Leo arrives “Ready”
The “crack” causes a rumpus in the T1 (Barcelona airport terminal).
“I am rested and looking forward to start working“
Pep brings with him 28 players to the Asian tour.
Confidential: “Mr. Rosell, don’t come”, message from Arsenal.
The now-former FC Barcelona player and Arsenal’s all-time leading goal scorer Thierry Henry has said that as an Arsenal fan, he would like Cesc Fabregas to stay with the London-based side but that it would be understandable if the 23-year-old returned to his homeland. “It is hard because the guy is from Barcelona. I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes, that’s all I can say,” Henry told Radio Five’s Sportsweek show.
Yaya Toure (26) told the English broadcasting channel Sky Sports that he wants a decision about his future to be made before the World Cup begins this June in South Africa. His agent, Dimitri Seluk, revealed earlier this week that Toure could leave Barcelona this summer for another major club.
Joan Laporta will not leave the club before he has brought Cesc Fabregas home to bring the club continuity, according to Catalan sports paper Sport. Arsenal is aware that Barcelona’s interest for Cesc is now at its climax, and that Barcelona soon will begin their path toward acquiring Cesc, through one of two possible plans.
Champions League Quarterfinal 2nd Leg
6 April 2010
Venue: Camp Nou
Referee: Wolfgang Stark
Who was today’s best? Oh, OK, that’s a foolish question this time. But do read on.
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Bavarian Wolfgang Stark has been selected by FIFA to referee Barcelona’s most important match of the season, Tuesday’s contest with Arsenal at the Camp Nou. If we learned anything last week, it was that a poor referee can have a profound impact on a match. If Stark’s history is any indication, it suggests that we may be in for another wild ride in Catalonia.
Tuesday, April 6, 20:45 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona
In order to properly define what this match is, one must first define what it isn’t, and that is simple. This match is not a league game, nor does it have anything to do with any played before or after. On the weekend, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 while Arsenal downed Wolverhampton 1-0. These results are of zero relevance for this tie and shall not even be welcomed into the aura of thought when pondering a winner for this match.
Swiss businessman Massimo Busacca will enforce the rules of the game on Wednesday when he takes charge of FC Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Arsenal in London.
An endless elaboration and explanation could be used with a flurry of descriptive and enticing words. However this will not be necessary, for it is to be simply put: This football match is huge.
The enormity of this game makes it a given that it deserves an equally epic and emphatic prelude, hence my major dilemma. I sat with thumbs twiddling, racking my brain for a platform in which to leap off to begin the preview of FC Barcelona’s biggest match of 2010 so far. As they did four years ago, the Blaugrana would face English Premier League side Arsenal. As I delved through the tape of this prestigious game, in the blink of an eye I found what I was looking for. Here it is…
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is worshipped like a God by many followers of the English game for being passionate about his team, uncompromising in his commitment to attacking football, shrewd in his player purchases and willingness to nurture young talent. If this description sounds familiar, and it should, it merely underlines one of the many fascinating details that will unfold in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter final match-up with FC Barcelona in London.
According to a report from the Danish football site Bold.dk, FC Barcelona are interested in Danish youngster Christian Eriksen (18). The Danish midfielder currently plays for Ajax and has been compared to former Barcelona player Michael Laudrup.
Cesc Fabregas’ alleged return to the Camp Nou has been a very popular topic in the last couple of weeks, and this application for Apple’s iPhone will probably not draw many smiles from the chiefs at Emirates Stadium.
According to Spanish radio station Ona FM, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas (22) is close to joining Barcelona in the upcoming summer transfer window. Reports suggest that the former Barcelona youth product who left for England at the age of 16, agreed terms with Barca over a contract that will last five seasons. The most important thing that is still missing to finalize the deal though, is an agreement between the two clubs.
Cesc has never hidden his desire to return to Barcelona one day, which might push this tug of war to a very quick resolution. The information about the basic contract agreement confirmed the news advanced by El Mundo Deportivo on 2 February.
In an interview with BBC today, Arsenal’s CEO Ivan Gazidis is again refuting reports coming from Spain that claims a bidding war is already brewing between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid for Cesc Fabregas.
“I can’t marry the stories that I read with reality,” said Gazidis.
“Fabregas is a victim of the news cycle in Spain around elections at clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.”
“If I was advising anybody reading those stories I would say you can probably expect to hear lots more because people want to be elected into positions at those clubs.”
Beset with injuries to his frontline players, Arsenal’s boss Arsene Wenger said he’s thinking of entering the January transfer market for a striker, and British tabloid ‘Daily Star’ again claims Barcelona 19-year-old striker, Bojan Krkic is one of his targets.
With Dutch ace Robin van Persie missing for the next five months with an ankle injury, on top of other short-term injuries to players such as William Gallas (hamstring), Emmanuel Eboue (muscle), Armand Traore (hamstring), Andrei Arshavin (ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (groin), the Gunners manager admitted he needs to review the team’s situation.
“We pick up more injuries than the other big teams, that is true,” Wenger told FIFA.com a few days ago, “You cannot say there is not a reason for it but we have not found it yet. It’s the worst season for injuries for us. And they are all in the same area – in the offensive side. Last year it was in the defensive side.”
“I want to see if we will be in the same position as we are now at the beginning of January.”
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is supposedly accepting that he can’t hold on Cesc Fabregas forever, and wants Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic (19) to be included in a possible swap deal, according to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo. Bojan has not played a lot this season, and the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has done it worse, as he mostly plays in the Copa del Rey games. Wenger is well aware of this and is ready to sign the young striker. Wenger has showed his interest for Bojan since the summer of 2008. Wenger knows that he can attempt Bojan to play more regularly for Arsenal than for the chances he is receiving with Barcelona at the moment. As Wenger is about to accept that Fabregas will soon leave he would intend to get Bojan on a transfer to Arsenal in the deal.
English tabloid The Sun claims that Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, is showing interest in Barcelona Atletic starlet Gai Assulin (18). The young winger made his debut in the Israeli national team 14 days before he turned 176. Chelsea tried to convince him to join them in 2007, but Gai rejected the offer. Gai is reportedly stalling over signing the new deal offered to him at Camp Nou. He is good playing with both feet and can play on both wings. Last season he played 24 games for Barca Atletic and scored nine goals. Tottenham, Manchester United and AC Milan are also following Assulin, according to the Spanish football site futbolmercado.
Barcelona sent some scouts last week to follow Arsenal youth player Benik Afobe (16) when he played for England U-17 national team in Azerbadjan. Barcelona is supposed to have been impressed by the youngster who scored twice and had two assists according to the Arsenal related website Young Guns. Barcelona are now ready to make a formal offer for Benik Afobe and Chukwuemeka Aneke to visit Barcelona for talks. However, The midfielder Aneke seems to prefer to stay with Arsenal.
Afobe’s agent have daily talks with Barcelona who want him to play under Luis Enrique in Barca Atletic. Barca are waiting on a positive response from Afobe before they give him an offer, but is has been suggested that he will be offered a deal about 8000 euros a week. He is ready to come to Barcelona during the week, after he has finished his England U-17 duty. He was named the player of the tournament with 4 goals in 3 games.
Barcelona have dispatched a couple of scouts to watch Benik Afobe (16) currently in Azerbadjan with the England Under 17 side according to an unconfirmed report from an Arsenal fan blog. The representatives witnessed Afobe score two goals and create two for England in their 2-6 victory over Azerbadjan. His performance earned him the Man of the Match award. The way he performed certainly didn’t scare the scouts away. Barcelona is apparently ready to give him an offer to play for Barca Atletic under the guidance of Luis Enrique. On his 17th birthday Arsenal offered him a professional contract, but Barcelona is supposedly ready to raise his wages to £5.000 a week.
Andrei Arshavin feels an authentic devotion to FC Barcelona, according to Catalan paper Sport. The Arsenal striker became enamoured with Barcelona watching Koeman, Stoichkov, Romario and company play when he was a child. And that ‘crush’ remains even until today.
As a good culé, the 28 years old Russian striker remembers one of the brightest days in the Catalan club’s history; 20th May 1992, the day the team won for their first European Cup by beating Sampdoria (1-0) in the final at the Wembley Stadium in London.
“Koeman scored that goal,” recalls Arshavin in an interview with British newspaper Daily Telegraph. “I like Barcelona because no matter who the coach is or what players it has, they always practice attacking football. Always,” he explains.
This is a featured story. Please scroll down for all the latest news.
Spanish sports paper AS claims that Real Madrid’s first priority on the transfer market next summer is Cesc Fabregas. The club mean that they need to strengthen their midfield with two players and Cesc is their first choice. Florentino Perez strategy is to buy, at least one superstar each year for Real Madrid. AS claims that the club spoke with Arsenal in the summer of 2008 on a possible signing, with a offer that could have been 40-50 million Euros. Despite the talks between the clubs, Cesc had decided that he wanted to stay in London. This summer Real Madrid tried to convince the club and player with a transfer sum on 60 million Euros, but Cesc again decided to stay. It is speculated that Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other in a bidding war for Cesc Fabregas. It is reported that Laporta wants to sign him before his term as a president is over.
Catalan paper Sport has reported that several European clubs are interested in the services of Barcelona defender and Spanish international Carles Puyol (31). The sporting history of the Puyol has always been respected by all the major European clubs. Many of them aspire to have the tarzan-face defender in their ranks.
According to Catalan paper Sport, Cesc Fabregas is a prime target of Barcelona’s next summer transfer season. It seems, despite the proximity of the election, Joan Laporta has already secured a full consensus among potential candidates, including those who might come from the current Board, to recruit him. It can also be a scenario that incumbent Barcelona president may choose to close the signing himself in the final stretch of his mandate, to avoid him being used an electoral weapon.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo yesterday carried a story about Ex-Barcelona youth player and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Frabregas (22), expressed his feelings about the future in an interview, in which he acknowledges that he has always seen FC Barcelona current coach, Pep Guardiola as his reference.
Asked about his move to England, he said “Wenger convinced me to leave Barcelona” adding it is his personal approach that persuaded him. Cesc, who wants to win the EPL league title this season, says “it is a special title for me.”
Asked about Guardiola, he replied “He is my reference, I have seen all his games, and his reputation has increased (with the Champions League title).”
Arsene Wenger has responded to Thierry Henry’s recent comments about wishing to return to his former club, Arsenal. Welcoming Henry’s intent, he has gone on to say that he even sees him as his potential successor.
“Thierry Henry will return to this club (Arsenal) as a coach. He will be a Gunners coach someday,” predicts Wenger according to a story by Sport. Wenger believes Henry has the proper profile to successfully lead his Premiership side but emphasized that is a decision that Henry has to take himself. With a twenty five year coaching career behind him, Wenger is well aware of the all-consuming nature of the job, and warned Henry, “Being a coach requires a lot of sacrifices and not everyone is up for that.”
Wenger also admitted to having a hard time finding a perfect replacement for Henry. He was looking for a player who has the same characteristics as Henry, in being able to be a reference point in attack. Wenger claims to have found one now in the form of Russian striker, Andrei Arshavin. He also thanked Henry for showering him with praise in a recent interview in the British press.
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