Medical tests have confirmed that the injury in Messi’s right leg is no more serious and that there has been no change in the Barça player’s condition after his participation in the FC Barcelona vs. PSG game. The player will be continuing with his recovery schedule and his progress will determine whether he plays in the next few games.
Leo Messi will miss the next Spanish League match after his injury in Paris, in the first leg of the Champions League’s quarters with the PSG. However, Messi’s availability after the weekend will depend on his progress and therefore he could be ready by Wednesday to face the PSG at the Camp Nou for the return leg. The last time Messi suffered a similar injury was on March 2008 against Glasgow Celtic and on that occasion he was out for five weeks.
FC Barcelona player Éric Abidal is once again available for Barça’s first team selection after recovering from a liver transplant last April. The Frenchman received the wonderful news after Thursday’s training session. In fact, since the 19th December, Abidal has been training with the rest of Barça players. In early October, he went with FC Barcelona physio Emili Ricart to spend several days in the Catalan mountains at the Vall d’Aran County, in the heart of the Pyrenees, to follow a specific training programme.
The Catalan forward will play for the Dutch team until the end of the current season. Ajax does not have the option to buy the player once the loan period expires. Formed in FC Barcelona’s youth system, Cuenca’s breakout year was the 2010/11 season, when he played a decisive role in Sabadell’s promotion-winning season from Segunda B to Segunda A. The following season he returned to Pep Guardiola’s Barça, where he enjoyed first team action and featured in 30 games for the senior side. However, he was seriously injured at the end of last season and he was not was given the green light to return to competitive play since 10 days ago.
Barça Manager has admitted that he was surprised by Víctor Valdés’ announcement today that he will not be extending his contract with FC Barcelona any further than June 30, 2014. However, Vilanova insisted that “he did not ask to leave, he just said he’s not renewing his contract”. Vilanova has confirmed that Valdés will continue to be the first choice keeper, saying that “as long as he is with us, he’ll be our goalkeeper and we have to help him as he would help us”.
The Catalan Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola has reached an agreement with FC Bayern München to manage the football team as from next season until 2016. Finally, after rumours circulated pairing him with Manchester City and Chelsea, Guardiola has chosen the German club for its way of understanding football, which is much closer to the Catalan’s own approach based on attacking, playing nicely and working with home-grown players. Pep Guardiola quit FC Barcelona in June to take a year’s sabbatical, and moved to New York with his family. He will replace Jupp Heynckes, who is retiring at the end of the current season, in Munich.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) has named FC Barcelona’s player Leo Messi the top goalscorer of 2012 in the 60 top leagues in the world. The 50 goals he scored in 37 matches represent an average 1.37 goals per game. These incredible figures mean Messi tops Cristiano Ronaldo, who got an average of 1.21 goals a game.
The defender and midfielder have renewed until 2016, while the Argentinean will stay until 2018. Over the next few weeks, all of Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández and Leo Messi will be signing their respective new contracts.
Cristian Tello has extended his contract with FC Barcelona until June 2016. The release clause has been fixed at €10 million. Tello, born in Greater Barcelona, is a product of the Catalan club’s school and youth system. He debuted with Barça’s first team in November 2011 and from 2002 and 2007 he played in the club’s youth ranks.
Barça’s young centre half was officially presented this Monday at his new club Mallorca, where he will stay on loan until June 30th. The Catalan player travelled to Mallorca the same day for a medical check-up and later he was presented as a new player of the Balearic team. Fontàs suffered a serious knee injury last season.
The FC Barcelona’s defender is recovering from his liver transplant and he is doing specific training work at the Val d’Aran County, which hosts a National Park. During his stay, where he will be following a specific plan, the French defender will be combining aerobic work with activities on the field, which will start to include exercises with the ball.
FC Barcelona midfielder and Real Madrid keeper, who were nominated together, win the prestigious 2012 Príncipe de Asturias Award for Sport. International Paralympic Committee were also nominated.
FC Barcelona’s midfielder edged out team-mate Leo Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the award that distinguishes him as the best player in Europe.
The Cameroon international player signed on Monday his new five-year contract with FC Barcelona. On Saturday, the Catalan club and Arsenal FC agreed to terms for Song; Barça will pay the London side €19 million for the player’s services.
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.