Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood is “sick and tired” of Barcelona and their persistant interest in Arsenal’s captain Cesc Fabregas. He said: “I’m really fed up with Barcelona and all that nonsense.”

“Cesc has a very good long-term contract and I don’t think he has any intention of not honouring it,” said the chairman of the Gunners.

The chairman has lablled Barca as “disrespectful.”  He continued: “He (Cesc) has been with us seven years. There is no reason why he wants to leave.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Sergio Busquets says that working with Pep Guardiola is “easy.” Busquets worked with Pep in when he coached the reserve team. When Pep become the manager of the first team, he brought Sergio with him. The youngster owes much of his success to him.

“Working with Guardiola is very easy.”

Sergio also said that Barca are ‘becoming more professional’ : “The coach and the coaching staff prepare for matches, so specific information is provided to us on the opponent.”

Busquets also spoke of the good vibes within the team: “We are fortunate to be a group that got along very well, and I think it shows.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Jose Mourinho reckons that he expects Pep to remain at Barca “forever”

“I expect Pep Guardiola to remain as the Barcelona coach forever,” said José Mourinho. Asked if he agreed with a Spanish journalist who said Joan Laporta was right to choose Guardiola, Mourinho replied: “Pep is very well adapted to the culture of Barca and is certainly the best coach for the team.

When asked about the Zlatan-Eto’o swap, Mourinho said: “No coach wants to lose Ibra, but Eto’o is a great player and I will rely on him and Milito to build this team. The truth is that we are the leaders and we are still in the Champions League. “
___________________________________________________________________________________________
If you’re a Barca fan who has been losing sleep over the dent that the African Cup of Nations will put in the sqaud, well these are the young ‘uns that will be brought in as reinforcements

Victor Vazquez

Thiago Alcantara

Jonathan Dos Santos

Pep will be without Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita for atleast 7 games, as they will be participating in the African Cup of Nations. These youngsters have been summoned by Pep to strengthen the team. Will they deliver?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Found this today, and thought it was fuuny. It’s supposed to be Gerard Pique!

Okay, I also thought that it would be old by now, I guess it never gets old. Here’s Gerard Pique in his latest photoshoot fot DT Magazine:

More Pics:

Love these ones:

Not so sure about these (maybe he shouldn’t give up his day job just yet?)

The Cover:

Barcelona have exceeded all expectations. But what next for the Champions? Well according to the Official Site the players and staff enjoyed a private party at their hotel after their win last night:

I’m loving that shirt! The Back of the shirt on Puyol:

They jet off to Kuwait today (Sunday) for a friendly, and only after that will they head back home to enjoy a well deserved Christmas break.

(EDIT: Check out the pics from their arrival in Kuwait HERE )

After that, theres the business of the January transfer window, when finally all rumours will be put to rest over a certain Mr.Robinho. Is he coming? Are they buying him? Is it a loan deal? I feel that at this point in time, Barca don’t need him. They have plenty of talent on their bench that they should utilise. I was throughly impressed with Jeffren’s performance. Pedro is going to become an intergral part of the team. And they also have the likes of Bojan.

After that it’s all focus on La Liga and the Champions League. Barca will have to try to somehow carry over this momentum to next year if they want to keep ahead of Real Madrid, who are literally biting at their heels. If they manage to not slip up at some point, it would be remarkable.

They were drawn a fair tie in the Champions League, they face Stuttgart come February. Well, no tie is easy, really, but lets face it, they could’ve gotten worse.

At the begining of the season, Pep was asked what more could they achieve after winning the treble. His response was to win 6 titles. They have won 6 in one year, can they make it 6 in one season?

What are your opinions? Managable or Madness?

What is a bromance? A couple of definitions from Urban dictionary (cos lets face it, it’s not going to be in Oxford):
1. Describes the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males.
2. A non-sexual relationship between two men that are unusually close.
3. A close relationship between two bros to such a point where they start to seem like a couple
4. The intense love shared between heterosexual males. A form of male bonding and usually invisible to the naked eye. This bond is normally only shared between two males that have a deeper understanding of each other, in a way no woman could ever realise

Football has given the world some of the greatest Bromances ever. Here are a few of my personal favourites:

• Xavi & Iniesta
• Steven Gerrard & Jamie Carragher
• Cesc Fabregas & Gerard Pique
• David Villa & David Silva
• Frank Lampard & John Terry
• Cristiano Ronaldo & Kakà

Take a look and enjoy the pictures!

“Xaviesta”

 Not only do these two have an amazing relat. on the pitch, they are very close friends off it too. Xavi, being the older of the two, made his appearance for Barca and Spain before Iniesta. But once Iniesta was introduced to the teams, Xavi played the role of a young mentor for him. These two are so close to being one person that they even share the same shirt numbers. Seriously. Xavi wears ‘8′ for Spain and Iniesta wears ‘8′ for Barca. Xavi wears ‘6′ for Barca, and Iniesta wears ‘6′ for Spain.

“Gerragher”

The Bromance of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher is somewhat of a late bloomer. The both of them were part of Liverpool’s youth academy, so they go way back. But Carra had always regarded Michael Owen to be his BFF. And when Gerrard burst into the first team, he formed a close relationship with Danny Murphy. But as Gerrard explains in his autobiography, once both Murphey and Owen left Anfield, Carra and himself bonded as they has each lost their best mates. But since then, the two have become a Bromance institution. Gerrard calls Carra “a captain without an armband” and the two leaders of Liverpool have a firm understanding.

“Fabrique”

Okay these two are so close, it’s almost sickening. Almost

They grew up together at the Barcelona cantera, won titles together, but were then unceremoniously torn from each other when Cesc packed up and left for Arsenal. Gerard was grief striken. He decided to move to Manchester United to deal with his plight. Pique then returned like the prodigal son, but sadly Fab is yet to join him. The two often get together when away on national duty for Spain and when Cesc is on holiday in Barcelona. Just last summer, they went public when Pique accompanied him on a visit to “Camp Cesc” a football programe for children:

Since then Pique has taken it upon himself to constantly suggest that Cesc could be on his way to Barca, while Cesc coyly denies all rumours. We are all waiting for the happy ending to this bromance (ie Cesc moves to Barca).

could they be more in love?

Okay, one more because they’re my faourite Bromance:

“The Davids”

The Davids of Valencia and Spain. They form the core of Valencia and both are extremely talented footballers individually. Together, they’re explosive. So with that kind of chemisrty, it’s only natural for a Bromance to develop. Rumours are constantly flying around of the futures of these two stars, but for now, we’ll just enjoy them while the’re still together.

“Lamperry” (or Terrampard? either way, it sounds awful)

I’ve always thought that these two look like brothers anyways. But Frank and John are clearly moe than that. Here’s the damning evidence:

They are really the epitome of Chelsea and England. Its good to see that team mates are such good friends, on and off the pitch

Kakà & Ronaldo (I wasn’t going to attempt to “Brangelina” their name, but if you want to do it, drop me a note!)

This is a fairly new Bromance in the public eye, but these two have been woo-ing each other for longer than you think. Remember this?

That was almost 2 years ago, when Kakà won the World Player of the Year.
And last year:

Ah, but as fate would have it, they were brought toghether to play for the same team: Real Madrid

They seem to get along like a house on fire..

And apparently they live on the same street. The only thing that could get in the way of a full blown Bromance is Kakà’s love of the Backstreet Boys, but that shouldn’t be a problem anyways! 

Future Hopefuls:

Bojan Krkic

Poor Bojan, thought he found love with Pique only to be let down, and even Henry seems to be losing interest in him.

Hopefully he will find his other half soon. Word in the Blogosphere has it that Messi is available!

Michael Owen

He’s been floating from club to club, we almost forgot he existed when he was with Newcastle. Had a very close bond with Carra like I mentioned earlier. Now that he is back in the big time, we are sure of a Bromance. My hopes are pinned on Giggs.

Fernando Torres

Nando has never really found his fish, he’s been too busy being awesome and having a family etc. He has always been close to captain Stevie, but it’s not really a Bromance.Maybe newboy Alberto (aka Frodo) Aquilani could help?

Whose your favourite Bromance? Let us know!

Liverpool:
Javier Mascherano is amid talks with Liverpool about a contract renewal.

“We are happy and he is happier now. The last conversations that we had were very positive,” said Benitez.

“We were talking before and we will sit down sooner rather than later and talk about the future.”

Over the past couple of months many clubs has shown an interest in the Argentine skipper, with Barcelona being the rumoured prefered destination of Masch & his family. Rafa Benitez has tried to fend off the interest by declaring that even £50 million won’t be enough.
See more at BBC Football

Everyone is looking forward to Aquilani’s first start this week when Liverpool face Fiorentina in the Champions League. Lucas is keen to see the midfielder in action: “It is exciting that Alberto is going to get his first chance and we are all looking forward to it – we will give him all the support and respect he needs,”Lucas told the official site.

“Hopefully he will do a really good job for us. When you have been out for a long time injured, it takes a while for you to get your rhythm back.

“But it is easy to see in training that he has got quality on the ball and we hope he is going to help us.

“People will make comparisons but he is a different player to Xabi, he is more attacking and we can all see that he is going to play in a more advanced role.

“Obviously he came to replace Xabi but he is going to need some time to settle and we will do everything to make that happen quickly.”

FC Barcelona:
Lionel Messi recieved his Ballon d’Or trophy this weekend and had his siblings in tow with him. The Argentine said that the wait between Tuesday (the day that he was announced as the winner) and Sunday was long and he’d become impatient to get his hands on the trophy. He dedicated the award to his family and teammates. See the pics here.

Gerard Pique has often been compared Franz Beckenbauer for his playing style and ability to play the ball forward. He has in the past been dubbed “Piquen-bauer” something that has always flattered Pique. But this time the German legend has expressed his admiration for the Barcelona defender.

“He is a player who has surprised me by his development at Barca,” said Beckenbauer. “I knew him at Manchester United, but Sir Alex Ferguson played him as a more conventional central defender, using his size for the high balls and his strength.

“In contrast, Pep Guardiola has him more involved in the game, likes to start the play from the back like me, he makes great passes and I like his chutzpah. Every day, he’s trying new things.”

Manchester United:
Defender Nemanja Vidic will miss United’s Champions League clash with Wolfsburg. The Serbian is still recovering from the flu. SAF will be fretting over his defensive line, as Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Wes Brown and the Da Silva Bros Rafael & Fabio are all also struggling with injuries. Even though United travel to Germany with qualification for the next round already in the bag, they would want nothing less than a win from Tuesdays tie, ensuring they will finish top of the group. This will most probably see them face off with an “easier” opponent in the next round.

While the Sporting World came to a standstill to watch the FIFA World Cup 2010 draw on Friday, Wayne Rooney was asleep during the draw and was only informed of Englands opponents 5 hours later. See more here.

Manchester City
Mark Hughes may have guided his side to the Carling Cup Semi’s, but if he fails to secure a Champions League spot his job could be on the line. Reports suggest that Man City owners have a few managers in mind, they include Guus Hiddink, Inter’s Jose Mourinho and even Rafa Benitez!

Real Madrid
Kaka has admitted that Real Madrid are struggling to find their identity,
“At Real Madrid we are seeking an identity of play but it’s not easy, we are not enjoying it and it’s not fun.

“It’s not easy building a team. It’s not enough to sign only players. Barcelona played together for many years and we have eight or nine new players. To create a squad requires a little time.”

The team has not looked like they are together. This weekend, Ronaldo did not join in the celebrations of Benzema’s goal.
Higuain was seen remonstrating with Ronaldo, and when asked what it was all about, the Argentine striker said that he was upset with the way Ronaldo snubbed the tams celebrations: “I saw Cristiano was not celebrating Karim’s goal. It was a great comeback in the middle of a crazy game and we all should be celebrating.”

Ronaldo however apologised to his team mates in the locker room after the match:”In the dressing room he told us he was sorry,” said Benzema

“What happened is something that can happen to anyone. Surely he was disappointed for missing the penalty but after that I was glad to score. He is a great professional and he wants to help the team win.

Ok this is kinda old news (like 4 days old) but we don’t think any hot-blooded woman would ever get tired of Gerard Pique and those oh-so-lovely eyes:

This photoshoot was for DiR Emotions and was taken with Synchronized swimmer Gemma Mengual. We lovin the pics but for some reason find the last one a bit disturbing…

Here’s the making of Vid:

It was the clash of the titans. And boy did it live up to it’s billing. It’s been a while since I watched a match of such high intensity. Both teams brought their A-game, but alas! it was the Blaugrana that prevailed. From the word go Barca tried to take control of the game, once on the ball, they did what they do best – kept possession
But Real was sharp on the counter attack and created more chances in the first half. It took a world-class (yes, world class for a keeper that will probably never wear his national shirt) save from Valdes to keep the ball out of Barca’s net. At half time nothing separated the teams.

The second half saw Pep bring on Ibra for an off colour Henry, and that did the trick. The Swede netted in the only goal of the match in his Clasico debut. With a couple people picking up yellow cards, it was a matter of time till one of them got their marching orders. Busquets was the culprit. I felt that he was always the weak link on the team. Pep did not look pleased, I’m sure the youngster will get an earful.

Even with 10 players, Barca dominated. They ran at the Madrid defense and generally created havoc.

From a Real Madrid point of view, I feel they played the best they have all season, and I’m sure that they will only improve. It wasn’t like they were walked all over, they created many chances but that Barca defense was too strong to penetrate (I’ll get to that later). Ronaldo tried to work his magic, but he was well dealt with. Kaka is just not the player he used to be at Milan. He looked slower and didn’t pose a threat to the Barca defense.

Pellegrini made some questionable decisions, the first was taking off Ronaldo for Benzema. Now I understand that he’s not fully fit etc, but Madrid just lost it a bit after he was subbed. The next was bringing on Raul for Arbeloa. This was just plain stupid. Barca was attacking from all sides, and he risked weakening their defense. He was lucky that Barca did not punish them with a few more goals (Messi & Pique both missed great chances). For Madrid, the weak link was Marcelo, he didn’t do anything right and he should’ve been subbed in the early stages of the 2nd half.

Every single Barca player came to the party (maybe not Busquets) Everyone just gave that little bit extra. It was truly a team performance, and they played with conviction, spurred on by the faithful Cules. But special mention must be made of The Barcelona defense! It was impenetrable. As I mentioned earlier, Valdes pulled off some superb saves. Alves and Abidal were dynamic, they were solid at the back, won the ball, and played it forward. In the centre Pique and Puyol were like pillars. Pique offering some amazing tackles, and Puyol, captain magnificent. He was all over the Madrid attack, stretching himself. On the odd occasion he did let a ball go by, Pique was there to cover him. These two are undeniably the best centre-back pairing in the world.

It was a match that showcased the best footballers on the planet. In the end I feel Barcelona deserved the win (does anyone disagree?)Barca now reclaim their top spot, but Madrid are biting at their heels , only 2 points behind. The rest of the season is going to be thrilling! Hold on tight Peeps!

LINE-UP:

Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi, Keita, Messi, Iniesta  &  Henry (No Ibra )

Real Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Arbeloa, Lass, Alonso, Higuain, Kaka, Marcelo & Ronaldo (the Portugese one )

will “Xaviesta”come to the party?

Barca are on their way to the round of 16. It was a convincing display from Pep’s men, who were without Messi and Ibra remember. They thouroughly outplayed Inter. The goals came from homegrown boys Pique and Pedro.

Enjoy the pics from the match!
(Click for full size)

It’s a fun-filled week after that excruciatingly long (in my mind) and pointless (ditto) International break. I won’t spoil too much (up here) because there are a few matches to take joy from today and I wouldn’t want to steal my own thunder by spilling the beans right away. So I’m just gonna take it slow and leave the best posts to la -

ACF Fiorentina 1-0 Olympique Lyonnais – Well, La Viola have sealed their Group of 16 qualification! Fiorentina will be joining their French compatriots (ha!), having defeated said Frenchmen by a single goal at the Stadio Artemio Franchi this evening. It would be Juan Manuel Vargas who provided the difference for the home side, with a spot kick on 27′ after AC Milan almost-signing Aly Cissokho downed Marco Marchionni in Les Gones’ area. However, I think the true credit for the victory belongs to Sebastien Frey, whose stellar display between the sticks saved Cesare Prandelli’s men’s collective behinds time and time again – their defense simply is not the same without Alessandro Gamberini marshalling the back line. Oh, one other minor detail regarding their match: it eliminated Liverpool  from the Champions League. Humble Fiorentina move on, while the Scousers are sent home to cry in their… scouse. Beating up on a French team and an English team with the same result? Two birds with one stone, I say. All that’s left to do is seal first place with a victory at Anfield – normally a tall order, but hell, I’m feeling good about it right now.

Your clock is ticking, Rafa!

Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen – Need I even bother? Does it matter? Liverpool have been knocked out of the Champions League as a result of La Viola’s win over Lyon (for those of you who may have skipped the above paragraph) David Ngog put the Reds ahead early in a game which they started confidently – the Frenchmen was first to the ball within the box on 4′ to poke home and give his side an early 1-0 lead. Rafa Benitez’s men put in a spirited performance in the first half, but by the second they were well away what the score was in Firenze and, with their destiny out of their hands, seemed content to simply boot the ball around. Now completely out of Champions League running despite tonight’s victory, the only heart that the Merseysiders can take is in the fact that they can get their revenge on Fiorentina by spoiling their 1st place hopes at Anfield in 2 weeks time. It seems strange after a victory, but Rafa Benitez unemployment watch, anyone?

Rubin Kazan 0-0 Dynamo Kiev – Rubin Kazan were crowned Russian champions earlier this week, but were unable to work any magic in snowy Tatarstan tonight to bolster their European hopes. Both the Russians and Ukrainians seemed aware of the importance of the match, which could have seen either rise to within grasping distance of Round of 16 qualification, and both sides started the match with tense and tentative play, unwilling to give ground but unwilling to push too far forward as well. The visitors actually dominated the play for much of the match, carrying possession and keeping the Rubinovye on their heels. However, it would be the Russians who came closest to scoring in the 90 minutes, with Oleksander Shovkovski being forced to swat away an acrobatic attempt from Alejandro Dominguez just before the halftime interval. In the end, neither side would get ahead, but both still have a chance of qualification thanks to the result that Barcelona and Inter achieved at the Camp Nou this evening.

Xavi will haunt Jose's nightmares for weeks.

Barcelona 2-0 Inter – Ah, the European Inter we know and hate – and the European Barcelona that we know and (some people) love. Italy’s most dominant team domestically once again failed to show up on the European stage, and were beaten black and blue (get it?) all over the pitch by a dominant Blaugrana side in Catalonia. It was all Barcelona from the very start, as the home side started early and didn’t really slow it down until the match was more than won. I Nerazzurri were reminded of their own glaring deficiencies as they found themselves unable to deal with Barca’s more technically proficient midfield (Xavi, anyone?) and perhaps the more forward-thinking tactics of Pep Guardiola. Barcelona struck twice early in the match, with Gerard Piqué side-footing in a corner on 10′ and Pedro volleying into the top corner after some beautiful team build-up on 27′. To illustrate the point of Catalan dominance, Inter didn’t even get their first shot off until 35′, and Victor Valdés wasn’t called into action until almost halftime to make a routine save on Il Principe, Diego Milito, who wasn’t looking very princely tonight. The scoreline could have been a lot higher if not for the world-class netminding of Julio Cesar, who proved a strong last line of defense against Barcelona’s constant onslaught. Though not exactly a blowout, Inter’s match has shown once again that Jose Mourinho’s men simply do not have the quality or the mentality to succeed in European football. Mourinho himself spoke of the large gap in quality after the match, citing individual talent as a key area in which La Beneamata simply could not compete. I tend to agree, and with creative genius Wesley Sneijder sidelined that gap becomes even more apparent, but I also think it comes down to tactics. Barcelona always play football on their own terms, with brilliant passing and constant movement, while Mourinho’s men play a more tentative game, content to simply grind out wins while expressing only momentary flashes of genius. Regardless of this result, it seems that both these sides will be advancing to the next round (unless Inter lose at home to Rubin Kazan in a fortnight), but to be swatted out of the Camp Nou so easily is surely a blow to i Nerazzurri and especially their loudmouthed tecnico.

Arsenal 2-0 Standard Liege – A run of the mill match for Arsenal – a Beer and Waffles speedbump, if you will. The Londoners cruised past their visitors at the Emirates Stadium on the strength of 2 first-half goals from Samir Nasri and Denilson on 35′ and 45′ respectively. Manuel Almunia was saved his blushes once by the grace of the woodwork, but other than that it was mostly smooth sailing for the Gunners, who have apparently bounced back nicely after a half-arsed defeat to Sunderland on the weekend. As predicted/warned waaay back when, Arsene Wenger’s men have topped Group H with ease.

Unirea Urziceni 1-0 Sevilla – This one’s just up here for its comic value. Sevilla have looked strong all season, both domestically and in European competition, but have fallen for the first time in these group stages after the Romanians were gifted a win through an Ivica Dragutinovic own-goal and the help of the woodwork. The match’s only goal came just before the interval, with the Serbian defender heading an incoming long ball directly into the back of his own net. Comic gold, that (when it’s not happening to you, anyways). Though the Andalusians continued to dominate much of the play throughout the second half, they were unable to overcome that deficit and ultimately fell to the home side in Bucharest. Dragutinovic’s own-goal may have helped the Romanian side to qualify, as they now sit second in the group behind Los Rojiblancos with 8 points. Interestingly, Urziceni have only score 6 goals in this competition, and 3 of those have been own-goals gifted to them by their opponents! If these guys make it through, they’ve definitely earned it.

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Fuente: sport.es

¡Hola a todos!

El campeón de Europa puso las cosas en su sitio a cinco días del clásico con el Real Madrid. En un partido casi perfecto le endosó un 2-0 a un Inter de Milán que no hizo honor a su condición de líder del Calcio (¿O sí?). El Barça recuperó el liderato de su grupo de la Liga de Campeones sin Messi, sin Ibrahimovic, pero con siete canteranos de lujo. Josep Guardiola tumbó a José Mourinho con fútbol del bueno. El teatro quedó para el portugués…

GUARDIOLA Mientras crítica y aficionados le dábamos vueltas al momento de juego del equipo, Pep se mantuvo fiel a sí mismo hasta el final. Siempre valiente en los grandes partidos, Guardiola salió a por la victoria -el resultado que necesitaba- apostando por el once en el que creía. Esto es: Messi, Ibra y Bojan en el banquillo; Pedro en el extremo con Henry -al que ha defendido a capa y espada pese a que es un jeta- e Iniesta barriendo todo el frente de ataque formando la tripleta de ataque. Abidal en lugar de Maxwell pese a la lesión y la gripe A y haciendo un partidazo.

FUTBOL ASOCIACION ¡Cómo me gusta aplicar este concepto al juego del Barça! Ayer los blaugrana lo recuperaron como hacía tiempo que no se veía. Durante la primera mitad, amparados en su fútbol solidario de toque, pase y movimiento, le hicieron un rondo monumental al Inter. La base, siete chavales de La Masía para poner el sello de la casa. Los líderes, cómo no, un Xavi soberbio en la circulación de la bola y en los cambios de orientación del juego y su compinche Andrés Iniesta, prodigioso en las asistencias y los uno contra uno. Por cierto, bien secundados por un Busquets -cada vez más maduro- y un Keita todo terreno. Entre los cuatro partieron por la mitad al Inter de Milán.

¿QUÉ PASA, MOU? Ya sucedió en el duelo de la primera vuelta en el Giuseppe Meazza: Guardiola le dio un ‘baño’ táctico al ‘Special One’. Su defensa era incapaz de fijar a los puntas y de frenar a la segunda línea blaugrana. Su centro del campo, desaparecido en combate; y Eto’o y Milito, abandonados a sus suerte en el ataque. No remataron a puerta hasta el minuto 43 (Milito). Para el descanso, su balance ya era bochornoso: 1) Había encajado dos goles (soberbio Piqué en el 1-0. Por cierto, Motta sigue siendo Motta: se despista en los goles, pega sin sentido en el centro del campo. Y Pedro es grande, muy grande, y sigue marcando). 2) El Inter no había visto la bola (más del 60% de posesión para el Barça) ni la vería en el segundo tiempo.

FAENA DE ALIÑO La segunda parte del Barça fue igualmente perfecta, aunque administrando fuerzas, con el trabajo hecho y pensando ya en el clásico. Y eso que, si alguien pudo marcar, ése fue el conjunto blaugrana. El Inter se limitó a repartir palos (Zanetti a Busquets, Lucio a Pedro, Muntari a Henry, Chivu a Iniesta, Motta a Alves) pero no mostró nada de fútbol. El Camp Nou se dió el gusto de cantarle a ‘Mou’ aquello de: ‘Vete al teatro, Mourinho vete al teatro’. Lo de ‘Ese portugués…es’ iba dirigido a otro que le pone velas a Judas. El caso es que los ‘neroazzurri’ se limitaron a evitar el 3-0 para no verse obligados a ganar al Rubin en la sexta jornada.

RUBIN-DINAMO Porque para el Barça fue un día perfecto, incluido el 0-0 entre rusos y ucranianos. El Rubin pasó la resaca del título de Liga frente al Dinamo; pero además, volvió a demostrar que su estilo de juego es ideal para jugar contra equipos superiores a él, a los que cede la iniciativa y ‘mata’ al contragolpe, pero menos eficaz si se mide a sus ‘iguales’. El Barça no supo ganarle; pero ellos no supieron ganar al Dinamo. Ahora, se jugará los octavos con Mou en San Siro. Mal negocio… En cambio, al Barça incluso le vale perder por 2-0 para pasar a octavos. ¿Pero alguién piensa que perderá en Kiev?

EL CLÁSICO En fin, que este equipo -cuerpo técnico incluido- está muy por encima de su directiva, de su afición y de su entorno. Cuando al resto le flaquean las piernas, ellos dan un paso al frente -el 2-6 del Bernabéu, la final de Roma…-. Con Messi e Ibra en la recámara, dispone de cuatro días para preparar la visita del Real Madrid pormucho que vuelva Cristiano Ronaldo. Visto lo visto, y con el permiso de Manuel Pellegrini, yo mantendría todo el crédito a favor del ‘Pep Team’…

¡Hasta luego!

FICHA TÉCNICA:
Barça: Valdés; Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Abidal (Maxwell, min.88); Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Pedro (Bojan, min.84), Henry e Iniesta (Dos Santos 90+3).
Inter: Júlio César; Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Motta, Cambiasso (Muntari, min.46), Stankovic (Balotelli, min.70); D. Milito Quaresma, min. 81) y Eto’o.
Arbitro: Massimo Busacca (Suiza). Tarjetas a Motta (min.18), Puyol (min.37), Pedro (min.50), Chivu (min. 79).
Goles: 1-0, min. 10′ Piqué. 2-0, min. 26 Pedro.
Estadio: Camp Nou, casi 94.000 espectadores. Quinta jornada de la fase de grupo de la Liga de Campeones. Grupo F.

Gerard Pique

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique told reporters that this weekend’s match against Bilbao is just as important as “el Clasico.”

“We are going to go there completely focused. The players know that the first game after an international break is always difficult.

“We hope to move forward and pick up three points. They are as important as the game against Madrid.”

Bilbao lost to Barca in the Spanish Cup and Super Cup finals, and Pique knows that they will want to get their own back: “it’s normal that when that happens the other team are going to be really up for the game. They also know that we are favourites and that just means we have to give everything we can to make sure we win.”

When asked about the France-Ireland match and “that goal” that his Barcelona team mate Henry was involved in he said, “It was a decision taken by the referee to not whistle for handball. I am convinced that he did not see it.

“Till we have cameras and video replays there’s going to be moments of controversy.”

Source: FCBarcelona.cat

Bookmark this on Delicious

Gerard Pique

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique told reporters that this weekend’s match against Bilbao is just as important as “el Clasico.”

“We are going to go there completely focused. The players know that the first game after an international break is always difficult.

“We hope to move forward and pick up three points. They are as important as the game against Madrid.”

Bilbao lost to Barca in the Spanish Cup and Super Cup finals, and Pique knows that they will want to get their own back: “it’s normal that when that happens the other team are going to be really up for the game. They also know that we are favourites and that just means we have to give everything we can to make sure we win.”

When asked about the France-Ireland match and “that goal” that his Barcelona team mate Henry was involved in he said, “It was a decision taken by the referee to not whistle for handball. I am convinced that he did not see it.

“Till we have cameras and video replays there’s going to be moments of controversy.”

Source: FCBarcelona.cat

Bookmark this on Delicious

Spanish footballers re-united this week for the International break. It was good to see España win their matches. The first one against Argentina (which felt a little strange to see Lio on the opposite side) and the second against Austria.
I couldn’t help but notice that the Barca boys (and Cesc…but what the hell, he’s still a Barca boy) stick together at mealtimes and during training. It looks like they don’t get enough of each other..Take a look:

The Barca Boys...and Cesc

A team that eats together sticks together?

Also, International break meant that everyone’s favourite “Bromance” was back together: Pique and Cesc ofcourse!
Pique Interviews Cesc

Now, I know I’ve written about how badly Gerard wants Cesc back at Barca, I wonder if he’ll make the move.

The Ultimate Bromance

Sharing the love

Bookmark this on Delicious

Spanish footballers re-united this week for the International break. It was good to see España win their matches. The first one against Argentina (which felt a little strange to see Lio on the opposite side) and the second against Austria.
Besides the great football on show, there was much merrymaking. We couldn’t help but notice that our Barca boys (and Cesc…but what the hell, he’s still a Barca boy) stick together at mealtimes and during training. It looks like they don’t get enough of each other..Take a look:

Our Barca Boys Stick together

Also, International break meant that our Fav Bromance was back together: Pique and Cesc ofcourse!
Pique Interviews Cesc

We all know how badly Gerard wants Cesc back at Barca, Make the move Cesc!

The Ultimate Bromance

What you missed while discovering that jellyfish are not only poisonous and swarming; they are also immortal…

• Scotland national team manager George Burley, who survived not qualifying for the World Cup, has been sacked after losing to Wales in a friendly over the weekend.
• Rafa Benitez claims that he’d resign if Fernando Torres were ever sold; Liverpool faithful glad that they at least know how to get rid of him now. Meanwhile, Benitez has supposedly been mulling over signing Lassana Diarra with the imaginary money he doesn’t have.
• Solomon Kalou was dropped from the Côte d’Ivoire squad over the weekend after an altercation with West Brom defender Abdoulaye Meite.
• Russia is hoping “to entertain” tomorrow against Slovenia; personally, it’d be really entertaining if they happened to choke and lose to Slovenia.
• Jose Antonio Reyes: “Cesc Fabregas will stay at Arsenal.”
• Gerard Pique: “Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona.”
• Two Estudiantes fans were shot by a rival faction of other Estudiantes fans. Damn.
• Fiorentina left back Juan Manuel Vargas will not be heading to Real Madrid.
• The head of the Japanese FA has requested that FIFA reconsider banning vuvuzelas from the World Cup.
• Eduardo’s ready to dive right into the roster spot vacated by Robin van Persie in Arsenal’s lineup.
• David Beckham says that internal friction with Landon Donovan has made the Galaxy a better team.

Facial Hair, yes please

This is an old pic of Pique, I had to post it because his hair looks Ridonk! We still love him though

Gerard Pique Pictures

Gerard Pique has reiterated his belief that good friend and Spanish National Teammate Cesc Fabregas will end up at Barca. (GOAL.com) He believes that Barca’s cantera class of ‘87 will all end up together, that is, himself Lio Messi and Cesc, who all practically grew up at La Masia together. They rose up the youth ranks and won everything that there was to win in their age groups. They were part of one of the most successful batches produced by Barca. Personally, I’d love to see him in a Barcelona shirt, but I don’t think its the time. He’s really flourishing at Arsenal. Also, where would he play at Barca? Their squad is brimming with world class players, why buy him and make him sit on the bench. I rate “Fab” but I feel the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi are still better than him. Rumours of Henry’s fallout with the management have led me to believe that if the Frenchman does exit the club next year, the Blaugrana will make a move for Cesc.

A word of advice for Rio Ferdinand: you will have plenty of time to attend movie premieres, start a music label and run your very own magazine when you decide to hang up your boots. Until then, as long as a fat cheque comes to your house every week signed by Manchester United Football Club, kindly concentrate all your energy and effort on the pitch.

Ferdinand attended a premiere in London just hours after flying back from the CSKA match in Moscow. The movie he attended was called Dead Man Running (which is how some people would describe the way he’s defending now), which he co-produced with Ashley Cole. A few days later, he was up against Fernando Torres at Anfield and we all know what happened there.

There is no doubting the England international’s quality. On his day, he is the best defender on the planet. Sadly, during the night, he thinks he’s a hip-hop artist.

He has mentioned his desire to continue playing into his late thirties. With his persistent back problem, if he wants to be the English Paulo Maldini, he certainly needs to look after himself and stick to the special core-based training regime United has set out for him, which includes massage therapy several times a week. Most men would give their right hand to get free massages every week.

Sir Alex Ferguson might be regretting his decision not to sign any defensive reinforcements over the summer. He thought, as many of us did, that United’s first choice backline was in good shape and the likes of Jonny Evans, Wes Brown and the da Silva twins would provide more than adequate reinforcement when injuries and suspensions kicked in.

These squad players have not disappointed when called upon. It’s the established personnel like Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and even John O’ Shea, who you could count upon to give a 6.5/10 performance every week in almost any position, that have not stepped up so far this season.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Was it a mistake to let Gerard Pique leave for Barcelona? He’s in the Spanish first XI now but he had struggled with the pace of the English game, one of the reasons why he never made the step up from the reserves and was let go for a paltry six million pounds. Would he have been able to stop Torres from scoring that first goal at Anfield?

Form is temporary, class is permanent. United desperately need Vidic and Ferdinand to re-establish their brick wall at the back. A solid central defensive pairing breathes confidence into the rest of the team. After all, the best offence is a good defence. I’m on a roll with all these sporting clichés!

A bigger problem for Sir Alex has been the lack of a dictator (not the Mussolini kind) in the middle of the park. At this moment in time, no one in a United jersey is in the mould of Cesc Fabregas or Xavi and this has hurt the Red Devils attacking play, especially against the bigger sides. It’s been a long time since the slots of Captain Courageous (Roy Keane) and Captain Creativity (Eric Cantona) were taken up.

Paul Scholes, for all his cross-field passes and terribly mistimed tackling, has looked out of place and breath trying to keep up with the fast paced nature of the game today. A lot of faith seems to be placed on the shoulders of young Gabriel Obertan, who could turn out to be the next Franck Ribery. Put him under too much pressure and he becomes David Bellion.

The risk of being dominated by teams employing packed midfields is greater now that Sir Alex has reverted to the 4-4-2 formation of yesteryear. It has suited the pure wing-play of Antonio Valencia but has heaped plenty of responsibility on the two central midfielders to dominate proceedings.

Whilst Anderson and Darren Fletcher have shown themselves to be up for the task, questions are still being raised over the supply to the forwards through the middle. Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov have dropped back many times out of frustration for the lack of chances being created for them. Would someone like Daniele de Rossi or Yoann Gourcuff be the missing jigsaw piece of the United midfield puzzle?

Again, in hindsight, should Fergie have splashed the Ronaldo transfer cash on David Silva from Valencia? The Spaniard oozes quality and would have been a good fit in the United team. He could rotate the left wing and forward position with Rooney, just as the latter does on England duty with Steven Gerrard to such great effect.

What makes Sir Alex stand apart from all of us is his tremendous foresight. It has served him so well in the past and this season will be no different – I hope. Or else Rio Ferdinand’s music career may be starting sooner than we expected.