champions league

Josep Guardiola has named 20 players for the Champions League game on Wednesday against BATE Borisov. These are the 18 fit first team players plus Isaac Cuenca and Jonathan dos Santos from the reserves.

FC Barcelona have started their European title defence with a bittersweet draw with the Italian champions. Pedro and Villa neutralised Pato’s shock opener after 25 seconds, but when Barça looked assured of a 2-1 win, Thiago Silva headed an injury time equaliser.

The Champions League kicks off at the Camp Nou this Tuesday night (20.45 CET) with a sparkling game in store between AC Milan and FC Barcelona - the Spanish and European Champions against the reigning Italian title holders.

FC Barcelona lifted the European Super Cup for the fourth time in their history with a 2-0 win over Porto in Monaco. Goals in each half from Messi and Cesc proved enough for Guardiola’s team to take their 12th title under his stewardship.

FC Barcelona and Porto meet this evening (20.45h CET) in a very special European Super Cup. It’s the last to be played at the Louis II in Monaco. Piqué, Puyol and Afellay are all out through injury.

The Argentinian, who topped the goalscoring charts in the last edition of the Champions League has beaten Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi to win the award. In the same event, FC Barcelona was paired with AC Milan, Bate Borisov and Viktoria Plzen in the group H of this season’s Champions League.

Barça and Napoli meet tonight (20.30 local time) in the 46th edition of FC Barcelona’s official trophy, the Joan Gamper, in honour of the club's founder. Both teams could meet again this season in the Champions League.

Barça have a year ahead of them full of challenges - to become the first team to retain the Champions League trophy, match the 4 successive Spanish League titles of the Dream Team and try and equal the historic six trophies of two years ago.

This Friday is the third anniversary of Josep Guardiola’s presentation as Barça’s manager. On June 17, 2008, a project began that has gone on to make history.

This season, in addition to continuing to fill the cabinet with more trophies, has served to break down some barriers that until now had been insurmountable for this Barça team. Winning at grounds like Espanyol or Valencia are two examples.

The prestigious US magazine ‘Newsweek’ features the FC Barcelona football team on the front of next week’s edition, asking the question to its readers –“is this the best team of all time?”

FC Barcelona’s professional sections have won at least one European Cup in each of the last 16 years. The handball and football trophies are just the latest in a series of triumphs.

FC Barcelona have begun their well deserved holidays after celebrating this season’s three titles. The Champions League victory means the team will be playing two more competitions in the new season: The European Super Cup and the World Club Championship.

Cologne was on Sunday evening the scenario for FC Barcelona’s second European Cup in two days, as the Barça Borges handball team beat Ciudad Real to take the eighth Champions League title of their history. Saric was the stand out star in the win.

Barça gave a footballing lesson against Machester United at the home of football, the Wembley Stadium. Guardiola’s team claimed the title back with an exhibition of football never seen before in the final.