Wazzup with FC BARCELONA?!! (News)

[Classik]

Messi, could make it to 300 games on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu

On 16 October 2004 a youngster from the reserve team called Leo Messi played his first game for Barça. That 17 year old has now played299 official matches and scored 213 goals

He has won three consecutive Ballon d’Ors, and is arguably not just the greatest player in the world right now, but the greatest that ever lived

Leo Messi / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB


Indomitable spirit

Tito Vilanova has known Messi since he was 14, and once said that "Messi won't accept defeat because he is a winner and fights against injustices, because he wants to win. The more hegets kicked and the worse the referee's decisions are, the more he wants the ball and the better he plays". That may be one of the reasons why he is the greatest player in the world.


Barça were playing at the Olympic Stadium, Montjuïc, against Espanyol early in the 2004/05 season. Manager Frank Rijkaard was struggling with injuries and called on five Barça B players to cover the gaps, namely Rubén, Peña, Damià, Cristian and Messi. The latter was an attacking midfielder who on 14 December 2000, aged just 13, had signed his first contract with Barça on a serviette. Since then, he had flown up the ranks and by that 2004/05 season had won a regular place in the B team, coached by Pere Gratacós.


Messi was the only one of the quintet to get on the pitch that night . He replaced Deco, who had scored the only goal of the game, in the 82nd minute. The Argentinian showed no signs of stage fright. He played confidently and almost stole the ball from Espanyol keeper Kameni to score and also went on a dangerously penetrating solo run in the final seconds. It was written in the papers the next day that "Messi is with us because he's a class act and his dribbling is excellent". The boy had talent.


Early days


He ended up playing nine games that season, seven in the league, one on the UCL and one in the cup. At the Camp Nou on May 1, 2005, Messi became the youngest player ever to score for Barcelona in the league . That was against Albacete, when Messi was still just 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, and was a splendid chip that thwarted visiting keeper Valbuena. That record has since been beaten by Bojan, but was just the start of it where this record breaker is concerned. His real breakthrough was in the Joan Gamper match against Juventus in the summer of 2005, and then there was his incredible goal in the Copa del Rey of 2006/07 against Getafe. But the best was yet to come.


Apotheosis under Guardiola

Until 2007/08, with Rijkaard on the bench, Messi had scored 42 goals in 110 matches and had already proved his worth, despite living under the shadow of greats like Ronaldinho and Deco. That changed when Pep Guardiola took charge of the team and converted the Argentinian into the leader of the team, giving him more of a freereign to demonstrate his true value, and in particular his amazing talent for scoring goals. He has scored 171 goals in 189 games with Guardiola as manager .


Records and more records

Since the 2008/09 season, Messi has broken all kinds of records at Barça. It's a never-ending list:

-Youngest player to score 100 goals in official matches: 22 years (16 January 2010).
-Youngest player to score 200 goals in official matches: 24 years (1 November 2011).
- Only player to win the Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Player, Pichichi and Golden Boot in the same season (2009/10) .
-Youngest player to win the Ballon d'Or three times: 9 January 2012 when he won the third aged 24 years, 6 months and 17 days.
- Highest scorer in official matches in one season : 53 goals in 2010/11 (31 in La Liga, 12 in the Champions League, 7 in the Copa del Rey and 3 in the Spanish Super Cup). Tied with Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), who also got 53 goals in one season.
- Top Barça scorer in international competitions: 48 goals (43 in Champions League, one in European Supercup and 4 in Clubs World Cup).
As well as the 18 team titles he has won with Barça , Messi was FIFA World Player in 2009, top scorer in Spain and Europe in 2009/10 and winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2009, 2010 and 2011. There is no doubt that Barça fans are a privileged few to be able to enjoy Messi playing week in week out.

FCB,

Manel Tomàs

 

[Classik]

Allegations against Iniesta yellow card


WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT

The club’s legal services have presented video evidence that Andrés Iniesta should not have been booked

Andrés Iniesta / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

On Tuesday, FC Barcelona presented allegations to the Competition Committee that the referee was wrong to issue a yellow card to midfielder Andrés Iniesta in the 68th minute of last weekend's game with Betis. The appeal includes video evidence.


Referee Iglesias Villanueva booked Iniesta for diving in the Betis area, but the video clearly shows that the player only fell because he had been fouled by a defender.

FCB

 

[Classik]

PENYES

The Penya Blaugrana Almogàvers Garrotxins now has its crest at the Camp Nou

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Before the Barça v Betis match, the first crest of the year was unveiled

PB Almogàvers Garrotxins


The Penya Blaugrana Almogàvers Garrotxins was celebrating last Sunday. After a long wait, their crest was finally added to the Barcelona architecture.

On the North Ramp in the stadium, just before the match between Barça and Betis, some 40 members of the club were in attendance for this emblematic event. Led by their president Jordi Compte , it was an emotional moment when their plaque was added to the façade of the Camp Nou.


Dani Sala , director of the Penyes Commission, was the man with the honour of pulling back theveil, along with the delegate for the Supporters Clubs Advisory Council for South Girona, Joaquim Vall.llosera , and the president of the supporters club itself. Once officially inaugurated, the members were able to enjoy a thrillingly intensegame with Betis, which ended in 4-2 triumph for the home side.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Abidal, ‘Força i esperit blaugrana’ (Strengthand Barça spirit)

www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-17-2012 16:49

The French international, who will sign a one-year contract extension with an option for two additional seasons, has turned become a reference point of this Barça team

Abidal, ‘Força i esperit blaugrana’

Éric Abidal will continue wearing the FC Barcelona shirt for at least one more season after the agreement to renew the Frenchman’s contract until June 30, 2012 with an option to extend said contract for two additional seasons, was made public yesterday. The defender started his Barça career in the summer of 2007 and in his four and a half years as a FCB player he’s managed to become a fan favourite and a leader on and off the pitch

FCB

 

[Classik]

A brief history of the Spanish Cup clásico


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-17-2012 15:37


Over the 107-year history of the competition, Barça and Madrid have faced off against each other 17 times, 6 of which were championship matches. Remarkably, both teams maintain a nearly even record against each other: 9 wins and 59 goals scored for Barça, and 8 wins and 56 goals scored for Real Madrid.

Sotil playing against Real Madrid

Football supporters from around the world are in for a treat as the mouth-watering clash between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in King ’ sCup quarter-final is just a day away. While the last tie between the two teams in the competition happened just nine months ago, when Madrid narrowly edged Barça for the title in overtime (1-0), meetings between the two sides in the Spanish Cup are a relatively rare occurrence. In the competition’s 107-year history, Barça and Madrid have only been pitted against each other 17 times*. Interestingly enough, both teams have a remarkably even record against each other in the competition: nine wins for FC Barcelona, three of which came in championship matches, and eight for Real Madrid, similarly, three of those were title-winning games.


1901-1925 Copa Alfonso XIII

In the first quarter century of the 1900s, Barça and Madrid met in the Spanish Cup, then known as the Copa Alfonso XIII , three times (1901/02, 1915/16, 1925/26). The first two meetings saw both teams fight for a spot in the championship match in the semi-finals. Barça beat Real Madrid in the first ever Cup clásico by 3-1 and Real Madrid returned the favour 15 years later in an astounding two-leg tie that required two tie break matches (Agg:11-15). In each instance, both teams lost in the final to Bizcaya and Athletic Club , respectively. In 1925/26, the competition brought the two teams together once again, this time in the quarter-final, Barça beat Madrid in both the away (1-5) and home legs (3-0). Barça went on to claim the title that year after beating Atlético Madrid in the final (3-2).

In 1935/36, Madrid lifted the trophy, then called the Copa Presidente, after beating Barça in whatwas the first final between the two sides in the competition (1-2).

1942-1974 Copa Generalísimo

Barça and Madrid faced each other eight times inthe Cup from 1942 through 1974. The first meeting between the two sides during this period was in the semi-final of the 1942/43 season, Barça beat Real Madrid at home by 3-0 but lost in the return leg 11-1 (Agg: 4-11). Over the following three decades both teams played against each other seven times, with a balance of four wins for Barça, the most notable of whichwere the 1956/57 quarter-final victory (Agg: 8-3) and the 1967/68 title-winning match at the Santiago Bernabéu (0-1), and three wins for RealMadrid, the most important being the 4-0 final win at the Vicente Calderón in 1973/74.


1982-2011 Copa del Rey

With the competition's current moniker, Barça and Madrid played each other five times, three of which have been championship matches. In 1982/83 and 1989/90, Barça and Madrid played in the Cup final, on both occasions the Catalans lifted the trophy (2-1 and 2-0, respectively). Real Madrid, reigning champions, beat Barça in overtime in last year’s final (0-1).

* FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have played 29 matches against each other in the Spanish Cup. All meetings between both teams, with the exception of championship matches and the match in 1901/02, were two-legged ties.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Guardiola names 19-man squad for Cup tie


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-17-2012 19:44

Guardiola names the 15 available first-team players and Barça B’s Cuenca, Montoya, Dos Santos, and Sergi Roberto to FC Barcelona’s squad ahead of the quarter-final tie against RealMadrid

Guardiola must discard one player before tomorrow's match / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB


Josep Guardiola has named the 15 first-team players and Barça B’s Cuenca , Montoya , Dos Santos and Sergi Roberto to the Barça squad for tomorrow’s Cup tie against Madrid. The 19 players trained this afternoon at the Ciutat Esportiva in Barça’s final training session before tomorrow’s match.


Recuperation programme for Pedro


One of the injured players also made it to Sant Joan Despí this afternoon. Pedro Rodríguez , who was injured in Pamplona, started his recuperation programme at Barça’s training facilities.

The team will leave the Ciutat Esportiva for Madrid this Wednesday at 10.15. Their charter flight will takeoff at 11.00 and arrive an hour later in Barajas, Madrid. Once there, the team will make their way to the Eurostars hotel and stay there until game time (22.00, Canal + and Radio Barça).

FCB

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: “It's impossible to be favouritesagainst Madridâ€


The manager’s balance against Madrid is eight victories, three draws, and one defeat

Guardiola confirmed that Pinto will be the starting keeper and that Tito Vilanova will travelto Madrid

Guardiola's press conference before the match against Madrid / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB


He congratulated the Club on the Cultural Formation Plan

Pep Guardiola congratulated the board of directors and the Conselleria de Cultura of the Generalitat of Catalonia for implementing the Cultural Formation Plan for the residents of the Masía . The objective of the plan is to enrich the academic and athletic lives of the youngsters. “Only culture will get us out of the hole we’re in. These things fill me with pride,†said Guardiola.

"The only way to get a good result and to have a chance in the tie is to go with the idea of winning the matchâ€

“I’m planning on playing Pinto because he deserves it, he’s an excellent keeperâ€


“Whatever happened before this doesn’t matter.†That’s how clear Josep Guardiola was when he was asked if FC Barcelona is favoured in tomorrow’s Cup match because of Barça’s recent results against Madrid. The Barça boss will direct his team in what will be his 13th showdown against the all-whites since he arrived to the FCB bench, so far he’s won eight of those matches, drawn three and only been defeated once . Guardiola, however, isn’t thinking about past clásicos seeing that this Wednesday “we’re playing a new game.†He also warned that Madrid “ is the strongest rival that we could possibly come across †and that against them “no one can feel as though they are favourites.â€


Guardiola echoed Xavi ’s point of view that Barçacannot afford to go to Madrid hoping to secure a draw even though it’s a two-legged tie. “ You’re waisting your time if you go to Madrid to be prudent. The games there are eternal, and they run right over you. †The manager said that “the only way to get a good result and to have a chance in the tie is to go with the idea of winning the match.†He recalled his playing dayswhen Barça would visit Madrid saying, “if we played thinking that we had a return leg to play we’d get burned.â€


Pinto to start

Guardiola confirmed that José Manuel Pinto , traditionally the starting keeper in the King’s Cup, will also start at the Bernabéu tomorrow night. “I’m planning on playing Pinto because he deserves it, he’s an excellent keeper.†The manager went on to say that “I’d betray myself and him†if he didn’t pick the Spaniard to start. He added, “I don’t doubt him. He doesn’t participate as much but I don’t believe anyone doubts him.â€


Abidal’s contract extension

The manager was pleased with the news about Abidal ’s contract renewal : “it’s great news. Finding a player like him on the market is difficult. You know what I think about him as a pson. He leaves his mark on people, and he’s a fantastic player. †The Barça boss said that having Abidal on the team allows for tactical flexibility and “variance.â€

FCB,

Anna Segura

 

[Classik]

Madrid-FC Barcelona: Clásicos are always welcome


01-18-2012 09:30

The tie is reminiscent of last year’s Cup final, where the all-whites won 0-1

The match will have many absentees of note: Villa, Pedro, Arbeloa, and Khedira

Barça won the last clásico at the Bernabéu 1-3 / PHOTO: ARXIU FCB


The 8th clásico in 10 months, only 39 days after the 1-3 win in the Liga, will kickoff this evening. Despite the amount of games between the two sides of late, a Madrid-Barça is always welcome. Tonight, the rivalry extends to the King’s Cup in areplay of last season’s Cup final. The 0-1 loss last season was the only defeat Guardiola’s men have suffered to Madrid in their last 12 meetings. Tonight, Barça will attempt to regain their throne - they have the most Cup titles of any team - against the reigning champions.


A lot of absences

Even though both the teams’ biggest stars will be on the Bernabéu’s pitch tonight, it’s rather impossible to forget about the amount of players that will miss the match. Barça will be missing Afellay, Villa, Fontas and Pedro, all of whom are injured, and Keita, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Therefore, Guardiola only has 15 first-team players at his disposal and the manager has had to call up 4 Barça B players (Cuenca, Montoya, Dos Santos, and Sergi Roberto) to make ends meet. Mourinho, on the other hand, will be without the injured Khedira and Arbeloa, who is suspended.


A question of approach

One thing is for sure, FC Barcelona will go out tonight with one thing in mind: play attacking football. Guardiola may repeat the same startingline-up that beat Real Madrid 1-3 in the Liga, with the variant of Pinto for Valdés. Only time will tell.


Real Madrid’s approach to the game, however, is an enigma. Will they defend or look to attack? The uncertainty centers around whether or not Di María will make the squad, he’s been absent from Madrid’s recent matches, and who will play right-back, or who will play in the middle alongside Xabi Alonso.


All of these questions will be answered tonight at 22.00 (Canal + and Radio Barça), when the ball begins to roll in Madrid. An entertaining match is guaranteed, it’s a clásico.
FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[Classik]

The team arrives in Madrid


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-18-2012 12:01


Guardiola’s men, who will play in the Cup quarter-final this evening, arrived in Madrid at noonL

Pinto/ PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

Barça have arrived in Madrid , where the Catalanteam will play the first leg in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey . The team’s plane touched down in the capital a few minutes past noon.


The 19 players named to the Barça squad gathered with the coaching staff this morning, at09.45, at the Ciutat Esportiva and left for the airport half an hour later. Tito Vilanova accompanied the team and will be on the Barça bench along with Josep Guardiola at the Santiago Bernabéu .


The team travelled with the sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta , the institutional vice-president, Carles Vilarrubí , and the directors Jordi Mestres , Javier Bordas and Jordi Moix . President Rosell and the first Vice-President Josep Maria Bartomeu , and the directors Susana Monje , Joan Bladé , Manel Arroyo and Dídac Lee will join the Barça team in Madrid.

The team will stay at the Eurostars hotel, where they will remain until game time this evening.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Five Barça players named to UEFA.com's team


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-18-2012 12:20

Alves, Piqué, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi are the five FC Barcelona players that have been named to UEFA.com’s ideal team. Josep Guardiola was voted best manager


Barça is the club with the most representatives in the team, more than 4.5 million votes were cast by the website’s users

Iniesta and Messi celebrating a goal / PHOTO: ARXIU FCB


Barça players in UEFA.com's team

2010: Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi


2009: Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Leo Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the manager Josep Guardiola

2008: Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández and Leo Messi

2007: Éric Abidal

2006: Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and the manager Frank Rijkaard

2005: Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o

2004: Ronaldinho

2003: /

2002: Carles Puyol

2001: Patrik Andersson


FC Barcelona racks up yet another success. Five men from the team led by Josep Guardiola were named to UEFA.com ’s ideal team by users of the site. Alves , Piqué , Xavi , Iniesta and Messi were named to the team along with Casillas, Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Robben, Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Guardiola was named the best manager of the year, an award he also won in 2009. More than 4.5 million votes were cast.

It’s worth mentioning that eight Barça players, and Guardiola, were nominated to be part of the squad - only Valdés , Mascherano and Abidal didn’t make the team. The nominees were selected by the UEFA.comeditors.


Xavi and Messi’s fourth year

This is the fourth consecutive time that Xavi and Messi have been named to the team, while it’s Iniesta’s third and Piqué’s second. This is Alves’ second appearance in the UEFA.comsquad, however, his first time was when he was a Seville player.

FCB

 

[Classik]

The Committee upholds Iniesta's yellow card


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-18-2012 15:51

The yellow card shown to the midfielder was upheld, Barça will not appeal the decision

Iniesta in the game against Real Betis / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB


The Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Federation of Football (RFEF) have decided to uphold the yellow card shown to Andrés Iniesta during the match against Real Betis . The Committee contends that the post-match referee report accurately reflects what happened on the pitch.

FC Barcelona will not appeal the Competition Committee's decision.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Madrid-FC Barcelona: Clásicos are always welcome


The tie is reminiscent of last year'sCup final, where the all-whites won 0-1


The match will have many absentees of note: Villa, Pedro, Arbeloa, and Khedira

The 8th clasico in 10 months, only 39 days after the 1-3 win in the Liga, will kickoff this evening. Despite the amount of games between the two sides of late, a Madrid-Barça is always welcome. Tonight, the rivalry extends to the King's Cup in areplay of last season's Cup final. The 0-1 loss last season was the only defeat Guardiola's men have suffered to Madrid in their last 12 meetings. Tonight, Barça will attempt to regain their throne - they have the most Cup titles of any team - against the reigning champions.


A lot of absences

Even though both the team's biggest stars will be on the Bernabeu's pitch tonight, it's rather impossible to forget about the amount of players that will miss the match. Barça will be missing Afellay, Villa, Fontas and Pedro, all of whom are injured, and Keita, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Therefore, Guardiola only has 15 first-team players at his disposal and the manager has had to call up 4 Barça B players (Cuenca, Montoya, Dos Santos, and Sergi Roberto) to make ends meet. Mourinho, on the other hand, will be without the injured Khedira and Arbeloa, who is suspended.


A question of approach

One thing is for sure, FC Barcelona will go out tonight with one thing in mind: play attacking football. Guardiola may repeat the same startingline-up that beat Real Madrid 1-3 in the Liga, with the variant of Pinto for Valdés. Only time will tell.


Real Madrid's approach to the game, however, is an enigma. Will they defend or look to attack? The uncertainty centers around whether or not Di Maria will make the squad, he's been absent from Madrid's recent matches, and who will play right-back, or who will play in the middle alongside Xabi Alonso.


All of these questions will be answered tonight at 22.00 (Canal and Radio Barça), when the ball begins to roll in Madrid. An entertaining match is guaranteed, it's a Clasico.

FCB,

Roger Bogunya

 

[Classik]

Madrid - FC Barcelona: Happy birthday Pep! (1-2)


The team presented their manager, who on Wednesday celebrated his 41st birthday, with anepic comeback win at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Cup

Football triumphed again. FC Barcelona, with goals from Puyol and Abidal, defeated Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Cup quarterfinals, in a match that was similar to the league game (3-1), with regard to how the game went, with Madrid scoring first. The match left the same sensations as the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League (2-0 to Barça) regarding Madrid's approach to the game.In both previous games, just like on Wednesday, Guardiola's team won the game, and he can celebrate an unforgettable 41st birthday. It's his fifth win in Madrid.


The 2-1 margin could have been much greater. For Barça, the midfield controlled the game, and two defenders decided it, whilst for Madrid the forwards could only defend. Two football concepts which, in practice, meant that Barcelona totally dominated the game, and they'll go into the return leg at the Camp Nou (Wednesday 25th at 22.00, Canal + and Radio Barça) with a slight advantage.


The ball belonged to Barça

Guardiola gambled on the starting eleven that gave him victory in the league a month ago, withthe only change being Pinto for Valdés. Mourinho, however, came up with a surprising, and revolutionary, starting eleven, with Altintop at right-back, Carvalho as central defender, and Pepe in midfield. FC Barcelona had total possession from the start, whilst Madrid, with a crowded midfield, defended deep, in an approach similar to the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.


Ronaldo puts Madrid ahead

Cristiano Ronaldo, in a rapid counterattack that ended in a goal on 11 minutes, made Mourinho's tactics look good. The Portuguese player put Madrid ahead with the only shot on goal they had in the entire first half. The development of events was just like the Barça 3-1 win in the league, with Madrid scoring early on, but not unsettling Barça at all. They just carried on playing their football, and dominating the game,and Iniesta came close, Alexis, with a header onto the post, and Messi, almost tied up the game before halftime. They just didn't have any luck.


Puyol equaliser from a header

The equaliser came just after the break, with a sublime diving header from Puyol, from a Xavi corner, very similar to the goal he scored to make it 2-1 in the 6-2 win. Suddenly, a bad resultfor Barça became a goldmine to take back home The goal affected Madrid badly, and they weren't comfortable at all for the rest of the game.


Abidal is eternal

The goal to make it 1-1 further strengthened Barça's domination. Yet another authentic monologue in Madrid, and another shot against the post, this time from Iniesta. In a rare Madrid attack, Benzema responded with a header that also struck the woodwork. The game, however, was going Barca's way, and Messi played a fantastic ball to Abidal who made it 2-1. The Frenchman beat Casillas with a deft left foot finish. A delightful goal, a great result, and a fantastic birthday present for Guardiola.

Happy Birthday Pep!

FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: “We're playing against Madrid, I'm not taking anything for grantedâ€


01-19-2012 01:10

The Barça manager is pleased with the 1-2 result achieved at the Bernabéu but he warns that the second half of the tie still needs to be played and that Madrid is more than capable of securing their passage to the next round


Guardiola admits that he’s “surprised†at the factthat this is Barça’s seventh consecutive match at the Bernabéu without knowing defeat


“Alexis has stolen my heartâ€

During the post-match press conference, Guardiola lauded Alexis: “I want to especially congratulate Alexis, because he played a fantastic match. He’s stolen my heart. He’s youngand he came here with a lot of hope after renouncing a lot of things. He’s a hard worker and he scores ... he’s very loved. He’s also a very humble person. I believe that Barça made an extraordinary signing. He still hasn’t shown us what he’s capable of, when he does he’ll be even better.â€


"We still have 90 minutes, we’re playing againstMadrid, I’m taking nothing for granted"


"It’s true that we’re on a good trajectory, and we’re going home with the feeling that we acted like the team we truly are"


Josep Guardiola showed himself to be very satisfied with his team’s performance after Wednesday’s win in the quarter-final away-leg match of the King’s Cup (1-2). However, the manager was quick to point out the quality of Mourinho ’s side and added that he isn’t taking anything for granted in next week’s rematch at the Camp Nou: “ we still have 90 minutes left, we’re playing against Madrid, I’m taking nothingfor granted. They have the quality to win, we must be prepared. I insist that Madrid is capable of anything and we still have the return leg.â€


“We generated good play and goal-scoring chancesâ€


The manager, while stating that playing at the Santiago Bernabéu “is always demanding,†highlighted Barça’s game: “we’ve played a good game here once again. The most important thingis that we’ve played half of the tie and we managed to get a positive result. We controlled the game and we recovered well from Cristiano ’s initial goal. I believe we played a good game, we shouldn’t forget that we just played against Real Madrid. We generated good play and goal-scoring chances .â€


Guardiola admitted that he was a bit surprised that this was the seventh consecutive game in which Barça hadn’t lost at the Bernabéu: “you always think that sooner or later this will all end. It’s not normal because this stadium is very imposing. The players know the importance of playing in a stadium like this and they behave themselves well. I hope that the people at homeenjoyed the match. It’s true that we’re on a goodtrajectory, and we’re going home with the feeling that we acted like the team we truly are. Looking ahead to the return leg we have to study what we did right and what we did wrong.We have the second half of the tie still yet to play and we must be at a good level to reach thesemi-finals.â€


Long spells of possession

Lastly, after saying that Pinto “is a fantastic keeper†that gives him “a lot of confidence,†the manger revealed that before the match the team discussed the option of employing “long passes.†He added, “we wanted to have a gme plan that would allow us to score goals. We talked about having long spells of possession. We didn’t want to have forced errors, because we knew that we’d find the last pass, and we found it.â€

FCB,

VANESSA FORNS

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: "We're playing against Madrid, I'm not taking anything for granted"


01-19-2012 01:10

The Barca manager is pleased with the 1-2 result achieved at the Bernabeu but he warns that the second half of the tie still needs to be played and that Madrid is more than capable of securing their passage to the next round


Guardiola admits that he's "surprised" at the fact that this is Barca's seventh consecutive match at the Bernabeu without knowing defeat


"Alexis has stolen my heart"

During the post-match press conference, Guardiola lauded Alexis: "I want to especially congratulate Alexis, because he played a fantastic match. He's stolen my heart. He's young and he came here with a lot of hope after renouncing a lot of things. He's a hard worker and he scores ... He's very loved. He's also a very humble person. I believe that Barca made an extraordinary signing. He still hasn't shown us what he's capable of, when he does he'll be even better."


"We still have 90 minutes, we're playing against Madrid, I'm taking nothing for granted"


"It's true that we're on a good trajectory, and we're going home with the feeling that we acted like the team we truly are"


Josep Guardiola showed himself to be very satisfied with his team's performance after Wednesday's win in the quarter-final away-leg match of the King's Cup (1-2). However, the manager was quick to point out the quality of Mourinho's side and added that he isn't taking anything for granted in next week's rematch at the Camp Nou: "we still have 90 minutes left, we're playing against Madrid, I'm taking nothing for granted. They have the quality to win, we must be prepared. I insist that Madrid is capable of anything and we still have the return leg."


"We generated good play and goal-scoring chances"


The manager, while stating that playing at the Santiago Bernabeu is always demanding," highlighted Barca's game: "we've played a good game here once again. The most important thingis that we've played half of the tie and we managed to get a positive result. We controlled the game and we recovered well from Cristiano's initial goal. I believe we played a good game, we shouldn't forget that we just played against Real Madrid. We generated good play and goal-scoring chances ."


Guardiola admitted that he was a bit surprised that this was the seventh consecutive game in which Barca hadn't lost at the Bernabeu: "you always think that sooner or later this will all end. It's not normal because this stadium is very imposing. The players know the importance of playing in a stadium like this and they behave themselves well. I hope that the people at home enjoyed the match. It's true that we're on a goodtrajectory, and we're going home with the feeling that we acted like the team we truly are. Looking ahead to the return leg we have to study what we did right and what we did wrong.We have the second half of the tie still yet to play and we must be at a good level to reach thesemi-finals."


Long spells of possession

Lastly, after saying that Pinto "is a fantastic keeper" that gives him "a lot of confidence," the manger revealed that before the match the team discussed the option of employing "long passes." He added, "we wanted to have a game plan that would allow us to score goals. We talked about having long spells of possession. We didn't want to have forced errors, because we knew that we'd find the last pass, and we found it."

FCB,

VANESSA FORNS

 

[Classik]

Xavi: "We were superior to Real Madrid in their stadium"


WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 01-19-2012 01:38

The midfielder said that: "In general there was only one dominant team, Barca"


Training at 12.30

The team will return to Barcelona this Thursday and will hold a closed-door training session at 12.30 at the Ciutat Esportiva. Gerard Pique will hold a post-training press conference.


FC Barcelona once again came away from the Santiago Bernabeu with a win (1-2), and the players showed their happiness after the match, Xavi Hern¡§Â0„4ndez explained: "we're very pleased with the victory at the Bernabeu, this is a good period we're living in. We went out onto the field and we had a great time against a powerful and historic Madrid . We played a greatgame." The midfielder said that his team's play was superior to Real Madrid's: "in the first half we dominated but we were a bit over eager with the final pass. In the second half we were at ease and we played more comfortably. In general there was only one dominant team: Barca. "

Despite tonight's display, the Barca players don't believe that the tie is over. Looking forward to the return leg, Xavi said: "we need to try a keep on playing football, that's what we like to do and it's what we're good at. We have to be superior. There are 90 minutes left and it isn't finished."


Below are the comments made by Barca players to the press:

Alves :
ÂWe played a great match, we did a great job. We started from behind, which means we had more pressure on us, but this team always responds.

"I believe that we understand our game philosophy really well, it doesn't change no matter what happens in a match.
" This team grows with adversity .
"We still have the second half of the tie to play. We hope that the fans will cheer us on at the Camp Nou."


Busquets :
"Despite tonight's result, we'll be looking to win the return leg."

Cesc Fabregas :
"Besides winning we also played good football, we're very happy.
"it's great to be able to say that Puyol and Abidalscored at the Bernabeu, that makes this victory all the greater."

Carles Puyol :
" We know that a great team needs very little to do a lot of damage. We controlled them really well.
"We achieved a great result, but we're up against a great team and fantastic players. They'll come itching to settle the score and that's when they are dangerous."

FCB

 

[Classik]

Ninth victory for Guardiola against Real Madrid


www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-19-2012 01:38

The manager's balance against Real Madrid is almost perfect: nine victories, three draws and only one defeat


At the Santiago Bernabeu, Guardiola remains unbeaten: five wins and two draws

Puyol after scoring the equaliser at the Bernabeu / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB


Counting this Wednesday's victory in the quarter-final away leg of the king's Cup (1-2), FC Barcelona takes its tally to nine victories against Real Madrid since Josep Guardiola took charge ofthe first team bench. Guardiola has never lost at the Bernabeu , and this is his fifth win in the Spanish capital. In total, Guardiola has 9 victories, 3 draws and only 1 defeat in his 13 showdowns with Los Blancos . This record allowshim to equal Johan Cruyff's run as the Barca manager with the most victories over Real Madrid.


Six of Guardiola's wins came in the Liga, one in the Champions League, one in the Spanish Super Cup and this Wednesday's King's Cup victory.


Unbeaten at the Bernabeu

If we only take into account Guardiola's record at the Bernabeu, the numbers are just as good: five victories and two draws in seven matches. The manager's first victory in Madrid was in his first Liga match at the Bernabeu in 2008/09. In that game the Barca squad managed to smash Real Madrid by a scoreline of 2-6 . Henry , Messi and the defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique were the goal scorers in the match that just about sealed the title for the Catalans.


In the following season, Guardiola Barca won the Clasico by a smaller margin (0-2), with goals from Messi and Pedro . A year later, the Clasico ended in a one-all draw. It was Guardiola's first game at the Bernabeu without winning.


The Champions League and the Super Cup

The third victory at the Bernabeu happened last season, 2010/11, in the Champions League (0-2). The team was fighting for a spot in the WembleyFinal against their biggest rivals. Two goals from Messi gave Barca the clear advantage ahead of the return leg at the Camp Nou . Barca would go on to win the title against Manchester United (3-1).


In this summer's Spanish Super Cup, Guardiola's men didn't manage to seal the deal in the away leg of the competition, the final result was a two-all draw. However, the players claimed the title in the return leg at the Camp Nou with goalsfrom Iniesta and Messi (3-2).


Second victory of the season

This season, in the Liga match, FC Barcelona also managed to come away with a win at the Bernabeu (1-3) with goals from Alexis Sanchez, Xavi Hernendez , and Cesc Fabregas . Lastly, this Wednesday, Guardiola claimed his fifth victory at the Bernabeu (1-2), his ninth in 13 Clasico.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Request for tickets for Leverkusen, from Friday

www.fcbarcelona.cat 01-19-2012 10:40

The application process for tickets to go to Leverkusen will begin this Friday at 10.00

The process will be in operation until Tuesday, January 24th, at 19.00

Remember that children under 5 years old cannot order tickets

From Friday January 20th at 10.00 until Tuesday 24th, at 19.00, the application process will be open for tickets for the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League, between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Barcelona (Tuesday 14th of February at 20.45). The process is exclusive to FC Barcelona members.


For this game, FC Barcelona will have 1,786 seatsto distribute amongst its members and fans, with prices of 20 to 26 Euros. As usual, 85% of these tickets will be divided between members (1,214) and Supporters Clubs (304). The remaining 15% of tickets (268) will be designated for the Club's sports and institutional commitments, and for Club sponsors.


Through www.fcbarcelona.cat

To order tickets for the match at the Bay Arena, this must be done through a form available in the ticket section on the website www.fcbarcelona.cat. Each member may make a single request for one ticket, but on the same form it will be possible to register up to four members' requests, if they wish to travel together.

In the case of more requests than tickets available, on February 26th, before a notary, a draw will be made between registered members. On 26th and 27th January, the Club will contact the lucky members. Registration willbe considered as a firm intention of buying the ticket.


New developments in the process

This match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen will be the first game where changes approved by the Board at the last meeting of 2011 will come into effect, with respect to the requirements for requesting and collecting tickets for away matches. One novelty is that infant members (under 5 years old) will not be allowed to request tickets for an away game. Also, with a single credit card one will only be able to request a maximum of 8 tickets.

Keep in mind that the ticket must be collected in person by the member who will use it. In the case where the member can't pick it up, said member must indicate the name of the person, along with their ID card number, who, with the corresponding authorisation, will pick up the ticket. This person may only collect up to 8 tickets for other members.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Barça superiority in numbers

01-19-2012 11:53

The statistics from the 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu show how dominant Barça were in every way in the Copa del Rey quarter final first leg

Leo Messi and Ricardo Carvalho. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.


- Barça had 72% of the possession away to their biggest rival.


- In total, Barça made 744 good passes compared to Madrid's 234.


- Xavi completed 122 of the 140 passes he made. Busquets made 109 out of 117. The best Madrid managed was Xabi Alonso's 35 out of 40.
- The visitors had 10 shots compared to the home side's five.
- Mourinho's side committed 20 fouls, while Guardiola's made just 12. Madrid also had more yellow cards: 4 against 3.
- Madrid only had one corner and Barça had eight.
- Puyol scored from a corner at the Bernabéu, a very similar action to his goal in the glorious 6-2 win at the same stadium in 2009.
- The corner was also taken by Xavi, who is one game short of the record number of clásico appearances held by the legendary Joan Segarra.
- Abidal scored his second official goal for the Catalan outfit. His other was last season at the San Mamés, and also in the cup.
- Leo Messi made his 300th official appearance for Barça and was able to celebrate by setting upthe second goal with a majestic pass.
- The win means the teams are now tied on 86 wins each all time, while there have been 45 draws.
- Madrid have scored first in the last four meetings with Barcelona at the Bernabéu, but have not gone on to win any of the games. They have drawn one and lost three.
- Eighteen different Barça players have now scored this season.
- Gerard Piqué won far and away the most ball ofthe night, 16 in all.

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

Piqué: “When we are ourselves, nobody can stop usâ€

01-19-2012 15:03


The Barça centre back has never lost to Madrid, and was delighted with yet another victory at the Bernabéu

PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

“Alexis has stolen our heartsâ€

Gerard Piqué was in great form in the Ciutat Esportiva pressroom, and a Chilean reporter asked him about Alexis Sánchez . "He gets 10 outof 10 as a person, he has adapted well to the squad, even though there are times that we can't understand him" he laughed. "But he does a lot for us on the pitch. We have signed a great player." The reporter continued to press him for a headline, and Piqué offered him one. "Alexis has stolen pour hearts" he said.


Although beating Madrid has almost become routine in recent years, Gerard Piqué was as thrilled as ever last night. "It is very hard to win at the Bernabéu, even though you guys have got used to it ... it is much harder to win than you think" . He is proud of the way the players deal with Madrid in these games. "We have implanted our style for several years and we always apply it. It doesn't matter where or who we play ... I'm proud and happy to belong to this team ... Very few teams can go to the Bernabéu and win like we have done. That makes us different" .


Piqué is agrees with the rest of the squad, who believe that "when we are ourselves, there's no team that can stop us ... If we play like we are playing now, we can win titles, and be the best team in the world once again".


Pepe's stamp

Gerard Piqué didn't want to get dragged into the fuss about Pepe treading on Messi's hand, and merely stated that "everybody saw it and has spoken about it." He feels that there are other people who are responsible for judging these actions and "if they think that what happened went beyond what is permissible on the field of play, they have to do something. We at the club don't think we should go about demanding that a player from another club should be punished".


He was pleased to observe that although Messi was the victim of Pepe's action, he did not retaliate against the Portuguese international."Leo is a very good person. We have got used to the way he reacts and saw how Leo stayed calm,which what he should do ... We should be thankful that he didn't react". Piqué still insisted that the Madrid players behaved impeccably, especially his colleagues from the Spanish national team.


Back to the league

But although "we impose our game in the gamesagainst Madrid", Piqué admitted that "the league is something very different." Barcelona are still five points adrift of the leaders and so atMalaga on Sunday "we can't afford to make any mistakes".

FCB,

Anna Segura