Barcelona defender and Spain international Gerard Pique (23), will publish his first autobiography on 8th April. It is reported that the book will cover his life, sports career, and experiences as a footballer.
Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola has called up all of the first-team players that are available for the match against Almeria. Centre back Gerard Pique is unavailable due to suspension, while Seydou Keita and Eric Abidal are still recovering from their injuries. Mexican centre back Rafael Marquez has returned to training after playing for his national team in California against New Zealand. Forwards Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry practiced with the team despite their midweek national friendlies. Midfielder Seydou Keita is unavailable for the match against Almeria but the Malian international was able to run and test his fitness for the first time after his hamstring injury against Atletico de Madrid last month.
Here is the 18-man squad for the match against Almeria: Valdes, Pinto, Marquez, Puyol, Milito, Chygrynskiy, Alves, Maxwell, Xavi, Iniesta, Toure, Busquets, Henry, Pedro, Ibrahimovic, Bojan, Messi, Jeffren.
It was international duty for most Barcelona players this past week. What follows is a round up of the matches our players participated in.
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.
FC Barcelona defender and Spanish international Gerard Pique (23) has signed a three-year extension to his contract, tying him to the Camp Nou until June 2015.
Pique, a former Barcelona youth team player, has impressed since returning from Manchester United in 2008 and was an ever present in the Catalans’ 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 campaign.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has revealed his squad to face France in a friendly next week. Five Barcelona players namely Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta have been included.
The five players have been named for the encounter on Wednesday and all five are also likely to earn a place on the plane to South Africa for the World Cup Finals in the summer. Thierry Henry will be captaining the opposing side in the Stade de France in Paris as he was called up by Les Bleus’ trainer Raymond Domenech.
FC Barcelona winger Jeffren Suárez (22) has also being called up by coach Luis Milla for Spain Under-21, for their encounter with Liechtenstein. The game in Ponferrada on Tuesday is a qualifier for the European Championships.
FC Barcelona central defender and Spanish international, Gerard Pique (23), announced today that he will sign a new contract with the team that will make him a Barcelona player until 2015. All major Spanish and Catalan news outlets are reporting that Pique will sign the new contract this Friday.
The five year contract extension, which will last until June 2015, will see Pique break into a new salary bracket; his buy-out clause will also be increased to nearly 100 million Euros. Pique’s previous contract was set to expire on 2012.
FC Barcelona defender and Spanish international Gerard Pique (23), spoke today about the feeling in the Barcelona dressing room after the team’s first defeat of the season. “What happens is that a lot of people wanted us to lose the first game and this causes those outside to make a few comments, but we’re equal and we are convinced we will win on Saturday. From the outside there might be a rumor or a feeling of doubt in the dressing room but there is no doubt.”
Speaking at a press conference the Centre half, who was suspended for the trip to Atletico, confirmed the news that some players were making a quick recovery from injury, stating that Yaya Toure and Chygrinskiy were close to a return. “Little by little we are regaining strength” he said, claiming also that the team should be back to full strength in “one or two weeks,” except for the long-term casualties of Eric Abidal and Seydou Keita.
Gerard Pique is fast becoming an iconic figure in the media, after recently becoming one of the images of Nike, the Barca defender is now the new brand ambassador for the Prince Double Choc campaign, which will start airing on the 15th of February.
With his pull amongst the younger generation, “Prince Pique” is fast becoming an iconic brand in the media and his performances on the field are only multiplying his marketing potential.
NBA’s Pau Gasol was the previous image of this “Prince” campaign. The Lakers’ power forward (who has previously played with Regal Barca) was the ambassador of this campaign in 2002, and will now be replaced by Pique.
FC Barcelona defenders Gerard Pique and Rafa Marquez were both handed one match bans from the Spanish “Comité de Competición” on Tuesday for the red cards incurred in Saturday’s match against Getafe, according to Spanish sports daily Marca. Each player faced a possible 1-3 match suspension. The club still has an option to appeal the bans, but has yet to issue any formal statement about whether or not they will challenge the decisions.
“The Barcelona team seems to thrive on adversity. Whenever players are missing through injury or suspension the squad always reacts well,” says Roger Bogunyà in an article at the official FC Barcelona website. “Barcelona is the cleanest side in the Spanish League, having won the Fair Play Award of last season. Nevertheless, the team always responds well whether players are sent off or injured.”
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, reports that Barcelona players Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique, recently travelled to Manchester in England for the recording of a ‘spot’ advertisement by ‘Nike’, one of the team’s sponsors.
The Barca players in shooting will be accompanied by Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney. Both the players, Cesc and Rooney, were of Barca’s interests at some point. Eventhough Rooney recently declared he is happy at United, Cesc is still in Barca’s mind, where he might be one of the major signings for next summer.
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English sports site ‘Soccernet’ reports that Gerard Pique hopes to sign a new long-term deal at Barcelona before the summer.
Pique rejoined Barca in 2008 after a four-year spell at Manchester United and, although his current contract runs until 2012, president Joan Laporta revealed last week that he is set to be offered an extension.
Pique’s agent, Arturo Canales, has now confirmed that, although formal talks have yet to take place with Barca director of football Txiki Begiristain, both player and club hope to have a new deal signed before Laporta steps down in the summer.
“The goal for both parties is to ensure that Pique plays for Barcelona for many years,” Canales told Soccernet. “I often speak with Txiki but we have not yet had a formal meeting”.
FC Barcelona central defender and Spanish international Gerard Piqué Bernabeu, celebrates his 23rd birthday today. On behalf of the totalBarca team we wish you a very happy birthday!
Although he spent three seasons away from the club, from 2005/06 – 2007/08 at Manchester United and Real Zaragosa, Piqué has been a Culé almost since he was born on February 2, 1987, in Barcelona. He joined the youngest boy’s team, Alevín B, when he was 10-years old and progressed through the levels of the youth system.
Since his return to FC Barcelona in 2008, Gerard Piqué has become a solid fixture in the Barça backline and has earned the nickname Piquénbauer for his ability work the ball forward in a game and join the attack. This season, he has scored three goals.
Several players were voicing their opinions at the post-match press conference and heres what they had to say:
Rafa Marquez
“we did the job. I’m happy with how I played and my performance in general. I want to continue like this and I know I have to make the most of the chances the boss gives me”.
“it was a tough game, because the pitch was in a bit of a state. We had plenty of chances in the first half, but weren’t able to put them away and then in the second we had to withstand their onslaught. The team continue in good form and playing the way the boss wants us to”.
Finally, Marquez refused to be drawn on the fight at the top with Madrid, insisting: “we have to focus on our work and then see what happens!.
Barcelona chiefs are in advanced talks with central defender Gerard Pique (22) over a new contract.
Guardiola and eight other players namely Victor Valdes, Yaya Touré, Pedro Rodriguez, Carles Puyol, Lionel Messi, Eric Abidal, Andres Iniesta and Rafa Marquez have already renewed this year and now the ‘operation shield’ (as called in the Spanish media) will continue with the renewals of Piqué and the other homegrown youngsters.
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo says Pique is set to sign a new deal that will run until 2015 with his new buyout clause being set to £150 million.
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