Tag: 5

A reminder of the Champions Parade, one month on

A memorable day for both the players and fans / ALEIX TELLO-FCB
Two years later, the team was able to celebrate with the fans. It was a new experience for some of the players

It is one month and one day since Barcelona won the Champions League on June 6 by beating Juventus 3-1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The day after, the players were back in town to celebrate the second treble in club history in an open-top bus that paraded through the city from 7.00pm on a three-hour journey to the Camp Nou.

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Scenes of joy received the team from start to finish. Neymar Jr featured in one of the most unusual anecdotes when he asked some fans to get him a hamburger, which he ate along with Messi and Suárez. The most repeated chant of the day was “sí, sí, sí, la Champions ja és aquí” (yes, yes, yes, the Champions League is here).

Xavi took in his last ever celebration with Barça in relaxed fashion, sat in a corner of the bus sharing the moment with the fans. The biggest absentee was Claudio Bravo, who had already left for Chile to begin preparations for the Copa America, a trophy his country would end up winning for the first time. After the parade, the events switched to the Camp Nou, where about 70,000 were waiting for the team’s arrival and to hear a series of emotional speeches to close an exciting day.

Neymar Jr featured in one of the most unusual anecdotes when he asked some fans to get him a hamburger

Agreement with Atlético Madrid for the signing of Arda Turan

Arda Turan, new Barça signing with a welcome message in Turkish / Photomontage FCB
The Managing Committee approves the transfer of the player and FC Barcelona reserve the right of sale back to the Madrid club until 20 July this year

FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of the player Arda Turan. FC Barcelona reserve the right to re-sell the player to Atlético until 20 July.

The Managing Board of the Club were made aware last week of the request from coach Luis Enrique and from the favourable report from the Technical Committee that Arda Turan be brought in to form part of the FC Barcelona squad. The Committee has analysed the operation, stating that after negotiations that began months ago, there is an agreement for the signing of the midfielder with Atlético Madrid and with the player himself. Once the reports were studied, the Committee has given the go ahead to the operation.

Given that the operation is taking place during the electoral process, the Managing Committee understands that given their powers, as established in the Club’s statutes, are “limited to the necessary and vital activities that allow the club to function normally and protect its interests”, it is crucial for the operation to be structured in such a way that the Club can successfully sign the player requested by the coach and by the Technical Committee whilst at the same time allowing the next Board of Directors to ratify the operation.

With the intention of safeguarding the Club’s interests and respecting the final decision of the President elect and given the necessity of finalising the operation as soon as possible in order not to miss out on signing the player, FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Atlético Madrid for the signing of Arda Turan for the next five seasons for the figure of €34m with a possible €7m in variables.

The agreement includes the option of selling the player to Atlético Madrid for the fixed fee less 10% option costs. This option could be exercised by FC Barcelona up until midnight of 20 July if the next Board of Directors should wish so.

This agreement has been ratified unanimously by the Managing Committee.

The Managing Committee understands that the structure of this operation protects the interests of FC Barcelona and will respect the decision of the president that is elected by the members on 18 July.

One month ago today FC Barcelona won unprecedented second Treble in Club history

Xavi lifts the European Cup on 6 June 2015 in Berlin, Germany. / MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB
After winning La Liga on 17 May and conquering the Copa del Rey thirteen days later, Barça completed the Treble with the Club’s fifth Champions League title on 6 June

On 6 June, right around 10.30pm CET at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, FC Barcelona wrote a new page in the history of football by winning the Club’s fifth Champions League title and unprecedented second Treble.

First to fall

The road to the Treble began on 17 May at the in Vicente Calderón when Barça won 1–0 on Lionel Messi’s solitary goal to mathematically claim the La Liga title with one game still to play.

          * Together, unstoppable! See the special section for the La Liga champions, here. 

King of Cups

Then on 30 May, Athletic Club and FC Barcelona met in the Spanish Cup Final for the third time in six years, this time at Camp Nou. Messi opened the scoring on 20 minutes with one of the most dazzling sequences of his career and Neymar made it 2–0 sixteen minutes later. Athletic pulled one back, but Messi‘s second goal on 73 minutes closed the door and handed the Catalans their 27th Copa del Rey, made even more special since the match was played at home.La galeria de fotos de la celebració         * Copa del Rey Final, special section, here.

Trifecta

On 6 June at the Olympiastadion, both Juventus and Barça were harbouring Treble hopes, but the Catalans came out on top. Rakitic scored on four minutes but Juventus equalised with a second-half Morata goal. But Luis Suárez finished a rebound from a Messi shot that was saved by Buffon, and then Neymar clinched it in added time, 3–1.

          * European champions, special section, here.

Stadio Artemio Franchi stands tall in Tuscany

Fiorentina renovated the stadium ahead of the 1990 World Cup. / FCB PHOTOMONTAGE
Fiorentina’s home stadium was originally called the ‘Comunale’ but was renamed in 1991 after a former president of the Italian Football Federation

The Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, Italy, and formerly known as the Comunale and Giovanni Berta, is the home ground of ACF Fiorentina. It opened on 13 September 1931 and is one of the Tuscan capital‘s great architectural works of the twentieth century.

Treble history

Fiorentina renovated the field for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. While still called the ‘Comunale,’ the stadium hosted three group stage matches and the quarter-final between Diego Maradona‘s Argentina and Yugoslavia, a game that was decided on penalty kicks after ending in a goalless draw.

Barca last played there in the third game of the 2008/09 season at a memorial game marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Artemio Franchi — the former president of the Italian Football Federation and UEFA. Pep Guardiola — who was in his first season as coach and would go on to lead Barça to a historic first Treble that same season — was behind the bench as Barça triumphed 3–1 on goals from Carles Puyol, Jeffren Suárez and Bojan Krkic.

Bravo, Messi and Mascherano make 2015 Copa América team of the tournament

Lionel Messi was named to the Copa América 2015's best XI. / CA2015.COM
The three Barça players all make the Final and end up on best XI

FC Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, striker Lionel Messi, and midfielder Javier Mascherano were all named to the 2015 Copa América team of the tournament by CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football which organises the event. Bravo respresented Chile, which won this year’s edition, while both Messi and Mascherano played for Argentina, which finished as the runner-up. The final was decided on penalty kicks.

Bravo, the Chile captain who only allowed one penalty kick to get past him at the end of the Final, also received the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the competition.

Here’s a look at the complete team: