Messi breaks Ronaldo’s Barcelona record for most Liga goals in a season

The Argentine continues to rewrite the club’s history books as his strike on Saturday means he has now beaten the Brazil legend’s record of 34 goals during the 1996-97 campaign
Lionel Messi has become the highest-scoring Barcelona player in a single Primera Division season after he found the back of the net in the 2-0 win over Mallorca on Saturday.
The Argentine’s first-half strike against the islanders means he has now scored 35 times in the league this term, overtaking Ronaldo’s previous high of 34 during the 1996-97 campaign for the Blaugrana.
Messi equalled Ronaldo’s overall mark in 2009-10, and last season scored 53 goals in all competitions, surpassing the Brazilian’s haul of 47 in the process.
The 24-year-old is now on course to beat Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo’s return of 40 goals last term, currently the highest by any player in a Liga campaign.
It has been a year to remember for Messi, who also became Barcelona’s leading scorer of all time earlier this week and the first-ever player to score five goals in one Champions League match as he netted a quintuple against Bayer Leverkusen recently.

Guardiola: “Los árbitros y los comités no se han hecho respetar”

Pep Guardiola apuntó que los comités y colectivo arbitral no se han hecho respetar y ahora son sospechosos en todas sus decisiones algo que debería corregirse “urgentemente”
Guardiola se mostró muy satisfecho por la victoria en Mallorca pero no dejó pasar la ocasión para pronunciarse sobre las últimas actuaciones del Comité de Competición y Comité Técnico de Árbitros.
Aunque Pep no expresó manifiestamente su descontento por las sanciones al Real Madrid, sí cree que el asunto se les está yendo de las manos.
“Sus razones tendrán para haber puesto estas sanciones pero creo que los árbitros y los comités no se han hecho respetar y ahora son sospechosos en cualquiera de sus decisiones. El problema es que no han marcado una línea clara. Han dejado pasar muchas cosas y ahora siempre se sospecha de ellos. Con un Comité serio, Piqué merecía una sanción por sus declaraciones pero entonces el que dicen que roban, también”, manifestó.
Por último, agregó: “Tienen que hacerse respetar urgentemente y que se ganen los partidos en el terreno de juego”.
Pep se mostró especialmente satisfecho con la respuesta del equipo ante la expulsión de Thiago y afirmó que “”Con el esfuerzo y las no excusas” fueron capaces de sacarlo adelante.
Sin embargo, todavía le cuesta entender como se ha quedado en inferioridad númerica en 4 de los últimos 8 partidos. “Bordeamos el 75% de posesión del balón y a veces cuesta creer que en 8 partidos hayamos tenido 4 expulsiones. Pero lo aceptamos, nos vamos a la caseta y seguimos jugando”, comentó.
Guardiola también alabó la capacidad de sacrificio de sus jugadores para trabajar por el equipo.”Tenemos personas con disponibilidad para hacer cosas por el equipo. No por su bien sino por el de todos. Somos afortunados de tenerlos con nosotros”, apuntó.
Por último, elogió el hecho que sus jugadores estén mostrando su mejor versión ahora que se deciden los títulos.
“Después de ganarlo todo durante 4 años y ser ejemplares en todo, al principio ves la temporada muy larga y nos pudimos dejar ir. Ahora estamos al final y lo sabemos. Los esfuerzos no se pueden medir. O van todos o no lo conseguiremos. Me gratifica que con diez no nos hayamos lamentado y nos hayamos esforzado para generar incluso más oportunidades”, sentenció.

El sol anima a Alves a ‘pasarse’ al futvoley

Dani Alves aprovechó el buen tiempo y su partido de sanción para pasar la mañana en una de las playas de Barcelona
Dani Alves no viajó con el resto del equipo a Mallorca para cumplir su sanción y se quedó en Barcelona donde disfrutó de un día de tranquilidad antes de ver el encuentro en el Estadio Iberostar.
El buen tiempo del que se gozó en la ciudad condal fue aprovechado por un Dani Alves para combinar dos de sus grandes pasiones: playa y fútbol.
El lateral brasileño se dejó ver por la Playa de la Villa Olímpica donde se prestó a jugar un partido de ‘futvoley’ en uno de los lugares más transitados de Barcelona cuando comienza el buen tiempo.

600 goals since Guardiola took charge of the Barça bench

FC Barcelona have scored 600 goals in official matches since Guardiola took charge of the Barça bench in 2008/09. This year they’ve scored 150 goals per season, averaging 2.57 goals per game
Furthermore, the team is on the verge of breaking the Club record of most goals scored in a single season
Josep Guardiola’s Barça have won 170 of their 233 official matches in all competitions (73% win rate) and they’ve scored 600 goals, averaging 2.57 per game. The first was scored by Samuel Eto’o in the Camp Nou against Wisla Cracovia, in the 2008/09 season pre-Champions League playoff. The 600th goal was scored this Saturday by Piqué against Mallorca. Only Cruyff’s Dream Team, who scored 870 in 430 official matches, have scored more (averaging 2.02 goals per game).
A new record within reach
This Barça side have another record in their corsairs: the most goals scored in a single season.  Guardiola’s team set the record in 2008/09 when they bagged 158 goals. This year, however, with at least 12 matches to go, they’ve scored 152 goals; only 7 adrift of the record.
Messi, 193 of the 600
Leo Messi has scored 193 of the 600 official goals. Almost a third. Furthermore, the Argentine has 35 goals in La Liga this season, beating Ronaldo’s 34-goal record in the 1996/97 season

Messi vs Cristiano: La encarnizada lucha por el pichichi

Una animalada. Sólo así se pueden definir los números realizadores de Leo Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo, con 35 dianas cuando aún restan nueve jornadas para el final de Liga
Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo suman 70 goles entre los dos sólo en Liga (35 cada uno), unas cifras de récord, al alcance de muy pocos.
Este sábado Leo Messi logró su gol 35 al abrir el marcador con el Barça ante el Mallorca. En un primer momento el gol se le adjudicó a Alexis Sánchez, que pareció tocar el balón en última instancia.
Sin embargo, la repetición de la jugada permitió comprobar que el chileno no toca el balón tras el libre directo del argentino.
Por tanto el gol fue de Messi. Así lo reflejó el árbitro del partido, Ayza Gámez, en su acta y también el Diario Marca, medio de comunicación que anualmente otorga el Trofeo Pichichi.
Cristiano Ronaldo salió espoleado a superar los goles del ’10' del Barça en su partido ante La Real Sociedad. El luso necesitaba un hat-trick, pero se tuvo que conformar con un doblete que le deja empatado con el ‘Balón de oro’ a 35 goles (Messi ha marcado tres goles de penalty por 10 del portugués).
Y es que estamos hablando de los mejores goleadores de los últimos años. Messi, por ejemplo, lleva tres años superando la treintena de goles en Liga.
El año pasado marcó 31 goles (4 de penalty), quedándose a 9 del delantero madridista que marcó 40 (8 de penalty) y ganó la Bota de Oro, trofeo que acredita al máximo goleador de las Ligas europeas. Un trofeo que también se llevó el barcelonista una temporada antes tras conseguir 34 tantos.

Allegri confirms Thiago Silva will miss Barcelona clash

The Brazilian stopper was forced off against the Giallorossi during the first half and will now be ruled out of his side’s crucial European tie with the Blaugrana on Wednesday
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed defender Thiago Silva will miss Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg with Barcelona, following Saturday’s 2-1 win over Roma.
The defender was a doubt for the fixture against the Giallorossi and was expected to be rested for the game after picking up a knock during last week’s 2-2 draw with Juventus in the Coppa Italia; a result which saw Massimiliano Allegri’s men crash out 4-3 on aggregate.
However, the former Fluminense defender was put through his own personal warm-up prior to kick-off and deemed fit enough to start versus Roma, only to be hauled off after just 10 minutes with a troublesome flexor muscle.
“Thiago Silva has a problem with a flexor muscle and cannot play in the Champions League against Barcelona. I risked him, but it did not pay off,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia after the match.
Silva’s injury could prove to be a big blow for the reigning Italian champions, who are already set to be without a host of players for Wednesday’s first-leg encounter against Barca.
Nevertheless, the win against Roma means Milan move seven points clear of Juventus at the summit of Serie A, thanks to a pair of goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Guardiola: “We didn’t lament when we were down to 10 men, we worked harder”

The Barça manager said that victory against Mallorca was a tremendously important win, especially seeing how the team reacted after Thiago was sent off on 56 minutes
“The attitude displayed by this team makes me proud,” said the manager
osep Guardiola was pleased with his team’s victory in Mallorca (0-2). The manager said that this win will help “prepare the right tone” for Barça ahead of the Champions League match this Wednesday against AC Milan. “Despite everything, with our effort and not complaining, we came out ahead and we won,” said the manager. He was also pleased with the team’s attitude after Thiago was shown a red card: “we didn’t complain when we were down to 10 men, we worked harder.”
The Barça boss highlighted the level of sacrifice shown by the players in his team: “we have players with the ability to help the team. Not for their good, but for others. We’re very fortunate that we have these players with us.”
Maxium effort for the greater good
The manager then went on to praise the attitude shown by the team throughout the competition: “we have always had a hard time. In these last four years, where we’ve won almost everything, we’ve been exemplary. At the beginning, the season seems very long and you let yourself go a bit, and our opponents aren’t forgiving. We’re at the end now and we know it. You can’t measure effort, we either all work for the same goal or we won’t make it. The players have put in a tremendous amount of effort.”
Barça was reduced to 10 men at the beginning of the second half when Thiago was shown his second yellow card. Guardiola said: “we have about 70% to 75% of possession in almost every game. Of every 10 minutes, we have the ball for 7. But we’re the most penalized, sometimes it’s hard to understand. If someone is ejected from a game for any reason, we have to accept it – and we do and we keep on playing.”
“They need to demand respect”
Lastly, Josep Guardiola talked about the recent decisions made by the Competition Committee and the Referee Technical Committee, saying that “they need to demand respect.” He added: “it’s been a while now that the committees haven’t demanded respect. We’re at a point where everything is too suspicious. There are too many things that they’ve let pass, and in the end they haven’t made themselves respected. Gerard [Piqué], with what he said, probably deserved a ban. But they don’t do it, of course, because if there’s another player that says that his team was robbed, they’d have to ban him too. This has been going on for a while, and they [the committees] urgently need to reestablish respect.”

Mallorca v Barça: Match Stats

Yet another record for the unstoppable Leo Messi, a great defensive performance from Mascherano and a happy return for Montoya are just some of the facts to come out of this Saturday’s match
Here are some of the stats from FC Barcelona’s win away to Mallorca (0-2):
- The two goals in Mallorca mean that Barça have now scored 600 goals in competitive matches since Guardiola took over as manager for the 2008/09 season. That’s an average of 2.57 per match or 150 per season.
- Lionel Messi has scored almost a third of those goals: 193 out of 600.
- Messi has scored 35 league goals so far this season, overtaking Ronaldo’s tally of 34 in the 1996/97 season and his own total of 34 in the 2009/10 season.
- Saturday night’s win in the Iberostar Stadium is Barça’s 8th away league win on the bounce.
- For the first time in this campaign, Barça have put together a run of four consecutive away victories: Sevilla, Racing, Atletico Madrid and Mallorca.
- Once again, Javier Mascherano put in a good performance in defence and topped the ranking of balls recovered with 12.
- Barça have had four players sent off in just eight games though only Gerard Piqué was shown a direct red card. Against Mallorca, Thiago was sent off for a second yellow card.
- Last night, Lionel Messi equalled former player and current PSV manager Phillip Cocu’s record of 235 matches. No other foreign player has represented Barça so many times. He is now set to hold that honour on his own if he plays in the next match against Athletic Club.
- Messi has scored in the last eight consecutive games, including twelve in the last five. This puts him well on the way to finishing as La Liga’s top scorer.
- Defender Martin Montoya went back to the stadium where he made his Barça debut on 26th February 2011

Messi, a new record: 35 league goals, a new Barça record

The Argentine international just keeps on breaking all the record. This time he has beaten the Club record of 34 league goals in a season held by Brazilian striker Ronaldo since the 1996/97 season. His current tally stands at 35
He also equalled Philip Cocu’s record of 205 appearances
Once again, Messi proved to be decisive. He opened the scoring against Mallorca on Saturday night and set Barça on the road to victory. The goal, his 35th in the league this season, established a new Club scoring record for league goals in a season. Since the 2009/10 season he had shared the previous record of 34 along with former Brazilian striker Ronaldo.
The league’s highest scorer is enjoying a particularly productive run. He has scored for the last eight consecutive matches, including five in the league, accumulating a total of 18 goals in that period. So far this season he has scored an impressive 55 goals.
On the heels of Cocu
Messi made his 205th league appearance against Mallorca and thereby equalled Phillip Cocu’s record as the foreigner who has made the most appearances for Barça. He looks set to surpass the record previously held by the former Dutch international and current PSV manager in the next game against Athletic Club. Fans may remember that last December Messi equalled and then passed Cocu’s record as the foreign player who has made the most competitive appearances for Barça.
Just last Tuesday, he smashed the long-standing Club scoring record previously held by Cesar Rodriguez with a valuable hat trick against Granada.

Rafa Marquez rejuvenated by training with Barcelona

After a rough 2011 season, the Mexican international looks motivated to prove his value and revealed to Goal.com that after spending some time with Barca, he’s ready to deliver.
New York Red Bulls star has expressed his delight in training once more with his former team-mates at Barcelona, explaining that he felt rejuvenated after his time with the Blaugrana and was ready for a successful 2012.
After a difficult time in 2011, the Mexican international is determined to prove his value – starting with his first appearance of the season on Sunday. Returning to the place where he won two La Liga and two Champions League trophies, Marquez trained over the winter with Barcelona B; where he reconnected with Pep Guardiola and some of the former team-mates with whom he shared so many happy memories.
“It always special to go back home and see your friends and people that you’ve played with. It was a great experience,” Marquez told Goal.com while visiting the Empire State Building on Friday.
“I have fond memories of my time there and it was good to go back at least for a brief time.”
Prior to his decision to spend time with the Catalan club over the winter, it appeared as though Marquez had one foot out of the door with the Red Bulls. But the defender stated that Guardiola and his former Barca teammates closely follow his progress with the Red Bulls, which helped him feel more comfortable in his new home.
“Of course, they follow what’s been going on over here. They have a very good idea of what’s happening,” Marquez said.
Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe has made no secret that he expects much more from Marquez this season. Marquez’s superb passing should help a team that has struggled to create and his positioning as holding midfielder will likely pay dividends on defense as well.
Enjoying life in the Big Apple, Marquez acknowledges that his Red Bulls’ future could be determined on how he plays this season.
“Considering everything, I realize what I need to do,” said Marquez. “I need to deliver [this season]. I’m excited by [the challenge].”

Mascherano enjoying defensive role with Barcelona

The Argentina international established a reputation as one of the most combative defensive midfielders in Europe before joining the Blaugrana from Liverpool two years ago
Javier Mascherano insists that he is thoroughly enjoying playing in defence for Barcelona.
The Argentina international is a midfielder by trade but has been regularly utilised as a centre-half by Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola since arriving at Camp Nou from Liverpool in 2010.
ndeed, Mascherano lined out alongside Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique in a three-man defence in Saturday night’s 2-0 win over Mallorca and was extremely pleased with how he performed.
“I feel great playing in the back-line, even though my position on the right-hand side is a bit weird for me,” the 27-year-old told his club’s official website. “But we did a good job and our defence was great.”
Mascherano was thrilled with the victory in Palma as Barca had overcome the loss of Thiago to a red card during the second-half to secure a victory which keeps them in with a chance of overhauling Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
“We just have to do our work in the best way possible but always looking to see how the leaders are doing,” he mused.
“Against Mallorca we kept our composure. We withstood the pressure after losing a player and with the second goal [from Pique on 79 minutes], the game got a bit easier because there wasn’t much time left.
“It was a difficult match but starting tomorrow [Sunday], we have to start thinking about AC Milan. The away leg will be important in the tie.”
Barcelona travel to San Siro for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with the Rossoneri on Wednesday night.

AC Milan’s El Shaarawy: We expect to get past Barcelona

The Blaugrana are widely regarded as the strongest side in the world at the moment but Pep Guardiola’s men hold no fear for the Rossoneri, according to the teenage striker
Stephan El Shaarawy has claimed that AC Milan expect to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Barcelona.
The Rossoneri have, for the most part, been written off ahead of their quarter-final showdown with the reigning world, European and Spanish champions.
However, El Shaarawy insists that Milan are in a positive frame of mind ahead of Wednesday night’s first-leg encounter with the Blaugrana at San Siro, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: “We expect to go through.”
The teenage striker also revealed that he will be cheering on Milan’s city rivals Inter in their Serie A clash with the Rossoneri’s principal Scudetto rivals in Turin on Sunday night.
“I will support Inter against Juventus because we want to pull even further clear of the Bianconeri,” he declared.
Milan are now in possession of a seven-point lead at the top of the table after Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Roma.
El Shaarawy failed to get on the scoresheet at San Siro, having seen a wonderful curling effort from the edge of the area come back off the post during the first-half, but he played his part in a vital win for the hosts.
“My game? It was a pity about the post, but I am happy all the same,” the former Genoa forward insisted.
“We played a great game and in the second half we were really good. Roma are a good team; it was not easy.”
Milan’s meeting with Barcelona at the Giuseppe Meazza gets underway at 20:45CET.

Ambrosini: Barcelona are the strongest side in the world

The 34-year-old midfielder admitted that the Blaugrana will pose his side a great threat and called on the team to put in a strong display on Wednesday
AC Milan veteran Massimo Ambrosini believes his side face an uphill task to beat Barcelona in the Champions League.
The Rossoneri have turned their attention to the continental competition after a 2-1 Serie A victory against Roma at the weekend, which has provisionally seen them go seven points clear of rivals Juventus at the top of the table.
“We must stop thinking that we can make mistakes,” Ambrosini told Sky Sport Italia. “Otherwise, you unconsciously get the idea in your head that you can afford to lose games.
“Barcelona are the strongest side in the world, it does not take a magician to tell you that. It will be a very important and difficult match for us, but also one that will give us so much motivation.
“The Blaugrana have so many good players at their disposal that we have to give our best.”
The 34 year old then expressed his disappointment that Milan will be without Thiago Silva for the visit of Barcelona, after the defender picked up an injury against Roma.
“This is a heavy blow for us,” Ambrosini noted.
Milan host Barcelona on Wednesday, with the return leg at Camp Nou scheduled for April 3.

AC Milan confirm Thiago Silva will miss Barcelona matches in Champions League

The Rossoneri have revealed the Brazilian defender will not be available for the crucial European clashes after limping out of the win over Roma on Saturday evening
AC Milan have announced that Thiago Silva will miss both Champions League legs against Barcelona after suffering a a muscular problem.
The 27-year-old limped off in the first half of Milan’s 2-1 victory against Roma on Saturday, with coach Massimiliano Allegri confirming in the post-match press conference that the defender was automatically ruled out of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg with Barcelona.
Further assessment of the injury has shown that Thiago Silva has suffered an injury to the biceps femoris of the right thigh, with an estimated recovery time of three to four weeks.
This means that the Brazilian will at least sit out of Milan’s next six matches, including the Champions League double-header tie against the holders.
Thiago Silva, who joined Milan in 2009 in a €10 million deal, has made 36 appearances in all competitions in 2011-12, scoring three goals.

Tostao: Messi better than Maradona, but not Pele

The former attacker has voiced his opinion that the Barcelona star has surpassed his countryman, but is not up there with the Brazil legend yet
Former Brazil international Tostao has stated his belief that Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is a better player than Diego Maradona was, but stressed that the 24-year-old is not of Pele’s level just yet.
Messi won the Fifa Ballon d’Or for the third time in succession earlier this year, and is considered by many to be one of the best ever.
However, 65-year-old Tostao feels that the Barca striker still has some way to go before he can be considered Pele’s equal.
“Even if you do not take the cold numbers of how many trophies he has won and how many goals he has score into account, I have no doubt about it that he [Messi] is already better than Maradona,” Tostao said to Globoesporte.
“Many will disagree because he has not won a World Cup or scored a wondergoal in a big game at the World Cup, but at his current level he is only behind Pele in my opinion.
“Pele was more complete and had qualities that Messi lacks. He scored many headers for example, and make excellent use of his body.”
Messi has already netted 35 goals in 28 La Liga appearances in the 2011-12 season.

Busy week ahead

FC Barcelona face a busy week with two really attractive games – Wednesday’s Champions League clash in Italy against Milan and then the La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday at the Camp Nou
There are two big matches for Pep Guardiola’s side as March comes to an end. After Sunday’s day off following their win in Mallorca, the players trained at the Ciutat Esportiva this morning and on Tuesday they will be flying out to Milan, where they will train, at the Giuseppe Meazza at 19.00 on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday at 20.45 Milan and Barça meet in the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals as Barça strive for their tenth win on the run.
In Milan till Friday
The players will stay in Italy on Thursday and train at midday at the Centro Sportivo Faccheti on the outskirts of Milan, before returning on Friday morning in time for training at the Camp Nou at 13.00.
Bilbao game on Saturday
On Saturday at 12.30 the players will have a final training session before facing Athletic Bilbao at ten at night at the Camp Nou. The day after that, they will begin preparations for Tuesday’s return leg against Milan at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

Afellay in squad for Milan trip

After a six month injury layoff, the Dutch forward is back in the squad. for the Milan game on Wednesday night
Alves and Oier are the other players added to Saturday’s squad
The players trained this Monday morning and they will fly out to Italy on Tuesday morning
Although Afellay has still not got the full medical okay after a six month layoff for his knee injury, he is included in the first squad since he suffered his injury. Barça will be taking 21 players to Milan on Tuesday morning – the 19 who were in the squad for the game against Mallorca, less Bartra and plus Alves, who has recovered from his injury, and B team keeper Oier.
The squad is made up of Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Fàbregas, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Thiago, Mascherano, Keita, Sergio Busquets Pedro, Afellay,and Cuenca from the first team squad as well as Muniesa, , Montoya, Olazábal and Cristian Tello.
Training at the Ciutat Esportiva
The players trained this Monday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva with all the squad, except Oier, and the injured Abidal also trained apart on the pitch, whilst Adriano worked out in the gym.
The next training session will be on Tuesday evening at 19.00 at the San Siro.

Club appeals Puyol and Thiago cards

In both cases, the ref’s report claims the players: “played the ball with the arm”
This morning FC Barcelona presented appeals to the Spanish Disciplinary Committee against the yellow cards handed out to Thiago Alcántara on 57 minutes and Carles Puyol on 88, during the game against Mallorca on Saturday.
In both cases, the referee Ayza Gámez wrote in his report that both players saw yellow for : “playing the ball with the arm, denying a chance for an opponent to play the ball”. In Thiago’s case, the yellow was his second and he was then sent off.

Valdés: “Milan are very dangerous on dead balls and on the counter”

The keeper said that the Champions League quarter-final tie is “very complicated” despite Milan missing key players
On the Liga, Valdés said that both Barça and Madrid will be under pressure until the end of the season
Víctor Valdés will, in all likelihood, defend FC Barcelona’s goal on Wednesday at the San Siro. It will be the second time this season, after playing against Milan in the group stage of the Champions League, that the Catalan keeper will start against the Italians away from the Camp Nou. Despite the injuries that the Milan side have, the last one keeping Thiago Silva on the sidelines, Valdés said that “they are very dangerous on dead balls and they’re very good at counterattacks. We need to be alert and keep an eye on unmarked players.” He added that “it’s a very complicated tie. It’s vital that we play our style.”
The Azulgrana keeper recognised that the team “comes into the match on form,” but he reminded the press room that Milan is also enjoying a good string of results.
La Liga
“Both teams are under pressure. Our only option is to win all the games we have left and wait.” Valdés believes that the team needs to stay on form in order to reach the end of the League championship in the best way possible: “when we were 10 points behind we didn’t change, and we won’t change now that we are 6 behind. We must compete against any rival and try to win the three points.” Furthermore, he admitted that he has taken a look at Madrid’s upcoming schedule, but that “if we don’t win our games it won’t matter.” He reminded the journalists that “the six-point distance is considerable, even more so seeing how Madrid is playing. We have to play our games with confidence and peace. The games and time will decide [the winner of the League].”
Confidence in the youngsters
Valdés has complete confidence in the players coming up from the reserve side to the first team. “They’re mature. They prove it in games and in training. Their confidence rubs off on the team and on the manager.”
The keeper said that Afellay, who is close to being match-fit after he sustained a serious ligament injury, is doing well. “He’s recovered nicely. We need him and I’m happy that he’s here.”

Gaby Cairo’s team brought the King’s Cup title to the Museum

The entire squad, the manager and his assistant made the trip from the Palau to the Museum with their roller skates
This Wednesday it will be the futsal team’s turn to bring their trophy to the Museum after they won the Spanish Cup in Logroño
This Monday, the FC Barcelona roller hockey team, led by Gaby Cairo and Beto Borregán, brought the King’s Cup title, which was won in Vilanova i la Geltrú against Noia Freixent (2-3) on March 4th, to the Josep Lluís Núñez Museum.
Original handoff
The director of the Josep Lluís Núñez Museum, Jordi Penas, awaited the Barça squad which was due to arrive at 13:30 in the afternoon. Tourists and visitors were delighted when they heard the sound of roller skates throughout the building as the team rolled into the Museum wearing their match equipment. Once inside, Gaby Cairo was the man in charge of putting the title which was won earlier this month into the trophy cabinet.
Cairo, proud of the initiative
“This is how we get around and after talking about it with the director of the Museum, Jordi Penas, it seemed like an original way of bringing the trophy in, we hope it isn’t the last,” said the FC Barcelona manager after installing the Cup in the Museum.

Edgar Davids: Barcelona are a team full of ‘mythological gods’

The former Barca hardman hailed the Catalan giants and has no doubts they will one again become European champions, while also asserting that they are still in the Liga title race
Former Netherlands defensive midfielder Edgar Davids has lavished praise on Barcelona and is convinced Pep Guardiola’s side will successfully defend their Champions League title.
The 39-year-old, who wore the Barca jersey during a six-month loan spell in 2004, also stressed that the Blaugrana are still very much in the Primera Division title race.
“Barcelona are not a normal team, but a team full of mythological gods. They’re on another level to all the other teams. They will win the Champions League again,” Davids was quoted as saying by El Mundo Deportivo.
With nine rounds still to go in La Liga, the ex-Juventus midfielder warned that there could be further twists and turns in store in the title race after Real Madrid saw their gap over the Catalans slashed from 10 to six points within a week.
“Madrid still hold a comfortable lead, but I believe that the league won’t be decided until the last few games. Barca will fight till the end, and a surprise could be in store if Madrid lose another game.”
Barcelona are currently preparing for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash away to AC Milan.

Ibrahimovic: There’s more to Barcelona than just Messi

The Sweden international is eagerly anticipating Wednesday’s Champions League encounter versus the Catalans, and has warned that they have plenty of quality
AC Milan attacker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stressed that the Rossoneri should not solely focus on Lionel Messi in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona as he feels there’s much more to the Catalans than just the Argentine forward.
The Sweden international is eagerly anticipating the game at San Siro, but realises that the Serie A champions face a tough task to beat the Champions League holders.
“I am having a perfect season, and I am determined to keep going. I know that it will be a difficult match versus Barcelona though,” Ibrahimovic stated to Corriere dello Sport.
“There is much more to their game than only Messi, just like Milan are not completely about Ibrahimovic. They are the best team in the world. We have nothing to lose though and the pressure is on Barcelona.”

Beckenbauer: Bayern will be favourites if they reach the

Champions League final – even against Barcelona
Ahead of a potential showdown on May 19, the former Germany international is bullish, claiming his former club have what it takes to dethrone the Catalans
Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer feels his former club have what it takes to win the Champions League.
As the Bavarian giants prepare for Wednesday’s quarter-final clash with Marseille, the Kaiser feels that if they can advance past the French side and the winner of APOEL and Real Madrid, they will be favourites in the final, regardless of the opposition.
When asked by Sky at a PR event about Bayern’s prospects for silverware this season, Beckenbauer said his former club could win two trophies.
“The DFB-Pokal I can imagine, maybe even the Champions League is feasible,” he said.
When asked whether Bayern could overcome Barcelona should both sides reach the final, the former Germany international highlighted a key advantage in the fact that the match will be played at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
“If you play at home in the Champions League final, you are favourites – even against Barcelona,” he explained.
Before the final, Bayern face a potential clash with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
“I think it will happen,” Beckenbauer said of the tie. “It is a manageable task as Madrid play football like everyone else.”
Before they can consider the final or even the semi-final, however, Bayern must negotiate their tie with Marseille. The first-leg clash is scheduled for Wednesday at the Stade Velodrome.

Friday, ticket application process for the King’s Cup final opens

The application process will close on April 4th at 19:00
The tickets, only available for Club members, start at €60
Barça have 20,000 tickets available, 13,600 are reserved for Club members and 3,400 are reserved for Supporters Clubs
This Friday at 10:00, March 30th, the Club will open up the ticket petition process for the the King’s Cup final in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao (May 25th at 22:00). The process, which is exclusive to Club members, will be open until 19:00 on April 4th.
It’s worth remembering that this process requires Club members to fill out an online application form on the Club’s website (www.fcbarcelona.com) starting this Friday. As usual, each member is allowed to petition for one ticket, however up to four members can be included on one application form, in the event that said members want to travel together. Members under the age of 12 are excluded from this process.
Possible draw on the 10th
All of the petitions will be handled after the established cutoff date. In the event that there are more petitions than there are tickets available, the Club, with the assistance of a notary, will hold a public draw on April 10th at 10:00. On the 10th, 11th and 12th, the Club will inform members that won a ticket, how and when to collect the ticket and finalise the payment process.
You must have a bank card
Completing the application process indicates that a member has the intention of buying a ticket. Therefore, after completing the application, members will be asked to input their bank card data. In the event that a ticket is granted the member’s card will automatically be charged the sum of the ticket price (€60). The difference will be paid at the ticket window should the member wish to upgrade their ticket (limited availability).
Starting at €60
Prices for tickets for the King’s Cup final in Madrid against Athletic Club start at €60. In the event of applying for multiple tickets (one ticket per person, up to four persons on an application form), only one bank card’s data is required to reserve said tickets. If the charge defaults, the right to reserve a ticket is lost.
85% of the tickets for Club members
The Vicente Calderón has a capacity of 50,000, each club will have 20,000 to give out to their fans, while the rest are reserved for the Spanish Football Federation. As usual, 85% of the tickets available for the final (17,000) are allocated to members (13,600) and Supporters Clubs (3,4000). The remaining 15% (3,000) are reserved for the Club for institutional and sponsorship purposes.

Valdes: AC Milan are a very dangerous team

The Blaugrana have won their last nine games in all competitions but the keeper is taking nothing for granted against a side who caused the Catalans problems in the group stage
Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes is wary of the threat posed by AC Milan ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash at San Siro on Wednesday.
The Blaugrana were held to a draw when the two sides met at Camp Nou in the group stages before battling their way to a 3-2 victory in the return fixture in Italy.
Valdes is expecting another difficult encounter with the Italian champions, even though confidence within the Catalan camp is sky high in light of a nine-game winning streak in all competitions.
“Milan are always a very dangerous team,” the goalkeeper told reporters on Monday. “We saw that in the group stage.
“They are a great team with great history. A tie against Milan, who are one of the biggest sides in Europe, will be difficult.
“But it is coming at a good time for us and it is vital that we try to play our usual game.”
Barca’s winning run has seen them close to within six points of Primera Division leaders Real Madrid. However, Valdes insists that the players are not getting carried away by the talk that the title race is now suddenly back on.
“When we were 10 points behind we did not change our approach, and now that we’re six behind, we will not do so either,” the Spain international explained.
“We have to compete against each and every opponent and just try to collect the three points.
“The press has been saying that the league was impossible for us but the message has always been the same on our part: never give up.
“However, the six-point gap is still substantial. Only time and the games will decide if the deficit is reduced. We have no choice but to win every game and wait to see what happens.”
Barcelona tackle Milan at San Siro on Wednesday before hosting Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou at the weekend.

Sergi Roberto, represents Barça at the MIC presentation

The Barça B player represented FC Barcelona at the unveiling of the 12th edition of the MIC, which was held in Girona
Sergi Roberto represented FC Barcelona at presentation of the 12th Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) held at the Salón Plenos of the Girona Provincial Council. The Azulgrana midfielder, who has played in the tournament three times; twice with Barça and once with his old team Reus, talked about his experience in the competition. Sergi Roberto admitted he had a “great experience” playing in the competition and that it was “very interesting playing against teams from other countries.”
Up to 40 difference countries participate in the MIC. The director of the tournament, Juanjo Rovira, said that the competition has “reached a very important level” and that some teams find it difficult to “qualify.” Two different Barça youth teams compete in the tournament: U-14 and U-12.
MIC, four more years in Girona
Jaume Torremadé, President of the Provincial Council of Girona, signed a four-year agreement with David Ballvé, MIC President, to keep the competition in Girona. The presentation of the tournament was attended by Álvaro Vázquez, who represented RCD Espanyol.

Abbiati: “No será un desafío entre Messi y yo”

Abbiati será el encargado de impedir que el FC Barcelona ‘moje’ en San Siro
El guardián de la portería ‘rossonera’ está confiado en sacar en buen resultado ante los azulgranas y ya tiene en su mente el duelo ante Leo Messi aunque la sombra del Barça es mucho más alargado que la del argentino.
“Sé que Messi es el mejor del mundo pero el Barça no es solo Messi. No es un desafío entre él y yo. Un jugador solo no puede ser analizado, es impredecible”, expresó en una entrevista en ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’.
Respecto al encuentro, Abbiati cree que será clave la fortaleza defensiva de los suyos así como la capacidad de aprovechar la oportunidad que les pueda dar el FC Barcelona.
“Ellos crean veinte ocasiones cada partido, así que tenemos que aprovechar la nuestra. Ya jugamos dos buenos partidos ante ellos aunque sufrimos un poco. Tenemos un 50% de posibilidades. No hay que olvidar que somos el Milan”, sentenció.

Spanish League Round Up Week 30

Whilst the top two both won, Valencia again went down and are now only ahead of fourth placed Málaga on goal difference. Down at the bottom, Zaragoza, Sporting and Racing are now tied on 25 points – six from safety
Madrid back to winning ways
Real Madrid bounced back from last week’s two draws with a convincing 5-1 win over Real
Sociedad on Saturday night, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals leaving him level with Leo
Messi on 35 in the league so far. Benzema got two more and Higuain the opener, with Prieto
grabbing the Basques’only goal.Valencia are just hanging on to third place after going down 3-
1 at Getafe for their second defeat in four days.Roberto Soldado opened the scoring with his
16th goal of the season after just 4 minutes, but within the half hour,Pedro Rios,Miku and an
own goal from Bruno had turned the result around.
Málaga pressing Valencia
Málaga’s win over Espanyol at El Prat took them level on 47 points with Valencia to round
off a successful week for Pellegrini’s team. Espanyol went in front with a Coutinho free kick,
but two goals in two minutes from Van Nistelrooy and Demichelis in the second half gave the
visitors the points. Espanyol are down in seventh on 40 points, three behind Osasuna, who
beat Levante, still a point ahead of them, 0-2 on Sunday. The Pamplona team are enjoying a
fine run of form, with just one defeat in nine and it looks like a good time for them to be taking
on Real Madrid next week. In contrast, Barça’s next opponents Athletic Club are moving in
the opposite direction right now and a late equaliser from Sporting meant they could only
take a point from the relegation strugglers and also that they drop out of the top ten with just
one point from their last four games.
Relegation fight hotting up
According to their boss Javier Clemente, that point for Sporting was “good, but it takes us
nowhere”, particularly since Racing also took a point at Racing and most surprisingly perhaps,
Zaragoza beat Atlético Madrid 1-0. That win, thanks to Apoño’s third goal in four days, means
that Zaragoza have won three of their last five and sets up what could be a season defining
game with Sporting next week. The bottom three – all on 25 points-are chasing Granada, who
were well beaten by Sevilla (0-3) on Monday night and are away to Racing at the weekend.
Villarreal got their first win under Lotina with a 0-2 win at Rayo and are now level on 31 points
with Granada and only ahead on goal difference.

Ibrahimovic and Messi, two strikers on form

On Wednesday, AC Milan’s Swedish striker will be face to face with Barça’s Argentinian, two of Europe’s most lethal strikers at the moment
The Swede has scored 22 goals in 23 league games so far, while the Barça star is the provisional top scorer in the Spanish league with 35 goals in 28 outings
The game between Milan and Barça on Wednesday will bring together two of the most effective attacks in European football, with two particularly prominent names: Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the Serie A outfit, and Leo Messi for the Catalans. Both have incredible strike rates this season.
Stunning form
The Swede has scored 22 goals in 23 league games played to date, and is undoubtedly the man the Lombardy giants are looking to for goals this season. Since returning from suspension, Ibrahimovic has scored 7 goals in just four games, including two in the dramatic comeback against Roma last Saturday.
The Argentinian is top of the goalscoring charts in Spain with 35 goals in 28 matches. This is possibly his best moment of the campaign so far, with 12 goals in his last six domestic championship appearances, with his amazing five-goal spree against Bayer Leverkusen in between. In doing so, Messi has also been confirmed as Barcelona’s highest ever goalscorer in official matches.
A year together
Ibrahimovic and Messi know each other well after sharing a dressing room in the 2009/10 season and the start of the following one. In that time, Ibra scored 22 goals, while Messi got 47, all of which contributed to that amazing year when Barça won six trophies.

Zubizarreta: “A different game to the one in the groups”

Andoni Zubizarreta has said that Wednesday will be “a difficult match against a strong opponent” but that Barça are ready to compete with the Italians for a place in the semi finals
Zubi: “The two group matches allowed us to get to know each other a little better but we also know that a knockout match is played differently”
“We have more important players missing than they do, but great teams are used to playing under any circumstances”
Andoni Zubizarreta was speaking to the media before departing for Italy. “We know what we have to do to get to the final. It’s a great game against a great opponent. It’s one of the best games in the quarter-finals. It will be a difficult match against a team we already know”, said the director of football for FC Barcelona. Of course, the sides already met earlier in the competition. “Both games in the group stages will help us get to know each other a bit better, but we also know that knockout matches are played differently” he said.
Asked about the key players that AC Milan are missing, Zubizarreta commented that “I’m sure our missing players are more important than the ones they have. But great teams are used to playing under any circumstances … The greatest teams are made up of great players. It’s true that the such players tend to appear in big matches because they thrive on such pressure. Ibrahimovic is one of them, and he’s an important part of AC Milan”.
Zubizarreta and the team are not only ready to fight with Milan for a place in the semi finals of the Champions League, and also for three points in all their remaining league fixtures. “That’s our intention. We’ll see whether we end up winning the league or not” he concluded.

Squad arrives in Milan

Barça landed in Milan at 12.00 and have been taken to their hotel, where they will rest before training this evening at 19.00
The FC Barcelona expedition gathered on Tuesday morning at 9.30 at the Camp Nou and were transferred to El Prat Airport. The charter flight to Milan left at 10.30 and landed around 12.00. Once in Milan, the team made its way to the hotel, where they will rest before going to the San Siro for the final training session before Wednesday night’s match.
The session will start at 19.00, before which Guardiola and Piqué will be speaking to the media.
President Sandro Rosell leads an expedition that also includes vice presidents Bartomeu, Faus and Cardoner plus directors Moix, Monés, Guinovart, Bordas and Arroyo.

Piqué: “The best and the worst is that we know each other well”

The defender explained what he expects from the two-leg tie against AC Milan
He’s clear: “we’ll see two fantastic games, it’ll be a great tie”
In the press conference before the Milan-Barça Champions League quarter-final clash, Gerard Piqué talked about what he expects from tomorrow’s match at the San Siro. “The best and the worst thing about this match up is that we know each other. We’ll try to play a good game and it’s clear that scoring away from home is very important in the Champions League.” The defender said that his team “is on form after a managing to securing a couple of wins consecutively” and that Barça will try to impose their style of play from the first minute. “We know that we have the return leg at the Camp Nou, but we have to leave everything on the pitch.”
The Catalan warned that his team’s opponent is “among the best three teams in the history of the sport; of course we can be eliminated. We’ll give it our all. We’ll see two fantastic games, it’ll be a great tie.” Piqué also refused to talk about which team is favoured to go through to the semi-final: “we’re the current champions and they like to give us the mantle of favourite. But that’s not worth anything, you have to show it on the pitch. We have to play at our best to be in Munich.”
A goal and a game to gain confidence
Piqué played a superb game and scored the winner in the match against Mallorca this weekend. “More than anything else, I’m sticking with my overall game over the goal, with how I feel personally. The most decisive part of the season is here and I hope I can help,” said the defender. It hasn’t been an easy season for the Catalan: “it’s been a complicated year. I started with an injury and it was difficult to plug into the team dynamic. When I was on the bench, it’s because my teammates were playing better than me.”
Ibrahimovic’s Milan
Piqué praised the man that he’ll, in most likelihood, have to mark tomorrow, Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “he’s one of the world’s best players. He’s very difficult to stop, he’s a very complete player. He’s fantastic in the air and he’s great with the ball at his feet – we have to be alert and try to deny him the ball. We can’t let him breathe because he’s having a fantastic year.”

Barça returns to the Giuseppe Meazza

Barça trained this Tuesday afternoon in AC Milan’s stadium. The Catalans will play the away match of the Champions League quarter-final tomorrow evening at 20:45
The first team trained for the first time this Tuesday at the venue for tomorrow’s Champions League clash (Wednesday, 20:45). It’s the Giuseppe Meazza, well known by the Barça squad, seeing the the Catalan team have played there in this year’s Group Stage and twice in the 2009/10 season.
All 21 footballers that traveled to Italy trained with normality, amongst them Ibrahim Afellay, who has yet to receive the medical all-clear. Barça trained with the Champions League official ball.
Van Bommel visits the squad
The training session, which is part of the routine when Barça plays away matches, was watched by Sandro Rosell and some of the directors that travelled with the team. The ex-Barça player, Mark van Bommel was also present. The current AC Milan player will miss tomorrow’s match due to suspension. However, he didn’t want to miss the chance to greet some of his ex-teammates.

Guardiola: “We must play two good matches or we won’t go through”

The manager believes that the quarter-final match against AC Milan, “one of the best teams in the world,” will test Barça’s resolve “to perform well in another tie”
He hopes to “have long spells of ball possession” to deactivate Ibra and the Italian’s offensive play
Josep Guardiola is aware of everything that surrounds the Champions League playoff that kicks off this Wednesday against Milan. History, tradition and a lot of top footballers at the height of their careers. “San Siro is one of the great stadiums in European football and AC Milan is one of the best teams in the world. In the quarter-finals of a competition like this, with an opponent like this one, you must be aware that have to play two excellent games or you won’t go through,” said the Barça manager.
“Ibra is unbeatable in the air”
The Azulgrana manager praised AC Milan’s team. “I expect to see the best Milan. They have great combative play, they’re good in the air, and they dominate long passes, thanks to Ibrahimovic,” said Guardiola. Guardiola said that the ex-Barça player “has a lot of solutions. He’s an important player for them. When he receives the ball, the whole offensive mechanism of the team snaps into play. He’s unbeatable in the air. We must try to deactivate him and AC Milan through ball possession.”
The 2-3, forgotten
AC Milan and Barça know each other well thanks to the two games in the Group Stage, the first ended in a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou and a 2-3 victory in Italy. Guardiola talked about Barça’s Group Stage game at the San Siro: “It didn’t go too badly. There’s somewhat of a bad memory of how we played here. It’s true that during certain periods of the game they have more chances than we would have liked, but we cannot forget that they have a team that can create chances. We also created quite a few chances that day.”
Guardiola does not want to look beyond tomorrow’s match, which he considers “more important” than the return leg. He also refused to talk about the possibility of winning the treble: “I don’t look beyond the match against Milan. The year we won the treble I never thought about it. If we don’t win on Tuesday or on Saturday, we can say goodbye to two titles. We have to take this one step at a time.”

AC Milan – FC Barcelona: Did you know…

Two historic teams in European football will face off in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Italians have qualified for the semis 11 times from 14 attempts, Barça have qualified 11 times out of 13 attempts
Here are all the facts and stats surrounding tomorrow’s quarter-final match:
This will be the third match against AC Milan this season. In the first two games, Barça beat Milan at the San Siro (2-3) and drew at the Camp Nou (2-2)
The last Champions League tie against the Italian side ended with FC Barcelona crashing out of the competition. It was against Inter Milan in the 2009/10 season (3-1 in Milan and 1-0 at the Camp Nou)
The last time Barça faced off against an Italian side in the quarter-finals was in the 2003/04 season. The Catalans were eliminated by Juventus (1-1 in Turin and 1-2 at the Camp Nou)
Barça are in the hunt for their fifth consecutive semi-final berth; only Real Madrid have managed to qualify five times in a row in the continental competition (1955/56 through 1959/60)
The last AC Milan victory over Barça was on October 20 2004, when the Italians won 1-0 in the Group Stage at the San Siro
Milan’s record in the quarter-finals is fearsome. In 14 matches, they’ve won 10 and drew 4. They’ve never lost a game at home in this round of the competition
In total, AC Milan have qualified for the semi-finals 11 times from 14 attempts. Barça’s record is superior: they’ve qualified 11 times out of 13 attempts
FC Barcelona have won their last six matches away from the Camp Nou in the Champions League
Playing in Italy, Barça’s balance is five victories, six draws and five defeats
Tomorrow’s most notable absence will be Thiago Silva. The Brazilian scored the equaliser at the Camp Nou in the Group Stage (2-2) this year
Mark van Bommel will also miss the match. The player is suspended
Both Nocerino (AC Milan) and Carles Puyol (Barça) are a yellow card away from suspension
Another ex-Barça player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is the player that has committed the most fouls in the competition (22)
Leo Messi is the player with the most goals (12) and the player with the most shots on goal (26) in this edition of the Champions League

The reconquest of the San Siro

20.45, R@dio Barça: FC Barcelona are back in Milan, where they already won in the group stages, but this time in the most attractive of all the quarter final matches.
Both teams are currently enjoying some stunning form.
The next stop on the road to Munich is one of the temples of football, nothing less than the San Siro. AC Milan and Barça face each other in the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals – undoubtedly the most enthralling of all the games being played in this round. After all, we are talking about two clubs that have eleven European Cup titles between them.
Back to business
The ‘rossoneri’ and ‘blaugrana’ know each other only too well, for they already crossed paths in the group stages of this same competition. The sides drew 2-2 at the Camp Nou, but then Barcelona won 3-2 at the San Siro, a game that ensured they topped the group.
Barça risked everything that night and played with just three defenders, just like they did in the last game against Mallorca. But the Catalans have yet to take such an ambitious risk in a knockout match. However, with only four first team defenders available, namely Alves, Piqué, the repositioned Mascherano and Puyol, it may well be the best option, with the latter being an option to play at left back given the absences of both Abidal and Adriano.
Top form
Both sides are coming into the game on the best form they could wish for. Barça have just won nine games out of nine, with Leo Messi scoring an incredible 18 goals in the process. And comparison will surely be made tonight between the Argentinian and his former Barcelona teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has just scored 7 goals in 4 games for his current club.
Serie A champions and leaders AC Milan, managed by Massimiliano Allegri, also have to deal with missing players, and likewise in defence. Centre back Thiago Silva was the latest player discounted through injury, while former FC Barcelona man Van Bommel also misses the game through suspension