Wazzup with FC BARCELONA?!! (News)

[Classik]

First up, Athletic Club Bilbao


03/31/2012 10:55
22.00 Canal + and R@dio Barça: Barça must forget about their match against Milan, to refocus on the League, and the important game against Bielsa’s team, if they want to continue toaspire to the title
Barca, with the only doubt about the still injured Adriano, are seeking to go eleven consecutive games without defeat

Iniesta, contra l'Athletic Club. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ(FCB).
Iniesta, contra l'Athletic Club. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ(FCB).
Three days after the tough match at the San Siro, FC Barcelona will receive Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou (22.00 Canal + and R@dio Barça) with the objective of maintaining the form of recent weeks that has allowed Guardiola’s side to close the gap with Real Madrid from 10 pointsto 6. With the return of the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Milan in the background, the players should focus exclusivelyon the crucial game against the Basques if they want to continue their League title aspirations.
Thinking about Milan is banned
Barça will take the field knowing the Real Madrid result, who are playing at 20.00 away at Osasuna in the always difficult Reyno de Navarra. But as Valdés said earlier this week"looking at Madrid’s schedule is useless if we don’t win". So, they need to win again if they want to have options of winning the League title. Barça’s other open front is Milan and Tuesday's game at the Camp Nou, which will decide who goes through to the semifinals. Although it is difficult not to think about it, Pep Guardiola, in the press conference before the match, said that he was confident the team will not fall into the temptation of having their heads stuck in the Champions League. "If we hadfocussed more on other games than the next onewe wouldn’t have won 13 titles out of 16".
The European Football week leaves it’s mark on the match
Both teams come into this League classic fixture after games in Europe this week in which Barça drew with Milan, on Wednesday, in the Champions League, and Athletic Club Bilbao beatSchalke away, on Thursday, in their Europa League match. Despite the circumstances and the little time to prepare for the match, a spectacle is assured at the Camp Nou and the first to be aware of that is Guardiola who predicted "an open game right until the end".
The Catalan side, with the still injured Adriano doubtful, seek to get through their eleventh straight game without defeat. And they will do itagainst an Athletic team, which, since Bielsa arrived, have been one of the season’s revelations. Strong in Europe, where they have within their reach qualification for the semifinals of the Europa League, they’re not doing so well in the League where they’ve only picked up 1 of the last 12 possible points.

FCB,

Anna Segura

 

[Classik]

Medical all-clear for Adriano

www.fcbarcelona.cat 03/31/2012 13:25

The Brazilian defender has recovered from his muscle injury and, after training with the team this Saturday, will be available to play against Athletic Club

Good news for the first team this afternoon as they trained at the Camp Nou ahead of tonight’s match against Athletic Club. Adriano Correia wasgiven the medical all-clear after her successfully recovered from the thigh strain that he picked up on March 20 against Granada.

Training at the stadium

The available first-team players plus Afellay andAbidal and three players from the B team, Tello, Montoya and Muniesa, completed a light training session this afternoon at the Camp Nou.

After the session, the team ate lunch together and were given time off until an hour and a half before the match. The Barça - Athletic game will start at 22:00.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Spanish League Preview – Week 30



03/31/2012 17:52
This could prove to be a crucial weekend at bothends of the table, with Madrid facing a tough tripto Pamplona, Levante and Valencia meeting in a vital city derby and the bottom four all playing each other

PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB
PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB
Leaders face tough trip to Pamplona
Real Madrid lost against Osasuna in Pamplona last year and then the Basque team was struggling to fight off the relegation threat, but this season, Mourinho’s men will face a much improved team, who sit in sixth and are on a run of six consecutive games without a defeat. Madrid might welcome back Di Maria after a long lay off, though they will be without the suspended Pepe and ill Khedira,whilst Nekounam is back from suspension for the hosts.
Valencia derby
Valencia’s poor run continued with a European defeat in midweek and they really need to find some form again for their city derby with fifth place Levante, who are just three points behind them. The game promises to be a real test for Emery’s men, who were booed off by the Mestalla fans after their last home game ended in defeat by Zaragoza. Sandwiched between thetwo Valencia clubs are Malaga, who play Andalusia neighbours Betis on Saturday.
Atletico, Seville and Espanyol aim to stay in touch
There’s another city derby at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday lunchtime, as Atletico Madrid attempt to get their European challenge back on track against neighbours Getafe, who are level on 39 points with Simeone’s team. Espanyol(40 points) and Seville(39) also both needing wins away to Villarreal and at home to Mallorca respectively.
Key games at the bottom
It’s a crunch weekend at the bottom too: Zaragoza need to build on their great run of late when they travel to Gijon to meet Sporting, who like Racing are tied with them on 25 points. According to Zaragoza boss Manolo Jimenez: “whoever loses will be really damaged – it’s going to be such a tense matchâ€. Racing have their own six-pointer at home to 17th place Granada, who sit just ahead of the relegation places on 31 points.

FCB,

NICK BEDSON

 

[Classik]

King's Cup Final tickets, demand surpasses supply
www.fcbarcelona.cat 03/31/2012 18:31
This Saturday afternoon, the demand for tickets to the King’s Cup Final against Athletic Club surpassed the amount of tickets available to FC Barcelona
The public draw will take place on April 10th at 10:00 with the assistance of a notary

Barça fans / PHOTO: ARXIU FCB
Barça fans / PHOTO: ARXIU FCB
Application process
You can apply for a King’s Cup Final ticket until 19:00 on April 4th
Click here to fill out the application form. [Note: only Club members can apply]
This Saturday the demand for tickets to the King’s Cup Final against Athletic Club Bilbao (May25) surpassed the supply (13,600) the Club have for members. At 15:00 this afternoon, 13,897 petitions were made through 6,579 application forms. The ticket petition process opened this Friday at 10:00, it will remain open until 19:00 on April 4th.
Draw on April 10th
On April 10 at 10:00, FC Barcelona will hold a public draw with the assistance of a notary. The Club will inform the winners of the draw on April10th, 11th, and 12th, at which time said members will be able to collect and pay for their ticket.
85% of the tickets, for members
Each club will have 20,000 tickets to give out to their fans, while the rest are reserved for the Spanish Football Federation. As usual, 85% of the tickets available for the final (17,000) are allocated to members (13,600) and Supporters Clubs (3,4000). The remaining 15% (3,000) are reserved by the Club for institutional and sponsorship purposes.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Catania – AC Milan: The Rossoneri draw ahead of Camp Nou clash (1-1)



03/31/2012 20:18
FC Barcelona's rival in the Champions League quarter final managed to win a point against Catania and remain atop the Italian League table

PHOTO: www.acmilan.com
Difficult match for AC Milan this weekend aheadof Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with FC Barcelona . The Rossoneri visited Catania, a club that have shown themselves to be strong at home this season. Catania did well to hold off anAC Milan side that insisted on taking the three points back to the San Siro.
Without Clarence Seedorf and Nesta , who were rested by their manager, Milan dominated in the first half. Emanuelson could have scored the opener in the first minutes of the match, while Ibrahimovic also had a couple of chances. It was Robinho that netted the first goal after a brilliant play with the Swedish striker.
Milan struggled in the second half against a Cantania side that insisted on scoring the equaliser. In fact, Nicolás Spolli scored for Catania in the opening minutes of the second half. Milan, however, reacted and pinned the home team back for the rest of the half, but to no avail.
Robinho had a tremendous opportunity to score the go-ahead goal but the defender Marchese cleared the ball of the goal line. Mexes , with a header, also came close to securing the three points for Milan but is attempt was saved.
With this draw against Catania, Milan continue atop the Italian League table with 65 points.

FCB,

Sergi Garcia

 

[Classik]

Congratulate Leo Messi: #etsunic#sosgrande
www.fcbarcelona.cat 03/31/2012 22:00
Tweet the all-time top goalscorer for Baça photos

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FCB

 

[Classik]

Tribute to Leo Messi


03/31/2012 22:30
FC Barcelona paid tribute to Leo Messi with a giant banner in the Camp Nou before the match against Athletic Club
Before the match, the Camp Nou showed the best goals from the best strikers in the history of the Club on the stadium’s giant video screens
The Club is promoting the hashtags #etsunic and#sosgrande on Twitter to congratulate the footballer

The banner / PHOTO: GERMAN PARGA

Lionel Messi received a tribute from FC Barcelona for beating César Rodríguez ’ all-time historic top goal scoring record of 232 goals. Messi broke the legendary mark with a hat-trick against Granada , which took his tally to 234 goals in official matches.
The Club organized the tribute for the Argentine to coincide with tonight’s match against Athletic Club. First, an event was scheduled for the familyof César to hand over the honour to Messi’s family. The symbolic transfer of the historic record was made with a Barça jersey and President Sandro Rosell gave signed boots from both the goal scorers to the families of both footballers.
Emma Revillo , widow of the 'Five Cup' striker, and Julia Ischerland , granddaughter of the player, met with Rodrigo Messi , brother of the Argentine. They were all photographed in the presidential box at the Camp Nou. Vice president of the Athletic Area, Josep Bartomeu , director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta , and president of the Barça Players Association, Ramon Alfonseda Pous were present.
Before tonight’s match, the stadium’s big screens showed an overview of the best goals from some of the Club’s best strikers.
A giant banner for an out-of-this-world player
After the meeting, the big surprise of the night was revealed, a banner that was 47 meters long by 46 wide; a total of 2,162 square meters unfurled along the far side of the stadium. In fact, this was the biggest banner to ever grace the Camp Nou in the history of the Club. The banner had two slogans: “Leo, ets únic! ¡Sos grande!†[“Leo, you’re unique! You’re the biggest!]
The Club is also promoting these two slogans on Twitter, asking followers to congratulate the Argentine with the following hastags: #etsunic#sosgrande

FCB,

Sergi Garcia

 

[Classik]

Valdés equals Rexach with 449 matches forFC Barcelona
WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 03/31/2012 23:29
The Barça keeper is now the fourth player to play the most matches for Barça in the Club’s history behind Migueli, Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández
Andrés Iniesta played in his 397th match and Dani Alves has played 300 games in La Liga

Valdés / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
Iniesta in the Top 10
Andrés Iniesta played his 397th game for the Club this evening. The midfielder is now in the ‘Top Ten’ list of Barça players to play the most games for FC Barcelona - he’s level with Quim Rifé. Dani Alves played in his 300th La Liga match(175 played for Sevilla). He’s played 125 Liga matched for Barça in 4 seasons.
Tonight against Athletic Club, Víctor Valdés played his 449th match for Barça which allows the keeper to draw level with Carles Rexach as the fourth player with the most games played for FC Barcelona. The keeper made his debut on September 1st 2002 under Louis van Gaal , in the match the pitted Barça against Atlético Madrid; the game ended in a two-all draw. The 20-year-old, at the time, alternated the starting position in the Barça’s XI with the Argentine Bonano . After nine years and seven months since his debut, Valdés is now level with Rexach, ‘The kid from Pedralbes,’ who played as a center striker for Barça from 1965 through 1981.
Fourth after Migueli
Valdés is the fourth player with the most games for FC Barcelona in the history of the Club. He’s also the keeper that’s defended the Barça goal the most in the Club’s 113-year history. Barça’s third captain falls behind Migueli (449), Puyol (550), and Xavi Hernández , who has 617 games for FC Barcelona.
The competition that Valdés has played the mostin is La Liga, with 324 match, followed by the Champions League, with 90. These two tournaments have monopolized the matches played by the player. In the Cup, he’s only played12 matches, 5 in the UEFA Cup, 8 in the Spanish Super Cup, 3 in the European Super Cup and 6 in the Club World Cup.
18 titles to his name
Valdés’ first title came in the 2004/05 season. Since then, the keeper has won four Ligas, three Champions Leagues, one King’s Cup, two European Super Cups, five Spanish Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
Four Zamora awards
The keeper has also won four Zamora Trophies. This award is given to the keeper that conceded the least amount of goals throughout a La Liga season. He’s only one away from the legendary Ramallets , who has five.
Valdés won last year’s Zamora title with a coefficient of 0.5 goals per game - Liaño is the only keeper to have a better rate in goal, in 1994the keeper only allowed 0.47 goals per game. Valdés is level with Cañizares and Juan Acuña.

FCB

 

[Classik]

FCB-Athletic Club: Top quality victory (2-0)



04/01/2012 00:24
Barça have beaten Athletic Bilbao in an intense, lively game in which both sides played some exquisite football
But the home side enjoyed most of the possession and also the chances, and eventually won through thanks to goals from Iniesta and Messi (penalty)

Messi, Iniesta i Alves, contra l'Athletic Club. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
Barça v Athletic Bilbao was as good a game as people had expected, with both teams showing why they are getting so much praise of late. These are two sides that like to keep possession of the ball, and in that respect it was Barça that came out tops – something which clearly unsettled their Basque visitors. The home side had all the chances in the first half, and also the only goal, an absolute beauty from Iniesta. Both sides were clearly treating the game with the utmost intensity, and we were also treated to a fascinating tactical battle between two of the most respected coaches in the competition. Messi, on an evening on which he received a special tribute for becoming the highest goalscorer in FCB history, settled the result in thesecond half from the penalty spot. It was a hard-fought victory for the Catalans, and the three points serve to keep their league title hopes very much alive.
Catalan initiative
Both sides had clearly made modifications to their starting elevens with European commitments in mind, but Barça were firing on all cylinders regardless. The Athletic players were clearly stunned by such an ambitious opening. After just five minutes Piqué had a shot turned wide and two minutes later Thiago had agoal disallowed for offside. Bilbao’s plan to use the wings just didn’t seem to be working for them, and neither could they find a way to work the ball forwards out of defence. Try as they could to take the initiative, they were clearly struggling to hold onto possession for any sizeable period of time. The game was Barça’s for the taking.
Iniesta strikes
Just when the pace seemed to be slowing, the 88,207 strong crowd started chanting the name of “Abidal! Abidal!†in honour of the minute that coincided with the Frenchman’s shirt number. That seemed to be the inspiration the Barcelona players needed. Messi almost surprised Bilbao keeper Gorka with a quickly taken free kick from far out, and from the ensuing corner, Aurtenetxe cleared a Piqué effort off the goal line. It was all Barça, but although they couldn’t get the ball, the visitors were exceptionally disciplined at the back. Messi was subjected to some especially tight marking, and as a result, Barça were failing to find their usual magic over the last few metres.
But the Basque wall was finally broken down in the 40th minute. Alexis won the ball in midfield and threaded it forwards to Messi. The Argentinian supplied a quick assist to Iniesta, who came in from behind to slam the ball home with verve. 1-0. And Barça had chances to extendthat lead before the break, with Gorka twice being called upon to deal with angled shots from Messi and Adriano. A delightful 45 minutes of football ended with the Catalans ahead by a solitary goal.
Messi makes no mistake
Marcelo Bielsa sought to change the pattern in the second half by sending on two of his prize assets, Ander and Muniain, while striker Llorentewould be the third substitute. That helped Athletic to start creating more danger but Barça managed to contain everything that was throwntheir way, with Piqué and Mascherano being particularly effective in limiting the potential damage. Meanwhile, Tello was impressing in up front. It was he who tested Gorka to the limit with a brilliantly swerved shot, and it was also he who was brought down for a penalty that was coolly converted by Leo Messi in the 57th minute.
Holding on
Barça held onto their lead the way they know best – by keeping the ball away from their opponents. And also by not letting off in attack. In the 67th minute, Gorka came to his team’s rescue yet again, this time to save an exquisite effort from Iniesta, who was replaced shortly after by Xavi. Keita also came on as Guardiola sought to make sure Bilbao didn’t spring any nasty late surprises. Something they almost did through Muniain, but Piqué was there just in time. That was the start of a late flurry from the visitors, but it was ultimately in vain, and Barça very nearly made it three when Keita’s shot hit the crossbar. The three points mean that the Catalans stay within six points of the league leaders, and were also a massive confidence boost ahead of the crunch game with Milan on Tuesday night.

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

Iniesta: "We'll have our chance in La Liga"



04/01/2012 01:34
The Barça midfielder, who scored the opener against Athletic, highlighted the competitive spirit of Bielsa’s team and Barça’s ability to combat the Basque’s play
After the victory in La Liga, the Barça team is focusing on the return match of the Champions League quarterfinal against AC Milan

Iniesta celebrating his goal / PHOTO: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
Iniesta celebrating his goal / PHOTO: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
Training session on Sunday
Barça will hold a closed-door training session this Sunday at 11:30 at the Ciutat Esportiva Sant Joan Despí. Pedro will hold a post-training press conference.
Thiago: “Passing the ball and maintaining ball possession won us the match"
Iniesta: "We’ll see 90 thrilling minutes against Milan"
Three more points in La Liga were secured ahead of the decisive Champions League quarterfinal match against AC Milan this Tuesday. Barça restored the six-point gap with Real Madrid after the Catalans beat Athletic Club 2-0 . The players highlighted the importance of tonight’s victory as the team is now on an eight-match winning streak in La Liga.
Andrés Iniesta , who said it was difficult to beat the Basque team at the Camp Nou, said, “the game was very demanding, I think the team played a very good match. Athletic forced all of our players, from the keeper to the last player, toplay well. We played a fantastic match.â€
The midfielder praised Barça’s rival: “they didn’t create a lot of goalscoring chances, but they demanded a lot of us. We have to give value to this victory, because if you lower the intensity at any moment against Athletic, they roll right over you.â€
A goal celebrated with euphoria...
Iniesta also explained why he celebrated his goal with so much enthusiasm: “scoring goals is always a joy, that’s why I celebrated with so much intensity. It just came out that way, I always want to help and play well.
“The goal was after a fast play, we were able to catch them while they weren’t paying attention,†said Iniesta. Barça, who hope to catchReal Madrid at the top of the table, remain alive in La Liga after a “beautiful match.†Iniesta added, “we needed to win the three points today, that’s what’s really important. If we keep on winning all three points each week we’ll have a chance to win the title at the end of the season.â€
... now it’s time to focus on the Champions League
Iniesta talked about the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against AC Milan. “We have to win, that’s the reality. At home, with our fans, we have to get to the next round and we must go into the match with confidence. We’ll see 90 thrilling minutes,†said the midfielder.
Here are the statements made by Barça players after the match against Athletic:
Thiago Alcántara :
“We have to congratulate Athletic Club for their fantastic match. Furthermore, they are having a great season, they are a very young team and what they are achieving is meritorious. It’s not a coincidence that they are doing so well.
“Passing the ball and maintaining ball possession won us the match. It was important to keep a high pace throughout the match.â€
On the King’s Cup Final: “there is still a lot left, when we meet again we’ll be two very differentteams. We’ll see pure football, we’re two sides that like to play the ball.â€
On the tie against Milan: “this match will also be decided by ball possession.â€
On the team’s situation in La Liga: “we hope to cut into their lead. We believe we can make a comeback. Everything is possible and we can fight, however, we aren’t dependent on ourselves.â€
Cristian Tello:
“Athletic played a very intense match. They were all over us, but it’s important that we won.
“The penalty is a satisfaction for me and for the team. We’re doing well and we have a good tone in our matches.â€
Sergio Busquets:
“Milan will look to hit us on the counterattack. A tough match awaits us.
“There’s still a lot of Liga left, we’ll keep on trying until the end.â€
Gerard Piqué :
“What a fantastic match! Congratulations to Athletic for the fantastic team they have and for the football that they play. It’s spectacular.â€

FCB,

Sergi Garcia

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: “Athletic Club Bilbao take you tothe limit"



04/01/2012 01:40
The Barça manager noted Barça’s defensive intensity as one of the keys to Barça’s victory over Athletic Club, who, according to the manager, “gave a lesson in mentality and how if you want to succeed, you canâ€
Guardiola is convinced that that King’s Cup Final will be “fantastic,†and he doubts it could possibly be more intense than tonight’s match
The manager said that “it’s a gift to football to have people like Bielsaâ€

Bartomeu: “The Cup final will be a different storyâ€
FC Barcelona’s first vice president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said that Athletic Club is a team that “plays football very well†and that he’s convinced that the King’s Cup Final next May will be “a totally different match†to tonight’s game at the Camp Nou. For Bartomeu, “a final has nothing to do with a La Liga match. It’ll be a different story.†On the other hand, with Barça maintaining the six-point gap with Real Madrid, Bartomeu said that Los Blancos are “having a fantastic season†and that Barça must “work hard, win our matches, and if they lose points, allthe better.â€
The vice president also talked about the tribute to Leo Messi before the match: “he’s the biggest, the best. We have to live this story that this player is making with us.â€
El vicepresident s’ha referit també a l’homenatge que Leo Messi ha rebut abans del partit: “És el més gran, el millor. Hem de viure aquesta història que el jugador està fent amb nosaltres.â€
Josep Guardiola considers that Athletic Club Bilbao , keeping their Europa League match this week in mind, gave “a lesson to all athletes on how to manage situations, with or without difficulties.†The Barça manager said that Barça “put in one of the most brilliant defensive displays†in memory in order to beat Bielsa’s team. “Bilbao takes you to the limit of tension and effort. They force you to put in a good effort to win the match. If you don’t play with intensity,they roll right over you,†he added.
“Mascherano is a one-of-a-kind signingâ€
The Barça manager praised his team for their performance tonight, but he especially singled out Gerard Piqué , Javier Mascherano and Adriano : “we’ve missed Gerard for the better part of the year. He’s back to his necessary playing form. He and Mascherano played a great game. Javier is an almost unimaginable signing. He’s the type of player that a manager wouldn’t trade for anything, and would never sell. He’s a unique signing, we’er very pleased to have him. Ialso want to highlight Adriano’s effort.â€
Guardiola gives great value to the three points the team secured from tonight’s “very complicated†match. When asked about Barça’s next match against Milan, the Barça manager said: “Athletic Bilbao doesn’t defend, they come for you. It’s completely different from Milan, it’s like night and day.â€
Finally, after saying that Cesc didn’t play tonight aa precaution , Guardiola said the next match at the Camp Nou this Tuesday, the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal, is “the most important match of the year†and, at the same time, “the most beautiful one.â€

FCB,

VANESSA FORNS

 

[God's_gift]

so unfair Classik...:-( :-(:-( i believe you don't wan't this thread went to dead threads:-( sports column is nothing without you bro

 

[Classik]

Oops! I should have told you someone takes over the updates, I believe: you and/or... Mike will soon quit American Football for good, Elijah too.

 

[Classik]

El Barça v Athletic Club Bilbao, in figures
WWW.FCBARCELONA.COM 04/01/2012 12:05
The biggest crowd of the season in the League at the Camp Nou, and the eighth straight win in the competition, are just some of the stats from the game this Saturday

Messi / PHOTO: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
FC Barcelona's win against Athletic Bilbao (2-0) leaves us some curious stats that are reviewed below:
- Magic month of March for Messi . The Argentinian striker has scored 12 goals in seven games.
- The victory against Bielsa’s Athletic Bilbao is the eighth consecutive win in the League.
- Messi, with 27 goals, equalled the record for goals at home in a League season, held by Zarra (season 1950-1951) and Baltazar (1988-1989).
- Iniesta has never lost a game that he scored in. With Barça, he’s accumulated a balance of 35 wins and three draws. For Spain, he has 10 wins and a draw.
- Andres kept up his unbeaten record: he has now played 53 consecutive games without defeat in the League. Furthermore, he scored goal number 50 of his football career, 39 goals ina Barça shirt, and 11 in international matches.
- The Camp Nou recorded the biggest crowd of the season in the League with 88,207 spectators.
- Andres Iniesta , this Saturday against Athletic Club Bilbao played his 397th match, allowing themidfielder to enter the top ten in FC Barcelona's history, equalling the game splayed by Quim Rifé.
- Alves and Mascherano were able to withstand the Barque pressure and were the players who won most balls: 13.
- Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets was the Barça player who received most fouls: 4.
- Valdés equalled Rexach’s numbers, with 449 games for FC Barcelona . The Barça goalkeeper isthe fourth most capped player in a Barça shirt, behind Migueli, Carles Puyol, and Xavi Hernandez.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Mascherano: "We have to keep working, and win every game from here to the end"
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/01/2012 12:34
The Argentinian defender was proud of the work carried out by the first team in the game against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday
"We were a bit surprised, especially how our rival made us work so hard" said the player

Mascherano està content amb la victòria blaugrana davant l'Athletic / FOTO: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
Mascherano està content amb la victòria blaugrana davant l'Athletic / FOTO: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
Grateful to the Club
Mascherano is delighted with the support received from the fans, and Barça, since he arrived. "The Club has given me more than I have given back, but hopefully I can continue giving something back, by playing well, and trying to give my all" he said, and added that "allthis just fantastic for me. "
Javier Mascherano praised his team's victory against Athletic Bilbao, 2-0, in the interview after the game on the Barça TV program “El Marcadorâ€. The Argentinian player said that "it was that type of game, at a physical level, as demanding as we’ve had" and added that Bilbaoare a team that "over and above whether you like them, or like their footballing philosophy, they pressurise you all over the pitch".
The defender was delighted with his teams’ effort, as well as with the end result. "You have to give a bit more, and I think the team did that, and that’s why we won, as well as playing a great game" he said. Mascherano also stated that "we were very good, and created a lot of chances; it may not have been noticeable, but the game was really demanding".
"Spectacular", the Messi banner
Mascherano was thrilled with the huge banner that Barça fans dedicated to his compatriot, Lionel Messi, at the start of the match: "Just seeing the banner gave me goosebumps" he said, and pointed out that "for him, it was spectacular. That your own people, people who saw you grow up as a sportsman, appreciate youso much, and let you know it with this type of gesture, is just spectacular".
Complimentary about Pique and Guardiola
Mascherano also commented about the controversies that have been created around his teammate Gerard Pique. "Football is often very unfair. Gerard has given so much to FC Barcelona since he came back, not only in terms of titles, but with the way he’s always played" said the defender. He added that it is an honor to play alongside Pique, and the rest of his teammates:"Playing alongside the likes of Gerard and Puyol has given me lots of confidence".
Javier Mascherano had only kind words for his manager. "We are talking about one of the best managers in the world, if not the best," he said. He added that working with Guardiola is "a constant learning process", and emphasised Pep’s desire for continual innovation. "He alwayscomes up with some surprise, or some detail, that helps us win the game, or helps the team to feel comfortable on the pitch" he said, and pointed out that "it’s what makes Pep different from the rest of the managers†.
Focussed on the match against Milan
"Coming into a game as important as Tuesday’s there’s no way you can be tired†he said in reference to the game on Tuesday against Milan in the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Mascherano also stressed that"when you have something so important to do, you forget everything and your body just responds".

FCB

 

[Classik]

Recovery work and focus
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/01/2012 12:46
The first team trained this Sunday, already focussing on the game against Milan in the Champions League this coming Tuesday
The squad from last night’s game against Bilbao did some recovery work and were joined by 10 players from the B Team

Un instant de l'entrenament d'aquest diumenge.FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
Un instant de l'entrenament d'aquest diumenge.FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
A few hours after beating a brave Athletic Bilbao outfit, Barça trained behind closed doors at the Joan Gamper training ground. The fixture schedule offers no respite. On Tuesday the first team face one of the most important games of the season: the return leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Milan, at the Camp Nou. This Sunday, at midday, the reigning Champions of Europe began to prepare for the match.
Light work for last night’s players
Those who played on Saturday did some light recovery work. The rest of the available players, as well as Abidal and Afellay, trained normally. Ten players from Barça B trained with the group:Oier, Tello, Montoya, Muniesa, Deulofeu, Carmona, Espinosa, Gustavo, Sergi Gomez, and Rosell.
The first team will train again on Monday, behind closed doors, from 18.00 at the Camp Nou.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Barça Toons, the most watched FC Barcelona video on YouTube in March
WWW.FCBARCELONA.COM 04/01/2012 13:24
The interview with Alex Morgan, the most outstanding player of the United States national team ranks as the second video with more reproductions
Three Messi videos make the ‘top ten’ and one remains the most liked

FC Barcelona - Els Barça Toons animen el Barça-Bayer
FC Barcelona - Els Barça Toons animen el Barça-Bayer
The tribute to Messi starts strongly
The tribute to the Argentinian striker , the last video downloaded onto YouTube, to mark Messi’s historic milestone, which made him the top scorer in the history of FC Barcelona, was viewed over 91,000 times in less than 24 hours.
More than 450,000 Internet users enjoyed the video of Barça Toons, which was made to animate the fans for the return match of the last 16 of the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen, played on March 7.
Other videos also had a major impact on the network, one of which, the interview with Alex Morgan , is in second place, with more than 430,000 reproductions. Next came the video "Messi, DNA Barça" , which was the third most watched video in March and became the most liked, according to ratings from users.
Other videos that created interest
Just off the podium was the visit from Justin Tuck , champions of the latest Super Bowl with the New York Giants, to a first team training session. The fifth most watched video in March was the spectacular ball work session where the Barcelona players didn’t let the ball touch the ground.
Also included in the 'top ten' of most seen were the videos related to the campaign 'We are what we do. We are what we propose' , the preparations by Barça Toons for the game against Milan, the report on Cesar and Messi , the official photo of the Barça first team , and the first part of the report 'The Lionel Messi Story’ .

FCB

 

[Classik]

Pedro: "We can’t be overconfident against Milan"



04/01/2012 14:52
The Barcelona striker warned that on Tuesday the team must be alert throughout the 90 minutes against the Italian team, because "they are able to change the scoreline at any time"
Pedro acknowledged that "I’m lacking the coolness in front of goal" of other years, but "I’m here to help the team"

Pedro / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
Pedro / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
"Podem dominar, però mai te’n pots fiar, ja que en qualsevol moment et poden capgirar el marcadorâ€
Pedro Rodriguez acknowledged this Sunday in the press room of the training ground, that probably, Tuesday's game against Milan, in the return leg of the quarter-finals of the ChampionsLeague, "is the most important…….it will be a tough game. They won’t make things easy for us and we’ll have to play really well". Pedro recalled the match that the two teams played at the Camp Nou in the group stage, which ended ina 2-2 draw. "Milan has great players, they’re a great team and they’ll make things difficult for us. We may dominate the game, but you can never be overconfident, because at anytime theycan change the scorelineâ€. So, Pedro joined the appeal for the support of the fans on Tuesday.
"It will be difficult but not impossible"
As for the attempt to catch Real Madrid in the League, Pedro doesn’t think it’s such an outlandish idea. "We know we can do it. Madrid have a good lead but we just have to take it game by game, playing as we are now, and hoping that they slip up, so we can reduce the difference. It’ll be difficult because they are playing at such a high level, but we are in our best moment of the season with the mentality tobe able to do it…………it will be difficult but not impossible."
"I am here to help the team"
Speaking personally, Pedro recognised that "I'm feeling good both in training and in games….I’m lacking the coolness in front of goal that I had in previous years, and perhaps that’s what I need to get back to be in the starting line-up" he said. He added that "I am eager to help the team. The manager has the final say as to whether I’m in the starting eleven, but I will always be here to help the team, because the most important thingis to get the victory, and go through".

FCB,

Anna Segura

 

[God's_gift]

Go, Milan!!! Classik will kill me ( he's no longer here) , i'm cheering for Milan...

 

[Classik]

Go, Milan!!! Classik will kill me ( he's no longer here) , i'm cheering for Milan...

Pipe dream
Don't make me buy a cannon for you. I will definitely use it.:bigfrown :biglol