Barcelista

On Thuggery Versus Heart

2012-01-19T11:43:00.001+02:00

This must be the millionth time I've said this, but I can't say it enough, because this team keeps on giving me reason to. I am so fucking proud of them. I love them so fucking much. This team is just something else. Such pride, such heart, it's unmatchable. After the last Clasico, where we beat them 3-1, I was talking to a fellow Culita about how Barca play these games and win them with their hearts. For a team of players that have been bred with the beautiful Barca philosophy, these Clasicos are more to them than just matches, and they are passionate about playing them. It's something inside them, something you can't find in a Real Madrid team of players that don't have such a strong tie with their club. The Clasicos are impersonal for many of them and you can tell from the detached, haphazard way in which they play. Homegrown or not - because even the players who join Barca from other clubs are quickly caught up in the beauty of the Barca family, and form the same sense of pride for this club - these players cannot play a match like this without showing up to it and giving it everything they've got. It's the heart that wins these games.

There is no heart, or even shame, in a team that plays the way Real Madrid did last night. I see that the Madrid media and even some Real Madrid fans are calling the club out on their despicable behavior; for example Palomar, journalist of pro-Madrid extraordinaire sports paper Marca, wrote: Pepe cannot continue staining this shirt. Pepe's behavior in the clasico, and many other games that comprise for him a true criminal history, is intolerable. Does this mean we will finally see something done about it? Perhaps, perhaps not. After all, it is nothing new. I, for one, truly thought that Mourinho was abandoning his shady tactics and finally instructing his team to play actual football, after the more favorable way in which they played the most recent Clasicos before this one, namely the two legs of the Spanish SuperCopa. But alas, he was back to his old tricks and more.

It is a miracle of epic proportions that Real Madrid finished this game with 11 men - they deserved to be down to 7. Pepe, Coentrao, Carvalho and Alonso all should have been sent off for their repeated offenses. It was simply disgusting. I don't understand how Pepe is even allowed on a football pitch looking at all the crap he's pulled, from his kick-fest on Getafe captain Casquero a few years ago to his foul spree of last night, including the lower than low instance where he knocked his knee into Messi's shoulder and then stomped on his hand after Messi was already down from an ugly foul from Callejon. He deserves a lifetime ban. The most maddening part? When he's not the one committing the fouls, Pepe puts on an angel's face and plays peacemaker, going to talk down the other players and the ref after a foul, which is what he was on his way to do when he stomped on Messi in passing. Dirty thug and hypocritical. Worse still is that his teammates would defend him, as Carvalho did: "Pepe always try to play fair. It was hard but it's clean. He always try to play legally." This is beyond bias. This is a downright lie. Or else Carvalho is just blind. But we know he isn't, his aim at the Barca layers' legs last night was near as impeccable as Pepe's. Fellow thugs got each other's backs?

Someone put together this video compilation of all Pepe's offenses from last night - I didn't watch it, as seeing it all the first time was quite enough, but I've linked it for your perusal. What I do wish is that someone would do a compilation of all of Alonso's offenses from last night - not because I want to see them again either, but because I am absolutely fed up with the way so many people call him a classy player. Xabi Alonso is anything but classy, at least since he joined Real Madrid (playing under Mourinho seems to have that effect on players - look for example at how the formerly upright Ozil was shoving opponents left and right when Barca beat Real Madrid 3-1 in the league) and it's time people stopped overlooking his buffoonery. Let's not overlook the rest of the dirty moves exhibited by Real Madrid last night either, like Coentrao shoving Messi's head into the pitch after he had already fouled him and brought him to the ground.

I stress that these incidents not be overlooked because sadly, they are being disregarded by match officials and the people who actually have the power to do something about it. The only thing more sickening than a team going through a match as dirtily as Real Madrid did last night is that they manage to get away with it. And last night's instance is unfortunately nothing to be surprised at, looking at how the refereeing in Spain has been going lately. The last time we faced Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey, last season's final, was also a foul-fest from them with the referee letting it slide. Does Mourinho still believe that Barca are behind a grand conspiracy through which they control all of the referees in Spain and Europe?

Mourinho's gameplan of parking the bus, attacking only off the happenstance counter and kicking the crap out of the Barca players is disgustingly old. I don't know why he persists in having his team play this shameful form of non-football when they are, thuggery aside, a fantastic group of players capable of so much more. They aren't even getting anywhere with it. Sadly, Mourinho has the club wrapped around his finger and it seems no one, be they players or administration, has the balls to tell him to cut the crap and have the team just play football.

YOUR GOALSCORERS

The beauty in all of this is that despite all of Mourinho's philandering tactics, the thuggery of his players and the shameful way in which they approach these games - shameful to themselves as well as to football as a sport - Barca still manages to overcome them, time and again, against all odds. As every new Clasico approaches pundits say, this is the one, this time Real Madrid will win, this time Mourinho has figured it out - only for Barca to triumph over and over again. They fought back against Real Madrid's early goal and their parked bus and their kicking legs and put two beautiful goals past them to take themselves to the top, and how amazing was it that Puyol and Abidal were the ones to score those goals? Amazing is an understatement. I am fucking in love with the fact that Puyol and Abidal scored those goals. I would not have it any other way, none of the other players scoring would have thrilled me as much.

When Capita scored the equalizer off of the gorgeous classic header from a corner that should be named after him for all the amazing times he's repeated it, I was literally yelling at the TV that he is the greatest player alive and there is nobody that can touch him. And by greatest I don't mean in terms of technical skill, but in terms of skill and heart and pride and soul all wrapped into one, there will never be anyone like him. I am beyond ecstatic at his goal. And then for Abidal to score the second, it was just too much. Too much beauty, because players like he and Puyol represent what this club stands for and they are not players who score often, but these goals came at the right time. This is only the second goal Abidal has ever scored in 178 games for the club. Perfect time for it to happen. Puyol's goal was the first Barca had managed to convert in 196 corners. Perfect time for it happen. These things don't happen just like that. It's the heart in Barca's game that makes them happen.

A few last words on individual performances before I leave you with some yummy stats. Alexis was incredible. He was ruthlessly targeted with fouls from the Madrid players but nothing could hold him back, he was all over the place, chasing balls, going for the attack, even clearing balls in defense. Pep put it beautifully: "Alexis stole my heart. He's an extraordinary transfer. He adapted well, gives us something we don't have. I'm very happy for him." We hit the jackpot in signing him, especially given the blow of Villa's injury. Grande Alexis. Iniesta was also fabulous last night, just a breath away from scoring with all the runs he was making and several superb chances. Shame that he didn't find the net. Dani impressed me with his liveliness up front and lack of rolling around when taken down, but he's got to watch out for his defending. Cesc and Messi were a bit on the low-down but had their moments. Busquets played up to the praise Pep deservedly gave him last week, including this delightful little moment. I will continue to say he is drastically underrated. He deserved to be in the world 11 in place of the currently overrated Xabi Alonso. Xavi is amazing as always, it can't be said enough. Pique is getting back to his best which is great to see, we've missed his prowess this season. And Pinto is a beast. Pep is amazing for keeping his faith in him and playing him in the Copa and he played a great match. The goal that we conceded was an excellent one from Ronaldo and I'm not sure Valdes would have saved it. Maybe, maybe not. It was tough. As Pep said: "Pinto is a fantastic goalkeeper. Maybe people have doubts because of his looks, but I have a lot of confidence in him." The goal Ronaldo put past Pinto in last season's Copa final was also a superb one and anyone who blames our cornrowed keeper for that loss is extremely narrow-minded.

And now the stats:

- For the first time since 1933, Barca have as the same number of Clasico victories as Real Madrid: 86W - 45D - 86L

- Pep has now won more matches against Real Madrid than any other side since he became a manager: 9

- Pep has equalled Johan Cruyff as Barcelona coach with most Clasico wins: 9

- Messi has equalled the all-time record of Real Madrid's Luis Molowny of most Clasico assists: 9

(looking at the last three stats, 9 is the magic number - also the amazing Alexis' shirt number! )

- Barcelona are the first team in history not to lose any of 7 consecutive away games against Real Madrid.

- The last time Barca and Real Madrid met in a 2-legged Copa Del Rey tie Mourinho was Barca's assistant coach and Pep was Barca captain.

- Pep is the first Barca coach ever to win a Clasico on his birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EL MISTER, VISCA BARCA Y VISCA CATALUNYA!

I leave you with the epic goal celebrations.

Soriano Promoted?

2012-01-03T16:50:00.001+02:00

Ever since Pep said this: "Because of the injury of Villa we're thinking about promoting Soriano. Problem is he then can't go back to the B-team" in his press conference today, I've been getting a lot of questions about Soriano and his possible promotion. I'm going to address hopefully everything here, adapted from the transfer piece I wrote last summer.

As Pep said, the club is considering promoting Soriano to the first team since Villa is injured. It would have to be a direct promotion and not just call-ups when needed, like for example the way Cuenca sometimes gets called up, because Soriano is 26 years old and players over 25 aren't allowed to get called up. It has to be a promotion or nothing.

If you don't know Soriano's story you may wonder why he is still on the B team at age 26, why he never got called up or promoted before. The thing is that he was not raised in Barca's academy like the rest of the B-team. He joined Barca B at age 24, and before that he was a first team player at first-division Liga club Espanyol. First team, as in he took a step back to join Barca B, who were then in the third division.

Soriano had a rough time of it with Espanyol. They dragged him out on loan after loan and never gave him a real shot, and in the end let him go without renewing his contract or caring to look into taking offers for him.

Barca, as Soriano puts it, ‘saved his footballing career.’ Not one to be daunted by his bad experience with Espanyol, he came to Barca B and started over. His first season with Barca B saw him score 36 goals (31 league goals), finishing among the top scorers in all four sections of the Segunda B and leading Barca B into promotion to the Segunda A, the second division. He scored another 36 the next season (32 league), claiming Pichichi, top scorer of the entire second division, and leading Barca B to finish third place in the league ranking. An incredible achievement for a B team in the second division.

His history with Espanyol and his performance with Barca B over the past two seasons invalidate any doubts based on his age. Last season, only the rule claiming that players over 25 can not be called up from the B team to the first team if they haven’t been called up from the start of the season prevented Pep from calling him up (he did try).

Pep included Soriano in his preseason squad prior to the start of this season, and Soriano played 2 or 3 matches with the first team in which he was very impressive. Then he received a massive blow in the form of a calf injury that would sideline him for two months. The injury meant that he was dropped from Barca's preseason squad and also stood in the way of a possible transfer to another club.

So Soriano would be stuck on the B team for another season. This season started with him still sidelined, recovering from the injury, and his absence was greatly felt by the B team as they started the season poorly. When Soriano returned to the playing field Barca B's form immediately picked up.

Recall that when Nolito, who is also a striker, decided he wanted to leave Barca B last season and join another club, he was offered a first team contract. He’s only one year younger than Soriano and Soriano’s performance has been more impressive, so if Nolito is/was first team material than Soriano most certainly is.

As for Soriano’s own willingness to join the first team – he doesn’t share Nolito’s stance. Nolito left because he saw no future for himself at Barca, insisting that he needs to go somewhere where he’ll get more playing time and make more money; seeing as he’s married with his own family as well as his parents to support, and no one can blame him.

Whereas Soriano… he did an interview for Sport last summer where he talks about his time at Barca and what the future may hold for him, saying how grateful he is to Barca and completely at peace with whatever may happen, if he leaves or if he stays. If he leaves he will miss Barca very much, but he will accept it, thought his hope is to stay and be promoted, in which case he would give it everything he’s got. “I’ll be grateful for any opportunity Guardiola gives me,” he says. As his soaring season with Barca B last season neared it’s end he said, “I’m fighting for the first team.” More than anything he just wants to play football, wherever that may be. He was close to quitting the sport before Barca ‘saved’ him; now he says he wouldn’t dream of leaving it.

That Soriano would be a viable and effective replacement for Villa, that he would work for it and give all his effort, and that he deserves the promotion, is undoubted. The question then becomes, if Barca promotes him then what happens once Villa returns?

Well, Villa is out until the end of the season. Soriano will be leaving Barca at the end of the season if he doesn't get promoted to the first team. At his age and talent, it is shame for him not to be playing first division football, and only injury stood between him and a transfer last summer.

So since Soriano would be leaving at the end of the season anyway, it makes sense to promote him now. Better he spend the remainder of the season with the first team than with the B team. Then at the end of the season when Villa returns, if the consensus is that Soriano is no longer needed, he will transfer to another club - as he would be doing anyway, if he hadn't got the promotion. That's why the way I see it, there is no reason at all not to promote him. And now that Pep has brought it up it seems probable, so fingers crossed.

Zlatan's Back...

2011-11-04T11:28:00.005+02:00

... and whinier than ever.

So, Ibrahimovic wrote a book in which he cries about how mean Mr. Pep bullied his existence and shattered his dreams. Because, you know, we can’t expect him to be over it over a year later. Well I’m here to pick his whining apart quote by quote… starting from where he begins by pointing fingers at Messi (oh, this is going to be fun):

"Playing at Barca was a childhood dream and I was walking on air. It started well but then Messi started to talk.”

"He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.”

"So I asked for a meeting with Guardiola - for a discussion, not an argument. I said I was being used in the wrong way and that they shouldn’t have bought me if they wanted another type of player.

"I told him what a friend had said to me - you bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat.”

First of all, this shows just how stubborn and close-minded Ibra is as a player and a person. Like, playing in the center is the only thing he can ever possibly do and he’s completely unwilling to try at another position. He says playing at Barcelona was his ‘childhood dream’ yet he seems to have come to this club without knowing a single thing about it. Without knowing that at Barca, Pep shuffles players around like a deck of cards and on any given day, a fullback might be winger and a winger might be striker and a midfielder might be a centerback or a fullback or a forward. Without knowing that at Barca, they play a very specific style that most of the team has grown up with and if you’re a newcomer you’re going to have to work incredibly hard to adapt. Without knowing that at Barca, neither he nor any other player on earth will ever come before Messi.

Now, I fully agree that the club should never have signed him because he was never going to fit in. But for someone who proclaims that this was a childhood dream of his, he sure didn’t make much of an effort to try to fit in. It’s like he stopped trying at all the minute he was told he can’t play in the center. Well, I have two words for you, Zlatan:

DAVID VILLA.

For heaven’s sake Villa played as a striker his entire life, for club and country, before he joined Barca. At age twenty-eight. Then our club told him he’d have to become a winger because Messi was playing in the center. What Villa understood that Ibra could not is that if the optimal spot for Messi is playing in the center, then Messi is going to play in the center. If he wanted to be part of Barca he would have to adapt to the wing.

Our apologies, Ibra, if you are unable to perform unless you are the uncontested star of the team. You didn’t seriously think anyone was going to put you before Messi, did you?

Villa worked his ass off to adapt to a new position in a new style at a new club. There he was, box-fresh Euro and World Cup champion and top-scorer of both those competitions, re-learning the fundamentals of football the Barca way. He’s explained several times how he had to start again from the basics, and how he took Pedro as a reference and learned from him – Pedro, the kid just plucked from the B-team. THIS is someone who wants to be at the club. Your childhood dream, Ibra? Really? REALLY?

Even Cristiano Ronaldo, arrogant prick that he is, when asked if he was happy with the way Real Madrid were playing after they went down 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League last season, replied: "No, I don't like it but I have to adapt to what is asked of me." And Mourinho, Ibra’s precious Mourinho, dropped Cris from Real Madrid’s following Liga fixture just for saying that.

Yet it's completely outrageous for Ibra to be asked to adapt to something new...

Moving on now to the rest of his wails.

“I would walk into a room; Guardiola would leave. He would greet everyone by saying hello, but would ignore me.”

“The atmosphere in the dressing room was way too quiet for me. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi always obeyed without protesting. They were like schoolboys. I'm not like that and I couldn't be myself. I had done a lot to adapt - the Barca players were like schoolboys, following the coach blindly, whereas I was used to asking 'why?' I like guys who run red lights, not pedantic and strict rules. So I tried to be overly nice, didn’t dare lose my temper."

Players listening to their coach, imagine that! No Ibra, you’re perfectly right, they should’ve all staged a walkout and picketed the Camp Nou parking lot in protest against… what exactly?

This is your coach. He makes the decisions. Not you. And I would think, judging by the unprecedented treble he’d led the team to just before you came along, that he kind of knows what he’s doing. The team trusts him.

Yesterday some quotes came out from Messi in regards to Ibra's complaints, namely: “We have no idea what he is talking about. There was & still is an excellent atmosphere in the dressing room.”

And this is something that the Barca players are endlessly reiterating. All of them, the ones who have been here since they were kids and the ones who joined later on, cannot seem to stress enough how amazing the team’s atmosphere is and how much they are like a family. So is the problem with the entire team then, or with this one moron and his inflated head?

Also, I love the part where he says he loves guys who run red lights and not strict rules. Again I have to go back to the part where I say that for someone who says playing at Barcelona is his ‘childhood dream’, he really seems to have come to the club without knowing a single thing about it. Without knowing that Barca – Pep’s Barca – is all about discipline. Everyone knows that when Pep took over the reins from Rijkaard, some of the main changes he implemented and what set him apart from Rijkaard right away were his disciplinary actions. Let me just copy/paste some of the policies Pep introduced from an article I wrote back in 2008:

- The return of monetary fines to keep players from arriving late and skipping trainings, something that was going on overlooked under Rijkaard.

- Obligatory team meals and the like, to create a spirit of unity between the players and really bring them together as a team, as well as to monitor the players’ diets and keep them in shape.

- Longer training sessions with more physicality to keep the players in shape and well trained for each match, after Rijkaard’s preference of short trainings without much physicality.

- The introduction of video review sessions of the trainings with the team to analyze strong points, weak points, see what needs improvement and work on that.

Then there was the way Pep had the club sell players like Ronaldinho and Deco who had become regular slackers; Eto’o, with his attitude issues, was lucky to stay for one season under him. With Pep it’s a matter of zero tolerance – either you’re disciplined and committed or you’re gone. He shouldn’t have to waste his time trying to get through to players who aren’t willing to work, because there are plenty of others who are more than willing. If Ibra wanted a club that didn’t have strict rules then Barca was the very last one he should have considered.

And the whining continues…

"But after this I stopped trying to adapt. For example, at Barca players were banned from driving their sports cars to training. I thought this was ridiculous - it was no one’s business what car I drive - so in April, before a match with Almeria, I drove my Ferrari Enzo to work. It caused a scene."

Now he is unable to follow a simple rule. Really, this is the last club he should have even thought to consider... and Barca was his childhood dream?

After Barca got knocked out of the Champions League by the then Mourinho-coached Inter Milan, over two legs in which Ibra was absolute crap (possibly on purpose, seeing as he adores Mourinho to death and he had, as he himself proclaims, stopped trying to adapt at that point and obviously had no more consideration for the club), Pep dropped him from the starting lineup and started Bojan in the Liga fixture against Villareal. Bojan scored and Barca won 4-1; Ibra only got five minutes at the end. He felt offended and went to yell at Pep over the matter:

“Pep was staring at me and I lost it. I thought, ‘there is my enemy, scratching his bald head’. I yelled to him: ‘You have no balls!’ And probably worse things than that. I added: 'You are s****ing yourself because of Mourinho! You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad.”

Lol. Okay, if he thinks Pep ‘fears’ Mourinho or whatever he is seriously delusional. I’m not going to get into Pep vs Mou issues now, I already wrote that article – and anyway, the behavior of both coaches speaks for itself. Also, I love that he told Pep he didn’t have any balls after Pep had tossed him to the bench. He had the balls to bench you, didn’t he? Not that anything Ibra says really makes much sense.

All this shows – all any of Ibra’s rants really show – is that he is not one bit a professional. He’s a petulant baby who wants everyone to do things his way and his way only, and if that doesn’t happen then he has a hissy-fit and starts calling people names. It’s a wonder he didn’t start throwing things as well…

Oh wait, he did.

"I threw a box full of training gear across the room, it crashed to the floor and Pep said nothing, just put stuff back in the box.”

So Ibra was losing his mind and Pep just kept calm and cleaned up his mess. I love it. That, Ibra, is called being a professional.

“I’m not violent, but if I were Guardiola I would have been frightened."

Frightened of an overgrown baby. Riiiiiight.

When Ibra left the club at the end of the summer in 2010, he whined about how Pep had been ignoring him and hadn’t talked to him in months. No really, was he expecting Pep to ask him out to tea after that incident?

Ibra: It’s been over a year. You are a grown man. You don’t even have a point. Freaking get over it already.

Cesc Fabregas, That's Who

2011-07-31T15:02:00.000+03:00

Every time Thiago scores, Barca fans start to crow “Cesc who, Cesc who!” I don’t quite see the relevance, because it’s news to me that we’re interested in Cesc as a goal scorer.

Thiago is a phenomenal player and he’s been having an incredible preseason, relentlessly netting goal after breathtaking goal, and to have a midfielder dominating the team’s scoring is something relatively new to Barca. For years now it’s been the forwards getting the job done with the likes of Xavi and Iniesta getting their names on the score sheet only occasionally. I think that’s part of what makes the prospect of Thiago so exciting for Barca – he’s bringing something new to the team; but in light of this something new, I think people are forgetting the importance of the something old.

Thiago has scored four goals in four preseason friendlies for Barca. Apart from that, the only other goal the team has seen was an odd one from Jonathan Dos Santos. Nothing from any of Barca’s forwards – Villa, Pedro, Afellay, Carmona, Soriano before he got injured – it’s just been the Thiago show. Now picture those four matches if Xavi is on the pitch instead of Thiago. Those goals don’t get scored by Xavi but they do get scored by Barca’s forwards, because Xavi is doing what we count on him to do: playing up the passing game, distributing the ball, feeding killer assists to his teammates.

If these four preseason matches are anything to go by, more than anything Thiago reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano is a midfielder that is an undisputed goal scoring machine; he has an incredible eye for the net and possesses that astonishing ability to conjure up goals from the midfield – unlike the forward that is waiting on the pass from the midfielder so he can score, he has the creativity to score independently. I see all this in Thiago. Another notable thing about Cristiano is his low assist count – he’s more focused on getting the ball to the net than to his teammates. That’s just the kind of player he is.

In this preseason so far, Thiago’s goal to match ratio stands at four to four, but Barca’s win to match ratio stands at one to four. One win out of four matches in which it’s largely just been the Thiago show. I don’t mean to say that Thiago is a selfish player or that he’s bad for the team – not at all; I’m convinced he’ll make the most incredible addition. Wthout a goal-scoring threat in midfield Barca has already been virtually unstoppable; it’s almost scary to imagine what they’ll be like now with Thiago in the mix.

And that’s my whole point, that Thiago is something new and exciting to be integrated into what we already have, and it’s what we already have that we have to watch out for. By that I mean Xavi – Xavi the playmaker, Xavi the assist master, Xavi the midfield maestro.

Many people like to argue that Messi would not score so much if he didn’t have Xavi and Iniesta feeding him the ball. With his national team, Messi hasn’t scored in ages because Argentina’s midfield is beyond dysfunctional; he’s had to be playmaker himself instead of looking for the net. Barca’s game stems from the midfield and Xavi has been nothing short of downright crucial.

Xavi is also not as young as he once was. Last season he had to miss out on a considerable number of matches due to tendonitis, and this is something that’ll only worsen as he gets older. He hasn’t played a single match since the Champions League final, opting out of international call-ups to get some rest and he’s been resting for two months, yet here we are, four matches into the preseason and he’s still not able to play. In case you haven’t already grasped it, this is a huge cause for worry. Xavi is not going to be able to play as much as before and Barca is going to suffer for it, unless we have someone to replace him. And Cesc is the answer. I guess Xavi knows this, and this is why he’s continually pressing for Cesc to come to Barca, more than all the rest of the Barca players; to an extent where a lot of people are deeming it disrespectful of him. Xavi’s not a disrespectful guy, he just knows what the team needs and is looking out for Barca.

The sad thing about Cesc is that because he’s been injured so much (and considerable fault lies on the incompetence of Arsenal’s medical staff for this, at Barca he would not have as much trouble) people tend to forget what an incredible player he actually is – he really is one of the most exceptional midfielders you will find. I won’t go as far as to say a full mix between Cristiano and Xavi, but something along those lines: When fit, he scores his fair share of goals – not as frequently as the likes of Cristiano but a lot more often than Xavi or Iniesta – and more importantly, he’s also assist master extraordinaire. Cesc Fabregas, despite spending almost all of last season sidelined with injury, has more assists than any player – Xavi included – in the top European leagues over the past three years. Let me say that again: more assists than anyone, and that’s counting an entire season in which he barely played. Which is to say – amazing.

There’s a reason that Pep makes Cesc’s signing a priority, and there’s a reason that as Xavi’s fitness declines, he relentlessly pushes for this transfer to happen. And who knows better than the midfield maestro himself and Barca’s genius of a coach? The next time Thiago scores a goal, we might not want to be so quick to cry out “Cesc who?” – maybe instead we should dig out the old favorite we’ve been crowing for three years now, “In Pep we trust.”

Summer Transfer Thoughts

2011-06-20T12:51:00.001+03:00

I thought this was needed, after the endless debates over twitter and repeating the same stuff over and over. This will mostly collect and expand on transfer-related things I have already tweeted; but of course not everyone will have seen it all twitter and this way it’s easier. It turned out quite long, but it’s very relevant and I hope you’ll all read and enjoy. Alright, here we go!

First, let’s talk about the squad in general and what areas need to be strengthened. Now, with the squad the way it is we’ve had an incredibly successful season, winning the Liga and Champions League despite having to deal with a lot of drama and injury issues along the way, and this same squad, as it is, has the capacity to be fine next season without any drastic changes. That said, it will be for the better to have a little more depth in the squad, more options for backup/rotation, especially, as many like to insist, because we have six competitions next season.

But let’s pause to take apart this six competition claim. We have the Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League of course, then there are the follow-up Cups as a result of winning the Liga & CL last season: The Spanish Supercup, Uefa Supercup and Club World Cup. Now, I know we like to dramatize things a lot here at Barca, but honestly, I would hardly call the Supercups ‘competitions’. At least none that warrant a dire need to add depth to the squad. The Uefa Supercup is one match, the Spanish Supercup is two; and granted, the latter becomes more heated because our rivals are Real Madrid, but it remains, in essence, two legs played prior to the start of the season, more a part of the preseason than anything else. The only one that should really have us ‘worried’ is the Club World Cup, because it’s an actual tournament that will disrupt the normal season, not to mention the traveling involved – it’s all the way in Japan.

So let’s not get all in over our heads with claims like “we’ll never make it if we don’t sign Sanchez, six freaking competitions!” Cool it. The squad isn’t that shallow.

But I’m getting to Sanchez. Going back to the squad in general… let’s start from the start. Goalkeepers? Not an issue. Victor Valdes is the most incredible keeper we could ever hope for, grade A, first class, yada yada, I don’t even have to tell you how brilliant he is. I think most of us are more than satisfied with Pinto as second keeper as well. Nothing to see here, moving on.

Defense. Ah, the defense. I think we can agree that defense was Barca’s weakest point last season, what with all the injuries. We missed Puyol far too much because of his knee problems and felt his absence greatly. The fact that Barca lost only five matches all seasons all of which were matches that our Captain missed, speaks volumes. It’s not the same without him there to marshal the defense, and even Pique, wondrous centerback as he is, seemed lost at times without Puyol at his side.

Akin to the extent that we missed Puyol is how much we missed Abidal. His diagnosis alone was a huge blow to the team and fans alike; in the wake of dealing with the threat of cancer, I know all that was on my mind was wanting him to come out of it alright. But I think all of us – team and fans alike – found strength in Abidal’s strength, and the season pauses for no one so it was time to think about replacing Abi on the pitch.

That wasn’t easy either. Abidal has been an enormous player for this team, incredibly solid defensively and above all, at a consistent level. He was our irreplaceable leftback, satisfactory substitute centerback, indispensable part of the defense.

So how do you replace that? How do you deal with two enormous blows, in his absence and Puyol’s, at the same time? And it wasn’t long before Adriano – having stepped up to the plate and shown his worth as another fantastic asset to the team – joined them on the injured list.

There was no simple answer; we went through the season as well as we could with a patchwork defense, one that called for fielding Maxwell and Milito, who I can not but describe as shaky and undependable, as well as utilizing Busquets and Mascherano in defense instead of midfield, in addition to the emergency promotion of Fontas from the B-team. All in all, not really the ideal defense.

And yet the club announced that they’re not looking to sign a defender this summer. Consequently, everyone called them crazy. But I for one can understand why the club/Pep would take this stance. I’ll tell you why; but before I can do that I have to talk about the midfield.

There’s no arguing the fact that Barca’s game stems from it’s midfield. Possess the ball, distribute the ball, win back the ball; have as much control of the ball as possible. That’s how we roll. And that’s what the midfield is for. And they do a brilliant job of it – Xavi, Iniesta, Keita, Mascherano, Busquets. And Thiago. Never, never forget Thiago. The explosive talent just emerged from the B-team, Thiago is fast becoming an untouchable part of Barca’s squad. Pep gave him call-ups aplenty during the season and it was apparent that we had a star on our hands; and anyone who wasn’t convinced by what they saw during the season has only to watch the U-21 Euro taking place now. Thiago is enjoying a rapid rise to fame as he gives performance after mind-blowing performance for Spain, packed full of all the creative-assisting-passing goodness that we at Barca so revere. A future Xavi if you will, with some dribbles and flourishes thrown in for effect. Yes, Thiago is untouchable, and among all the ludicrous transfer rumors we’ve heard so far, the most nonsensical are those that suggest we would possibly sell or trade Thiago. We’d have to be downright batshit crazy to even think it.

That being the main reason why so many are so against signing Cesc. Eek, yes we’ve arrived at him; an inevitable part of summer transfers with Barca. Simply put: If we sign Cesc, where does that leave Thiago? We can’t have him benched or have his development stumped by the fact that Cesc is there and Cesc is starting instead of him. No, and especially not if signing Cesc would require us to fork out 40 milllion; why do that, when we have Thiago?

What we have to own up to is that frankly, we don’t need Cesc. At all. It’s never been about us needing Cesc so much as us wanting Cesc. He’s a Masia boy, he has Barca DNA, he belongs with us, Barca is his home, yada yada. We’ve heard it all a zillion times at the least. But where, in all that, is the real need for him to be part of our squad?

No doubt Cesc is a brilliant player. No doubt he would fit right in at Barca. No doubt he would be a wonderful addition to the team. But he’s not necessary. He’s not. A year or so ago we talked about Xavi getting old, we talked about sooner or later needing a replacement for him because Xavi is the one that makes Barca tick. And we talked about Cesc being the man, the absolute perfect successor for Xavi. But guess what? Thiago arriving on the scene kind of invalidates that now. Why pay 40 million for what you already have? Granted, Thiago is young and still needs to work and grow to reach the level of Xavi or Cesc, but this kid is the business and there’s no doubt that that’s where he’s headed. If Xavi were in rapid decline we might talk about an urgency to bring in Cesc, but he’s not. And by the time our midfield maestro really has run his course, you can bet Messi’s golden balls that Thiago will be ready.

And yet. And yet, even as I type this, even as I believe this, as I know that Barca won’t be worse off if Cesc doesn’t come – I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like for him to come. He’s one of my favorite players, always has been, and I’m prone to be dazzled by the prospect of having him on the team. Because it would be phenomenal. So here’s where I try to validate signing Cesc:

Going back to what I said earlier, about my understanding that the club would not feel a need to sign defensive backup, this is for two reasons. The first one is that what happened last season was exceptional. Abidal’s setback was a special case, not likely to be repeated, just as it’s not likely that we’ll again have to suffer Puyol, Abidal and Adriano all being sidelined at once. Puyol should supposedly be more or less on top of his knee trouble by the time the new season kicks in, and Pep is also depending on the promotion of Fontas; and when push comes to shove we still have Milito and Maxwell, who right now aren’t looking like they’re anywhere close to being sold. And there’s the B-team, that boasts some really gorgeous defenders. I for one would be gleeful to see Bartra get a bit of time on the first team. And of course, there’re always Masche and Busi, who have proved dependable as emergency defenders, especially Masche; which brings me to the second reason, and the one that I tie to signing Cesc:

If we really are that much in need of defensive backup, let Masche and Busi (though Masche moreso) fill in instead of worrying about signing someone. It’s not that bizarre an idea; I know they are essentially midfielders (albeit defensive mids) but think about Rafa Marquez. Remember that he started out as a defensive midfielder. He still plays defensive mid for the Mexican NT I believe, but Barca needed him to be centerback so that’s what he did. And did it beautifully, I might add.

If Masche and Busi – or even just Masche – rotate with the defense as well as midfield, that frees up more playing spots in midfield and thus makes the inclusion of Cesc more viable. Playing time for both him and Thiago won’t be as much of a problem, especially after you factor in that injuries will happen and Xavi will need more rest; that is if his tendonitis doesn’t act up again.

Not to mention that more playing spots in midfield can be freed up by having Iniesta rotate with MVP up front, since he can play as winger. We’ll need to have backup/rotation options for our attacking trio as well, and there’s no reason not to utilize Iniesta there.

Which brings us to the attack. Of course, Iniesta by himself is not enough. Nor does anyone really deem Bojan/Jeffren sufficient backup; with one or both of them most likely leaving on a loan or sale this summer. There’s Afellay, who I picture as having the role of winger more than attacking mid for Barca, but Ibi still has some way to go. No, the options we have are not enough; everyone’s demanding that Barca sign a striker, a high profile striker to rotate with MVP, someone the likes of Giuseppe Rossi or Alexis Sanchez or Neymar.

But I’m none to keen on any of those options when they all cost between 35 and 40 million. Right now the media is crowing non-stop about a deal to sign Sanchez for 35 million, then it’s 38 million, then it’s 35 + Jeffren or 35 + Soriano.

Are you freaking kidding me?

We can talk about six competitions, we can talk about fatigue, we can talk about needing to rest/rotate Messi, Villa and Pedro, but at the end of the day those three are still going to be our basic attacking trio, and anyone else is just going to be backup. And guess what? You don’t pay 35 million for backup.

These amounts that are being reported for Sanchez, with people also saying that his price is likely to go up after the Copa America, are ridiculous for Barca to pay. They’re nearing on the amount we paid for Villa – 40 million – and we spent that much on Villa because he was an essential signing for an essential position, replacing Ibra who replaced Eto’o. Who is Sanchez replacing? Right, no one. I repeat: You don’t pay 35 million for backup.

Now let me make something very clear, before anyone attacks me with arguments that Sanchez is this and this and he will add to the team that and that: I am not against Sanchez. I am against his price. Sure he’s a great player with loads of potential and could add pizzazz to the team, but if it’s going to cost 35 milllion then that’s not the kind of signing we should be making. No matter what, Messi, Villa and Pedro are going to remain our essential starters, and any attacker we sign is going to spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. That’s not a role you pay 35 million for. That’s not a role you sign Sanchezes and Rossis and Neymars for.

What I find most ridiculous is that those three have to be our only options, as if they’re the last three viable attackers in the world. Guess what? They’re not. There are loads of great attackers out there who don’t cost 35-40 million.

Case in point? A kid called Willian.

Shakhtar’s talented winger is priced at 12 million. Even if his club were to heft that fee, how much could they go up? 15? 20? 25 would be pushing it, and that’s still way better than 35 million. Willian has the skills, the potential, the right dynamic for Barca, and best of all, the right price. Perfectly perfect for our rotation needs.

Willian’s been linked with Barca, not crazily the way Sanchez or Rossi have, but enough during this transfer period to make me believe it could happen, almost as much as I believe it should happen. Frankly, the club ought to snap him up before someone else does (he’s been linked with Arsenal as well; if he ends up going there I’m not sure I won’t shed a tear or two).

And if we’re still not satisfied with our attacking options after that – well, there’s always Jonathan Soriano.

I feel very strongly about Soriano and about the need to give him a shot with the first team; perhaps because so many of you so readily dismiss him as not being worthy simply because he’s 25 years old.

When a player on a B-team ends up as Pichichi of the entire second divison, with a staggering 32 goals, who the hell cares if he’s 25? He’s playing awesomely and that’s enough to earn him at least a shot with the first team. The fact that people should write him off based solely on his age is ridiculous. Some will insist that if he were really worth it, he would’ve bloomed long before he turned 25. To those people I say, make sure you know what you’re talking about before you start talking.

That argument could have been valid had Soriano been raised in Barca’s youth system like the rest of the B-team. He wasn’t. Before joining Barca B he was a first team player for Espanyol. I repeat: first team, as in he took a step back to join Barca B – who were then in the third division.

Soriano had a rough time of it with Espanyol. They dragged him out on loan after loan and never gave him a real shot, and in the end let him go without renewing his contract or caring to look into taking offers for him.

Barca, as Soriano puts it, ‘saved his footballing career.’ Not one to be daunted by his bad experience with Espanyol, he came to Barca B and started over. His first season with Barca B saw him score 36 goals (31 league goals), finishing among the top scorers in all four sections of the Segunda B and leading Barca B into promotion to the Segunda A, the second division. He scored another 36 the next season (32 league), claiming Pichichi and leading Barca B to finish third place in the league ranking – an incredible achievement for a B team in the second division.

His history with Espanyol and his performance with Barca B over the past two seasons invalidate any claims of “if he was really good it would’ve shown before he was 25.” Last season, only the rule claiming that players over 25 can not be called up from the B team to the first team if they haven’t been called up from the start of the season prevented Pep from calling him up (he did try).

Soriano may be 25, but he’s at the top of his game and at the very, very least, deserves to join the first team for preseason. Call it a trial; he deserves to have at least that shot to show he’s got what it takes to be part of the first team.

I mean, when Nolito decided he wanted to leave Barca B and join another club, he was offered a first team contract. He’s only one year younger than Soriano and Soriano’s performance has been more impressive. So why is Nolito first team material and not Soriano?

As for Soriano’s own willingness to join the first team – he doesn’t share Nolito’s stance. Nolito left because he saw no future for himself at Barca, insisting that he needs to go somewhere where he’ll get more playing time and make more money; seeing as he’s married with his own family as well as his parents to support, and no one can blame him.

Whereas Soriano… well, he did an interview for Sport recently, and… you should read it for yourself. He talks about his time at Barca and what the future may hold for him, and the more he talks, the more you feel that he’s just so grateful to Barca and completely at peace with whatever may happen. If Barca decide he should find another club, then he’ll accept that and leave in hope of other opportunities, though he will miss Barca very much. If Barca decide to give him a shot with the first team, he will relish it and give it all he’s got. “I’ll be grateful for any opportunity Guardiola gives me,” he says. A couple of months ago, as his soaring season with Barca B neared it’s end, he said, “I’m fighting for the first team.” More than anything he just wants to play football, completely at peace with wherever that may be. He was close to quitting the sport before Barca ‘saved’ him; now he says he wouldn’t dream of leaving it.

Okay, not to careen off topic any more than that, basically the point is I really like Soriano. Skillswise, personalitywise, everythingwise; this guy deserves a shot with the first team if anyone does.

Whew. Summer transfers, who’d’ve thought I could have so much to say. Just a few more random notes:

- Quick overview of how Villa’s been for Barca. A lot of people say that he hasn’t been up to par and hasn’t met expectations and hasn’t been much better than Ibra was. The truth is that neither one of them was going to be absolutely brilliant from their first season on the team; Barca plays a very unique system and it’s not easy to fit into it if you weren’t raised here. For an attacker especially, it takes adaptation. It takes a lot of work. I think the main difference between Villa and Ibra was that Villa was willing to work and Ibra wasn’t. Villa did a great post-season interview where he talked about how hard it was, how he had to re-learn basics and adapt to new fundamentals. Ibra on the other hand, after the bitter way he left Barca, declared that the club knew who he was when they signed him and they should’ve adapted to him. Uh, I’m sorry, NO. Villa explained how he took Pedro as a reference and learned from him… I don’t think Ibra would be caught dead saying he watched and learned from Pedro. Sure Villa had some rough patches, but it was all in the adaptation process. He ended the season on a magnificent note (let’s not even think about how Ibra ended his season here) and next season, you can count on him being more fully integrated, a brilliant part of the team.

This is why we have to be very careful when making new signings. We’re very homegrown, we have a set philosophy and anyone who comes from outside the club has to work to adapt. That’s why it’s firstly about attitude (why Pep rejected Neymar) and secondly about having similar style and potential to fit in. Ibra had neither; I don’t know what the club was thinking signing him.

- A quick word on Bojan. I think it’s a shame he never succeeded with the first team after spending four years on it, but I don’t see him as a total flop. He just lacks confidence, and Pep continually benching him and only subbing him on for the last five minutes didn’t help.

Think back on the final four Liga matches of 2010, after we got knocked out of the Champions League and had nothing left to fight for but the Liga, with RM only 2 points away from us, making it crucial to win those last four games. They were four hugely important matches, must-wins if we were to win any trophy that season, and against the likes of Sevilla and Villareal; and what did Pep do? He played Bojan. That was when he finally realized Ibra was just not going to work, and he showed confidence in Bojan by playing him for those four make-or-break matches, and consequently Bojan played gloriously and scored 4 goals in 4 matches. See, just a little confidence is all he ever needed.

Last season injury got in his way just when he was beginning to shine, a huge shame. And now the U21 team is benching him. I just feel so bad for him. But he can’t go on this way, he needs to be somewhere where he can get constant playing time, so much as I hate to see him go it’s for the best. I would love to see him head to Roma; Lucho would take care of him.

- A note on Cesc’s current stance. Basically his comments on the matter were to the effect of – and I’m paraphrasing here – “Everyone knows I want to go to Barca, I don’t have to keep saying it, but it’s not up to me, Wenger is the boss and he knows what I want, he’ll decide.”

Look, I think he’s trying to be reserved out of respect for Arsenal; he wants to come to Barca but he doesn’t want to hurt his team or his fans. That said, I don’t think his teammates or the fans would really hold it against him too much. His own teammates have actually been quoted as saying he should go to Barca since that’s what he wants. It’s mainly Wenger who is stubborn about keeping him, and Cesc seems unable to put his foot down in front of the man who he says was like a father to him. He wants to please everyone, that’s his problem; he seems to be hoping that Wenger will have a change of heart and send him off to Barca with his blessing, without Cesc having to be forceful about it. But I don’t know the likelihood of that happening, and as many have said, Cesc ought to man up to what he wants or it’s not going to happen.

If we end up not signing Cesc, I’m not going to be depressed over it. Like I said, we don’t need him, but having him on the team is an amazing prospect. As for the matter of the cost, 35-40 million is a lot, but Cesc isn’t really worth less than that. He’s a proven great and not just someone with ‘potential’, and we know that the role he’ll play at Barca will be a great one, we know how beautifully he’d fit in. And, I think I rather sympathize with him a lot. The endless dry spell at Arsenal without winning anything, playing for Barca being his dream… and the fact that he has idolized Pep since he was a kid, similar to the way Iniesta has; I can only imagine what it would mean to him to play under Pep, to have Pep as his manager.

Okay and I’m getting too sappy right now lol. Wow, this turned out long. I hope nobody got bored and stopped mid-way. So, now, tell me. Your thoughts?

On Morality In Football

2011-04-27T11:28:00.003+03:00

Prompting me out of months and months of blogging hibernation is the issue in football that bothers me, disappoints me far more than any loss ever can. I’m no brilliant writer and someone else who is would be much better at conveying the ideas that I so strongly feel but struggle to put into words, yet I have to take a stab at this anyway because things have gone too far and I just have to put this out there. So I’m going to try to say this as best as I can and hopefully my point goes across.

No team, no player, no manager is perfect, they all have their faults that we tend to defend because we love them, but this cannot stretch to any extent. When it stops being about football and starts being about morals, those rose-colored glasses have to come off and the ones at fault have to be recognized. I’m not casting allegations against anyone in defense of my team or in opposition to another; I’m saying this as a human being, as a person recognizing wrong from right, black from white. Because it really is black and white; there’s nothing in between and anyone who sees otherwise is seeing rose. I’m talking about Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, and before you accuse me of favoritism, because I do love Barca to death, read me out.

Pep has been managing Barca for three years and that’s no picnic, and over the past three years this team has been through a heck of a lot and Pep has never, not that I can recall, ever done anything other than keep his head down and work on his team. Barca win, he praises the players. Barca lose, he says they need to work harder. He doesn’t talk about anyone else, he doesn’t blame anyone else, the only thing he’s ever had to say about the opposition is that they’ve done well, and as for the referees – for three years Pep has not blamed a referee for any result. Even when Barca have come out of games in which they had goals cancelled, penalties denied, players fouled without any cards shown, Pep has flatly refused to discuss referees, saying they do the best they can, we should not talk about them, we are only concerned with ourselves, we need to work harder.

Pep shows enormous class in refusing to talk about anything other than Barca, whether a referee or another coach or anyone else, and at the end of the day, what else does it come down to? Who is going to get Barca anywhere except Barca? It’s our game that defines us, it’s our game that gets us places, and the rest is marginal. This has set him apart from a number of other top-tier coaches who will jump at the chance to divert the blame from their team to the referee. The Premier League, for instance is full of famous examples; but even they, with the fines we see handed to them because of their comments against referees, cannot compare to what Jose Mourinho is doing.

I would normally try to avoid any sort of comparison, but as I mentioned before, things have spun far out of control, to an extent that sadly prompts this. So I’m sticking my neck out there and saying this: I have never seen a manager who complains as much as Mourinho does. Instead of looking at how his team is doing, he constantly looks for blame anywhere else he can – and I mean literally anywhere.

Earlier in the season when Barca went ahead of Real Madrid on the league table, Mourinho accused other Liga teams of letting Barca beat them. How he determines this I’m sure I don’t know; and the only time I’ve heard a coach clearly saying that he had his players throw a game because he thought they had no chance was Pellegrini, coach of Malaga, after his team went down 7-0 against Real Madrid. Mourinho even goes on to complain about the match calendar, saying that it’s designed to Barca’s full advantage and not to Real Madrid’s at all. But none of that compares to what he says about the referees.

He’s been complaining extensively about them all through the season, reaching a point where his claims are nothing short of ridiculous. It’s one thing for him to say that his players are picking up cards for fouls that are “nothing,” when they are actually some of the most rough and even thuggish fouls to be seen, and the examples are clear and countless.

It’s another thing for him to say that he’s forced to train with ten men in preparation to face Barca because he always finishes with ten men against them, a statement with which he’s accusing referees of both Spain and Europe of favoritism towards Barca and again insinuating that his players are doing no wrong to deserve the reds. Oh yes, obviously, the fact that his team always goes down a man against Barca certainly has more to do with Spain and Europe conspiring against him and less to do with his own approach on the field.

But for him to go so far as to plainly say that Barcelona control all the referees and control all aspects of football in Spain and Europe – that is beyond ridiculous. I could sit here and list example after example of how things have not gone in Barca’s favor, even just over the past three years in which Pep has been coach, but I won’t, because this claim is complete nonsense; I know it, you know it, and Mourinho knows it too.

Mourinho is no idiot. He’s not blind. He’s not delusional. He knows there’s no conspiracy against him or Real Madrid, he knows exactly how his players are playing – he’s telling them to do it – and he knows that the fouls are ugly and the cards are deserved. He just doesn’t care. This man is not here to play football; he’s here just to win – by any means necessary. This is a man that will do anything for his team to get ahead, no matter how deceptive and immoral it may be. Yes, I said immoral. Completely so.

He’s had his team do the dirty and then complained about everything he could possibly complain about, and complained and complained and complained until he hit the climax and got what he was always after; the referee at the Copa Del Rey final was too intimidated to give out cards for anything short of murder and Real Madrid got away with foul after disgusting foul, essentially robbing Barcelona of the chance to compete fairly – of their right to compete fairly.

That was the ultimate outrage, but did Pep open his mouth about it? Did he say the referee was unjust, did he highlight on the blatant fouls that went unnoticed? Even with the most obvious example of what Ramos and Arbeloa did to Villa – something that Vicente del Bosque, manager of the Spanish national team and former manager of Real Madrid, described as “against the principles of a football player, even against their own morals,” and one of the lowest things I have personally ever seen in football – Pep did not complain.

He did make mentions of referees after that match though, virtual firsts for him. Asked what he thought to the possibility of a Portuguese referee being appointed to Barca’s Champions League semi-final meet with Real Madrid, Pep simply replied “that should make the manager of Real Madrid happy.” In regards to the Copa Del Rey final, Pep talked about the positives of his team’s performance and noted that they came close, and might have won if Pedro’s goal had not been ruled for a close offside call that he attributed to "the linesman's good eyesight,” praising the referee and simply meaning that small details can decide a match.

Now you tell me. Has Pep said anything out of line? Can his ‘ref comments’ even being to compare to all of Mourinho’s ranting?

Well, according to Mourinho, they can.

"A new era has begun,” says Mou. “Until now there were two groups of coaches. One very, very small group of coaches that don't speak about refs and then a big group of coaches, of which I am part, who criticize the refs when they have mistakes – people like me who don't control their frustration but also people who are happy to value a great job from a ref. Now there is a third group, which is only [Guardiola], that criticizes referees when they get decisions right! There is a new meaning to [football] now. In his first season [Guardiola] lived the scandal of Stamford Bridge [in the semi-final], last year he played against a 10-man Inter. Now he is not happy with refs getting it right. I am not asking the referee to help my team. If the referee is good everyone will be happy – except Guardiola. He wants them to get it wrong."

This – these words that spew from his mouth, this is just cheeky. This is taking his mouthing off to a new level entirely. The height of hypocrisy, the height of disrespect. Do I even have to say that Mourinho’s so-proclaimed ‘third group’ is an exact description of himself?

Mourinho has said a lot, but this brings things to a critical point, the point where things just can’t be ignored anymore and you know that’s true when Pep, for once, has allowed himself to address Mourinho. It was not Pep ‘breaking under pressure’ or anything of that sort – what he said, he clearly intended to say and frankly, it needed to be said. I quote the translated comments as they appear in The Guardian:

"As Mourinho has spoken so candidly about me and spoken about me by name, and using tú [the informal form of you], then I will do the same." He then asked which of the gathered cameras was "Mourinho's camera" and began.

"Tomorrow at 8.45 we will play a match on the field. Outside of the field, he has won the entire year, the entire season and in the future [it will be the same]. He can have his personal Champions League outside the field. Fine. Let him enjoy it, I'll give him that. But this is a game. When it comes to sport we will play and sometimes we will win, sometimes we will lose. We are happy with smaller victories, trying to get the world to admire us and we are very proud of this.”

"I can give you an immense list of things [that we could complain about]: 300,000 things. We could remember Stamford Bridge and another thousand things but I do not have that many people working for me. Secretaries and referees and people writing stuff. So tomorrow, 8.45pm, we will take to the field and we will try to play football as best as possible."

"In this room [Real Madrid's press room], he is the chief, the fucking man. In here he is the fucking man and I can't compete with him. If Barcelona want someone who competes with that, then they should look for another manager. But we, as a person and an institution, don't do that. I could talk about [Olegario] Bequerença [the referee from last season's Barcelona-Inter semi-final first leg], about the offside goal from Diego Milito or the penalty of [Dani] Alves, but I don't. Well, until tonight!"

"If you think after three years, that I always moan, always make excuses and always complain, then there is nothing I can do about that."

"We worked together for four years. He knows me, I know him and that's all. If he wants to go by things written after the Copa Del Rey by friends from the written press or Florentino Pérez, with his milkmaid's tales, then fine. If that matters more than our relationship, then that's up to him. I am not going to justify my words. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth when someone you had a relationship with does [what he has done]."

"I always thought that when people didn't understand me, it was because I had explained myself badly, but now I don't. I said the referee [in the cup final] had been smart and very attentive. I said it was right. I pointed out simply that the result can be down to small things, that's all. It was not a complaint."

"After victory I congratulated Real Madrid and that is what Barcelona does. We congratulated Real Madrid for the cup that they won on the field against a team that I represent proudly."

… Is there anything left for me to say after those words? Pep put everything out there exactly as it is, and stressed that his words are purely in response to Mourinho after Mourinho addressed him by name. "He called me Pep, so I answered. Normally, he talks in general terms about a team, a club or a manager, but this time he named me. If he says: 'Pep,' I say: 'Hey, José.'"

In the end, I can truthfully say that in my years as a football fan I have never seen a man – in football – more honest and more humble than Pep. This is man who, when Barca went straight from two trophy-less seasons to an unprecedented six in one year once he took over, said “these players could have done it with another coach, I could not have done it with another team.” – while Mourinho was proclaiming himself “The Special One.” And this is my issue, that a man as honorable as Pep should be so wrongly accused, that his good name should be thus tainted.

Incredibly, Pep was asked yesterday at the end of his ‘speech’ if it was all a tactic, to which he replied in surprise: "What? You think my players will run around more because I looked for Mourinho's camera? It's a semi-final!" And semi-final or not, let it be known by now that Pep is not here, Barca are not here, to play mind games and media battles. That’s not what concerns us. We’re here to play football, just football, all that concerns us is ourselves and our game, and the fact that the same cannot be said for Mourinho is a shame, a sad shame that football today, the beautiful game, has to be subjected to the ugliness and the immorality that he brings to it.

Hey Everyone...

2010-10-01T15:56:00.000+03:00

So, it's been like a week or so since I've updated the blog, and it hasn't been the first lull since the relaunch... to be honest, I don't know how I thought I'd be able to keep up with this along with everything else I've got going on, especially what with university just starting. Basically what I'm saying is, I don't see how this blog can really be all I want it to be.

So it looks like I'm hitting an undefined hiatus again, BUT, I will continue to cover all things Barca from my twitter account. Links, pictures, news snippets and opinions, I'll be tweeting as much as I can and it won't be much different than what this blog would have covered, except that it'll be easier and faster than a daily blog, and I'll be able to offer you more that way. Anyone who hasn't joined twitter yet really should, there's so much more acess to so many things.

And I'll be back with a new blog or site sometime, I promise! Love to all.

Polls & A Little Break

2010-09-30T10:03:00.000+03:00

Hey guys... just here to let everyone know that I'm going to take a few days off from the blog, in case you missed my tweet last night (I'll keep tweeting though) and to post the results of the summer poll: The Ibrahimovic Issue: It was close, but most were of the opinion that the club did well to sign him and he'd do better his next season; too bad he didn't see it that way.

The overdue Barca hottie poll for this season is now up (sidebar to the right): who do you think is the currently the finest boy on the team?

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Athletico Madrid, Vicente Calderon, Sunday, September 19 2010, 19:00 CET

2010-09-19T15:00:00.005+03:00

Returning in high-spirited triumph from their 5-1 trouncing of Panathinaikos in the Champions League, Barca now heads out to the Spanish capital to face Liga contenders Athletico Madrid, in a meet that's set to be anything but easy.

Barca hasn't had the best of luck on the Vicente Calderon in the past, not having been able to win a match there in years. Last season, the away match that Barca played against Atheltico Madrid was their only loss in the Liga; so that this time around, everyone's looking to break the curse and finally grab a win on said stadium.

Squad-wise, leftback Eric Abidal won't be travelling to Madrid with the team, having been excused to go and be with his dying grandfather on the Martinique island in the Caribbean. He is left out along with the injured Jeffren, while Pep takes along an 18-man squad composed of Valdés, Pinto, Maxwell, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Milito, Adriano, Sergio, Mascherano, Xavi, Iniesta, Keita, Messi, Pedro, Villa and Bojan, as well as B-teamer Thiago Alcantara.

Andres Iniesta: GQ CoverBoy

2010-09-18T21:12:00.006+03:00

I suck at updating lately, but bear with me, my beautiful readers, soon enough I'll get things back on track and routine-ness shall resume. Right now, here's another post of randoms:

- The picture you see here is, obviously, Andres Iniesta on the cover of this month's GQ España for their special on "Los Héroes de España", that also featured photos of David Villa and Cesc Fabregas. Barca coverboys ftw!

- David Villa recently recorded a song with Spanish singer Ana Torroja for the upcoming "Together for Mali" album, and he sounds pretty damn good. Who knew KingSoulPatch was harboring this talent behind all his blitzy baller skills? Following the release of the album on the 23rd of November, a concert is set for December 2nd - and I am dying to know if Villa would possibly attend and perform the song live.

- The basketballing counterpart of our club is to host the 'Basketball Without Borders' event, with Barca Regal also set to face U.S. b-ball stars the Los Angeles Lakers. The natural result of all this is for the NBA's vice president of international operations Kim Bohuny to present Lionel Messi with his very own customized Lakers Jersey, with Lio lamenting that he'll have to miss the Regal-Lakers match (set for October 7) because he'll be with his national team as they prepare to play a friendly against Japan.

- An ad featuring Barca coach Pep Guardiola is tactfully placed right in front of Real Madrid's stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu; meanwhile Barca player Adriano recently had his car stolen and returned.

- And to cap things off: Barcelona just beat out Turkish club Galatasaray as the club with the most fans on facebook, with over 4.5 million fans. Viva Barca!

Lio & Links

2010-09-16T23:57:00.006+03:00

Hurried and harried, so I'll leave you with a few quick links:

- Lio Messi spent the past couple of days trotting around London on a PR stunt for Adidas that went horribly wrong. I don't see how they expected it to work out in the first place.

- Here's Gerard Pique 'not knowing what to say' about his status as the number one sizzling Catalan in the eastern or western hemisphere. Oh, he was also promoting his new book, Viatge d’anada i tornada.

- Pep Guardiola features in a new ad for Spanish bank Banco Sabadell, and needless to say he's fabulous in it. Now, if he ever showed up at my door like that...

- Barca's Adriano is on twitter, btw. That makes three tweeting Barca boys; get following chicas!

- Just because: Rafa Marquez graces New York Fashion Week with his sexy self. I'm missing him crazy.

- Going farther back with ex-Barca boys, remember Ludovic Guily? Of course you do. If you don't, this video will make sure you never forget him. Let me know if you're able to watch the whole thing through without cringing.

FC Barcelona 5-1 Panathinaikos

2010-09-15T10:14:00.017+03:00

It's hard to believe that the Barca of last night is the same team that fell against Hercules on the weekend. Right now, Hercules seems like nothing but a distant, very hazy memory - that's what Barca can do to you with their brilliance.

From Lio Messi with his perky dashes in and around the penalty the box to Pique ambling down the pitch with his bandaged head, every last one of our players was totally there. All the bad positioning, blankness in front of goal and general slowness of the Hercules match had seemingly evaported, replaced with glorious movement and sharp finishing and beautiful passing. To think Villa only got offside once, and that in the begining of the match before the flow of things kicked in and then there was nothing short of perfection.

Barca managed a whopping 86% possession, and unlike the ball domination of the Hercules match this time it actually mattered. The unfortunate Greek side barely got a whiff of the ball, only getting a touch when defending (or trying to). Let's look at some more numbers: Barca had twenty-eight shots to Panathinaikos' one. Did you get that? Twenty-eight to one. Their one shot being the out-of-context goal Govou managed to grab off a counter-attack to open up the scoring; before Barca snatched back control and bombarded the opposition net with five of their own. Govou's name may be on the scoresheet, but his team's performance doesn't account for it. It was all Barca out there, from start to finish.

With the electric brilliance of Barca's game last night, that Panathinaikos should score first was utterly ridiculous - so much that our boys couldn't have the other team leading for more than a minute or two, not if Lionel Messi had anything to say about it. Who else to open up Barca's scoring but the marvel that is Lio? The goal came in the classic form of Xavi to Messi to net and it was game over for the Greeks from there. You could tell that Barca weren't done, not at all. They were just getting started.

Xavi was playing full-on playmaker, feeding chance after chance to our attack and it wasn't long before he set up Barca's second goal. His corner found Busquets ready to tap it on to Villa, and it was just too easy for KingSoulPatch to send the ball home and put Barca ahead.

Barca weren't going out of the half without having a firm grasp of their lead, and it was who else but Lio that made sure of that. He hit a few crossbars along the way before finally arriving at his second goal and Barca's third of the night, rendering us watching fans ecstatic.

While Messi and Villa took turns scoring, Pedro was struggling to get his name on the list as well. With each try from him it was more apparent how much he wanted it, and finally, as the second half kicked in, he found the net for the first time since last season, and I can only imagine what joy/relief that must have been for him. Lio Messi had had the chance to grab the fourth - and his third - before Pedro's goal, when he was awarded a penalty; but it was a rather sluggish shot on his part and the keeper bested him there.

Lio continued to push for a hattrick as the match drew to an end, but it was Dani Alves who capped off the night with Barca's fifth and final, in the very last minute of loss time. Converting a sharp header from Lio's assist, Dani took off on a victory run as the final whistle sounded amid the team's celebration, a perfect end to a perfect match.

This was rather reminiscent of the treble season, when Barca was regularly scoring five and six goals per match. Such a great result so early on in this season gives the feeling that it too could end in a truckload of silver; but, you know, we mustn't get ahead of oursleves. There's still a long journey ahead of us - but man will it be exciting.

Smiles In Training

2010-09-14T12:17:00.005+03:00

Excuse me while I fall in love with Victor Valdes all over again as a result of this picture. Fabulous shot of a fabulous guy - it'd be perfection if he'd only grow his hair back.

The team was all smiles during training yesterday, looking nothing at all like a team that had just fallen at the hands - well, technically feet - of what was considered an inferior side. Only person wearing a contemplative frown was, predictably, Pep Guardiola - and that is never a good sign.

Let's Get The Good Feelings Back

2010-09-14T12:16:00.004+03:00

How about we all follow Andres Iniesta's example and look ahead instead of behind? Don't let the serious expression fool you, he's not stressing over the loss against Hercules. Though admitting that it was a very odd game, he affirmed the team's desire to win and is still optimistic: "You just want to win again and get the good feelings back."

That doesn't mean he isn't wary about tonight's match: "We'll need to charge our batteries and have the right heads for such an important match. The Champions League is a very demanding competition and you pay the price for any mistakes." Obviously, Andresito's got the right outlook on things.

Champions League: FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos, Camp Nou, Tuesday, September 14 2010, 20:45 CET

2010-09-14T10:19:00.006+03:00

Eager to shake off the loss to Hercules suffered a couple of days ago, the team prepares to face Panathinaikos tonight in their Champions League opener and everyone's looking for a strong win.

Barca have the home advantage, but as Pep explained in his latest press conference, it might not be that much of an advantage seeing as the pitch is in bad condition. They're trying to get it in as best shape as possible for tonight, while the team refrain from training there.

As for our opponents, I don't know much about the Greek side but Barca as well as a several other top-notch clubs are said to be interested in their captain, 20-year-old Sotiris Ninis, so I'll be watching him. Another thing to look out for is that for the first time tonight UEFA will be using two extra officials on the pitch - one at each goal to help monitor play within the penalty area.

Jeffren alone misses out on this one, still injured, with Jonathan Dos Santos called up in his stead. Hopefully this match will be a spirit lifter for everyone.

Birthday Boy: Eric Abidal

2010-09-12T12:38:00.002+03:00

What makes yesterdy's match suck even more is that on his birthday, Eric Abidal as well as his team were unfortunately sadly off form. I wish it could have been a better night for him, but in any case, best of birthday wishes, Abi!

He's an extraordinary player, tremendously solid in his defending and hardly ever not showing up to games. At thirty one he's as great a fullback as ever, and over the past couple of years has been seriously improving as he gets older, instead of falling back. With nothing to say that the tides will be turned anytime soon, he's an indespensible part of the team and I'm so glad we've got him. Hope he has yet another awesome year and many more to come!

FC Barcelona 0-2 Hercules FC

2010-09-12T11:03:00.008+03:00

I'm posting this away from home for the weekend, in the absence of my usual sports channel or a connection that can support a stream - i.e. I wasn't able to watch last night's match, in the end settling for following it on my twitterfeed and ESPN gamecast. And maybe not watching it was a good thing after all...

Losing two to nothing in the first half of the season, to a team newly promoted and on the national day of Catalonia no less - it's grim any way you slice it. The fact that no one really saw this coming makes it even more dejecting, but I guess that should teach us to underestimated our opponents - even if they just came up from the second division.

Not having seen them I can't fairly judge how Barca played, but I'm going to take off from what other people are saying. Apparently the defense was awful, with the two concessions on them and not Valdes who was something of a bright spot in the scrambling lackluster side that was Barca last night. In Puyol's absence I would expect Pique to be fully able to lead the defense, but when he wasn't watering the pitch with his blood or screwing up sure chances, he was just lost, totally lost. As was most of the team.

Mascherano made his debut as a starter, and that was unexpected - isn't it like engraved in stone that debutants always come on as subs? But apparently Pep got that one right, because Masche was surprisingly integrated - as integrated as one can be into a team that is falling apart - with the rest, even if he was fouling a bit too much. Looks like he'll have a great future with Barca.

Skipping on to the attack: Messi had no eyes for his teammates and spent the night making pointless runs on his own, Bojan was on a coffee break somewhere and Villa worked extra hard to be in the wrong place all night. Looking at this game as well as previous ones, I have to say that he is getting caught offside way too much. Babe, do something about that, please.

Now let's cast a glance at the game stats. 77% possession, 17 shots with 9 on goal, and 14 corners among other set pieces. Shouldn't any team be able to get at least one past the keeper - that isn't revoked for offsides or foul - with those numbers? Very distressing.

This is more than curse of the international break. This is Barca flat-out not showing up with no excuses. Next up we start Champions League group stages against Panathinaikos, let's get ourselves together in time for it, if that's not too much to ask.

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs. Hercules FC, Camp Nou, Saturday, September 11 2010, 18:00 CET

2010-09-11T17:29:00.006+03:00

I'm hurried and barely getting this match preview up in time, so please excuse - Barca return from the international break to face Hercules FC for the first home match of the season, with only Jeffren set to miss out on this one. Puyol has been surprisingly cleared of his injury and called up to the game, while newest signing Mascherano is set to make his debut for the club tonight.

Hercules FC are newly promoted from the second division, but Pep reckons the match could be challenging, especially since Hercules have strengthened their squad over the summer with well-known such as Drenthe and Trezeguet - altogether set to be a very interesting meet!

Villa's Message Of Strength & Support

2010-09-10T21:02:00.007+03:00

Hats off to David Villa for his support of a cause that is close to his heart: the thirty-three miners who have been trapped for a while now in a mine in Chile. Coming from a family of miners himself, with his loved ones have been in mining accidents, David is filled with compassion for the Chilean victims: "I form part of a mining family and I share the anguish of the families, but all will come out fine, they’ll see that it turns out okay. I would want to tell them that I’m with them, that all of us who know how the mine is are with them, that everyone is following them and supporting them, everywhere.”

Pictured here is Carolina Lobos, daughter of former footballer Franklin Lobos who is among the trapped miners, holding one of the signed shirts sent out by Villa on which he penned "support to you, miners, and much strength," as a gesture of solidarity with the thirty-three men.

The New Nine

2010-09-10T20:18:00.003+03:00

Time for a news round-up, and we'll kick it off with the most prominent issue of the moment: Bojan transitioning into the number 9 shirt, worn by Ibrahimovic and Eto'o before him (Jeffren is now wearing Bojan's former 11). Bless EMD and the photographer who took the glorious shoot (below) of him pulling his new shirt on bit by bit...

And speaking of transitioning, Barca's newest signing Javier Mascherano is transitioning well into the team, with his Argentine compatriots Lio Messi and Gabi Milito making sure of that. Arriving together from Argentina on Wednesday, the three continued straight to training at the Ciutat Esportiva and Lio and Gabi didn't leave Javier's side all through the session, with Gabi also acting as his spokesman.

Second keeper Jose Manuel Pinto has a new hairstyle: he's done his dark locks up in cornrows. I'm not quite sure where I stand in regard to the look, but the important thing is that he's happy with it: "My new haircut wasn't planned. I just went to the hairdresser and kind of picked it on the spot. I had it before, it's comfortable."

New studies show that Barca is the most popular club in Europe, with a pretty wide margin between them and the holders of second place, Real Madrid. Anyone else not surprised? Details and things here.

Our injured Captain Carles Puyol is pretty doubtful for the club's approaching Liga match against Hercules, but he's working hard on his recovery and was able to train along with the rest of the team yesterday. The only other sidelined player is Jeffren, who is still training apart from the rest.

Birthday Boy: Gabriel Milito

2010-09-08T22:58:00.004+03:00

Gabriel Milito's birthday was yesterday and he turned thirty; best belated birthday wishes, Gabi! I'm sure it was a fabulous birthday seeing as his national team gave Spain a 4-1 thrashing on the special day; what better triumph is there than being the first team to beat the newly crowned world champions, and by a comfortable margin at that?

Having this curly-haired cherub of an Argentine on Barca is pretty awesome. I was missing him sorely during his over-a-year of injury absence, the prolonged period making his eventual return last season an even bigger joy without leaving him with much of a post-injury hangover. At thirty his game is still as hot as ever, with no signs of regression. Keep it up Gabi, I hope this season - set to be your first full season since the accursed injury - is as amazing as possible!

International Results

2010-09-08T22:20:00.003+03:00

Hey-ho, the internationals are over and I'm back to report the shocking scorelines. We've got three matches to talk about:

Spain's opening qualifier for the Euro 2012 ended in a promising 4-0 triumph for La Roja, with Barca's David Villa netting the second goal. But Villa and company weren't as hot a few days later against Messi, Milito, Mascherano and rest of the Argies...

Man-of-the-match Lio Messi led his team to a 4-1 victory, scoring the second goal himself along the way, and I don't think anyone saw that coming - I certianly didn't. But Spain really did not show up for that match, and I don't just mean goalkeeper Pepe Riena with his fumble that cost his team their third concession.

Barca boys Dani Alves and Adriano joined the Brazil national team as they faced off against Barca B, and accordingly walked off with a 3-0 win. It certainly was a big event for the B-team, but I guess they can't have hoped to win against Menezes' Brazilian side.

And now that all that is done with, we can move past it (and, if you please, everything concerning Cesc's Barca heartache) and think about Barca's upcoming Liga match against newly promoted side Hercules FC.

Pique To Get Us Through

2010-09-03T14:30:00.003+03:00

The international break is boring the hell out of me, since the only Barca 'news' anyone can come up with is the Pep/Mourinho handshake controversy at the UEFA Elite Coaches Forum. Apparently Marca think that Pep was a bit slow to take Mourinho's hand, and made it their front page story - in other words, they need to get a life.

This sizzling picture of Gerard Pique is to help us get through the boredom of waiting for Spain's match to start/get over the disappointment that Brazil vs Barca B won't be televised. For the same purpose, check out this adorably funny video of Pique trying to walk a runway.

Mascherano's First Training

2010-09-01T13:37:00.007+03:00

New signing Javier Mascherano took part in his first training session with Barcelona yesterday morning, albiet one that lacked most of the players from the senior squad seeing as they're away on international duty.

Mascherano, who arrived a half hour early to the Ciutat Esportiva, sat down to the team breakfast with Maxwell, Adriano, Keita, Abidal, Alves, Pinto and twenty-five B-teamers, before being ushered out to the training pitch by Adriano and Alves to work with his new coach for the first time.

The same afternoon Mascherano left Barcelona to catch up with the Argentine squad as they prepare for their upcoming friendly against Spain.

International Duty Calls

2010-09-01T12:57:00.008+03:00

It's time for internationals again and as per usual, almost all the Barca boys are called up, with most of them facing off in the much awaited Spain - Argentina friendly.

Due to an injury in his left calf muscle, Puyol is left out of Spain's roster leaving his fellow countrymen Valdes, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa and Pedro to represent Spain against their Barca teammates from the Argentine squad: Messi, Milito and Mascherano. The match is set for September 7th, before which Spain will face Lichenstein on September 3rd as they start qualifications for the upcoming Euro, of which they are currently title holders.

Barca is also represented in Spain's U-21 squad, as Bojan and Jeffren as well as B-teamers Miño and Thiago are called up to face Holland in qualifications for the U-21 European Championship.

Last but not least, Dani Alves joins the Brazilian national team for the upcoming friendly against none other than Barca's B-team. Now that should be interesting.

Hello, Goodbye

2010-09-01T11:50:00.001+03:00

Martin Caceres, Victor Sanchez and Alexander Hleb all have a few things in common. They all became a part of Barca's first team for the first time during the historic treble season of 2008-2009, sharing the victory while not being a very significant part of it. Subsequently, all three were dispatched on loan the following season: Sanchez to local team Xerez, Caceres to Italian powerhouse Juventus, and Hleb to German side Stuttgart. Once their year-long loans were up, the three soldiers trudged back to Barcelona to report for duty, only to be sent packing for yet another season on loan:

Sanchez stays local again, this time facing a year with Getafe;

Caceres of the fine abs (photo via ontd_fb) will also play locally, his new team being Sevilla, who have an option to buy him next summer;

Hleb goes back to Englad (where he played with Arsenal before joining Barca) to spend the season with Birmingham.

Till next preseason, boys.

Mascherano Presented

2010-08-30T22:49:00.004+03:00

Monday was a busy day for Barca's new signing, Mascherano. It started out with the five-hour medical test in the Ciutat Contal, followed by the contract signing in the club's offices and photos with the board members. After that it was off to the presentation on Camp Nou in the full Barca kit, with him taking the number 14 recently vacated by Thierry Henry, and the press conference. Some of his comments:

"I talked a little by phone with Guardiola. Tomorrow we'll talk in person. I said I know well which club I'm joining."

"When you're playing with great players, everything is easier. The adaptation should go quickly. There are no excuses."

"Of course I want to play. I'm not here on holidays. I respect the players that are here but I'll be ready."

"Winning is like a drug. When you win, you want to keep on winning. I hope I can join Barça's winning spirit."

"It's clear that playing for Barcelona has always been a dream, and the last years even more, seeing how they play."

FC Barcelona 3-0 Racing Santander

2010-08-30T22:33:00.009+03:00

Barca’s Liga opener ended in a 3-0 victory away, a fabulous way to kick off the season, with goals coming from the usual suspects: Messi, Iniesta, Villa. Okay, maybe Iniesta and Villa don’t classify as regular scorers for Barca the way Messi does, but from the looks of things, they’re well on their way.

David Villa was born to play on Barca, that much is clear. He clicks perfectly with his new teammates, and I don’t just mean the fellow Spaniards who he’s already used to – he’s equally brilliant with the rest of the team, as if he’s been playing with them for ages and not just a couple of matches. It’s like he was designed specifically for Barca, or Barca was built specifically for him, as I always pictured it would be. This is what I’ve been rambling about for the past year when I continually insisted that signing Ibra over Villa was the wrongest move ever;, that Villa would fit in at Barca better than Ibra ever would. Now I’m totally glad that finally Villa is here and Ibra is gone, but it just sucks that it took a truckload of cash and a year for the club to realize it.

David’s game and his goal were totally brilliant, but even more brilliant was the goal that came from Andres Iniesta. Taking that shot was a stroke of genius, and I almost can’t believe how it went in. It was just incredible. Iniesta is evolving so much as a player, from every aspect, just blowing me away again and again with everything he does. His goals are coming more frequently, each more beautiful than the last, and he isn’t skimping on the cool assists either, proof of that being his fabulous that set Messi up for the opening goal.

Which brings us to the marvelous Messi, every bit as marvelous as he ever was and more. There’s no stopping this guy, he’s an irrepressible force of nature with no limits at all; just having him on the pitch is practically a guarantee that he’ll be amazing and score. He’s always alive and alert and excited, playing the game with all the happiness of a ten-year old kicking a ball around a schoolyard with his friends, and doing it brilliantly, beautifully. He’s not only the best at what he does, but he does it with a pureness that never fades away.

There couldn’t have been anything more to ask from last night’s match. The team is off to a great start, with great performance and promise all around.

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Racing Santander, El Sardinero, Sunday, August 29 2010, 19:00 CET

2010-08-29T15:11:00.004+03:00

I don't think I've ever seen a crazier final week of summer transfers, but now it's time to put all the drama behind us and focus on the task at hand: the season is finally kicking off!

Barca are set to begin their Liga title defense campaign away against Racing Santander, which is pretty cool. It's a great challenge because Barca have had a challenging time against on El Sardinero in the past, and there've also been some pretty great memories, like Messi scoring the club's 5000th goal in that stadium during the second leg of the Liga in 2009.

As mentioned on the official site, playing the opening match on the Sardinero is a recurring experience for Barca, with the likes of Eto’o, Deco, Giuly, Larsson, Henry and Yaya Toure all having made their league debuts for the club there. Tonight, Villa and Adriano will probably be added to that list.

With Hleb and Caceres facing loan-outs, Pep has left them out of the squad and takes eighteen men with him to Santander: Valdés, Pinto, Abidal, Alves, Milito, Piqué, Puyol, Maxwell, Adriano, Busquets, Keita, Xavi, Iniesta, Jeffren, Bojan, Messi, Pedro, Villa.

Here's looking forward to what will hopefully be a fabulous start to a fabulous season!

Ibra Officially Signs For Milan

2010-08-28T22:09:00.008+03:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has officially signed for AC Milan, after he, Raiola, Rosell and Galliani have been wrapped up in the final negotiations at Camp Nou all evening. The deal is worth twenty five million (to be paid over three years) which is what - a quarter? a third? somewhere in between? - of what we actually paid for him. The club's negotiation skills could use some sharpening, no doubt.

The agreement is that Zlatan will be on loan for the first year, with an obligation to buy next summer. His salary is reported to be eight million a year over the agreed four year period. Ibrahimovic's mood has seemingly brightened now his deal has been made, as he was cracking jokes about the meeting: "I'm here to sign my new Barça contract, ask Guardiola about it." Cute.

His new contract was drawn up by Milan lawyer Leandro Cantamessa and speedily delivered to Camp Nou, where he wasted no time in putting pen to paper and tying himself to the Italian club for the next four years. There was some debate as to whether the news would be announced by Galliani and Ibrahimovic at the Camp Nou or by Berlusconi who happened to be at the Milanello sports center, before deciding on Barcelona.

The four emerged from Camp Nou to face the press, and Ibra talked:

"I'm very happy because I'm joining one of the best clubs of the world."

"Since the coach didn't want me, this is the best solution. To know what the problem was, you should talk with the coach. I don't know it."

"Now I want to will all trophies with Milan."

Then he and Galliani hopped into his car and drove away.

He's set to arrive at the Linate airport in Milan in a private plane at 12:30, meet with his new teammates and coach before giving a press conference at the San Siro stadium at 19:45, then be presented 15 minutes before the Milan's league game against Lecce. Bit funny, isn't it, that he already signed the contract and is going to be presented, all before he even takes his physical, which is set for Monday?

Official statements:

FC Barcelona

AC Milan

Huge thanks to Pep of barcastuff for tweeting live updates of the events as they went down!

Birthday Boy: Bojan

2010-08-28T21:17:00.005+03:00

It's really hard to believe that Bojan is actually twenty today. It seems like just yesterday he was a sixteen year old mite making his pioneer debut for the senior squad and scoring in that same friendly against Al-Ahly...

Of course twenty is still totally young, but it just feels strange because he's always been the baby of the team, Barca's adorable and amazing teen wonder since the day he broke into the first team. Now he's officially not a teen anymore, but he's still every bit as amazing and more. And I don't think I'll ever stop calling him Baby Bo even when he's thirty.

Bojan is the cutest thing ever to happen to Barcelona, and having him on the team has been a tremendous joy over the past three years. I really couldn't imagine Barca without him. Have an incredible twentieth, Baby Bo!

Mascherano Arrives

2010-08-28T20:56:00.005+03:00

"I am pleased and proud to be forming a part of a team that has won everything," was Javier Mascherano's declaration earlier today as he posed for the customoary photos in front of the club's crest. Mascherano, who'll be biding the weekend in Barcelona before reporting for his physical and all that jazz on Monday, expressed how glad he is to be joining the team and his eagerness to contribute:

"It is a dream come true because of what it all means. After everything I have done in the past few years this is great, but above all because I will play for a great team with great people."

"Just like I have with every team I have played for I will give everything and really want to help in any way I can. I want to adapt now as quickly as possible."

Training & Transfer Tales

2010-08-27T23:55:00.002+03:00

So what do you think was going on during Friday morning training? Ibrahimovic trying to talk to Pep, while the manager walked right past without even glancing at him? Probably, if you ask Ibra's agent Raiola, who has been mouthing off left and right all through this incredibly messy transfer saga, leading the club to take legal action against him.

Meanwhile, it seems that Ibra's transfer to AC Milan is about to be finalized. After the two sides have been haggling over price for a while, a meeting has been set for 4:30 PM on Saturday to close the deal. Rosell is flying in from Ibiza - having just escaped to the island in the midst of all the transfer chaos - for the occasion. Let's hope the madness ends after this.

The Mascherano Move

2010-08-27T23:50:00.001+03:00

Well, it really happened. Barca have officially made the deal with Liverpool for the transfer of Javier Mascherano, with the Argentine midfielder set to sign for four years. The affair is contingent upon him passing the physical examination, which will take place on Monday along with the contract signing and presentation, but he'll be at Camp Nou by 11:00 AM tomorrow.

I'm not a really big fan of this transfer. Not just because of the way it was handled, what with Masch's playing strike and everything else, but because I really don't think we need him, even if Yaya left. We've got enough midfielders as it is and all this means is one more benchwarmer.

When Pep rejected the signing of Ozil, I thought he was going to be content with the midfielders he's got and the youth to fall back on, especially after he promoted a few of the youngsters to the senior squad. Guess I was wrong. Well, we'll just have to see how this pans out, I still trust in Pep.

Birthday Boy: Maxwell

2010-08-27T23:42:00.005+03:00

It's Maxwell's birthday today, and the dude turns 29. Really? It doesn't seem like he's that old, but anyway - happy birthday, Max!

Signing Max a year ago was such a cool move, and I've loved him ever since. Not just because he's totally cute, but because he fits right into this team while bringing an alternative twist to the leftback position in that he's attack oriented, in contrast to Abidal who plays the positon more defensively. He gives the team that diversity and that freshness, and he's never stopped improving ever since he came here. Maxwell, having you on the team is a delight, have a rockin' birthday!

A Dull Draw

2010-08-27T23:02:00.007+03:00

Quick cover of last night's Champions League draw: oh look, we're going to face Kazan again. With that frosty prospect in mind, Barca's group is genrally boring.

Our sports director Andoni Zubizaretta warns that "we can't take anything for granted," while the assistant coach Tito Vilanova thinks it's "not an easy group," based on the fact all three teams are champions of their respective leagues. Hey, aren't we on that list too?

Undoubtedly Pep will follow suit (once he has room to breathe upon the close of the transfer window) and say that this group presents a tremendous challenge. I say we'll cruise right through all six matches and grab about thirty goals along the way, then we'll have a relatively easy journey up until the semi final. You know, same as every year.

Barca's full group:

Panathinaikos (Greece)

FC Copenhagen (Denmark)

Rubin Kazan (Russia)

This Can't Be Real, Can It?

2010-08-26T13:53:00.003+03:00

You should probably know that Gerard/Cesc are my favorite footie 'couple' ever, and right now, I have no words. Whatever this is about, it's awesome.

Ibrahimovic To Milan?

2010-08-26T12:12:00.005+03:00

We all saw Galliani and Rosell avidly discussing oh-I-wonder-what-it-can-be during last night's match, then shaking hands on something at the end. We also noticed that Ibrahimovic disappeared at the final whistle, leaving his team to celebrate on their own. What can it all mean?

Milan have been quite blunt about their desire to get Ibrahimovic over to the San Siro, and Ibra seems to feel unwelcome bacause Pep has spoken to him "only twice in six months." As he explained: "I don't know the reason for this, but there are certainly problems. I asked him what the problem was but I didn't get a response."

Pep's answer to that is that there's a reason for everything: "If I have only spoken to him twice in the last six months, it is for a reason. There's always a reason for things. I'm super communicative and talked to him for 45 minutes. It was not a tense conversation. I have an open door. If we do not speak, sure there's a reason but now is not the time to talk about it. I insist."

Hinting that the problem with Ibra has more to do with his personality while denying that it is anything like Eto'o's case, Pep went on to say that the matter will be investigated to see what's on Ibra's mind and why he didn't join in the celebration.

Meanwhile, Rosell and Galliani are meeting for lunch today to discuss the matter further. The most likely scenario would be Ibrahimovic joining Milan on loan, with the two presidents currently bickering over who will pay how much of his salary.

Ibra's performance with Barca over the preseason has shown obvious improvement, but I just don't think there's enough room for him and Villa both on the team, and certainly not when Ibra's going to be grumpy about it. If he wants Milan and Milan want him, then it's probably in everyone's best interest that he does go. Barca will be more than fine without him.

A Magical Display

2010-08-26T12:00:00.000+03:00

Andres Iniesta doesn't score frequently, but he does score valuably - there's got to be magic in the boots that netted the likes of his last-gasp equilizer against Chelsea that took Barca to the Champions League final in 2009, or the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final.

We all know the story of how he gave gifted the boots from Stamford Bridge to raise money for the treatment of a boy with cerebral palsy, as well as the twist in that tale. So what about the boots from the final in South Africa?

As it turns out, they're going on display for all to see, as announced by Andres on his Facebook page: "These are the boots with which I fulfilled a childhood dream, to score in the World Cup final. They're a symbol for me and I want to share that with you. I have proposed that they be displayed so that anyone can go to see them and thus to thank you for your support."

The boots are currently exhibited in Madrid until the 3rd of September, then they'll be in Barcelona from the 6th of September till the 20th.

FC Barcelona 1-1 AC Milan

2010-08-26T09:12:00.000+03:00

I don't want to natter too much about the footballistic aspects of the match, because there was much more than just football going on last night. I'll just touch up on some highlights:

It didn't take David Villa long after his debut to score his first Blaugrana goal, a super strike off of Adriano's beautiful assist. He's clearly at home on Barca, hooking up easily with the rest of the players on the pitch, and true to his word that includes Ibrahimovic. They were surprisingly great together and Ibra is generally looking much better than last season, which makes the Milan transfer speculation that much more uncomfortable.

Bojan's game is also looking loads better this season. He was alert and ready throughout his time on the pitch, with great pace and positioning and great effort in front of the goal. I'm really glad, but I hope he won't be spending another season on the bench. I know we have a superfluity of strikers, but Pep's got to work out some kind of rotation plan because Baby Bo is totally wasted on the bench.

Pinto is like some sort of penalty-saving whiz. Seriously, his instinct is incredible when it comes to saving those shots, and it's a wonderful asset for the team. I'm glad we have him as our back-up keeper. And while we're on the subject of penalties, where the hell has that rocket blast of a strike from Thiago been hiding? Coolest penalty I've seen in a while, and he was pretty fine during the match as well. Man, B-teamers can get me so excited.

A few more notes: The new Liga ball sucks, the red sub shirts with the Catalunya stripes on the sleeve are awesome, and that was a killer goal from Filippo Inzaghi. I've always had a weak spot for that guy, rock on Pippo!

And now to the man of the moment, Ronaldinho... what a welcome he received on Camp Nou! It was pretty incredible and emotional having him back there: the tribute video; the ovation he recieved; his shirt saying 'Barca te amo", "Barca I love you"; him sneaking into Barca's team photo at the beginning and then posing with them with the trophy at the end... him and Puyol trading shirts, and Puyol calling him over to hand the trophy to him after he'd lifted it... the reunion with him really was special for the team, it was a really special night and I loved every minute of it. Laporta being there was pretty cool too... I'll cap off with some of Ronnie's post-match comments:

"This was the best moment of my life. This was impressive, I love Barca and that's the best feeling there is."

"Messi is my little brother... the video? Emotional. certainly sharing the image with the whole stadium."

"Was this my final goodbye to Barca? No, there's still on thing left to do."

Now what does he mean by that?
.

Gamper Cup: FC Barcelona vs AC Milan, Camp Nou, Wednesday, August 25 2010, 19:45 CET

2010-08-25T15:27:00.000+03:00

The Gamper Cup... a friendly cup Barca plays on Camp Nou every year before the Liga kicks off, against a random opponent, in honor of the club's founder Joan Gamper. It's always great fun since both teams (are supposed to) play nice and some one gets to take home a bright shiny trophy at the end.

The fact that Barca's Gamper opponent is AC Milan this time makes it even cooler - in part because they're a big club and facing their players is an exciting prospect, in no part because of the web of transfer talk that's heavily linking us and them at the moment, and in large part because it's Ronaldinho's first return to Camp Nou since he left two years ago.

Ronnie, who has issued an open letter to all culés for the occasion, is to be welcomed back with a tribute video by the club. That's awesome of them, and playing against such a huge legend of Barca will certainly be very interesting.

As to how Pep will approach this match, I say substitute participation since it'a friendly, with Bojan starting over Villa/Ibra and then one of the two subbed in in the second half. As for me, I'm counting down the minutes till the Ronnie reunion...

It's Wacky Week!

2010-08-23T22:34:00.000+03:00

Transfer rumors usually bore the hell of me, but it's probably best not to bother with excuses for the lack of updates lately and just get on with it.

Besides, we've entered the final week of the summer transfer period and you know what that means: the chance for the press to come out with the the most ridiculous, out-of-nowhere speculations they've probably been devising all summer long in preparation for this week.

The only time they're busier is during the last month of the season when when they're scurrying to keep up with finals and trophies and celebration scandals; so without further ado let the dish begin.

Look at us, thinking that the Cesc Fabregas drama was over for this summer. The media have certainly made fools of us all, because lo and behold, Cesc has declared his devotion to Catalunya in an open act of treason against Wenger, and awaits his rescue from the dungeons of Emirates Stadium where he's been confined. Rest assured that Pique and Puyol are on it and plan to kidnap him and bring him home; before the week is out Cesc will be carving his name with the sword of Saint Jordi into the grass on Camp Nou.

Also, he'll most likely be joined by Liverpool's Javier Mascherano in no time, seeing as Javier, in collaboration with Victor Valdes, has devised in ingenious plan involving a playing/hunger strike to make his club consent to selling him to Barca - apparently Rosell slipped something into Pep's morning cereal to make him change his mind about back-up signings.

Because we can totally afford more signings now that Ibrahimovic is leaving. Didn't y'all hear? He had a slumber party with Galliani and amidst painting each other's nails, they agreed all the personal terms for his switch to AC Milan and are now taking his kit measurements. Meanwhile, the circle completes itself as Gerard Pique consoles himself over Ibra's departure by reserving the locker beside his own for Cesc.

In the next few days you can expect Galliani to throw half of Milan's players into the Ibra offer, while Manchester City prepare a 200 million euro offer for Messi and Pep challeges Wenger to a jousting match in which Cesc is the prize. Until then, everyone's invited to Villa's debut party where you'll get the chance to be drenched in cava by a certain blue-eyed Catalan who also doubles as the DJ.

David Villa, Excited & Eager

2010-08-18T23:24:00.000+03:00

I think David Villa pulls off this fuschia top better than anyone on the squad. Maybe it's the fact that he's no stranger to pink shirts, or maybe I'm finally getting used to the flashy contraption.

Anyway, this is him at a press conference at the Joan Gamper sporting complex two days ago, where he declared that he's able to play alongside Ibrahimovic:

"I am compatible with Ibrahimovic. Totally. In football there is nothing incompatible and less so with such quality players like him. I know we have a great squad and the quality to win it all."

He also talked about his excitement and readiness to play for Barcelona:

"I will give my best in every training session to be 100 per cent but it's not me who decides. I hope to soon be at 100 per cent and make my debut. The team will need goals and that's my job. With daily work and the help of my colleagues I hope to score the maximum possible."

"Being on the field is where I feel most comfortable. Many times I have dreamed of my debut for Barcelona. Since being introduced as a Barcelona player I have wanted to fulfill the dream of playing for the team and hopefully it comes as soon as possible."

That makes two of us then.

Youth Players Trump Back-Up Signings

2010-08-18T22:39:00.000+03:00

Pep Guardiola shrugged off all of Sandro Rosell's urges for him to sign back-up players in favor of depending on Barca's youth team, and I'm a trillion percent behind him on that one. We never needed Ozil or any other midfeilder, and seeing how swiftly the German signed for Real Madrid after the deal with Barca failed to go through, I'm glad that it did fail.

Who needs Ozil when you've got the adorable Jonathan Dos Santos on your youth team? I'm totally thrilled that Jonny is one of the four players Pep has decided to promote to the senior squad, along with Thiago Alcantara (attacking midefield), Oriol Romeu (defensive midfield) and Andreu Fontas (centerback). Hopefully this turns out to be a great thing for them all!

Group Photo Flows Into Training

2010-08-17T22:32:00.001+03:00

The Barca boys took their official team photo today, with everyone present bar Eric Abidal because he had to respond to disciplinary summons from the French football federation, which sucks; and Alex Hleb because of his contract issues. Apart from that, eight of the B-teamers were included: Oier Olazábal, Rubén Miño, Sergio Gómez, Jonathan dos Santos, Thiago Alcántara, Oriol Romeu, Víctor Vázquez, Andreu Fontàs. Pictures from the event at the official site.

The man-of-the-moment David Villa appeared to be working hard as the players continued their training session in the home match kits instead of switching to training tops, and since I generally judge training sessions by Pep's expression, it seems this one went pretty well.

Adriano & Andres In Conference

2010-08-13T15:11:00.000+03:00

Here's Barca's newest signing Adriano looking fine and fresh as he and Andres Iniesta attended press conferences at the Joan Gamper sports complex in Barcelona. Andresito explained that he would welcome the transfer of German midfielder Metsut Ozil to Barcelona:

"I didn't know him at all before the tournament but, when I saw him play with Germany and given his age, I saw that he has quality and personality."

"Whether Ozil comes or not is not something I have any control over. If he comes, he will be welcome. If not, we'll just continue as we are."

As for Adriano, he expressed his eagerness to face his old team tomorrow as Barca meet Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish SuperCup:

“I’m really looking forward to playing this match.”

“I’m delighted with my time with Sevilla and now I’m excited about going back."

He's confident in Barca's squad, but also warned that Sevilla will take the match very seriously:

"I don’t think the squad lacks depth. People always say that but the team wins titles. If we need a player we have the reserves where there are enough players to fill in if there is anyone missing."

"I don’t think Sevilla will hold anybody in reserve. They’re focussed on the match against Barça because it’s a final, a chance of a title. I’m sure Álvarez won’t reserve anyone."

International Friendly Round-Up

2010-08-12T14:35:00.000+03:00

The called-up Barca boys all came out intact from the string of international freindlies; the results:

Spain 1-1 Mexico: Villa stayed on the bench while the six remaining Barca boys played for Spaoin, some for more time than others:

Busquets: 1 hour

Puyol: 1st half
Valdes: 2nd half
Xavi: 30 minutes
Pique: 25 minutes

Pedro: 20 minutes

Victor Valdes got to hug ex-Barca boy Rafa Marquez who got booked for fouling Busi, and Xavi assisted the equalizing goal by David Silva in the loss time.

Ireland 0-1 Argentina: Messi played for Argentina for 1 hour

USA 0-2 Brazil: Dani Alves played for Brazil for the whole game

Sweden 3-0 Scotland: Ibrahimovic played for Sweden for 1 hour and scored the first goal.

Lithuania 0-2 Belarus: Hleb played for Belarus for the 1st half.

Angola 0-2 Uruguay: Caceres didn't play for Uruguay

Finland U21 1-1 Spain U21: Bojan and Jeffren played whole game and Bojan scored the equalizing goal from a penalty

All the players are due back in Barcelona for tonight's training session, except for Bojan and Jeffren who will be back tomorrow.

Barca's International Headache

2010-08-10T13:51:00.000+03:00

Barca's squad is certainly suffering right now, as almost all the players are off to join their national teams:

- Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets, David Villa, Pedro: Spain (vs Mexico)

- Dani Alves: Brazil (vs USA)

- Lionel Messi: Argentina (vs Ireland)

- Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Sweden (vs Scotland)

Returning loan-outs:

- Alex Hleb: Belarus (vs Lithuania)

- Martin Caceres: Uruguay (vs Angola)

UEFA U-21 Championship:

- Bojan Krkic, Jeffren Suarez: Spain (fixtures here)

This can't be good for the Barca's Spaniards since they join their national team straight from vacation, but word is that they will only play fifteen minutes of the game. Elsewhere, Eric Abidal is left out of France's squad to face Norway as is Keita from Mali's squad to face Guinea, and Jonathan Dos Santos is pardoned from joining Mexico against Spain.

That leaves Pinto, Maxwell, Abidal, Adriano, Milito, Keita, and Iniesta as well as Victor Sanchez, Jonny Dos Santos and the rest of the B-team boys on Barca's squad. Sounds fabulous, no?

Pique & Iniesta: Summer Quotes

2010-08-10T11:40:00.001+03:00

There's something about Andres Iniesta's head that makes Gerard Pique continually want to grab it. Maybe it's the fact that Andres' height with respect to Gerard's makes him a convenient armrest; in any case, check this out.

And speaking of those two, they each had some interesting things to say in mid-vacation interviews they did, like Iniesta's comment on his infamous Sardinia swimsuit:

"It seems that a lot of people didn’t like [my swimsuit]. The truth is, it’s lovely." [more here]

How he associates that thing with the word lovely is beyond me. Moving on, here's what Pique had to say concerning this photo of him and Ibrahimovic:

"It was a photo that was misinterpreted, of course. I suppose there was morbid curiosity, but in the end, there was nothing going on. Gay Pride Day? Well I don’t know, to tell you the truth. When was it?" [more here]

See, he isn't into Ibra at all; obviously he was inquiring about Gay Pride Day with Cesc on his mind.

Randoms: Pique's Greek Getaway

2010-08-09T20:48:00.000+03:00

- So much Barca gossip, and it's not even about Barca. It's about Pique, who can't help but attract limelights from all around the world even when he's vacationing in the remotest parts of it...

- Like during his recent vaycay in Greece with his girl Nuria Tomas (pic via kickette) which shuts down all speculation that they had split up. What also calls to be shut down is the web of claims that Gerard had an affair with Shakira during his stay in Ibiza. She may have been there and they may have hung out together, but I doubt there's much more to the story than that. Chica's been in a committed relationship since forever, and in case you missed it, our boy has a girlfriend.

- Back to Barca: Our B-team beat the champions of China 3-0 yesterday, woohoo! Okay, it wasn't exactly the B-team, but almost. Barely a handful of first-teamers participated (goals from Roberto, Nolito, Ibrahimovic) what with the team's eight Spanish champions still missing, which brings me to the next piece of news:

- International issues ended with the World Cup. Right? Wrong. They keep getting worse what with the upcoming friendlies, like the Mexico - Spain match that's disrupting Barca's Supercup squad. Our Spaniard champions, bar Iniesta, are stalled from catching up with the team since they've all been called up; and Jonathan Dos Santos would have gone packing to join Mexico if they hadn't agreed to pardon him. You won't see anything like that concerning the Spanish players though, so our wait for their return is further extended.

- Iniesta alone reported for duty in Barcelona today, took his physical and was put right to training, solo. Hopefully this season he won't be plagued with injury again, and Barca can stop worrying about buying a midfielder that I personally think we don't need. Pep doesn't seem too keen on buying Ozil anyway, and In Pep We Trust, right?

- Xavi, who has been very vocal concerning just about every matter under the sun lately, is still ranting about Cesc being kept from joining Barca, saying things like "You should never cage an animal that is meant to be in the wild and you can’t cage a player of Cesc’s talent." Then again, the Daily Star isn't the most reliable of sources, and after Puyol denying his alleged Cesc-related comments, you never know what to believe.

- Last of all, y'all need to check out this wonderfully imaginative interpretation of the Cesc saga if you haven't already.

Till Next Summer, Cescy

2010-08-06T21:27:00.000+03:00

The never-ending Cesc saga has come to an end - for this transfer period at least. We went after him last summer, the chase picked up again this summer, and as sure as there are blue and red stripes on a Barca shirt, we'll be at it again next summer. Buying Cesc is an obsession that Barca has, and honestly, it's not so much we need Cesc as it is we want Cesc. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy and I'd love him to be on the club as much as the next fan - see the wish list on the sidebar to the left. But perhaps this is for the best, and maybe come next summer there will be more need for Cesc on the team.

It's just too bad that in the end, Cesc had to stay on Arsenal against his desire. It was pretty clear that he wanted to come here, but Arsenal weren't very open to negotiation... ah well, Xavi considers him only on loan to Arsenal over the next year, after which he'll definitely join Barca, so let's be as optimistic as he is.

Anyway, the club released their official statement on the matter and so did Cesc, and it's nothing we haven't already heard, and will continue to hear when Cesgate opens up again in a year.

Lio's Sleepy Press Conference

2010-08-05T12:07:00.000+03:00

Lio Messi and Pep Guardiola did a press conference in Beijing today, and I can't say which of them looks more exhausted to be there. It's understandable that they're jetlagged and suffering from media headaches, but poor Lio was actually fighting to stay awake all through it.

Still, Lio managed to answer some questions through his yawns, saying that he's looking forward to playing alongside Cesc Fabregas someday and also revealing that he wanted Maradona to stay on as Argentina's coach.

Pep confirmed that Lio will play in this Saturday's match against Chinese champions Beijing Guoan, and Lio himself is excited about it: "As a player I always want to play. There is no problem with my physical condition and I haven't had any problems in training."

Our Favorite Couple With A Couple Of Dolphins

2010-08-05T12:01:00.000+03:00

The vacation round-up doesn't end when the vacations do, because hidden goodies that can't stay hidden for long continue to pop up, like this one. While Messi was vacationing in Mexico with his girlfriend Antonella, they visited the Institute of Marine Mammal Research and Veterinary Laboratories and frolicked with a pair of dolphins.

Just when you think Lio and Antonella couldn't get any more adorable, they go and do this. Dolphins, with them of all couples! The video is here, and warning: levels of cuteness are high above normal.

FC Barcelona 5-2 K-League All-Stars

2010-08-05T12:00:00.000+03:00

I guess the lack of updates lately is enough to show how busy I've been and I'm sorry for that; again, bear with me until the summer is over. I wasn't even able to watch Barca's match yesterday against the K-League all-stars, but here are some thoughts nonetheless...

First of all, I think it's time to talk about this season's kits. This mint-green thing, I can't absorb it. It's like the worst away kit we've had since that beige contraption of 2002-2003, and while we're on the subject, I wasn't too impressed with this season's home kit either. But nothing tops the zebra sleeves on the keeper's kit (which is also way too baggy). Add the fuschia training kits to the list, and it's easy to say: Nike has issues.

Lio played fifteen minutes and would have played none if Pep wasn't going to be fined for it for stupid reasons. Nothing is more important than Lio's fitness, and making him play after he's had no more than a single training session isn't exactly safe. But all's well that ends well and Lio is fine, plus he scored two goals in the measly minutes that he played and was named Man of the Match. It still blows me away at times how incredible a player he is.

I see that Sanchez scord again, which is very promising. I hope he won't be sold as has been rumoured; it's clear how much he has improved over the last year, and is showing that he deserves a shot with the first team.

What do you know, Ibrahimovic scored! I hear he was named the most competitive player of the match, and that goal has to count for something right? Maybe he will be able to fit in more with the team as the season progresses. Then again, current reports suggest that he just offered himself to AC Milan.

It's also great to see that the B-team players are doing their share and that Soriano was able to score. 5-2, it's an excellent result; Barca's preseason is looking great so far, and things will only get better once the Spaniards return.

Dani's Airport Escape

2010-08-02T19:08:00.000+03:00

Things were so wild at the airport in Seoul when Barca arrived, Dani had to sneak off and hide in a corner so he could catch up with his texting. My guess is he was uploading videos he took of Lio snoring on the plane onto facebook. Let's hope he was still able to catch up with the team as security escorted them past the hoards of fans to their waiting bus...

Airline Chit-Chat

2010-08-02T19:05:00.000+03:00

Lio: So Adriano, are the accomodations this good with Sevilla?

Dani (laughing): Are you kidding? They travel in hang gliders over there.

Adriano: Actually Dani, since you left we've been flying to our matches in rocket ships.

Dani (gaping): No fair!

Lio: If Sevilla can afford rocket ships, I wonder if they can afford me?

Ibra (on the phone with his agent, overhears them): Well, I might consent to go to Sevilla if they're interested...

That's probably what was happening between the Barca boys in this photo while they were flying to Seoul. At least Marc and Jonathon seem impressed by Barca's nifty aircraft, even if Adriano isn't...

Rafa Marquez Officially Departs

2010-07-31T23:29:00.000+03:00

So I'm gone all day on a family outing, oblivious to the fact that an hour after I did the previous post and got offline, Rafael Marquez's departure from Barca was officially announced. It was all over my twitter homepage when I opened it later that night, and although I knew it was coming, I can't help but be just a little bit heartbroken.

Well, I'll keep it short. He and the club came to a mutual agreement to rescind his contract, which would have been good for two more years. I can be glad about the fact that Rafa went willingly and wasn't outed the way Eto'o was, but I had hoped he'd retire on the club. I thought he would when his contract was renewed last season. But I guess this is good for him, he'll be playing much more on another club than if he'd stayed with Barca.

Rafa gave a press conference where he affirmed his love for the club and his satisfaction with his time here, saying that he'll be a Barca fan till he dies. Then he stopped by training yesterday to bid farewell to the team, photos here. It's too bad Barca's Spaniards couldn't be there, but Dani Alves was, fresh from his vacation, and even in the midst of my sadness over Rafa's departure I couldn't not notice how awesome Dani's outfit was.

Later that day his public farewell was held in the Sala Paris in Camp Nou (the chamber of Barca's 2006 Champions League victory in Paris), which is a fitting location since Rafa says that that is his best memory with the club. President Sandro Rossel, coach Pep Guardiola, and team Captain Carles Puyol where among those present, and Rafa was presented with a commemorative plaque and recieved a long standing ovation.

Goodbye and infinite thanks for everything, Rafa. You and your hair have been inspirational to me for years, and of all the players who have departed from Barca, you are so far the only one I love enough to continue stalking even after you've left the club.

Edit: Actually, I still stalk Deco from time to time too. Damn, I miss that guy.

Lio's Love For Oasis Gone Too Far?

2010-07-31T11:16:00.000+03:00

I think the combination of World Cup dissapoinment and too much sun is getting to Lionel Messi's head. He's been acting very strange lately, and I'm not just talking about things like starting a breakthrough fashion line. It's this Oasis obsession he has... I think he just crossed the line with it.

The basic story is that Carlos Tevez got to know the band while he played in Manchester and introduced them to Lio, who fell in love instantly; then the entire Argentine NT got caught up in the Oasis love and listened to them throughout the World Cup.

Things started to get a little unuasal when Lio decided he would do the impossible to bring the broken-up band back together to have them play at Argentina's celebrations if they won the World Cup.

That obviously didn't work out, so he invited band member Noel Gallagher to the upcoming Clasico. He wants to try and convert the Barca boys, who love Kasabian as Spain does, to Oasis. Okay, nothing too strange about that.

But if the latest reports are true, it seems that Lio's obsession with Oasis is getting to be like Barca's obsession with Cesc: out of hand.

He's said to be forming a mock-fan-tribute band for Oasis, where he plays Noel Gallagher and another Barca player will play Liam. Lio won't say who, but I'm going to take a timid guess and say Dani Alves.

I don't think I've ever heard anything so bizarre. I'll just leave you with what Lio was quoted as saying:

"Our disguise is based on how Oasis looked in the mid-90s. We have our wigs, clothes and glasses sorted."

"I also spent a lot of time getting the mannerisms right."

"We'll visit the UK. If you're at a pub or club where we are performing and see past our disguises there'll be a decent prize in it for you."

I think I need to lie down.

Zlatan Announces His Barca Stay

2010-07-30T23:43:00.000+03:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who apparently has a strong disregard for belts, yesterday gave a press conference in which he announced that he'll continue to play for "the best club in the world."

Zla said that he never spoke with any of the clubs that he was linked with over the summer, and went on to thank those clubs and the media, saying that he considers it "free publicity."

As for the questionable issue of his spot on the squad now that David Villa is here... at the end of last season he said, if I'm not mistaken, that the day Villa joins Barca would be the day he leaves. Well, looks like he's had a change of heart. 'He's a great signing. I'm happy he's here because he is one of the best in the world," Zla said about the Spanish striker. "We will be stronger and we'll have more opportunities to win.''

Our skyscraper swede isn't worried about Mourinho coaching Real Madrid either. Mou may be "an expert at taking teams to the top", but as Zlatan reaffirmed, "we are the best team in the world."

FC Barcelona 4-2 Valerenga

2010-07-30T12:22:00.000+03:00

Last night's match was thoroughly pleasing. It was great to see Bojan wear the Captain's badge, to see all the youth players look so promising, and to see the team score four goals in their opening friendly, evenly divided two by two between the B team and the senior squad.

Yes, I'm counting Victor Sanchez as a B-boy until he secures a spot on the first team, like Bo and Pedro and Busi have, and judging by last night's match, that shouldn't be too far off. For once a player actually benefited from a loan-out, I mean, it really seems that Vic's year with Xerez paid off. I always liked him, and I'm glad to see him back and improved. He played a great half and opened up the scoring with what was probably the best goal of the night.

Four goals to two, not bad at all. As expected, Pep traded out the full starting eleven at halftime, putting in a fresh new squad for the second half, most of which were midfielders; the formation changed from 4-3-3 to Ibrahimovic as the solo attacker with five midfielders behind him. An interesting move from Pep, but it seemed to work. Barca's game had a good flow, passing was sharp and the attack was relentless from kickoff to final whistle (in passing, what are everyone's thoughts on Pep's look? Shaved head and full beard? Seemed a bit mis-matched to me).

The defense was a bit shaky at times, especially that moment in the first half when one of our defenders passed to Pinto when an opposition player was too close to him. Pinto tried to dribble past the player (leaving his goal open) then got tackled and lost the ball. If that Valerenga player hadn't been called for fouling Pinto, it would've been a sure goal for his team, and our boys have to watch out for that kind of thing.

Muniesa's defending was pretty good though and in general, the youth players really had a great run. Bojan did a wonderful job of leading the team in the first half too. One youth player that caught my attention is Benja; I'd never seen him play before but damn, he's got a good eye. Great goal in the second half. Jonathan Dos Santos had a fair match and a great shot, but I want to see more from him, that kid could be huge. As for Ibrahimovic, I honestly have to say that his biggest moment was when that pitch invader leapt onto him for a hug. If he's going to be staying, I really hope he'll show that he has more to offer this team.

Adriano made his debut of course, coming on at the half, and he played a strong forty-five minutes. He looked very promising, as did most everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing more and more of the youth players and getting to know them better as the preseason continues... next up is the Asian tour, which will be graced by the presence of Lio Messi and Dani Alves, so let the fun begin.

Randoms: Villa & His Girls In Ibiza

2010-07-29T12:30:00.000+03:00

- Check out David Villa and his radical shorts at the beach with his wife and daughters in Ibiza. Spanish keeper Pepe Reina is there with his family as well.

- Barca's World Cup winning Spaniards aren't due back on the team till August 9, but Pique and Puyol decided to drop by training in Barcelona to see the squad before they take off for Norway today.

- In case you were wondering, Cesc, who was with Pique in Ibiza, would continue his vacation in Greece according to some reports, or go back to London to yell at Wenger and force his Arsenal exit accoriding to others. Take your pick.

- Spain isn't done celebrating Andres Iniesta. He's set to be named the adopted son of Albacete, as the city pays tribute to him in an event tomorrow that includes him meeting with regional president José María Barreda. He'll also recieve the title 'Ambassador of the Fair and Bright Badge of Albacete Balompié', and accept the Gold Medal of the City of Fuentealbilla. Rock on, Andresito!

- Andoni Zubizaretta, the legendary goalkeeper of Barca, will be presented today as the club's new sports director, taking the place of Txiki Begeristain.

Preseason: FC Barcelona vs Valerenga, Ullevaal Stadium, Thursday, July 29, 19:00 CET

2010-07-29T12:01:00.000+03:00

Finally, culés have something to talk about other than Pique's antics in Ibiza and the probability of Cesc joining Barca: it's match time! That's right, for the first time since the night the club celebrated their 2010 Liga championship, Barca are playing again.

I've always been a fan of the preseason: it's a fresh start and new beginnings, we get to see the team in action after months of off-season, and there are new signings and youth players to watch and judge.

I don't know much about tonight's opponents, Valerenga, other than the fact that they're a Norwegian club. Playing in their stadium might be colder than what our boys are used to, but it's the first preseason game so I'm sure everyone is totally pumped for it.

Last summer Pep took full advantage of the no limit on substitutions in friendlies, changing the entire eleven at halftime in all Barca's games. That way everyone got playing time, and what with the hoards of youth lads who are called up now, I imagine he'll be doing much the same thing. In any case, the 22 man squad has been selected: Pinto, Adriano, Bojan, Ibrahimovic, Keita, Maxwell, Milito, Victor Sanchez, Miño, Armando, Benja, Dalmau, Edu Oriol, Ilie, Jonathan dos Santos, Jonathan Soriano, Martí Riverola, Muniesa, Nolito, Sergi Gomez, Sergi Roberto, Tello.

I can barely wait for it!

Birthday Boy: Pedro

2010-07-29T11:30:00.001+03:00

I must apologize for the lack of updates over the past couple of days, but I haven't had time and I hope everyone will understand that summertime is busy time, and I never know when I'm going to have the chance to get online... once my semester starts I'll be updating much more regularly, so bear with me until then.

To the point: Yesterday our beloved Prince Pedro turned twenty-three, and like Busi, he's on top of the world at that green age, and I'm talking on every level you can think of.

Internationally, he was called up to the Spain NT for the first time in his life to participate in the World Cup, played and started his share of the matches including the final, and was crowned world champion in the end.

Domestically, he finished his debut season with Barca as a starter and the second top scorer of the team behind Messi, scoring one of the most memorable goals of the season along the way.

Plus he's like, the cutest thing imaginable. His year has been perfect, so let's hope the coming ones are as great! (I would say better, but let's face it, there's no topping the World Cup). Best wishes to him!

Xavi, Asleep, Adorable

2010-07-26T13:19:00.000+03:00

This picture sent me into a dazed stupor that I'm still recovering from. Xavi, asleep. No other words needed.

Wait, maybe a few more. Xavi, asleep, in his football shirt, with a ball.

Which brilliant guy from the Spain NT took this picture? I need to know who to thank. In the meantime, credit for finding the pic goes to the rockin' chicas over at cr17.com

Barca Loves Kasabian, Lio Loves Oasis

2010-07-26T12:09:00.000+03:00

One thing the Spanish national team and Barcelona have in common, other than half their players, is their love for British band Kasabian. But Lionel Messi disagrees.

While the Spaniards drew inspiration from Kasabian's 'Club Foot' during the Wolrd Cup, Lio and the Argentines were listening to Oasis. Lio is crazy about them and even planned to bring the band back together to play at Argentina's celebrations should they have won the World Cup.

Now he's trying to get the Kasabian-loving Barca boys to share the Oasis love. In a move reminiscent of Iniesta's planned get-together with Kasabian, Lio has invited Oasis singer Noel Gallagher to come to the Clasico on Camp Nou in November.

It's all part of his grand scheme to convert the Barca boys: "Maybe Noel could give the boys a live set after training and they could see how great Oasis are," Lio suggested. "At the moment they refuse to listen to anything other than Kasabian."

In the midst of his plotting, Lio still respects the club Noel supports, Manchester City: "If my plan works, it will mean Oasis being played in the world's greatest football club - after Man City, of course!"

"We could also go for an Argentiniean steak at this great South American restaraunt in Barcelona."

Let us know how it all works out for you, okay Lio?

Randoms: Felicidades Principe Pique

2010-07-26T10:41:00.000+03:00

- Following Gerard Pique's unforgettable ad for cookie brand Galletas Principe de Beuckelaer, the company released this poster in congratulations to him after winning the World Cup with Spain. And I think I'm going to start calling him Principe Pique from now on.

- Andres Iniesta hasn't signed any Hollywood contracts, but when his footie career has run its course he'll always have his wine business to fall back on - he'll be producing red, white and rose wines bearing the name 'Iniesta' by September.

- Iniesta has also been featured in the July edition of El Mundo magazine, and what do you know, he has hair! Pictures of the spread as well as english translations of the articles here.

- Just because: Spain's U-19 squad (milling with boys from Barca's youth) taking a day off in the pool.

- Chinese artist Wang Huaping has combined his love for football with his talent in carving actual eggs to produce eggs bearing the faces of several top footballers, including Barca's Lionel Messi and David Villa - all I can say is wow.

Vacations Continued: Pique's Non-Stop Party

2010-07-26T10:04:00.000+03:00

The vacation round-up isn't over yet! Barca's World Cup participants are still out there, and I never get tired of stalking Pique, who, judging by this photo, is having one hell of a time in Ibiza! He's still out there with Cesc and they've been spotted all over the island: out on the water in their rented yacht, partying in the famous Pacha nightclub, and watching the brilliant sunsets of Ses Variades... at the bottom are the photos of the two on the beach, and here's a video of Pique having a drink:

- Yes, his hat says 'F*** ME I'M FAMOUS'

- The guy he kissed is said to be his brother Marc

Moving on: Lionel Messi is still in Mexico, on the Riviera Maya, with his girl Antonella. He's there to relax, but even while kicking back on the beach (and practicing an unreal immunity to the sun) he's signing autographs. Lio as well as Dani Alves are due to catch up with the squad at the end of this month to join them for the Asian tour, while Eric Abidal showed up today, earlier than he was expected. The Spaniard champions will be back August 9.

And speaking of Spaniards, here's David Villa with the kids at his summer camp in Langreo, which just came to an end. He's due for questioning about that haircut once he's back with the team, but for now he has taken off for Ibiza with his family, to kick back during the last days of his vacation and hopefully save Gerard and Cesc from themselves.

Parting With Rafa

2010-07-26T08:50:00.000+03:00

I've been hoping against hope that this wouldn't go through, but it looks like there's no use denying the matter any longer. Rafael Marquez is leaving Barcelona.

It's heartbreaking news for me because Rafa is one of my favorite players ever, and I don't think he deserves to be dispatched at this time. Yes, he's had some bad games and made some mistakes during the past couple of years, but as last season progressed he was playing better and in my opinion, wasn't given enough minutes to prove he's still good enough for this team. Not to mention he's one of the best set-piece takers ever (it sucks that Barca didn't take advantage of that and he wasn't put up to the plate very often). And why did the club go out of their way to renew his contract last season if they didn't want him to stay?

But what's done is done, and Rafa is off to join Thierry Henry at the New York Red Bulls. I hope he has a great run there!

David Villa's Post-World Cup Adventures

2010-07-23T11:49:00.000+03:00

David Villa sends greetings from Disneyland and begs you not to hold his outfit against him. Seriously, what is it with Barca boys and pinks and florals? Perhaps the fuschia training kits do belong here, after all.

So what has David been up to since South Africa? Well, after the Spain national team's welcome gala in Madrid he flew down to his home town Asturias to join his family, and then they all took off to Disneyland, Paris. Reportedly, Villa's daughters had the most fun at the Peter Pan attraction and the Fantillusion ride.

Next he returned to Asturias to attend various tributes from his fans, as well as with the president of the Principality of Asturias, Vicente Álvarez Areces, at his headquarters in Oviedo. Then it was off to the village of Sama de Langreo where, waving from the balcony of the municipal council, he received homage from the city's inhabitants, also spending some time signing autographs at the ParqueAstur Mall.

Tomorrow he's set to appear at the close of his summer camp for kids, the Official Campus David Villa, in the New Ganzabal stadium in Langreo.

Adriano Adapting

2010-07-23T11:48:00.001+03:00

Barca's new signing Adriano sketched out for Pep the five positions he can play: in defense as a left or right winger, in midfield, inside left or inside right, and as an attacking midfielder. Any of that he can comfortably do, although the left side of the pitch is his preference.

Adriano's adapting to his new life in Barcelona pretty well, getting along great on the team and with Pep, who he claims is 'like a father'. He's especially glad to be playing alongside his former Sevilla teammate and fellow Brazilian Dani Alves, although he claims that he more tame than Dani when it comes to dressing room jokes.

Adriano's loving life in the city of Barcelona itself, but he's wary of the cold winters. Also, although he can speak Spanish well after five years on Sevilla, now that he's on Barca he's going to start taking lessons in Catalan right away.

Asked where he'll be staying, Adriano said he'd like to find a home by the sea or in Gavà by Pedralbes. For now, he's in the Hotel Princesa Sofia near the Camp Nou. He also proudly showed off the tattoo on his wrist (picture below) which is the letters 'A.M.A' that stand for the names of himself, his wife Manuella and his son Adrian.

Preseason Training Observations

2010-07-21T12:26:00.001+03:00

Preseason training has kicked off, and judging by Pep's expression we're in for a long season. Hey coach, at least you've got a decent training kit. The boys may be a little rusty coming in from their breaks, but remember they're being made to train while dressed in fuschia. That's going to take some getting used to.

And Ibrahomivic clearly agrees. It seems that his exceptional abs have a phobia for pink cotton, as he spent most of the training session pulling the shirt away from his chest, or else drenching himself with water in hopes that the fabric would dissolve away. I'm not complaining.

In other observations, the new kid on the block, Adriano, seems happy enough training with his new team, fuschia tops and all. It looks like he's getting along well with Gaby and Max. And check out the welcome Hleb got from his teammates!

Lio In Fashion: Who Would Have Guessed?

2010-07-21T12:08:00.000+03:00

Today is one hell of a news day for Barca, with the rumours and reports just coming and coming. The issue at hand right now: Lio Messi's supposed fashion line. Initially it was reported just by The Sun, which lets me be skeptical, by now it's on Sport as well so, I guess it's really happening. Lio Messi, of all people, is sarting a fashion line.

I can't say it's not unexpected. I mean, if any Barca boy were to start his own clothing line I would have imagined it to be Pique or maybe Zlatan. Never Lio. What makes it even more bizarre is that his plan is to put together a fashion dream team of sorts, choosing a celebrity to be an ambassador of the line in every major city in the world. From Lio's tongue:

"I have been working on it for a few months."

"It would be me in Barcelona. We have approached Wayne (Rooney) for Manchester, Frank (Lampard) for London and Colin (Farell) for Dublin. We have spoken with Jay-Z for New York and the dream is to have David (Beckham) for LA. I already have Alessandro Nesta and Lupe Fiasco for Milan and Chicago."

"It will be high-end clothes and accessories for men. I'd like to open the initial shops by next summer. If we get all the names we are trying for, we can be the most famous and best men's fashion line in the world."

Lio Messi starting a revolutionary fashion line. Who would have guessed? It all sounds very exciting, and I'm wondering if Lio's girlfreind Antonella has anything to do with it. When we first heard about here it was said that she's studying nutrition, but sometime last year reports suggested that she's actually in fashion...

If anyone can clear that up, I'd appreciate it. By the way, Lio and Antonella are now in Cancun, Mexico for the remainder of Lio's vacation before he has to report in Barcelona at the end of the month along with the rest of Barca's World Cup participants.

La Liga Fixtures Revealed

2010-07-21T11:45:00.000+03:00

By the looks on Pep's and Gaby's faces, they're just as excited about the Liga fixtures as I am! To think that I'd been counting down the days for these fixtures to come out, and when they do my laptop decides to stop working; my luck. I guess everyone's seen them by now, but anyway...

The fixtures for La Liga have been released, and Barca is set to open up in an away game against Racing Santander on August 29. The first Clasico is at home on November 28, the second, away of course, on April 17. I'm digging those dates because it means that if we can secure the title within six matches of the Liga's end, we go to the Bernuebeu as Champions.

Full fixture list for the Barca's Liga as well as preseason matches is up on the official site.

Pep & Zlatan, Spotted

2010-07-21T11:18:00.000+03:00

The vacation round-up continues, this time featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Barca coach Pep Guardiola. Of course, the two are in Barcelona right now having reported for preseason kickoff on Monday, but where were they before that?

In Zlatan's case, the last days of his vacation saw him chilling in Miami. Word is that he was there with some friends instead of his family, with his partner Helena Seger rumoured to want a split because he's away so much or something. I don't know how much truth is in that report, but whatever.

As for Pep, he and his wife Cristina were spotted at a beachside party in Pescara, Italy along with Barca's Head of External Affairs, Manuel Estiarte (who by the way was back in his day the Maradona of water polo) and his wife Silvia. A bunch of other people who are famous in Italy or something also attended, and the dinner party was capped off with a collective toast to Spain's World Cup Victory.

My only concern with all of this is, what does Pep think he's wearing?
.

Florals & Fun With Gerard Pique

2010-07-20T11:24:00.000+03:00

There's nothing like the offseason to get fans bored silly with made-up transfer rumours and nonsensical speculations. That's why it's such a good thing that we've got footballer vacations to tide us over while we're waiting for the actual football to start...

Gerard Pique is clearly having an awesome time on his sand-and-sun filled vacation in Ibiza, although there doesn't seem to be anyone with him, footballer wise. That with half the Spanish NT having been rumoured to join him, Cesc inculded! But Geri's looking hella hot, so it's all good.

There's nothing not to appreciate about shirtless Pique on a boat; except maybe his strange liking for pink floral swimtrunks. What do you all think is worse, Pique's beachwear or Iniesta's?

But our smokin' centerback clearly isn't limited in his color preferences. See, he was bold enough to switch from pink florals to blue ones!

Adriano Presented

2010-07-19T21:07:00.002+03:00

Today's been a busy day in the land of Barca, and Adriano's got his fair share of the attention. He's been officially presented today! Is it just me, or does he look hotter in the Barca shirt? Seriously, he looks so great in these shots! Again, loving the hair. I hope he grows it out even longer, into a Rafa-esque ponytail maybe.

"It is a very important day for me. I've been working many years for this day to come. I'll give everything for this club and I won't slack on work on or off the field," declared a beaming Adriano, before the extensive media coverage that made up for the absence of the fan's due to the construction work on Camp Nou (why not have it on the Ciutat Esportiva and let the fans come, like when Maxwell was presented on the Mini Estadi during Camp Nou's grass replacement last summer?)

Adriano affirmed that he admires all the players on Barca, and is eager to start working to find his place within the team. Of course, he couldn't go without mentioning Pep as well: "I want to thank Pep for believing in my work and giving me this opportunity. I am delighted to work with a coach who has won everything." You got that right, love!

He also directed a word to his father, who is appears is the reason why Adriano is equally great with both feet: "My father told me to play with both feet to make a difference as a player."

So that's who we have to thank for Adriano's versatile awesomeness - well done, Papa!

Rafa & Eva Do Footie For Hope

2010-07-19T21:07:00.001+03:00

What is it that could bring Eva Longoria and Rafael Marquez together? The Hope All-Star Celebrity Soccer Challenge in California, that's what. Eva's gorgeous, Rafa couldn't be any hotter, throw in footie for a good cause and it's a perfect mix.

Eva tweeted her excitement during the event: Me and Rafa Marquez (mexico's best soccer player) at charity soccer game! I kicked the first ball out! In heels!!!"

If you ask me, just standing in close proximity to Rafael Marquez is enough to get a girl excited, heels or no heels. Anyway, the event was a huge success and the best part is, the proceeds go to benefit the Rafa Márquez Foundation and Eva's Heroes.

Btw, Rafa's rumoured to join the NY Red Bulls - same club as Henry. Who is bffs with Eva. Just sayin'.

Pep's Preseason Press Conference

2010-07-19T20:55:00.000+03:00

Pep holds his first press conference of the season, and looks sharp while he's at it. The shirt and jeans ensemble is all good, a big upgrade from the horrific sweaters he annoyingly persisted to wear in the last press conferences of his that I covered, back in December; and I'm loving those shoes on him too.

Anyway, back to the point. It was one hell of a conference, with Pep answering 55 questions in 75 minutes and covering everything you could possibly think of, and I really mean everything.

But of course, the real point of all of this is Pep's inability to do a press conference without the involvement of epic tongue action and plenty of water.

Andres & Anna

2010-07-19T20:45:00.000+03:00

Andres Iniesta is on vacation in Sardinia, with his girlfriend Anna. Last I saw she was a redhead, but here she is with her short-cropped hair dyed platinum blonde... personally, I think she looked so much cuter in the red. And no, I have no comment on Iniesta's swimwear.

First Preseason Training

2010-07-18T21:20:00.000+03:00

Barca's preseason training kicks off tomorrow, with an unpleasant surprise from Nike: the new training shirt has been unveiled, and in my opinion its the worst design yet. Well, not so much the actual design as the color - they call it 'voltage cherry', but that thing is downright fuschia.

We tolerated the neon yellow and orange training shirts before, but really? Fuschia training tops? Say what you will, I think that's just a bit too feminine for this footballing club. I mean, I'm sure Pique will love them, they'd go great with his infamous fuschia hightops, but seriously - what about El Capitan for example? Carles Puyol does not go with all things pink. Anyway, the thing is in stock if you'd care to order one.

Barca's twelve players who particapted in the World Cup are on an extended vacation, which leaves Pinto, Milito, Maxwell, Adriano, Keita, Jeffren, Ibrahimovic, Bojan, Henrique, Víctor Sánchez, Hleb (the last three returning from their respective loans) to show up for the training tomorrow, along with the seventeen youngsters called up from the B-team: Oier, Miño, Masip, Dalmau, Sergi Gómez, Armando, Fontàs, Muniesa, Martí Riverola, Ilie, Víctor Vázquez, Sergi Roberto, Jonathan dos Santos, Edu Oriol, Benja, Jonathan Soriano, Nolito.

First thing everybody gets to take a physical, and then Pep's grueling schedule begins: training every morning and evening to whip the boys back into shape after their lazy summers. Saturday is less intense with a single training session, and Sunday is the players' rest day. They also have to have dinner together as a team every night at the Ciutat Esportiva.

This is the plan until July 26th, before the team play their first friendly against Valerenga in Oslo on July 29th. After that those on international leave will return, and then I expect things will settle into a less crazy routine, with standard training sessions and team breakfasts as Pep has had for the past two seasons.

Starring Andres Iniesta

2010-07-18T21:10:00.001+03:00

Following his wonder goal in the World Cup final, it doesn't look like the buzz about Iniesta will die down any time soon. And while its really awesome the way the world is celebrating him, it can get kind of... weird at times. And I'm not even talking about the fact that the artist Ber Stinco has written a whole song in his praise, the 'Sweet Iniesta'.

No, it gets crazier than that - apparently, Andresito is in Italy right now meeting with real estate agent Tom Barrack, who also owns French footie club Paris Saint-Germain. He's reported to want Iniesta to join them - as if - and then hopefully put him into the movie business.

And that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Link: Iniesta Flirting With Hollywood

Another Day, Another Charity Match For Lio

2010-07-18T21:00:00.001+03:00

Lionel Messi is hopping from country to country and charity match to charity match, today turning up in Brazil to participate in the goodwill game organized by none other than ex-Barca hottie, Deco. Lio played on Deco's side against a 'rest of the world' team, coming off ten minutes into the second half of the match that finally ended at 3-3. Lio also stopped by to see Brazilian star Ronaldo, and went up against the veteran in a ping-pong match in which he was victorious.

Proceeds of the charity match, which took place in the city of Indaiatuba, go to Deco's own nonprofit organization that promotes the social inclusion of underprivileged children through educational, sport and cultural projects.

Randoms: Pique Vacationing With... Guess Who?

2010-07-17T22:40:00.001+03:00

- For those of you wondering what Gerard Pique is up to now that the World Cup is over, he’s in Ibiza with none other than... Cesc Fabregas, naturally. They're on a vacation that revolves around beaching and boating, and you know what that means – hot waterside photos of the two. There are already some shots of Pique on the boat in question, looking great if you can look past the puffy pink shorts; you could also get your Pique fix from this video.

- David Villa is set to be the face of a new ad for the NESTLÉ ice cream Maxibon, also promoting the related ‘Mix The Trip’ contest that invites participants to propose their dream trip, or something. More here.

- Apparently, Barca has about fifty million euros to spend on transfers this summer (does that include the 9.5 million already put up for Adriano?), which basically means that the club can spend it all on Cesc, or make several other back-up signings. With the club saying they'll certainly sign a centerback and a defensive midfielder, I wonder which it'll be?

- The international retirement bug is really going around after this World Cup, as Thierry Henry, who is currently busy training with the New York Red Bulls, has just announced the end of his France career. I know, he’s not a Barca boy anymore, but I felt the urge to report this anyway.

- Remember that cute Brazilian kid we signed last summer, the one who claimed he wants to be the best player in the world someday? After Keirrison spent last season between loans to Benfica and Fiorentina, Pep has decided that he still isn’t ready for the team. Accordingly, the player has been dispatched back to Brazil, this time on loan to Santos.

- Pep has called up all of Barca’s B-team players who aren’t off at the U-19 Euro, to join the first team when preseason training kicks off on Monday. Three cheers for the youth players! I’m most excited about the participation of Jonathan Dos Santos, Marc Muniesa, and Oier Olazábal – anyone of the seventeen players that piques your interest?

Adriano, Officialy A Culé

2010-07-17T22:30:00.000+03:00

Adriano's a Barca player, it's official! He arrived in Barcelona today and signed his four-year contract with the club – which includes the option for a fifth year as well as a 90 million euro buy-out clause – but not before stopping to pose for pictures in front of the club’s crest, as per usual with new signings.

What isn’t usual is the club president meeting him out there and posing with him – I’ve covered enough transfers to know that it’s usually just the player alone with the crest. Then again, this is Rosell’s first signing since he became president; and it’s a pretty great signing to start off with, if you ask me! Adriano looks so great here too, I’m loving the longer hair on him after the short-cropped look he’d been sporting in the past.

The player left Sevilla in tears, which as I recall is the same way Dani Alves left that club when he signed for Barca two years ago. What is it about the Andalusian team that makes players so attached? Anyway, Adriano, who will wear the number 21 (previously occupied by Chygrynskiy), will have his press conference and presentation on Monday, although the doors of Camp Nou will be closed during the event since the stadium is undergoing construction work. Does that mean no fans to greet the new signing? That kind of sucks.

Birthday Boy: Sergio Busquets

2010-07-16T22:14:00.001+03:00

Happy Birthday to Sergio Busquets, who turns twenty-two today! At such a young age he's on top of the world, being the youngest player on the Spanish side that won the World Cup, and having a good part in achieving the victory, too. Best wishes to him!

Lio Between Panama & Haiti

2010-07-16T22:14:00.000+03:00

Here's Messi looking hot at a press conference in Panama, where two days ago he took part in a charity match unremarkably titled “Lio Messi and his friends against the world.” He played on a team alongside his Barca mate Gabi Milito among other stars, against a rival side that included ex-Barca boy, Deco. It was a golden game for the Argentine hero: he scored in less than five minutes after the starting whistle, before going on to complete a hattrick as his team won 6-4, and wore a smile as he left the field to a standing ovation.

Yesterday he was out again in Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador to visit one of the refugee camps, and had to be escorted by bodyguards as thousands of Haitians flocked to catch a glimpse of the Argentine superstar.

International Retirement? Yes? No?

2010-07-16T21:55:00.000+03:00

Carles Puyol has presented each of his Spanish teammates with one of his own watches, the CP5 (pictured below), either in honor of Spain’s historic World Cup victory or as a farewell gesture since he has officially retired from the national team after ninety caps. Winning the World Cup is a grand way to end his international career, but the Spanish team will surely miss him!

Xavi seems to think his teammate won't go through with it... we'll just have to wait and see, will Puyol have a change of heart the way Zlatan did?

Because Zlatan Ibrahimovic is doing just the opposite, by announcing that he’s decided to return to play for his national team. After Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup, Zla claimed he had lost the motivation for playing with the squad; now though, he says he’s missed it and so made the decision to come back after several talks with new coach Eric Hamren. He’ll also be captaining the team, congrats!