. It's something only he can decide, but I hope he continues.”

The latest rumor is that FC Barcelona are lining up Ernesto Valverde as a potential replacement if Luis Enrique decides against staying as coach.



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FC Barcelona News: 30 December 2016; Looking at Every Barcelona 2016 Goal, Youth Team Wins La Liga Promises

Video: Every FC Barcelona goal of 2016 | FC Barcelona
Another year over and a new one just begun … And 2016 has been one mighty year for FC Barcelona, with no few than three new trophies added to its rapidly expanding collection. The goals have flowed all year for Luis Enrique and his team. A humungous 174 in 59 games makes for an impressive average of 2.94 goals a match.

2016: A year of irreparable losses | FC Barcelona
2016 was a year that will be remembered for the losses of two of the most highly esteemed gentlemen in the history of FC Barcelona. Former player and manager Johan Cruyff (1947-2016) passed away this year, as did the legendary stadium announcer Manel Vich (1938-2016), whose voice had become synonymous with the experience of watching the team play at the Camp Nou.

LaLiga Promises Final: FC Barcelona 6-1 Atlético Madrid | FC Barcelona
The Barça U14B team have beaten Atlético Madrid 6-1 in the final to win the LaLiga Promises trophy in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. Goals from Xavi Planas (2), Pol Muñoz and Toni Caravana, plus own goals from Jorge and Joao brought a brilliant win for Sergi Milà and his team to retain the title won a year ago in Miami.

Top ten Masia goals of 2016 | FC Barcelona
Over the last twelve months we have been providing you with our weekly top ten of the best goals from the youth, reserve and women’s football teams at the club – and now we have picked the pick of the picks – the top ten academy goals of 2016. And here they all are in this exclusive video!

FC Barcelona end of year quiz 2016 | FC Barcelona
ut your Barça knowledge to the test with our 12 questions, one for each month of the calendar year.

FC Barcelona's top Facebook videos of the year | FC Barcelona
A look at the most watched movies of 2016 on the club's account on the popular social media site.



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Arda Turan will refuse millions to remain a Blaugrana

The attacking midfielder is happy with his current role

The Chinese have been shelling out an obscene amount of money on superstars and one Blaugrana who continues to remain on their radar is Barça number 7, Arda Turan.

Last week's print of Turkish newspaper Fanatik reported Guangzhou Evergrande’s interest in Arda, mentioning a potential salary of a whooping €18 million, which is a huge upgrade on his current paycheck.

Despite the club having already warded off interest from China last summer, the Chinese Super League has refused to give up on the former Atletico star and have returned with a new offer. However, Turan assured his commitment to the Blaugrana in his latest interview.

Turan has had his struggles at the Camp Nou, but the Turkish international has finally settled into the squad this season under the management of Luis Enrique, who has stood by the player ever since he first arrived for a fee of €34 million an year and half ago. The player has repaid the coach's faith in his abilities, by giving inspired performances through out the course of the season.

While the player and his entourage have been very straight-forward with their position on the issue, the club would be making a profit on the player, should they choose to entertain the offer.

While the club's actions in the past suggest a reluctance to sell, it is nice to see that Arda Turan is willing to turn down millions in the name of glory.



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Valverde to succeed Enrique?

The Basque has emerged as a target should Luis Enrique not renew.

Luis Enrique's refusal to commit his future to Barça has forced the club to look at options that are available on the market, and the man leading the race to replace the Asturian at the moment, is Ernesto Valverde.

The Basque coach has emerged as a surprise target in the last few days, should Luis Enrique let his contract run out.

Valverde has prior experience at the Camp Nou, having worn the Blaugrana for a short while, before moving to Athletic Club in 1990.

While the board is willing to let Enrique continue should he renew last minute, the clock is slowly ticking away as he enters into his last 6 months under contract which has forced the board to evaluate alternatives for security.

The 52-year-old Basque has had a decent win record, having lead his team to victory 87 out of 189 fixtures since he first took over in 2013, including the Supercopa de Espana final against Barcelona.

Valverde is on the same boat as Luis Enrique, as he enters the final six months of his contract, which should make him an easy acquisition in the scenario that Luis Enrique walks away.

While there is still time, and the situation could drastically change in the upcoming months, it looks like the board is prepared to cut it's ties with Lucho, should the need arise.



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الخميس، 29 ديسمبر 2016

FC Barcelona News: 29 December 2016; Players Return to Training on Friday, Luis Suarez Recognized by IFFHS

The first team returns to training on Friday | FC Barcelona
The FC Barcelona first team returns to training on Friday after enjoying several days off over the Christmas period. The session will take place at 6.00pm CET at Ciutat Esportiva, while an open door training day will be held on 3 January.

Luis Suárez, world's top scorer for 2016 | FC Barcelona
Luis Suárez has been named the best goalscorer in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The Uruguayan star demonstrated his lethal prowess in front of goal, topping the league scoring charts with 40 goals, finishing ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (38), Gonzalo Higuain (36) and Cristiano Ronaldo (35).

Andrés Iniesta: The Masia made me the person and player that I am today | FC Barcelona
A model footballer who was developed at La Masia, a paradigm of professionalism and humility who carries Barça’s DNA in his blood, Andrés Iniesta is at the peak of his career. Having recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of his debut for the Club, the Fuentealbilla (Albacete) native has blossomed into one of Barça’s household names.

Barcelona's Denis Suarez: I can be Andres Iniesta's midfielder partner | ESPN
Denis Suarez has told Mundo Deportivo he is targeting more playing time at Barcelona in the second half of the season and can play in the same midfield as Andres Iniesta. Suarez rejoined Barca from Villarreal in the summer and has made 20 appearances in all competitions but started just seven league games and played only once in the Champions League.

Xavi wants Luis Enrique, Messi and Iniesta to stay at Barcelona | Goal
Former Barcelona captain Xavi is eager for Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and head coach Luis Enrique to remain at the club beyond this season. The future of Argentina star Messi remains the subject of debate as there has yet to be a breakthrough in discussions over a new contract at Camp Nou.

Rafinha: Messi better than Ronaldo | Goal
Lionel Messi may have finished second to Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or, but Barcelona team-mate Rafinha has no doubt the Argentine is the world's best. Real Madrid star Ronaldo won the prestigious award ahead of Messi and Atletico's Antoine Griezmann.

Barcelona did not give me an opportunity - Boro's Adama Traore | ESPN
Middlesbrough forward Adama Traore has told Mundo Deportivo he believes he was not given a chance to prove himself at Barcelona. Traore, 20, joined Barca's youth academy at the age of eight and was tipped by many to have a big future at the club.

FC Barcelona's tweets of the year | FC Barcelona
A look at the Twitter posts that got the most reach over the last 12 months.

FC Barcelona top photos of the year on Instagram | FC Barcelona
The most liked photos on Instagram during 2016 from FC Barcelona's official account.

16 moments which defined 2016 | FC Barcelona
Relive the best moments of an unforgettable year with titles, memories and mosaics that will not be forgotten.



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FC Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk closing in on deal for Darijo Srna - Report

New full-back!

FC Barcelona are very close to signing a new full-back.

The Catalan giants have had very good progress in their negotiations with Ukranian powerhouse Shakhtar Donetsk over the last week and are very close to agreeing a deal for the transfer of full-back Darijo Srna, sources told Barça Blaugranes. The two clubs had major differences in transfer fee, but the deal will be done for €4 million, sources say.

Srna has six months left in his contract and could sign with any club for free in the summer, but he wants to play for Barça in the Champions League and expressed that desire since the beginning of this season. There were some internal discussions among the Barça board about signing Srna last summer, but Luis Enrique asked for six months to see if the Sergi Roberto - Aleix Vidal combination would work. It hasn't, and Vidal especially continues to disappoint the coaching staff, and they want a full-back with talent, experience and leadership to help the team for the next 18 months, which is the duration of Srna's contract.

Everything is done between Barça and Srna, and the only problem was bringing down Shakhtar's initial asking price, of €10 million. Since the player only has six months left on his deal, there was no reason why any club would pay that much, so Barça spent almost the entire month of December negotiating a decrease in the price tag, sources say.

Finally, the clubs agreed on a €4 million fee plus performances bonuses that could make the final price reach €6.5 million, if Srna wins the Champions League and plays 50% of the games during his 18-month contract with the Blaugrana.

If everything goes according to plan, Barça hope to announce Srna's signing in the first day of the January transfer window, which would make him available for the first La Liga game in 2017.



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الأربعاء، 28 ديسمبر 2016

Xavi Makes Appearance; Catalonia Lose Friendly Against Tunisia on Penalties

Sergi Roberto and Jordi Masip also played in the 3-3 draw

The Catalan national team drew 3-3 with Tunisia before succumbing on penalties, in a friendly in which former FC Barcelona star Xavi made an appearance along with current players Jordi Masip and Sergi Roberto.

Xavi played for 64 minutes before being replaced by Oriol Riera, while Masip and Roberto started the match but only played one half.

Tunisia were up 2-0 within 30 minutes thanks to a brace from Youssef Msakni. Xavi assisted Gerard Moreno before the beak to pull one back before the halftime break, though in the 66th, Msakni completed his hat trick and made it 3-1 to Tunisia. But Catalonia got the draw thanks to goals from former Espanyol players Sergio Garcia and Joan Verdu.

Verdu and Victor Alvarez missed from the spot as Tunisia won the ensuing penalty shootout.



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FC Barcelona News: 28 December 2016; David Villa Talks Lionel Messi

Barça players enjoy their Christmas! | FC Barcelona
The first team players, with their friends and family, publish videos and photos of their holidays during the Christmas period.

Villa: Messi 'will sign a new contract' - Goal.com
David Villa is confident Lionel Messi will sign a new contract with Barcelona as he cannot imagine the Spanish champions without the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Messi is out of contract in 2018 and the 29-year-old is yet to agree a contract renewal as speculation mounts over his future.

How FC Barcelona’s front three warm up | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s trident do not only exhibit their skills on the field during a game but also in the warmup. Suárez, Messi and Neymar Jr have a perfect understanding, which is evident from the pre-match exercises. Fine passes, exquisite control and spectacular shots can be witnessed ahead of a match. A display of their individual and collective quality. Take a look at how the front three gear up for a game at the Camp Nou.

Unforgettable moments of 2016, the year of the double | FC Barcelona
The Liga was won against Granada in the last game of the season. The Copa was won in thrilling fashion in extra time against Sevilla. This is the second time Luis Enrique has celebrated this double and he added the Spanish Supercup this summer. This means he has won eight out of the ten titles they could have won and the Asturian coach and his team will look to add to that in 2017.

FC Barcelona’s most magical moments of 2016 | FC Barcelona
The stars of FC Barcelona hand out gifts to the supporters throughout the year. In 2016, they have given us unforgettable moments, magical moments that will live long in the memory of every Barça supporter. Moments that given feelings of pride and passion within the hearts of each fan and member.

The origins of FC Barcelona’s colours | FC Barcelona
For many years, there has been much speculation over the origin of FC Barcelona’s colours. It is known that at the foundational meeting that the name of the new club had been decided but not the colours of the jersey. At the second meeting between members, on 13 December 1899, was where the blaugrana (blue and red) was chosen which, for around ten years, was accompanied by white shorts.



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La Liga News: 28 December 2016; Sevilla Eying Anthony Martial, Manchester City Duo Move to Spain

Pepe set for China move | Football Espana
The 33-year-old’s contract at Madrid expires in June 2017 and talks over a new deal have stalled with the player’s representatives reportedly favouring a two-year deal with the club reluctant to sanction anything other than a renewed one-year contract with the option for a further year based on performances.

Martin Odegaard set to leave Real Madrid on loan - Goal.com
Real Madrid's teenage midfielder Martin Odegaard is set to seal a loan deal to Eredivisie side Heerenveen, according to Marca. The Norway international recently turned 18, but is not seen as a main squad player by Zinedine Zidane at Santiago Bernabeu.

Diego Simeone will be at Atletico Madrid next season - CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin - ESPN FC
Diego Simeone will remain as Atletico Madrid coach next season and see out the remainder of his contract, according to club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin. Simeone, who has been in charge of Atletico since December 2011, is tied to the Madrid outfit until June 2018.

Anthony Martial weighing up potential move to Sevilla, admits agent - Goal.com
Anthony Martial is weighing up a potential move to Sevilla due to a lack of first-team opportunities with Manchester United, his agent has admitted. The 21-year-old has found Premier League starts difficult to come by under Jose Mourinho, scoring just one goal in 11 appearances in the English top flight this season.

Valencia plan Mikel move | Football Espana
Valencia are confident of landing Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel in the January transfer window but face opposition from others, according to reports in Spain. Los Che have prioritised strengthening several positions this summer after discussions between boss Cesare Prandelli and owner Peter Lim, with the signing of a holding midfielder reported to be among the top priorities.

Malaga and manager Juande Ramos part ways by mutual consent - ESPN FC
Malaga have ended speculation over the future of manager Juande Ramos by announcing he has left the club by mutual consent. Club president Sheikh Abdullah Ben Nasser Al Thani appeared to suggest in a Tweet last Thursday that Ramos had stepped down, saying he "respected" the 62-year-old's decision and wishing him the best.

Manchester City's Pablo Maffeo and Angelino join Girona on loan | Sky Sports
Right-back Maffeo and fellow defender Angelino, 19, will spend the rest of the season on loan at the Segunda Division club. Maffeo made 13 appearances for them earlier this year. Maffeo, 19, has since made his debut for City's first team under Pep Guardiola, starting twice in the Champions League and once in the EFL Cup, whilst Angelino has played twice.



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الثلاثاء، 27 ديسمبر 2016

A Fan's Perspective: What's on Lucho's mind?

الاثنين، 26 ديسمبر 2016

Barcelona substitutes have a tremendous game against Hércules

The terrific game from the subs is a welcome sign of things to come.

Despite the somewhat perceived unnecessary nature of this return fixture (in the sense it should have been dealt with, perhaps, in the away game), the Barcelona second-teamers managed to adroitly secure our moving on to the next round. Yes, granted, a couple of the starters played in this match instead of getting a break, but the grand majority of the gala eleven got a well-deserved rest. It is an extremely comforting site to see the substitutes finally gelling and playing like a top-notch unit. This with the small caveat of Hércules not really being the most competitive unit. It will be interesting to see how these players perform when faced with more capable opposition.

A very pleasant thing we were all waiting for was the long-awaited first goal in a Barcelona jersey of Paco Alcácer. Hopefully this is the spark that starts the fire. The relief on his face when that ball went in was palpable. For a minute, his lack of celebration coupled with my thinking he was off-sides made me believe he had his goal disallowed. Now we can hope his less than stellar performances of late were some sort of mental block from his pressure to produce as a blaugrana, which should me ameliorated now that he scored his first goal.

Irish Goat’s Gamboling Goleadores!

1st Goleador: Arda Turan

Three goals in a single game will get you on the top spot of any list real fast. It seems that whenever Arda starts a match against a weaker team, instead of coming on from the bench, he scores three goals. Scoring a hat-trick in any game, against any opposition, is not easy in today’s day and age. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell which Arda will show up. The last time he scored a hat-trick earned him a spot in the gala eleven for a match, over a Neymar that has also struggled of late, but little came off that in his performance.

2nd Goleador: Denis Suárez

Correct me if I am wrong, please, but I believe this was the best match Denis has played in a barça jersey to date. He was fast, strong on the ball, and deadly. The opposing players must have felt dread every time he touched the ball, as he was handling pressure impeccably and creating danger every time he had the ball. In a match where Hércules were basically defending with two lines of five defenders, it was ostensibly hard to find any room to do anything. Denis didn’t seem to think this was much of a problem, as he was dribbling everywhere.

3rd Goleador: Rafinha

Rafinha has been one of the most solid substitutes of our team for a while now, and it is honestly getting hard to see why he is not getting more minutes. Along with Denis, the mid-fielding duo were extremely incisive. Rafinha also associated incredibly well with Aleix Vidal, who also had a terrific game.

As always Visca Barça!



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The Goleadores: Barcelona vs Hércules, Copa del Rey, 2016-2017.

The terrific game from the subs is a welcome sign of things to come.

Despite the somewhat perceived unnecessary nature of this return fixture (in the sense it should have been dealt with, perhaps, in the away game), the Barcelona second-teamers managed to adroitly secure our moving on to the next round. Yes, granted, a couple of the starters played in this match instead of getting a break, but the grand majority of the gala eleven got a well-deserved rest. It is an extremely comforting site to see the substitutes finally gelling and playing like a top-notch unit. This with the small caveat of Hércules not really being the most competitive unit. It will be interesting to see how these players perform when faced with more capable opposition.

A very pleasant thing we were all waiting for was the long-awaited first goal in a Barcelona jersey of Paco Alcácer. Hopefully this is the spark that starts the fire. The relief on his face when that ball went in was palpable. For a minute, his lack of celebration coupled with my thinking he was off-sides made me believe he had his goal disallowed. Now we can hope his less than stellar performances of late were some sort of mental block from his pressure to produce as a blaugrana, which should me ameliorated now that he scored his first goal.

Irish Goat’s Gamboling Goleadores!

1st Goleador: Arda Turan

Three goals in a single game will get you on the top spot of any list real fast. It seems that whenever Arda starts a match against a weaker team, instead of coming on from the bench, he scores three goals. Scoring a hat-trick in any game, against any opposition, is not easy in today’s day and age. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell which Arda will show up. The last time he scored a hat-trick earned him a spot in the gala eleven for a match, over a Neymar that has also struggled of late, but little came off that in his performance.

2nd Goleador: Denis Suárez

Correct me if I am wrong, please, but I believe this was the best match Denis has played in a barça jersey to date. He was fast, strong on the ball, and deadly. The opposing players must have felt dread every time he touched the ball, as he was handling pressure impeccably and creating danger every time he had the ball. In a match where Hércules were basically defending with two lines of five defenders, it was ostensibly hard to find any room to do anything. Denis didn’t seem to think this was much of a problem, as he was dribbling everywhere.

3rd Goleador: Rafinha

Rafinha has been one of the most solid substitutes of our team for a while now, and it is honestly getting hard to see why he is not getting more minutes. Along with Denis, the mid-fielding duo were extremely incisive. Rafinha also associated incredibly well with Aleix Vidal, who also had a terrific game.

As always Visca Barça!



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FC Barcelona News: 26 December 2016; Barcelona Release Lionel Messi Youth Skills Video

Leo Messi’s top skills in the FC Barcelona youth academy | FC Barcelona
As a Christmas present, we are offering a compilation of some of the finest moments of skill produced by Leo Messi when he was a youngster coming up through the FC Barcelona academy. The Argentine has just ended another year in which he has racked up some impressive numbers, with 59 goals and 32 assists, and reaching 500 strikes for the club including friendlies.

Andrés Iniesta's precision in training | FC Barcelona
The quality of Andrés Iniesta is undoubted. For many years, the central midfielder has been leaving fans speechless with his incredible skill and ability. On the training field, he is no different. A common training exercises is one that focuses on the improvement of the player’s precision by first passing the ball off a net before attempting to score into a miniature goal post.

The most heart-warming moments of 2016 | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have been responsible for making many dreams come true over the course of 2016 as a result of their openness and kindness. One of those was young Afghan boy Murtaza Ahmadi who, after a picture of him wearing a plastic bag made to look like a Leo Messi jersey went viral, was invited to meet his idol up close in the friendly against Al-Ahli.

Barcelona great Ronaldinho sets Anfield alarm bells ringing with Philippe Coutinho interest | The Independent
Former Barcelona great Ronaldinho has set alarm bells ringing at Liverpool after revealing that the Spanish league champions are keeping a close eye on star midfielder Philippe Coutinho, although he stopped short of claiming that a bid is in the pipeline for his fellow Brazilian.



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الأحد، 25 ديسمبر 2016

FC Barcelona News: 25 December 2016; Luis Enrique Gives Interview, Samuel Umtiti, Sergi Roberto Named in Breakthrough Team

FC Barcelona’s 2016, by the numbers | FC Barcelona
The year is about to come to an end and, as always, it is time to review the highlights of the last 12 months. The players go into the holiday season having just qualified for the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, three points behind leaders in La Liga and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Here is a look back at the most important stats and facts from this year:

Exclusive interview with Luis Enrique | FC Barcelona
The coach admits “Barça fans are used to winning” and is optimistic for what remains of the season. “I think we are capable of turning things around,” he says, with regards to the team’s current situation in the league. Furthermore, the boss believes in the team: “We are the ones who play the best football, know what we want and over the season, that should give us our reward.”

Top ten quotes from Luis Enrique's Barça TV interview | FC Barcelona
“We have a nice Liga challenge ahead of us. We’re six points behind Real Madrid, so let’s see if we can sort the situation out. This is a team that thrives on big challenges. Although we have won lots of trophies in recent times, they’re never easy. But we have to win titles because we play the best football and have the clearest ideas about the way we should play. Over the course of a season, that produces returns”.

Luis Enrique coy over new contract: Barcelona job 'costs me a lot' | ESPN
Luis Enrique, 46, has found great success at Camp Nou, winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey double in both his seasons in charge -- as well as the 2015 Champions League and Club World Cup. But, with his contract coming to an end this summer, pressure is mounting for him to pen an extension.

Umtiti and Sergi Roberto, in the UEFA Champions League breakthrough team of the year | FC Barcelona
2016 is coming to an end and UEFA have made public their breakthrough team from the group phases in the Champions League. The starting eleven has been selected based on who has made the best impression following the opening stage of Europe's premier competition. Barça's Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto are two of the players who have been chosen by the European organisation having positively surprised the selectors with their excellent displays this campaign.

The test on Sergio Busquets' 400 matches | FC Barcelona
Sergio Busquets reached 400 matches for FC Barcelona in the game against Málaga at the Camp Nou in November. In order to test the midfielder’s knowledge on his time at the club, he was put to the test with a series of questions.

Lionel Messi on another level to Cristiano Ronaldo - Pep Guardiola | ESPN
Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has insisted that there is no debate when it comes to deciding who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Ronaldo pipped Messi to the 2015 Ballon d'Or award after a stellar year which included winning the Champions League and Euro 2016, but Guardiola claims that the Portuguese still has some way to go to match Messi.



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Why Aleix Vidal is still at Barcelona

A look at why the fringe player hasn't left.

Aleix Vidal has been a disappointment.

Whether the club likes to admit it or not, their inability to find a suitable replacement for Dani Alves has caused the squad a major setback all season.

The club made a bold move while signing Aleix Vidal from Sevilla last season for the role of right-back, despite his inexperience at playing the position. The Spaniard had the explosiveness in the final third, but his defence was suspect and few would have expected him to make the jump to playing at a world-class level in a demanding role; the board disagreed.

After the Brazilian departed for Turin, Aleix Vidal was expected to take up the vacant spot with Sergi Roberto providing him cover. However, as things would have it, Aleix Vidal has failed to improve his defensive game and has since found minutes hard to come by.

After being excluded from match-day squads altogether, the player began looking for a new club back in November. He has managed to gather the interest of several teams including Marsielle, Milan, Inter, and Southampton. However, with transfer target Cancelo insisting for a move in the summer, the Spaniard has begun receiving game time in the Copa and UCL, which should ensure his stay for the time being.

The player would like to move to a big club that can actually execute the option to buy, should he leave on a loan, which has led to him prefering a move at the end of the season than now.

For the time being, one can only hope that he makes it through the season, in the best possible manner, before being shipped away for good.



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السبت، 24 ديسمبر 2016

Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto Named in Champions League Breakthrough Team

The two youngsters are making their name known.

Two Barcelona players are in the UEFA Champions League Breakthrough Team of 2016: centerback Samuel Umtiti and right-back Sergi Roberto.

Roberto has nailed down a spot in the starting XI on the right side, while Umtiti has proven a good alternative to Javier Mascherano in the middle.

The whole team is:

Goalkeeper: Alphonse Aréola (Paris Saint-Germain)

Defender: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)

Defender: Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)

Defender: Victor Lindelöf (Benfica)

Midfielder: Thomas Lemar (Monaco)

Midfielder: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern München)

Midfielder: Renato Sanches (Bayern München)

Midfielder: Raphaël Guerriero (Borussia Dortmund)

Forward: Christian Pulišić (Borussia Dortmund)

Forward: André Silva (Porto)

Forward: Ousmane Dembélé (Borussia Dortmund)

Coach: Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid)



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Transfers: Barcelona Tie Down Valencia RB João Cancelo, Per Report

Multiple sources had said Cancelo was Barcelona’s target, but now Sport says it’s a done deal.

We have been hearing for a while now that Barcelona were in for Valencia’s João Cancelo, and now, according to Sport, it’s a done deal. The 22-year-old will join in the summer and sign for five seasons, if the report is correct.

Barcelona will not make it public until the summer either, but they wanted to move quickly to make sure other teams would not be able to pounce first. The report also says Cancelo has already agreed a contract with Barcelona, the only detail missing is the final transfer fee, which could be around 30 million euro.

Cancelo’s contract was negotiated by superagent Jorge Mendes, who holds a lot of sway at Valencia. Barcelona also have a good relationship with Valencia and their owner, Peter Lim. The Catalans just dropped a lot of money to sign André Gomes and Paco Alcácer from Los Che.



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الجمعة، 23 ديسمبر 2016

Copa del Rey: Barcelona to Face Athletic Club Bilbao

An exciting but tough draw.

FC Barcelona will play Athletic Club Bilbao in the next round of the Copa del Rey. After tossing aside Hércules, Barcelona will face a tough challenge in the round of 16.

What’s left to be seen is the exact date of the match, and whether Luis Enrique will cut short the vacations granted to Neymar, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué.

The match can be held on January 3rd, 4th, or 5th. The four have a break until the 2nd, but it could be cut short to have the players available for the difficult match. Barcelona also have Villarreal on the horizon on the 8th.

Rest of the draw:

Las Palmas v Atlético Madrid, Alcorcón v Córdoba, Real Madrid v Sevilla, Real Sociedad v Villarreal, Deportivo La Coruña v Alavés, Valencia v Celta Vigo, and Osasuna v Eibar



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FC Barcelona News: 23 December 2016; Barca Draw Athletic Bilbao in Copa del Rey

FC Barcelona drawn against Athletic Club in Copa del Rey last sixteen | FC Barcelona
The teams met in the quarter finals last season (Barça progressing 5-2 on aggregate) and also in the Spanish Super Cup (which the Basques won 5-1 on aggregate). The teams have also met in the final three times in the last eight years, the Catalans collecting the trophy on each occasion.

The FC Barcelona Christmas Quiz | FC Barcelona
As a special festive treat, here are no fewer than fifty questions about the club, past and present. Let's see how you get on. Good luck... and no cheating!

Luis Enrique: 'We play the best football and that has to bring returns' | FC Barcelona
New Year is upon us and for Luis Enrique, like anybody else, now is the perfect time to pause and take a look back at the last twelve months and start thinking ahead to what 2017 might have in store. The FC Barcelona manager has done just that in an extensive and exclusive interview with Barça TV and the club media in which he discusses a number of issues regarding his team.

FC Barcelona’s big win over Hércules, by the numbers | FC Barcelona
There was a host of protagonists in FC Barcelona’s 7-0 win over Hércules in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. One of those was Arda Turan, who scored a hat-trick in his second successive start for the team, and became the first to score in all four competitions.

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Credit Card Centre, new Regional FC Barcelona Sponsor in China | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Credit Card Centre (SPDBCCC) have announced on Thursday an agreement that will see the commercial bank become Regional Sponsor of the Club in China for this season and the next. With this new regional agreement, SPDBCCC will become FCB’s official bank in China and the official credit card of the club in the Asian country.



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Tactics: Key Difference Between Luis Enrique’s Barcelona and Pep Guardiola’s Team

There are many, but maybe this is the most important one.

I talked some basics about positions in Barcelona’s system, and with that out of the way, I’d like to talk about how current coach Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola, former coach, differ.

What’s interesting is there is actually a lot of overlap between the two. It’s easy to get lost in the contrasts and miss the larger picture, which is much more balanced.

It’s also easy to assume Guardiola is the “default Barcelona style” which isn’t true. Such an idea actually does him a disservice. If all Pep had to do was resort to autopilot, that’s not much of an accomplishment. It’s worth giving him credit as an innovator.

Now, both coaches tended to use a 4-3-3 system while at Barcelona. People correctly say Pep’s team was a bit more slow in its buildup, while Lucho’s teams are capable of quicker, more vertical play.

But that in part stems with how most plays are created.

Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona tended to build play along these lines: defender -> holding midfielder -> central midfielder.

From there, it could go to the fullback, or to the center-forward, or maybe back to the other central midfielder.

Luis Enrique has streamlined the process. Now it’s more defender -> fullback -> winger.

The winger then is who looks to create via a dribble or pass. Of course this does not always happen, but it’s the template for the team.

Guardiola’s team had Lionel Messi as a “false nine” and he would tend to stay central rather than move wide. The wingers would be in charge of making runs in behind the defense, rather than dribbling or creating themselves.

Now Messi is on the right, and with Neymar on the left, the team has two of the world’s best dribbles on either flank. Luis Suárez, the center-forward, now is the man tasked with those kinds of runs.

Additionally, the central midfielders now tend to stay wider, rather than interchanging positions and making runs along the center.

All of this points to one big truth: Luis Enrique’s team is much more focused on the flanks than Guardiola’s.

Guardiola’s team focused more on the center, and particularly, the midfielders had more influence in building plays.

Now it’s the fullbacks and wingers who have gained influence.

This isn’t in of itself a good or bad thing, just a difference. However this difference has big effects, and whether those are on balance good or bad depends on who you ask.



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الخميس، 22 ديسمبر 2016

Tactics: Key Difference Between Luis Enrique’s Barcelona and Pep Guardiola’s Team

There are many, but maybe this is the most important one.

I talked some basics about positions in Barcelona’s system, and with that out of the way, I’d like to talk about how current coach Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola, former coach, differ.

What’s interesting is there is actually a lot of overlap between the two. It’s easy to get lost in the contrasts and miss the larger picture, which is much more balanced.

It’s also easy to assume Guardiola is the “default Barcelona style” which isn’t true. Such an idea actually does him a disservice. If all Pep had to do was resort to autopilot, that’s not much of an accomplishment. It’s worth giving him credit as an innovator.

Now, both coaches tended to use a 4-3-3 system while at Barcelona. People correctly say Pep’s team was a bit more slow in its buildup, while Lucho’s teams are capable of quicker, more vertical play.

But that in part stems with how most plays are created.

Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona tended to build play along these lines: defender -> holding midfielder -> central midfielder.

From there, it could go to the fullback, or to the center-forward, or maybe back to the other central midfielder.

Luis Enrique has streamlined the process. Now it’s more defender -> fullback -> winger.

The winger then is who looks to create via a dribble or pass. Of course this does not always happen, but it’s the template for the team.

Guardiola’s team had Lionel Messi as a “false nine” and he would tend to stay central rather than move wide. The wingers would be in charge of making runs in behind the defense, rather than dribbling or creating themselves.

Now Messi is on the right, and with Neymar on the left, the team has two of the world’s best dribbles on either flank. Luis Suárez, the center-forward, now is the man tasked with those kinds of runs.

Additionally, the central midfielders now tend to stay wider, rather than interchanging positions and making runs along the center.

All of this points to one big truth: Luis Enrique’s team is much more focused on the flanks than Guardiola’s.

Guardiola’s team focused more on the center, and particularly, the midfielders had more influence in building plays.

Now it’s the fullbacks and wingers who have gained influence.

This isn’t in of itself a good or bad thing, just a difference. However this difference has big effects, and whether those are on balance good or bad depends on who you ask.



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Tactics: Explaining Positions in Barcelona’s System

Tactics: Explaining Positions in Barcelona’s System

FC Barcelona News: 22 December 2016; Barça Destroy Hércules, Aleix Vidal Linked with Premier League Transfer

A wrap-up of the latest Barcelona news and transfer rumors

FC Barcelona v Hércules: Through in style (7-0) - FC Barcelona
Barça sent the fans home happy in the final game of 2016 with goals galore including a long-awaited first official strike for the club from Paco Alcácer and a second hat-trick of the season for Arda Turan.

FC Barcelona’s big win over Hércules, by the numbers - FC Barcelona
Arda Turan scores his second hat-trick of the campaign and becomes the first to score in all four competitions

Luis Enrique: It's a match that gives many players a boost - FC Barcelona
The manager speaks about his delight for the way the team performed against Hércules

Luis Enrique had no doubts over Alcacer | FourFourTwo
Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique was pleased to see Paco Alcacer break his duck in front of goal in the Copa del Rey romp against Hercules and has no doubt the Spain striker can be a success at Camp Nou.

Paco Alcacer explains how he felt after scoring against Hercules | Diario Sport
Paco Alcacer admitted that he will go on holiday back in his hometown of Torrent (Valencia) for Christmas “very happy with how 2016 has ended.”

Premier League side Swansea City interested in Aleix Vidal | Diario Sport
Swansea manager Bob Bradley will be given funds to strengthen his side next month in their battle against the drop in the Premier League and ESPN say Vidal is a target.



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الأربعاء، 21 ديسمبر 2016

Barcelona vs Hércules, 2016 Copa del Rey: Final Score 7-0 as Barça dominate second leg

BIG WIN!

Barcelona are safely through to the Copa del Rey Round of 16 after dominating the Round of 32 second leg against Hércules at Camp Nou, winning 6-0 with goals from Lucas Digne, Ivan Rakitic, Rafinha Alcântara, Arda Turan (3) and Paco Alcácer. The Blaugrana had a team full of reserves, but were very concentrated and easily got a big victory to end 2016 in style and ensure Spanish Cup games next month.

FIRST HALF

Barça were very patient with the ball, facing a Hércules side with all ten men behind the ball and SIX of them inside the box. The Blaugrana had to play a lot of lateral passes and try to find spaces without losing any patience, and as time went on, the hosts began to see some openings inside the visitors' defense, and shots began to be fired.

Near the end of the half, the clearer chances came, and Barça scored. First, a nice cross from Arda Turan found Rafinha, who had his shot blocked by the defender, but the ball fell to Digne's feet, and the Frenchman didn't waste his chance. 1-0.

In the last action of the half, a great counter attack created by Rafinha, who found Arda, who was fouled inside the box. Penalty, Rakitic easily puts it away. Game over.

SECOND HALF

The final period was all about Barça's intent. The victory and the qualification were already wrapped up. Did they want to score any more goals to make the Camp Nou crowd happy? If they did, a blowout was waiting to happen. And it happened.

First, Rafinha, then Arda Turan (three times), then Paco Alcácer, who finally scored his first official goal for Barcelona. All chipped in to give Barça a seven-goal win and end the year with happiness and excitement for what's coming in 2017.


Barcelona: Cillessen; Vidal, Mascherano, Umtiti, Digne; Gomes, Rakitic, Denis; Rafinha, Alcácer, Arda

Goals: Digne (37'), Rakitic (45'), Rafinha (50'), Arda (55', 86', 89'), Alcácer (73')

Hércules: Buigues; Dalmau, Román, Bueso (Mainz), Peña, Rojas; Chechu, Miñano, Checa, Gaspar (Nieto); Berrocal (Salinas)



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WATCH: Paco Alcacer scores first competitive goal for Barcelona

Finally!

Paco Alcacer was brought to Barcelona to score goals. So far this season he hasn’t been able to do that. After scoring in a throwaway friendly in Qatar, he’s finally netted one in a competitive match.

The Spaniard scored the club’s fifth goal in the Copa del Rey against Hercules:

While it’s not the greatest competition to score a goal against, he’s got it. Hopefully many more are to come.



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WATCH: Rafinha’s low blast extends Barcelona’s advantage over Hercules

Nice goal.

Barcelona are likely headed to the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey as everyone expected. Rafinha has given the Blaugrana a 3-0 lead on the day and a 4-1 lead on aggregate over Hercules.

A very nice goal all around as Barcelona’s second string squad makes easy work of a Hercules side no one gave a chance. On to the next round!



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WATCH: Lucas Digne’s first goal gives Barcelona lead over Hercules in Copa del Rey

Finally.

After drawing the first leg 1-1 with Hercules in the Copa del Rey Round of 32, Barcelona have finally pulled ahead on aggregate thanks to a Lucas Digne goal. The full back’s first ever goal for the club was a big one as it puts them in good position to advance to the next round in the competition.

The French defender doesn’t score many goals. He only had six in total before this one. It’s good to see him come up big in only his ninth appearance for the club.

Ivan Rakitic added a penalty to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.



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Barcelona vs Hercules, 2016 Copa del Rey: Confirmed Lineups, Live Game Thread

Live game thread with confirmed lineups for Barcelona's Spanish Cup match against Hercules

Copa del Rey: Round of 32, 2nd Leg (1st Leg: 1-1)

Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Kickoff: Wednesday, 21 December 2016, 10pm CET

Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero

*****

Starting Lineups

*****

Barcelona: 13. Jasper Cillessen; 22. Aleix Vidal, 23. Samuel Umtiti, 14. Javier Mascherano, 19. Lucas Digne; 21. Andre Gomes, 6. Denis Suarez, 12. Ivan Rakitić; 7. Arda Turan, 17. Paco Alcacer, 12 Rafinha

Substitutes: 25. Jordi Masip, 20. Sergi Roberto, 18. Jordi Alba, 5. Sergio Busquets, 8. Andres Iniesta

*****

Hércules: 1. Iván Buigues, 2. Albert Dalmau, 3. Peña V., 4. Fernando Román, 5. Pol Bueso, 6. Rojas, 7. Chechu, 8. Checa, 9. Berrocal, 10. Jose Miñano, 11. Gaspar

Substitutes: Lledó, Salinas, Nieto, Juanma, Mainz

Coach: Luis Tevenet



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Barcelona vs Hercules, 2016 Copa del Rey: Confirmed Lineups, Live Game Thread

Live game thread with confirmed lineups for Barcelona's Spanish Cup match against Hercules

Copa del Rey: Jornada 16

Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Kickoff: Wednesday, 21 December 2016, 10pm CET

Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero

*****

Starting Lineups

*****

Barcelona: 13. Jasper Cillessen; 22. Aleix Vidal, 23. Samuel Umtiti, 14. Javier Mascherano, 19. Lucas Digne; 21. Andre Gomes, 6. Denis Suarez, 12. Ivan Rakitić; 7. Arda Turan, 17. Paco Alcacer, 12 Rafinha

Substitutes: 25. Jordi Masip, 20. Sergi Roberto, 18. Jordi Alba, 5. Sergio Busquets, 8. Andres Iniesta

*****

Hercules: TBA

Substitutes: TBA

Coach: Luis Tevenet



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Barcelona vs Hércules, 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch Copa Del Rey online

Last game of the year for Barcelona! Don't miss it!

It's the holiday season, and Barcelona will play one last time before you celebrate Christmas and New Year's.

The Blaugrana have to play the second leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 32 against Hércules, at Camp Nou. After getting a draw in the first game away from home, Barça have to win this game if they want to win a third consecutive Spanish Cup trophy.

The good news is that Luis Enrique didn't call any Academy youngsters or low-minute reserves. Apart from the 'MSN' trio, already on vacation, and Ter Stegen and Piqué, with small injury problems, all the other big players will be in uniform, including stars like Iniesta, Busquets, Rafinha, Denis Suarez and others.

Even without the 'MSN', this should be a very good game to watch, and if Barça take this seriously, they should easily dispatch a third division side and give us tons of goals to celebrate.

Please find a way to watch it. It'll be fun.


Date/Time: Wednesday, December 21st, 2016, 10pm local time (CET); 9pm BST (UK); 4pm ET, 1pm PT (US); 2:30am IST (India, Thursday)

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Referee: Will Be There

TV listings: beIN SPORTS (US, Canada), beIN SPORTS En Español (US, Canada - Spanish), Gol (Spain), elsewhere

Online streaming: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (US & Canada), FuboTV (US & Canada - free trial + monthly subscription, click here to sign up), elsewhere

(Listings via LiveSoccerTV)



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Barcelona Transfer Rumors: Update on Darijo Srna and Aleix Vidal

Barto said probably not. But it could still happen if the money is right.

Barcelona don’t want to spend money in the winter transfer window, but Luis Enrique does want to bring in Darijo Srna from Shakthar Donetsk, or so says Mundo Deportivo.

This could turn into another “Nolito case” in which the coach wants a player but the money is just not there in the budget.

The last hurdle which the Nolito transfer did not clear was the salary demands of the player. The same could be true this time.

Srna nets a very nice salary for playing in Ukraine, a salary Barcelona are not going to match.

So, Vidal would have to be moved on one way or another. His wages would have to be wiped completely off, at least for the remainder of the season or as long as Srna is in the team.

And Srna would have to accept to take the same salary Vidal did, that is, a lower one.

Even if all that happens, the transfer may still break down.

This is why Josep Maria Bartomeu, Barcelona’s president, said no movement in the winter transfer window is likely.

However, the possibility does exist.



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Neymar in Scoring Slump - But How Much Does it Matter?

The Brazilian hasn’t scored a lot lately, but what about his overall performances?

Luis Enrique has given Neymar an early break for the holidays, meaning he’ll finish 2016 on a scoring slump.

How bad is the slump?

Well, put it this way - Neymar hasn’t scored in more minutes than Paco Alcácer. It’s worse if you count Paco’s goal against Al-Ahli in a friendly, since that means at least Alcácer snapped his streak while Neymar’s is active.

Neymar hasn't scored since doing so against Manchester City on October 19th.

What’s clear is his form at the start of this season is not at the level it was at a similar point in 2015-16, when he was possibly the best player in the world with Lionel Messi injured.

Less clear is how dire his form is. In his last 7 games, Neymar has given 5 assists, not bad at all.

His last game against Espanyol was perhaps a microcosm of his problems. His decision-making still needs improvement - often he shoots when he should pass or passes when he should shoot. And his shooting needs work, too, with his best chance being wasted in Barcelona’s 4-1 win.

That said, a focus on only his lack of scoring is myopic. His contributions in general are on the rise again. Chances are, this slump will be in the rearview mirror soon.



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Neymar in Scoring Slump - But How Much Does it Matter?

The Brazilian hasn’t scored a lot lately, but what about his overall performance.

Luis Enrique has given Neymar an early break for the holidays, meaning he’ll finish 2016 on a scoring slump.

How bad is the slump?

Well, put it this way - Neymar hasn’t scored in more minutes than Paco Alcácer. It’s worse if you count Paco’s goal against Al-Ahli in a friendly, since that means at least Alcácer snapped his streak while Neymar’s is active.

Neymar hasn't scored since doing so against Manchester City on October 19th.

What’s clear is his form at the start of this season is not at the level it was at a similar point in 2015-16, when he was possibly the best player in the world with Lionel Messi injured.

Less clear is how dire his form is. In his last 7 games, Neymar has given 5 assists, not bad at all.

His last game against Espanyol was perhaps a microcosm of his problems. His decision-making still needs improvement - often he shoots when he should pass or passes when he should shoot. And his shooting needs work, too, with his best chance being wasted in Barcelona’s 4-1 win.

That said, a focus on only his lack of scoring is myopic. His contributions in general are on the rise again. Chances are, this slump will be in the rearview mirror soon.



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Barcelona fans tune into Espanyol game, get Return of the Jedi instead

Messi and Iniesta decide they’d just dribble everybody because why not?

Do you remember at the end of Back to the Future where Doc Brown tells Marty that where they are going they don’t need roads? And then he busted out that sweet, sweet flying DeLorean and everybody’s mind was blown? Yeah, that’s exactly how it felt to watch Don Andrés and Messi go off on Espanyol and play, quite honestly, as if they were professionals roughhousing with amateurs. Used to be Nike and Adidas put out really entertaining adverts almost yearly of nigh impossible scenarios of the top players doing fantastic things. Nowadays it feels they don’t even bother anymore as anything Messi does is so far out of this world that even the magic of celluloid falls short.

I honestly can’t fathom what will happen when Messi can no longer don his pair of boots. You’d imagine somebody can aspire to fill the void he’d leave, but really, how much better can you get? If anything, the best of the best could theoretically only hope to match him, but never surpass. If I were to throw some quick numbers around, I can safely assume I’ve been watching soccer for about twenty years, yet I am still awed almost weekly by this man. I quit playing FIFA because I was dangerously close to breaking my television a couple of times, for plays that don’t come even remotely close to what Messi pulled off on Sunday. If somebody destroyed me on a fake game like he did to Espanyol in real life, I would be irate.

Irish Goat’s Gamboling Goleadores!

1st Goleador: Lionel Messi

What’s that? You won your fourth Ballon d’Or? That’s cool, I guess. Me? Not much, man, just chilling, being the undisputedly best player in the world and such. Making defenders wish these events were not televised. Did I ever tell you about this one time an opposing goalkeeper told me his dad started telling his buddies that his son was a doctor after one of the times I played against him? True story, man! What could I do, though? Gave him my shirt after the game…has that ever happened to y—hello? Hello? Cristy?

2nd Goleador: Andrés Iniesta

I don’t think it is any coincidence whatsoever Barcelona has arguably played their best football since Iniesta’s return. Truly one of the all-time greatest players ever, with the ineffable ability to make any team he is a part of substantially better when he is involved. His change of pace is one of the smoothest things I’ve seen in my life. Every coach should Clockwork Orange his players to a continuous loop of Iniesta dribbling. Can’t hurt.

3rd Goleador: Luis Suárez

Luisito played one of the most mobile games of a quality number 9 I have ever seen. If this article is starting to sound like a slew of hyperbole it is because it was simply insane. I apologize for some of that, but it is unavoidable. Luisito was extremely active throughout the game, and was causing defensive breakdowns left and right with his movement and dragging defenders to him. Not for nothing did he net two fantastic tallies in this match.

An honorable mention to Mascherano for his beautiful performance. Would’ve made the list any other day.

As always Visca Barça, happy holidays, and a happy New Year.



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FC Barcelona News: 21 December 2016; Squad Announced for Copa Match, President Talks Lionel Messi Contract

Squad announced for Copa del Rey second leg against Hércules | FC Barcelona
It’s time for the last game of 2016. FC Barcelona face Division 2B side Hércules tonight at the Camp Nou in the second leg of their Copa del Rey round of 16 tie. After a 1-1 draw in Alicante there is still some work to do to ensure a place among the last sixteen and a date with Granada or Osasuna in the first week of January.

Match preview: FC Barcelona v Hércules | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are aiming to book their place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey when they take on Hércules at the Camp Nou, following the 1-1 draw (Highlights, Match Report) in the first leg. Luis Enrique’s side carry a narrow advantage on the away goals rule thanks to the long range strike from Carles Aleñá in Alicante but will nevertheless be going all out for the win in the final game of 2016.

Luis Enrique: We will need to create lots of chances | FC Barcelona
Barça face their last game of the calendar year with a place in the Copa del Rey round of 16 up for grabs. Ahead of Wednesday's game at 10pm CET at the Camp Nou, Luis Enrique spoke to the media and seemed optimistic even though he emphasised the need to improve from the first leg. The game at the José Rico Pérez stadium ended 1-1 and it means the tie is up for grabs in the return leg.

Bartomeu: We will do everything we can to keep Messi at FC Barcelona as this is his home | FC Barcelona
Josep Maria Bartomeu gave an extensive press conference in order to assess the year as we are reaching its conclusion. During 117 minutes he responded to questions from all the accredited media outlets with a large part of the questions focusing on the figure of Leo Messi and his contract renewal, with discussions planned for the next few months.



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FC Barcelona squad named for Copa del Rey match against Hércules

Luis Enrique calls up 16 players for the Round of 32 second leg

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana finish off their 2016 campaign with the second leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 32 against Hércules at Camp Nou, and Luis Enrique has called up 16 players to be in uniform.

This is the squad in full:


Goalkeepers: 13. Jasper Cillessen, 25. Jordi Masip

Defenders: 14. Javier Mascherano, 18. Jordi Alba, 19. Lucas Digne, 20. Sergi Roberto, 22. Aleix Vidal, 23. Samuel Umtiti

Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 6. Denis Suarez, 7. Arda Turan, 8. Andrés Iniesta, 12. Rafinha Alcântara, 21. André Gomes

Forward: 17. Paco Alcácer


Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar Jr., Gerard Piqué and Marc-André ter Stegen are already on vacation, and with Jérémy Mathieu injured, Luis Enrique had only 16 players available on his squad. He could two from Barça B, but he decided to stick with his first team to have a very strong lineup on the field and try to beat Hércules, since a win is necessary following a 1-1 first leg draw three weeks ago.

*******

Projected starting lineup (4-3-3):

Cillessen; Vidal, Mascherano, Umtiti, Digne; Gomes, Rakitic, Denis; Rafinha, Alcácer, Arda


The match starts at 10pm CET (local time) / 9pm BST (UK) / 4pm ET, 1pm PT (US) / 2:30am IST (India), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.

VISCA EL BARÇA!



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الثلاثاء، 20 ديسمبر 2016

Barcelona vs Hércules, 2016 Copa del Rey: Match Preview, Predictions

2016 ends with a pretty important game for Barça. Just kidding.

Barcelona have just one more match before 2016 ends, the players go into 20 days of vacation and only return to action in mid-January. They deserve a break after a pretty awesome year of titles, goals, fun, disappointment, meltdowns, recoveries, the Espanyol game, and much more.

The La Liga campaign this year is over, the Champions League only returns in February, no more unnecessary friendlies in Qatar will be played, so what's left for Barcelona? The Copa del Rey Round of 32 (32!!!!!) second leg (second leg!!!!!!!) against Hércules on Wednesday night under the beautiful lights of the Camp Nou.

I have a theory to make the Spanish Cup early rounds more interesting: just have one game. Every smart Cup in the world does them (even Brazil will do them in 2017) and even in England, where the FA Cup still, somehow, has replay matches, they're not guaranteed like what we have in Spain.

It makes absolutely no sense to have a first division giant play a third (or in some cases, fourth) division team over TWO LEGS. We know who's going through, and the two-leg rule is actually design to protect the first division giants from crashing out too soon. But these early Copa ties are usually done in the first leg anyway, and unless a big team plays Cheryshev when they're not supposed to, they're going through anyway.

"But wait, didn't Barça need the second leg against Villanovense last year and against Hércules this year?", someone might say. While that's an astute observation, no one will ever convince me Barça were actually interested in playing the first legs against Villanovense and Hércules knowing that they had a game at Camp Nou later. Come on.

If Barça actually played against Hércules only once, they would have been a lot more interested than what we saw three weeks ago. That reserve team should have won at least 5-0 with ease and qualify to the Round of 16 without breaking a sweat. But because that game meant very little because of the second leg opportunity at Camp Nou, they knew that a mediocre, lazy performance in the first leg wouldn't hurt them in the return game.

Plus, the last image of 2016 for Barça fans would be the SPECTACULAR victory over Espanyol. Now, we still have to watch a game without a lot of appeal with the Barça reserves that will probably kill the tie within 20 minutes.

Thanks, Spanish FA.

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar are already on vacation. None of the starters that played against Espanyol will be in action against Hércules, so this is another golden opportunity for the reserves to give Luis Enrique a good idea of who he can count on when the second half of the season starts. That includes Paco Alcácer, still in search of his first competitive goal for the club, who has a big chance of opening his account of official goals with a hat-trick.

The team just needs to be engaged, and Enrique mentioned that he expects exactly that from the players on Wednesday. They don't need a master plan on the tactical side or a really strong side. Any eleven players on the field will be much, much better than the strongest possible Hércules team, and the Blaugrana just need to be interested in the victory. If they are, the win will come. That simple.

HÉRCULES

They'll take a lot of pictures at Camp Nou, and during 90 minutes on the field, they'll try to shock the world. It could happen. But they're probably more excited with the trip to Barcelona. Who knows, though. Football.

POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Cillessen; Vidal, Mascherano, Umtiti, Digne; Gomes, Rakitic, Denis; Rafinha, Alcácer, Arda

Hércules (4-5-1): Ivan Buigues, Dalmau, Inglés, Bueso, Peña; Checa, Omgba, Salinas, Gaspar, Chechu Flores; Mainz

PREDICTION

Barça don't want a historic humiliation at Camp Nou to end the year. 5-1 to the hosts.



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Barcelona vs Hércules, 2016 Copa del Rey: Team News, Lineups, Goals, Live Stream, All Updates

Barcelona face Hércules in the 2nd leg of their Copa del Rey Round of 32 matchup at Camp Nou. Stay with us for full coverage!

Barcelona could be in for a shock against Hércules. The Segunda B minnows earned a draw at home against the Catalan giants, and they need either a win or a high enough scoring to draw to proceed into the next round of the Copa del Rey.

Luis Enrique has allowed Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar and Gerard Piqué an early break for Christmas, meaning four of the team’s best players will be completely unavailable. First leg goalscorer Carles Aleñá will be out with an injury.

The manager explained that it was unlikely MSN or Piqué would ever feature in this kind of fixture, regardless of the date, so giving them a break would help them come back refreshed.

But with the result still hanging in the balance, is it a risk? "Managing a football team is taking risks," he said.

Hércules have a chance, albeit a small one, to spring the surprise. Luis Enrique’s men better be prepared.



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Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique Aware of Hércules Risk

Barcelona do not have the tie settled in the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona could be in for a shock against Hércules. The Segunda B minnows earned a draw at home against the Catalan giants, and they need either a win or a high enough scoring to draw to proceed into the next round of the Copa del Rey.

Luis Enrique has allowed Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar and Gerard Piqué an early break for Christmas, meaning four of the team’s best players will be completely unavailable. First leg goalscorer Carles Aleñá will be out with an injury.

The manager explained that it was unlikely MSN or Piqué would ever feature in this kind of fixture, regardless of the date, so giving them a break would help them come back refreshed.

But with the result still hanging in the balance, is it a risk? "Managing a football team is taking risks,” he said.

Hércules have a chance, albeit a small one, to spring the surprise. Luis Enrique’s men better be prepared.



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Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu Says Aleix Vidal is Unlikely to Be Sold

The FC Barcelona president said it’s likely no players will be sold during the winter

Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has played down rumors that Aleix Vidal is on his way out. If Vidal does not leave, it is unlikely another fullback (such as Darijo Srna) will be brought in.

Bartomeu: “We have a small squad and it’s not expected that we will sell anyone, not Aleix Vidal, not any other player.”

Luis Enrique has broadly not trusted Vidal during the season, but the player has been doing well in his few appearances as of late.

Shakhtar Donetsk confirmed Barcelona were interested in Srna, who would be a stopgap replacement for Vidal.

But if no players are sold, then, it’s likely no players will be bought either during the winter.



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FC Barcelona News: 20 December 2016, Preparations End for Hercules, Barcelona Reach UEFA Deal

Barcelona will make Lionel Messi best-paid player in the world - Bartomeu | ESPN
Barcelona have vowed to make Lionel Messi the best paid player in the world as they prepare to begin talks over extending his contract in the New Year. Neymar, Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have all penned new deals at their respective clubs in recent months, with the latter member of that list reportedly the world's top earner with a salary of around €430,000-per-week.

Final session before the Copa del Rey game | FC Barcelona
All of the available first team players took part in the training session other than Messi, Suárez, Neymar Jr and Piqué who were given permission to start their holidays after the Barcelona derby. Luis Enrique also brought in six players from the U19A team: Marc Cucurella, Carles Pérez, Àlex Collado, Jordi Tur, Oriol Busquets and Oriol Rey.

Where and when to watch FC Barcelona v Hércules | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will finish 2016 with the home fixture against Hércules on Wednesday at 10pm CET in the return leg of the Copa del Rey round of 32. Barça have won this competition for the last two years running and Luis Enrique's men are looking to bring their positive league form into this cup fixture. In the first leg of the tie played in Alicante the teams shared the spoils with a 1-1 draw thanks to an Aleña goal.

Video: FC Barcelona's Leo Messi wows the world in Sunday's derby | FC Barcelona
The way he danced through four defenders as if the ball was stuck to his feet in the build-up to the second goal was one of the standout moments, and there more of the same as he left the Espanyol defence flailing helplessly before Jordi Alba found the net to make it 3-0. And what about his wonderful touch to slip the ball through the keeper’s legs and score the fourth?

Terry Gibson hails Lionel Messi's performance against Espanyol | Spy Sports
An inspired Messi provided two assists in two second-half minutes before adding a late goal in Barca's 4-1 victory over their local rivals at the Nou Camp. Luis Enrique's side had drawn their previous two home league games and Gibson believes a combination of their poor form and a desire to beat their cross-town opponents prompted Messi's performance.

FC Barcelona's first team will be back in training on the 30th of December | FC Barcelona
The first team will return to training on the 30 of December and they will be free to enjoy the holidays once the final game of the year against Hércules has been played. The Copa del Rey round of 32 return leg will take place this Wednesday and the players will start their holidays on the 22nd. The squad will have a full seven days off to enjoy the festive season and they will get back to work on the 30th with a training session planned for 6pm CET.

FC Barcelona's first team players in the Christmas spirit | FC Barcelona
The Christmas spirit has arrived in the first team changing room. FC Barcelona players filmed some clips for the Club's Christmas campaign, 'Regala Il·lusions, regala Barça', and you can now enjoy some of the funniest moments that occured during the filming.

Agreements reached by FC Barcelona's Board of Directors | FC Barcelona
The Board of Directors has approved the agreement reached with the leading figures in UEFA over the presence of 'estelada' flags in various Champions League games. In light of this deal, FC Barcelona have withdrawn their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) contesting the sanctions imposed following the presence of the flags. The Club recognises that according to the current rules the disciplinary organs have little margin with which to interpret the prohibition of political messages at football games.

FC Barcelona's Andrés Iniesta chats to the players at the Masia Residence | FC Barcelona
Andrés Iniesta came home today. The Barça captain shared his personal experience of living in the Masia, from his arrival in September 1996, with the young sporspeople at the Masia residence, Centre de Formació Oriol Tort. He spoke of the journey he undertook and how he managed to become one of the most important players in the club's history.

Football 'rookie' Aaron Boone attends derby at Camp Nou | FC Barcelona
Aaron Boone, a member of one of baseball’s so-called royal families — his brother Brett and his father Bob also enjoyed long careers in the big leagues — and who played seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before shorter stints with a handful of other teams, was on hand for Barça’s La Liga match against cross-city rivals RCD Espanyol.



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La Liga News: 20 December 2016; Real Madrid Transfer Ban Reduced, Sevilla Want Defensive Reinforcements

Real Madrid's transfer ban halved after CAS appeal - ESPN FC
Real Madrid will be able to sign players during summer 2017 after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially accepted their appeal regarding a transfer ban imposed by FIFA for breaking youth transfer regulations.

'I turned down Zidane' - Mbappe | Football Espana
Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe has revealed he rejected the approaches of Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane to stay at the Ligue 1 club. The 18-year-old revealed how in 2013, Zidane – then a coach at the club – held talks with him regarding a move to the Spanish capital, having persuaded fellow countryman Raphael Varane to sign from Lens two years earlier.

Guillem Balague's La Liga mid-season review: World champions Real Madrid, Lionel Messi's new level | Sky Sports
Zidane can defend everything he does at Real Madrid with one stat. Just two defeats from 53 games in 2016. How has he done that? Well, Real Madrid are comprised of individual players, players who feel as though they need to run the team. The players have to feel things are done in a way that leaves them in a comfort zone. That is what they feel now. They feel Zidane is not on top of them, giving them too many instructions.

Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli: We need to sign a new centre-back in January - ESPN FC
Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli is keen to add a new centre-back to his squad in the winter transfer market. The Andalusian club head into 2017 in third place in La Liga behind leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Barcelona, and having progressed to the round of 16 of the Champions League with a tie against Leicester City coming up.



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الاثنين، 19 ديسمبر 2016

Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitić: Unsettled, Manchester United Beckon?

Rumor is Rakitić is unsettled by Luis Enrique’s team selection. How much truth is there?

According to a report by Francesc Aguilar, a well-known writer for Mundo Deportivo, Ivan Rakitić is unsettled by Luis Enrique’s recent team selection. The Croatian did not play a single minute in Barcelona’s 4-1 triumph over Espanyol, and it’s become commonplace to see Rakitić dropped or substituted early.

According to Aguilar, sources close to the midfielder says he considers this a sign of disrespect, though he will not publicly say so.

This report comes amid continued stories in the English press that Manchester United are keen on the midfielder. It should be noted that according to the English press, United have been interested in a plethora of Barcelona midfielders over the years (Cesc Fàbregas, Thiago Alcántara, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergi Roberto) but none of those transfers materialized.

Renewal talks are underway, and Aguilar says the Barcelona braintrust is worried that the relationship between the player and the coach is souring. This is alarming to the directors of Barcelona because they have been very satisfied by the work of the Croatian international.

Aguilar says that if Rakitić misses the clash against Hércules in the Copa del Rey, it would be a very worrying sign.

The alternative here is that Lucho is simply resting his player. After all, Rakitić is tasked with a lot of running in the Barcelona system, and he’s looked a bit out of sorts lately.

Maybe a rest can prevent him from becoming jaded, and put him on his route to top form as we get to the business end of the season.

If that’s the case, it seems something the level-headed, calm Rakitić would accept.



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FC Barcelona News: 19 December 2016; Barcelona Dominate Espanyol, Four Begin Holiday Break

Round-up of today’s Barcelona news

FC Barcelona v RCD Espanyol: Derby delight! (4-1) | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona turned on the style in the second half to cruise to a 4-1 win over rivals RCD Espanyol at Camp Nou on Sunday night.Luis Suárez opened the scoring in a quiet first period but the magic of Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi helped propel the team to another level in the second; the Uruguayan added another, Jordi Alba made it three before Messi added a cherry on top late on.

League video highlights: FC Barcelona v Espanyol | FC Barcelona
Luis Enrique's side took all three points in the Catalan derby thanks to a 4-1 win at Camp Nou in their final league fixture of the calendar year. Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the first half and the Uruguayan added a second after the break. Jordi Alba and Leo Messi were also on the scoresheet against Espanyol with David López getting the goal for the visitors.

Luis Enrique: We performed at a very high level | FC Barcelona
Luis Enrique was thrilled with his team’s performance in the 4-1 win over rivals Espanyol at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona upped their game in the second half to claim a memorable win, and the manager was quick to highlight his players’ output, saying that the team played “at a very high level”.

Andrés Iniesta: “Winning a derby is always special” | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona ended their league commitments for 2016 in fine fashion, defeating rivals Espanyol 4-1 at Camp Nou. One of the top performers in the win was Andrés Iniesta, who assisted the first goal and played a big part in the second half onslaught.

Messi, Suárez, Neymar and Piqué begin vacations | FC Barcelona
Four FC Barcelona players - Luis Suárez, Leo Messi, Neymar Jr and Piqué - have begun their Christmas vacations after manager Luis Enrique Martínez confirmed after the derby win over Espanyol that the quartet will not be featuring against Hércules on Wednesday.

FC Barcelona sponsorship agreement with Rakuten ratified | FC Barcelona
The first item on the agenda of the 2016 Extraordinary Assembly of FC Barcelona was the confirmation of the sponsorship agreement with Rakuten. The Japanese company will be the global sponsor of the Club and will appear on the front of the shirt for the next four seasons from 1 July 2017.

Green light given to FC Barcelona’s partnership with Mission Hills Group | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona announced its agreement with Mission Hills Group (MHG), the second voted of the day held at the Palau de Congressos on Sunday. The Club's CEO Òscar Grau, assured that this partnership will help to serve FC Barcelona's target of becoming the "most admired, loved and global institution in the world".



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