“Having a winning team is the beginning of the formula that leads us to success,” says FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell at the press conference overviewing the 2012-2013 season. “We’re adopting a management model that adjusts to the reality that surrounds us, that’s viable, sustainable and responsible,” he states. Rosell highlighted the increase in revenue due to sponsorships.
56,500 Barça fans came to the Camp Nou to welcome Neymar to FC Barcelona. "Barça are more than a club and a great team and I want to help Leo Messi to continue to be the greatest player in the world," he said. Neymar da Silva Junior signed his contract with FC Barcelona on Monday afternoon. He will be a Barça player through the 2017/18 season. The signing ceremony took place at thye club’s offices in the Catalan capital. The player, Barça President Sandro Rosell, Vice President Josep Maria Bartomeu and the Football Director Andoni Zubizarreta were all in attendance.
Barça put four past Malaga in the last game of the season and hit the 100 point mark. The Catalans were three up after a quarter of an hour thanks to goals from Villa, Cesc and Montoya. Iniesta got the fourth in the second half before Morales got a consolation goal for Malaga. Abidal came on to a standing ovation on 75 minutes for his final minutes as a Barça player.
A great performance from Barça, with goals from Alexis and Pedro won the derby at Espanyol’s Cornellà-El Prat Stadium. The Champions just keep on winning! Barça reached 97 points on Sunday evening after a clear 0-2 win over city neighbours Espanyol and with one game to go that 100-point margin is still in sight.
Neymar, who announced the news on Twitter and Instagram, will play for Barça for the next five seasons. The player is known for his exquisite technical skills which makes this free-scoring striker a nightmare for any defence. His style is beautiful to watch and he has received recognition and praise from the legendary Pelé himself, of whom many believe he is the modern successor.
FC Barcelona has reached an agreement with the Brazilian player to extend the contract linking the two parties for four additional seasons. The player's buyout clause is set at 90 million euros. Adriano has become known as one of the most versatile players on FC Barcelona’s roster. He’s performed well in the centre back position, as well as the right and left full back positions and as an attacking midfielder.
For the first time in its history, FC Barcelona will be wearing an away kit based on the red and yellow Catalan flag – the ‘senyera’. FC Barcelona and Nike presented Barça’s new first team’s kit on Tuesday morning, which include the traditional blue and claret stripes in a modern design which sees the stripes peter off on the sleeves. Furthermore shorts will be blue for the main outfit and red for the away kit.
FC Barcelona celebrated their 22nd Spanish League title on Monday evening with a parade through the city centre. Together with Barça’s women team, who also won the league title, the players and coaching staff saluted more than a half million fans from open top buses through the claret and blue lined streets.
Tests carried out on Tuesday morning have revealed that the FC Barcelona player has a strained hamstring in his right leg. The Argentinean limped off in the second half at the Calderon on Sunday after noting a twinge in the area he had previously been injured in. Messi’s participation in future games will depend on his recovery process.
Barça celebrated their latest league title with a well earned win at the Vicente Callderon, where the league’s third placed team and finalist in next week’s Cup final received the Champions with a guard of honour. After a pretty placid first half, Atletico went ahead, FC Barcelona switched to a three man defence and–reduced to 10 men by an injury to Messi – went for the jugular, scoring twice and showing all the pride and bravery that has helped to make them the league champions once again.
Barça have won their 22nd Spanish League title, their fourth in the last five years. Without counting the times FC Barcelona have won consecutive league titles, this is the first time that the Blaugrana have managed to win again the League after losing it the year prior. With four matches left on the schedule this year, Vilanova’s men claimed La Liga with 88 points (28 victories, 4 draws and 2 defeats).
Two goals from Messi set up the fightback against Betis to leave Barça just two points off the Spanish League title. Tito Vilanova’s side came back from1-2 down at the break to beat Betis 4-2. Villa and the superb Messi, who had started on the bench – turned the result round to beat a brave Betis. The win means Barça are 11 points ahead of second place Real Madrid, with just four games remaining, Mourinho’s side play against Malaga on Wednesday in a game brought forward because of their involvement in the Spanish Cup final and if they fail to win, Barça will be champions.
Barça failed to make it to the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley this month – it’ll be an all German affair between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Bayern confirmed on Wednesday night their place at the final, finishing 7-0 winners on aggregate after beating Barça 0-3 at the Camp Nou. Without the injured Leo Messi, Tito Vilanova’s side went for the fight back, but a Robben goal at the start of the second half ruined their hopes and settled the tie, with two more goals coming before the end - an own goal by Piqué and another from Müller- to confirm the first ever all-German Champions League final.
The FC Barcelona Manager believes that his players need to go into tomorrow's match against Bayern Munich with cool heads: “we have to play a good game and be the better team, then the goals will come”. “We have to hold our heads high if we are eliminated, we cannot give up; we need to make our fans proud”, he said. “We have to be ourselves and try to play a good game of football. We need to score goals through our style of play”, Vilanova added. “If we are going to mount a comeback we need our fans at the Camp Nou”, he concluded.
A last minute equaliser from Ander Herrera means FC Barcelona could not be mathematically proclaimed champions on Saturday evening. Barça’s last ever game in San Mames will be remembered as a real epic battle, played in the rain at a typically high tempo and with plenty of goals and chances. Susaeta opened the scoring in the first half and nearly got the second with a shot that rattled the woodwork. Barça turned the score around after the break when Messi came off the bench and in a three minute flurry the Argentinean and Alexis made it 1-2 and seemed to have ensured the points until Ander’s last minute effort.