FC Barcelona News: 26 July 2019

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Vissel Kobe v Barça: Live on the website and Barça TV | FC Barcelona
Barça face Vissel Kobe on Saturday 27 July in the second game of the preseason. The Noevir Stadium Kobe is the venue for a game that will see Barça up against a side featuring who for many of them are former colleagues in Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Sergi Samper.

When and where to watch Barça v Vissel Kobe | FC Barcelona
Barça face Vissel Kobe on Saturday 27 July in the second game of the preseason. The Noevir Stadium Kobe is the venue for a game that will see Barça up against a side featuring who for many of them are former colleagues in Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Sergi Samper.

Luis Suárez returns to training | FC Barcelona
Luis Suarez worked out at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Friday. The Uruguayan will return to full training with the team on July 31, but during the intervening period he will continue with an individual program. Barça’s No.9 participated in the Copa América and, similar to the other South American players that took part, is therefore not on the tour of Japan with the other 26 players; 17 from the first team and nine from Barça B.

Rakitic and Vidal departures can no longer be ruled out | Marca
Barcelona are willing to make space in their midfield and neither Ivan Rakitic nor Arturo Vidal have a secure spot in the squad for the upcoming season. Although the Catalan side have signed just one midfielder, in Frenkie de Jong, this summer, they currently have nine players for three positions in the centre of the park.

Barcelona reject multiple offers for defender Nelson Semedo | Football Espana
Barcelona have rejected a number of offers for full-back Nelson Semedo this summer and have no plans to sell him, report Diario AS. It states that no offer has come close to the player’s €100m release clause while indeed none has been in excess of €50m, with teams from Spain, England and Italy all said to be interested.

Barcelona and Real Betis, condemned to agree over Junior Firpo | Sport
He is liked by the technical staff and Ernesto Valverde and knows La Liga, whereas Max would have to adapt from the Bundesliga. The coach didn’t want to use Marc Cucurella in that position so he was sold to Getafe. Barca are negotiating with Betis and will pay around 20 million euros. Betis want 30 but Barca believe they can lower that number.

Moussa Wague will have a first team place this season | Sport
Senegalese full back Moussa Wague will be the only Barca B team player to step up and join the first team squad this season on a permanent basis. Other players like Riqui Puig, Iñaki Peña, Guillem, Araujo, Oriol Busquets, Monchu, Collado, Hiroki Abe and Carles Pérez, who are on the club’s tour in Japan, will stay with the B team unless Ernesto Valverde needs them on an ad hoc basis.

Barcelona’s Riqui Puig reject Qatar move | Football Espana
Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has refused an opportunity to join Qatari club Al Sadd, managed by former Blaugrana captain Xavi Hernandez. The midfielder is said to ‘have been flattered’ by the offer, but ‘politely declined’ the offer to move to the Middle East club on a loan deal, report El Mundo Deportivo.

Patrick Kluivert, new director of youth football | FC Barcelona
Patrick Kluivert is returning to FC Barcelona after signing a contract on Thursday to become the new director of youth football until June 2021. The agreement was formalised at the club offices in the presence of the directors with responsibilities for youth football, Silvio Elías and Xavier Vilajoana.

Kluivert: My main job is to safeguard the Cruyff philosophy | Sport
The former forward explained that his “main task will be to safeguard the philosophy of Johan Cruyff. It will not be difficult for me because I was at Ajax and Barcelona and both clubs have nearly the same style of play. I think with the arrival of Frenkie de Jong the links are even stronger.”

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Luis Suarez back in Barcelona training

Photo Norbert Barczyk by PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images

The striker is back from holiday

Luis Suarez is back in Barcelona training following his exploits at the Copa America with Uruguay.

The striker is one of several Barca players to have been given an extended break due to their commitments with the national team over the summer.

However, the 32-year-old is now back at the club and beginning work ahead of the new campaign.

@LuisSuarez9 returns to training at the Ciutat Esportiva
He'll rejoin his team-mates on July 31
#ForçaBarçahttps://t.co/kC1AwdUcw8

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 26, 2019

Suarez will return to full training with the rest of the squad on July 31.

The club are currently still in Japan and play their final game of the tour on Saturday against Vissel Kobe.

Barcelona will then head home for a Joan Gamper Trophy match against Arsenal on Sunday August 4.

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Barca want €120m for Philipp Coutinho - report

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He’s available but only at a hefty price

Barcelona are reportedly willing to sell Philippe Coutinho this summer but only if a club stumps up €120 million for the Brazilian.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca are open to selling the 27-year-old but want to recoup most of the cash they spent on bringing him to the club in January 2018.

Coutinho moved to the Camp Nou in one of the biggest transfer deals of all time. The club have already paid Liverpool €120m plus €15m in variables but are open to a sale.

The problem is that there are not too many clubs who are going to be able to meet Barca’s asking price.

The report reckons the Catalan giants believe Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain can all afford Coutinho, but it remains to be seen if any of that trio actually wants him.

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Rumors: Malcom, Riqui Puig, Rafinha and Semedo latest

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Another fresh batch of hot gossip

Borussia Dortmund in Malcom talks

Today’s rumor round-up begins with Malcom and news that Borussia Dortmund are in talks to land the Brazilian for €42 million.

According to Goal, Barca are willing to sell Malcom for a smidge more than they bought him for and have a good relationship with the Bundesliga side.

Malcom is currently with the squad in Japan, and the report reckons if a deal is completed it won’t be announced until next week.

Riqui Puig turns down Xavi

Over at Mundo Deportivo the word is that Riqui Puig turned down the chance to move to Xavi’s Al-Sadd side on loan.

Xavi wanted to borrow Barca’s little midfield gem for the season, and while Puig was flattered, surprised and probably a little bit chuffed, his priority is to stay with Barca.

Rafinha has three offers

Another Barcelona player who is a wanted man is Rafinha. According to Sport, the Brazilian has three offers to choose from.

Valencia, Atalanta and Fiorentina are all keen on bringing in Rafinha this summer, but it seems his preference would be to head to Mestalla.

Barca reject Semedo offers

And finally today we end with a report from AS, who report that Nelson Semedo is the only Barcelona player who the club have received offers for this summer.

Apparently, clubs in England, Spain and Italy have all tried to land the Portugal international, but Barcelona are adamant he is going nowhere.

Barcelona are planning to have Semedo as their first choice right-back next season, with Moussa Wague his deputy and Sergi Roberto going back into midfield.

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Barca gave away Alena’s 21 shirt, and he isn’t happy

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Frenkie de Jong has taken his number

This might crack my top five favorite stories of the year. Apparently, when Barcelona signed Frenkie De Jong, they promised the lad the 21 shirt number. Now, on the surface this isn’t a big deal. Promising a newly minted player a certain jersey number is pretty normal. The problem, is that Carles Alena already had the 21 shirt number and no one consulted or asked him about changing.

“Giving the No.21 to De Jong was something between him and me,” he said. ”I would have liked a message from the board because they promised him the number without notifying me.

”That left a bad taste, it didn’t feel good. I’ve always behaved well with the club.”

Alena | Source

This is funny because you can clearly imagine the meetings with Josep Bartomeu and other Barcelona brass about de Jong.

Bartomeu: “So what can we do to get this deal done?”

Random important rich person in the room: “Well sir, de Jong is quite keen regarding the 21 shirt number.”

“Perfect, give him the kit number and we’ll sign the deal”

Another rich person: “There’s a problem, Alena already has that number.”

Bartomeu stares with a glare while chewing on a pistachio muffin: “Will that be a problem?”

Yet another rich guy: “We’ll take care of it.”

Poor Alena.

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Kluivert returns to Barcelona as director of youth football

Photo by Visionhaus

The Dutchman is back at the Camp Nou

Barcelona confirmed on Thursday that Patrick Kluivert has returned to the club as their new director of youth football.

The Dutchman has signed a deal that runs until 2021 and will be charged with overseeing the club’s youngsters.

“I am very happy to be back home and looking forward to this new era, with the challenge of keeping Barça among the top teams in the world,” he said.

“I grew up at the Ajax academy, which is very similar to La Masía, and I think I can do a lot for the development of young Barça players.”

Source | FC Barcelona

Kluivert returns to Barcelona 15 years after his departure as a player. He scored 145 goals for the Blaugrana and helped the club win La Liga in 1999.

He has gone on to have coaching roles at several clubs, most recently as assistant to Clarence Seedorf with Cameroon.

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Iniesta gives his verdict on De Jong and Griezmann

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The legend is happy with the new arrivals

Andres Iniesta is set to face Barcelona on Saturday with Vissel Kobe and has been talking about the club’s big new summer signings.

Midfielder Frenkie de Jong has arrived from Ajax, while Antoine Griezmann has joined from Atletico Madrid and Iniesta reckons they are excellent additions.

“De Jong is an exceptional signing, an upward leap for the club, young, very talented and, if all goes well, will be a benchmark for the Barcelona midfield,” he said.

”I have said it before, Griezmann is an exceptional player, who knows La Liga and the team-mates he is going to have at Barça, so everything indicates that his career as a culé will be positive.”

Source | Mundo Deportivo

The match is Barcelona’s second and final game of their trip to Japan. The game takes place in Kobe on Saturday with kick off scheduled for 11 a.m. CET.

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