30 August 2013

Turista Neymar

El delantero brasileño va conociendo Barcelona poco a poco: este viernes al mediodía se acercó a la Sagrada Família

Neymar aprovechó este viernes al mediodía para conocer mejor su nueva ciudad, Barcelona. El delantero brasileño se acercó a la Sagrada Família con su amigo incondicional Gilmar Araujo Lima.

Ambos se hicieron una foto delante del templo, y el azulgrana la colgó después en Instagram.

Hay que recordar que Neymar es muy creyente en Dios y que la Sagrada Família es una iglesia, lo que representó una motivación más -además de la que por sí sola ya tiene la Sagra Família- para el jugador del Barça para ir a visitarla.

Tello firma su nuevo contrato con el Barça

El extremo, internacional absoluto, será azulgrana hasta la finalización de la temporada 2017/18

Cristian Tello ha firmado este viernes su nuevo contrato como azulgrana, que lo liga a la entidad culé hasta la temporada 2017/18. Su nueva clausula de rescisión será de 25 millones de euros.

En el acto, han estado presentes el presidente, Sandro Rosell, el vicepresidente, Josep Maria Bartomeu, el director deportivo, Andoni Zubizarreta y el representante del extremo azulgrana, José Maria Orobitg.

OCHO GOLES EN 34 PARTIDOS

El extremo sabadellense jugó la temporada pasada hasta 34 partidos con el primer equipo y marcó un total de 8 goles. En esta, participó en el partido contra el Levante (7-0). El atacante azulgrana firmó su primer contrato como jugador de la primera plantilla el pasado mes de diciembre.

Segunda renovación en una semana ya que, cabe recordar, la renovación de Sergio Busquets el pasado martes, también hasta la temporada 2017/18, con opción a una mas.

DATE 09.01.2013.21:00 Competition: League Television: C+1 - C+1 HD http://www.tv-porinternet.com/ JV APEFTIAS TRANSMISSION http://footballlife2013.blogspot.gr/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fc-Barcelona-com/515857845123305

Cruyff y Rosell escenifican su desencuentro ante toda Europa

Johan Cruyff aprovechó su presencia en la gala de la UEFA para criticar el comportamiento del Barça con su fundación

Era una buena oportunidad para limar asperezas, pero acabó convertida en todo lo contrario: Johan Cruyff y Sandro Rosellcoincidieron ayer en el sorteo de la Champions en Mónaco, pero no solo no se saludaron, sino que el holandés, presidente de honor del Barça hasta que la directiva de Rosell asumió el mando del club, aprovechó su presencia en la gala para atacar al presidente blaugrana. Cruyffacudió a Monaco para recibir el premio que la UEFA otorgó a su fundación, que, según lamentó, aún espera el dinero prometido del Barça. “Rosell no nos ha pagado lo que nos debe, lo que figura por contrato con la Fundación Cruyff”, criticó abiertamente el holandés, “son 100.000 euros por temporada”.

Cruyff, además, acusó a Rosell de tener “un comportamiento bastante pobre” y comparó la actitud del Barça con la de “clubes ingleses, como el Arsenal o el Liverpool, con los que estamos trabajando sin ningún problema”.

El holandés, que confirmó que ni siquiera saludó a Rosell en la gala de la UEFA (“es que estábamos sentados en filas diferentes”, argumentó), aseguró que el contrato entre su fundación y el club blaugrana se firmó cuando Joan Laporta era presidente, y lamentó que Rosell no haya cumplido dicho contrato. El holandés, cuestionado sobre la posible solución al desencuentro, fue tajante. “Tienen que pagar, nada más”.

Cruyff, en cambio, no quiso valorar el nuevo Barça de Martino. “He estado en Suiza y ni siquiera he visto los partidos”, zanjó.

Seven Barça players picked for Spain

Víctor Valdés, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Pedro Rodríguez and Cesc Fàbregas have been called up by Vicente Del Bosque

On Friday September 6, Spain face Finland in a World Cup qualifier, and then play a friendly against Chile on the 10th

Five other first team players have been named in their national squads

Sergi Roberto and Sergi Gómez with Spain U21

The manager of the Spanish U21 squad, former Barça keeper Julen Lopetegui, has also named his squad for the 2015 European Championship qualifiers against Austria and Albania.Sergi Roberto and Sergi Gómez are the two Barça B representatives for those matches.

Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque has announced the names of the 23 players in his squad for games against Finland and Chile. These include seven Barça players: Víctor Valdés, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Pedro Rodríguez and Cesc Fàbregas.

The World and European champions have two games in early September. The first is a World Cup qualifier against Finland in Helsinki on Friday 6. Four days later, Spain will be playing a friendly against Chile in the Swiss city of Geneva, with Alexis among the players in the South American squad.

Leo Messi with Argentina

Alejandro Sabella’s Argentina team has a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday 10 against Paraguay, with Leo Messi in the squad. However, Javier Mascherano will be sitting that game out through suspension.

Meanwhile, Dani Alves and Neymar have been called up for international duty by Scolari for friendlies on September 7 and 10. The first is against the Australian Socceroos in Brasília, and the second is against Portugal in Boston.

Alex Song will also be travelling for what is a crucial World Cup qualifying match for Cameroon. They need at least a draw against Libya on September 8 to ensure a place in the CAF playoffs for a place at Brazil 2014.

Champions League Draw: Did you know...,λ βθικ

FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam and Glasgow Celtic Glasgow have 16 European Cups between them

Barça played both Celtic and Milan last season, and lost away from home to both

Gerard Piqué celebrates last season's famous comeback against AC Milan PHOTO: FCB ARCHIVE

Champions League Group Stage draw

Barça’s opponents in Champions League Group H will be Milan, Ajaxand Celtic. It’s an interesting combination for a variety of reasons:

· Between them, the four clubs have 16 titles. Milan have the most, seven, while Barça and Ajax have four each. Celtic won the trophy in 1967.

· Barça and Ajax Amsterdam have never played each other in an official match. But they have frequently met in friendlies, the last time in Elche in 2004, with Barça winning 2-1.

· Despite never playing an official match, there are many historic ties between Barça and Ajax. There have been no fewer than 20 transfers between the clubs, including such major stars as Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, and the De Boer brothers. The most recent case was Bojan Krkic.

· Krkic is officially on loan from Barça to Ajax, and will be meeting his former colleagues for the second season in a row, after playing at the Camp Nou with Milan last term.

· There are two other former FCB players at the Dutch club. Frank De Boer is the current first team manager and Marc Overmars is the director of football.

· Barça will be meeting two teams they already met last season, losing away to both of them. They met Milan in the second round, losing 2-0 at the San Siro before that historic comeback night at the Camp Nou (4-0). Celtic and FCB met in the groups, and the Scots won their home fixture 2-1. The game at the Camp Nou ended with the same score, but in favour of Barcelona.

· In seven of the last two Champions League campaigns, including this year’s edition, Barça have started at home. Tata Martino will be in charge of his first UCL game against Ajax at the Camp Nou.

· Since Barça played in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup, they have played nine Champions Leagues in a row and have never lost the first match. They’ve won seven of them and drawn the other two.

· Barça returned to the Champions League in 2004/05, after one year in the UEFA Cup, and that season they also met Glasgow Celtic in the group stage.

final de otten cup 2013 Messi vuelve a ejercitarse al margen del grupo

Messi vuelve a ejercitarse al margen del grupo

El delantero argentino vuelve a realizar sesiones de fisioterapia y recuperación en el regreso del Barça a los entrenamientos

El FC Barcelona volvió a los entrenamientos este viernes con la ausencia de Leo Messi, que volvíó a realizar una sesión de fisioterapia al margen del grupo.

El grueso de la plantilla azulgrana se ejercitó, bajo las órdenes del Tata Martino, sobre el césped de la Ciutat Esportiva. El defensa brasileño Adriano hizo parte del trabajo con el grupo.

La de este viernes por la mañana ha sido también la penúltima sesión antes del viaje del domingo a Valencia. El equipo volverá a ejercitarse este sábado, a partir de las 10 horas, en otro entrenamiento en la Ciutat Esportiva.

Laporta: "Valdés se merece un homenaje en cada partido"

El expresidente azulgrana repasó abiertamente toda los puntos de actualidad del club en una entrevista concedida este vierns a Catalunya Ràdio

En una entrevista concedida a Catalunya Ràdioeste viernes, el expresidente del Barça, Joan Laporta, repasó todos los puntos calientes de la actualidad en clave azulgrana, incluyendo su posible candidatura a la presidencia del club en las próximas elecciones. "Todavía falta mucho para que lleguen las elecciones. En ningún caso me he postulado oficialmente, estoy preparado porque ya he sido presidente pero estamos en 2013 y las elecciones son en 2016".

Sobre la figura de Víctor Valdés, el expresidente azulgrana admitió que "es una llastima que Víctor haya decidido marcharse. Admiro su profesionalidad y su compromiso. Nos ha regalado muchos títulos y se merece un homenaje en cada partido".

El expresidente azulgrana no tiene problemas en admitir su disconformidad con la actuación de la junta directiva de Sandro Rosell. "No comparto la forma de actuar que tiene esta junta directiva en el punto de vista institucional y estatutario". Además, Laporta comentó la supuestas irregularidades del actual presidente en Brasil. "Debe hacer lo que considere oportuno por el bien de la institución y de su imagen personal. Yo ya hubiese dado explicaciones".

"Hubiese estado en contra de poner Qatar en la camiseta por la forma en la que se le explicó al socio. No hacía falta este patrocinio. Unicef era un patrocinio viable y sostenible. Lo de Qatar se excde de lo que es un patrocinio normal, haya demasiado Qatar en Can Barça. Soy partidario de que con Unicef proyectábamos una imagen mucho más adecuada que con Qatar Foundation". Además, Laporta añadió que "deberían dar más explicaciones sobre este contrato que se está comiendo la imagen del Barça. La camiseta del Barça tiene mucho más valor de lo que paga Qatar Airways".

"NEYMAR HA LLEGADO CON HUMILDAD"

Cuestionado por la reciente incorporación de Neymar, el expresidente, como culé que es, destacó que le gustó "la actitud con la que llegó a Barcelona" por su "humildad". Eso sí, Laportacree que "no se ha explicado todo y cada vez aparecen más millones sobre la operación financiera. Me siento perjudicado por el resentimiento y la envidia por como les dejamos el club". Sobre la llegada del nuevo técnico, el Tata Martino, se mostró sincero. "El Tata ha venido con una actitud muy propia. Siempre se debe intentar mejorar lo anterior porque es lo que los socios más disfrutamos y esperemos que así sea".

CUESTIÓN DE GUSTOS SOBRE LA 'SENYERA'

Laporta, además, no pasó por alto la nueva segunda equipación del Barça para esta temporada. "Es una cuestión de gustos. La representatividad sale desde la junta directiva no desde los jugadores. Con la 'senyera' que nosotros pusimos creo que ya era suficiente porque es ilustrativa de lo que somos".

CON PEP EN LA SUPERCOPA DE EUROPA

Lapora asegura que esta noche apoyará, sin duda, a Pep Guardiola para que consiga levantar laSupercopa de Europa con el Bayern de Múnich ante el Chelsea de José Mourinho. "La veré con unas ganas locas de que gane del Bayern de Pep Guardiola. Hoy a las 20.45 horas estaremos mirando la televisión y dando todo el apoyo al mejor entrenador de la historia del Barça junto con Cruyff.

Leo Messi working on fitness

Defender Adriano was able to take part in some of the group session

After Friday morning, there will be one more training session before the trip to València

Leo Messi working on fitness

Leo Messi did physiotherapy and recover work in the first training session after drawing 0-0 with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Adriano Correia, who missed the Spanish Supercup second leg, was able to join his team-mates for some of the session on pitch 1 at the Ciutat Esportiva.

Friday morning’s session was the second to last before the team travels on Sunday to Valencia. The players will be meeting one more time at the Ciutat Esportiva at 10.00 am on Saturday.

29 August 2013

THE ARGENTINE, WHO ATTENDED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP DRAW IN MONACO, GIVES HIS OPINION BARÇA'S GROUP STAGE RIVALS

Messi came in second to Franck Ribéry for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award

Leo Messi signs autographs on his way into the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB

Champions League Group Stage draw

Leo Messi was one of FC Barcelona’s representatives at this afternoon’s UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw in Monaco. The Argentine was also a finalist for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, which was won by Bayern München’s Franck Ribéry. The French player received 36 votes from the jury (sports journalists), ahead of Messi’s 13 and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 3.

Messi was asked by Pedro Pinto about Group H of the Champions League, where Barça are paired up with AC Milan, Ajax and FC Celtic. “We have a lot of even groups. We’re going to have some really good games. We’ve already faced Milan and Celtic, and it will be the first time against Ajax. I think it will be a difficult group, like always.

Milan, Ajax and Celtic, FC Barcelona's rivals in the Group Stage

Tata Martino's team have been placed in Group H of the Champions League

Champions League Group Stage draw

The Groups

Group A: Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad

Group B: Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray and Copenhagen

Group C: Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Olympiacos and Anderlecht

Group D: Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscou, Manchester City and Viktoria Plzen

Group E: Chelsea, Schalke 04, Basel and Steaua Bucarest

Group F: Arsenal, Olympique Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli

Group G: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit and Austria Viena

Group H: FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic

FC Barcelona will face off against AC Milan, Ajax and FC Celtic in the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League.Tata Martino and his men watched as Barça’s name was pulled out of Pot 1 at 18.09. Minutes later, AC Milan (Pot 2),Ajax (Pot 3), and Celtic (Pot 4) joined the Blaugrana in Group H.

Barça to start and end at home

FC Barcelona will begin and end the group stage at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana will first take on Ajax on Wednesday on September 18 and close out the group stage against Celtic Glasgow onDecember 11. Sandwiched in between these two matches, Barça will travel to Glasgow (October 1), Milan (October 22) and Amsterdam (November 26), meaning that the only remaining home game – Round 4 of the group stage – will be against AC Milan on November 6.

Of all of Barça’s group stage matches the one that stands out the most is the away match in Milan, which is scheduled on the same week Barça will take on Real Madrid at the Camp Nou (October 26 or 27).

It’s worth noting that the same group the senior side have to play against is the same group that Barça’s U18 team must face in theUEFA Youth League.

The group of champions

Milan, Ajax and Celtic, all European champions, will face off against Barça in the group stage of the 2013/14 edition of the Champions League

Milan have won the competition seven times, Ajax have been champions four times and Celtic won the competition in 1967. The teams in Group H have won a total of 16 European Cup titles

The Champions League Group Stage draw took place this Thursday afternoon in Monaco. The draw dropped Barça in the middle of a group full of European champions. Group H is made up of FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic Glasgow, teams that have won a total of 16 continental crowns between them.

Milan, the collector of Champions League trophies

The group stage will bring us a classic European showdown. The team managed by Tata Martino will face off against AC Milan, a team that have won seven European Cup titles. The teams have featured against each other 17 times, with a record of 7 Barça victories, 5 draws and 5 Milan victories. We don’t have to go too far to find the most recent match between Catalans and Italians. On Match 12 of 2013 the Camp Nou witnessed a night that will be difficult to forget.

In the Round of 8 of the Champions League, Barça needed to fight back from a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of the tie against Milan. The Blaugrana fired for four unanswered goals against the Rossoneri in the second leg and thus clinched a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition.

But that wasn’t the only time Barça took on AC Milan in the continental competition. The first time was in the 1959/60 season, also in the Round of 8. On that occasion, Barça defeated Milan by 5 to 1 at the Camp Nou and sealed the deal at the San Siro two weeks later by 0 to 2. Barça’s track record against AC Milan isn’t all rosy, however. In the 1994 final in Athens, Milan thrashed Johan Cruyff’s FC Barcelona by 4 to 0 to claim the title.Ajax, a new rival but not unknown

Alax and FC Barcelona have never faced off in an official competition. The Dutch team, however, are also a classic team in the European competition. The team managed by the former Barça player, Frank De Boer, have won the Champions League four times. The first time they won it was in 1971, and their most recent successful bid for the European crown was in 1995.

Also, we mustn’t forget that Bojan Krkic currently features for Ajax. It's worth noting that last season Bojan featured against Barça at the Camp Nou while wearing the AC Milan strip.