The well-known North American actor is staying in the same Bucharest hotel as the Azulgranas.
It was certainly a curious run-in this Friday night as the FC Barcelona footballers and managers were visited by Andy García for dinner. The famous Cuban-born actor is staying in the same Bucharest hotel as the Azulgranas.
Mr. García, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in The God Father: Part III, is a world-famous actor.
Tito Vilanova’s men arrived in the Romanian capital this Friday where they will close out the 2012/13 pre-season with a friendly against Dinamo Bucharest
FC Barcelona arrived in Bucharest from Gothenburg where the team spent three days, played a friendly against Manchester United, and completed two training sessions. Tito Vilanova’s team will close out the 2012/13 pre-season with a friendly against Dinamo Bucharest on Saturday (19.15).
The Brazil international has been strongly linked with a move to Spain over the past 12 months, with Real Madrid and Barca both said to be keen on the 20-year-old.
Santos have said before that they will not sell Neymar before the 2014 World Cup finals, and subsequent reports stated that they have agreed on a deal in principle with Barcelona to sell the highly-rated player thereafter.
However, Vilanova has now rejected these reports, claiming that no deal of any kind has been agreed with the Brazilian club.
“I’ve never spoken about signing Neymar,” he said.
Neymar is currently on international duty with Brazil at the London Olympics.
Vilanova is now the first-team manager at Camp Nou after spending four years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant, having been promoted at the end of last season.
Argentina international Mascherano believes that the expectation which accompanies falling under the spotlight in Catalunya could come as a shock to Vilanova.
Mascherano told AS: “Tito will now carry the pressure, until now he was a lower-profile coach and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola.
“Now he has to assume the main role.
“With the move from assistant to manager he has gained notoriety.
“Today all the attention falls on him but he has always been an important part in the success of the team. Every one of us ought to respond in the same way.”
Mascherano, however, believes that Vilanova and Barca will benefit from having a fully-rested Lionel Messi for the first time in a number of years.
Argentine playmaker Messi has not played a competitive match in over two months; a welcome change after competing for his country in three major tournaments in the past four years.
“He has returned in good shape,” Mascherano said.
He continued: “It is true pre-season matches are to remember the habits, but the fact he has had a month’s rest has been proven to have an effect. This season he will be fresher.”
Barcelona defeated fellow European heavyweights Manchester United on penalties after a 0-0 draw in a pre-season friendly in Gothenburg.
Nani and Ashley Young, who did not convert for England at Euro 2012, both failed in the shoot-out, which was limited to just three penalties for each team, meaning Xavi and former United player Gerard Pique gave Barcelona the win.
Wayne Rooney had seen a penalty saved by Victor Valdes in the first half but Tito Vilanova’s Barca, who gave summer signing Jordi Alba a second-half debut, had dominated.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be reasonably pleased with the workout, although after watching his side fire a blank in Norway on Saturday, maybe the deal for Robin van Persie cannot come soon enough.
With Lucas Moura’s move to PSG being confirmed and speculation intensifying that Van Persie was about to agree a deal with the Old Trafford outfit, it was a busy enough day at United.
Compared to that, the opening stages were drab, certainly for a Red Devils outfit who were outplayed for long periods by a Barca team who have beaten them in two of the past four UEFA Champions League finals.
As ever, Lionel Messi was behind so many of the Catalans’ best moves.
The brilliant Argentina star only just failed to get on the end of Andres Iniesta’s delicate early pass beyond the Red Devils defence and he was marginally offside when David de Gea blocked a close-range effort.
It was soon apparent though that with Antonio Valencia again asked to occupy a full-back berth, Cristian Tello would find plenty of room down the flank.
Messi rolled one pass which the 20-year-old screwed wide and Iniesta set up another chance that he drilled into Rio Ferdinand.
Amidst this, Paul Scholes picked up a yellow card for a lunge on Sergio Busquets that sent the midfielder sprawling.
It was not particularly impressive from Ferguson’s men, although they did almost profit when Victor Valdes got his angles all wrong attempt to clear an Young corner and almost turned the ball into his own net.
The drama came in the final minute of the half though, when Tello slid into Nani to concede a needless penalty.
Rooney expected to bury it. Instead Valdes palmed the shot away, and Rooney inexplicably sent the rebound wide with a mis-hit left-footed effort.
Amongst the mass of half-time replacements were Shinji Kagawa and Jose Manuel Pinto.
And the United new-boy and Barcelona reserve goalkeeper were soon in direct opposition, with Pinto coming out on top each time.
The first was a precise shot for the corner, which Pinto did well to reach.
The second was more speculative, from a ridiculously acute angle, with would have beaten Pinto had he not been alive to the danger.
Barca’s enormous strength in depth was soon in evidence though as Euro 2012 winners Cesc Fabregas and Xavi began to exert their influence.
Alexis Sanchez was denied by De Gea, who then produced a brilliant save to keep out Pedro’s stooping header.
It may have been a friendly but Ferguson was off his bench to complain when Busquets pulled Nani back as the winger was about to break clear. As Nani lashed out in retaliation, both men were cautioned.
The introduction of Nick Powell was another reminder of how far the 18-year-old has come since leaving Crewe at the end of last season.
A three-shot shoot-out had already been planned in the event of a draw. In the end, only two were required.