luis enrique

Athletic Club vs FC Barcelona: Barça’s gloomy night in Bilbao (4–0)

August 15, 2015 11:28 AM | Michael Toll

Disappointing defeat means Barça have it all to do in Monday's second leg at Camp Nou. Striker Aritz Aduriz scored three times in the second half to lead Athletic Club Bilbao to a shocking 4–0 victory over FC Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup at the New Sam Mamés on a misty Friday night in Bilbao, after Mikel San Jose’s opening goal from midfield. The frustrating defeat leaves the Catalans with but one choice — go all out in Monday night's return leg, scheduled for 10.00pm CET at Camp Nou. Despite the large deficit, the tie is far from over. The two teams are set to face off again and it would be foolish to think the Catalans have given up hope. At least, that’s what Luis Enrique thinks. “If anyone can come back in this tie, it’s Barça," he said.

Spanish Super Cup First Leg: Athletic Club vs FC Barcelona

August 14, 2015 08:44 PM | Mike Roberts

The Basques host the Catalans just 76 days after the two sides met in the Spanish Cup Final at the Camp Nou. After the dramatic 5-4 defeat of Sevilla in Tbilisi to win the European Super Cup, Barça can now make it five titles out of a possible six in 2015 as they face Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup. The first leg is at the new San Mamés on Friday 14 August (10.00pm CET) and the return is at the Camp Nou at the same time on Monday 17. Neymar is still sick with the mumps, Alba and Douglas have hamstring injuries and Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal are both ineligible, but Luis Enrique insists that there are no new concerns and that the knocks taken by Pedro and Iniesta against Sevilla were minor affairs that won’t affect their availability on Friday night.

FC Barcelona vs Sevilla FC: Barça wins European Super Cup, fourth title of 2015 (5–4)

August 12, 2015 01:24 AM | Michael Toll

Pedro Rodríguez scored FC Barcelona’s fifth goal of the evening in the 115th minute as Champions League titleholders FC Barcelona hung on late in an exhilarating 5–4 extra-time triumph over a newly revamped Sevilla, the winners of last year’s Europa League, in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup Final on Tuesday night in Tbilisi, Georgia. Lionel Messi scored two free kick goals in the first half to erase an early 1–0 deficit and Rafinha, filling in superbly for the absent Neymar, started and scored to put Barça up 3–1 a minute before halftime. Messi was named man of the match. "We are delighted to start the season with this win, but it was tough," he said following the game. Only two more titles — this month’s Spanish Super Cup and this fall’s FIFA Club World Cup — stand between the Catalans and an unprecedented second sextuple. It is also FC Barcelona’s fifth UEFA Super Cup title, tying them with AC Milan for tops all-time.

Happy Gamper for FC Barcelona against Roma (3-0)

August 6, 2015 02:17 PM | David Gladwell

Goals from Neymar, Messi and Rakitic give the blaugranes a comfortable win over AS Roma in the team's final game of the 2015/16 pre-season. Luis Enrique's team brought pre-season to its conclusion at Camp Nou with a resounding victory over Italian AS Roma in the Gamper Trophy game. First half goals from Neymar and Leo Messi and another in the second half from Rakitic served to set the blaugranes on track for when silverware will be at stake, beginning with next Tuesday's trip to Tiblisi to take on Sevilla in the European Super Cup.

Joan Gamper Trophy is back, featuring FC Barcelona vs AS Roma

August 5, 2015 05:08 PM | David Gladwell

59 days after the celebrations for the historic treble achieved by the blaugranes last season, Camp Nou comes back to life after a summer hiatus with the visit of Italian side AS Roma for the traditional pre-season opening game at the stadium, the Joan Gamper Trophy. The clash with the Serie A club will mark the end of a pre-season which has taken Barça to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Florence. The first team will be presented to the fans before the game and a party atmosphere is guaranteed in the final test for Luis Enrique’s squad ahead of their attempt to claim the European and Spanish Super Cups. With the return of Claudio Bravo to training on Monday, Luis Enrique now has his entire first team squad back after the summer break, although Arda Turan and Douglas continue their respective recoveries from injury.

Defeat on penalties to round off US Tour for FC Barcelona (2-2, 4-2 pens)

July 29, 2015 02:21 PM | HM Toll

Goals from Suárez and Sandro give Barça a 2-2 draw over 90 minutes against Chelsea, but the shoot out does not go the Catalans’ way (4-2). FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC put on a spectacular show of football on Tuesday night at FedExField just outside Washington DC in a friendly clash between European giants that had to be decided on penalty kicks. With the score tied at two after 90 minutes of play, Chelsea aced all four of their spot kicks to emerge with a victory in both teams’ final game on United States soil in the 2015 International Champions Cup. Both sides will play one final game in the summer tournament back in Europe. For Barça, the defeat wraps up a US tour that included a first-game win over the Los Angeles Galaxy followed by consecutive losses to Manchester United and Chelsea. Despite the less-than-optimum results, Barça head coach Luis Enrique has made it clear that the purpose of the preseason is to get his team in shape for the games that count.

FC Barcelona vs Los Angeles Galaxy: Barça's solid start to the preseason (2-1)

July 22, 2015 03:29 PM | Mike Roberts

Confident FC Barcelona defeat the MLS champions with goals from Luis Suárez and Sergi Roberto. FC Barcelona got their preseason off to a fine start with a 2-1 victory against MLS champions Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena in front of an astonishing crowd of 93,226. Goals from Luis Suárez and Sergi Roberto put the Catalans well in command, and Tommy Meyer’s 92nd minute header merely served as late consolation for the Californian outfit. There was a carnival atmosphere in the stands, but the football in the first 45 minutes did not always rise to the occasions. Barça were still trying to get into their rhythm in their first game after the summer break against a side that is already deep into its own season. But the Galaxy limited most of their efforts to frustrating the Catalan game-plan. 

FC Barcelona arrive in the USA

July 20, 2015 02:45 PM

At around 2.00pm local time on Sunday afternoon (11.00pm CET) Barça landed at Los Angeles airport following a twelve hour direct flight from Barcelona. The blaugranes had left at 11.00am CET for the United States after a week of training prior to their pre-season tour across the Atlantic. California welcomed FC Barcelona with cloudy skies but warm temperatures with Los Angeles being the first of three US cities that Barça will visit during their stay. In the City of Angels, the team checked into the plush Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey. Luis Enrique and Andrés Iniesta gave the team's first press conference of the tour at the hotel, followed by Barça's first training session at the StubHub Center in Carson.

Luis Enrique extends contract with FC Barcelona until June 2017

June 9, 2015 10:06 PM | ACN

FC Barcelona has announced that the first team manager, Luis Enrique Martínez, and the rest of his coaching staff will be staying at the Catalan club for an extra season, as they were initially finishing their contracts in June 2016. Now, the new contract will expire on 30 June 2017. The new deal was signed on Tuesday afternoon, where the first team manager was joined by assistant coaches Juan Carlos Unzué and Robert Moreno, technical auxiliary Joan Barbarà, physio Rafel Pol, goalkeepers’ coach José Ramon de la Fuente and psychologist Joaquín Valdés. "We are naturally very happy. After the wonderful year we’ve had, with difficulties but a very happy ending, we are more than thrilled about the hope of winning more titles", stated Luis Enrique.

FC Barcelona beat Juventus 3–1 and claim Champions League title

June 7, 2015 09:49 AM | Michael Toll

Barça complete historic second treble with convincing victory in Berlin.FC Barcelona rode goals from Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suárez, and an injury-time clincher by Neymar Jr to claim the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League title on Saturday night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The victory gives FC Barcelona their fourth Champions League title in the last 10 years — their fifth in team history — and an unprecedented second treble, adding a layer of reinforced concrete to the Catalans' already rock-solid status as a dynasty for the ages.

Athletic Club vs FC Barcelona: The football kings claim a new crown (1-3)

May 31, 2015 12:54 AM | Mike Roberts

Messi (2) and Neymar score as FC Barcelona claim 27th cup title and move one step closer to historic treble. Two down, one to go. FC Barcelona confidently disposed of Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in Saturday’s Spanish Cup Final at the Camp Nou and can claim a historic treble if they can repeat the trick against Juventus in Berlin next Saturday. Messi scored the second and third, with Neymar getting the one in between, and Williams’ late header was little more than some consolation for Athletic’s swatches of travelling supporters.

Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona: Barça take the Spanish League title at the Calderón (0-1)

May 17, 2015 10:27 PM | Nick Bedson

A brilliant goal from Leo Messi hands the blaugranes the win that they needed to claim their 23rd Spanish League title. A year ago, Atlético Madrid won the league title with a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou and tonight Barça returned the favour and brought the trophy back home with a 0-1 win at the Vicente Calderón, as they took the first leg of their possible treble with a game to spare.As the second half ticked away, Real Madrid went one up against Espanyol, meaning Barça needed a goal to take the title this weekend and on 65 minutes, Alba worked the ball inside to Messi who played a one-two with Pedro and tucked it home with his left peg through a forest of legs. A brilliant goal fit for La Liga Champions! One down, two to go, as the Spanish Cup and the Champions League final await!

FC Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: Berlin bound for the Champions League Final! (3-2)

May 13, 2015 01:56 AM | Nick Bedson

Two first half goals from Neymar are enough to ensure Barça reach the final in Berlin with a convincing 5-3 aggregate. Barça booked their place in the 2014/15 Champions League Final in Berlin, despite losing 3-2 on the night in Munich. A stunning first half when Neymar scored twice and Ter Stegen pulled off some breath-taking saves to virtually put the tie out of Bayern’s reach was followed by a more subdued 45 minutes that saw Bayern pull a couple back for a pyrrhic victory on the night, but a 5-3 defeat over the two legs.It’ll be Barça who are back on German turf next month when they bid for their fifth Champions League trophy.

Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: last step before Berlin

May 12, 2015 07:16 PM | David Gladwell

Less than a week ago a superb second half from the blaugranes at Camp Nou gave them a 3-0 victory over the German champions in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Two exquisite goals from Leo Messi in his 100th game in Europe for the blaugranes and an injury time effort from Neymar mean that Pep Guardiola’s Bayern side have it all to do in the second leg in the Allianz Arena in Munich which kicks off at 8.45pm CET. Barça coach Luis Enrique decided to take his entire first team squad plus three players from the B squad, Munir, Sandro and Sergi Samper, to Munich. Jérémy Mathieu was included in that 26 man list after receiving the medical all clear after Sunday’s training session. Bayern boss Pep Guardiola still has plenty of injury headaches before the return leg at home to Barça. Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Franck Ríbery and Holger Badstuber all missed the defeat in Barcelona last week and they will also sit out the second leg

FC Barcelona close in on 2014/15 La Liga title

May 10, 2015 11:44 AM

FC Barcelona are one win away from taking the 2014/15 La Liga title. Barça's win over Real Sociedad, combined with a Real Madrid's 2–2 draw against Valencia, puts Luis Enrique's men four points ahead of Los Blancos and one victory from the Spanish League title. A win against Atlético Madrid next week would mathematically hand Barça the league championship. FC Barcelona will have two chances to be proclaimed champions. The first will be next Sunday at 7.00pm CET when they take on Atlético at Vicente Calderón. A Barça victory — or a tie combined with a Real Madrid draw or loss — will hand the title to Barça. The second chance, if necessary, comes on Saturday 23 May at Camp Nou against Deportivo La Coruña.