Barcelona News Thread

[Magical20]

The Bulgarian president has awarded Barcelona with a golden insignia in recognition of what it has done for charity, which was presented in an institutional act in the build-up to the game tonight with Levski.


While the players were preparing for the match, Barça president Joan Laporta, plus directors Joan Boix, Albert Perrín, Antoni Rovira and Rafael Yuste, and social commissioner Jacint Borràs have particulate in different events with the Bulgarian government.

Major honour

At 10.00 in the morning, the Barça expedition visited the Presidential Palace, where they were welcomed by the President of the Republic Georgi Parvanov, who presented Laporta with a gold insignia in recognition of Barça's solidarity work. This is the highest honour the Bulgarian president can award on an individual level. Laporta presented the president with a Barça shirt with his name on and a club lithograph.

The Barça executives then had the chance to speak to the local press, with Laporta saying "it is a pride and honour for this global alliance with Unicef to be recognised, and not just here. Barça is a global reference point and offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate our global commitment to the most vulnerable children and people". Barça, remember, supported their initiative with the launching of a simultaneous message of support in 128 countries.

Big game in Bulgaria

President Parvanov said "we are very proud to have you here, because it shows that we are just as important as you or Chelsea. A tournament like the Champions League attracts the attention of the media and fans and that is very important for us. It is important for young Bulgarians to get the chance to see the football stars that they want to be like one day".

"We feel like we are Bulgarians"

The Barça entourage then made its way to the Sofia City Hall, where they were received by Mayor Doyko Borisov, who presented the Barça president with a metal city logo. Laporta said he was delighted by the reception, saying: "Congratulations on your city, for you are a very charismatic person. What is important about football is making friends, and we have been treated so well here that it feels like we are Bulgarians too."

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

FC Barcelona can only afford to win. Frank Rijkaard had no thoughts of losing. The players have to make sure there are no nasty surprises tonight against Levski Sofia.

The first match ball of the season, and it's in Sofia.. As long as FC Barcelona can win tonight, qualification for the next stage of the Champions League will still be in their own hands. For Frank Rijkaard, however, this is no time to worry about what is going on further north as Werder Bremen host Chelsea. A win for the English and the Catalans would leave both sides in a very strong position, but anything else and Barça will have it difficult. If Barça lose and Werder win, Barça will be going into the UEFA Cup.

'Guddy' and his goalscoring instinct: After scoring twice at the Ono Estadi in Mallorca, Eidur Gudjohnsen is the man of the moment. The Icelander has scored seven goals this season, and his performance could determine whether or not Barça go into the next round. With so many attacking players injured, this is the time for the former Chelsea to come into his own, while the doors have also been opened to some of the less regular players, including Santi Ezquerro, who was also on target against Gregorio Manzano's side.

Levski on zero points: The Bulgarians are, along with Hamburg, the only team that has yet to register its first Champions League point. Stanimir Stoilou's side also has the poorest goal difference, having scored just one and conceded 13. That all points heavily in Barça's favour, but as the clichés go, history counts for nothing and there are no easy games in Europe. Having said that, Barça looked vastly superior when they met in September at the Camp Nou (5-0).

Midfield options: With Xavi and Edmílson as good as fully fit (both went to Mallorca), Frank Rijkaard has a strong midfield and a variety of different options are on offer tonight at the Levski Stadium. Deco is a regular in the starting line up, and he is likely to be partnered by Andrés Iniesta, scorer of the other goal in Mallorca and one of the most in form players in the squad. Edmílson, who injured his ankle against Zaragoza, may well return to the team in place of Motta.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Deportivo Alavés will be FC Barcelonas rivals in the last sixteen of the Copa del Rey. The Basques, along with Valladolid and Malaga are one of just three second division sides left in the competition.

The team presided by the controversial Dmitry Piterman and currently twelfth in the Liga BBVA (Spanish second division) have played 13 games this season, winning just four, losing another four and drawing in 5. They have a goal difference of minus one.

The side coached by 'Chuchi' Cos has scored 12 goals and conceded 13. No fewer than three players that have been associated to Barça now play for the Vitoria based side, namely Lluís Carreras, Roberto Bonano and Toni Moral (once of Barça C), while other familiar faces from top flight football are De Lucas and Alosi.

First leg away

The games will be played on January 10 and 17, with the first leg taking place in Vitoria at the Mendizorroza, where Alavés are unbeaten this season. It is a year and four months since Frank Rijkaard last took his team there, when Alavés were still in the top flight. The game in August 2005 kicked off the 2005-06 season and ended goalless.

The other matches

Betis - Real Madrid
Levante/Atlético de Madrid - Osasuna
Malaga - Zaragoza
Valladolid Vila-real
Rayo Vallecano - Sevilla
Mallorca - Deportivo
Getafe - Valencia

[Magical20]

Barca's win in Sofia combined with Werder Bremen's 1-0 victory against Chelsea has set up a thrilling finale to Group A. A win for Barca in the last game against Bremen will see them safely through to the knockout stage.

FC Barcelona need to beat Werder Bremen on 5th December in the Nou Camp - it's as simple as that. Barca currently lie in third place, two points behind Chelsea and Bremen. In the other match in the group, Chelsea will play Levski at Stamford Bridge. Wins for Barca and Levski would leave Barca as group winners.

Bremen start strongly

Werder Bremen started strongly in their match against Chelsea, who were handicapped by the absence of banned midfielder Frank Lampard. The German team, managed by Thomas Schaaf, won a series of corners and free kicks until Per Merteascker headed in from yet another corner in the 27th minute. Chelsea then opened up their game and Ballack could have equalised just five minutes later but Wiese in the Bremen goal was up to the challenge.

Missed chances

After the break, both teams took the offensive. Diego and Jensen could have put the Germans two up before the hour mark while, for Chelsea, the Drogba (injured) was replaced by Shevchenko and Obi Mikel by Robben. The changes added much needed bite to the Chelsea attack and Shevchenko (70th m.) and Joe Cole (76th m.) both wasted good chances to equalise. Chelsea continued to dominate for the remaining 20 minutes, but failed to create any further danger.

Despite the win for Bremen, the Barca players still hold their fate in their own hands and the final outcome of the group will be decided in the Nou Camp in a fortnight's time. Last season, Barca beat Werder Bremen 3-1 in the same stage of the competition 3-1, with goals from Gabri, Ronaldinho and Larsson.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

The players are happy with their performance tonight in Sofia and are confident that they can now go on and get the job done in what they see as a 'final' against Werder Bremen.

Following the win at Levski coupled with Werder Bremen's 1-0 win over Chelsea, the situation is simple. Barcelona have to beat the Germans in the last game of the group, and the players are confident they can do it. The following are some of the comments made by the players after the game:

Andrés Iniesta:

"I am happy to be able to help the team by scoring goals. We have to keep this up, these were just two games and the season is long. We have to keep calm."

"We scored an early goal and that helped us play a waiting game, and we were well positioned."

"In the break we knew the score, but we were not obsessed by it, we knew were depending more on ourselves."

"It is a final, we are at home, and I am sure the Camp Nou will be full."

Ludovic Giuly:

"We played well. It was good that we got an early goal. We needed this win."

"I always try to play well. I know I will be playing a bit more now and I'll enjoy those games."

"We know the game with Werder will be like a final. We are ready to play at home and win without causing any major problems."

Sylvinho:

"We went out to win the match and get the three points, that was all we were interested in"

"The first goal did not make it easy for us, but quite the opposite because we played very conservative football until the second goal. We should have decided the match in the first half."

"We were under quite a lot of pressure in that match."

"It is difficult but we have the advantage of playing at home. We have a great chance of going through. We won't be under as much pressure as we were today."


(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Frank Rijkaard was in an upbeat mood after the Levski match and, speaking at the post match press conference, highlighted the "correct mentality" of his players.

The Barca manager praised his players for their performance on Wednesday evening: "The squad must be congratulated. It wasn't a great match in footballing terms [but] my players did their job. I'm happy about the way my team played. I saw the correct mentality".

Great atmosphere in the Levski Stadium

More than 43,000 spectators packed the stadium in Sofia to watch the match between the leaders of the Bulgarian and Spanish leagues. Rijkaard stressed that the 'home' factor could have created problems for his players: "It was a complicated match because they were playing for their honour. It wasn't easy to win here because of the atmosphere. I think this happens a lot with teams like Levski, on their own ground, with a great atmosphere. You have to fight until the final whistle to get a good result".

Goals at the right time

According to Rijkaard, Barca's two goals came at just the right moment: "The match wasn't over and it was a good moment for us to score the second. The goals came at a good time for us and gave us confidence".

(fcbarcelona.com)
Finally, Rijkaard was able to confirm that though a number of the players, such as Ronaldinho and Márquez, had finished the match with injury concerns, these did not appear to be more than slight knocks: "A few of the players have knocks but it's nothing serious".

[Magical20]

Barça needed a win in Sofia to keep their hopes of retaining the Champions League alive. But the three points never really looked in doubt, and goals from Iniesta and Giuly, one in each half, sealed an important victory.


As it turned out, Werder Bremen beat Chelsea in the other game, meaning that anything but a win against Levski Sofia would have relegated Barça to the UEFA Cup. And the pressure was certainly on in the second half, when an equaliser from the home side would have really put Barça in trouble. But the Blaugrana kept their heads and got the job done in emphatic style, and now need to beat the Bundesliga leaders at the Camp Nou on December 5 to secure passage to the next round.

Action from the start

Levski were desperate to finally give their fans something to celebrate, and Barça knew how important it was to get an early goal in. So the game got off to a hectic start, with two chances falling for either side, and Barcelona eventually taking the initiative with an early Giuly goal. Deco shot just wide in the first attack of the game, and shortly after Yovov dodged past Zambrotta but put his effort into the side netting. Then the Bulgarian was unable to properly clear a Zambrotta cross, and Giuly was there to blast the ball home from the middle of the penalty area. The early setback only silenced the Vassilevski stadium for a few moments. The goal only made the home side keener than ever to make an impression, and centre backs Márquez and Puyol were on fine form in breaking down a series of onslaughts on the Barcelona goal.

Lots of space

Levski have a huge pitch, and that meant plenty of space for building up attacking moves, but the Bulgarians tended to use their hearts more than their heads, while Barça had the advantage of two excellent playmakers in Iniesta and Deco, who started frustrating the home side with their obvious superiority. Barça started using the wings, with Sylvinho making several runs down the left supported by Ronaldinho, whenever he could break free from the tight man marking that was making it hard for him to get involved. The first real warning to the Barça defence came when Borimirov's strike from outside the area only went inches wide of Valdés' goal. Sylvinho responded with a chance of his own, then Márquez came close from a corner and Ronaldinho worked his way into the area to slip a pass to Gudjohnsen, whose effort was intercepted by the Bulgarian defence.

Looking to finish the job

Barça could not afford to relax, knowing they needed a second goal as insurance against the possibility of a surprise Levski equaliser. But it took a long time in coming. Gudjohnsen and Giuly both had clear chances shortly after the break. The Icelander's shot went wide, but moments later he was through on goal again only to be brilliantly tackled. But the ball only went as far as Giuly, who saw goalkeeper Petkov turn his effort behind for a corner. It was time for changes. Rijkaard sent Xavi on for Giuly, and then Márquez asked to be taken off with an injured foot to be replaced by Oleguer. Seconds after the change, Petkov was unable to hold on to a 65th minute Deco strike, and Iniesta was at hand to send the ball into the back of the net and make it 2-0 and as good as game over.

Control

With Xavi, Deco, and Iniesta in midfield, none of which are precisely the tallest of players, the rest of the game was always going to be case of playing the ball on the ground and keeping possession against a Levski side that had lost its will and played some frankly sloppy football. Ronaldinho and Guddy continued to create half chances, but the last twenty minutes were more a question of letting the minutes tick by, safe in the knowledge that three important points had been won on a cold night in Bulgaria. But tonight was only half of the story. In two week's time Barcelona will entertain Werder Bremen, and once again, nothing but a win will suffice.


(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Two goals from Giuly and Iniesta sealed the win against Levski and demonstrated that the attacking skills of these two players are essential to the success of the team in a difficult month ahead.


Giuly and Iniesta are Barca's top scorers in the Champions League so far this season, having scored two goals apiece. They were both on the score sheet in Wednesday night's victory in the Vassilevski stadium and their contribution could become even more important as the team struggles to overcome the handicap of the rash of injuries to forwards.

Another vital goal

Giuly's goal in the 5th minute against Levski enabled Barca to face the rest of the match with the comfort of this one-goal advantage. The fact is that Giuly has made a habit of scoring important goals for Barca, none more so that the goal against Milan in the San Siro in the Champions League semi-final last season, a goal that opened the doors to the final in Paris.

And there are plenty more, such as the goal against Racing that gave Barca their first win in the 2004-05 season and the winning goal in the Riazor against Deportivo two seasons ago, which gave Barca the three points just as their opponents were breathing hardest down their necks.

Iniesta on a run

Iniesta has become widely recognised as a top class player and his progression so far this season is outstanding. Last season he failed to get on the score sheet in the league whereas this season he has already scored two goals in the 10 matches he has taken part in. The first came against Valencia in the Nou Camp and the second last weekend away to Mallorca. Both goals came from the kind of penetrating bursts from midfield that were one of his trademarks while making his way up through the youth teams. He's also scored twice in this season's Champions League, both times against Levski.

The future looks bright

If both players can manage to continue their goal scoring efforts over the next few weeks, this will do much to help Barca get through a difficult time, with the last Champions League game in two weeks time and the World Club Championship in December in Japan. Barca will be looking to qualify for the knockout stage of the CL and to lifting the only international title not yet in the Club's trophy cabinet. It looks as if Giuly and Iniesta will have a lot to say in the matter.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

After successfully coming through Wednesday's game against Levski in the Champions League, Frank Rijkaard is determined there will be no relaxation in the league: "We can still grow as a team and we're not in a position to relax".

The Barca coach is demanding 100% concentration from his players for Saturday's game against Villarreal. He believes his team can still improve a great deal and is calling on his players to maintain their concentration: "We're not in a position to relax. We're happy with the work done because the results are good, above all in the league, bur we're aware that we're still in a phase of growth, so we mustn't talk about a lack of tension or motivation. And especially against a team like Villarreal, which has always been a tricky opponent for us".

One of the best league starts

Barca has chalked up a total of 26 points in 11 matches, the same as in the 2004-05 season. Rijkaard believes this is a good total, especially bearing in mind that the team can still improve: "It's good news because we have room to keep on growing and the team is doing its job. We have to keep on working with confidence and that way we'll achieve important things".

Villarreal without two key players

Villarreal will come to the Nou Camp on Saturday without Riquelme, who has flown to Argentina to be present at the birth of his third child, and Turkish striker Nihat, who has a serious knee injury: "There are players missing from both teams but that doesn't change the importance of the match". Referring specifically to Riquelme, Rijkaard told reporters: "Villarreal will be different because he's an important player for them. But they've got others who can fit into the team".

Style of play

After the last game against Werder Bremen, Sylvinho suggested that with the result at 0-1 the team had become "more conservative", a style of play that was also seen against Mallorca. According to Rijkaard: "That's down to the opponents though we haven't really got into the dynamic of everyone putting pressure on the opponent. We're achieved good results away from home. The opponents prepare themselves and look for ways of avoiding this pressure and the team has worked hard to get into the match and make the difference. And it's good that we adapt to this type of game".

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Mexican defender Rafa Márquez formally committed himself to upholding the Spanish constitution on Friday morning as the last step to obtaining dual nationality. Once the legal paperwork has gone through, he will have the status of a Spanish player.

The paperwork will now be sent on to the Spanish footballing authorities who will then register the player with Spanish status.

The Club will then have an extra place available for a non-EU player as from 2nd January, which is also the opening date for the winter transfer window.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Brazilian wingback Belletti is back in the squad for Saturday's game but Motta (illness) and Márquez (ankle) are both carrying injuries and have been rested.


Juliano Belletti returns after a two-week absence due to the injury he picked up against Badalona in the Nou Camp on 8th November. However, on the downside, Thiago Motta and Rafael Márquez have both lost their battle to regain match fitness in time to play against Villarreal.

Belletti ready for action

Belletti returned to full training on Thursday afternoon but has been following an individual training programme since last Monday.

Motta and Márquez out

Motta and Márquez, who both missed training on Thursday, have finally been excluded from Saturday's squad. Motta is suffering from a temperature for which he is taking antibiotics. Club doctors will keep an eye on his progress over the next few days.

Meanwhile, Márquez has been unable to train normally due to the ankle injury he suffered on Wednesday. The Club's medical services are predicting that the player will be available again to the manager some time next week.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

After successfully coming through Wednesday's game against Levski in the Champions League, Frank Rijkaard is determined there will be no relaxation in the league: "We can still grow as a team and we're not in a position to relax".


The Barca coach is demanding 100% concentration from his players for Saturday's game against Villarreal. He believes his team can still improve a great deal and is calling on his players to maintain their concentration: "We're not in a position to relax. We're happy with the work done because the results are good, above all in the league, bur we're aware that we're still in a phase of growth, so we mustn't talk about a lack of tension or motivation. And especially against a team like Villarreal, which has always been a tricky opponent for us".

One of the best league starts

Barca has chalked up a total of 26 points in 11 matches, the same as in the 2004-05 season. Rijkaard believes this is a good total, especially bearing in mind that the team can still improve: "It's good news because we have room to keep on growing and the team is doing its job. We have to keep on working with confidence and that way we'll achieve important things".

Villarreal without two key players

Villarreal will come to the Nou Camp on Saturday without Riquelme, who has flown to Argentina to be present at the birth of his third child, and Turkish striker Nihat, who has a serious knee injury: "There are players missing from both teams but that doesn't change the importance of the match". Referring specifically to Riquelme, Rijkaard told reporters: "Villarreal will be different because he's an important player for them. But they've got others who can fit into the team".

Style of play

After the last game against Werder Bremen, Sylvinho suggested that with the result at 0-1 the team had become "more conservative", a style of play that was also seen against Mallorca. According to Rijkaard: "That's down to the opponents though we haven't really got into the dynamic of everyone putting pressure on the opponent. We're achieved good results away from home. The opponents prepare themselves and look for ways of avoiding this pressure and the team has worked hard to get into the match and make the difference. And it's good that we adapt to this type of game".

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

Villarreal have caused FC Barcelona plenty of problems in Camp Nou in recent seasons and the game this Saturday will be another stern test for Frank Rijkaard's team.


Manolo Pellegrini's side arrive lying ninth in the table and with a lengthy injury list, but they will still be a difficult side to beat. In seven visits to the stadium, the Yellow Submarine have won two, drawn two and lost three, while scoring nine goals and conceding 11. The statistics speak for themselves.

Inconsistent start

Following several seasons of success n the league, the UEFA Cup and the Champions League, Villarreal have made something of an inconsistent start to the current campaign. After opening with a goalless draw in the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, the team suffered two consecutive defeats against Recreativo, at home, and Deportivo, away.

The bad start did not last long as in their next five outings, Pellegrini's side recorded four wins and a draw, garnering 14 points from a possible 18 and moved up the table. Their last three matches are a true reflection of the inconsistent form they have shown this term as they beat Real Betis 3-2 in El Madrigal before going down 3-1 against Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderón. Last weekend they picked up another three points when defeating Getafe 1-0 at home.

Strengthening the squad

Club president, Fernando Roig, has been the brainchild behind Villarreal's rise and is keen to see the team return to finish in the top four and book themselves a place in the Champions League next term. After reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last term, the club bolstered their squad during the summer bringing in such players as Cani, Robert Pires and Nihat. These strong newcomers complimented an already impressive array of talent that includes Diego Forlán and Juan Román Riquelme.

Bad luck with injuries

The inconsistent start to the season can be accredited, in part, to the many injuries that the team has suffered. As well as the lesser knocks picked up in recent weeks, the squad have suffered some serious blows as Gonzalo Rodríguez and Pires damaged their knee ligaments in pre-season and Nihat has now been ruled out for the rest of the season after doing the same thing this month.

(fcbarcelona.com)

[Magical20]

FC Barcelona will focus on cementing their place at the top of the table this Saturday when they meet Villarreal only days after picking up a crucial victory in the Champions League in Sofia.

The game in Bulgaria on Wednesday was tough both mentally and physically due to the high stakes, but now the team can turn their thoughts to the league tonight (20:00, Barça TV). If Barcelona can produce another display of domineering football that has become their trademark in Camp Nou then they should defeat a team that has a decent recent history against the Blaugrana. The match also represents that last appearance at home before the crucial Champions League encounter with Werder Bremen on December 5.

The injury factor: Upto 11 players are set to miss the game in Camp Nou as both teams have several injury worries. Barça's attacking problems are well-documented, but on Friday both Thiago Motta and Rafa Márquez were ruled out, leaving Carles Puyol and Lilian Thuram in the defence, with Edmílson in front of them. In midfield, Deco, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi are expected to play. One piece of good news on the injury front is that Juliano Belletti has been declared fit, after being sidelined since the Copa del Rey meeting with Badalona.

Villarreal lost Nihat in midweek as the Turkish international was ruled out for the rest of the season after damaging his cruciate knee ligaments and he could be replaced in the side by José Mari. Juan Román Riquelme is in Argentina, with the permission of the club, to attend the birth of his third child, leaving Cani as one of the only creative midfielders available to coach Manolo Pellegrini.

Key replacements: Despite the absence of Samuel Eto'o, Leo Messi and Javier Saviola, Barça have continued to score goals. The four fit forwards in the squad, Ronaldinho, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ludovic Giuly and Santi Ezquerro, have all shine since being called upon to play regularly due to the injury list. The team maintained their excellent record of scoring three or more goals when winning, during the 4-1 triumph in Mallorca last weekend. The midfielders are also chipping in as Iniesta scored both in the Ono Stadium and in Sofia against Levski and Deco netted against Chelsea in the Champions League.

Reference point: Villarreal have one main player upon which rests their goalscoring hopes in Diego Forlán. On Saturday he should be partnered up front by José Mari, but the Uruguayan striker will still be relied upon to be on the end of crosses, corners, free-kicks and to take penalties, should he be required. Due to the absentees, Pellegrini has called up forward Jonathan Pereiro from the youth ranks again after the youngster made his first team debut earlier in the season.

Previous meetings: Barça have met Villarreal in Camp Nou on only seven occasions. The home side have won three times, there have been two draws and the Yellow Submarine have two victories to their name. The most common scoreline, which has happened just twice, is 1-0 and that was the margin by which Barcelona triumphed last season on April 14.

(fcbarcelona.com)