Wazzup with FC BARCELONA?!! (News)

[Classik]

FC Barcelona- AC Milan: The Toons, from the San Siro to the Camp Nou

www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/02/2012 10:00

The Barça Toons are warming up their engines for the stellar duel on Tuesday between Barça and Milan

One of the most important games of the season for Barça will be played this Tuesday against AC Milan , and the Toons don’t want to miss it. They’re flying from the San Siro stadium to the Camp Nou in a balloon, guided by the stars of the Champions League . It’s a journey full of adventures with the Barça star players, and it ends how everybody wants.

FCB

 

[Classik]

‘Always together’, the mosaic for FC Barcelona v Milan

WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 04/02/2012 11:17

FC Barcelona wants the fans to be at the Camp Nou by 20.00 for Tuesday night’s game with AC Milan. A mosaic saying ‘Always together’ will welcome the players onto the field

Tuesday, everybody at the Camp Nou

Josep Guardiola ’s side has a crunch fixture on Tuesday night against AC Milan , kicking off at 20.45. A place in the Champions League is at stake and it won’t be easy after the goalless draw at the Giuseppe Meazza . The team will need the supporters’ help more than ever. They are the twelfth member of this team, and together the players and fans can take Barça into the semi finals.

Gates open at 19.15

Therefore, the club is calling on supporters to be at the Camp Nou in good time, by 20.00, when the players will come out for their warm-up. That way the team will know from the very starthow much the fans are behind them. To help, thegates to the stadium will be open from 19.15. Also, when the players come out of the tunnel, they are going to be welcomed by a mosaic reading ‘Sempre Junts’, Catalan for ‘Always together’ .

In his post-match press conference last week, Josep Guardiola made it clear how important thesupporters are at times like this. “The fans can’t let us down on Tuesday. They have to come to help us into the semi finals. These players have done too much to be left alone. On Tuesday we have a final in our own stadium and in front of our people. We need the stadium to be full. We have a good chance of winning an together we’ll do it.â€

FCB

 

[Classik]

Another very busy week
WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 04/02/2012 11:35
April is going to get off to an intense start for Barça, with their Champions League future at stake on Tuesday and the first of the last eight games of the league season coming up at La Romareda on Saturday

L'equip s'exercita aquest dilluns a la tarda al Camp Nou / FOTO: ARXIU FCB
The month gets off to a lively start for Josep Guardiola’s team with the second leg of their Champions League semi final against AC Milan on Tuesday evening at the Camp Nou. And there is another high-profile fixture at the weekend, with a trip to Zaragoza as Barça continue to work at reducing Real Madrid’s lead in the league, which they have already managed to cutdown to six points. With just eight league gamesto go, Barça can’t afford to make any mistakes between now and the end of the season.
But the week starts with the focus entirely on Europe. Barça will train at the Camp Nou on Monday at 18.00. An hour before that, Carles Puyol will be speaking to the press, while Josep Guardiola will be doing likewise at 19.45. AC Milan will be training at the same place at 19.15,and their manager and one of his players will be giving a press conference beforehand, starting at 18.30. All of the activity on the eve of the crunch semi final meeting will be broadcast live on Barça TV. Also, as is usual before Champions League games at home, the team will be stayingthe night together in a hotel.
Last session on Tuesday at midday
The team will leave the hotel on Tuesday morning for another training session behind closed doors at the Camp Nou. It is scheduled to start at 12.00. At around 13.30, they will return to their hotel for lunch and some rest before going back to the stadium for the actual match, which kicks off at 20.45.
On Wednesday, there is a training session scheduled for 11.00, this time at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, which will be used primarily to regain strength after the exertions of the Milan match, but the squad will also be turning their minds to Saturday’s league encounter. In theory, the players will then be given Thursday off, and won’t be required to report back to the Ciutat Esportiva until Friday morning at 11.00 for the final workout before travelling to the Aragonese capital. Josep Guardiola will be speaking to the press after the session is over.
Saturday train to Zaragoza
Barça will be travelling to Zaragoza by train on Saturday morning. Once they arrive, they’ll be taken to a hotel where they will rest until the time comes to make their way to La Romareda, where the match kicks off at 20.00. On Sunday, back in Barcelona, the players will be training at 12.00 in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Rock solid defending at the Camp Nou


04/02/2012 11:39
Barça have kept 15 clean sheets in 24 official home fixtures this season
Valdés has gone 11 out of 19 games without being beaten, and Pinto has gone 4 out of 5
Barça have only conceded one goal in their last four Champions League semi final games played at home

Víctor Valdés. FOTO: ARXIU FCB.
Barça failed to score at the Giuseppe Meazza in the first leg of their Champions League semi final with AC Milan, and so it is now crucially important that they don’t let any goals in on Tuesday night at the Camp Nou. But their home record this season suggests that it won’t be easy at all for the Italians to get on the scoresheet. In 15 out of 24 official matches played at home, Barça have managed to go the full 90 minutes without conceding a single goal.
15 clean sheets
In the present edition of the Champions League, Barça have been unbeaten in 2 out of 4 games atthe Camp Nou, the ones against Viktoria Plzen (2-0) and BATE Borisov (4-0). The two teams thatdid find the target in the FCB stadium were precisely AC Milan (2-2) and also Bayer Leverkusen (7-1). In the league, Barça have kept the opposition away from their goal in 10 out of 15 games. Only Betis (4-2), Real Sociedad (2-1), Valencia (5-1), Sporting (3-1) and Granada (5-3) have managed to find the target.
In other competitions at the Camp Nou, Barça beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Supercup and managed to avoid letting in any goals in 3 oftheir 4 Copa del Rey home fixtures. The only timethey let any goals in was the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the quarter finals.
The goalkeeping duties have been shared by Víctor Valdés , who has appeared in 19 home games and has only been beaten in 8 of them, and José Manuel Pinto , who has kept four clean sheets out of five attempts. If Valdés remains thefirst choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season,he is set to overtake Carles Rexach to become the player with the fourth most appearances for Barça.

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

16-match scoring streak in home Champions League games


04/02/2012 12:53
Barça have not failed to score in a Champions League match played at home since April 28, 2009
Since then, they have scored an average of 2.93 goals in home fixtures

Goal against Bayer Leverkusen. PHOTO: ÀLEX CAPARRÓS-FCB.
Against AC Milan it is not only important to prevent the Italians from getting an away goal. Barça will also be required to produce goals. But in European fixtures at the Camp Nou, it is a rare occasion for the Catalans to fail to find the net. In fact, they have scored at least once in all 16 oftheir last European fixtures played at home. The last time they failed to find the target was way back on April 28, 2009, when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in the Champions League semi finals. Since then, they have scored at least once in every home game played in two a half editions of the competition.
In those last 16 games, Barça have scored 47 times, an average of 2.93 goals a game. The highest goalscorer in that time has been Leo Messi with 18 goals: 5 in 2011/12, 6 in 2010/11 and 7 in 2009/10.
History of FCB’s side
The defending champions have not lost either leg in any recent Champions League quarter finals, and every game played at the Camp Nou has seen them get the result they needed to make it into the last four. Scoring a total of 14 goals and conceding just two, the results have been 5-1 against Shakhtar (2011), 4-1 against Arsenal (2010), 4-0 against Bayern (2009) and 1-0 against Schalke 04 (2008).

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

‘Always together’, the mosaic for FC Barcelona v Milan
WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 04/02/2012 11:17
FC Barcelona wants the fans to be at the Camp Nou by 20.00 for Tuesday night’s game with AC Milan. A mosaic saying ‘Always together’ will welcome the players onto the field

Tuesday, everybody at the Camp Nou
#BarçaMilan
Use the #BarçaMilan to follow and commentate the Champions League quarterfinal match whichis set for this Tuesday at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona and AC Milan have agreed to promote the Champions League tie. After the #MilanBarçahashtag of the away match, it’s now time to use the #BarçaMilan for the return leg.
Josep Guardiola ’s side has a crunch fixture on Tuesday night against AC Milan , kicking off at 20.45. A place in the Champions League is at stake and it won’t be easy after the goalless draw at the Giuseppe Meazza . The team will need the supporters’ help more than ever. They are the twelfth member of this team, and together the players and fans can take Barça into the semi finals.
Gates open at 19.15
Therefore, the club is calling on supporters to be at the Camp Nou in good time, by 20.00, when the players will come out for their warm-up. That way the team will know from the very starthow much the fans are behind them. To help, thegates to the stadium will be open from 19.15. Also, when the players come out of the tunnel, they are going to be welcomed by a mosaic reading ‘Sempre Junts’, Catalan for ‘Always together’ .
In his post-match press conference last week, Josep Guardiola made it clear how important thesupporters are at times like this. “The fans can’t let us down on Tuesday. They have to come to help us into the semi finals. These players have done too much to be left alone. On Tuesday we have a final in our own stadium and in front of our people. We need the stadium to be full. We have a good chance f winning and together we’ll do it.â€

FCB

 

[Classik]

Puyol: “This is the most important matchâ€



04/02/2012 17:49
The captain defined the match against AC Milan as “incredible†and he is clear that the only way FC Barcelona know how to play is to attack

Puyol during today's press conference / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
“It’s an honour to surpass Migueli"
If he plays against Milan, Carles Puyol will surpass Migueli and become the second Barça player to have played the most games for the Club. The defender is proud of his accomplishment, but he knows that it won’t be easy to catch the player with the most games forthe Club. “It’s an honour to surpass Migueli, he’s an icon for all Culés. Catching Xavi is impossible because he’ll play many more games, but I also hope to play a lot of games myself.â€
"I’m convinced that the Camp Nou will be full, the fans have always been on our side and they won’t let us downâ€
“It’s always important to not concede goals; even more so at home. We have to play a very serious defensive match"
"Up top, we have to move the ball around with pace and score as soon as possible, even though we know it won’t be easyâ€
One of the heavyweights in the FC Barcelona squad, Carles Puyol , held a press conference before the decisive return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal tie against AC Milan. “We’ll take this game on like any other game: we’ll go out to win and try to play our game. We’re aware that we’re going up against a fantastic team, but I’m sure they’ll come out to defend and capitalise on counterattacks. We’ll have to put in a complete game both defensively and offensively,†said the defender.
On defining the importance of tomorrow’s match, the captain was very clear: “it’s an incredible match, the most important one because we have to win. There is no margin for error, it’s a final.†He added, “finishing with a draw doesn’t help us, except a 0-0. I’m convincedthat the Camp Nou will be full, they [the fans] have always been on our side and they won’t let us down.â€
Maximum concentration on defence
The captain will, in all likelihood, figure in the starting line-up in tomorrow’s match. Puyol said he’ll play wherever Guardiola chooses to put himon the pitch: “wherever he thinks I should play, I’ll gladly go. It’s not ideal for me to play on the left, but I’m comfortable keeping tabs on their offence and if we play with a wide defender on the other side.â€
Moreover, the captain talked about some of the key aspects of tomorrow’s match: “it’s always important to not concede goals; even more so at home. We have to play a very serious defensive match. Up top, we have to move the ball around with pace and score as soon as possible, even though we know it won’t be easy.â€
On the attack
Puyol didn’t shy away from talking about how his team will play tomorrow: “we only have one way of playing: on the attack. That’s what we’ll do.†However, he was pprehensive when askedto predict what style of play AC Milan will employ. The Barça captain finished by saying: “we have to be ready for everything, we have to play our game.â€

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

20 players named to the squad ahead of the Barça-Milan clash
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/02/2012 20:05
Guardiola has named 17 first-team footballers plus Muniesa, Tello and Montoya from Barça B to the FC Barcelona squad for tomorrow's showdown with AC Milan at the Camp Nou
Ibrahim Afellay, who turned 26 today, also trained with the team this afternoon

Tello and Montoya, before today's training session / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB
Tello and Montoya, before today's training session / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB
The Camp Nou is ready for the Champions League. This Monday, FC Barcelona completed their penultimate session before the decisive match against AC Milan. Guardiola trained with 20 footballers: 17 from the first team plus Muniesa , Montoya and Tello from Barça B. Therefore, the Barça manager will have to discard two players before tomorrow’s Champions League showdown.
Ibrahim Afellay , as well as Éric Abidal , trained with the team despite having the medical all-clear. The Dutchman, who turned 26 this Monday, gave a speech to his teammates before the session, and received an standing ovation when he was done.
However, Xavi Hernández did not train with the team today. Guardiola , during the pre-match press conference, said: “he’s been having issues with his calf muscle for the past two days, we decided to not run any risks by making him train.He’ll undergo further tests tomorrow morning. He’s been named to the squad, which means that he could play.â€
The team will train on Tuesday at noon at the Camp Nou.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Guardiola anticipates a game with goals


04/02/2012 20:42
Pep Guardiola said that his team is “very excited with the prospect of staying in the Champions League,†and he believes that Milan will score and that his team must find the way to create as many goalscoring chances as possible
“The situation is simple. Whoever wins will go tothe semifinals. We have to win the match. I perceive that Milan will scoreâ€
“Situations like tomorrow’s make me very happy. We’ve played almost everything but these matches remind me of my first day. I feel lucky and privilegedâ€

Guardiola during today's press conference / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
“Milan is comfortable playing with a 0-0. We need to play with a lot of intensity and find the best way to attack them. We aren’t able to defend a result for a long time"
“We have to play on the wings, we can do it with static players and with attacking players. We’ll seeâ€
“Messi can’t beat a defence made up of eight or nine players by himself. We have to work as a team"
“Our success is that we’re fighting to be in our fifth consecutive Champions League semifinal. It shows that we’ve done a good job. I’m very proud,†said Josep Guardiola after the training session at the Camp Nou in the pre-match press conference. The FC Barcelona manager said that “when you get this far in the competition all the games are vital. The prospect of staying in the Champions League is very exiting for us.†Guardiola is clear that “the situation is simple. Whoever wins will go through to the semifinals. I perceive that Milan will score. They have the capacity to do it. That’s what I’ve told my players. In these last couple of days we’ve been working on the way to create as many goalscoring opportunities as possible in order to score as many goals as possible. We have to find the way to attack their extremely strong defence, I have faith that we’ll find a way through.â€
The Barça manager anticipates the return leg of the Champions League to be feature goals. “Milan is comfortable playing with a 0-0. We need to play with a lot of intensity and find the best way to attack them. We aren’t able to defend a result for a long time,†explained Guardiola. The Catalan didn’t shy away from lauding AC Milan: “Milan is a team with the capacity to dominate matches. When they play games where they are the ones being dominated, they defend really well in their area and they are very strong on the counter. They can send us out of the competition. They’re leaders of the Italian League and they have fantastic players.â€
The importance of positional play
For Guardiola the most important aspects of tomorrow’s match are “Barça’s positional play and creating imbalance in certain areas of the field.†He added that “we have to play on the wings, we can do it with static players and with attacking players. We’ll see.â€
The Barça manager warned of Ibrahimovic ’s capacity to dominate aerial balls: “when he receives balls in the air, he’s superior to us. We consider it a lost play. We’ll try to stop him from participating in the match and force him to play as far away from our area as possible.†When asked by an Italian journalist on Messi ’s capacity to score on Italian sides, the manager responded said that “Messi can’t beat a defence made up of eight or nine players by himself. We have to work as a team. But don’t joke about Messi, don’t provoke him.â€
“We’ll give it our allâ€
With or without Xavi , who is dealing with a calf injury, “the team will go out onto the pitch with 11 players and they’ll give it their all, don’t doubtthat.†Guardiola confirmed that the pitch is in optimal conditions ahead of tomorrow’s match. He finished by saying that games lke tomorrow’s make him feel privileged: “these games make me very happy. We’ve played almost everything, but games like this remind me of my first day. I feel lucky and privileged.â€

FCB,

Aleix Santacana

 

[Classik]

FCB v AC Milan. Did you know...


04/03/2012 10:20
The Catalan and Italian sides are battling for a place in the semi finals of the Champions League, a game that has thrown up all kinds of curiosities

PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB
The referee
The man in the middle tonight will be DutchmanBjorn Kuipers. He has taken charge of two Barça matches in the past (one FCB win and one draw),but this will be the first time he has refereed AC Milan.
- Barça has won 11 out of 13 home ties in the European Cup quarter finals , including all four ofthe last editions.
- In continental competitions, Barcelona have qualified 3 times out of 5 in ties where they drew the first leg 0-0 away.
- In Europe, Barça have not lost at home for 14 matches and have scored at least once in their last 16 games at the Camp Nou in the ChampionsLeague.
- The six official games between Barça and AC Milan at the Camp Nou have resulted in two home wins, one away win and three draws .
- If Barça qualify, it will be the first time a team has appeared in five consecutive Champions League semi finals .
- Valdés, Puyol and Iniesta all played in the second leg of the Champions League semi finals against Milan in 2006 (Xavi and Messi were injured). The only surviving Milan player is Clarence Seedorf.
- The ‘rossoneri’ have qualified in 11 of the 14 European Cup quarter finals they have ever played.
- Milan have yet to win on the road in Europe thisseason. They have managed three draws and one defeat.
- There hasn’t been a penalty shootout in a European fixture at the Camp Nou since 1989.
- Despite the 0-0 draw in the first leg, Barça is still the highest scoring team in the competition, with 30 goals.
- Barça have also committed the fewest fouls (87) and received the fewest yellow cards (11).
- Carles Puyol is the only FCB player who is one game away from suspension. The captain could also play in his 550th official game tonight , which would move him ahead of Migueli and puthim second in the all-time list of Barça appearances.
- If any of Nocerino, Nesta or Ambrosini get booked tonight, they will miss their next European fixture.
- Milan have won 10 out of 16 away matches thisseason in Serie A.

FCB,

JORDI CLOS

 

[Classik]

FC Barcelona v AC Milan: The game of the season (so far)

04/03/2012 10:31
20.45, TVE and Radio Barça –FC Barcelona need to beat AC Milan at the Camp Nou in order to qualify for the semi finals of the Champions League for the fifth consecutive season
FC Barcelona will only make it into the semi finals if they beat AC Milan at the Camp Nou
88% of the home results this season would be enough to ensure Barça go into the last four

Puyol and Seedorf / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
It’s the Champions League quarter final . A huge event in itself, made even more so by the qualityof the opposition. Barça take on AC Milan at the Camp Nou – a game between two teams with eleven European titles between them. And one of them is going to be going out of the competition this evening. There’s no going back. If Barça win, they will be into the last four, but a score draw or a win for the Italians would bring an end to the Catalans’ Champions League campaign.
Glass half full and half empty
Absolutely nothing was decided after the first leg. Optimists will say that judging by Barça’s results at the Camp Nou this term, they still have every chance of qualifying. They have won 21 out of 24 home fixtures. In other words, 88% of Barça’s home results this season would be good enough to secure passage into the next round. Their one 0-0 draw would take the game into extra time, and only the two score draws would be enough to see the Italians through.
But pessimists will observe that one of those two score draws was precisely against Milan, who managed to draw 2-2 at the Camp Nou in the group stages. The other was against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter final second leg, which also finished 2-2 , while Sevilla was the only other team to avoid defeat at the Camp Nou when they managed a 0-0 draw in the league. Will the Italians be able to get the same result again?
Twenty players available
To ensure that they don’t, Guardiola has a large squad of 20 players to pick from, which includes 17 members of the first team plus Barça’s B’s Montoya, Muniesa and Tello . They have all beentogether since Monday afternoon. The only absentees are Abidal, Afellay, Fontàs and Villa .
Meanwhile, AC Milan, who arrived in Barcelona later than expected due to problems with their flight, have come with 23 players. Striker Pato, who was missing through injury at the San Siro last week, returns to the line-up. Van Bommel, Flamini, Thiago Silva and Cassano are the main absentees that Allegri is going to have to work how how he is going to replace.

FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[Classik]

Barça-Sporting, semifinals of the UEFA Futsal Cup
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/03/2012 21:37
Barça Alusport-Sporting Club and Marca Futsal-Dynamo Moscow are the two semifinals of the 11th edition of the UEFA Futsal Cup which will beplayed from April 27th through the 29th

2012 UEFA Futsal Cup draw at the Camp Nou / PHOTO: CAPARRÓS - FCB
The Camp Nou was the venue for the 2012 Final Four UEFA Futsal Cup draw this evening. Borislav Mihailova , member of the UEFA Executive Committee and the man responsible for futsal, and David Villa , FC Barcelona player, were the men tasked with pulling the names of the teamsout of the urn. Marc Carmona’s men will play in the semifinals against Sporting Club Portugal .
Barça Alusport-Sporting Club will play the first semifinal on Friday, April 27th, at the Pabellón Barris Nord in Lleida. Marca Futsal-Dynamo Moscow will play in the second semifinal on the same day. The UEFA Futsal Cup Final will be played on Sunday, April 29th.
Unique venue
The draw took place during halftime of the Barça-Milan Champions League quarterfinal match. The draw was broadcast live on the stadium’s giant video screens. Besides Mihailova and Villa, Laurent Morel, Chief Executive of the UEFA Futsal Cup, and Àngel Ros, Mayor of Lleida, were also present.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Barça Alusport, to the final of the King's Cup
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/03/2012 22:33
The team led by Marc Carmona did well to preserve their 3-1 lead in tonight’s match at Alcalá de Henares. Barça sealed their spot in the Cup final after beating Inter Movistar (2-3)
The Madrid side pressured Barça but goals from Ari, Sadd and Lin closed out the tie and secured afinal matchup with ElPozo in Antequera

FC Barcelona Alusport vs Inter Movistar
ElPozo Murcia, finalist
The Murcia side didn’t have any trouble sealing passage to the final after beating Lobelle. ElPozo, who won the first leg 2-3, once again beat their rivals with a convincing 6-1.
Barça Alusport will play the final of the King’s Cup after they saw off Inter Movistar (2-3) in the return leg of the semifinal. Marc Carmona’s men, in a serious and intense match, managed to takeadvantage of their rivals’ need to score to seal their ticket to the final. They’ll face ElPozo Murcia for the crown next May.
Barça control the match
Barça Alusport came out onto the court with a 3-1 advantage from the game at the Palau Blaugrana and they showed great maturity despite Inter’s instance. Paco Sedano hardly had any work in goal while the best chances of the match were stopped by Junajo at the other end.
After Sadd came close scoring the first on the night, Torras and Wilde, very active at the start, hit back with chances of their own. Inter Movistar could do little against the control and serious defensive match Barça were playing. In fact, Barça could have scored the first after a double chance for Igor and Ari. Barça was controlling the match but the Inter goal came nonetheless after a defensive error from the Catalans that Eka took advantage of. The 1-0 meant that the aggregate score was close, but still favouring Barça. Before the half, the post denied Barça the equaliser after a powerful shotfrom Torras. Juanjo, in the dying seconds of the half, saved a free kick taken by Lozano.
Amazing goal from Ari Santos
At the start of the second half, Barça showed that they were looking to score. Paco Sedano didwell to save the 2-0 with timely blocks. With 12 minutes to go, a Barça counterattack was finished off by Ari Santos. It was 1-1 and it looked as though Marc Carmona’s men had all but sealed qualification.
Inter goes on the attack, Sadd and Lin finish the game
The draw meant that the Madrid-based side wasout of the competition - and they came out with a keeper-player. It was Eka, once again, that injected hope into the home side with a goal five minutes from the end. The goal increased the pressure on the local team, who came close to making it 3-1 with three minutes left; Paco Sedano and the post made sure that didn’t happen. As Inter threw men forward, Sadd scored the 2-2. It was over, the game was out of reach for Inter. The definitive 2-3 from Lin with one minute left was the parting gift for the side that had sealed their second consecutive King’s Cup Final spot.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Messi, 51 goals in the Champions League


04/03/2012 22:54
Leo Messi scored his 51st goal in the Champions League this Tuesday, so far he’s scored 14 in this year’s tournament
The Argentine is one goal away from becoming the player with the most goals scored in one season in the Champions League

Messi celebrates his first goal against Milan at the Camp Nou / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
51 goals in 66 matches
2004/05 Season
No goals, only one game played
2005/06 Season
1 goal in 6 games played
2006/07 Season
1 goal in 5 games played
2007/08 Season
6 goals in 9 games played
2008/09 Season9 goals in 12 games played
2009/10 Season
8 goals in 11 games played
2010/11 Season
12 goals in 13 games played
2011/12 Season
14 goals in 10 games played
Leo Messi can now say he’s scored 51 goals in the Champions League, making him the third highest all-time goalscorer of the competition. The Argentine has scored more goals than Thierry Henry , and is only behind Raúl (71) and Van Nistelrooy (56). FC Barcelona’s playmaker has celebrated 51 goals since his debut in the Champions League in the 2004/05 season, 42 of them came under the tutelage of Josep Guardiola . Messi has also been the highest goalscorer in the last three editions of the tournament, with 9, 8 and 12 goals, respectively. He could very well repeat the feat this year. So far this season, he’s beat his own personal best in the tournament and drawn level with the 14-goal record set by Altafini , ex-Milan player inthe 1962/63 season.
If Messi scores, the team doesn’t lose
Messi has scored in 32 matches in the ChampionsLeague, of those, Barça have won 28 and drawn 4. The Argentine has scored 27 of his 51 goals at the Camp Nou , 23 away from home, and 2 in Champions League finals, one in Rome and another at Wembley.

FCB,

Aleix Santacana

 

[Classik]

FC Barcelona v Milan: Superlative victory (3-1)


04/03/2012 22:58
Barça have beaten AC Milan in style to extend their legend by becoming the first team to qualify for five consecutive semi finals in the Champions League era
Messi, with two penalties, and Iniesta got the Barça goals

Alegria per un gol contra el Milan. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
The Champions League quarter final second leg 2011/12 will go down in history as one of Barcelona’s most magical nights in Europe. It was a tactically rich and intensely gripping encounter, in which Barça’s stylish football, ambitious game-plan and domination of possession overcome a gallant Milan side to qualify for the semi finals. For the fifth time in a row! The Catalans scored three times in doing so,but with a bit more fortune in front of goal, the margin could easily have been even wider.
Early goal, the ideal start
Everything was still up in the air after the goalless draw at the Giuseppe Meazza. As expected, Milan continued with the conservativetactics that had earned them that draw in the first leg, while Barça, also as expected, went straight out and attacked. As always. Guardiola even risked a three-man defence, something very few managers would ever choose to do at such a crucial stage of this competition, fielding Alves and (surprisingly) Cuenca as his full backs.
With the Camp Nou more vociferous than ever, the home side got off to a blistering start. Only six minutes had passed and Messi had already had two wonderful chances, and was brought down in the area when he was about to attemptthe third. The referee pointed to the sport, the Argentinian made no mistake, and Barça were inthe lead after just ten minutes.
Barça respond quickly to Milan leveller
Barça were able to relax after getting the all-important goal. They kept things tight, always playing as a unit, and with Busquets in particular shining in midfield. Milan, meanwhile, almost looked divided in two: the strikers (Robinho, Boateng and Ibrahimovic), and the defenders (the rest). In the 32nd minute, Ibra found space and laid the ball on for Nocerino, who beat Valdés with an angled strike. It had been their first serious threat of the whole game, and the goal and such effectiveness stunned the Camp Nou. But the crowd wasn’t going to have to suffer for long…
Milan immediately responded by tightening their defence, while Barça continued playing football the only way they know and were soon back in the lead following a penalty awarded for a tug on Busquets’ shirt in the area, a decisionthe Milan players disputed intensely. Messi once again beat Abbiati from the spot, the third time he has done so in this edition of the Champions League. Immediately afterwards, it was Guardiola’s turn to modify his tactics in what sometimes resembled a game of human chess, as he reverted to a more traditional 4-3-3 system.
Iniesta extends the lead
The defending champions were just as dominantafter the break, although Milan always looked dangerous on the counter attack. But it was actually a Barça counter that led to the home side’s third goal of the evening. Messi led the move, and managed to get the ball to Iniesta, who finished things off in exquisite fashion.
The crowd could breathe at last. With a two goalcushion, the songs were more positive than ever,and one of the most impressive moments came when the home fans offered a generous ovation to veteran Clarence Seedorf when he was substituted in the 60th minute. Barça had startedenjoying themselves, and looked reasonably home and dry, but the Milanese outfit never let their heads drop, and proudly battled on to keep Barça on their toes right until the end, even though things got increasingly more desperate for the visitors as every minute went by.
In the 68th minute, Thiago, who had come on forXavi, came frustratingly close to making it four, and shortly after came the most negative moment of the night when an injured Piqué called to be substituted. Keen to avoid any other nasty surprises, Barça expertly managed the clock while also managing to create a series of late half chances. But little did it matter. More than deserved qualification for the semi finals was by now a certainty. One night more of Barça magic at the Camp Nou has taken the team into the semi finals for the fifth time in a row, and now all they have to do is wait until tomorrow tofind out whether they will be playing Benfica or Chelsea.

FCB,

Jordi Clos

 

[Classik]

Milestone match for Guardiola and Alves

04/03/2012 23:10
Guardiola has managed FC Barcelona in 50 Champions League matches, while the Brazilian played his 200th official match for the Club

Guardiola and Vilanova instructing the players / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
Pep Guardiola has led FC Barcelona in 50 Champions League matches. In his four seasons on the Barça bench, he’s managed to take the team to four consecutive semifinals in the continental tournament. He managed the team in 15 Champions League matches in the 2008/09 season, 12 in the 2009/10 season, 13 in the 2010/11 season and 10 in the current season.
Guardiola has led his team to 31 wins, 14 draws and 5 defeats. The team have scored 119 goals (2.4 per match) and conceded 40 (0.8 per match) with him on the bench. He’s also led his team to two Champions League titles (2009 and 2011).
Alves reaches 200 games for Barça
Dani Alves played in his 200th official match for Barça this evening. He’s defended the Barça shirt125 times in the Liga, 43 in the Champions League, 21 in the Cup, 6 in the Spanish Super Cup,2 in the European Super Cup and 3 in the Club World Cup. Despite almost always playing on defence, the Brazilian has scored 15 goals in his 3 and a half seasons at Barça.

FCB,

JORDI CLOS

 

[Classik]

Piqué sustains thigh injury
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/03/2012 23:34
The defender sustained an injury on the bicep femoris of his left thigh. His recovery will mark his availability in Barça’s upcoming match

Piqué sustains thigh injury. PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
Gerard Piqué needed to come off the pitch due to injury on the 75th minute of tonight’s match against AC Milan. The defender was substituted for Adriano . After the match, the team’s Medical Services confirmed that the player sustained an injury on the bicep femoris of his left thigh. His recovery will mark his availability in Barça’s upcoming match. The Catalans will face Zaragoza on Saturday at 20:00.

FCB

 

[Classik]

FC Barcelona qualifies for the their fifth consecutive Champions League semifinal

04/03/2012 22:35
With the elimination of Milan, Barça are the first team to qualify for five consecutive Champions League semifinals

Cesc celebra el gol de Messi / FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
Three titles in seven years
In the 2005/06 season, Rijkaard’s Barça lifted the Club’s second Champions League title in Paris. With Guardiola as manager, the Club would add two more titles. The first came in the 2008/09 season, in Rome, and the second, in the 2010/11 season, in the same venue of the 1992 final, at the legendary Wembley stadium. In total, three titles in seven years and six semifinals in the same timespan.
The team led by Josep Guardiola continues to make history. With Tuesday’s victory over AC Milan in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Barça are the first team to ever manage to qualify for five consecutive semifinals in the competition. It’s worth noting that the competition’s current format started in the 1992/93 season.
This fantastic run was started by Frank Rijkaard in the 2007/08 season. On that occasion, Barça saw off Schalke 04 after beating the Germans in both the legs of the tie by 1-0. They were sent out of the competition in the semifinals by Manchester United (0-0 at the Camp Nou and 1-0at Old Trafford).
With Josep Guardiola on the Barça bench, in the 2008/09 season, Barça eliminated Bayern in the quarterfinals and Chelsea in the semifinals. In the 2009/10 season, Arsenal were Barça’s victim in the quarterfinals, however the Catalans were eliminated by Inter Milan in the semifinals. Last season, after eliminating Shakhtar in the quarterfinals, FC Barcelona sent Real Madrid crashing out in a memorable semifinal matchup. With Guardiola on the bench, Barça have always reached the penultimate round of the competition.
The 13th semifinal in Club history
This is the 13th time FC Barcelona have reached the semifinals of the Champions League in Club history. The first four times Barça made it to this round was when the competition was called the European Cup. They were in the 1959/60, 1960/61, 1974/75 and 1985/86 seasons - Barça played against Real Madrid , Hamburg , Leeds and Göteborg , respectively.
In the competition’s current format, counting thisseason, FC Barcelona have made it to the semifinals on nine occasions. The first time was in the 1993/94 season, followed by the 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons. The team played against Oporto , Valencia , Real Madrid , Milan , Manchester United , Chelsea , Inter and Real Madrid . Of the 12 match-ups played to date, Barça have managed to get to the final on six occasions. Of these, they’ve won the title four times.
It’s important to point out that, in this overview, the 1991/92 season is not taken into account. FC Barcelona qualified for the final in Wembley after the group stage, they beat Sampdoria to claim Barça’s first European crown.

FCB,

Vanessa Forns

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: “We fully deserved to go through"

04/04/2012 00:34
The Barça manager considers that reaching the Champions League semifinals five times on the trot shows “the hard work put in by the teamâ€
“We played against a team that have a lot of importance and history. We’ve earned everything that we’ve achievedâ€

Bartomeu: “It's a jewel that the world gets to see this teamâ€
Josep Maria Bartomeu congratulated the team and the Club on the hard work that’s been done over the year that has allowed FC Barcelona to reach their fifth consecutive semifinal in the Champions League. “Things have been done correctly for some time not. It’s a jewel that the world can see this team maintain this level.†Thevice president recognised that he wasn’t nervousduring the match, seeing that “we have a lot of confidence in this team†he also praised the fact that nine La Masia graduates were in the starting line-up. “It’s a reflection of work well done that’s been going on for years.†Finally, Bartomeu wanted to thank the fans for their support and he urged them to keep on coming tothe stadium to carry the team in the final stretch of the season.
"We’ve earned everything we’ve achieved"
"Chelsea have a very good result but everything is difficult in the Champions Leagueâ€
Josep Guardiola vigorously defended FC Barcelona’s passage to the semifinals of the Champions League. The Barça manager said thatin the quarterfinal tie against Milan that “we fully deserved to go through.†He also disagreed with those that said that Barça should not be in the next round because the team scored two of their three goals from penalties. “They were penalties. We didn’t complain in the away leg (where Alexis was hauled down in the box), and we won’t complain now,†said Guardiola. He added that “grabbing players in the area should be penalized and they are penalties. On television, it’s a penalty.â€
Besides the two penalties awarded to Barça, Guardiola said that “they only shot on goal three times, we shot 21 times. We had a lot of goalscoring chances and we did it with a three and four-man defence. We played against a team that have a lot of importance and history. We’ve earned everything we’ve achieved, just like we earned it there [Milan].â€
Fifth Champions League semifinal
This will be FC Barcelona’s fifth consecutive semifinal in the Champions League, the fourth with Guardiola on the bench. The manager believes that this feat shows “the power of the Club. It’s an achievement to maintain this level.†Also, that behind Barça’s consistency is “a lot of hard work,†no one has gifted the team anything.
The manager was also proud that nine La Masia players featured in Barça’s starting line-up. He said that they are “essence [of the Club] and heart [of the team].â€
Praise for individual players
Guardiola explained why he didn’t play Alexis and instead opted for Cuenca and Alves . “We needed a player that would run down the wing and I decided to play Alves seeing that, along with Adriano, they are the only ones that allow me to go from a four-man defence to a three-man defence.†On Isaac Cuenca , he said that he “needed a very specific type of player†in tonight’s match.
He also talked about Andrés Iniesta , “he’s a player that has more goals than his stats reflect. He does a lot of things really well and he’s a player that respects the decisions of his manager. He’s fantastic.â€
The semifinal rival
Barça will play in the Champions League semifinal against the winner of the Benfica - Chelsea playoff. Even though the English side have the advantage in the tie, seeing that they will play in Stamford Bridge with a 0-1 result from the away leg, Guardiola isn’t convinced thatChelsea will be his team’s next rival. “We have tobe prudent because after watching the first game, Benfica created a lot of chances. Chelsea have a very good result but in the Champions League everything is difficult.†He did, however, analyse both teams. On the English side he said that “the important players will respond in the final phse [of the competition]. However, Benfica have done a great job these past couple of seasons. They are both tough rivals and we’ll have to prepare well for the semifinals in order to get to Munich.â€

FCB,

Anna Segura

 

[Classik]

Lionel Messi in The 2012 Time 100 Poll

04/04/2012 09:00
The FC Barcelona star figures alongside Barack Obama, Jeremy Lin, Hillary Clinton, and Kate Middleton in The 2012 Time 100 Poll. The poll is open to public voting, voting closes on Friday, April 6th

Messi on the cover of TIME magazine
Congratulate Leo Messi
Check out the content special on Lionel Messi's historic record-breaking season.
TIME magazine has included FC Barcelona’s La Masia graduate, Lionel Messi , among the 200 candidates in their 2012 TIME 100 poll. The poll, which aims to highlight the 100 most influential “leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes,†isopen to the public and voting is scheduled to go through Friday, April 6th. The nominee that receives the most votes will be included in TIME ’s TIME 100 edition, which will hit the stands worldwide on Tuesday, April 17.
The North American based magazine asks “will there be any end to Messi’s record breaking? Look out, Pelé: Messi may be the new greatest footballer of all time." The Argentine, who is the only footballer on the list, figures alongside other household names like Jeremy Lin , Adele , Ron Paul , Barack Obama , Kate Middleton , Mark Zuckerberg , Usain Bolt , Novak Djokovic , Bruce Springsteen , Lady Gaga , George Clooney and José Andrés .
King Leo
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner, who graced the cover of TIME’s February 2012 edition, is currently having another record-breaking season with FC Barcelona. Messi recently broke the Club’s long standing all-time goals scored record set by César Rodríguez . Bobby Ghosh, whointerviewed Messi for the TIME cover story in February, presents a couple of reasons as to why the Argentine should be considered the best player in the history of the sport.
To vote for Messi in The 2012 TIME 100 Poll, simply click here .

FCB,

Ian MacLurg