FC Barcelona - Mes que un equip!

More players leave Barcelona

Adriano left Barcelona to join italian side AC Milan for rumordly 13 mio. €! The brazilian wing back told the media, that he had to leave Barcelona, as he wanted more playing time, but Barcelona Manager Luis Enrique couldn't promise him that!

Jordi Masip also left Barcelona, as he wanted to be a number 1 Goalkeeper. He joined Real Sociedad San Sebastian!

Barcelona Squad Announced

Goalkeepers

1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen 22
13 Claudio Bravo 31
25 Adrian Ortola 20

Defenders

2 Martin Montoya 23
3 Gerard Pique 27
14 Javier Mascherano 30
15 Marc Batra 23
18 Jordi Alba 25
22 Dani Alves 31
23 Thomas Vermaelen 28
24 Patric 21
21 Alex Grimaldo 18
26 Macky Bagnack 18 *Barcelona B

Midfielders

4 Ivan Rakitic 26
5 Sergio Busquets 25
6 Xavi 34
8 Andres Iniesta 30
16 Thiago Alcantara 23
20 Sergi Roberto 22
26 Sergi Samper 18 *Barcelona B
34 Alen Halilovic 17 *Barcelona B

Strikers

7 Gerard Deulofeu 20
9 Luis Suarez 27
10 Lionel Messi 27
11 Neymar jr. 22
12 Rafinha 21
19 Sandro 19
29 Jean-Marie Dongou Tsafack 19 *Barcelona B
31 Munir el Haddadi 18 *Barcelona B

Interview with Luis Enrique

The Liga BBVA is about to start in a few days and we sad down with Barcelona and Barcelona B manager Luis Enrique!
The spanish Manager of the Year talks about the last Season, why he rebuild his succesful team and his young la Masia talents!



L'Equipe: First of all, Congratulations on winning the Liga BBVa, Copa del Rey and all your individual awards, such as Manager of the Year or your players FIFA Ballon D'Or or European Golden Boy!
What a succesful first Season that was for your side, with all the records you've broken (Most games won in a row(20), Most League Points(105) and Most goals scored in a Season(122)), have you seen that coming?

Luis Enrique: Thanks for your congratulations!
I was hoping for a good first Season and I was very confindent, based on the talent in the Squad, that we could aim for a succesful Season, but there is something which really anoys me!
The last UEFA Champions League Season was not like we expect it to be.
The team helped me gaining the Award, it was because of them, that I gained this award and I told it to them.
A couple of players did earn individual Awards, like Ney, Lio and Rafa, but they also now that they wouldn't have achieved this awards, without the team!

Speaking of your team! Why did you sell that many players until now. Adriano, Masip, Mathieu; Song or Affelay? Your squad isn't that deep, as it was last year, because you only bought back Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich! Will there be any more signings for your side?

I wouldn't bet on that! We only sold players who where rotation options or didn't even spend the last Season at our club. Of course, I would've liked to keep players like Adriano, who are in the squad for a couple of years, but I didn't want to have unhappy players here.
All of them asked me to be transfered, because they wanted more game time and I couldn't give it to them.
That's why I decided to promote Patric or Alex Grimaldo, because they earned it in the last Liga Adelante Season and through their Pre-Season performances.

So rumors say, that Luis Suarez isn't a happy player either and that a few clubs, like Paris and Chelsea, want to capitalize on that! Can you tell me something about it?

It is true, that Luis expected more playing time, but I had some talks to him over the Pre-Season and he told me to fight for a place in the front line. Lio, Ney and Rafa played an amazing last Season and of course they will have a little Bonus, but with Gerard (Deulofeu) and Sandro, he has hugh competition in the back-up line and both of them played amazing in the Pre-Season!

That sounds a little bit like you don't trust his abilities or that you don't think he is good enoug for the squad, to be honest!

He is an amazing player, without a doubt, but our talents from La Masia have also a hugh quality and if they're better than him or show me, that they want it more than him, that's when they will get more playing time!

Do you have some la masia talents in mind, who could get promoted soon?

We have loads of talents! It is hard to give everyone some playing time in the first squad. Right now we have players like Ie, Halilovic, Doungou Tsafack, Tarin, Bagnack or Adama in the B-Team in the second league, but all of them could easily play in the Liga BBVA! They also catched the interest of some teams, but I'm happy that all of them stayed here and wait for their chance.
There is one player in particular, who really is outstanding in our B-Team! Our defensive midfielder Sergi Samper is the one player to watch! He will step into Busis footsteps, he is so similar to him, that is outstanding. Like a copy.

We surely will watch him. Thanks for the Interview and your honest words, now we wait for the next weekend, when the League starts!

Suarez attacks Enrique

Luis Suarez is clearly unhappy at his current role in the squad and this led to a verbal attack against Enrique on the training ground!



Luis Suarez rumordly said, that he never ever has seen such a incompetent and stupid Manager.
Suarez seems to be unrest at Barcelona, because he is only the offensive option number 6, maybe number 5, but he has to fight Sandro Ramirez, to even gain a bench spot on matchdays.

It will be interesting to see, if this unhappines, disrupts the amazing squad harmony and how Luis Enrique will respond to the attack.
Enrique didn't notized Suarez' words, but some fans filmed the scene and it was quickly uploaded to the internet!

Barcelona: Champions League Favorites?

FC Barcelonas last Champions League Season was not as they had expected to be! A Team like Barcelona always aims for the Title and the last few Seasons where really succesful, as they had won the Title in 2006 with an amazing Ronaldinho or Deco.
A few years later it was the era of Pep Guardiola who build a Team which dominated almost every Team over the years 2008-2012 and they had won the title 2 times.
Luis Enrique said a few weeks ago that the last Champions League Season wasn't as he whised for and his main target this Season is the Champions League title!



Enrique might change his tactics a little bit in order to be aware of the fact, that the teams in the Champions League stand a little deeper than the teams in the Liga BBVA.
In order to be succesful, the Coach might make a 3-defender-line. This would allow his team, to outnumber the other teams, dispite their defensive line-up.


Barcelonas alternativ tactic

The wing-backs really need to do loads of work in this situation, as they need to cover a hugh distance in every single game.
One of the defenders would get higher up the pitch, when they're in possesion, to open the game and both of them should intercept possible counter attacks.
While the team is attacking, the wing-backs go as high as the 3 strikers and they make up a 5 man strong offensive line, this allows Messi to drop deeper.
The central midfielder tasks won't change, in comparison to the common tactic!

Gabriel picks Barcelona over Bayern!

17 year old wonderkid Gabriel Barbosa, will move to Barcelona for 10 mio. €!
The brazilian striker, who was named the first time into the Brazil national squad, might be loaned to another club or will stay the first Season in the Barcelona B-Team!



The young striker made 75 appearances in the Brazilian Seria A for Santos and scored 18 goals and made 11 assists.
Gabriel had held talks with Bayern Munich, as he would've loved to play under Pep Guardiola.
The Barcelona icon just resigned from his post, in order to take over as the spanish national manager!
After a dissapointing World Cup, Vicente del Bosque had to leave and Pep Guardiola expressed his desire to take over and rebuild the Spanish national team.
Therefore Guardiola talked to Gabriel and said that he shouldn't join Bayern, if it was only for Guardiola, as he already knew, that he would leave the german Bundesliga champions.
Gabriel was struggeling to decide if he was to join Bayern with Guardiola or Barcelona with his mentor and role model Neymar jr.

Guardiola leaving made his desicion really easy and he quickly signed a 4-year-contract with the Liga BBVA Champions.
It is interesting to see, how this signing will change the Situation of Luis Suarez!

Transfer chaos in Barcelona!

Severel Teams make last minute offers for Barcelona Players. The teams who made offers is like a list of the who-is-who in the world football.
Teams like Manchester United, Paris St. Germain, Juventus Turin, Chelsea London, Manchester City just to name a few of them!



Barcelona manager rejected every single offer so far, as he said that he needs every single player to be as succesful as he needs and wants to be.
Rafinha was the player who would bring the highest offer to his stake. Chelsea London offered up to 45 mio. € for the current European Golden Boy-Winner.
Chelsea London also offered 29 mio. € for another La Masia player. Sergi Roberto was the second transfer target for Jose Mourinho.
Paris St. Germain offered up to 36 mio. € for the spanish midfielder.
Marc Bartra catched the interest from Manchester United and the english side offered up to 27 mio. € for the spanish national defender, another offer about 32 mio. € was send in for Ivan Rakitic.
The croatian midfielder got more competition in the squad with the signing of Thiago.
Juventus also wanted to sign him, for not even 10 mio.€

Liga BBVA Update

Barcelona 5-0 Celta

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Busquets(73.Xavi), Alba - Iniesta(c) (67.Rakitic), Thiago - Rafinha(60. Deulofeu), Messi, Neymar jr.

Atletico 2-3 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Bartra - Alves, Busquets (81.Xavi), Alba - Iniesta(c) (78.Rakitic), Thiago - Rafinha(75.Deulofeu), Messi, Neymar jr.

Barcelona 6-0 Real Sociedad

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves(46.Montoya), Busquets(57.Xavi), Alba - Iniesta(c), Thiago - Deulofeu(79.Rafinha), Messi, Neymar jr.

Cordoba 0-2 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves(29.Montoya), Busquets, Alba - Iniesta(c)(63.Xavi), Thiago - Deulofeu (78.Rafinha), Messi, Neymar jr.

Barcelona 4-1 Getafe

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves(46.Montoya), Busquets, Alba - Roberto, Thiago - Deulofeu(53.Rafinha), Messi(c)(63.Suarez), Neymar jr.

Champions League Update

Paris 0-4 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Xavi(c), Alba (26.Montoya) - Iniesta (70.Roberto), Rakitic - Deulofeu, Messi (57.Rafinha), Neymar jr.

Barcelona 3-1 Frankfurt

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Vermaelen - Montoya, Busquets, Grimaldo - Roberto, Rakitic - Deulofeu (80.Rafinha), Messi(c) (56.Halilovic), Suarez (72.Sandro)

Ajax 1-2 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Busquets, Grimaldo - Roberto, Thiago (77.Xavi) - Deulofeu (70.Rafinha), Messi(c) (72.Sandro), Neymar jr.

First Titel of the year goes to...

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid fought for the Spanish Super Cup. It was a thrilling event! In both games there was one player who overshined every other single player on the pitch!

The first game was held in the sold out Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona dominated the game and Madrid didn't even had a single shoot in the first 45 minutes! Barcelona showed some awesome team moves, which were dictated by Thiago and Iniesta, who showed their amazing passing abilities.
The second half was exactly the same way, Barcelona passed their way through the Madrid midfield and defensive lines.
In the 80th minute it was Cristiano Ronaldo with a well placed shoot, who scored the first goal in the match.
Barcelona tried to get that goal back and Rafinha hit the post, with a shoot from outside of the box.
In the 89th minute it was again Ronaldo, who dribbled his way through the Barcelona defensive line and scored the second goal of the night.
The game was set and nothing happend anymore. It is a good position Real Madrid has thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The second game was held in the sold out Camp Nou. And it didn't even took 10 minutes to see the first goal! Alex Grimaldo, the 18-year-old left wing back, who was promoted from the Barcelona B team scored the first goal, but he scored on the wrong side of the pitch.
Grimaldo tackled into the cross, as he wanted to clear the ball, before Ronaldo was able to score in the empty net.
The Real Madrid fans already were clebrating the Super Cup victory, as Barcelona needed at least 4 goals, to turn the fortune around.
Xavi made a start and scored a well placed shot in the 11th minute, to start the attacking offense.
Real Madrid seemed to standing good in the defense, as Lionel Messi outdribbled 6 Real Madrid players, to score a beautiful goal in the 25th minute.
Real looked for some counter attacks and they were really good in it. Benzema, Kroos and Bale had some good chances, but ter Stegen showed a game to remember, as he saved 3 shoots, who seemed to be clear goals!
In the 42nd minute Ronaldo started a dribble move, but Grimaldo intercepted the ball and made a killer pass to Neymar jr., who scored a curved shoot into the long bottom corner.
Real Madrid kicked off, after the conceded goal, but Pepe struggled to keep a good first touch and Messi was too fast for him! The argentinian striker intercepted and curved Casillas to score into the empty net.
Barcelona turned everything around, even before the half-time whistle had gone!

The second half started with a bang. Benzema hit the corssbar, as he saw that ter Stegen was too far outside of his goal and Benzema scored to lob the ball over the german u21 international.
Messi stepped up to take a penalty, after Pepe hit the ball with the hand.
Messi send Casillas into the wrong side and it was 5-1 from now on.
Madrid started a offense to score a cup winning goal, but it was again Pepe, who tackled into the feet of Deulofeu. Messi stepped up and scored his 4th goal of the game!
Barcelona won the game with an outstanding performance 6-1 and won the Spanish Super Cup.

Liga BBVA Update

Athletic 1-3 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Bartra, Pique - Alves, Busquets (78.Xavi), Grimaldo - Iniesta(c), Rakitic - Deulofeu (80.Rafinha), Messi (88.Suarez), Neymar jr.

Barcelona 5-0 Rayo

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Pique, Bartra - Alves, Busquets (54.Xavi), Alba - Iniesta(c), Thiago - Deulofeu (77.Rafinha), Messi (46.Sandro), Neymar jr.

Valencia 3-4 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Bartra - Alves, Xavi(c), Grimaldo - Iniesta (60.Roberto), Thiago - Deulofeu (52.Rafinha), Messi (50.Sandro), Neymar jr.

Barcelona 3-0 Osasuna

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Busquets (70.Xavi), Grimaldo - Roberto (65.Rakitic), Thiago - Deulofeu, Messi(c) (62.Sandro), Neymar jr.

Eibar 2-1 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Vermaelen - Montoya, Xavi(c) (57.Patric), Alba - Rakitic, Thiago - Deulofeu (46.Rafinha), Messi, Suarez (57.Neymar jr.)

Liga BBVA Update

Barcelona 4-0 Valladolid

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves (67.Montoya), Busquets (55.Xavi), Alba - Rakitic, Thiago - Deulofeu, Messi(c) (89.Suarez), Neymar jr.

Malaga 1-3 Barcelona

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Bartra, Pique - Alves, Samper, Grimaldo - Xavi(c), Thiago (63.Roberto) - Rafinha, Messi (86.Suarez), Neymar jr.(62.Deulofeu)

Barcelona 5-0 Las Palmas

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Busquets, Alba - Iniesta(c) (55.Xavi), Roberto - Deulofeu (77.Rafinha), Messi(46.Sandro), Neymar jr.

Villareal 3-2 Barcelona

Barcelona: Bravo - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Busquets, Alba - Iniesta(c) (77.Xavi), Roberto (88.Rakitic) - Deulofeu, Messi, Neymar jr. (82.Rafinha)

Barcelona 3-2 Deportivo

Barcelona: ter Stegen - Mascherano, Pique - Alves, Xavi(c) (46.Busquets), Alba - Iniesta (69.Roberto), Thiago - Deulofeu, Messi (77.Rafinha), Neymar jr.

Inter Milan looking to sign Luis Enrique

Inter Milan are currently 16th in the Serie A and have recently sacked their Manager Walter Mazzari. Internationale Chairman Erick Thoir wants a Manager who is prefering an attacking style and has already gained his reputation.

A fan voting from last week, amongst our readers, prefered the two coaches Luis Enrique and Jürgen Klopp!
Thoir already publicly announced his interest in signing Enrique, but he is not sure to take so much money in his hands, to pay the compensation, Barcelona is asking for.
Barcelona Chairman Bartomeu said, that he would only allow Enrique to leave, if Enrique himself asked him to letting him go.



Luis Enrique said at his start in Barcelona, that he wouldn't leave the club. He wanted to start an era, like his former teammate Josep Guardiola has!
Therefore it is unlikely that he will leave the team after only 1 1/2 years, dispite beeing such an interesting task to rebuild Internationale.

And the title goes to...

6 Players have been on the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon D'Or, players like the two rising young superstars Neymar jr. or Eden Hazard.
Other superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Arjen Robben, didn't even made it into the list.



It could only been one player to gain the title, Lionel Messi. An amazing amount of 6 times in a row now!
Messi had played 57 matches from January until December and scored 65 goals and 22 assists. It is an even higher achievement, as he missed a whole month at the beginning of the year.
With Juan Mata (2nd) and Eden Hazard (3rd) there are two players who never made it into the Top3 until now.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale both, been outragious, about the fact that they not even made it into the Top5!
They wanted a recount of the voices and an explanation of Josef Blatter!
Florentino Perez (Real Madrid Chairman) claimed that it was another sign, that Barcelona is a favourite team for everyone and that their players only gain the awards, because of their UNICEF sponsoring and such things!

Romelu Lukaku is the Golden Boy!

Evertons Romelu Lukaku is voted for the best young player in Europe. It seemed to be a hard fight with Gerard Deulofeu, who replaced the last years Golden Boy winner Rafinha Alcantara from Barcelonas first 11!

Suarez wants to leave Barcelona

After only 18 months Luis Suarez is feed up with his role as number 5 striker at FC Barcelona and asked to be transfer listed for the winter transfer period.

Luis Suarez had a decent first Season, as he scored 15 goals and 15 assists, dispite beeing banned until October.
He wasn't a regular starter in his first Season, but was really effectiv from the bench.
This did change in the second Season, as he lost his effictivness, even the Goalkeeper ter Stegen has more assists on the stat sheets, as Suarez.



Jose Mourinho is about to send in a offer for Suarez over 75mio. €. 15mio€ would been transfered over directly and then Chealsea would transfer 15mio € per year over the next 4 years!
Luis Enrique is only waiting for an offer for the uruguayan striker, as he could promote Gabriel, Dongou Tsafack or Halilovic to fill in the squad spot!