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Eleven Barça players away the week before Liga starts

Sergi Garcia

Sis Barça players are flying to Puerto Rico to play for Spain. Valdés, Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Pedro and Cesc have all been called up by Vicente Del Bosque.Afellay has been picked in Louis van Gaal’s first squad, while Mano Menezes is taking Alves to the friendly between Sweden and Brazil. Messi and Mascherano are also in Sabella’s squad for a game with Germany, and Alexis Sánchez will be crossing the Atlantic for Chile’s game with Ecuador.

August 14, 2012 01:12 AM

FC Barcelona win Paris Trophy (2-2)

Aleix Santacana

Barça won the Paris Trophy beating PSG on penalties after Messi and Rafinha had scored to make it 2-2 at full time. After the friendlies in Hamburg (1-2) and Tangier (0-8), this was a tougher test for Tito Villanova’s men, as Carlos Ancelotti’s much reinforced PSG , who are looking to be a force in the European game this coming season, held them to a 2-2 draw at the Parc de Principes, before the visitors won on penalties.

August 5, 2012 05:53 PM

Tito Vilanova: “I lose in any comparisons [with Guardiola], I didn’t come here to compete with anyone”

Aleix Santacana

FC Barcelona’s new manager gives his first press conference. “It's an honour. I'm eager and excited”, said Tito Vilanova. He is aware he's taking on “a very big challenge” but that “we won't give up on any match or any titles. We'll try to win them all”. "I accept this challenge because I know how football is understood here and, furthermore, I feel that I’ve been part of the successes of these past four years," says the new manager. Furthermore Vilanova emphasised: “I lose in any comparisons [with Guardiola], I didn’t come here to compete with anyone. I’ll try to do a good job, I’ll dedicate as many hours to the job as I have in the past”.

June 15, 2012 08:27 PM

Read the latest sports news, updates, and analysis from Catalonia, including professional football sides FC Barcelona, Espanyol, Girona, as well as Barça Femení and their team of global superstars including Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí, as well as major events taking place here like the America’s Cup sailing race, the Vuelta a España cycling Grand Tour, and off-field issues like Barcelona’s Negreira referee payments case and the development of the Camp Nou.