Catalan sports tabloid Sport has today reported that an unknown source from within the Italian press that Serie A giants Inter Milan are planning a swap deal with their Champions League rivals Barcelona. The deal would include Barcelona midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure (26) moving to the Milan team with Italian youth international Mario Balotelli forward (19) going in the opposite direction.

Inter would be looking for some reinforcements for their midfield, and the performances of Toure have attracted the interest of last years champions of Italy as they see the Ivorian as a versatile player who can play on the attack as well as providing a back-up option for Esteban Cambiasso. Meanwhile, Barcelona is looking for a good goal scorer for their left wing and Balotelli would fit in Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola’s plans.

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SUPER BONUS

Each player has already earned 1,300,000€ for winning the titles

If they win the Club World Cup, each one will be receive 250,000€

Barça could pay out 32.5 million€ (in bonuses)  if it wins all six titles

If this scene of Puyol raising the Club World Cup’s trophy becomes reality, Barça will receive 4 million€ but will pay 5 million€ in bonuses.

Total agreement: Marquez will renew his contract for two more seasons.

Godall and Ferrer start their electoral campaign

[Non Barça Related]

Maradona will be suspended for two months

OPERATION CESC

Wenger assumes Fàbregas is leaving Arsenal, so he is interested in Bojan and Touré

“Gunners” increases his valuation and Barça has the advantage over Madrid for his signature.

Abidal comes back injured and might not play against Inter and Madrid.

Robinho, waiting for Pep’s call

Iniesta’s Stamford Bridge boots collects 15,000€

[Non Barça Related]

Cristiano wants to play in Bosnia and Madrid

FC Barcelona midfielder Sergi Busquets was visibly happy after Spain’s victory over Argentina (2-1) in last night’s friendly match, and it was not just for the result. Playing his ninth international cap, he said “the coach told me that I was going to start (the match), and it’s an opportunity that I must take advantage of,” acknowledging that playing “with teammates like these is very easy “.

The Blaugrana insisted that “everything is generally fine” and admitted that the team knew “they (Argentina players) were going to be tough. In a match, there will always be tensions and a lot of things happen, but everything remains on the pitch”.

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THIS IS A FEATURED ARTICLE. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST NEWS.

Original article @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/nov/15/pep-guardiola-barcelona-coach

Author: John Carlin

The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009

Pep Guardiola sits in the Barcelona dressing room listening, rapt, to some harpsichord variations by Johann Sebastian Bach. The players watch their coach in mute bafflement. When the music ends, Guardiola stands up, wipes the tears from his cheeks, turns to the players and, in no way diminishing their confusion, urges them to improve their minds by reading. “The whole of life is contained in books,” he enthuses, “the poetry, the prose…”

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AF Porto manager, Fernando Gomes speaking to the media yesterday, said the Portuguese club had tried to sign Brazilian striker Keirrison de Souza (20) but could not compete with Barcelona financially.

“We have been following Keirrison since two years ago, but Barcelona bought him for 14 million euros, a million more than our bid. We did not have the financial strength to compete with Barca. The only way we can succeed is by convincing the player of our football project,” he lamented.

Keirrison joined Barcelona this summer, only to be immediately loaned to another Portuguese club SL Benfica for at least one season. Barely utilised by the club, the player has yet to register a goal in an official match this season.

Speaking at the club’s press conference today, FC Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez stressed that once his contract renewal is settled, he wants “to leave his mark” with the club. Entering into his seventh season, he intends to be one of the club’s top ten foreign players with the highest number of matches played.

“For me it is a pride. My time here has not been easy. It takes a lot of work (but) it has been a source of satisfaction and joy. I have made a great effort to be able to play in all those matches,” he emphasised.

“I want to leave my mark, (and) not to leave (the club) in vain for all the years that I have spent here. We have already achieved important things and I hope they remember me affectionately (because of that), as much (affection) as I have for Barcelona, the team, the city and its people,” he declared on the club’s official website.

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INIESTA, THE LEADER

Iniesta lead “la roja”, which achieved a prestigious victory.

Spain 2 – 1 Argentina

Messi scored the goal for Argentina and Navas made his debut in a hard and vibrant match

Robinho, crazy about coming to Barça

[Non Barça Related]

Raúl thinking about leaving football at the end of this season.

NOT EVEN MESSI STOPS SPAIN

Spain’s prestigious victory against Argentina

Messi scored a penalty which eventually was inadequate for Maradona’s squad

Barça style: Del Bosque played with Puyol, Piqué, Busquets Xavi and Iniesta in the starting 11.

H1N1 alert for all the club. Barça Atlètic’s match against Alicante cancelled. Two players have the flu so far.

Deserts’ luxury awaits Barça.

[Non Barça Related]

Eto’o qualifies Cameroon for 2010 World Cup

Enke’s drama started in Barcelona

Interviewed by Swedish newspaper ‘Sydsvenkan’ yesterday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic started by talking about his integration into the Barcelona team: “When you arrive at a new dressing room, you always wonder: ‘ How are they going to receive me, will I be accepted? But everything has been perfect (for me) from day one”.

Ibrahimovic also believes that things can only get better from now on, as his family has settled in well in Barcelona: “We are starting to know the city, adapting ourselves, taking in the rhythm and we have already moved into a house (from hotel)”.

The Swedish forward then complimented his wife, Helena Seger, who he said “has been very important to my career. She has always been by my side and that makes everything easy”. Recalling events leading up to his move to Barcelona from Milan, Zlatan said “part of what inspired me to sign on (was because) I thought my family could still be better off,” although he acknowledged that “on big sporting decisions, she never intervenes. She chose to go along with me, to be a part of this trip and she is an absolute sweetheart”.

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THIS IS A FEATURED ARTICLE. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST NEWS.

The recent debut of Jonathan dos Santos, younger brother of former Barcelona midfielder Giovanni Dos Santos, inspired us to do this latest edition of the Factfile series. Not many cules know that there were  in fact quite a number of footballing siblings that have suited up in the famed blue-claret, an indication that perhaps  the fanciful notion of a Barça DNA could actually be rooted in fact. The Dos Santos brothers would only be the latest episode in this saga of what could be in a literal sense a Barça brotherhood. But there were others, lesser known to fans but of no less importance to the club they all played for, so we have decided to come up with a list ( in no particular order) of  players belonging to that most exclusive of circles, siblings who were also brothers in the shirt.

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In an interview with news agency ‘Europa Press’, FC Barcelona assistant coach, Tito Vilanova said he is certain it will be “very difficult” for other teams to repeat the Catalan team’s achievements.

“Every club has its own policy but I think we should feel especially proud that what we achieve last season was won with so many players who were produced here in the past. The Champions League final, for example, was played with up to seven or eight former canteranos, which is unique. Of course there will be teams that will win as many titles as we did last season, but hardly any will do it with as many home-grown players or with a football philosophy as this one,” Vilanova said.

Asked how Barcelona managed to raise so many successful canteranos, Vilanova said, “What is very clear is that the players produced here knows, better than anyone else, Barcelona’s playing style and its football philosophy because they lived through it from since when they are young. Everyone has his thing, but they always maintain the same footballing concept”.

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In an exclusive interview with Madrid based sports newspaper ‘Marca’ today, Diego Armanado Maradona, Argentina’s coach said he is certain that Barcelona is a level above Real Madrid.

“I just can’t see Madrid challenging Barca for the title.  Pep Guardiola leads a team in which every player knows what to do, they play by memory, while the Real Madrid (team) that played in the Copa has left me with a lot of doubts,” saying the Blaugrana coach can rest easy because he has “Messi, the cherry in a magnificent line-up”.

And the ‘albiceleste’ coach also view Barcelona as a more complete team, “With Cristiano, (Real Madrid) can get a result but Barca is very strong as a team.  It does not depend on the individuals, but Messi contributes a lot more to their play. The only advantage Cristiano has over Leo is in his (powerful) strike but Messi is currently better than Cristiano (overall)”.

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Willian Borges da Silva (21), this is the latest name that has surfaced in the extensive list of players that is linked with FC Barcelona, according to Catalan sports paper Sport. The player joined Shakhtar Donetsk from Brazilian club Corinthians in 2007, costing them 14 million euros.

The player’s agent, Paulo Tavares, claims that “there is clear interest from Barcelona for Willian. They come regularly to see him (play). There is nothing concrete for the time being but we expect to be able to sit down and talk soon. I believe we will do so before the end of the year. If a big European club does make a good offer, Willian will not remain at Donetsk”.

Usually playing as an attacking midfielder or winger for Shakhtar, Willian has made some 56 appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals.

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Ronaldinho left Barcelona for over a year ago to AC Milan, but he will always be linked at Barcelona. In the Catalan club he became one of the worlds most famous footballers of all time. Perhaps for this reason some sports shops in Japan are ignoring the Brazilian’s signing to AC Milan and continue to wear their windows with pictures of Ronaldinho wearing the Barcelona shirt.

Speaking to Catalan sports paper Sport, FC Barcelona sports vice president, Rafael Yuste, said there is no “internal strife” within the club’s board of directors and that the Board is “a cohesive group of people, each with his own way of thinking,” adding, “The club’s (well-being) over-rides everything else and each person bears his responsibility”.

Yuste also said the recent changes made are Joan Laporta’s decision to continue “the good governance of the club,” assuring, “We are excited to continue with this project and continue giving the fans all the victories that they deserve, at sports, social and economic level”.

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According to unconfirmed South American reports, Barcelona would be chasing Cruz Azul forward and Mexican youth international Martín Luis Galván Romo (16). Galvan made his senior debut for Cruz Azul when he was 14 years old, becoming the youngest professional player in Mexican football history. Galván was spotted by Barcelona scouts in 2006 and was invited to trial with the club. However, he was unable to make the trip. Despite of Barcelona’s and Real Madrid’s recent interest towards the Mexican starlet, the reports say that English Premiere League team Arsenal would be close to signing him.

Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder had to leave the Dutch national team training camp on Friday because of a muscle problem in his right thigh. Speaking to a Dutch reporter covering the team, the player was heard saying, “I hurt the back of my right thigh. I think I could be out for (another) 10 or 15 days,” considering that he had just recovered from another injury, reports Catalan sports paper Sport.

That self-diagnosis, will therefore, almost certainly leave him out of the Champions League crucial Group F match against Barcelona on November 24 at the Camp Nou.

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Speaking to the media yesterday, Spain’s national coach Vincente del Bosque has joined the chorus pouring accolades for Barcelona’s midfielder Xavi Hernandez. It seems the player’s class, footballing style and personality have captivated those around him inside and outside of the pitch.

Playing his 82^nd international cap for Spain tonight in a friendly against Argentina, he will have become the country’s fifth most capped player. After winning title after title with FC Barcelona, Xavi’s only highest point in his international career came during Euro 2008 Championship when he was named the tournament’s best player, and since then his media profile has increased.

Asked by the press, Vicente del Bosque spoke of him as the “last of a dying breed” because he “upholds the values (footballing philosophy) of his club (even when playing with the national team), and is also very good player. Xavi has spent years demonstrating his qualities to the footballing world. He is one of those model players with a great track record”.

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Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez (22) could be a surprise inclusion in Vicente Del Bosque’s Spain squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Although Pedro has not debuted in the Spain national team shirt yet, his performances in the Spain U-21 squad and in Barcelona would have attracted the interest of Del Bosque. Pedro was reportedly in Del Bosque’s plans to play against Argentina and Austria in friendly matches, but Del Bosque finally selected Valencia winger Pablo Hernandez (24) and Sevilla winger Jesus Navas (23) to the squad instead of Pedro.

There is still hope for Pedro to get into Spain World Cup squad. Navas’s participation is by no means a guarantee at this stage due to his uncertain ability to control his homesickness and anxiety problems while away. Villarreal attacking midfielder Santi Cazorla (24) is still experiencing the back problems which have kept him out of this week’s squad so the opportunity is there to make an impression. If Pedro manages to maintain his scoring run, which for this season is 9 goals in 16 appearances, he could give Del Bosque something to think about when selecting his final squad for South Africa.