After positive results for the blaugrana players who featured for their national teams on Tuesday (with wins for Brazil and Spain’s Olympic team), it’s now the turn of Barça’s players in the Argentina, France, Spain and Chile national teams to face some friendly opposition. Streams to the various matches and a link to chat can be found after the jump.
Sergio Ramos … Pepe … the referee [kicking the rule book]
Thanks to the president of L’Hosiptalet, Pedrerol [journalist of Punto Pelota] and Özil, we will enjoy …
Three jokes at the price of one!!!
“First joke … did you know that the Pres of L’Hospitalet thinks that if he had done what he did to Madrid that they’d give him the ‘Creu de Sant Jordi” …
Second joke … it seems that Pedrerol feels that he’s being persecuted by Barça …
and the last one … did you know that Özil says that he’s happy playing in the … best team in the world!!!”
CONTRACTS [SIGNED] THINKING ABOUT BARÇA
Neymar only signs his contract if it gives Barça the possibility of signing him in the future
His sponsors assure him 10 million euros per year if he signs for Barça
Considering the publicity that his signing for Barça would receive, his buyout clause would not be a problem
Ramos admits that he attacked Costa, but the Committee will not act
Xavi will play only the second half of the match…and dressed in blue
Del Bosque: “I’d like a Barça-Madrid Champions final”
Messi takes the lead of the “Albiceleste”
MADRID SPEAK BY [USING] THEIR ELBOWS*
The white players act with complete impunity and nor referees nor any of the committees seem to be willing to stop them
Interview with Javi Martínez, Atletic player: “I am not worth 40 million euros”
*”Hablar por los codos” (speaking through the elbows) is a Spanish sentence which means “to speak so much”. It’s like someone speaks that much that it’s impossible that he/she is speaking just using his/her mouth…he/she must be using another parts of the body as well! Here, the sentence is obviously used as a word play.
The legal case continues for FC Barcelona and radio station Cadena COPE, who last March suggested that doping was taking place at the Catalan club. In response to Barça’s request for €6 million as compensation for the damage caused by the insinuation, the radio station acknowledged wrong doing this Monday afternoon and offered €200,000 in damages. Read more about the latest developments after the jump.
This league we are not going to win
Pep: “Let’s see if with this we can plug ourselves back into the league.”
In theory the referees only let players kick the ball … but with these two ‘sensational’ people they let them kick the ball and anything else that lets Real win
Ramos: “And don’t forget they also let us give elbows and finger pokes …”
Pepe: “… and stamps.”
Catalan-based sporting daily El Mundo Deportivo asked its readership last week to opine on who they would choose to replace Pep Guardiola, should he fail to renew his contract with the club. Readers voted overwhelmingly for former Barcelona [and Real Madrid] star Luis Enrique, currently on assignment in Rome. Other potential candidates were rated as follows:
“ALVES ASKS ME TO SIGN [FOR BARÇA]“
Neymar admits that Alves puts pressure on him to sign for Barça
Ronaldinho’s advices: “He speaks very well about the club, Barcelona and the weather”
His blaugrana future: “Many things can happen before 2014″
Messi: “I wish that Xavi will be my coach some day”
Thiago Silva: “Is an honour that Barça are thinking about [signing] me”
Referees are corrupting la Liga. Madrid players get no punishment whatsoever when they attack rival players. Besides, in the last thirteen matches 7 players playing against them have been sent off.
THIAGO DOES WANT [TO SIGN FOR BARÇA]
“It would be a dream [came true] to play in Barça”
The signing could be cheaper if Keita accepted Milan’s offer
Messi: “I would stay until my career ends in Barça”
Pep, to the players: “We will not win La Liga, but if we keep playing like this, we are able to win the Copa and Champions”
Rayo players denounce the referees’ passiveness: “Referees are afraid of Madrid”. “They attacked us as much as they wanted”
With the majority of the FC Barcelona squad away with their national teams for the first international fixtures of 2012, the three first team players who remain in Barcelona have joined Barça B’s training session this Monday morning. Keita, Pedro, and Pinto worked in a session jointly led by Josep Guardiola and Eusebio Sacristán on pitch no. 2 of the Ciutat Esportiva.
Although each man projects a very different public image, the trajectories of Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone are remarkably similar, both as players and coaches. In the Spanish Liga, they met on the field as opponents six different times, with Guardiola winning three and drawing three. And now as managers, with both men at 41, and with both of them coaching their former teams, they met again on Sunday as opponents.
Photo and details: fcbarcelona.cat
Atlético 1-2 Barça
Simone: “I don’t know why the Culés were so happy with the victory, after the new gift to Madrid in Vallecas … Don’t they realize that they are not going to let them win the league even in their dreams?
Pep: “We will not win the league … because it’s clear that just playing football is not enough…
Another relatively light week for the squad ahead of next week’s return to Champions League action. On Saturday March 3, Barcelona hosts Sporting Gijon at the Camp Nou. The match is set to kick off at 8pm Barcelona time. Watch totalBarca closer to kickoff for our usual matchday posts.
For the first time in his Liga career, FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi will miss a league match due to accumulated yellow cards. The Argentine was issued his fifth yellow caution during Sunday’s match in Madrid against Atletico and will miss the home encounter with Gijon next Saturday. Messi was booked for an apparently unintentional handball; he currently leads the league in handball related yellow cards with three. In the same match, Sergio Busquets also received his fifth caution and will sit out the Gijon match. Brazilian right-back Dani Alves was also cautioned during Sunday’s match [quite a few cards in this match!]. And although he will be available to play next week, he reaches the somewhat dubious milestone of 100 yellow cards in Liga play.
Stats: @barcastuff, @optasports & @pedritonumeros • Image: Juan Carlos Hidalgo [EFE]
Watch the highlights from last night’s spectacular clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona after the jump!
AMAZING GOAL! WHICH ALLOWS US TO KEEP DREAMING
Atletico 1 – 2 Barça
Barça grab La Liga with a geniality goal by Messi
The Argentinian and Alves scored the blaugrana goals in a night when Valdés shined as well
Ironic message by Guardiola: “We will not win La Liga”
GENIUS MESSI
An amazing free kick goal gives Barça the three points in Calderón
Leo settled a really tough and uncertain match
Atletico 1 – 2 Barça
Pep: “We will not win la Liga this season” Guardiola, between irony and resignation given the way referees treat Real Madrid
Another scandal!
Fernández Borbalán tolerated again the white violence and didn’t call a penalty and red card to Ramos.
In what turned out to be one of the most entertaining and intense matches of this year’s La Liga season so far, Barcelona got a narrow 2-1 win at the Vicente Calderón over Atlético Madrid. The resurgent Madrid outfit played a great game and were about to take points off Barcelona, but a superb free kick goal from Lionel Messi decided the final score.
Here are the ratings for today’s match.
Messi stunned Atletico Madrid with a clever free kick as FC Barcelona came away with the points at the Vicente Calderon. Watch the goals after the jump!
Atlético de Madrid hosted FC Barcelona in the league to the chorus of “Que Viva España” and other less friendly chants. Barcelona’s form had been slowly improving from the months of draws and close losses, but culés balanced precariously on the divide between belief and disbelief. After this match, one thing does not have to be questioned any longer — the dedication and strength of this team.
Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona in the Liga!
(Sunday February 26, 2012 @ 21:30 Barcelona time – Convert to local time)
FC Barcelona Chat: http://apps.facebook.com/fcbarcelonachat/ (direct chat through Facebook)
Click here to chat!
We are like this:
Madrid at 10 points: “The league is long.”
The squad is short: “That’s what the cantera is for.”
Pep still has not renewed: “It’s a disaster!”
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