Barça Atlètic were held to a 1-1 draw against Logroñés, a rival who clearly came looking for a draw, which they achieved with a last minute equaliser, just when it looked as if Luis Enrique’s team would take the points.
Logroñés came looking for a draw, packing their defence and midfield in an attempt to stop their hosts from playing – something they achieved in the first 45 minutes in which Barca made a few chances, but were unable to get on the scoreboard.
Soriano on target again
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The list of futbol draft awards 2010, for young Spanish players, has been revealed. 132 young players were selected for the award; Barcelona have 19 youngsters on the list. The list starts from a pool of 132 players, which is then drafted to 33, and then the best 3 players from each position are selected.
Defenders
The list didn’t include any Barcelona goalkeepers but constituted nine defenders. In the right back position there is Barca Atletic’s Martin Montoya (18) and Juvenil A’s Albert Dalmau (17), while for the left back position Juvenil A’s Carles Planas (18) was selected. For the right centre back position, Barca Atletic’s Marc Bartra (18) and Juvenil B’s Eduard Campabadal (16) were selected. For the left centre back position there was a place for Barca Atletic’s Marc Muniesa (17), Andreu Fontas (20), Juvenil B’s Sergio Ayala (16) and Barcelona loan-out player and Sporting Gijon defender Alberto Botia (21).
Midfielders
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FC Barcelona attacking midfielder and Spanish youth international Thiago Alcantara, 18, has spoken of the pleasure he received from scoring his debut goal for the Catalan club at the weekend. The midfieder came on in the 76th minute of Barca’s home game against Racing Santander, only to find the back of the net in the 83rd minute.
“It was a great experience, you’re elated, not thinking about many things, it’s a fabulous time,” said the youngster when speaking to ‘radio federacion’ on Tuesday.
“I try to play well and enjoy every game. Football is one thing where everyone knows how vital and innate it is that you are enjoying it and having fun.”
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Barca Atletic midfielder and Spanish youth international Thiago Alcantara’s (18) father Mazinho has spoken today of his son’s contract renewal talks with FC Barcelona. The former Brazil international Mazinho who won the world with his country in 1994 said, “We have begun to negotiate a renewal with Barca and for now everything looks good. Some teams have called about him but I’m pretty sure he’s here to stay”
Speaking to Voice Of Galicia, the former Celta Vigo, Fiorentina and Valencia player Mazinho confirmed that his son was “technically gifted but still slightly immature”, with this immaturity showing in the players goal celebration on Saturday.
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Barca Atletic midfielder and Spanish youth international Thiago Alcantara (18), lived one of the happiest days of his life as he got his first goal for the club where he came through the ranks.
Thiago told Madrid based sports daily AS after the match that he wanted to thank compatriot Leo Messi for his generosity, “I’d like to thank the team and Messi for the pass. It’s a dream come true for me”.
On the treatment of homegrown players when they join the first team, the starlet said, “The coach is always reassuring and treats everyone the same.”
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Brazilian sports site Globoesporte report that English clubs Manchester United and Chelsea are tracking Barcelona starlet Thiago Alcantara. Despite having played just three games for FC Barcelona’s first team, Thiago Alcantara has already raised interest from the English giants, who are reportedly keeping an eye on the player’s contract talks with the club. The midfielder, 18, is still negotiating his first contract as a professional with the Catalan club, who are desperate to avoid losing their homegrown talent as they did with Fabregas.
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The progression of FC Barcelona starlet, Thiago Alcantara do Nascimento (18), is not going unnoticed by those in charge of the national teams of Spain and Brazil. Thiago, who is the elder son of Mazinho, a former world champion with Brazil in the 1994 World Cup, has both Spanish and Brazilian citizenship and is assessing which national team to choose. Thiago also has Italian citizenship as he was born in Bari, Italy, but it is highly unlikely for now that he will play for Italy.
The player knows that once he features with a national team, the gates for the other nation will be closed, so the decision will be of great significance to the youngster’s sporting career.
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The Spanish Football Federation has called up U-19 and U-17 Spanish players for training sessions that will be held on the 22, 23 and 24th of February. Four Barcelona players were selected for the U-19 squad, while two were selected for the U-17 squad.
Marc Muniesa (17), Ruben Rochina (18), Carles Planas (18) and Thiago Alcantara (18) made it into the U-19 squad. The squad contains mainly players born in 1991 while Marc Muniesa is a year younger.
The U-17 team has two Barcelona players in the squad, namely Rafa Alcantara (16) and Eduard Campabadal (16). The U-17 team contains players born in 1993.
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Barça Atlétic moved into second place in the table after Jonathan Soriano scored twice to give them an impressive win against leaders Sant Andreu.
After tasting defeat last weekend against Denia the Blaugrana bounced back on Satudray to record a morale-boosting victory in the Miniestadi against a strong visiting outfit who have impressed throughout this season.
Luis Enrique’s team found their rhythm quickly and created several chances in an entertaining encounter that saw both teams give everything to try and win.
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Barça Atlètic conceded an early goal away to Denia and despite controlling most of the game could not find a way through the packed local defence.
Barça Atlètic will go into next weekend’s match against the league leaders with a 12-point deficit. The defeat against Denia combined with Sant Andreu’s victory against Badalona (2-1) means that the Barça reserves are now third with 47 points, a point behind Benidorm in second place.
Early goal
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The two January ’signings’ of Pep Guardiola for the first team, have returned to the reserves. Thiago Alcantara (18) and Jonathan dos Santos (19), were both seen training under the command of Luis Enrique at the Ciutat Esportiva on Monday morning and will be available for Barca Atletic’s next game against third division club Denia.
Earlier this year Pep Guardiola called up the two midfielders, along with Victor Vazquez (22) and Gai Assulin (18), to cover up the absences during the African Cup of Nations. Gai and Vazquez spent two weeks with the first team before eventually returning to the reserves, while Thiago and Jonathan continued for two more weeks (read more here).
The return of Keita and Touré from the Africa Cup of Nations, in good condition and the recovery of Sergio Busquets from the left kidney brusing he suffered, eventually led to the return of both the homegrown youngsters to the reserves as their chances to gain minutes with the first team have decreased considerably. Guardiola feels its better for the duo to continue accumulating minutes with the reserves rather than staying inactive for too long.
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This is a featured post. Please scroll down for all the latest news.
author: Didac Peyret
source: Soccernet
date: 02 February 2010
editing: totalbarca
Arsene Wenger believes that top clubs have to make compromises to ensure they play in their own recognisable style – he believes clubs have no hope of making their mark on history without implementing a clear philosophy on the field. For Wenger, the biggest and best sides have a responsibility to the game and must show others what can be achieved.
Everybody has now seen the success of such a model in place at Barcelona. Bringing together an unlikely mixture of art and efficiency, Barca have shown that it is possible to break away from the cautious tactics that have characterised the modern game to win every trophy available to them in 2009.
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Only seven players from the senior squad took part in a training game on Wednesday along with players from the reserves and the youth team.
Although Wednesday was a day off for the first team, seven players who feature rather less frequently in the starting line-ups took the chance to get in some extra practice together with youngsters from the reserves and the youth team.
First team players
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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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According to Catalan sports paper Sport, FC Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Begiristain is currently working on the future of four players whose career path with the first team is still undecided. The said players are Jeffren Suarez (22) who has yet to renew his first team contract – which expires at the end of the season, while Jonathan dos Santos (19), Thiago Alcantara (18) and Gai Assulin (18) are still on Barcelona reserves contract – also expiring in June, and have yet to sign any new contract with the club.
As reported by the paper, as per FIFA regulation, these players are free to negotiate with any clubs six months before their contracts end – that is since from 1 January 2010.
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The first coach of Thiago Alcántara at La Masia, Francesc Sanchez Bas, stresses the potential of the young midfielder. According to Fran, “Thiago is the finest example of virtuosity with the ball.” Thiago Alcantara’s debut as a starter in an official match against Sevilla FC at the Camp Nou might have been subdued due to the defeat, but the midfielders playing was one of the most positive aspects of the first leg of the round of sixteen of the Copa Del Rey.
Thiago Alcantara signed for Barça in 2005 at the age of 14 along with his brother Rafa Alcantara (16), who is currently plying his trade in the Juvenil A side just two steps away from the first team. Fran was the coach of that team which included great talents like, Thiago Alcantara, Gai Assulin, Marti Riverola, Marc Barta, Martin Montoya, Ruben Rochina, Dani Pacheco, among others.
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Just like Jonathan dos Santos (19) – who was praised by everyone for his performance on his debut on Saturday, there were also good remarks levelled at Thiago Alcantara (18) for his composed display on Tuesday despite the defeat.
The Brazilian-born player, in his first official match for the first team, started the match alongside Andres Iniesta and Rafael Marquez in midfield. Against Sevilla, one of the top teams in Spain, it was sort of a trial by fire for the young player. He played for 70 minutes before being replaced by the player he hopes to emulate, Xavi Hernandez.
A match that will always be remembered by him, Thiago reminisce about the moment, “I only found out that I would be in the starting eleven a few minutes before the match, and I was not expecting it.”
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In one session of the press conference yesterday, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola touched on the 4 cantera players’ potentials – Barca Atletic’s players that he enlisted as covers for the month of January. His message to them was clear: “Seize the opportunity and make full use of it.”
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Despite persistent rumours to the otherwise, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is again reiterating that he is satisfied with the players that he has, and insists he can always summon Barca Atletic’s players to cover for any short-falls in the squad – as is the case during this African Nations Cup tournament period.
“If it was necessary, I probably would have considered signing someone, but for a month, it is not worth it. I am well served, I can’t complain. I have a good squad that can always be supplemented with reserve players. For a month, I prefer to give them a chance, and I know they will do well,” was his answer to a question during a press conference earlier today.
Confident that the cantera players can fill in for absences of Malian Seydou Keita and Ivorian Yaya Toure, Guardiola said Jonathan dos Santos (19) and Thiago Alcantara (18) will remain with the first team throughout the month of January as he has “great faith” in them. The coach is also enlisting the services of Victor Vazquez (22) and Gai Assulin (18), who were invited to train along, but will only be used when he needs them.
