Barça news

Messi steps up for Argentina

“We had a change of mentality and game above all, we were more mobile, Messi brilliant and I’m satisfied with the commitment and play of the team which is what we’re looking for,” coach Sergio Batista said.

Argentina will learn later on Tuesday who they will meet in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

But Batista told a news conference: “We have players to face any national team”.
“We did it against Costa Rica who until a short while ago were a fantastic team who played very well but you also have to look at Argentina, because what they did was very good”.

“Today we changed our tactics a bit giving Lionel the right side” said Batista.

“We bet on three forwards and it worked, we got our organisation sorted and we played the game we want.”

“I want to defend Messi,” says Maradona

“The national team didn’t attack at all (in the 0-0 draw with Colombia) and we blame him; we are being very unfair to Messi when I hear all those idiots slamming him.” Maradona said.
“I spoke to him during the week and I told him to remain calm,”
“Before the 1986 World Cup I was a disaster and I was criticised by 80 per cent of the journalists. Later, there wasn’t one who didn’t ask me for a story, so I can understand what’s going on.”
“I wish the best in the world to all of the boys who were with me at the World Cup and all of the other players,” he said.
“But not to the others.”

Barcelona could be home for Sanchez

The player from Chile has been the interest of all the top clubs in Europe with both Manchester city and Manchester UTD, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Napoli and Barcelona all being linked.
“First of all we want to exhaust all possible negotiations with Barcelona and for that we will need to wait until next week to see what happens.

“We are in no hurry because Alexis is competing in the Copa America.

“We are talking about a 50million euros transfer deal, and Napoli and Inter are far away from those figures.”

Barca is an example of ‘Fair Play’ for the rest of the world

Apart from the titles won by the first team or the third place by the second team, FC Barcelona have accepted with great pride the two awards for ‘Fair Play’ that were awarded in the Assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation to the manager of the club Javier Bordas.
In a season with constant attacks from Jose Mourinho (the special needs one) accused the Barça camp of making a drama out of every decision, having received help from the referees to win, even by suggesting that the Catalan giants were doping there players to get results on the pitch.
Barca are not just satisfied to win trophies, but also because their values are being recognized and used as an example throughout the world.
This attitude is taught from the start in the youth team then it continues to grow in the professional teams. Both the first team and the second has been awarded ‘Fair Play’ awards as the two teams that have fewer cards in both first and second division than any other team. That is a true reflection of a philosophy and a way of understanding the sport that not all can boast today.

Pedro Rodriguez has renewed his contract with FC Barcelona for one more season, until 2016.

Pedro Rodriguez has renewed his contract with FC Barcelona for one more season, until 2016.
Pedro Rodriguez: “It is very important that the club has faith in me”.
“As a child I dreamed of playing at the club because the team was what makes dreams.”
Pedro Rodriguez says is great news for renewing the power FC Barcelona and continued success with the team.

RCD Espanyol Barcelona – Boca Juniors on 27th of July

In late July, the Argentine Champs will face RCD Espanyol Barcelona at the Cornella stadium.

An occasion for tourists and football fans alike to check out one of the best football teams in South America and the brand-new stadium of Cornella!

Tickets start at 27€

RCD Espanyol Barcelona vs Boca Juniors
Date: Wednesday, 27th of July at 21:30
Venue: Prat de Cornella Stadium, Barcelona
Competition: Trofeu Ciutat de Barcelona

Swansea target Barca striker

Soriano, 25, scored an impressive 32 goals for Barcelona B in the Segunda Division last season and has caught the eye of Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers following the club’s promotion.

Now Jenkins will meet with Soriano’s agents in an attempt to convince the player to join the Welsh club.

“I will be meeting with the representative of a player that we feel will be perfect for Swansea City,” Jenkins told the South Wales Evening Post.

“He has the talent that would fit in to the style in which we believe in, and we are hopeful of him coming here.

“By flying out to meet his representative, I hope we can agree a deal within the next few days. We will talk about what we want to achieve as a club, and what the player wishes to achieve too.”

When asked if Soriano was the target, Jenkins added: “I think Brendan likes him, and I don’t think anything has happened with him yet this summer.”
Eurosport

Barcapedia – 1943 Copa del Generalísimo.

In 1943, Barcelona faced rivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals of Copa del Generalísimo. Their first match at Les Corts was won by Barcelona 3–0. Before the second leg, Barcelona’s players had a changing room visit from Franco’s director of state security. He “reminded” them that they were only playing due to the “generosity of the regime”. Real Madrid dominated the match, winning 11–1. Despite the difficult political situation, CF Barcelona enjoyed considerable success during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945, with Josep Samitier as managers and players like César, Ramallets, and Velasco, they won La Liga for the first time since 1929. They added to this total in 1948 and again in 1949. They also won the first Copa Latina that year. In June 1950, Barcelona signed Ladislao Kubala, who was to be an influential figure at the club.

On a rainy Sunday in 1951, the crowd left Les Corts stadium after a 2–1 win against Santander on foot, refusing to catch any trams and surprising the Francoist authorities. A tram strike was taking place in Barcelona, which received the support of blaugrana fans. Events such as this made the club represent much more than just Catalonia; many progressive Spaniards saw the club as a staunch defender of rights and freedoms.

Managers Ferdinand Daučík and László Kubala led the team to five different trophies including La Liga, the Copa del Generalísimo (now the Copa del Rey), the Copa Latina, the Copa Eva Duarte, and the Copa Martini Rossi in 1952. In 1953, the club won La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo again.

David Villa hopes to retire at Barcelona

Barcelona striker David Villa has dismissed reports linking him with a possible move away from the European champions, insisting he would like to finish his career at the Nou Camp.

The Spain international joined Barca from Valencia last summer for €40 million and netted 23 goals in all competitions as the Catalan giants won both the Primera Division and Champions League titles last term.

Since the end of the campaign there has been transfer speculation about Villa’s future at Barca, with English clubs Chelsea and Manchester City touted as possible destinations for Spain’s all-time record goalscorer.

However, speaking at a promotional event today, Villa said of those reports: “All that’s been said hasn’t bothered me because it isn’t rumours or speculation, it’s a lie.

“Hopefully I can retire at Barca because that would mean everything has been great for me.

“I would like to have the chance to retire at Barca even though I’m only 29. It would be very nice. I want to be at Barca as long as possible,” he added in quotes reported on Barcelona’s official website.

Villa was also asked about Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, two players who are in Barca’s sights as possible reinforcements this summer.

Villa said of the pair: “The are two very good players at both an individual and collective level, and it would be a big injection of quality for our side (if they signed).”

‘To me, Pele is the best,’ says Pele

Maradonna said it best – Pele is a dinosaur. Regardless­ who is the best, and I still think Messi has what it­ takes to eclipse Pele, he should have a little more­ respect for a player than to be lambasting him in­ public. And what is this addressing himself in the­ third person all about. Stop taking the blue tablets­ Pele, its messing with your head.

Take a look at what he said about our beloved Messi below and make up your own mind.

“Messi better than Pele? To get there he needs to score more than 1283 goals,” said the 70-year old.

“Neymar has great talent. I hope Neymar doesn’t end up like Messi, who plays so well for his club but does nothing for his country,” said Pele.

“Nobody did what Pele did. Being champion of the world at 17 years old, won three World Cups, scored more than 1,208 goals – only him! Then until now, nobody did this… to me, Pele is the best,” he said (Pele).

Roma’s Bojan offer

“We have received an offer but it is still being studied and evaluated,” Barca’s board spokesman Toni Freixa was quoted as saying on the club website.

“Obviously, if we were prepared to receive this offer and consider it, it is because there is a possibility we could go through with it.”

Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini had told Gazzetta dello Sport: “The negotiations are going well and we hope to conclude the deal soon.”

“We reached an agreement with Barcelona and with the player last night.”

Barca president Sandro Rosell lays into Mourinho

Bad blood boiled up between the Spanish giants around four clashes in three competitions in 18 days in April and May and Rosell used his end-of-season news conference to read out a strongly-worded statement condemning Real.

“We believe that this season Real Madrid has gone beyond all the limits of the necessary sporting rivalry, making accusations against our club that have no foundation,” Rosell said.

“The rivalry will continue next season, but we will not allow the limits of sporting behaviour to be exceeded again.

“Football deserves clean competition, and FC Barcelona will do everything to preserve that.

“If necessary, we will take legal action and take the case to the relevant sporting tribunals.”

“The news conference that the Real Madrid coach gave after the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Bernabeu shamed anyone who considers themselves an athlete,” Rosell said.

Barca were also outraged by a report on Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, which cited an unidentified Real official as its source, that suggested Barca’s players and medical staff were engaged in illegal doping.

“I can assure you that if someone, in the name of FC Barcelona, had accused us of this kind, we would have acted with firmness, denying it immediately and taking those responsible to court,” Rosell said.

“A few days ago, the president of Real Madrid said he would not stop until the club had won a tenth European Cup,” he said.

“We hope that they attempt this on the pitch in a sporting manner and rediscover a way of behaving that I believe many Madrid fans want.

“The president of Real Madrid has a chance to reconstitute our relations, on and off the pitch.

“Football, which usually gives you back what you put in, will be the great beneficiary.”

Messi plays down ‘assault’

Barcelona star Lionel Messi played down an incident in which someone tried to punch him outside a restaurant in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

“I wasn’t even touched,” Messi said after a punch thrown by a youth wearing a hoodie failed to make contact.

“I didn’t feel a thing and I only found out after all the kerfuffle it was nothing,” Messi told sports daily Ole from Rosario, 300 km north of Buenos Aires.

On holiday after another brilliant season in which he helped Barcelona win the Champions League, Messi left the restaurant with friends and was surrounded by autograph hunters.

Argentine media, who gave the incident massive coverage, said Messi’s aggressor was a fan of Rosario Central, arch-rivals of Newell’s Old Boys, where the 23-year-old spent his formative years before joining Barcelona some 10 years ago.

“We’re taking photos and we see the arm and he dodges it. (Messi) did not react badly, he left walking and got into the (car),” witness Carolina told the TV news channel C5N.

Messi will report to national team coach Sergio Batista on June 8 to begin training for next month’s Copa America hosted by Argentina.
Reuters

Messi: I’ll never play In Premier League

LIONEL MESSI can never see himself playing in the Premier League.

And he is ready to spend the rest of his career at Barcelona.

The Argentine superstar, 23, stole all the headlines once again with a stunning performance as Manchester United were dismantled 3-1 in the Champions League final.

Striker Messi could name his price if he ever wanted a move away from the Nou Camp.

But he said: “I cannot see myself ever playing in any club shirt apart from Barcelona’s.

“I have been lucky enough to win everything with Barcelona and individually. But my goal now is to win the Copa America with Argentina.”

Puyol to have knee surgery

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol will undergo surgery on his troublesome left knee on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old defender, who is unavailable for Spain’s friendlies against United States and Venezuela next month, missed most of the second half of the season due to injury.

He was left out of the starting 11 for Saturday’s 3-1 Champions League final victory over Manchester United but was given a run-out in place of Daniel Alves in the 88th minute.

Doctors Ricard Pruna and Ramon Cugat will brief the media after the operation, Barca said on their website.

Qataris reacted angrily to claims the country paid for its right to host the 2022 World Cup tournament

Qataris reacted angrily to claims the country paid for its right to host the 2022 World Cup tournament.
The controversy erupted after a leaked email from FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke suggested Qatar had “bought” the rights, which he denied on Monday.

“I think there is some dirty politics in this. A few years ago, no one knew Qatar. Now after the win, the big countries like England and others are jealous,” said Ali Al Badr, 50.

Qatar would be the first Arab country to host the world’s largest soccer tournament, and the news of the victorious bid in December 2010 also triggered elation across the Arab world.

The tiny Gulf Arab state, massively wealthy thanks to copious natural gas reserves, will spend about $65 billion preparing for the tournament, according to estimates.

“If this is really true, why didn’t we hear it before?” said Omar al-Emadi, 27. “This is about the West’s perception of Qatar. They think we still ride camels.”

Qatar will be the smallest host nation to stage the finals since Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930. The country plans to harness solar-powered technology to cool the match venues to about 27 Celsius to overcome crippling summer temperatures that can soar to above 50 degrees Celsius.

Valcke confirmed he had sent an email to vice-president Jack Warner in which he questioned Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam’s decision to stand against Sepp Blatter in the FIFA presidential election, suggesting Qatar had paid for the rights. But Valcke denied suggesting it was bribery, instead saying the country used its financial muscle to lobby for support.

“They are saying this because they don’t want us to have the World Cup,” said 16 year-old Qatari Bader Al Otabi.

Qatar’s bid committee on Monday also categorically denied any wrong-doing in connection with the winning bid.

Barca party with fans at Camp Nou

Barcelona’s players paraded the club’s fourth European Cup through the warm streets of a festive Catalan capital before partying with almost 100,000 fans at their Nou Camp stadium.
Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United, a second Champions League triumph in three years and a fourth continental crown following successes in 1992 and 2006, capped a superb season in which the Spanish giants claimed a third successive Spanish league title and reached the Copa del Rey final.

They flew back from London on Sunday afternoon on a plane decorated in the club colours with huge pictures of the players adorning the side and touched down at the city’s El Prat airport at around 4 p.m. local time.

Boarding an open-top bus, Barcelona wound their way through the thronged streets with the European Cup and La Liga trophies displayed at the front of the vehicle.

Man Utd v Barcelona

A look at the probable Champions League final teams, with marks out of 10 for each player, the benches and the managers for Manchester United and Barcelona.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

After 30-plus years of success and 47 trophies, it says a lot about Ferguson that it still bothers him that he has ‘only’ won the Champions League twice. Could not find a way to better Guardiola’s Barca in 2009, and is desperate to make amends. – 9/10

1-Edwin van der Sar – Goalkeeper – age 40

The great Dutchman is going for his third Champions League winner’s medal, having won with Ajax and United. He retires after the game, and will be a huge loss to United thanks to his aerial dominance, distribution and agility – 8/10

20-Fabio – Right-back – age 20

Has replaced twin Rafael as Ferguson’s preferred right-back, although John O’Shea is also an option. Fabio offers far greater attacking threat and complete commitment in the tackle, but he can be caught out of position – 6/10

5-Rio Ferdinand – Centre-back – age 32

When fully fit, Ferdinand is one of the best defenders in the world. Unfortunately, those occasions are increasingly rare due to a chronic back complaint. Any lack of mobility is sure to be exposed by Messi – 8/10

15-Nemanja Vidic – Centre-back – age 29

Vidic claimed one of several Premier League Player of the Season awards last week, and has been a tower of strength for United in an often tricky season. His physical presence, coolness under pressure and absolute determination are immense – 9/10

3-Patrice Evra – Left-back – age 30

The full-back shrugged off the debacle of his France captaincy at the World Cup with another fine season at club level. Fit, strong and as effective going forward as in his defensive duties – 8/10

25-Antonio Valencia – Right midfield – age 25

After missing six months with a broken ankle, Valencia has quickly established himself as a key player for United, ousting Nani from Ferguson’s starting XI. Less skilful than Nani, but more disciplined and a more consistent crosser – 7/10

16-Michael Carrick – Central midfield – age 29

A great survivor, Carrick has ridden a prolonged spell of underperformance and come through the other side with some key contributions at the business end of the season. A fine passer, Carrick needs to ensure his tackles have maximum bite – 6/10

11-Ryan Giggs – Central midfield – age 37

Will be glad to return to the back pages after the most turbulent week of his 20-year career. Giggs rarely lets situations faze him, and Ferguson will be relying on the old stager to offer control, as he did in the title-clinching win against Chelsea – 8/10

13-Park Ji-Sung – Left midfield – age 30

Derided as a ‘marketing’ buy when he arrived from PSV Eindhoven, the Korean has won over the doubters with his incredible appetite for work and his knack of rising to the big occasion. Though a natural attacker, his biggest task will be at the defensive end – 7/10

10-Wayne Rooney – Forward – age 25

After a prolonged slump, Rooney is finally back to his best and enjoying a withdrawn forward role. Hernandez’s introduction has been crucial, as the Mexican stretches the game and allows Rooney space to operate – 9/10

14-Javier Hernandez – Forward age 22

Hailed as the ‘buy of the century’ by Rooney, that description might be pushing it but Hernandez’s impact on United’s season has been huge. His searing pace, intelligent movement and unerring finishing have brought him 19 goals in his debut season – 7/10

Substitutes from: Tomasz Kuszczak, John O’Shea, Rafael, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher, Anderson, Paul Scholes, Nani, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen – 8/10

TOTAL SCORE (out of 130): 100

BARCELONA

Manager: Pep Guardiola

The Barca playing legend takes a low-key approach to coaching, and you can understand why. When you have players as good as this, there’s no need to over-complicate things. Has achieved the notable distinction of rattling Jose Mourinho – 8/10

1-Victor Valdes – Goalkeeper – age 29

A solid performer, Valdes is one of eight youth team products who could start at Wembley. United will look to test Valdes’s possible weakness under high balls. Like Van der Sar, his distribution is excellent – 7/10

2-Daniel Alves – Right-back – age 28

A worthy heir to Brazil’s flying full-backs Roberto Carlos and Cafu, Alves’s pace and fitness allow him virtually to play two positions at the same time. As an advanced winger, he links up particularly well with Messi – 9/10

3-Gerard Pique – Centre-back – age 24

Let go by United in 2008, Pique has blossomed into a spectacular ball-playing centre-back who has drawn comparisons with Franz Beckenbauer. A cultured foil to the uncomplicated Puyol, Pique is a key player for club and country – 8/10

5-Carles Puyol – Centre-back – age 32

The beating heart of Barcelona, Puyol’s wild-haired captain’s symbolic importance outweighs his ability. Though not a bad player, he is vulnerable to extreme pace and can be bamboozled by skilful opponents. But nobody is braver – 7/10

22-Eric Abidal – Left-back – age 31

European football’s feel-good story of the season, Abidal has made a remarkable recovery from surgery on a liver tumour in March. A slight question-mark remains over his match sharpness – Maxwell is ready to deputise if necessary – 7/10

16-Sergio Busquets – Defensive midfield – age 22

For many, Busquets represents the dark side of Barcelona’s beautiful game. Primarily a destroyer, Busquets’ willingness to go to almost absurd lengths to win a free-kick, exaggerate contact and incite opponents grates with neutrals – 7/10

6-Xavi – Central midfield – age 31

The best passer in the world, bar none. Xavi is the man who sets the tempo for Barca, touching the ball more than any other player and nearly always finding an opponent. A supreme creator, he makes his team-mates better – and they are already pretty good – 9/10

8-Andres Iniesta – Central midfield – age 27

The 27-year-old inhabits a world somewhere between Xavi and Messi – a nightmare to defend because he can pass, dribble and shoot with equal quality. His goal knocked Chelsea out in the 2009 semi-final, and he scored the winner in the World Cup final. A big-game player – 9/10

17-Pedro – Forward – age 23

The winger has had his season interrupted by injury, but at his effervescent best he can be a thorn in the side of any defender. He is a tireless worker who likes to run directly at opponents. Has 21 goals this season, four in Europe – 7/10

10-Lionel Messi – Forward – age 23

How good is the best player in the world? If he scores on Saturday, Messi will take his tally to 100 goals in the last two seasons. Oh, and he has also assisted over 20 goals this season. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi were the top three in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting – 10/10

7-David Villa – Forward – age 29

Spain’s record scorer ended the season with an uncharacteristic goal drought, hitting just once in 16 games. United have instructed Michael Owen to ‘impersonate’ Villa’s movement, cutting inside from the left, in training – 8/10

Substitutes from: Ruben Mino, Maxwell, Adriano, Seydou Keita, Javier Mascherano, Ibrahim Afellay, Bojan Krkic – 7/10

TOTAL SCORE (out of 130): 103

Champions League Final build-up

Ryan where?: Despite being one of the first to arrive at Carrington on Tuesday morning, under-fire winger Ryan Giggs does not take part in a United training session open to the media. This unexpected absence does not spark any speculation as to the reason why. Everyone knows the reason why.

Early arrival: Worried by the prospect of flight difficulties caused by the ash cloud set to emerge from the erupting Gyflljylljkl volcano in Iceland, Barcelona announce they will fly to England two days earlier than planned on Tuesday evening. The club fears a repeat of the 14-hour coach journey to Milan last season to their Champions League semi-final first leg against Internazionale, which they lost. Apparently Barca president Sandro Rosell is driving up in a Seat 600.

Early Doors was looking forward to a repeat of the trip to Osasuna last December, disrupted by an air traffic controllers’ strike, which led to the memorable footage of Pedro sprinting down the station platform and jumping on board just as the doors were closing.

Free the Carrington One: Rob Harris, a journalist from the Associated Press agency, has the temerity to ask Alex Ferguson a question about Giggs in a post-training press conference at United’s training ground. Despite framing his name check of the man briefly known as ‘Footballer A’ in the most harmless way possible (“The most experienced Champions League player in the team is obviously Ryan Giggs. How important is he for the team on Saturday?”), Harris gets a terse reply from Fergie (“All the players are important, every one of them”).

Later in the same presser, as a translator is recounting another answer for the benefit of the assembled Spanish media, Ferguson is caught on mic plotting to ban Harris from the training ground. That’s just the hands-on attention to detail which won him the LMA’s Manager of the Year award earlier in the week.

Pap Attack: The cars of several journalists stationed near Giggs’s house are reportedly attacked by a group of masked men who leap out of a Ford Transit van. Tyres are slashed, bodywork is kicked in and eggs are thrown. “Shortly after 3.20pm on 24 May 2011, police were called to (an address) in Worsley, following reports a number of cars had been damaged,” Greater Manchester Police said. Reports that the men were all wearing rubber Giggs masks in a nod to a scene from Looking for Eric remain unconfirmed.

Worst triple substitution ever: Fans flock to Old Trafford for Gary Neville’s testimonial against Juventus. Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Giggs start the match in tribute to their retired team-mate alongside former colleagues Nicky Butt and David Beckham. Hearts are in mouths every time one of the trio set to feature on Saturday touches the ball, but they are replaced unscathed after 30 minutes by Gabriel Obertan, Darron Gibson and Bebe. Beckham shows he has learned his lesson after jumping that tackle against Brazil in 2002 by not shirking a challenge on a teenage pitch invader, wrestling the little tyro to the ground.

Sleeping with the enemy: Barca land in London and head off to their Hertfordshire hotel. Arsenal gracefully offer the services of their London Colney training ground to the team which eliminated them from the competition in the second round. “It highlights the respect between the two clubs and we are obviously very grateful to them,” a Barca spokesman says before sneaking off to ‘have a chat’ with Cesc Fabregas.

It is announced that Barca will lay on coaches for any fans travelling from Catalonia whose flight plans are disrupted, and that the team will be returning home after the final on a plane covered in pictures of the players. It would almost be worth them losing just to see them sheepishly emerge from said plane on to the El Prat runway come Sunday.

Top Gea: Ferguson reveals after Neville’s testimonial that United are set to sign Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea. The 21-year-old is in line for an £18 million move to Old Trafford this summer. With Sergio Aguero already announcing his intention to leave Atletico, and Diego Forlan mulling over a move to UAE to play for Diego Maradona’s club Al Wasl, the Rojiblancos look set to lose their three best players – as well as their manager – a year after winning the Europa League. There is a warning in there for Porto.

Banner brandisher banned: A United fan has slammed the club for the “horrific treatment” which saw her dragged from her seat and arrested for unveiling a ‘Love United Hate Glazer’ banner at Old Trafford, causing her to miss out on a ticket for Saturday’s final.

The Guardian’s Owen Gibson reports that 27-year-old Carly Lyes, a trainee social worker, was forcibly removed from the ground during the home leg of the quarter-final tie against Chelsea after unveiling the banner for “two to three minutes”.

Lyes said: “I know the ground regulations very well and asked which one I had broken. I was told I’d broken ‘all of them’. (A steward) told me that it was their stadium and, if they didn’t want me in it, I shouldn’t be in it… The police came over and said I needed to leave. They said I had breached the peace and needed to leave. They dragged me down the stairs. I was taken to the concourse, put in handcuffs and taken to a cell underneath the stadium.” Lyes’s season ticket was subsequently suspended, rendering her ineligible to apply for a ticket for the final.

A club spokesman responded: “The individual in question infringed the ground rules of the stadium and was obstructive and aggressive when asked to comply by the stewards.”

Real Madrid’s Valdano thinks Mourinho’s ban is excessive

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho’s five-match touchline ban in European competition is over the top, the club’s director general Jorge Valdano has said.

“It’s excessive,” Valdano told Spanish television after Real’s 6-2 thrashing of Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

“Throughout the season there have been many coaches who have made some very hard comments, and the punishments were smaller.”

“I don’t know when he’s (Mourinho) going to come out (to speak),” Karanka said. “But as I said yesterday, when things become clearer and calm down a bit, and he sees why all this has happened, he’ll come out again.”

“We are very pleased, the players are motivated, and the boss has burned a positive attitude into us to be able to start the next season well,” he told reporters.

We think here at Footballticketsbarcelona.com that the man has a lot of issues both on and off the pitch, he is forever saying things that get him into trouble and this ban is the result of that.

Take a look at my top 10 Mourinho vocal blunders.

10.”I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to ensure I could communicate with the players, media and fans. [Claudio] Ranieri had been in England for five years and still struggled to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon.’ “He has won a Super Cup, a small cup. He has never won a major trophy. Maybe he needs to change his mindset but he is too old to do it.”

9.”If I had wanted to be protected in a quiet job, I could have stayed at Porto. I would have been second, after God, in the eyes of the fans even if I had never won another thing.”

8.”When I saw Rijkaard entering the referee’s dressing room I couldn’t believe it. When Didier Drogba was sent off I wasn’t surprised.” “My history as a manager cannot be compared with Frank Rijkaard’s history. He has zero trophies and I have a lot of them.”

7.”For me, pressure is bird flu. I’m feeling a lot of pressure with the problem in Scotland. It’s not fun and I’m more scared of it than football.”

6.“As for Monaco I do not know who he is. With the name Monaco I have heard of Bayern Monaco (Munich) and the Monaco GP, the Tibetan Monaco (Monk), and the Principality of Monaco. I have never heard of any others.”

5.”I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.” Talking about Catania president Pietro Lo Monaco claimed he wanted to ‘smack [Mourinho] in the mouth’

4.“As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal. I would have been frustrated if I had been a supporter who paid £50 to watch this game because Spurs came to defend.”

3.”It’s not even a game between him and me. It’s a game where a kid made some statements not showing maturity and respect. Maybe [it’s his] education, difficult childhood, no education, maybe [it is] the consequence of that.” He said that about Cristiano Ronaldo!

2.”Ronaldo is a good player, but he is certainly not the best. He deserved the Golden Ball award because his team won the Champions League and the Premier League. But, for me, Ibrahimovic is the best.”

1.“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m a European champion, and I think I’m a special one.”

Bojan and Maxwell were declared fit.

Spanish forward Bojan damaged knee ligaments in last month’s La Liga match at home to Almeria, while Brazilian full-back Maxwell had been suffering from a hernia.

Captain and centre back Carles Puyol and fullback Adriano trained separately from their team mates on Monday as they continue their recuperation, Barca said in a statement on their website.

Barcelona play Manchester United at Wembley on May 28.

JOSE MOURINHO has been given a five-game European ban

JOSE MOURINHO has been given a five-game European ban for his outbursts during the fiery Champions League semi-final first-leg clash against Barcelona.

The Real Madrid boss has already served a one-match ban, and another is suspended, meaning he will miss Madrid’s first three European games next season. Mourinho has also been fined £44,000 by UEFA’s control and disciplinary body for his sending-off and comments after the first leg.

Barcelona reserve keeper Jose Pinto, who was red-carded after a scuffle at half-time at the Bernabeu, has been given a three-game ban.

Real Madrid, who were also fined £18,000 for the behaviour of their fans, have already announced they will appeal.

The club said in a statement: “Real Madrid CF considers this resolution still suffers from the same defects found at the start of the disciplinary case, which made it impossible for our coach to use his right to defend himself since the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened are still unknown.

“Real Madrid CF will appeal this decision before the UEFA appeals body.”

Manchester United’s £9m bonus to win the Double

MANCHESTER UNITED’S stars will share a bumper £9million bonus if they do the Double.

United face Barcelona in the Champions League final and are favourites to win the Premier League with just three games to go.

The lucrative bonus system in the players’ contracts means they will hit the jackpot by winning the big two.

For each Prem game, every member of the 18-man squad picks up £1,500 per point won – so that is £4,500 each for a victory.

United have 73 points and will be on 82 if they win their final three games, meaning the total payout will be around £2.2m.

The club will then add between £1m and £1.3m for winning the title, to be shared between the squad based on games played.

In the Champions League, Wayne Rooney and Co are awarded £15,000 for their part in a group stage win and £20,000 in the knockout rounds.

That will total around £2.5m if they beat Barca at Wembley on May 28.

The club will throw in a further pot of £3m for lifting the trophy, again shared based on the number of matches played.

United have reached their third Euro final in four seasons.

They hammered Schalke 4-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday to win 6-1 on aggregate – a Champions League semi-final record.

Alex Ferguson’s side are three points clear of second-placed Chelsea in the league ahead of Sunday’s title crunch between the pair at Old Trafford.

Fergie seeks Special advice

ALEX FERGUSON will call on The Special One for advice on how to beat Barcelona in the Champions League final.
“His experience is good but I think Real Madrid are a different team to us.

“We will depend on our own knowledge of Barcelona, it’s not like we’ve never seen them before.

“We have watched them many, many times before this season.

“But you know the experience Real Madrid have from Jose’s angle, you always take information from him because he’s always helpful like that.”

“I don’t think we should be going there lacking in confidence. We can’t be frightened out of our skins. Our job is to find a solution when playing against them.”

How much technology does football need?

IFA president Sepp Blatter last month repeated his pledge to have goal-line technology in place for the 2014 World Cup.
And a report in today’s Daily Mail suggests the world governing body are days away from making a statement about technology in the game with Hawk-Eye in talks with the world governing body.

The company, who provide a similar service in cricket and in tennis, would use a six-camera system to determine whether the ball has crossed the line.

Critics say technology will slow the game down, that the margin for error remains too large and it would mean different rules for different competitions.
However, advocates of technology say the price of making a mistake in modern football is just too high.

Meanwhile a new high-tech ball that can also show when the ball is received in an offside position or when it goes out of play for a throw-in or a corner is being developed.

So what you do think? Should goal line technology be introduced and should it be extended to other areas of the games?

Coach Pep Guardiola wants Barcelona to do their talking on the pitch

Mourinho sparked an uncharacteristically angry response from his opposite number after branding Guardiola as being a unique coach who “criticises the right decisions made by referees”.

“We will meet each other on the pitch. He’s won his games off the pitch and I’ll give him his personal Champions (League) for that,” said Guardiola.


“In this room, he’s the chief, the man, the person who knows everything about the world and I don’t want to compete with him at all.” Guardiola added “If you think that his allegation that I always complain about the referees is true after you’ve all heard from me over the last three years, well there’s nothing I can do. Off the pitch there’s nothing we can do to fight that.

“Off the pitch, he has already won, as he has done all year. On the pitch, we’ll see what happens.”

Proud to be a Barcelona fan

First of all,­ Shakhtar is an excellent team. One of the best attacking­ teams in Europe, unlucky they did not score more goals.­ As the Shakhtar coach said: If they had someone like­ Messi, who had converted 100% of their chances, they­ would have progressed. Valdes had 5 very good and­ important saves! Second: Arsenal? Hmm…

Weak? No, not­ at all! They won 2-1 at Emirates, and then went on to­ play a kinda bad game in the Nou Camp, which they lost­ 3-1 (no shots on goal, only an own goal from Busquets­ after a corner). But Arsenal+Shakhtar, and now Real­ Madrid+Possibly Man U in the final. Can’t see it­ much tougher! Proud to be a Barcelona fan, even if we­ go on to lose all 4 clasicos. We have played a great­ season – and no matter what, we can be proud of the 5-0­ routing of Madrid at Camp Nou, Real won’t ever beat­ Barcelona by that result!

Anyway, I think we will­ win Copa Del Rey by 3-1, Get a 1-1 draw in La Liga this­ saturday, and qualify on away goals in CL! Good luck,­ Visca Barca!