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December 2009 - Posts
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Valencia forward David Silva has been put forward by the Barcelona coaching staff as the perfect replacement for Thierry Henry.
With Henry having failed so far to reach the level of last season and now coming to the end of his career, Barça scouts have been searching the market for a suitable replacement and now having ruled-out Robinho, they feel that Silva is the ideal man.
Clearly Barça have quality coming through the youth system with the latest being Pedro, but Guardiola would still like to bolster his squad with an experienced forward who can complement Ibrahimovic and Messi. Initially he was very keen on Robinho but the difficulty in signing the Brazilian from Manchester City means that he has had to look elsewhere.
Henry has one year left on his contract but it is widely anticipated that he will move on in the summer to finish his career in the United States despite offers on the table from teams in the Premier League.
A summer move for Silva is on the cards with the player himself keen on the move away from the Mestalla were he feels he has achieved what can be done and he could be part of an exodus from Valencia with David Villa and Juan Mata also expected to leave.
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The Barcelona board have made the return of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas their main target for the New Year.
Cesc left Barça as a 16-year-old after being offered a better deal with Arsenal in terms of money and chances of playing in the first team but now having established himself at the London club where he is now captain Barça believe that they can persuade him to return.
As one of the most exciting midfielders in world football, Arsenal are keen to retain the services of the Catalan born player but while Cesc has not said publicly that he wants to move back to the Camp Nou it is believed that he is ready if a suitable deal could be made with Arsenal.
For Barça they are working hard on arranging the signing and have made January and February key months in the operation which they hope to complete in the summer. The out-going president Laporta himself aims to have the deal all but completed by the time he has to stand down.
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Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has always been clear that he will stay at the helm for as long as he enjoys the role and then will move away, but his failure to agree a new deal is causing concern at the club.
In the summer of 2008, Guardiola signed a two-year contract to manage the first team at Barça and the success that the club has enjoyed since means that the club are eager for him to extend his stay but at the same time it has led to interest from abroad.
As a player Guardiola knew when it was time for him to leave and seek new adventures at other clubs, moving to Italy, Qatar and Mexico before finally hanging up his boots. His mentor has put a time period of three years on how long he expects him to stay but it could be shorter still if no deal is reached by the end of the season.
With most talk on who will replace Joan Laporta as president, there has been little discussion over the future of Guardiola but the fact is that no agreement has been made and his agent admits that he has been approached by Inter Milan in Italy as well as several Premiership clubs, over his availability.
Laporta and Guardiola have arranged to discuss the subject in January after the Christmas break but it cannot be taken for granted that he will stay and this is not down to a question of money but the desire of Guardiola and his refusal to be used as a pawn in the election campaign. The fact that he has already won everything on offer and the effort that has gone into this is also an important factor.
"It has been difficult to enjoy the success because there is always an important game around the corner. We have achieved something amazing but I am left with the feeling that we have not been able to really enjoy it," he said after winning the World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi.
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Following the success of winning the six cups this year while playing football which has received plaudits around the glob, captain Carles Puyol feels that only looking back can it really be put into perspective. "It has been a perfect year, personally I feel very happy to be part of this team and now that we have done what we have, out plan is continue in the same line," said Puyol, "what we've achieved though is down to hard work as these things don't just happen. We are a group who are very united, we work together on the pitch and I think you can see that." The supply line from the youth team has had a big part to play in the fortunes of the first team with the backbone of the side made up of home grown talent. "It is important that we continue looking after the young players. For them former-youth players like me it is something to be proud about that we are in the first team. It is important that players do come through the system although it is clear that not always will so many come through at the same time, but it is important that the coaching staff are patient with them." Puyol said that his favourite moment of the year were the celebrations after winning the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao. "I remember the final against Athletic because the atmosphere was amazing and also because of the team we played. Of all the cup final experiences the one I enjoyed most was the game against Athletic," he said. "Then of course the goal from Andres (Iniesta) in the semi-finals of the Champions Legue was incredible as well as it changed everything."
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Despite the success enjoyed in the last seven years, president Joan Laporta still feels that the pain outweighs the gain.
Since being elected in 2003, Laporta has constantly been in the limelight at the helm of Barcelona for good and for bad. Now as he enters his last six months in charge, he explains how difficult it has been for him and for his fellow directors.
"We have had to suffer too much in order to achieve this. It is not in proportion between what we have suffered and what we have achieved," said Laporta. "To be president of Barça you have to be prepared to suffer. That is the way it is and it is a privilege to be president but you must love the club and have a great capacity for resistance against those against what the club stands for. It is necessary to isolate yourself from everything and make decisions."
Already members of the board have made public their wishes to take over from Laporta, something that the actual president is not happy about. Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer have both announced their intention this week.
"I will leave the new president in charge of a club in a better condition than when I arrived. This is the best model and the actual directors are in the best position to continue it. I shall be neutral in the electoral process but I ask for the candidates to present a constructive debate," said Laporta.
"The aim for this season now is to repeat what we have done which has been acknowledged around the world and what is more, this has been achieved by people from here who love the club."
Meanwhile the Barça players and staff will be on holiday until December 29th when training will begin again. Guardiola himself decided to spend some of his time in Qatar where he played in the twilight years of his career.
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Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was reduced to tears after watching his side come from behind to beat Estudiantes and win the World Club Cup in a year which will go down in history.
"We have achieved something very important but I am only a person very happy and tired," said Guardiola after the 2-1 win which was achieved during extra time in Abu Dhabi.
Estudiantes went ahead in the first half and it appeared as though Barça's dream was over as chances came and went but they were unable to find the back of the net. Then with just three minutes to go Pedro, the golden boy of the moment who has scored in all six competitions, headed the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net.
In the driving seat Barça seized the moment during extra time and it was Messi who scored the winning goal.
"It was an epic match and we feared defeat against a noble side. It has been amazing to have done what we have done and I congratulate all the players and I thank them for the last six months. The public have enjoyed the success here as well and that is in part for what Barça represents as by having Unicef on our shirts it makes us different. Instead of earning we pay," said Guardiola.
"In the future we will understand what has happened this year. I am happy that everyone - the fans and people involved - have been rewarded for their support. I want to thank also all the players that we have had: Silvio (Sylvinho, Samuel (Eto'o), Alex (Hleb) and Guddi (Gudjohnsen). I want to thank them all.
"It has been the best year of all time."
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Barcelona remain on course to win the World Club Championship as Leo Messi came off the bench to help them on their way to a 3-1 win over the Mexicans' Atlante.
Possibly due to their tiring schedule Barça were slow to start and Atlante took full advantage with their lively winger Rojas sweeping the ball home after four minutes with Carles Puyol and Rafa Marquez only able to watch.
But this Barça side under Pep Guardiola has shown many times it's resilience and come back from a goal down. They did it memorably against Chelsea last season and they did it last week against Dynamo Kiev and it is due to the great confidence in their style of football that in the end it will work. Against Atlante they began to probe the Mexicans' defence and found a way back into the match through Sergio Busquets.
Messi, still recovering from injury, began the game on the bench but as Barça sought a winner, Guardiola turned to the Balon d'or winner and he answered with his first touches of the ball. He rounded the keeper and slipped it home.
With Barça in the ascendency and Atlante forced to attack, the Catalans were able to quickly finish off the match with Pedro scoring the third and make history in the process by becoming the only player ever to score in six different competitions in one year.
"Sometimes things don't happen as planned and that was the case at the start of the match but we kept faithful to our style and came out on top," said Puyol after the game.
Barça are now in the final where they will face Estudiantes on Thursday looking for their first ever win in this competition having failed previously in 1992 and 2006. Iniesta though will be missing after picking up a hamstring strain against Atlante.
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta would be happy to play the final of the Champions League against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium but accepts that there is a long way to go before that. With this years final at the home of the arch rival it adds extra spice to the tournament but for Laporta it would be the perfect end to his time as president and he would like to bow it winning the treble like last season and the World Club championship later this month. "I would sign now for a final against Real Madrid, it would be nice but to get there it is necessary to have luck as we did last season against Chelsea or before that against Kaiserslautern. At the moment though the most important thing is motivation and to play the right way, and if we do that then the success will come starting with the World Club championships," said Laporta, who is delighted with the progress made by Guardiola. "Right now we are in the middle of the season and everyone is relaxed because Pep loves Barcelona as much as anyone and he is happy in what he is doing. He will stay there as long as he wants and not leave the club in a mess. Nobody would be against Pep continuing because it would be difficult to find an alternative model and so for that reason it will be interesting to see what the rivals will present before the elections. "We work each day with the same plan and I think this model is working as we are enjoying one of the best moments in the history of the club."
Meanwhile, Laporta continues to mix football with politics and attended a campaign by the group Osona Decideix who are calling for a referendum on Catalunya independence. "Barça cannot be indifferent to what happens in Catalan society. There will be dignified acts that will serve so as to aim towards a separate state. Independece is possible and for that reason these discussions cause fear. I believe that Catalunya is a nation, I am convinced and it is the objective. So as to end the issue we have to have our own state."
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Uruguayan defender Martin Caceres is set to sign a permanent move to Juventus at the end of the season after enjoying a successful loan spell from Barcelona.
Caceres struggled to settle in at the Nou Camp after high hopes and was loaned out to Juventus where after a slow start he has found his feet and become an important part of the defence.
The deal signed in the summer allowed Juventus to buy Caceres for 11m euros plus another million which was to be negotiable. Now however the club from Turin want to reduce the price down to 10m euros but it is unlikely to be a stumbling to a final agreement.
Meanwhile Barça have arrived in the Ukraine ahead of their final Champions League group match against Dynamo Kiev. It remains an important game although the pressure has been taken off with the victory over Inter Milan. Dmytror Chygrynskiy will be the centre of attention ahead of the match as he returns to his native country.
"They are a physical side and they have two or three players at the top level like Milevsky, Shevchenko and Shovkovsky," he said, while saying that he is still adapting to life at Barcelona.
"I need to work hard to get more used to the Barça style as it is very different to that at Shakhtar but we have games every three days and there is not very much time to train. I know it is important to listen and learn and the most important thing is to help the team."
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has blamed anti-Catalan press for publishing pictures of him dancing in a drunken state on the dance floor of a Barcelona night club following the victory over Real Madrid on Sunday.
Laporta has courted controversy throughout his time as president due to his often arrogant attitude of for example behaviour which is not considered acceptable for a president representing Barcelona. Stories range from him taking his trousers off after being stopped by security at Madrid airport to employing a Brazilian lover, who had caused the end of his marriage, at the Nou Camp.
Now in the latest example photos showed him covered in Champagne and dancing with a bottle.
"They cannot stand the fact that we are leaders and that Barca beat Madrid," he said as he tried to excuse himself, "look at the way they have to take some hidden photos so as to try and embarrass us.
"It is one more case of the greater Spanish block that through this individual and hidden cameras make these photos. It is an attack on intimacy and integrity and shows a lack of professional etiquette. They put all their effort into trying to muddy the image of Barcelona, something they have been doing for a while, long before we arrived, but they are not going to succeed. They follow me personally for the ideas that I have with the reason to divert attention from a bad result for them."
However this opinion is not followed by many Catalans and Barca fans who feel that Laporta has used his position for his own gains, like a trip through central and southern America on the grounds of meeting fan groups, but the need for such an expensive and extensive trip have been called into doubt.
With elections coming up at the end of this season, Laporta will have to stand down after having served two terms and it is unlikely that the future president will come from the present board as Sandro Rosell, a former vice-president the favourite.
Meanwhile professor Jaume Guixa has offered himself as an alternative to Laporta . he tried to stand in 2006 but without sufficient votes to launch a candidacy.
"We will propose stability and efficiency. I will listen to the members - the true owners of the club. I am a clear change from Laporta. Now Barca is doing well sports wise but Laportismo has to end with Laporta because we do not want a puppet or someone imitating him," he said, while clear to point out he would keep Guardiola but not Txiki Begiristain or the director Joan Oliver.
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A Thierry Henry header shortly after the restart set Barcelona up for a valuable victory over struggling Xerez to maintain their charge at the top of the table.
After the clasico win on Sunday it was crucial that the Barca players kept their feet on the ground for what appeared on paper to be a relatively straight forward clash against Xerez but as the rain came down coupled with poor pitch, it was soon clear that it was not going to be an easy match.
Pep Guardiola chose to rest several key players including Messi, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta and Puyol and while Barca did make hard work of their task they did get the crucial breakthrough after half-time with Henry heading home a cross from Maxwell. The goal will be an important confidence booster for Henry who has not been in good form of late, and was especially disappointing in the game against Real Madrid.
In midfield Seydou Keita was Barcelona's best player while Yaya Toure given a rare start alongside him produced a typical powerful display but at times looked like he was trying too hard to impress.
Midway through the second half Messi was brought on and then later Ibrahimovic was also added and the pair combined for Barcelona's second. Messi slipped the ball through for the Swede who delightfully lobbed the ball over the keeper to ensure the win.
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