Deco has been the first FC Barcelona to be officially called up by his country for the round of international matches to be played next week.
The Brazilian-born midfielder has been named in the Portugal squad to face Italy next Wednesday in the high profile encounter that will, unusually, be played in the Swiss city of Zurich. Gianluca Zambrotta is also likely to play in that match, although the Azzurri squad will not be named until next Sunday, as many more Blaugrana stars are expected to head off to play for their national sides.

Spain and France

The game with the greatest number of Barça players will surely be played in Málaga where Spain are due to take on France in a friendly that will see both teams have several Camp Nou teammates facing each either. French coach Raymond Domenech will name his squad on Thursday and Luis Aragonés will follow suit a day later.

Gudjohnsen, Márquez and Giovani

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Rafael Márquez and Giovani Dos Santos are all also in line to be named by their countries to play next week. Iceland take on Armenia in a friendly, while in Houston, Mexico will play the United States. None of the players have yet been confirmed though as it is still too early for coach's to name their squads.

Brazil and Argentina

Frank Rijkaard will be able to count on the Brazilian and Argentinian members of his squad though. Dunga is set to name a team of youngsters and untried players for the friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, while Lionel Messi nor Gaby Milito will be called up for Albiceleste's game against Guatemala.

 
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes that the Copa del Rey encounter with Villarreal is a vital match and has called upon the club's supporters to rally behind the team and help in the push for a semi final place.
After a goalless draw in the opening leg of the tie in El Madrigal, the place in the next round is up for grabs and the Blaugrana supremo wants the fans to back the team. "It is a vital game," he said. "Because of that we need the supporters to come to the stadium and be ready to encourage the team. We have to show that we are better than Villarreal, who are a great side, and to do that we need ourt fans. Reaching the semi final would give the team a huge confidence boost."

Confidence in Rijkaard and in the team

Despite seeing Barça drop two points further behind the league leaders after the draw in San Mamés against Athletic Bilbao last weekend, Laporta was keen to reaffirm his commitment to coach Frank Rijkaard and the rest of the technical team. "Myself and the board have great confidence in the team and the coach," Laporta continued. "We have complete faith in Rijkaard's ability, in his motivational sense and in the way that he coaches the team. We also have complete faith in the squad. We have very good players and the injured ones are returning all the time. When the squad is complete we will be able to show just how strong we are once again."

Ready to close the gap

Laporta then recognised that Real Madrid are on a good run of form, but believes that it will not last. "Now they are winning everything, but a moment always comes along when you begin to falter," he explained. "That is when we must be ready to reduce the gap. If we continue in our current form then that time will come and we will have to take advantage of it. To win trophies we know what hard work is need and now we are going to have suffer to earn something this time."

 
Villarreal under Manolo Pellegrini have cemented their place among the elite in the Spanish top flight after being promoted ten years and now they have their sights set on another upset at Camp Nou on Thursday evening.
It is no longer an unusual sight to see the Yellow Subamrine in the upper echelons of la Primera as they climbed steadily from a humble start after winning their place in the first division in 1998. In 2001 the team finished seventh in the table and in 2003 they qualified for Europe after winning the Intertoto Cup. A year later Villarreal made it into the Champions League and in 2006 they caused a real stir as they reached the semi finals only to be beaten by Arsenal. Now they are aiming to reach the semi finals of the Copa del Rey.

The maker, Pellegrini

A large part of the club's success story is due to Pellegrini. The Chilean coach has won more games than any of his predecessors in charge of the club as he has chalked up 62 wins in just over four seasons at the helm. He has also drawn 32 games and lost on 37 occasions, but arguably his greatest achievement was to guide the team to the semi finals of the Champions League two years ago, when only a late penalty miss from Juan Román Riquelme failed to save them from an exit at the hands of Arsenal.

Forceful in the two areas

This season, Villarreal have played 31 matches and have scored 56 times and 20 of them have come from the three outstanding stars; Nihat Kahveci, Giuseppe Rossi and Robert Pirès. The trio will all appear against Barcelona in the middle of a strong run of form. In goal, Diego López is keeping Uruguayan custodian Sebastian Viera out of the side, as he has conceded just three goals in the last four games, all of which came in the Bernabéu last weekend.

They do not know the tie

Villarreal have yet to win an away game since the turn of the year and are the only team not to have drawn o their travels throughout the entire season as they have won five and lost five. It is the same story in the cups as they were beaten by Recreativo after overcoming Las Palmas in the previous round in the Copa del Rey and have won all their games on their travels in the UEFA Cup.

Favorable statistics

A goalless draw away from home in the first leg of any cup competition is always tricky, but statistics show that Barça have a 91.6 per cent record of progressing. In their last 12 games when the Blaugrana have gone into a second leg with no goals having been scored in the opening 90 minutes and won on eleven occasions. In the nine previous meetings between Barça and Villarreal in Camp Nou, Barça have won five, drawn twice and lost twice.

 
After getting medical clearance on Monday, Ronaldinho joined in with normal training on Tuesday morning. The Miniestadi was the venue as the side got ready for Thursday’s cup game.
The first team was at the Miniestadi for the first of two training sessions on Tuesday. After almost a month on the sidelines, Ronaldinho trained with the rest of the squad and from this moment on is once again available for selection by Frank Rijkaard.

High intensity

The main focus of the team’s preparations was the return leg of the cup on Thursday at home to Villarreal, where a semi final place is at stake. Rijkaard is getting his injured players back, and the only players missing at the Miniestadi were Jorquera and Ezquerro, apart from Touré and Eto'o, who are at the African Nations Cup of course.

Márquez, who missed the last game with a thigh injury, trained in isolation, but joined in with some of the group exercises. Although he did tackle the circuit training section, the Mexican left for the dressing rooms before the session ended.

Work on pressure

The players divided into two groups to work on creating pressure on the first touch, playing on a downsized pitch. The orange group featured Deco, Ronaldinho, Puyol, Edmílson, Bojan, Sylvinho, Milito and Oleguer, while in green we had Gudjohnsen, Henry, Abidal, Xavi, Zambrotta, Messi, Giovani and fitness coach Albert Roca.

Barça have another training session this evening at 18.00.

 
Barça captain Carles Puyol has admitted that the draw in Bilbao has affected the team, but that they just have to keep believing in themselves, sticking together, keeping up the work rate and, above all, killing off games.
Carles Puyol was talking to the press after training on Tuesday and described the way the team is playing and how they feel after dropping two points on Sunday evening

Puyol knows exactly where things went wrong against Bilbao. “When it was 1-0, we needed to kill the game off. We played too far back. We have to learn from that and sometimes go all out for matches to kill them off”.

“We have to believe in ourselves”

He was fairly clear with his thoughts about the current situation of the team, saying “the first thing we need to do is believe in ourselves, stick together, and not let our heads drop as we wait until certain important players are back”, he said.

One of those players is Ronaldinho, “a very important player for us and who will contribute a lot. We have to make him feel comfortable because he is the kind of player that can turn a match at any moment and bring joy back into our game".

“We are working well but without brilliant football”

He went on to explain why he feels the side has lacked conviction of late. “We were getting good results, but the play was not as brilliant as might have been expected. But sometimes that’s not easy and you just have to be practical. We want to win and if we can win well, so much the better.”

Puyol ended by promising the fans that they will keep fighting until the end because “this is not over yet”. 

 
Barça’s second first team training session of the day involved an unusual exercise: a game of piggy in the middle involving the whole squad.
La Masia was the venue for the day’s second session, following on from a highly physical workout earlier today at the Miniestadi. This evening’s session involved much more of the ball.

Leo Messi was not there with his team mates, for after only recently recovering from injury and playing ninety minutes at San Mamés, it was considered a better idea for him just to train in the morning and do specific exercises in the afternoon. He should be back again on Wednesday to get ready for the cup game with Villarreal along with everybody else.

Márquez and Ezquerro, meanwhile, worked out on their own in the gym and on the pitch as they recover from their respective injuries. The Mexican did, however, take part in most of the morning session with the rest of the team.

Giant piggy in the middle

All of the players, along with goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué and fitness trainer Albert Roca formed a huge circle, with 16 players in the ring and three inside trying to win possession of the ball. The players then worked on one-twos and then shots on the goals defended by Valdés and Pinto.

Game to end

The session ended with a match played on a three-quarter size pitch, with the following teams taking part:

In orange bibs: Valdés, Thuram, Abidal, Henry, Giovani, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Zambrotta and Edmílson.

No bibs: Pinto, Oleguer, Bojan, Sylvinho, Ronaldinho, Deco, Puyol, Milito and Iniesta.

 
The football first team is to have a double training session this Tuesday to get ready for their Cup fixture against Villarreal on Thursday. Some of the injured players are also to play in a training game this afternoon, Monday, against Barça B.
A specific training plan has been drawn up for this week because of the return match in the King’s Cup against Villarreal (Thursday, 22:00) and the League game on Sunday with Osasuna (19:00). Although the squad has today Monday off, some of the players who are recovering from injury will be given an outing in a training match against Barça’s reserve team at 17.30 this afternoon at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper as part of their recovery plan.

Double session on Tuesday

The first team will train twice this Tuesday, once in the morning at 11:00 and again in the evening at 18:00, as the players start to get ready for the King’s Cup fixture with Villarreal on Thursday at 22:00. On Wednesday, after a session behind closed doors at 19:00, Frank Rijkaard will announce the squad for the Cup match and the team will head off to their pre-match hotel.

Games on Thursday and Sunday

After drawing the first leg 0-0, both Barça and Villarreal will be looking to book their place in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup in the return leg on Thursday. The players will have little time to rest afterwards as they will have another training session at 12:00 on Friday morning, this time to gear up for the League. On Saturday they will train behind closed doors, at 11:00, to make final preparations for the game against Osasuna on Sunday.

 
After 21 matches in the League, Barça is doing better than last season but it’s still not enough for the moment to keep up with Real Madrid.
FC Barcelona is in second spot, nine points behind the leader Real Madrid. However, the side is actually doing better than it was at this stage last time round.

With 44 points from 21 matches, Barça has one more than the 43 it had amassed after the same number of games in 2006-07.

That means that the nine-point difference with the leader is down to the good results achieved by Real Madrid this season. In fact, Bernd Schuster’s side has the highest points total ever achieved since the League changed over to three points for a win.

Better goal difference as well

In addition to having more points, Barça also has a better goal difference so far this season. Even though the team has netted three times fewer than last time round (2006/07: 43; 2007/08: 40), the defence is better and is conceding fewer goals.

At present Barça have only let in 14 and have the best defensive record in the League. Last year after 21 games they had already conceded 18. That means that the team’s goal difference is now one better than at the same stage in 2006/07.

Solid leader

This improvement, however, has coincided with Real Madrid’s run of form. Madrid has 15 points more than it did a year ago, the side hasn’t dropped a single point at home and it is also on a run of 8 consecutive victories (24 points) after Sunday’s triumph over Villarreal (3-2).

53 points

Real Madrid’s performances have broken one record, as Bernd Schuster’s side has got the highest number of points at this stage of the season since the League switched over to three points for a win. Its total of 53 is one more than the previous record set by Barcelona in the 2005/06 season after 21 matches.

 
Deco played his 150th official game for Barcelona on Sunday in San Mamés against Bilbao. The matches have been split over six separate competitions and the Portuguese player has scored 21 goals.
On 29 August 2004, Anderson Luis de Souza, better known as Deco, made his debut in an official game wearing the Barça shirt. In the three years and five months since then, he has turned out for the club in 150 official matches in six different competitions.

150 games in six competitions

The bulk of the games have been in the League, with Deco playing in 107 matches. In other competitions the midfielder has played 28 games in the Champions League, seven in the King’s Cup, four in the Spanish Super Cup, one in the UEFA Super Cup and two in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Debut at the Sardinero and first goal

The Portuguese midfielder made his debut in the League match against Ràcing de Santander played at the latter’s Sardinero ground in a game that Barça won 2-0 with goals from Giuly and Eto'o. Deco’s first goal didn’t take long as he found the net on 14 September 2004 in his first Champions League match, with Glasgow Celtic being on the receiving end.

Since coming to Barcelona Deco has been a key player in Rijkaard’s midfield, both geeing up the side’s attack and also contributing the sizeable tally of 21 goals in 150 encounters.

First goal in the League

Deco scored his first goal in the League in the derby against Español two months after his debut. He struck early in the match and it turned out to be the winner in a closely fought encounter between the local rivals.

Since then Deco has scored another 19 goals, with 12 coming in the League, six in the Champions League, two in the Spanish Super Cup and one in the Club World Cup.

This season’s figures

In the 2007/08 campaign to date Deco has played in 17 matches, 12 of them in the League and the other five in the Champions League. So far he has only scored one goal, against Atlético de Madrid in the Camp Nou. However his opportunities have been restricted by an injury to an abductor muscle in his left leg which he picked up in the game against Villarreal.

 
Frank Rijkaard stressed that the team has not given up hope of winning the League even though he admitted that Real Madrid is in good form. He also revealed that Ronaldinho is about to come back into the squad.
“Green light for Ronaldinho. I hope he’ll be back in the squad very soon to give us a hand.” That was how Frank Rijkaard announced the imminent return of Ronaldinho during the presentation this lunchtime of the money raised from the book “37 històries solidàries al voltant de l’esport”, written by sports journalists with the help of the Dutch coach who also penned the foreword.

Real Madrid on a roll

Rijkaard also recognised that Madrid is in good form and will be hard to catch in what is left of the League campaign. Nevertheless the first team coach is not throwing in the towel. “We’re not giving up on anything,” he said. “After yesterday’s result the gap’s bigger. We’ve just got to keep at it.” He went on to point out that “when we were leaders just about everyone said we were the best” and in a reference to the pressure which can still be put on Real Madrid, added that “the hardest part for us was showing we were.”

It’s all about pride

At any event, Rijkaard is well aware that Real Madrid is going to be a tough nut to crack. “Madrid is the best side in the League as it’s winning the points. But we can’t give up on the title and we’ve got to keep playing with pride and put our backs into it.” Once again Rijkaard emphasised that the players have to work and fight for the club’s fans: “The fans want us to be in top spot, but Madrid is picking up the points and not slipping up.”

 
The Barça players took part in an afternoon training match today, Monday. One of the teams was mostly made up of first-team members and the other of Barça B players.
Players from the first team, Barça B and the youth A and B sides played in an 11-a-side game at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva this afternoon.

Pinto, Abidal, Oleguer, Gudjohnsen, Edmílson, Giovani and Ronaldinho from Frank Rijkaard’s first team squad featured in the match which finished with their team winning 4-1.

Guerra notches two

One of the outstanding players in the 60-minute game was the Barça B striker Emilio Guerra, who scored the first two goals in the match. Gudjohnsen then made it 3-0 with an excellent chip.

The team made up of the rising stars of Barça’s youth setup didn’t throw in the towel, however, and got a goal back in the second half scored by Urbano from the penalty spot. A short while later Rueda made it 4-1 which is how the match ended.

Ronaldinho plays the entire game

Ronaldinho, who after the training session was declared fit by club doctors, played all 60 minutes and was in good touch. He was the main attacking force for his side and produced moments of sheer class on a number of occasions.

Spectators at the match included Frank Rijkaard, Txiki Begiristain, Eusebio Sacristán and Pep Guardiola, and the referee was Aureli Altamira, fitness trainer for Barça B.

 
Ronaldinho was given the green light by club doctors this Monday evening and will be back in action after 28 days on the sidelines.
The Brazilian was given the all clear after the training match played this afternoon at the Ciutat Esportiva with Barça B players. In recent weeks the striker has been following a personalised plan to recover from an injury to his left knee.

Injury time

After the Christmas break Ronaldinho reported pain in his left leg and was immediately put onto a personalised rehabilitation plan combining fitness and skills work. The player has been working hard over the last week and his most recent tests and examinations have been very positive.

At the end of 2007

Ronaldinho’s last match was the game against Madrid, the last fixture before the Christmas holidays. Prior to getting injured he had played in 17 League and Champions League games and scored a total of seven goals.

28 days on the sidelines

Since he’s been on the injury list the striker has missed four League matches against Mallorca, Murcia, Racing de Santander and Athlétic de Bilbao, and 4 King’s Cup games: the return match in the last 32 against Alcoyano, the two legs of the last 8 tie against Sevilla and the first leg of the quarter-final against Villarreal.

 
Despite good hopes early on, things are not going as well as expected in Bilbao. Staring relegation in the face and with a place in the cup semi finals under threat, Athletic is a historic club enduring hard times.
After last year’s elections president Fernando García Macua promised major changes to the first team. Manager Joaquín Caparrós was the first person to be drafted in, followed by the signings of Sevilla’s Aitor Ocio, Navarrans Iñaki Muñoz and David López from Osasuna, David Cuéllar of Nàstic Tarragona and also former Espanyol keeper Gorka Iraizoz. Santi Ezquerro was also targeted, but eventually opted to stay at Barça.

Few points in Bilbao

Athletic Club are fifteenth, but equal on points with Murcia, who are in the relegation zone. Caparrós’ side have been especially poor at home, where they have only won two games out of ten, with six ending in draws. The strikers have only mustered nine goals between them while eight have been conceded. Bilbao are finding it hard to win, but the fact is that other sides are also finding it hard to get three points from trips to San Mamés.

Better moments for Athletic

But there have been some good moments too. The 2-0 win at San Mamés against Sevilla, for one, and a terrific performance away to Valencia, when the Lions won 3-0. But they have only beaten Sevilla and Recreativo at home, while away wins have been collected at Valencia, Levante and Valladolid.

 
Rijkaard was sorry to see two points go to waste at San Mamés. But he said that although “it is a shame, we have not given up yet”.
Despite taking the lead through Bojan and enjoying several chances to go even further ahead Barça saw how Sunday’s opponent, Athletic Bilbao, were able to snatch a late equaliser in the 78th minute. The Barça manager described Llorente’s goal as “a psychological blow to the team, until then they had controlled the situation for most of the game”.

“The team fought hard”

Frank Rijkaard believes that it was always going to be a complicated game, one that saw a Barça that “fought very hard … and was able to create several chances" to score more. But although his side has dropped two crucial points in their chase to catch up with Real Madrid, Rijkaard feels that "if we carry on like that, I am sure we can close the gap ... we can't say that we have given anything up".

No lack of ambition

Frank Rijkaard also explained that “I don’t think the team lacked ambition, mainly because you can hardly say that we didn’t create chances to score a second goal. But unfortunately our opponents were able to get a draw”. He ended his conference by saying “we have to look at ourselves and focus on our work. We have to keep working and fighting hard”.

 
Víctor Valdés has not given up on the league despite the difference between Barça and Madrid, and the heavy blow of failing to win at San Mamés. He knows there is still a long way to go and that the team has to keep fighting to do the best they can.
The draw at Athletic Bilbao was not a result that pleased the squad, but rather than letting their heads drop, the players are ready to keep up the fight.

Víctor Valdés:

“We have to put every effort into all three competitions. This was a step in the wrong direction. We can only hope that the leaders drop points and that we can win our own games”.

“Athletic had a good second half. They had a chance, and they scored from it, and that gave them the push they needed. They saw they had a chance, and also defended well, giving us few chances”.

“It is a sad day for us because we could only afford to win. There is nothing decided yet and there are plenty of games left. There is nothing we can do other than win a game at a time”.

“The team gave it everything but things fell off a bit in the second half. And they played well, especially in defence”.

“We want to win more than anybody, to win for Barça and to win titles. Now we just have to keep pressing on with what we do”.

Andrés Iniesta:

“We did the hardest thing, go ahead, and it looked like we had the game won. But we were unable to control the game in the second half”.

“We didn’t ease off because we knew that the damage could come at any moment. They played direct football, and we were unable to deal with it”.

“We needed more of the ball. We had very few chances to get the ball”.

“We have not said goodbye to the league, and won’t until it is mathematically decided. There are lots of games left”.

 
On Friday, Andrés Iniesta extended his contract with Barça until 2014. The player that grew up through the club’s youth ranks has now been established as one of the key components of the FC Barcelona squad.
Andrés Iniesta is into his sixth season as part of the Barça first team. Here we look back at some of the most important moments in his career, which have culminated in him becoming a regular member of Frank Rijkaard’s first eleven.

21 December 2002: official debut

Louis Van Gaal gifted Andrés Iniesta his debut in the fifth game of the Champions League group stage. The opponents that day were Belgian outfit Club Brugge.

14 January 2004: first goal for Barça

It was the round of sixteen in the Copa del Rey, and Barça welcomed Levante to the Camp Nou. Andrés Iniesta scored the opening goal of a 3-1 win for the Catalan side.

10 April 2004: first league goal

The midfielder from La Mancha scored his first league goal in game 32 against Valladolid. He was starting to become the star he is today and shortly after got his first call up for the senior Spain squad.

19 November 2004: first new contract

Although he was already tied to the club until 2006, FC Barcelona offered Andrés Iniesta a contract until 2010. In the 2004-2005 season he really was becoming an ever-present in the first team, playing 37 league games that year, a total only matched by Samuel Eto'o.

15 May 2005: first title

Barça beat Levante to end a great season as champions. It was the first major title Andrés Iniesta celebrated at Barça, and he himself has made a huge contribution to that success.

3 June 2006: second league

Rijkaard and Barça de Rijkaard retained the title against Celta Vigo. The Dutchman had once again made regular use of Iniesta, who was becoming an established star both in Spain and abroad.

17 May 2006: historic final

The Champions League Final in Paris, where Barça went a goal down to Arsenal. Iniesta came on in the second half and was one of the players that changed the game as his side came from behind to become European champions.

2006/07 season: most games

Andrés Iniesta became more and more important for Barça and made more appearances than any other player. Frank Rijkaard clearly now has every confidence in a midfielder that still has many, many years of football ahead of him.

 
The French defender returns to the squad for Barça’s visit to Bilbao. But the Mexican has a thigh injury and will not play.
Frank Rijkaard has picked the 18 players that are available for the game at Athlétic Club in San Mamés. These include Éric Abidal, who has got over the foot problem that left him out of the side that went to Villarreal. But Rafa Márquez collected an injury of his own at El Madrigal and will not be making the trip north.

Training behind closed doors

The squad trained in private today as they get ready for tomorrow’s encounter. Before starting, Rijkaard gathered the players into a group on the Camp Nou turf to congratulate Andrés Iniesta on extending his contract until 2014.

 
After renewing his contract until 2014, the midfielder has spoken about how pleased he is and thanked the club for all it has done for him.
Grateful and humble, Andrés Iniesta told the media that “I am very grateful to Barça and the fans because they have put their faith in me. Barça have given me and my family everything and so I want to give them back everything I can, and that is in no other place than on the pitch”.

Characteristic humility

But he does not feel that the contract extension and such high figures make him feel like a superstar, saying “I have always felt the same, I have always felt like a growing footballer. I like to feel simple”.

Iniesta has no problems with being something of a utility man in the middle of the park. “Being on the pitch is all I need. I naturally play in the middle, but it is up to the manager to decide where to put me and where I can do the best for the team. I am just happy to play” he said.

“I have always felt valued”

The extended contract certainly makes a difference to Iniesta in a professional sense, but on a personal level everything remains the same. “I have always felt valued by the club and fans regardless of what it says on my contract. Yes, we have come to a new agreement but the shows of affection are just the same”.

Clear on one thing

“I am clear on one thing and that is staying here” he said when asked if he would ever listen to offers from other teams, and in fact went on to say that “what I want to do is play and show what I am worth and that I deserve this contract and to be here. Truth is, I never look at the figures.”

 
The Barça manager has said that the team has been working on finding new ways of working the attack. He asked the players to show their keenness and focus as they work for a win at San Mamés.
A lot of names have come up this week: Ronaldinho, Valdés, Milito, Messi, Deco, Iniesta... Frank Rijkaard faced the press today to talk about these issues, and also the game on Sunday against Athletic Club de Bilbao.

Work on attack

“We are fine, and looking forward to a good game at San Mamés”, he said. “Attitude is important, as is keenness and concentration. We have to be able to show that we are mentally up to the task”. After the 0-0 draw at the Madrigal, Rijkaard wants to see the team doing better upfront. “The team is working well but we need to make our chances count. We are missing simple things, which are often the most difficult. We need to get the ball moving around in a way that helps each other … Not every goal has to be a work of art”.

The coach was asked if Leo Messi will be in the first eleven against Athletic: “He is training little by little, as we planned. Messi is fine, and now is the time for him to be coming on the second half, but we’ll see tomorrow whether or not he goes on from the start”.

Best defence in the league

Rijkaard is very happy with Barça’s defensive displays. “I am not surprised. In the last four years we have always had one of the best defensive records”. Víctor Valdés and Gaby Milito have done especially well, but the manager didn’t like to single anybody out. “Milito is proving to be a very important player at the back and Valdés is the best keeper we could have right now. He has character, he’s brave, he has the mentality, I think he is one of the best in the world”.

Happy for Iniesta

Rijkaard explained how he had grouped the players together to congratulate Andrés Iniesta on extending his contract until 2014. It is important to know such a key player has been tied to the club for so long. “I am very pleased for him. I am delighted he will be at the club for so many years”. But will Deco also be staying so long? Rijkaard’s answer to that question was that “I am not worried. I have spoken to him and I think his words have been taken out of context. He is a winner and just wants to know that the team works”.

 
The first team trained this morning at La Masia after returning from Villarreal. The starting eleven did recovery work while the others had slightly more intense work to do.
After staying the night in Castellón and flying back to Barcelona this morning, Frank Rijkaard’s side was immediately sent to the training ground. None of Xavi, Milito, Deco, Sylvinho, Márquez or Valdés were involved, as they had medical treatment issues to deal with. Sylvinho has a contusion injury in his right leg, Víctor Valdés has hurt his wrist, Márquez is having trouble with his left thigh, while Deco’s problem is with his left abductor. Xavi has injured his right thigh, and Milito took a knock in the back.

Ronaldinho, Abidal and Ezquerro were also absent, all of whom have more long-term injuries to deal with.

Gentle for first eleven

The players that appeared against Villarreal were not put under too much pressure, and in fact, Thuram and Zambrotta did little more than join in with the warm-up before leaving. Henry, Giovani and Iniesta also left once the circuit training had been completed.

Bojan, Puyol, Oleguer, Gudjohnsen, Messi and Edmílson passed the ball around and then tackled the same circuit that Henry, Giovani and Iniesta had done before. José Manuel Pinto, meanwhile, worked out with goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué.

 
The goalless draw in Villarreal leaves Barça needing to win the return leg in order to qualify for the semi finals of the cup, but Deco feels the result “gives us plenty of options at home”.
Deco started his press conference by reflecting on last night’s result. “True, the result could have been better, especially considering the number of chances we had, but I still think the goalless draws gives us plenty of options for winning at home” he said.

Good play

Despite the result, the midfielder was happy with their performance in a game that “was almost all about Barça”. He refuted all suggestions that it had been an unconvincing display from his team. “I don’t think our style is not entertaining enough” he said. “Yesterday, for example, we had a great second half, we are working hard and it’s paying off. I think we're playing well.”

From cup to league

It’s been tough of late, with two games every week, but Deco knows what they have to do this weekend in the Basque Country. “We know we can’t afford to drop points in the league. We have to go there to get the three points and that’s what we’ll try to do” he said.

The future of the league

The Portuguese star is still hopeful that Barcelona can close the gap on runaway league leaders Real Madrid: “There are a lot of games ahead. Yes, we do need them to drop some points but all we can do is take things a game at a time, and if we win all our matches, the time will come when we catch them up … we have every chance of winning the league, just like last year when we had a big advantage and they ended up winning it”.

No plans for the future

Deco was asked about his future at the club, which some sectors of the press seem to feel is in doubt. “I like to win and feel that I am helping my team. If I feel I can do that here, I will stay, but this is something to decide upon when the season is over” he said.

“Respect for all opinions”

He went on to explain that “there will always be people who criticise and people who like you. It is only normal for there to be differences and I respect them all. But what is most important for me is for the coach to be happy and for the people to be happy with the work I am doing … I have nothing to prove”.

 
On Friday afternoon, Andrés Iniesta extended his contract with FC Barcelona until 2014.
The FC Barcelona midfielder, aged 23 years, now has a contract with the club until June 30, 2014. That means an extension of four years on the deal Iniesta had until now, set to expire in 2010.

The rescission clause on the player born in Fuentealbilla is now 150 million euros.

Andrés Iniesta is expected to speak to the press about the new deal after Saturday’s training session.

 
In a departure from the usual matchday practice, the players had a light training session on Thursday morning ahead of tonight’s Cup clash with Villarreal, which kicks off at 10 pm local time.
The appearance of the Barça squad generated quite a stir though the session was held in private after the first ten minutes.

The players, who arrived in Villarreal on Wednesday evening, did a number of stretching and warm-up exercises. The coaches decided on this relatively unusual session because of the lateness of tonight’s kick-off time.

Excitement

Reporters were only allowed to follow the first ten minutes of the session help at the Villarreal sports complex. Even so, players from the local reserve and youth squads were eager to catch of glimpse of the Barça players from their seats in the stand. There were also plenty of people in and around the sports complex drawn by the opportunity to see the visiting players.

The players and coaches will return to Barcelona on Friday morning.

 
Ronaldinho has been cleared to rejoin the squad next week after recovering from the injury to his left knee.
Club doctors released a bulletin this morning in which they stated that the tendon problem in Ronaldinho’s left knee had completely disappeared. He’ll be able to rejoin the squad at the beginning of next week.

The bulletin also confirmed that all the scans on the problem area had been positive.

 
The Barça players all agree that the only thing missing from their performance against Villarreal was a goal. However, they believe that the home advantage in the second leg should see them safely through to the semi-finals.
Speaking to reporters immediately after the match, the players insisted they had done more than enough to win the game. The performance was great – only a failure to take their chances had robbed them of a deserved victory.

Víctor Valdés:

“The team is working very well in defence. The numbers show that”.

“The balls were under inflated and that made them move strangely in the air”.

“Villarreal shoot well from the middle distance and their players have a lot of quality”.

“The main thing is that the team was very strong. We were up against an in-form team”.

“It was one of Barça’s best away performances. We’ve always done well on that ground. Today we played well and took responsibility at all times”.

Giovani dos Santos:

“The team deserved a bit more. We started the first half well and in the second half they faltered and we got stronger. We only lacked a goal. Now we have to give 100% in the Camp Nou”.

“It’s important that the trainer keeps his confidence in me”.

Leo Messi:

“We found more space in the second half and that’s why we had more chances”.

“We’re favourites because the second leg is at home. It’ll be tough but we’re strong in the Camp Nou”.

Andrés Iniesta:

“It was an intense match. It was a pity we didn’t score, which would have been fairer”.

“We had a number of chances but now with the score at 0-0 the way is open to the next round. We have to win in the Camp Nou. Playing at home is a point in our favour”.

“If we win at home we’re in the next round”.

Sylvinho:

“We put in a great performance in every sense. We left a good impression”.

“The team was focussed on the match from the very beginning”.

“The team deserved to score. But it’s all in our favour, playing at home, to qualify”.

 
Frank Rijkaard was upbeat after the draw in Villarreal and stressed that in the return game: “we’ll be at home, which on paper at least is an advantage - we have to make sure we finish off job at the Nou Camp”.
Although Rijkaard insisted on showing respect for Villarreal ahead of the return game next Thursday, he stressed the importance of playing at home and reckoned: “we’ll be going all out for a semi-final spot – we have to prepare the game thoroughly and then do the job on the night”.

Praise for Valdes

The boss was adamant that: “tonight’s game wasn’t easy at all – Villarreal had there chances”, whilst congratulating his players who: “put in a good performance, it’s just a pity we didn’t get a goal with all the chances we created” Rijkaard also had words of praise for Victor Valdes: “he made some great saves in the game”.

Chances created

For Rijkaard, the game began well for Barca: “we were clear as to where we going at the start – always looking to attack, but after the first 20-25 minutes we lost our way a bit –maybe because we just couldn’t get the goal we were after. I think we could have reacted a bit better to that, but with Messi on after the break, we started to create more chances again”.

“The goals will come”

The team’s scored just once in the last three games, but Rijkaard is refusing to panic: “that’s a problem if the team’s also failing to create chances, but that’s not the case right now. We just have to keep on working hard –the goals will come”.

 
José Edmílson has been given the green light to appear against Villarreal on Thursday after overcoming a muscle injury and has been included in Frank Rijkaard's squad.
Frank Rijkaard has named 18 players for the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter final in El Madrigal. Edmílson is among the list after he was told by club doctors that he was fit again having missed the past two weeks with a knock. One player that is absent from the squad is Éric Abidal who has received a blow to his left foot. The French international defender joins Ronaldinho and Albert Jorquera in the treatment room, while Samuel Eto'o, Ezquerro and Touré Yaya are away at the African Cup of Nations.

Training behind closed doors

Barcelona trained behind closed doors on Wednesday morning in Camp Nou. All the available players were called in along with youngster Pedrito, Víctor Sánchez and Busquets from the B team. Ronaldinho trained on the pitch in front of La Masia as he continues with his specific recovery programme.

 
Frank Rijkaard reflected on Barcelona's last two defeats in El Madrigal to highlight the size of the task that Barcelona face in the Copa del Rey on Thursday and did not rule out Lionel Messi and José Manuel Pinto starting.
Playing Villarreal away has not been a happy experience for Barça in recent season as the Dutch coach has never guided his side to victory there. The only time that the Blaugrana have won in El Madrigal since he took over as coach was in the 2005-06 season when Rijkaard missed the game with an illness and Henk ten Cate took control for the day. "They were better in the last league game," he said. "They came out very strongly and scored early on. We were unable to turn things around and Villarreal justifiably won. They are a team that can wait for to play in their half before launching counter-attacks or can come out and attack you from the first minue. We know what to expect and we will have to go out and start strongly ourselves."

Messi and Pinto in line

As normal, Rijkaard would not comment on his starting team but he did not rule our the possibility that Pinto and Messi could both be in the side. "I have faith in Pinto," he stated. "He is working hard and is adapting to the squad. He may not have played that many games this season and we will have to evaluate that and decide what is best. As for Messi, I have spoken to the player and the medical team to evaluate his progress. I think that he is on the point of returning to the starting eleven, but I do not know if he can play a full 90 minutes yet. We will have to see if he starts or comes on."

Ronaldinho improving

Rijkaard was then asked Ronaldinho's current state and he gave a positive report about the Brazilian's progress. "Keeping in mind his situation as he has just overcome an injury, I think he is doing very well," he said. "I have talked to the doctors and physical coaches and they have said that he is in great shape. There are no longer any problems." As for the continuing speculation about Ronaldinho's future at Barça, Rijkaard stated that it was normal that a lot of clubs would want to have the superstar in their teams, but assured that he was happy at Camp Nou.

 
The first team trained on Tuesday morning at La Masia as they get ready for Thursday’s cup encounter with Villarreal.
After a recuperation session on Monday, Frank Rijkaard now has his eyes on the cup quarter final against Villarreal, the time of which has been confirmed as 22.00 on Thursday. Deco was back to work after the club had given him permission to miss training on Monday.

19 players

Frank Rijkaard had his full squad with him, with the exceptions of the injured Ronaldinho and Ezquerro.

Carles Puyol, who has a bit of a cold, joined the other players at La Masia but after chatting to Rijkaard for a while, opted to finish his training session alone in the gym.

Possession play

After passing the ball around in groups of three, the players divided into two teams to play a game without goals. The aim was just to keep possession and work on speed and putting pressure on opposing players.

The orange bibs were worn by Deco, Bojan, Xavi, Abidal, Edmílson, Thuram and Milito, playing against the bib-less Henry, Gudjohnsen, Zambrotta, Giovani, Sylvinho, Oleguer and Messi. At the start of the game, Iniesta and Márquez played as extras, joining whichever team had possession of the ball, a role that was later occupied by Deco and Gudjohnsen.

Circuit training

The players that started against Racing then did a series of sprints before heading off to the showers. The other players stayed on the pitch a little longer and did circuit training.

 
Frank Rijkaard is now the manager that has won the second highest number of matches at FC Barcelona. After beating Racing, Rijkaard has moved ahead of fellow Dutchman Rinus Michels.
Rijkaard has now won 106 league games for Barça, one more than the legendary Rinus Michels, who managed Barça for six seasons between 1971 and 1978. But he still has a long way to go if he wants to catch up with yet another Dutchman, Johan Cruyff, with 183 wins.

Best winning percentage

Of all the managers in the modern era that were here for at least 100 games, Rijkaard has the highest winning percentage, on 61%. He is followed by Cruyff, with 59%, Daucik, with 58%, Venables, with 55%, Van Gaal, with 54%, and Michels, with 51%.

Rijkaard has managed Barça in a total of 172 league outings, 32 fewer than Michels. In those games, he has witnessed 106 wins, 39 draws and just 27 losses.

Michels, Cruyff and Rijkaard’s shared history

The three managers with the most wins all share a similar past. Michels, Cruyff and Rijkaard are all Dutch, all made their playing debuts at Ajax and all three formed part of the same team at some time or other.

As manager of Holland, Rinus Michels created the famous Total Football approach to the game, which took his team to the 1974 World Cup Final, with Cruyff and Neeskens in the side. Michels would go on to manage Barcelona, and would sign Johan Cruyff as a player.

Cruyff shared 5 seasons with Rijkaard at Ajax: from 1981-83 they were both in the playing squad, and from 1985-88 Rijkaard was a player while Cruyff was on the bench. And Rijkaard then won the 1988 European Championship under Michels.

 
Leo Messi believes that the side should approach the game at El Madrigal by bearing in mind the return leg at the Camp Nou. But that is not to say that they will not be looking for a win on Thursday.
FC Barcelona cannot afford to make the same kind of mistakes against Villarreal as they did when they met in the league. “We know it will be a difficult game. We already found that out in the league, when they beat us easily” said Messi.

The Argentinian claims to be feeling fine in a fitness sense and that in the cup match "we have to remember that it is a two-legged affair and that all will be decided with us having home advantage. We have to keep the return leg in mind when we play”.

The need to win

In the league, Madrid are still seven points clear but Messi feels that for Barça "the important thing is to keep winning. We have to concentrate on doing our job, and they (Madrid) will end up losing some games." The striker believes it is highly unlikely that Madrid will win all 18 games they have left, so it is just a matter of having a bit of patience.

But Messi was forced to admit that Madrid “are doing well and getting through difficult games without many problems”.

In defence of Ronaldinho

Asked about Ronaldinho’s condition, Messi said “he is working very hard, doing double sessions almost every day. He is very keen and for us, the sooner he comes back the better.” He also heartily agrees with what Laporta recently said, in that Ronaldinho is suffering unfair criticism from some parts of the press.

Boos and whistling

Giovani was jeered by some of the crowd in the game against Racing, and Messi said such whistles “are not good either for him or for the group.” He does not think that it has had too much of an effect on his Mexican colleague, who he is convinced “will keep playing as well as he has up to now”.

 
Thierry Henry has scored 10 goals in three competitions this season. Of the 8 games he has scored in, 7 have resulted in Barça wins, while the other certified qualification for the quarter finals of the cup.
If Henry scores, then it usually spells good news for Barça. The French striker has been on target 6 times in the league, and twice each in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, and all those goals have led to positive things. Of all those games, only one didn't end in a Barça victory, and that was the important away draw in the cup first leg in Sevilla, an away goal that would eventually mean Barça went into the last eight.

4 league wins

The six league goals, which tie him with Ronaldinho and are only surpassed by Leo Messi, have led to 4 different wins. He scored a hat trick away to Levante (1-4), and scored at the Camp Nou against Almería (2-0), Betis (3-0) and Racing (1-0). That’s three goals at home and three away.

Two Champions League goals at Camp Nou

He also scored twice in the Champions League group. The first came against Olympique Lyon (3-0), his first ever at the Camp Nou. He also scored the opening goal when Barça entertained Glasgow Rangers (2-0). Henry is the fourth highest goalscorer in Champions League history, having totalled 44 goals for Barça, Monaco and Arsenal.

One in each round

Henry has scored in every round of the Copa de Rey played to date, curiously always in the away leg, first at Alcoyano (0-3), and then two weeks ago at the Sánchez Pizjuán (1-1).

 
The Brazilian defender took a full part in squad training on Monday morning. As usual, the eleven players that started Sunday’s match trained at a gentler pace than the rest of the squad.
Just hours after beating Racing 1-0, the Barça players were back on the training grounds to prepare for the midweek Cup game against Villarreal. Edmílson, who was injured in the match against Sevilla on 9th January, rejoined his team-mates for training and completed the session without any difficulty.

Post-match recovery exercises

After some initial warm-up exercises, the players divided into two groups. Milito, Henry, Puyol, Zambrotta and Sylvinho did a number of recovery exercises and then returned to the dressing rooms one by one. The rest of the team did some ball control exercises followed by circuit training. The remaining players from Sunday’s starting line-up then returned to the dressing rooms, along with Thuram, who had worked out separately from the group with one of the fitness coaches.

Demanding session for Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho also trained separately from the group. He went through a demanding series of exercises focussing on strength, stamina and speed, as well as shooting practice.

Training match

The final part of the session was devoted to the players that did not appear in last night’s starting line-up. They practiced a series of movements finishing off with a shot on the goal defended by Pinto and Oier. Finally, there was a training match between Messi, Oleguer, Edmílson and Pinto in one team, and Abidal, Xavi, Márquez and Oier in the other.

 
Víctor Valdés, who currently tops the Spanish league ranking for fewest goals conceded, said today that Barça are letting in fewer goals thanks to the good work done by the defence.
Three and a half league matches - 324 minutes – without conceding a goal and a clean sheet in 10 of the 20 matches played so far. Víctor Valdés has an excellent record in the league but the Barça keeper emphasised today that the key to these figures is the good work done by the defensive line.

The explanation

Valdés told us today that his defenders are restricting the number of opposing chances on goal to a minimum: “The team is playing tighter together and defending well against scoring chances. The defensive line is very effective”. And it has to be added that Valdés himself is stopping almost everything that does manage to get through.

However, he also insisted that the result is more important than any individual defensive statistics: “I want to win – I don’t care about the rest”.

Pinto settling in

Valdés also revealed that new keeper José Manuel Pinto is settling in well: “He’s looking good – very integrated and trying to help in everything. He’s got a lot of quality”. As for which of them will play in the Cup, Valdes insisted that was down to Frank Rijkaard.

Henry goal celebration

On Sunday, Henry dedicated his goal to Valdés by imitating his customary action of pulling up his shorts: “I already knew he would celebrate it like that. He’s always joking about that and he’s a great team-mate”. Finishing off with his tongue firmly in his cheek, he told reporters: “I would have preferred him not to score”.

Casillas deserves praise

Valdés also spoke about Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and described the praise he is receiving from many quarters as “deserved”. Casillas has conceded one more goal so far in the league. Valdés told us: “His performances, and not just this year, are decisive for his team”.

 
In an exclusive interview with Barça TV, José Manuel Pinto told us: “If the team continues improving as we are at the moment, all the objectives are achievable”. However, he insisted that it would be wrong to get obsessed about them.
Relaxed and sure of himself, just as he is in goal, José Manuel Pinto discusses his first experiences with the Barça squad and reviews the team’s objectives for the season.

What does it mean to you to play for Barça?

“For me, being a Barça player is a big responsibility because I’m joining one of the most important clubs in the world and, as such, that implies an added responsibility. I’m really excited and have an even bigger desire to help. I think that representing a club like FC Barcelona is a great responsibility”.

It must be a big change in your life: moving from the club you’re identified with to a new team, one of the big names; from the Second to the First Division.

“For me this change is still happening. I’m still settling in because I’ve just arrived. But above all it means leaving behind some great longstanding team-mates, and fans who have given me a lot of affection, fans that will always stay with me. But of course I have to look out for myself and every player wants to evolve. I think it’s a great opportunity to keep on growing in my career. I couldn’t let it pass me by”.

If Jorquera hadn’t got injured you wouldn’t have joined Barça. How do you think your career would have gone?

“It’s difficult to know. There are so many paths to choose from. Each path takes you to a different objective. I think it’s difficult to know what I would have done. If only I could read the future and know – I’d devote myself to doing the pools”.

What are you expecting from Barça, given that Valdés has been the first choice keeper for five years?

“The first thing is to adapt as quickly as possible, which I think is the most important thing right now. I’m really looking forward to doing my bit for the team. If we all do our bit, we can achieve great things. I’m totally committed to the Club and to working hard, which is my main virtue. Hard work and more hard work: that’s what has brought me here. I’m one of those people who believe that hard work bears fruit. With hard work and commitment, let whatever has to happen, happen”.

You won the Zamora Trophy (for fewest league goals conceded) in the 2005/06 season and Valdés won it last year. What do you think about having two top-notch goalkeepers in Barça?

“I think it’s not just the goalkeepers – every part of the Barça team is at a high standard. Barça has great players that, if you look at them one by one, have enormous quality. For me it’s an opportunity to learn from the virtues of these team-mates because you never stop learning no matter how old you are. As for the goalkeepers in particular, I think it’s a guarantee for the fans because they can say: “The goal is well covered”.

Imagine it’s 30th June when your loan deal expires. What would you like to happen then?

“That’s difficult. I like to live for the day. A lot can happen between now and then and right now I’d like to enjoy and savour the moment. My wish is that, in the end, my work is rewarded”.

When your name was first mentioned, you received a variety of praise from former managers and team-mates. How would you describe yourself?

“First of all I’d say that you like to hear that people were happy with your work. I’d describe myself as a person who gives 100% all the time, regardless of whether it turns out good or not. That’s the basis of my work. There’ll be ups and downs, of course, but my way of working and my motivation will never change. Another of my virtues, to my way of thinking, is that I’m an agile goalkeeper, and I would also highlight my capacity for sacrifice”.

You coincided with Sylvinho at Celta. Has he given you any advice?

“Yes. Like the good friend he is, he’s already offered to help me in any way I need. He’s got a big heart and undeniable sporting quality. I was lucky enough to coincide with him in Vigo. But let me repeat: perhaps people don’t realise what a nice person he is and what a marvellous family he’s got. It’s a pleasure to meet a person like that”.

What should be Barça’s objectives this season?

“At this moment in time we shouldn’t rule out any objective but neither should we get obsessed. If you get obsessed you create anxiety, which isn’t positive. You have to keep on doing things right and continue the team’s current improvement. If we do that, all the objectives are achievable”.

Tell us about the number 13 shirt that you’ll wear at Barça and which you wore at Celta, and which you’ve also got tattooed on your left arm.

“It’s a number that’s always been significant. There have been times when - on the 13th of the month, or on matchday 13, or something to do with the number 13 - something important has happened in my life. Many people reject it because of superstition but it’s a number I love. I even choose it in the Andalus team”.

 
The today in Ghana, with the two blaugrana players Touré Yaya and Samuel Eto'o taking part.
The African Cup of Nations runs from January 20th to February 10th, with the host country Ghana playing Guinea in the opening match today.

Touré Yaya debuts against Nigeria

Touré Yaya and Samuel Eto'o are FC Barcelona’s representatives in the tournament. The Barça midfielder will be appearing for one-time African Cup winners Ivory Coast against Nigeria on Monday 21st (18:00 Catalan time). The other two teams in Group B are Mali and Benin.

Eto'o debuts against reigning champs Egypt

Eto’o won’t be playing for Cameroon until Tuesday (18:00 Catalan time), when they take on Egypt, the winners two years ago. Five times champion, Egypt holds the record for winning the African Cup of Nations. The other two teams in Group C are Sudan and Zambia.

No possible Barça duel till semis

If Ivory Coast and Cameroon get through to the knock-out stage, they still won’t be able to face each other till the semi-finals, where a team from groups B and C could face each other for the first time.

The groups

Group A

Ghana
Guinea
Namibia
Morocco

Group B

Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Mali
Benin

Group C

Cameroon
Egypt
Sudan
Zambia

Group D

Tunisia
Senegal
Angola
South Africa

 
Leo Messi has played his first match of 2008 after being sidelined by a leg injury for 36 days. Messi, who picked up his injury away to Valencia, managed almost half an hour against Racing and looked as sharp as ever.
Messi came on for Giovani in the 66th minute and gave the fans plenty of glimpses of the vertical attacking football that has made him one of the best players in the world. Curiously, last season Messi also returned from a long absence due to injury against Racing.

Deco in starting eleven

Another player making his comeback from a leg injury – in his case to the starting line-up – was Portuguese midfielder Deco.

Deco had already played a few minutes in the second half of the Cup game against Sevilla on Tuesday but played the full 90 minutes of the league clash against Racing. He produced a professional performance in midfield and took the corner that led to Barça’s goal.

First match for Pinto

Meanwhile, new goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto made his first appearance on the Barça subs bench after completing his move from Celta on Friday.

Unbeaten in 2008

FC Barcelona have started the year strongly and are one of just three First Division teams to remain unbeaten in the league and Cup in 2008 – the others are Almería and Valladolid.

 
Speaking to reporters after the match, Frank Rijkaard emphasised the hard work put in by his players in the 1-0 defeat of Racing.
The Barça coach was pleased with the result, and the three points, and highlighted the effort put in by his team, especially the defence: “I have confidence in the team but with the score at 1-0 you have to keep your concentration at all times”.

The second goal

“With the scoreboard at 1-0 you know anything can happen. That’s football and tonight’s 1-0 was hard worked. We wanted to score the second goal, which is always very important, and we had our chances to do so, but we didn’t manage it”.

Focussed on themselves

When asked to comment on Real Madrid’s 0-2 away win against Atlético Madrid, Frank Rijkaard insisted that the Barça players have to focus on their own matches: “We have to carry on with our work and get as many points as possible. It’s a tough league and the most important thing is for us to do our job in every match”.

Racing in form

Rijkaard described Racing as “uncomfortable” to play against, and added: “Racing are in form and you can see that. They’ve got a good squad”.

“We have to encourage the fans”

Asked about the occasional whistling that could be heard from the crowd, Rijkaard explained: “Our fans are good. We have to encourage them and when you do that they respond. I can understand it, above all in the first half; our rhythm was slow. Racing were well positioned and the ball didn’t circulate as we would have liked and we made some mistakes in the movements to create space. After the break, the team moved more and made it clear we were here to win the match”.

He also commented on the whistles directed at Giovani Dos Santos: “That’s something the player will have to overcome. Giovani always works hard for the team and in that sense he had a good game”.

Fixtures to be confirmed

Finally, he clarified his preferences for the dates and times of this week’s matches: “That’s a question for the Club. I prefer to have three days between one match and another. That’s what we need”.

 Sylvinho summed up the feeling in the Barça squad regarding Real Madrid’s win in the Vicente Calderón by assuring reporters that the main thing is to focus on Barça’s next match.
At 9 pm, Real Madrid temporarily enjoyed a 10-point lead over Barça thanks to their away win against Atlético Madrid. However, the Barça players kept their nerve – and their concentration – to take the three points against Racing.

Sylvinho insisted that the players are not watching what’s happening in Madrid and that they remain focussed on their own matches: “We don’t want to keep looking at Madrid. We want to focus on our own game because we don’t have the margin to slip up”.

Bojan

“I think the most important thing is to win and stay alive in the three competitions”.

“We’re in a situation where the result is more important. We must be patient. We’ll soon start playing well”.

“Madrid could have dropped some points today but the most important thing was for us to win”.

“Villarreal are difficult on their own ground. We’ll try and get a good result in the first leg”.

Iniesta

“Three more points. We tried to score a second goal but it wasn’t to be”.

“Racing deserve to be where they are in the table. They like to play the ball around and they’re difficult to break down”.

“I want to play. Obviously, the further up field I play, the more comfortable I feel. But if I’m in the chosen eleven, I’m happy”.

“We can’t be saying where Madrid will slip up. We’re in this situation because we dropped points. Now we have to win our matches and wait for them to lose”.

“I hope that the experience of the league match we played in Villarreal will help us in the Cup”.

Deco

“The result was the best thing in the match. Racing played well on the counterattack and made it difficult for us to create because they defended very well”.

“Madrid are doing well but we have to focus on winning our matches”.

“It’s good that we’re gradually recovering our injured players”.

Sylvinho

“We found it hard to break down the Racing defence but we finally got three important points”.

“It was a good match for the coaches. It was a very tactical match. They set out to control the game tactically and it was hard for us to create chances”.

“Henry needs time to recover fully but now you can see that he’s very strong and he’s contributing a lot”.

“Messi is a player that makes a difference. The team feels it when he’s got the ball. He brings quality and makes the team play better”.

“Villarreal are difficult opponents. It’ll be an evenly balanced tie but we have the slight advantage of playing the second leg at home”.

“Pinto works very hard. He brings a lot to the team: as a professional and as a person. I wish him luck at Barça”.

 
Messi, Oleguer and Pinto are in the squad for this Sunday’s game against Racing de Santander. The Argentinean striker was given the all-clear after the last training session before the game.
The Barça squad for the Racing game includes three key additions: Leo Messi, Oleguer Presas and José Manuel Pinto. The Argentinean striker was given the all-clear after the training session held at Nou Camp on Saturday morning, whilst Catalan defender Oleguer had been given the all-clear earlier in the week. Newly-signed Andalusian goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto makes his debut in the squad.

The absentees are the injured Ronaldinho, Edmílson, Ezquerro and Jorquera, as well as Eto'o and Touré Yaya, who are playing in the African Cup.

Puyol trains normally

Carles Puyol, off on Friday because of a cold, trained as normal this Saturday morning. José Manuel Pinto took part in his first training session as a Barça player. He was back with Sylvinho, who he played with at Celta de Vigo, and was seen having a long conversation with Eusebio and Víctor Valdés. After being welcomed by his team-mates and having completed the usual warm-ups, he started work with the club’s goalkeeping trainer Juan Carlos Unzué, along with Valdés and Oier.

 
Frank Rijkaard is satisfied with his team’s performances over the last few weeks, and he is focused on beating Racing de Santander. For the coach “the main thing is to get the three points”, regardless of what happen in Vicente Calderón.
We can still catch Madrid. We have all the second half of the league. Whilst there are lot of games still to play, a lot of rivals to beat, it seems like everything depends on this weekend. Real Madrid faces Atlético de Madrid in the Vicente Calderón stadium. Third places Atlético have a golden opportunity to break their bad run of against Real at home. And Barça are at home against the surprise team of the year, Racing de Santander.

The technical squad is satisfied with the team’s performance over the last few games. Maybe this is why Rijkaard doesn’t see the Madrid derby as so important: “I just hope we get the three points, that’s what’s important. Then we’ll see what happens”. The Barça coach recognizes that “there’s a points difference with the leaders, but we just have to get as many points as possible. We feel confident and there’s still a lot of the league to play.”

Messi returns

“Every team needs a player like him.” That’s how Thuram responded when asked about Leo Messi during the press conference. Rijkaard continued along the same line: “Messi is important to us. It’s great that he’s recovered and can play. He won’t be able to play the full 90 minutes, but it’s important that he gradually gets back into the rhythm.”

Racing’s good form

Marcelino Garcia’s team arrives at Nou Camp with nothing to lose. They are sixth in the league and recently beat Zaragoza in the cup. Rijkaards says they are a team to watch out for: “It’s not surprising that they are doing so well. They are well-organised and work as a team. We have to take the game seriously.”

Ronaldinho

Barça’s number 10 Gaucho is still undergoing treatment for his injury to his left knee. Rijkaard asked for patience, convinced that we’ll see an improved version of Ronaldinho: “I hope he’ll be back to show his great quality at Barça, pleasing the public and the football world in general. He’s working really hard, and I’m very happy with him”.

 
After being out for a month, Leo Messi returns to the squad to play in the three competitions Barça are still involved in. hopefully he’ll be able to maintain the good run he was on before he became injured.
Valencia-Barça, minute 42. The score 0-2 with two goals from Eto’o. Leo Messi begins a lone run on the right wing, when he feels a pulling on his left leg and he stops. After receiving immediate treatment, he leaves the pitch to be substituted by Giovani.

Muscle injury

T he resulting injury to the femoral biceps on his left leg will leave the Argeninean out of the squad for a month and four days. He’s been undergoing specific rehabilitation since the 15th of December. As a result, he’s missed out on three league games (Real Madrid, Mallorca and Murcia) and three Spanish Cup ties (the return game against Alcoià and both Seville ties).

Bad time to get injured

There’s never a good time to get injured, but it happened to Leo Messi at a key moment,
having already netted 8 goals in the Spanish League, and 4 the Champions League. Messi also missed out on the classic against Real Madrid, against whom he scored 3 last season.

A month and four days later

During his absence, Messi has been following an intensive rehabilitation programme, and he is now back for the second half of the league, the quarter finals of the Spanish Cup, and the knock-out stage of the Champions League.

 
Experience, calmness, leadership and above all enthusiasm. These, according to Juan Carlos Unzué, are the attributes of Barça’s new goalkeeper, Manuel Pinto, in addition to his outstanding ability between the sticks.
Manuel Pinto, the former Celta de Vigo goalkeeper, has been chosen by the technical staff at FC Barcelona to stand in for the injured Albert Joquera. Juan Carlos Unzué, the first team goalkeeping coach, talked to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat about what the Andalusian custodian who learnt his football in Galicia can bring to the team.

The reasons for the choice

“We settled on Manuel Pinto because he was the best option available. There were some things which were really important for us: we were looking for a good goalkeeper who would be happy with his role at the club and was excited about coming to Barcelona. Manual offers us experience and allows us to fill the hole left by Albert’s injury over the next few months.”

What Pinto provides

“I think he can provide calmness and security, plus he’s had lots of experience both in our domestic League and in the Champions League with Celta. That’s why I reckon he’ll be able to deal with the responsibility and pressure that’s part and parcel of being a Barcelona goalkeeper and in all the competitions we’ll be playing in.”

“As the goalkeeping coach, I’m really happy with our choice and I can guarantee that the fans will be as well, because we’ve got a new player and a new member of the dressing room who’ll give us that security and experience which we need in this position.”

Physical and technical characteristics

“Manuel has good physical abilities: he has quick reactions and is very powerful, especially between the sticks. And that means he’s a pretty spectacular player as well.”

A man who gets involved

“He’s a very effective goalie, plus he knows how to get involved with the team and be in charge of the box. And that’s something that as a goalkeeping coach I’m always on the look out for.”

Always ready

“As the coach and head of goalkeeping, I think it’s important that he is a person who can accept what his role is going to be and wait for his chance and not throw in the towel. He needs to know that Víctor Valdés is our first choice and will remain so, but also that he’s got to put the pressure on, put in the work every day to win our confidence and above all to be ready for the day when we need him.”

 
Carles Puyol missed training on Friday morning after staying at home with a fever as the rest of the squad were put through their paces in a high-tempo session ahead of the visit of Racing Santander at the weekend.
The Barça captain was noticeable by his absence from training as he was told to stay away and rest, but hopes are high that he will have recovered in time for the final session on Saturday before the team plays a day later. Doctors have supplied Puyol with medication and antibiotics to try and speed up his comeback.

Physical work

The remainder of the squad set about their usual warm-up routines before being put through two circuits with the emphasis placed on physical work. The first circuit ended with a shot at goal and the second one did not. Lionel Messi enjoyed another day alongside his teammates as he slowly returns to form, while Edmílson worked to the side of the squad with a coach. Ronaldinho and Santiago Ezquerro also continued with their personal recovery programmes.

After the physical exhertions, the squad split into three groups to play small-sided games in a reduced area of the pitch.

In green bibs: Abidal, Gujohnsen, Márquez, Xavi and Giovani.
in no bibs: Zambrotta, Deco, Henry, Sylvinho and Thuram.
In orange bibs: Oleguer, Messi, Milito, Bojan and Iniesta.

 
Éric Abidal has been named in the uefa.com users' Team of the Year 2007 it was announced on Friday as the website revealed the 11 best players over the past 12 months.
mThe vote was cast by uefa.com readers, who were given a choice of several players in each position, and the Barça full-back won his place after 3.5million votes were made by 277,985 users.

Representing Barça

It is the first time that Abidal has won a place in the team and he is FC Barcelona's only representative in this year's eleven.

UEFA Champions League winners, AC Milan, led the way with three players as Kaká, Alessandro Nesta and Clarence Seedorf were included. Liverpool saw Steven Gerrard named, while Chelsea have John Terry and Didier Drogba included. The other players in the team are Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Dani Alves (Sevilla), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter), while Sir Alex Ferguson was voted in as manager.

Started in 2001

The first time that users of uefa.com voted for their best team of the year was in 2001. The system has remained the same with the website nominating 60 players and users then vote for their favourite eleven.

 
Lilian Thuram believes that FC Barcelona's defence is even stronger this season after the arrival of Éric Abidal and Gaby Milito in the summer, but also claimed that not conceding goals was down to the whole team.
The Blaugrana's defensive qualities stood out, in particular, in the second leg of the Copa del Rey tie with Sevilla in midweek as Frank Rijkaard's team progressed to the quarter finals. "The defence is stronger than last season," Thuram explained in a press conference on Friday. As well as highlighting the signings of both Abidal and Milito, the French international said that "to defend well, the team has to do well".

Gaining ground

On Sunday, Barça entertain Real Racing Club from Santander while league leaders Real Madrid take on Atlético de Madrid in a tricky local derby encounter in Vicente Calderón. Thuram recognised that a home win from that game would be welcomed by Barça and he added: "It is still possible to catch them. But what is most important is that we win our games."

Henry, Ronaldinho and Messi

Thuram than reflected on the form of his compatriot, Thierry Henry. "Great players always want to play well and to do so they have to physically fine," he stated. The former Juventus defender then said that the same applies to Ronaldinho as he explained: "When he is back to full fitness he will be ready to play. Asked by a French journalist if he found it normal that Ronaldinho was the subject of so much talk, Thuram simply added: "It is normal to speak well or badly about him because he is a symbol of the club."

Lionel Messi was the next topic to come up as the Argentinian is close to a return to action after training normally this week. "The team needs him," Thuram said. "He is the strongest player in the world and any team would need a player like him."

 
José Manuel Pinto expressed his satisfaction after signing for Barça and promised that he would "be totally committed" during his press conference, where he sat alongside president Laporta, coach Rijkaard and technical secretary Begiristain.
The 32-year-old was presented as a new Blaugrana player after he successfully came through his medical and put pen-to-paper on a deal to join the club from Celta Vigo. Having completed the loan move until the end of the season, that could be made permanent, Pinto stated: "I will be totally committed and I have a really strong desire to give everything that i can to help win a trophy. I am a hard worker and I have come with the dream of repaying the faith that the club have put in me."

Delighted to help Valdés

Pinto is under no illusion about what is initial role will be as he has come to replace the injured Albert Jorquera. "I understand that Víctor Valdés is in great form," he said. "I have assumed that I will be substitute, but I do not rule out that my work will bear fruit. I would be delighted to help Valdés and try and we can work together to make things even better." The Andalucian custodian then reflected on the team as a whole. "We are on a good run, moving up, and are still in three competitions and have a chance in all of them."

Laporta, satisfied by the acquisition

Laporta then stated that he was pleased to have signed Pinto: "He was our first choice," the president explained. "We are delighted with the work of the technical secretary and the technical staff. With vice president Marc Ingla and goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué in the front row of the press room, Laporta then thanked Celta for their attitude during all the negotiations.

Txiki: "Has not had you doubt"

Next to speak was Begiristain, who was keen to explain the circumstances surrou nding the new arrival. "It is a special situation," he explained. "We think a lot of Jorquera, but his injury obliged is to strengthen the position. We had quite a few options. The market was looked at and after looking at the possibilities we were left in doubt." The technical secretary did not want to close the door on making Pinto's stay at the club permanent. "A footballer knows when he is going to join a club, but does not know when he will leave. We will see at the time what we should do."

The welcome of Rijkaard

The last person to address the room was Rijkard. "We have a goalkeeper with experience and he will be important for the squad," the Dutchman said. "He has not just come to be coached, he is here to participiate, in the cup or whenever necessary." The coach was then asked if Pinto will named in the squad for the game against Racing this weekend. "We will see tomorrow after training, but it is probably," he added.

 
RC Celta de Vigo and FC Barcelona have agreed the basic terms for the loan of goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto to the Catalan club until the end of the season.
The definitive agreement is pending a medical that the player will take tomorrow, and on the player signing the contract.

The deal will cost 500,000 euros and ties José Manuel Pinto to the club for the rest of the season, with the option to buy before May 31. If FC Barcelona decide to keep the player on a permanent basis, there will be no additional transfer fee.

José Manuel Pinto will arrive in Barcelona tonight and will be available for photographs outside the club offices this evening at 22.45. The goalkeeper will spend Friday taking a series of medical tests and will be presented late in the afternoon in the club press rooms.

 
After a day off yesterday, Wednesday, the first team trained this morning at the Miniestadi in a session which focussed on fitness work. Thoughts are now turning to Sunday’s league match against Racing.
The Barça players have had their first training session after getting through to the quarter finals of the Spanish Cup. Now they have to concentrate on the League and the visit of Racing de Santander this Sunday to the Camp Nou (9 pm).

Oleguer pronounced fit

This morning’s session featured all available players plus Messi and Oleguer. The latter has been given the green light by club doctors today Thursday to return to action, while Messi trained normally with the rest of his team mates.

Ronaldinho and Edmílson did not make an appearance and are continuing with their recovery programmes. Ezquerro was also missing as he has a sports hernia.

Fitness session

After warming up the players were made to sweat as the first part of the session focussed on fitness work. For almost an hour they forgot about the ball and did circuit training.

Game to work on pressurising opponents

When the ball did come into play there was no let up. The players split up into two teams and played a match on a small pitch with no goalkeepers. The focus was on ball control and especially on putting pressure on opponents.

The team with the orange bibs was made up of Márquez, Zambrotta, Gudjohnsen, Giovani, Sylvinho, Deco and Oleguer. Their opponents, wearing blue, were Puyol, Abidal Thuram, Bojan, Xavi and Iniesta. Henry and Messi, kitted out in yellow bibs, were wild cards who switched sides so that they were always playing with the team that had the ball.

 
Frank Rijkaard will be able to call on the defender again after his recovery from hamstring problems, but the striker is out until the pain in his groin has diminished.
Oleguer Presas was today given the green light by club doctors after being out of action since the match against Recreativo de Huelva on 25 November with hamstring problems. Oleguer has been training normally with the rest of the team for the past few days.

Santi Ezquerro, however, has a sports hernia which needs special treatment and will only resume training with his team mates when the pain has diminished. Ezquerro missed the last League match against Murcia with a bout of gastroenteritis.

 
Andrés Iniesta has described Villarreal, Barça’s opponents in the quarter finals of the Spanish Cup, as “tough opposition”. However, he’s counting on home advantage in the second leg to help the team get through the tie and “play better football”.
Villarreal are to be Barça’s adversary in the quarter finals of the King’s Cup and at this lunchtime’s press conference Andrés Iniesta talked about the tie. “They are tough opposition. Playing the second leg at home makes it easier for us but then there’s also the first leg and all games are hard. You see that in the League.”

The positives in knocking out Sevilla

Iniesta also spoke about the way Barça played in the second leg of their last 16 encounter with Sevilla. “I don’t think we abandoned our philosophy. We always want to move the ball around quickly and get it up front fast. Games are different, but we’ve got through a very tough tie and now we have the chance to play better.” He went on to point out that “maybe if we’d played in a different way we’d have been knocked out and wouldn’t have the chance to play better football in the quarter finals.”

Playing for the team

Iniesta began the Sevilla match on the left-hand side of Barça’s attack where he was faced with Daniel Alves and Jesús Navas. He knew just what he had to do: “We needed to take care of their right side and I’m chuffed that I was able to cover it. Football’s not just about attacking; you have to defend as well.”

Not worried about Madrid

Iniesta was repeatedly asked by the assembled journalists about Real Madrid being knocked out of the Cup by Mallorca. The central midfielder steered clear of controversy: “We’re just happy that we’ve got through. If Mallorca knocked out Madrid, that means they deserved to get through as well.” He added that “we don’t care what they do in the Cup, as we need them to trip up in the League. Getting knocked out is always painful and hard to accept.” Nevertheless he insisted that “we have to win our games and not worry so much about Madrid.”

 
José Manuel Pinto is an experienced goalkeeper having played 126 games in the la Primera and 56 more in Segunda A, as well having played in the Champions League and being awarded the Zamora trophy in 2005-06.
Born in Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) on November 15, 1975, Pinto made his professional debut in the Spanish top flight with Real Betis Balompié, but the majority of his career has been spent at Celta Vigo where he has played for the last ten years after joining them in 1998. During his time at the club he played alongside Barça defender Sylvinho.

As well as making 126 top flight appearances and 56 in the second tier, Pinto tasted life in the Champions League during the 2003-04 campaign and played in the UEFA Cup for four consecutive seasons between 1999-2000 and 2002-03.

Vital statistics

Pinto stands at 1.86m (6ft 1in) and weighs 82kg and that physique makes him very strong in the air to add to his fast reactions and reflexes. It is these qualities that allow him to repel any shot whether high or low and he is well known for being very difficult to beat from long range.

Zamora award

During the 2005-06 campaign, Pinto was awarded the Zamora trophy when Celta were still in the first division. His record of conceding only 28 goals in 37 games gave him an average of 0.75 goals-per-game let in as he helped the Galician club to finish sixth in the league and to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The year before Víctor Valdés won the trophy and now the pair will be teammates.

 
José Manuel Pinto arrived in Barcelona on Thursday evening after Barcelona reached an agreement to sign the goalkeeper from Celta Vigo and he confessed that he is excited by the challenge that lies ahead.
The 32-year-old landed at 22:25 at El Prat airport from Santiago de Compostela and was taken straight to the offices at Camp Nou where he posed for photographs in front of the club crest that stands illuminated outside. Speaking to www.fcbarcelona.cat he said: "I did not have to think twice. Playing for FC Barcelona is a unique opportunity. I am coming to one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is a great opportunity for me."

"I am here to help"

Pinto is looking forward to starting the new chapter in his life as he continued: "My dream is to be able to help in any way that I can and to be available for the team. I am very excited and hope that I can start work with the squad very soon." The Andalucian keeper will join up again with one of his former teammates at Celta in Sylvinho. "I have talked to him before I came to Barcelona and we spoke about the club and the team," Pinto explained. "He is a good friend and a great person and he has offered to help me in any way that he can."