Xavi continues playing despite injury
According to reports coming from Spain, FC Barcelona vice-captain Xavi Hernandez, played in Barca’s latest league match despite being injured. The midfielder suffered a muscle tear during training few days ago but still opted to risk a much graver injury in order to help his teammates in the final stretch of the season.
Xavi showed no signs of weakness in Barca’s last match and managed to put himself on a score sheet and adding an assist in FC Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Villarreal 2 days ago.
Cesc is Barca’s prime target
According to Catalan press, FC Barcelona has set out to make Cesc Fabregas as their prime target this summer.
Despite the high priority of maintaining the current excellent team, Barca coach Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain are working on potential new transfers for the next season on the assumption that the club only requires three players and one of which is a central midfielder.
Iniesta trusts the Cantera
With FC Barcelona facing Copa del Rey finalists Atletico Madrid this Sunday in La Liga, Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta spoke about recent injury problems.
“It’s a difficult situation because so many players (Piqué, Chygrynskiy, Marquez, Alves and Abidal) are all unavailable but this is part of football. So we will throw what we have and look to our Barca Athletic, and not seek any excuses, “said Iniesta.
Young Barca B defenders: Bartra, Dalmau and Muniesa have been working out these days with the first team. One of them could find himself in starting eleven alongside Puyol, Milito and Maxwell, only three first team defenders that are neither injured nor suspended.
Guardiola critical despite 5 goals scored at Tenerife
FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was critical after his team trounced Tenerife 0-5.
Leo Messi produced another of his world class performances by scoring a hat-trick assisted by Barca prodigy Bojan Krkic. Captain Carles Puyol netted a header and late sub Pedro cooked the 5th to close the scoresheet.
However, Guardiola wasn’t happy with Barca performance and the way his team struggled with the hosts in the 1st half when FC Barcelona goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, had to be called to rescue.
“Until we scored our first goal there was only one team on the pitch: Tenerife”, said Guardiola after the match.
“Tenerife could have been up by 2 or 3, but luckily for us, that didn’t happen. They pressured us high and man marked our key players and that forced us to use some longer passing. By starting games the way we did at Tenerife, we are not going to win anything this season and we have to be more careful. In the end we were more effective in front of goal and that decided the game,” concluded Guardiola, and also praised Tenerife coach Jose Luis Oltra, by saying: “his work was magnificent”.
Cruyff:”Support Chygrynskiy if you want Pep to stay”
Former FC Barcelona coach, Johan Cruyff, defended the Ukrainian central defender Chygrynskiy following recent criticism during and after the Cup match against Sevilla.
In his weekly article Cruyff said: “If people criticize Chygrynskiy, they are also criticizing the coach” and claimed that it’s a no win situation for the club.
The Dutchman further underlined his claims by saying that “the whistles directed at Chygrynskiy were more painful for Guardiola than for the player himself”.
Cruyff also compared the Ukrainian central defender with Barca legend, Ronald Koeman, who also lived through some rough moments in his first season in Barcelona by saying: “Ronald was crucified in his first few games in Barca shirt” and added: “whistles only make things worse”.
Messi close to recovering for El Clasico
Catalan sports newspapers report that FC Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, is close to recovering for upcoming clash with Real Madrid.
Ivorian international Yaya Toure, recovered from swine flu and attended the latest training session. Lionel Messi was also present but he was practicing alone as he is still undergoing his special recovery treatment.
Messi, Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves missed the training and Barca coach, Pep Guardiola, decided to replace them with Fontas and Jonathan in today’s training.
Cruyff is Catalunya’s New Manager
Barça’s former manager Johann Cruyff has been appointed as the new coach of the Catalan national team after Pere Gratacòs stepped down earlier this year. The Dutch football icon will be officially unveiled as the side’s new coach in a ceremony at the Catalan parliament next Monday, according to Barcelona newspaper Sport.
With Catalunya’s political status within Spain legally defined as a “nationality” there has been pressure on various sporting bodies including FIFA and UEFA to allow Catalunya to compete in an official status. Sports such as rugby league and ten pin bowling do recognise Catalunya’s right to compete but more high profile sports are yet to acquiesce to the demands of Catalan sporting authorities, often due to threats of withdrawl by Spain and the confused legal status of Catalunya compared to other stateless nations such as those which make up the UK.
Cruyff’s first game in charge of Catalunya will be in December with the opposition yet to be confirmed
Statistics: Higher attendances than last season
The average attendance at the Nou Camp so far this season has been 12,000 higher than last year, with an average of 75,000 at each game.
The average attendance at the stadium so far this season after six games is 74.254, 12.256 more than for the first six games of last season, when the average was 61.998.
This year’s figures are pretty much in line with those of 2004-05 (74.273 , 2005-06 (73.025 ) and 2006-07 (72.550 ), though still short of the numbers for2007-08 (82.002).
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