FC Barcelona forward and Argentine International Lionel Messi (22) took a moment during the press conference for his announcement as UNICEF Ambassador to answer a question that was put to him concerning the elimination of Real Madrid. His response was wise words from such a young player.
Former Barcelona and Dutch legend Johan Cruyff has slammed the current Barca squad after some disappointing results.
FC Barcelona forward and France international Thierry Henry (32) has brushed aside the booing of the French fans stating that he is more concerned about regaining his form before the World Cup kicks off in June.
The Frenchman, who was substituted in midweek to a chorus of boos in Les Bleus 2-0 defeat to Spain at the Stade de France, claims he is ‘feeling heavy’ and has ‘no rhythm’.
The 32-year old claimed that his poor performances are due to his lack of minutes on the pitch for his club Barcelona, saying, “This is a new experience for me, playing 25 minutes here and 15 minutes there.”
Barcelona’s match against Almeria was blighted by some bizarre refereeing decisions from Carlos Clos Gomez.
FC Barçelona president Joan Laporta stated that he was “very pleased” with the team after the encounter with Almería because “they always stand up despite all the difficulties.”
FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola claimed that he was not upset with his side’s 2-2 draw with Almeria yesterday.
FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola defended his under-fire Barca forward and French international Thierry Henry (32) on Saturday after he was booed by the fans for his poor showing in France’s 2-0 loss to Spain in midweek.
French supporters and media have rounded on the French captain in recent months over his perceived lack of form and have called for him to be dropped.
“We need him,” Pep said. “Without him we would never have got six titles and without him it will be harder this year.
Werder Bremen attacking midfielder and German international Mesut Ozil (21) revealed his dream of playing for FC Barcelona. The Bremen star has been targeted by several European top clubs, but Ozil claims he still has a contract with Bremen.
In a recent press conference, FC Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic spoke about his role in the first team, Barca’s current position in La Liga and his hope for the future.
“I don’t think the title will be decided in the Bernabeu. There are plenty of games left and any team in La Liga can give you problems. It’s possible to lose points to any team. We shouldn’t focus only on the game against Real Madrid. Madrid is strong but you have to respect all rivals because it’s possible to lose to anyone.”
Bojan also commented on the video Pep used to motivate the team prior to the game against Malaga this past Saturday.
FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is confident that his side will win something again this season as he prepares his team for the encounter with Málaga at the weekend.
The Blaugrana boss is convinced that the quality of his players and their ability will guide the club to success once more.
“I think that we will win something, but we may not of course. I just hope that the team is involved in both competitions until the end. Then we will see if we win something or not,” Pep said.
“I cannot tell the players or the media that we are doing things well because we all know that we are not playing at the level that we want,”
FC Barcelona defender and Spanish international Gerard Pique (23) is delighted to have signed a three-year extension to his contract, tying him to the Camp Nou until June 2015. Pique, who is an academy graduate from La Masia, has impressed hugely since returning from Manchester United in 2008 and was an ever-present in the clubs treble-winning season in his first year back.
The 23-year-old, whose contract was due to expire in 2012, becomes the tenth Barca player to renew his deal this season and is keen to lift as many trophies as possible.
Manchester City forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor has admitted to BBC Sport that he was star struck the first time he met Barcelona’s European Player of the Year Lionel Messi. Adebayor recalls meeting the Argentine international for the first time when he visited former teammate and current Barcelona forward Thierry Henry in Barcelona.
“I went out to see Thierry Henry in Barcelona,” said the former Arsenal forward.
FC Barcelona defender and Brazilian international Dani Alves (26) is on the verge of receiving a medical clearance. The marauding right back recently gave an interview to catalan sports paper Sport. These are some excerpts:
Has the team let their guard down?
We are on the right path. Maintaining the level that we had achieved was difficult and it’s better that this slump has happened now than at the end of the season. It’s tough, but better now.
Does the current Madrid team motivate you more?
FC Barcelona midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure (26) spoke at a press conference after training on Thursday about how hard it is for the team to demonstrate the same form as last year.
“It’s much harder after winning six titles, we can’t make any mistakes any more. Everybody thinks we’re unbeatable, and that’s not true. We are human and teams are fired up when they play us”, said Toure.
“There are so many games, and after what happened last year, it’s not easy, there are difficult times in sport, and this is one of them. We don’t just have to think about beating Malaga and Stuttgart. We have to be at one hundred per cent and play easy, delicate football. But we are well prepared and focused on our objectives … however, both the League and Champions League are going to be very hard this time round”.
FC Barcelona defender and Argentine international Gabriel Milito (29) recently gave an interview with Catalan sports paper ‘Sport’. Some excerpts:
Q : After a season and a half of missing the Champions League you finally returned. What do you remember about the game against Manchester United?
That it was a very important game, a semi-final, the first that I had played, a difficult match and an amazing environment. Now that I think about it, I remember being happy before the game but not so much afterwards.
Q : Did you realize immediately that you had such a devastating injury?
During the post match press conference in Stuttgart, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guaridola admitted that his side didn’t play too well during the first half but concluded that he knew what needed to be done to get the team back on the right track. Talking about the result and their opponent, he said, “I give a lot of value to this result. Even if we had lost I wouldn’t have lost faith in my team because I have a blind faith in them. It’s obvious that it’s never easy when you’re the champion and you have to do it all over again. Things are always difficult. Everybody thought that it would be easy since we were playing against a team that isn’t very well known but there is no such thing as an easy rival in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.”
During halftime, Guardiola was able to tweak the tactics in order to play a better second half. “We weren’t well positioned and gave up easy counter attacks. In the second half we were able to play with a little more order and with everyone well positioned. It’s true that Ibra’s goal helped us control the game. I had already stated that the tie would be decided in Camp Nou.”
FC Barcelona right back and Brazilian international Dani Alves (26) says he is honoured to be linked to Chelsea but insists he is happy at Barcelona and wants to continue.
“It (Chelsea) is a great club and to be on their agenda is a privilege. But right now I’m happy at Barcelona and I intend to fulfill my contract here,” Alves told Brazilian website Globoesporte.
“My situation is that I have a contract at Barcelona, and despite everything that has been said, there is nothing yet to sign.”
FC Barcelona coach Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola (39), has sent a warning to his players ahead of the Champions League clash with VfB Stuttgart.
The Barcelona manager has told them that they will have to be at their best to beat the Bundesliga side.
Guardiola is determined that Barca will not go out of the competition because of a lack of focus. After the 4-0 win over Racing Santander on Saturday, he warned the players: “We have to take another step forward if we want to be champions.”
Ahead of the first leg of the eight finals he said: “Scoring four goals against Racing has merit but it’s not enough to compete with German football.”
At the pre-match press conference in Stuttgart on Monday, FC Barcelona forward and Argentine international, Lionel Messi (22), spoke about Barca’s game against Stuttgart and about the last couple of games in La Liga.
“At this point in the season there is no such thing as an easy game. We have to come out more focused than ever to get a good result. We’re going to come out as we always do; respecting the opponent but also trying to win the game knowing that the return leg is at home.”
FC Barcelona last faced Stuttgart in the 2007-2008 edition of the Champions League. Speaking about his game then and now Messi said, “As I’ve said before, I’ve always played the same way and I’ll continue giving my all to score and to help the team.”
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, is surely enjoying his last days as a president, after Regal Barca won the Basketball’s Copa del Rey in the final game against Real Madrid. Laporta is also leading the Blaugrana’s delegation to Germany where the football team will meet VfB Stuttgart in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Catalan sports paper Sport reports Laporta’s statements from a press conference held before FC Barcelona’s match against Stuttgart and his response to the criticisms raised at Guardiola and the club after the Santander match last Saturday.
“The team works hard and gives everything, but Pep is the one who knows better about the fitness and morale of the team and I trust everything the coach says and does. As a president and as a fan I see that he is doing a great job; I like it because he is demanding and with him we lived the best times in Barca’s history,” admitted Laporta. He also noted the opinion of Johan Cruyff and his weekly article in the newspaper: “It is a free opinion and Cruyff’s critique and opinion is always successful and beneficial.”
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