Barça beat Manchester United in a penalty shootout in the ‘SuperMatchen’ Trophy in Gothenburg tonight. Barça controlled most of the game, though they needed a penalty save from Víctor Valdés to keep the scores level after 90 minutes. Jordi Alba made his debut with FC Barcelona.
Manchester United and FC Barcelona meet in Sweden in a re-run of the Champions League finals of 2009 and 2011, both of which were won by Barça. Jordi Alba, Fontàs and Villa are all going on the ‘mini-tour’ as they get in shape for the new season.
FC Barcelona’s Manager, Tito Vilanova, has taken every player he can, including Jordi Alba, as well as Villa and Fontàs, for the forthcoming friendly games against Manchester United and Dinamo Bucharest. Jonathan dos Santos, with a sprain, didn’t train on Tuesday and stays in Barcelona.
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.
The FC Barcelona’s forward will increase his work rate and physical conditioning in the team’s upcoming training sessions in order to be match fit as soon as possible. Doctors Cugat and Pruna note that “he’s doing very well medically, but he’s not in optimal physical condition yet”. Villa was injured last December, in the semifinals of the Club World Cup.
Barça’s Argentine star is hugely grateful to the Catalan club for extending his contract until June 30, 2016. Mascherano will be 32 years old when his contract ends and feels that seeing out his career as a Barça player is in his own hands. “It depends on me and how I perform as a footballer” he said. The buyout clause has been raised to 100 million euros.
FCB Escola unveiled its new Campus in the Beijing Olympic Center. The two-week camp, FCB Escola’s first in China, will serve to bring Barça’s values and training methodology to aspiring Chinese footballers.
The Catalan defender has been at FC Barcelona’s offices the day before he signed his new contract with the Catalan club. The visit is the first step in a busy 36 hours for Barça’s latest signing and recent Euro 2012 winner.
6 of the 8 Barça players that won the EURO title with Spain were named to the best team of the EURO. Valdés, Pedro and the Dutchman Afellay are the only Barça players that did not make the all-star team.
The FC Barcelona midfielder wins the award that his fellow Barça teammate, Xavi Hernández, won in the 2008 EURO. Iniesta was named man of the match against Italy (Group Stage), Croatia and in the final against the Azzurri.
Barça Regal win the Liga title in the last match of the Liga Endesa Finals at an at-capacity Palau Blaugrana. The game against Real Madrid was won in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. Pete Mickeal,with 17 points and 9 rebounds, was the best player of the match. Fran Vázquez also had a brilliant performance. Erazem Lorbek was named MVP of the Liga Endesa Final playoff series.
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”.
Barça Regal beat Real Madrid on Wednesday evening thereby forcing a fifth and final game in the Liga Endesa Finals. Lorbek, with 24 points, was the best Barça Regal player on the court. Saturday, at 19:00, the champions of the 2011/12 Liga Endesa will be decided at the Palau Blaugrana
FC Barcelona have come to an agreement with Francesc ‘Tito’ Vilanova. This season's first team assistant manager will be the head coach of FC Barcelona for two seasons, through June 30th, 2014. Barça’s new manager will sign his new contract this Friday, at noon.
Spain is once again the favourite team going into Euro 2012. After breaking an international jinx of 44 years in 2008, they have not looked back since and possess a squad oozing with quality. Of the 23-man squad Vicente del Bosque is taking to the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine six are Catalan players. Their first match of the tournament is against Italy on June 10th.