Golden boot for Messi and some random news

Leo Messi’s 34 league goals last season were enough to win him the award for topping the European club goalscoring charts. He recieved the trophy this afternoon at the Estrella Damm factory in Barcelona. Congrats!

intresting facts: The Golden Ball is awarded by France Football to the top scorer in European leagues. Since it was first presented, 1967, only Ronaldo Nazário (1996-97) has won it by scoring g goals for Barça. The Brazilian got the same tally of 34 goals that served for Messi to succeed him as an FC Barcelona winner. Leo Messi is the second player to win the Golden Boot while playing for Barça. Krankl, Stoitchkov, Pizzi, Larsson and Henry all won it and later joined the club.

Some photos from ceremony









Quick video:


Messi has new boots, golden adizero F50. Boots are very special and personalised, Adidas wants to give special tribute offering commemorative boots designed for the occasion of Golden Boot Award. Adizero F50 boots are in gold color with 34 balls, one for each goal scored (17 on each boot).



Eduard Manchón, a star of FC Barcelona's 5 Copes season, has died at the age of 80 after a long illness. The legendary forward combined with famous names such as Ladisalo Kubala, Emilio Aldecoa, Juan Velasco, Joan Segarra and Antoni Ramallets as the Blaugrana won the league title, the Copa de Generalisimo, the Copa Latina, the Copa Martini Rossi and the Copa Eva Duarte in the 1951/52 season.


Bad news about Xavi :
“For several weeks, the player has been suffering bilateral aquiline tendinopathy, which has reached an acute stage. The player, the manager Pep Guardiola, the FC Barcelona Medical Services and national manager Vicente del Bosque have decided that the best decision would be for him not to play with the Spanish national team in the games against Lithuania and Scotland in order for him to remain in Barcelona and do recovery work.
Tomorrow, in consideration of the player’s condition, we will decide whether Xavi Hernández will also miss the game against Mallorca next Sunday."

Get well soon Xavi!

FC Barcelona’s squad came back from Kazan straight after the game and didn't train on Thursday. Instead, the players will return to training on Friday morning at 11:00 at the Ciutat Esportiva as preparations begin for the visit of Real Mallorca at the weekend.

As conlaroja reports: "Several days ago, Andrés and David were visited in Barcelona by artists from the museum to get their measurements and take pictures. The statues will be ready in about two months time, and will join the replica statues of Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres in a new room in the museum dedicated to the world champions."




Guardiola vs Michael Laudrup: A Challenge of 'Dream Team'. Barça-Mallorca on Sunday will be historic. For the first time, Pep Guardiola as coach will face another former member of Dream Team Blaugrana in league match!


Like in previous years this season also we will probably have leading song. Ealier were 'Viva la Vida' and 'Human', this year it seems that the song 'Fire with fire' by Scissor Sisters will be theme song. Well it's acording to Sport.es, so we will see if this will be confirmed;)

Trainings and some other news

Sorry for not so many newst in last days, but I was very busy with some issues in my everyday life not connected with FCB, but I hope to post everything soon.

So let's start with very quick summay of 23rd and 24th of September in Barcelona's world.

The first team returned to training after defeating Sporting Gijón. The players gathered on pitch 1 at the Ciutat Esportiva at 11.00 am. Xavi and Puyol preferred to work on specific tasks in the gym, while the injured Messi was also absent. Abidal was also given special permission by the club to miss today’s session. The players that featured at the Camp Nou last night did their own specific work with a fitness specialist.

The other players trained as normal, with a big game away to Bilbo to come at 10.00 pm on Saturday. Guardiola also called upon six reserve players. Two of these, Nolito and Thiago, have been training with the first team for several days, and were joined today by colleagues Miño, Tello, Fontàs and Víctor Vázquez.

Photos:











After training session Gabi Milito met with media (click here to read more)
Fave quotes:
“We are a squad, a group, with very good players, if at any point in the season somebody is missing, we have someone else to take his place.”
“We’ll have to be prepared for a very serious match, because we’re up against a very good team. It’s one of the toughest grounds in Spanish football. We’ll have to play the same way we have done in other games recently, playing seriously and intensely, because we won’t be playing an easy team.”


Friday:
Lionel Messi's road to recovery took a step forward on Friday as he strolled onto the training pitch for the first time to work on his individual programme! That's what I call "news of the day". Take care Leo!
Let's celebrate with photos- all from morning session:)





BTW I love this last photo, our cute boys from Argentina, Leo, Gabi and Javier together:)

After trainig it was Pep's turn to hold press conference. Most of all he was talking about game against Athleico Bilbao, but also about Messi and team (click to read more)


Thiago Alcántara has been called up to the FC Barcelona squad for the game against Athletic Club de Bilbao on Saturday evening as Lionel Messi and Éric Abidal miss out. Congrats Thiago!

So our full squad for tomorrow is: Valdés, Pinto, Adriano, Maxwell, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Milito, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Mascherano, Jeffren, Bojan, Pedro, Villa, Keita, Thiago.

Abidal is back in BCN, as totalbarca.com reports "For forty five minutes on Friday afternoon (16:45 to 17.30) the French defender exercised alone, with the help of one of the team’s trainers to help him recover his match fitness. The player missed six days of training owing to the illness of his grandfather, who has since passed away. Abidal returned to Barcelona this afternoon."

Other news:
After the league match against Mallorca (October 8th), a number of Barcelona’s players will once again disperse for international duty: Alves and Adriano (Brazil), Milito&Mascherano&Messi (Argentina)

And just look at this front page of MD;

Funny part: Pique asked about all gosips about his personal life, including relationship with Shakira, answered ““My private life? I take all this very lightly. If I were to ignore the rumors, Zlatan would be very sad.” (you probably remeber HUGE rumours about Pique and Ibra after this photo was taken-click to see it), he also confessed that “It is much harder to be a model to play football.”

Pique showed off the design of watch and bracelet that will bare his name in a collection especially made for the Time Force brand.


Few days ago in Spanish media tere were newst about group on facebook "Si esto consigue 250.000 fans me retiro a los 40" which means "If it (group) gets 250,000 fans I will retire at 40" people who set it up claimed to be Puyi's friends and that Carles asked them to create such group, but Carles denied it and on his twitter informed that he has no idea what's it all about.

Club's corner:
Today we have an emotional ceremony, club awarded the golden insignia to members that have been loyal to the Club for 50 years. Congrats!
Sandro Rosell has presented gold club crest for the first time in his role as FC Barcelona president as he spent Friday with 189 members who were celebrating being associated with the Blaugrana for 50 years.




The festivities on the day of Mercé began at 10am when a service was held to commemorate 53 years since Camp Nou was inaugurated. President Sandro Rosell and vice president Jordi Cardoner represented the board in the event that was carried out in the Roma area along with around 200 members.

Diada and defeat

Well game wasn't good today, but there were also some good things today.

Firts of all, it's Diada Nacional, 11th of September is National Day of Catalonia.
It's commemorates the 1714 Siege of Barcelona defeat during the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1980, the restored Generalitat de Catalunya (autonomous Government of Catalonia), as its first public act proclaimed 11 September, La Diada, the Catalan National holiday. Organizations and political parties traditionally lay floral offerings at the monuments of Rafael Casanova and General Moragues for their fight against the Bourbon army. Also FCB, as one of the most important Catalan institution took part in celebrations.






Before the game, Camp Nou celebrated this special day with giant(252 m2) Catalan flag- Senyera and Els Segadors anthem:


Another reason to celebrate: On Saturday, September 11, FC Barcelona and French International defender Eric Abidal turns 31. All the best Eric!

In Saturday morning, Carles Puyol received medical clearance and was among the 19 players that Josep Guardiola can choose for this evening’s game with Hercules.

Now something about game:
Starting line-up:Valdés, Adriano, Piqué, Abidal, Maxwell, Mascherano(debut in FCB), Keita, Iniesta, Bojan, Villa, Messi.
On the subs' bench for Barça: Pinto, Alves, Xavi, Pedro, Milito, Busquets and Jonathan dos Santos.
and some higlights:
-It was first game that our team played at Camp Nou in LaLiga. There was 79.363 spectators!

-Leo Messi was wearing new gold coloured boots

-min 10 ;great chance for Barça, good run from Villa down the left but Bojan could not finish off the cross from close range

-min 20: first yellow card of the game for Barça debutant Javier Mascherano

-min 26; Hércules striker Valdez puts his side ahead with a scrappy goal, turning in a rebound from a Víctor Valdés save

-min 33; good chance for David Villa; the Asturian shoots over from the edge of the box

-min 35; cross from Adriano and Piqué heads just wide of the near post

-min 42; Yellow cards for Trezeguet and Adriano after a slight scuffle near the touchline

- min 43; Villa put the ball in the net but it is ruled out for offside

-Pep Guardiola makes two changes at half time; Mascherano and Bojan off and Pedro and Xavi on for Barça

- in 59; Hércules make it 2-0 in the Camp Nou, Valdez once again with a good finish to leave Barça stunned

- min 63: chance for Messi, good save by Calatayud

- min 70; Valdés makes an excellent save from Kiko to keep Barça in the game

- min 71; chance for Villa on the left, brings a good save from Calatayud

- min 74; Messi brings another good save from Calatayud

- min 82; Pedro works his way through but once again Calatayud is there

- min 84; Piqué and Calatayud clash heads and the Barça player leaves the field with blood pouring from a cut

- min 87: Piqué returns with a bandaged head

- min 89; Valdés saves Barça with a double save from Tote and then Trezeguet

- min 90; Messi has the ball in the net but it is disallowed for a previous foul

And that's it, it wasn't good game for us, but I hope next one will be better.

Photos:











And some with poor Pique:








It was debut for Mascherano, but no so good forhim and team (read more here)

After game Guardiola spoke with press, he congratulated winners and said that there are "no excuses". (right now it's only in Catalan, but I hope soon there will be English summary too- click to read more)

Our youth played also: Cartagena 5 - 1 Barça B