The Highlights: FC Barcelona vs Real Betis
Watch the highlights from last night’s game between FC Barcelona and Real Betis after the jump!
Mundo Deportivo speculates on next season’s transfers
Mundo Deportivo published several articles today about possible transfers for next season. Read our overview of all the transfer rumours after the jump.
El Pivote: Neymar or Moneyball?
El Pivote (The Pivot) is a totalBarça column by Anoop Jethwa, a fully licensed coach in UK, about the trials and tribulations of FC Barcelona. From the positives to the negatives, this piece will dive deep into the living fabric that is blaugrana. We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments section.
El Pivote is taking a look at the transfers that may or may not occur this summer, the value of stats and science versus an eye for talent and overall what history can and should tell Zubizarreta about players joining Barcelona.
Quote of the Day: David Villa
“My relationship with Messi is so bad that he’s literally given me half my goals,” said Villa with a healthy dose of sarcasm in an interview recently published by El País. “Messi is incredible. People talk about his goals, and I understand that, but the football he generates for his teammates is incredible. He has an extra gear that other players don’t have.”
Villa: “I just think about the present”
FC Barcelona striker David Villa is with the Spanish national team in Gijón and made some comments about the remainder of the season. “I’m not thinking about renewing my contract. I just think about the present, the near future and I want to end this season well. There have been many ups and downs, above all in the first half. I want to end the season as well as possible, both on a personal level and for the club,” he said.
Picture of the Day: Family
David Villa, accompanied by his two adorable daughters Zaida and Olaya, presented his son Luca, born on 28 January 2013. At the end of the training session with the Spanish national team, Villa’s kids accompanied him on a special day of his comeback to El Molinón in Gijón, the stadium of Sporting de Gijón, David Villa’s first club. The Spanish national team trained in the stadium to prepare for the World Cup Brazil 2014 qualifying match against Finland.
Quote of the Day: David Villa
“Physically, I’m at my best – I’ve gotten over all those little problems that were bothering me and I’m happy to be feeling fine again.”
- David Villa, speaking on the Barça TV program “El Marcador”, after the game against Rayo Vallecano.
Barça’s new look
On Sunday, against Rayo Vallecano, Dani Alves flaunted his new and rather flamboyant hairstyle. The Brazilian right back admitted that the shorter, faded-white hairdo was the result of losing a bet (surely something to do with Barcelona’s historic remuntada against AC Milan!). Yet, this wasn’t the most striking anomaly of the day. In Xavi’s absence, Barcelona looked to be a distinctively different side; just as effective but with considerable variation in their style of play. A closer look at the 3-1 win (with two of Barcelona’s goals resulting from well-executed counter attacks), reveals that quick transition between the lines replaced the cautious and meticulous build up from the back that culés are accustomed to. While this new style may be temporary, it is a sign that Barcelona is willing to reinvent itself.
Picture of the Day: Let’s celebrate!
David Villa got the decisive goal in the 2011 Champions League final and celebrated the goal against Milan on Tuesday the same way – as FC Barcelona remains on course for a return to the same venue, Wembley stadium.
Picture credit: MIGUEL RUIZ (FCB)/UEFA.COM
Busquets: “We did it for ourselves”
Sergio Busquets met with the press following the team’s recovery work in the Ciutat Esportiva. He spoke about last night’s result, praising his teammates and addressing the criticism that has surrounded the club over the last few weeks.
Villa trains with the group
As is usual the day after a match, the starters at the San Siro did gentler recovery work at the training session this Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. David Villa was back with the group, having missed the trip to Milan in midweek. The Asturian striker and Barça’s coaching staff had decided it was best for the player to remain in Barcelona to work on his own following his struggle with kidney stones last week. Villa and the majority of the group held a more intense session than that of those who featured at the San Siro. B team player Bañuz also took part in the session.
El Pivote: Milan on the flight path…again
El Pivote (The Pivot) is a totalBarça column by Anoop Jethwa about the trials and tribulations of FC Barcelona. From the positives to the negatives, this piece will dive deep into the living fabric that is blaugrana. We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments section.
Back from its winter break, El Pivote will focus on what Tito Vilanova and Jordi Roura should be concentrating on when it comes to team affairs in order to bring important trophies back to Catalunya at the end of this season.
Villa and Adriano to miss Milan trip but Xavi returns
Sport.es is reporting today that Barça front man David Villa (31) and defender Adriano (28) have been omitted from the first team squad as they visit Milan.
As expected, midfielder Xavi (33) returns from his hamstring injury to bolster the line up.
Friday training and squad for Granada
Barça’s coaching staff has made public the list of 19 players who will travel to Andalusia this Saturday to face Granada. All the available players will make the trip, with the exception of Jonathan dos Santos, who received his medical clearance on Thursday. Jordi Roura will be without recovering players David Villa, Éric Abidal, and Xavi Hernández.
Thursday training with Song
FC Barcelona’s first team continued with the preparations for Saturday’s away match against Granada in La Liga at a training session this morning at the Ciutat Esportiva. Alex Song was back with the group, after missing the last training session with pain in his left knee.
David Villa hospitalized again
There’s some bad news coming from Mundo Deportivo as reportedly striker David Villa (31) is hospitalized again. The striker was hospitalized earlier this week owing to a kidney stone but was already released on Tuesday as the stone was removed.
Wednesday training without Villa or Song
After two days off following the 6-1 victory against Getafe on Sunday, Barça returned to training this Wednesday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. David Villa was originally set to return to training today, after being released from the hospital on Tuesday, but the forward had a bad night and couldn’t train this morning.
David Villa released from the hospital
On Monday, David Villa was hospitalized owing to a kidney stone. The forward underwent the appropriate treatment and the stone was removed, leading to his release from the Hospital de Barcelona this Tuesday. Villa will participate in Wednesday’s training session and his progress will determine his availability for the the next match against Granada.
Source: fcbarcelona.cat; Image: Miguel Ruiz (FCB)
Breaking News: David Villa hospitalized!
Mundo Deportivo is reporting on Monday that FC Barcelona striker David Villa has been admitted to a hospital to deal with a kidney stone [cólico nefrítico]. The extent of the condition is still unclear, but the player’s role in the upcoming match against Granada may be in jeopardy.
FC Barcelona’s official site has confirmed this report and it might be a reasonable assumption that Villa will miss the Granada game to recover from the painful condition.
David Villa cleared to play, Tuesday training
There was good news again for FC Barcelona’s first team after Tuesday’s training session. Following on the heels of Isaac Cuenca’s medical clearance on Monday, this time it was the turn of David Villa to be declared fit and ready to play by the club’s medical staff. The Asturian forward has now recovered from the trouble with his right thigh that has kept him out of the last three games and he is available for Thursday’s Copa del Rey match against Malaga.
Focus shifts to Real Sociedad on Saturday
There is no time to rest for FC Barcelona’s players this week as the team has already begun to prepare for Saturday’s away match against Real Sociedad (18:00). The starters against Málaga in the Copa spent Thursday morning recovering from their efforts the previous evening at a training session held at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The rest of the squad, including Marc Muniesa and Isaac Cuenca, held a more intense session as they prepare for the game at the Anoeta stadium.
Focus on Malaga in training
The ball for the Copa del Rey was present once again at the session this Tuesday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The first team continued its preparations for the first leg of the quarterfinals against Malaga (Wednesday, 21:30) with a training session led by Tito Vilanova in which all the available members of the first team participated. The team is aware that it will be a difficult two legs against the Andalusian squad.
Saturday training, Villa to miss Málaga match
David Villa will miss the last game of the first half of La Liga. The Asturian forward noticed some discomfort during training on Saturday afternoon and, after some tests, it was determined that he has pulled his thigh muscle which will keep him out of the match against Málaga. His progress in recovering from the injury will determine his availability for upcoming matches, according to the Club’s Medical Services.
El Pivote: Christmas Holiday Report Cards (Part 1)
El Pivote (or The Pivot) is a weekly totalBarça column by Anoop Jethwa about the trials and tribulations of FC Barcelona. From the positives to the negatives, this piece will dive deep into the living fabric that is Blaugrana We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments section.
As millions of young Barcelona fans around the world will be bringing home their report cards from school this week, El Pivote will attempt to give the players their respective grades as well.
Abidal trains with the group
Almost seven months after he was discharged from the hospital following his liver transplant, Éric Abidal returned to normal training with the rest of his teammates this Wednesday. The French defender, who last featured in a match on February 26 and had his surgery in March, has trained on his own during the last few weeks.
Preparations for Atletico continue
FC Barcelona held a training session this Saturday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, continuing the team’s preparations for the match on Sunday at the Camp Nou against Atletico de Madrid (21:00). Tito Vilanova directed the session with all of the available footballers from the first team plus Tello, of Barça B. Alex Song spent the session doing specific work in the gym. Defender Abidal continued working on the pitch separate from the main group.
El Pivote: Papering over the Crack?
El Pivote (or The Pivot) is a weekly totalBarça column by Anoop Jethwa about the trials and tribulations of FC Barcelona. From the positives to the negatives, this piece will dive deep into the living fabric that is blaugrana. We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments section.
We return this week* with more discussion on Messi’s dominant role in the team and also whether or not his brilliance is somewhat overshadowing a few factors that Vilanova still needs to work on. totalBarça looks to redress the balance.
Happy Birthday, David Villa!
On December 3, 2012 FC Barcelona striker David Villa turns 31! After spending eight months away from the pitch after breaking his tibia last December, the Asturian forward is well and truly back, having scored 8 goals so far this season to add to his now 300+ goals.
totalBarca wishes Villa many happy returns of the day and hopes that he has a wonderful, injury-free, goal-laden 2013.
Villa: “Barça, the example to follow”
In the Copa game against Deportivo Alaves, David Villa (30) scored the 300th and the 301st goal of his illustrious career and the 40th goal in the blaugrana colours. While speaking with Barça TV programme ‘El Marcador‘, Villa said “With so much money nowadays in football, it’s a source of pride that there are 11 home-grown players in a team like Barça. Getting here is really difficult. It’s an example to follow for any team in the world”. Included after the jump are more excerpts from Villa’s interview and a video.
