Deco retires from football

Anderson Luis de Souza played for FC Barcelona for four seasons. In that time he won two league titles, two Super Cups and the Champions League 

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  Deco won the Champions League in 2006 with FC Barcelona / PHOTO: ARXIU FCB

PHOTO GALLERIES

• UEFA Champions League Final 2006

Anderson Luis de Souza announced this Monday that he’s officially retiring from football. Deco is hanging up his boots after 17 successful years as a professional footballer. The player, born in Brazil but of Portuguese nationality, played for Barça for four seasons, where he won two Ligas, tow Spanish Super Cups and the Champions League. Under the tutelage of Frank Rijkaard, and team-mates with Ronaldinho, Eto’o and company, Deco was one of the leaders of the Barça side that regained its winning mentality, a mentality that still persists today. 

Deco signed with FC Barcelona in the summer of 2004, after being named the best player of the Euro Championship played in Portugal. The player featured 124 times for Barça, he scored 35 goals and he was named the best player of the Champions League in 2006. 

In the summer of 2008 he signed with Chelsea. He played two seasons in London, where he won the Premier League, two FC Cups and the Community Shield. He also made 75 appearances for Portugal and scored 5 goals in his international career. In 2010 he returned to Brazil, where he concluded his successful 17-year career as a professional footballer

Sergio Busquets to sign new contract this Tuesday

At 13.30 on Tuesday, Sergio Busquets will sign a new contract that will keep him at the Club until June 30th 2018, with the option of a further year. 

The 25-year-old Catalan midfielder's buy-out clause has been set at 150 million Euros. 

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  Busquets playing against Levante / PHOTO: VÍCTOR SALGADO-FCB

Sergio Busquets will sign a contract renewal this Tuesday lunchtime which will keep him at the Club until June 30^th 2018, with an option of a further year. His buy-out clause is set at 150 million Euros. The signing will take place at the Club offices at 13.30 on Tuesday.

The Club and the player reached agreement on the new deal on July 16^th  - the day Busquets celebrated his 25^th birthday.

Sergio Busquets has played 238 games with the first team and since the start of the 2008/09 season he has been a key player in the Barça midfield

Xavi: "Neymar está destinado a marcar la diferencia"

Xavi: "Neymar está destinado a marcar la diferencia"

En una entrevista a Barça TV, Xavi Hernández asegura que se encuentra "mejor que nunca" y con "más ilusión" que en sus primeros años en el primer equipo      

                                    Xavi Hernández lleva más de 15 años en el primer equipo pero su motivación para conquistar títulos no cesa. El de Terrassa quiere más. "Tengo incluso más ilusión que al principio, porque hay mucha exigencia y cada año es más difícil ser importante", aseguró el segundo capitán del Barça en una entrevista concedida al club azulgrana.

Además, dejó claro que su estado físico este curso es óptimo. "Me encuentro mejor que nunca. He pasado varias lesiones importantes y este año he empezado muy bien. He podido hacer una buena pretemporada y tanto física como anímicamente me encuentro preparado para lo que viene", comentó.

Por otra parte, Xavi es consciente de su importancia en el vestuario. "A los jóvenes les tratamos como uno más, hay que evitar la distancia entre veteranos y jóvenes. En otras épocas quizás había más jerarquías, pero el grupo que hay ahora es una piña y los jóvenes sienten que tienen todo el apoyo de la plantilla", explicó.

De la actualidad más immediata, es decir, el partido de vuelta de la Supercopa de España ante el Atlético de Madrid, Xavi afirmó que el de Simeone es un conjunto "muy duro a nivel físico y defensivamente":

"No será fácil, pero sacamos un buen resultado en la ida con un gol importante y debemos hacerlo valer", reflexionó.

TATA, NEYMAR, VALDÉS Y SERGI ROBERTO

Preguntado por el técnico rosarino, el '6' del Barça opinó que "ha entrado perfectamente en el equipo, es un líder natural y un hombre que transmite mucho. Tiene un discurso fácil y se le entiende".

Del flamante fichaje azulgrana, Neymar, Xavi aseguró que "es un chico muy humilde, muy joven pero que está demostrando mucha inteligencia. Tiene llegada al área, tiene gol y está destinado a marcar la diferencia en el Barça", 

Tampoco escatimó elogios hacia Víctor Valdés. "Es un ejemplo dentro de la plantilla tanto a nivel futbolístico como a nivel humano. Es una persona que siempre suma, siempre está pendiente del grupo y es un ganador. No se le puede recriminar nada, es una decisión que ha tomado él y debemos respetar al máximo", declaró antes de añadir que para él es "el mejor portero de la historia del Barça".

El capitán evitó señalar a Sergi Roberto como su sustituto natural. "No me gusta que los jóvenes tengan que sufrir comparaciones. Cada jugador debe tener su personalidad. Sergi Roberto es un futbolista extraordinario para estar 10, 12 o 15 años en el Barça, ser uno de los líderes y ser uno de los capitanes en el futuro", comentó.

C

Adriano a doubt for Wednesday

Tests confirm right hamstring strain. 

Doctors will keep an eye on his progress before confirming availability for Wednesday's Spanish Super Cup game against Atletico Madrid. 

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  Adriano in the game agaInst Malaga / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB

Tests carried out this morning have confirmed that Adriano has a hamstring strain in his right thigh. The Club's medical service will assess his progress before confirming his availbility for Wednesday's game.

Adriano scored the only goal in Barça's 0-1 win over Malaga on Sunday night before being replaced by Dani Alves after the break.

Straight into training on return from Malaga

The first team squad returned to Barcelona from Malaga this Monday morning and went straight to the Ciutat Esportiva de Sant Joan Despí for a training session.

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  The team leaving Malaga / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

PHOTO GALLERIES

• Málaga - FCB (0-1)

Following their 0-1 win at La Rosaleda on Sunday night, the Barça squad flew back into Barcelona this morning. After leaving Malaga airport at 10.30, the players made straight for the Ciutat Esportiva de Sant Joan Despí to train behind closed doors ahead of Wednesday's Spanish Super Cup second leg against Atletico Madrid this Wednesday.

Adriano, expert in breaking open defences

Nine of Adriano's eleven goals for the Club have served to open the scoring. 

Every time the Brazilian has scored, Barça have run out winners. 

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  Adriano Correia after scoring the only goal against Malaga on Sunday. / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

A full back’s job may not be to score goals, but Adriano has an attacking mentality that leads him to shoot on sight and as Malaga found to their cost on Sunday night, he’s not only able to work his way into the box, he’s also got a lethal long range shot on him.

The Brazilian has scored 11 goals in his four seasons at Barça so far and their importance to the team can be seen by the fact that on nine occasions he opened the scoring and whenever he’s scored, Barça have ended up winning.

Adriano goal? A guarantee of success!

In the ten games he’s scored – he bagged two in the 2011 World Club Cup game against Al-Saad–Barça have ended up winning. On Sunday night, his first half corker was the only goal of the game and gave Barça the points – just as his strikes against Valencia at the Camp Nou last season and in Gijon against Sporting the season before had done.

Adriano’s first goal for the Club was in the 2010/11 season against Almeria in the second leg of the Spanish Cup semi-final, when he scored a fine individual goal, breaking into the box and firing low past the keeper. His opening league gial came in his second season at El Molinón.   

Two footed danger

Adriano’s ability to control the ball and shoot with either foot has helped him bag some spectacular goals, with last season’s long range effort with his right foot against Valencia, or the similar effort against Santos in this season’s Gamper Trophy fine examples of his skill. In contrast, his beautifully struck curler on Sunday night was with his left foot  - as was his superb strike against Atletico Madrid in last season’s 4-1 win at the Camp Nou.

Facts and figures from the Malaga game

Valdés is unbeaten in Barça's first two league games. Last season, the keeper was only able to keep to consecutive clean sheets on one ocassion 

Adriano's strike means seven different players have scored so far this season 

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  Valdés, who was key to the win, hugs Caballero after the game/ PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB

Barça won their second league game of the season with the 0-1 win over Malaga - a game that provided plenty of interesting facts and figures.

• Valdés, Piqué, Mascherano, Xavi, Alexis and Pedro are the six players to have started all three of the team's opening matches.

• Of those six, only Valdés, Piqué and Mascherano have played 90 minutes in each game.

• Valdés has not conceded a goal in the first two league games, something he only managed once last season, in weeks 31 and 32. The team also kept a clean sheet in week 30, but Pinto stood in for the Spanish keeper for that game.

• Valdés was only called upon to make two saves against Malaga - two saves that ensured the three points.

• Mascherano  and Alba recovered most possession for the team with 10 interventions each. 

• Sergi Roberto played his first league minutes under Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino when he came on as a second half sub.

•  Adriano's goal means that seven different players have scored for Barça so far this season:Messi (2), Pedro (2), Xavi, Alves, Alexis and Adriano in the league and Neymar in the Supercup.

• Alexis and Alves both picked up their first yellow cards of the campaign. Neymar also has a booking to his name.

• This Sunday's win was Barça's seventh on the trot at La Rosaleda  - six in the league and one in the Spanish Cup

Messi se pone a tono

Messi se pone a tono

El delantero argentino acudió a la Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper para recuperarse en solitario de su lesión    

           Mientras sus compañeros volaban desde Málaga rumbo a Barcelona -desde donde se dirigirán directamente al entrenamiento-, Leo Messi se dirigió a la Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper para tratarse su lesión ante el Atlético de Madrid que le impidió jugar en La Rosaleda. Nuestro compañero fotógrafo de SPORT, Valentí Enrich, cazó la llegada del crack argentino en su vehículo durante la mañana de este lunes a la espera de que el resto del equipo volviese directamente desde el aeropuerto de El Prat.

El delantero argentino sigue trabajando para eliminar el hematoma en la parte posterior del muslo izquierdo con el objetivo de llegar en plenas condiciones al partido de vuelta de la Supercopa de España ante el Atlético de Madrid en el Camp Nou con el primer título en juego y en la sesión de este lunes ya se ha reincorporado al equipo con el que ha trabajado con total normalidad. Los titulares han disfrutado de una sesión de relajación mientras que el resto se han ejercitado al ritmo habitual.                 

Valdés y el palo, salvadores del Barça

Valdés y el palo, salvadores del Barça

Ante el Málaga la actuación de Víctor Valdés y la ayuda del poste fueron providenciales para amarrar los tres puntos  

                                  

 Víctor Valdés estuvo providencial ante el Málaga y evitó en varias ocasiones el empate del conjunto andaluz. También el palo fue un buen aliado de los hombres del Tata Martino para regresar con los tres puntos a casa.