FC Barcelona News

Juan Ignacio Martínez’s men will visit the Camp Nou on Saturday

PREVIOUS 2012/13 ENCOUNTER

The Blaugrana visited the Ciutat de Valencia at the end of November for what proved to be a historic night of football. Barça defeated the always difficult side managed by Juan Ignacio Martínez by 0-4 thanks to two strikes from Leo Messi and goals from Andrés Iniesta and Cesc Fàbregas. The scoreline, while impressive, wasn’t what was plastered on the covers of international media outlets the following morning. News sources focused on the fact that Barça had finished the match 11 home-grown players for the first time in recent memory. In addition to this remarkable feat, Tito Vilanova’s men equalled the best ever start to a La Liga campaign. The previous record was set by Radomir Antic’s Real Madrid side in the 1991/92 season.

FORM GUIDE

Levante are in the relatively placid zone of the table – 12th – on 40 points from 31 matches. Of their last five matches in La Liga, they’ve won two, tied one and lost two. The defeats came at the hands of Real Madrid (5-1) and Deportivo (0-4), the draws were secured against Granada (1-1) and Getafe (0-0), while they claimed victory over Sevilla by 1-0.

ONES TO WATCH

Martínez will be able to call on his top scorers Rubén García and Barkero, both of whom have four goals apiece, and his powerful full backs, Segio Ballesteros and David Navarro. Unfortunately, the team’s most potent player in front of goal, Obafemi Martins, departed the Valencia-based side earlier this year for the Seattle Sounders.

The semi finals meetings with Chelsea in 2009 and Real Madrid in 2011 are two of Barça’s greatest moments in recent years

The cruel eliminations in 2010 and 2012, as well as defeat in 2008, have prevented FC Barcelona from appearing in more Champions League finals

Three disappointments and two triumphs have marked Barça’s recent history in Champions League semi finals

There have been moments of joy and despair in Barcelona’s most recent UCL semi final appearances, with the latest in the series, against Bayern Munich, just around the corner. FC Barcelona are into the last four for the sixth year in a row, and here we remember what happened the last five times they made it so far.

2007/08. Manchester United (0-0 and 1-0)
In Frank Rijkaard’s last season on the Barça bench, the team made the first of what have so far been six semi finals in a row. The first leg ended 0-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing an early penalty, but a solitary strike from Paul Scholes at Old Trafford was enough to see the Premiership side through to the final in the second leg.

2008/09. Chelsea (0-0 and 1-1)
As in 2008, FC Barcelona, now under Guardiola, had to go to England after a 0-0 at the Camp Nou. Once again, an early goal meant Barça were playing catch-up, but this time there was a happy ending, with Iniesta scoring a dramatic goal in the dying seconds to send Barça to Rome and provide one of the most memorable moments of the last decade.

2009/10. Inter Milan (3-1 and 1-0)
In their third consecutive semi final, Barça paid the price for a poor result in the away leg. They travelled to Milan by coach due to the recent volcano scare affecting flights in Europe, and the tiredness may have been a factor behind the 3-1 defeat. At the Camp Nou, Piqué narrowed the deficit, but some stolid Inter defending meant Barça missed out on the second goal they so desperately needed.

2010/11. Real Madrid (0-2 and 1-1)
The 2011 semi finals paired Barça with their oldest and most traditional rival. A 2-0 win at the Santiago Bernabéu was the perfect start, and with FCB scoring through Pedro, the 1-1 draw in the return was enough to seal passage. That day also marked the return of Eric Abidal, the man who would end up lifting the trophy when Barça won their fourth Champions League at Wembley.

2011/12. Chelsea (1-0 and 2-2)
As in 2009, Barça got a poor result in the first leg and failed to make amends in the return at the Camp Nou. And that was despite the perfect start in Barcelona, with goals from Busquets and Iniesta to put the home side back in command. But Chelsea pulled one back before half time, and then a Torres goal in injury time definitively put an end to all of Barça’s hopes of qualifying.

 

Photos – Messi with group in training session

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The Argentinian was able to take part in some of today’s training session, as was Sergio Busquets, who is recovering from groin trouble

Barça B goalkeeper Oier Olazábal also trained with the group while the usual second choice stopper, Pinto, did individual exercises

Leo Messi has rejoined normal squad training, after he have done individual fitness exercises the day before at the Ciutat Esportiva. Today he participated in some of the normal routine along with his team-mates. Sergio Busquets, who is recovering from groin trouble, was also able to train with the group.

Meanwhile, José Manuel Pinto continued working on a separate part of the field as he recovers from the lumbago that kept in out of the last squad for the Zaragoza match. As cover for him, Barça B’s Oier Olazábal was called upon to train with the first team.

This was the second to last training session before Saturday’s home fixture against Levante (20.00). Tito Vilanova will be conducting one further session on the morning of then match, behind closed doors at the Camp Nou at 11.30.

Guillermo Amor, Josep Maria Fusté, Carles Rexach, Roberto Dueñas and David Barrufet are the five men that will be acting as sponsors overseeing the futures of the almost 30,000 children attending FCBEscola around the world

These sponsors will represent FCBEscola at the different events that it organises and will support national and international projects

Thursday marked the official presentation of the five sponsors of FCBEscola on the fields next to the Miniestadi, the usual training grounds used by the academy. The Club has decided to introduce the very traditional Catalan figure of a ‘padrino’, who will act as guardians and overseers of the 30,000 boys and girls attending FCBEscola and the projects it runs around the world, always observing the exceptionally high standards of FC Barcelona.

Former FC Barcelona footballers Guillermo Amor, Josep Maria Fusté and Carles Rexach, and former basketball and handball player respectively, Roberto Dueñas and David Barrufet, will be providing their experience to help with the development of the children at FCBEscola both in a sporting and educational sense.

Proud to be chosen

The protagonists all described what an honour it has been to be chosen and have gratefully accepted this new responsibility.

According to the technical director of youth football at FC Barcelona, Guillermo Amor, “being sponsors of a project like FCBEscola is something to be grateful for, and personally it’s a joy because I am part of the Club and those of us working in youth football keep a very close eye on what is happening here … We sponsors have to be here, because we all appreciate the importance of youth sport and football”.

Josep Maria Fusté added that FCBEscola “is about teaching people, not just footballers, and they deserve all the luck in the world”. Former Barça basketball star Roberto Dueñas agreed, saying that “I am proud that they thought of me and wherever there’s a relationship between sport and young people, I’ll be there. Activities like this are always positive for children.” And finally, FC Barcelona’s former handball goalkeeper explained that “although people are always thinking about the professionals, the youth players are what really matter. My son is here, and it’s a joy to watch him work”.