British based newspaper ‘The Sun’ today publishes an article that carry a purported response from FC Barcelona president  about his determination to capture Arsenal’s captain and Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas (22) next summer.

“Cesc is desired by us for many reasons, and he is such a big player. Barcelona have decided to fight for the kid for next season. Our intention is to convince the Londoners about the sale. It won’t be easy but we have good relations with the Gunners,” Laporta was alleged to have said.

Answering a follow-on question about any bid amount, Laporta was claimed as saying, “The money? This will be decided at the end of March, to prepare the way for a deal.”

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Pedro celebrates with his teammates, after a historical goal.

According to Catalan sports paper Sport, there is a now a complete certainty that Manchester City’s striker Robinho (25) will not join FC Barcelona during the winter transfer market.

Yesterday, hours before the start of the match between FC Barcelona and Atlante, Barcelona’s  president Joan Laporta held an informal meeting with Shiekh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, the owner of the English Premiership side that lasted for more than an hour.

This meeting, that was speculated to happen by news media especially the two Catalunya based sports papers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport for weeks now,  rather than confirmed the incorporation of the Brazilian player into the Catalan side, is now the opposite.

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“We know that Barca is playing at a high level and has a great possibility to win the competition, but I hope they do not have the luck of winning the title”

- Gonzalo Higuain

MESSI, UNIQUE!

The crack was barely in the pitch for a minute, scores and settle a semifinal which was static

Atlante 1 – 3 Barça

Iniesta, KO for the final.

Pedro goes down in history. He is the first player ever to score in the six big (official) competitions he plays in, in a single season.

Robinho would accept to come loaned. Laporta met yesterday the Machester City’s owner in Abu Dhabi. The crack’s father negotiated an agreement with Barça 15 days ago.

SUPERMESSI (ENTERS) AND ( THEY QUALIFIED) FOR THE FINAL

Atlante 1 – 3 Barça

Leo entered the pitch and scored after just one minute to settle once for all the win

Pedro made sure of it (the victory) by scoring the third and became the first player to have scored in 6 competitions in a season.

Secret meeting: Laporta – Manchester City: Robinho, almost ruled out.

Lionel Messi ended the Atlante game with discomfort in his right ankle tonight, but hopes to be fully capable to contest the final against Estudiantes de la Plata on Saturday.

The Barcelona striker replaced Yaya Toure in the 54^th minute of the match and in just a minute, doubled Barcelona scoreline. The Argentine suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain against Dynamo Kiev last week, but had his recovery period fast-tracked so he can participate in this Club World Cup tournament.

“I felt good. I played a few minutes, it hurts a bit at the end, but there are a few days to recover again,” the player confessed after the match tonight.

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FC Barcelona hot prospect Pedro Rodriguez Ledesma (22) completed a great move by Andres Iniesta on the left flank to secure Barcelona’s 3-1 win against Mexico’s Atlante in the 67^th minute, and book their place in the final of the Club World Cup, and in the process, created history on a personal level; the ‘first’ Barcelona player to have scored in six competitions in a single season. The Catalan club will face Argentinian club Estudiantes on Saturday.

With the goal, the player has now scored in each one of the competitions that the Blaugrana team is participating this 2009 season, which began with the Spanish Super Cup on August 16 (first leg) against Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames (1-2, min.68); opening his account with Barcelona’s second goal.

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Kick off. A few moments later, i found my self swearing at the TV. FC Barcelona has once again left their minds in the dressing room, which resulted in a Dynamo Kiev-esque beginning of the match. An aimless long ball was kicked up field, and moments later Valdes was picking it out of his net, after a fatal error in the center of the defense. The minutes to come was a horror show for FC Barcelona fans, as Iniesta was dropping balls, Xavi’s passes not finding their intended receiver, and Marquez did nothing to silence his critics.

Nonetheless, Barca continue onwards with their game-plan, and it payed dividends in the 35′th minute with Busquets tapping the ball in at short range, after Toure brilliantly nodded the ball towards him with his head.

Guardiola showed his intentions after the break by playing his strongest card on the bench, Lionel Messi. A largely disappointing Marquez was also headed for the bench, as Guardiola brought on Pique in order to stabilize the defense.

Seconds after Messi came on, he latched onto a brilliant pass by Ibrahimovic, and slotted home a crucial goal. FC Barcelona was not done, as Pedro decided it was time he wrote himself into the history books. Pedro is the first player in the story of the club, to register a goal in all competitions (6) in a single season.

In the end, FC Barcelona did the job everyone expected them to after the initial scare.

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Original article @ FIFA.com

Abidal: It’s an unpredictable game

December 15, 2009

This year will go down as one of the most glittering in Barcelona’s history. Under the tutelage of the shrewd Pep Guardiola, Los Blaugranas have won every competition they have taken part in, claiming La Liga, Copa del Rey and Super Cup crowns in Spain, and storming to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in Europe.

The all-conquering Catalans have not finished yet, and are aiming to cap their great season with an unprecedented sixth title: the FIFA Club World Cup, the one and only piece of silverware missing from the club’s bulging trophy cabinet. Barça are set to make their entrance at UAE 2009 in Wednesday’s semi-final against Atlante of Mexico. Beforehand, FIFA.com caught up with French defender Eric Abidal, who arrived at the club from Lyon in 2007 and knows all about the big stage, having helped his country finish runners-up at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

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Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports that Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger refuses Cesc Fabregas to stand for the friendly match of Catalonia against Argentina. He ignores the will of Johan Cruyff, who debuted as coach of the Catalan selection and called up the Arsenal midfielder. Wenger is not obligated to let Fabregas go and won’t allow this either. The French coach already announced this week on the club’s official website that he had not managed to get in contact with Cruyff to discuss the situation.

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Speaking on the club’s official ‘Barca TV’ Barcelona’s assistant coach, Tito Vilanova has not entirely ruled out Messi’s participation in tonight’s Club World Cup semi-final match against Mexico’s Atlante.

Tito, just like Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he would however opt not to risk the player if the situation doesn’t call for it.

“He can start from the bench, and if his participation is deemed necessary, it will have to be discussed.”

Nevertheless, he is satisfied of Messi’s quick recovery period saying, “We expected the injury would take a few more days (to heal) but in yesterday’s workout, he felt pretty good. We will monitor his progress to see if he is well enough.”

Atlante – FC Barcelona
(Wednesday December 16, 2009 @ 17:00 Barcelona time – Convert to local time)

Chat Link: http://fcbarcelona.hopto.org/

Facebook Application: http://apps.facebook.com/fcbarcelonachat/ (direct chat through Facebook)

Have you ever sat in front of your TV or computer while you were watching a FC Barcelona game and hoped you could share your excitement, feelings, and opinions with other fans LIVE as it happens?

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Answering a Munich based newspaper ‘Abendzeitung’ reporter question about Bayern Munich French winger Franck Ribery’s (26) future, club president, Uli Hoeness  a couple days ago said, “If Ribery does not renew his contract by spring it would be economically irresponsible to retain him, because he can move on a free transfer in 2011, and we would end up giving away 50 to 60 million euros.”

Hoeness believes that the player is certain to leave the club if it fails to give itself a real chance of ever capturing the Champions League in the next two or three years, and thinks that selling him next summer is the best option for Bayern.

MESSI, READY

Leo trained yesterday and will be ready on the bench just in case Pep needs him.

Semifinal: Barça – Atlante (17h, Tele 5/ Barça TV)

Pedro can go down in history, Keita won’t play, Iniesta will play as a midfielder and Marquez and Piqué will be the center backs

Estudiantes is already in the final after winning (1-2) the Korean team Pohang Steelers.

[Non Barça Related]

Espanyol: The card Baena got in the derby, pardoned

Madrid: The club doesn’t want him to be operated in Portugal

LOOKING FOR WORLD CONQUEST

Barça – Atlante (17h, Tele 5)

The players face the match humbly, but sure they will play the final.

Messi is recovering from his injury on the beach, and wants to play.

Laporta: ‘This is the most important moment of our lives’

“We’ve done a very good job, achieved a very significant endeavour and we’ve managed to make history,” FC Barcelona right-back Daniel Alves told sports network Gol TV, regarding the Catalan club’s ‘triplet’ plus two Super Cups season, which can be ended with their first Club World Cup.

The player acknowledged that it is the team’s “mentality and humility” that have helped him to succeed at the club, and promised to give “a lot more in the future”.

“Winners do not like losing, even when they already have got fifty titles. They were born to win. They work themselves out to achieve those wins,” Alves said with a quirky smile.

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