Abidal, Keita and Toure not doing ramadan

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that the three muslims in the Barcelona squad - Eric Abidal, Yaya Touré and Seydou Keita - are not taking part in the ramadan, the islamic month of fasting. The three would plan to make up for this later.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that, while Touré and Abidal will postpone the ramadan, Keita will try to do it the best he can without endangering his health or physical capacities. He will therefore be more closely monitored by the club's medical staff.

Keita looking forward to the new season

Speaking to Catalan radio station Ona FM, Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave his first impressions on the new season:

"Pre-season is very important. After the treble, we need to work even harder because the other teams will be even more motivated to defeat us.

I understand that for a lot of people the world cup for clubs is one of the main objectives. It's very important because we didn't win it before. But every trophy is important. Winning the Champions League at the Bernabéu for example, would be worth ten trophies.

Madrid has great players but that doesn't mean they have a good team. They did some good transfers but we should look at ourselves first. If we play like last season, no doubt that we will again win trophies.

I will try to talk with my national football association so I will have to leave for the Africa Cup as late as possible. But Barça has good players for midfield and that month will pass quickly. But I understand that Barça wants to strengthen the midfield positions."

Read more:
Advertisements: Henry, Keita, Eto'o
An evaluation of last year's transfer summer
Official players' pictures (part 2)

Barcelona's wage structure

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona's wage scale has six levels:



GROUP A
Messi

GROUP B
Henry
Ibrahimovic

GROUP C
Alves
Xavi
Iniesta
Puyol

GROUP D
Valdés
Touré
Márquez
Keita

GROUP E
Bojan
Piqué
Jorquera
Pinto
Busquets

GROUP F
Pedro
Víctor Sánchez
Muniesa
Jeffren

The Scapegoat in Failure, The Forgotten Man in Success - Txiki Begiristain

The man under fire, the guy with a bull’s-eye mark on the back of his head, let me present, Txiki Begiristain.

Some called him a flop, some called him blind but that does not change the fact that he played his part in our treble winning season.

5 players came in, some excelled, some struggled and some flopped, let’s review what these players did last season.

DANI ALVES:-

If you could grade his performances last season, then he definitely gets an A+. The marauding fullback, the best right back in the world. Just one question - who brought him here? That’s right, Txiki. But does he get some credit for signing the best player in his position? No, it's simply forgotten. We all remember when Madrid, Chelsea, Milan and Man U(teams with open cheque books , barring Milan ;D) wanted him, but he went and got a personal agreement with Dani so that he doesn’t choose anyone but barca. Some would say a bit overpriced due to Txiki's bad negotiation, but let me ask one last question - would any of the clubs mentioned above signed him for less than 35m+ euro? I don’t think so.

GERARD PIQUE:

Another master stroke. Sir Alex is still weeping over the loss of one the best defensive prospects in the world. When Ferdinand spent half of last season injured there was no one to replace a defender of his calibre. There was no Pique, because he flew back to Barcelona. Sure some would say we paid a lot for our own youth product, but after seeing Pique last season, does 6 million Euros seem expensive? No.

SEYDOU KEITA:

Here's a guy who struggled to make an impact in the first stages of the season due to lack of playing time but his confidence grew with time. He scored important goals and gave Xavi & Andres to roam free because they knew that someone's got their back. He might not be a Yaya but he's good enough to fill the void if Yaya is injured. He's another good signing for a good price, and credit goes to Txiki, again.

MARTIN CACERES:

A young defender who was once dubbed as the new Sergio Ramos had a catastrophic first season with Barcelona. He never really got going because of little playing time and some disastrous mistakes, but don't all young players do that? Rafa Marquez makes the same mistakes and he's a veteran, so should we sell him? Of course not because he's the best defender in Mexican history, and like him Caceres needs to learn. He's only 22. How many people had faith in Henry after his debut season, not many, but he learned, improved and he was 29, and besides, if you're a sporting director who gets excellent scouting reports about a young player wouldn’t you have signed him for 15 mil? Of course.

ALEX HLEB:

Now here's a player who has the word flop engraved on his forehead. After amazing seasons with Arsenal, everyone thought that he would hit the ground running at barca. But the truth was cruel for Alex as he was greeted to La Liga with a tackle that ruined his career with us. The only thing I can thank him for is his pass to Henry in El Clasico and that it wasn’t someone else who got that tackle. But would you rather buy a 15 million euro flop or buy a 30 million pound Berbatov, a 40 million pound Shevchenko or a 30 million euro Quaresma? The answer is obvious...

In short, there is no sporting director without mistakes. At least Txiki's mistakes were the least costly ones. So there you have it, a guy who didn’t spend the summer chasing a Ronaldo and wasting a Robinho. A guy who did not spend 150 mill on two players. The guy who brings what the coach wants. Txiki.

Posted by hamad_ali.

Official players' pictures (part 2)

Seydou Keita

Víctor Sánchez

Eidur Gudjohnsen

Aliaksandr Hleb

Pedro

Lionel Messi

Thierry Henry

Bojan

Pique reveals dressing-room secrets

In the run-up to the Champions league final, Barcelona player Gerard Piqué discussed his team-mates in an interview with British tabloid The Daily Mail.





Víctor Valdés
He's unbelievable when one-on-one with a player. The fact he's not in Spain's team is strange because he is one of the best five goalkeepers in the world. I like him because he doesn't moan when I am DJ in the dressing room. He also plays the piano.

Carles Puyol
Despite playing centre-back, I think he is best at right-back. He is like a barnacle or limpet that you find on rocks on the beach. You have to keep scratching away but still get little out of it! He is the captain, a good friend but an animal who is relentless on the pitch. If I was playing chess, he would be my rook. A tower of strength.

Gerard Piqué
What can I say? Scandalously good-looking (see my picture, above right). Talented on and off the pitch. There's nothing better than me, but maybe I could do with a little more confidence!

Sylvinho
The daddy of the team. A real good guy. He is always concerned for the welfare of the side and asks questions all the time when we are travelling, making sure we are ok. Not played enough in key games but very reliable.

Xavi
Best example of how good Barcelona's academy can be. He loves the ball more than anything else in the world. It is almost impossible to take the ball off him in training and if anyone does you normally get an ovation from the rest of the team.

Sergi Busquets
He is the rookie of the season. He was a striker and Pep changed him into a defensive midfielder. We call him Superman. You can kick him as much as you like but he won't feel it. He will be a reference point in world football in a few years' time.

Andrés Iniesta
Best midfielder in the world. You can study his hips as he is moving towards you but he will bluff you with his body. If Andres scored more goals he would be the biggest act in the world. Bigger than any singer! As a person, soft as a loaf of bread.

Lionel Messi
No 1 in the world. You can't fight against him, you will lose because he is quicker and more athletic than you. Not superstitious, but always wears his Argentina flag shinpads. I grew up with him here at Barcelona and he hasn't disappointed me.

Samuel Eto'o
We asked the coach and the chairman at the start of the season to make sure that we kept him. He had to stay, there's no other striker like him. He was having a bad time but proved to everyone that he is a top professional. He is fanatical about cars and watches.

Thierry Henry
He looks very cocky, but on a daily basis he has shown strong humility — despite being the best footballer in Arsenal's history. He kisses a tattoo on his wrist every time he scores and I have told him he is in danger of wearing out his skin, he has scored so many.

Yaya Touré
He always leaves everyone open-mouthed with his show of strength. Quiet in the dressing room but very friendly and never complains. He doesn't care whether he plays defensive midfield or centre-back, and we all feel comfortable whichever position he plays. Has some unusual dance moves, though.

Seydou Keita
The lungs of the team. He can run from deep and score, he is good in the air and cares a lot defensively. He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'no'. He says 'yes' to requests from the gaffer and ends up paying five times for it.

Eidur Gudjohnsen
The Viking or The Gargoyle. He has a special humour for the dressing room. He is always funny and cheery. Unbelievable first touch and is probably the best in the team with his back to goal. Speaks very good English and likes a party.

Bojan
It doesn't matter how many minutes he plays, because he always gets a chance. Don't give him half a metre because he will take you to the cleaners. His body is like a snake, he can change direction quickly and can slip past easily. He is a kid in the dressing room but I am trying to make him become a man!

read the full article including Piqué's comments on his former Manchester United team-mates here


Read more:
The merging paths of Pique and Busquets
Pique: "Classical music makes me fall asleep"

Advertisements of the day: Henry, Keita, Eto'o

Keita: "We have to make one more step"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.





Is this final your biggest sporting challenge so far?
For every player, a Champions league final is one of the most important games. We've won the Copa and the Liga but we're still very focused on winning this trophy. It has been a good season, but we still have to make one more step. We have to win. Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona, the whole world, everybody will be very happy if we win it.

Are you willing to play as left back in Rome?
If there would be a problem at some point and I have to help out, like happened against Chelsea after Abidal was sent off, I will do that. But it's not a good moment to start experimenting, and even less in the most important game of the year. The coach knows who can contribute more on that position. I've never played there.

You seem to be convinced.
I'm a midfielder, not a full-back.

Guardiola believes in you.
Everybody likes the way of playing of Messi, of Iniesta. But not everyone can play like them. It's easier to praise them, their game is more attractive. But the coach knows that I can also add important things to the team.

Do you think that your game has developed since you arrived at Barcelona?
Sure. I've learnt a lot of things I didn't know about. In our profession, it's fundamental to keep on learning every day.

At the World cup U-20 in Nigeria in 1999, you were elected as Golden Ball of the tournament, ahead of players like Ronaldinho, Forlán or Xavi.
Pffff, ten years have already passed since then, that's a long time. I played as attacking midfielder then, but since I arrived in the French league I have dropped back. Now I cannot shine a lot, I won't cause big headlines, but I'm also needed to give more balance to my team, so that for example Xavi can give his passes in a more comfortable way.

You feel privileged?
Yes, of course. But I'm not the only one.

A lot of African immigrants who try to come to Europe by boat are from Mali. You came to Europe by plane.
Football was the reason I came to Europe. If it wasn't for the sport, I wouldn't have done anything to leave my continent. You can also be happy in Africa and I was happy. I had a good life in Mali, together with my brothers. One is a doctor, another one is a pharmacist… I didn't have many difficulties. If I wouldn't have become a football player, I would have continued to live there.

Your family gives you advices?
They're always supporting me. They told me that you have to suffer to earn a living. We're all muslims and for us everything is decided by Allah.

The result of the final is also decided?
Sure, it's already written but we have to do everything to win because nobody can know beforehand who will be the champions.

The first thing you will do after the final will be thanking Allah?
You always have to thank Allah, always. We live thanks to him.


Read more:
Vilanova: "The line-up is the last thing"
Messi: "When we have the ball, we enjoy ourselves"
Xavi: "We have to go out there, win it and that's it"
Pique: "I will score in Rome"
Keita: "We're convinced we can win the treble"

Keita: "We're convinced we can win the treble"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





How do you feel in Barcelona?
I'n very happy here. In the beginning, the change is difficult because Sevilla and Barcelona are different... It actually seems another country.

Did it help that Dani Alves arived here together with you?
We're getting along very well and we supported each other a lot. Also on the pitch, because I know better than anyone how he plays. Sometimes, I open up the play to the wing without looking and he just appears there at the right moment.

You also had to adapt to the way of playing?
What surprised me the most during the first training sessions was the speed of execution, how fast the ball moved around, if possible only with one or two touches. I had to adapt to the fact that the ball should run rather than the player with the ball at his feet.

How would you define Barcelona's way of playing?
It's all about ball possession and positioning. Everybody knows where he should be and where his team-mate will be. The movements should be synchronized, both when we're pressuring to recover the ball as when we're attacking. During training sessions, the coach forms two teams and we need to play like we're going to play in the next game. We work this way the whole week and when the game is there, you perfectly know what you have to do and how you will play.

How important has Guardiola been for the success of this team?
Now it's very easy to talk about his qualities, because the team is winning everything and things are going excellent, but we all were behind him from the start. He has been crucial for the great season. Pep is a good person and that's the most important thing. He made sure we're all very strong mentally and he has created a very united group. There aren't two teams. There aren't eleven starters and eleven substitutes. Barça is one block and we're all going in the same direction.

What worries you the most from Manchester United?
Honestly? Nothing. I'll explain myself. Barça is the most important thing. If we will be able to play our game and fight like we've always done, there won't be any problem and everything will turn out well. A final is always difficult but you cannot think the whole time that they have Cristiano Ronaldo or Rooney... We're the thing that matters. Manchester isn't that different from us like Chelsea, which was just our opposite, but it's also an English team and they have strong people at the back who are great headers.

It will be a spectacular final...
Without any doubt. It seems that everybody is happy and that no one doubts that Barça and Manchester are the two best teams in the world. If we win the Champions League, I will be the happiest man in the world. Our heads are focused on that final and we're convinced that we can be the champions of Europe and win the treble.


This was the second and last part of this interview. You can read the first part here:
Keita: "I cannot start a final as left back"

Barcelona and the U-20 World Cup

source: FIFA.com

date: 2 April 2009

editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com

As the FIFA U-20 World Cup approaches FIFA.com took a look back at some of the stars of the previous tournaments, the common theme amongst the biggest stars of these past tournaments seemed to be one club: FC Barcelona:

As Egypt prepares to host the 17th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the locals may well be wondering what to expect. The tournament's billing has traditionally promised 'a look at football's stars of tomorrow, today', but has the 32-year-old showpiece really lived up to this kind of hype? FIFA.com set about finding out.

Diego makes his entrance

Nothing compared to the sense of history-in-the-making that accompanied the 1979 edition in Japan. This was the tournament at which a certain Diego Maradona gave the world a memorable first glimpse of his awesome potential, inspiring an outstanding Argentina side to glory.

Star-studded supporting casts

The elegant, imperious Robert Prosinecki proved a popular choice as the tournament's outstanding player, but the title-winning Yugoslavia team alone provided the midfielder with a plethora of worthy rivals such as Zvonimir Boban, Predrag Mijatovic and Davor Suker. There was similarly stiff competition in Saudi Arabia two years later, with Diego Simeone, Sonny Anderson and Oleg Salenko all in the running for honours.

Portugal 1991 witnessed the crowning of a 'golden generation' as the hosts retained the trophy, despite the efforts of emerging talents such as Giovane Elber, Andy Cole and Paulo Montero. Yet the player identified as the competition's shining star was not Luis Figo, nor Rui Costa or Joao Pinto, but rather Peixe, who unlike his overlooked team-mates went on to enjoy a surprisingly unspectacular career.

South America again dominated the podium in 1997, but while an Argentina side including Juan Roman Riquelme and Esteban Cambiasso took home the title, it was Nicolas Olivera who bagged the Golden Ball award. The Uruguayan's happiest times thereafter were spent with Sevilla, but although he also appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, his achievements have been overshadowed by rivals from that class of 97 including Thierry Henry, Michael Owen, David Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka.

By this stage in the history of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, there was an established pattern of future superstars failing to land the end-of-tournament awards, and this continued at Nigeria 1999 when Ronaldinho, Roque Santa Cruz, Xavi and Diego Forlan all missed out on the Golden Ball. Yet while Seydou Keita was perhaps a surprise recipient at the time, the Malian is currently cementing his reputation as an outstanding, hard-tackling midfielder with the mighty Barcelona.

Messi spearheads new generation

The Camp Nou has proved a popular destination for stars of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and Javier Saviola - winner of both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at Argentina 2001 - was expected to become a Barça legend when he completed a £15 million move at the age of just 19. As it transpired, El Conejo never really won the hearts of the Catalan faithful and is currently to be found warming the bench of Barcelona's old rivals, Real Madrid. Incidentally, Kaka featured among the players beaten by Saviola to the 2001 honours, not the first time a future FIFA World Player had found himself overlooked.

At UAE 2003, the role of bridesmaid fell to the likes of Andres Iniesta, Daniel Alves and Javier Mascherano, with the erstwhile unknown Ismaeil Matar emerging as the tournament's star attraction.

Yet it says much for the continued ability of the FIFA U-20 World Cup to showcase the best emerging talent that the two most recent recipients of the tournament's Golden Ball award are expected to be star attractions in South Africa. Lionel Messi, the star of Netherland 2005, needs no introduction of course, with many already insisting that the Barcelona star is the world's greatest player.His fellow Argentinian, Sergio Aguero, who shone in Canada two years ago and went on to dazzle just as brightly at last year's Men's Olympic Football Tournament, is another youngster for whom hopes could hardly be any higher.

The only question now is: who will follow in the footsteps of this galaxy of stars? Whoever it is, history would suggest that Egypt can safely expect a treat.

read the full and original article here

Note by barca4life:

Spain have been drawn in group B along with Nigeria, Venezuela and Tahiti. FIFA.com says: "With the rising star of Spanish football Bojan Krkic expected to be absent - the Barcelona man is eligible to play but likely to have a full agenda with the U-21 and senior teams - it will fall to several of his former team-mates from Korea 2007 to take a leading role." FIFA.com goes on to list possible Spain stars as rumoured Barcelona target David de Gea and former Barcelona youth player Fran Merida. The coach of the Spanish U-20 team is ex Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder Luis Milla. He played 53 games for Barcelona between 1988 and 1990, before joining Real Madrid and playing 159 games for Los Merengues. He was last season assistant coach at Getafe where he served under Barca legend Michael Laudrup who coincidentally also played for both Barcelona (1989-1994) and Real Madrid (1994-1996).

Henry, Eto'o, Toure and Keita are for sale

British newspaper The Observer claims that Barcelona is preparing to sell players in the summer because of an unexpected 30 million euro deficit due to a dispute over television rights, which would endanger the club's transfers' plan.

Barcelona will encourage Manchester City interest to step up their interest in Barcelona forward and French international Thierry Henry (31) to support their own recruitment strategy.

They would like to replace Henry with Arsenal winger and Dutch international Robin van Persie (25) and add his Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fàbregas (21) to their midfield, but currently do not have the resources to fund both transfers.

Although Henry has been a more effective force this campaign, the Frenchman turns 32 in August and is considered replaceable. While Barcelona would accept far less than the 125 million euro° buyout clause, the player himself is understood to be unwilling to switch the success and climate of Barcelona for the uncertainty of chasing a top-four place at Manchester City and the possibility of jeopardising his place in France's 2010 World Cup squad.

Barcelona would also be receptive to offers for forward Samuel Eto'o (28), who they fear losing for nothing when his contract expires at the end of next season, and midfielders Yaya Touré (25) and Seydou Keita (29), aware that both midfielders are likely to be on Africa Cup duty in January.

Read more:
Henry could be put for sale in the summer
Manchester City prepares summer bid for Toure
Van Persie to replace Henry next summer

An evaluation of last year's transfer summer

author: Ewan MacDonald
source: Goal.com
date: 22 March 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Barcelona's summer was one of muted, yet extremely important transition. It was very much a case of quality over quantity - a set number of transfers, to repair a few positions, rather than a trolley-dash to land everyone on the market. Club president Joan Laporta, having just managed to weather a vote of confidence against his leadership, knew more than anyone that it was key to get it right. The amount spent in the summer - €88m for just a few first-teamers - bears testament to that.

Perhaps the best "signing" of all does not appear here, and thus he is not graded. Samuel Eto'o's decision to remain at the club has been rewarded as he storms towards the Pichichi award and Barcelona lead the Primera pack. Frank Rijkaard sauntered out of the Camp Nou dressing room for the last time; in his place strode the businesslike Pep Guardiola, who has certainly done the business so far.

IN: Martin Caceres (Villarreal); Dani Alves (Sevilla); Henrique (Palmeiras); Aliaksandr Hleb (Arsenal); Seydou Keita (Sevilla); Jose Manuel Pinto (Celta Vigo); Gerard Pique (Manchester United)

OUT: Marc Crosas (Celtic – loan); Deco (Chelsea); Edmilson (Villarreal); Santiago Ezquerro (Osasuna); Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur), Henrique (Bayer Leverkusen - loan); Oleguer Presas (Ajax); Ronaldinho (AC Milan); Lilian Thuram (retired); Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).

Martin Caceres: D+
The idea was right. Carles Puyol, while rock-solid at the moment, won't be around forever; Rafael Marquez, meanwhile, is beginning to show his age. So, what better than a young-centre-back? Well, a young centre-back who doesn't cost €16.5m up front, and who will play something resembling a key role, that's what.

Caceres, a smouldering Uruguayan, has been unfortunate with injury, but even during periods of fitness he has hardly impressed. In other words we have an injury-prone, potentially unhappy, and very expensive youngster on the bench.

Dani Alves: A
Daniel Alves, accepted a move to Barcelona in 2008 in order to test his skills at the next level. Alves has delivered. Flying down the right wing in his trademark style, he is, the finest attacking wing-back in the world. That he plays for a side as forward-looking as Barcelona is simply grist for the mill, rather than a source of worry, for a man whose defensive prowess has been called into question.

In fact Dani is a perfectly reasonable right-back, being strong in the tackle and fast on the chase. It's just that in the attacking sense he goes above and beyond. Only his mammoth price tag - an inevitable one, admittedly - prevents him from picking up the A+ grade.

Aliaksandr Hleb: E
He was no Ronaldinho, sure, but had a proven track record on the left side of attack for a Premier League giant. Hleb has done precisely nothing to justify his massive price tag, scarcely making a league appearance and failing to justify his shirt when he does so. What's more, he's openly entertained the prospect of leaving: hardly the kind of attitude wanted from a man who must earn his place in the team, rather than simply be awarded it.

Well, we know he can be a valuable squad member, as he showed at Arsenal. The 27-year-old Belarussian is under contract for three more years but with Bayern Munich waiting in the wings at least Barcelona can recoup some of the wasted money this summer.

Seydou Keita: B-
The man looked at as the second 'Mr. Dependable', Seydou Keita arrived from Sevilla looking both to compete for Yaya Toure's defensive midfield slot, and also to augment it. So far his appearances have been limited in the Blaugrana shirt, but Keita has repaid the faith shown in him with confident, if largely, unspectacular showings.

Gerard Pique: C
While certainly providing more value-for-money than Caceres, the jury remains out on a local boy made good. Pique arrived this summer from Manchester United for a relatively low initial fee, having failed to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford. At Camp Nou, he's been something of a regular fixture. His earnestness cannot be denied, but occasionally he gives the impression of a great, loping St. Bernard when a sleek greyhound would do the trick.

Nonetheless he has time on his side and, as his loan spell at Zaragoza proves, he can operate as a defensive midfielder in a pinch.

FINAL GRADE: B-
The Blaugrana's transfer policy over the last few seasons has been one of iterative change, rather than wholesale alterations, and this has served them well. However, signings like Martin Caceres and Aliaksandr Hleb, seem like a lot of cash thrown away on very little.

In other words, in a summer in which Barca spent around twice as much as they brought in, the problem of the centre (and to a lesser extent, left side) of the defence remains unsolved.

read the full and original article here


Read more:
Barcelona involved in five summer top transfers
The complete Dani Alves transfer story
Henrique to return and Caceres to leave on loan

Keita: "I like to watch documentaries late at night"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Algerian sports paper Le Buteur.





After you scored against Lyon last week, we saw you kneel down and then lift your arms up to the sky. What did you say?
I just repeated 'El Hamdoullah' in Arab several times. It's absolutely normal when you're a muslim, when you are religious, to thank God every time you're happy and I was really happy then to have scored that goal. Being a muslim, my first reaction was to thank God. And even when things are doing bad, we always thank God.

Do you speak Arab?
No but I express in Arab when I pray or when I'm reading the koran.

Talking about islam, you have been one of the few players who supported Kanouté after his action in favour of Gaza (note: after having scored earlier this year, Kanouté displayed a pro-palestine shirt). What can you tell us about that?
When you're a muslim, you have to denounce injustices. This time, it had to do with the Palestinians, but that could have been other people and I would have supported him as well. It's not normal for a muslim to watch people die and not to do anything. Kanouté has done what he thought to be useful and the least thing for me, as a Malian and as a muslim, was to support him. I'm convicned that a lot of players didn't like what happenened in palestina.

There are three muslims at Barça: you, Abidal and Yaya Touré. Do you sometimes help eachother out?
Yes, we do. Barça is a solid team with very clear sporting objectives. So we help eachother out both on and off the pitch, independently of the other being muslim, catholic or protestant. At Barça, our joint cause is football and everyone respects the other's opinions. Personally, when I have to pray at the stadium or during travelling, I do it without shocking anybody.

And how are you dealing with the ramadan?
For us, top level players, it's very difficult to do our job while respecting the ramadan. But that doesn't mean I'm not following it. Something it's more complicated, for example when we have two games in one week, but also then I still try to abstain. In the worst case, I eat but then I compensate that later. If you really believe, everyting becomes possible en I'm doing all I can to properly combine my job and the five pillars of islam.

When we take a look at the Malian national team, we see that they have several top level players like yourself, Kanouté, Real Madrid's Diarra... Why aren't you able to set another step that would allow you to win the African Cup of Nations or to qualify for the World Cup?
You've named three first level players, there's a fourth one, Sissoko, and even a fifth one, but a team has more than five players. It's true that we have excellent young players, but it's difficult for them to compete with the best African teams like Cameroon or Ivory Coast. We nevertheless still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup and it's up to us to prove we can do it.

The fact that you're the nephew of Salif Keita, has this been a disadvantage or has it on the contrary opened some doors for you in Spain?
Sincerely, it's the first time that I'm asked this question. Being the nephew of a former star player doesn't mean anything because in the end a player is judged by his performances on the pitch and not by is name or his ancestors. Salif doesn't even give me advise because I always go to my father when I need advise. I just exchange some polite words with Salif when we meet at the national team.

What do you watch on television?
I might surprise you, but when I'm with my wife and my son, I love to watch African, and especially Ivorian, stage play. I also like to watch documentaries late at night and, of course, the relgious programs on 'Canal Satellite'. So you can say I'm not a cinephile.

That means you don't have a favourite actor or actress?
Well, let's say Will Smith. Let's go for him, even though I'm not watching a lot of movies!


Read more:
Agent Keita denies Marseille talks
Keita: "Guardiola has a lot of confidence in me"
Abidal wants to obtain Algerian nationality

Keita: "Guardiola has a lot of confidence in me"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Spanish weekly sports paper Don Balón.





Making you eat together is part of the Guardiola system. What has surprised you most about his style of coaching and his way of dealing with the group?
Guardiola is a calm person who knows what he is doing. I remember what we said when we lost against Numancia on matchday one, it is the same as what he says now. After that game we could not imagine we would do what we have done, but surely he knew what he wanted.

Is it true that Guardiola is someone who does not impose his ideas, but convinces you with his words?
I am very good with him. Once I was even surprised by what he said, it was the first time that a coach had told me that.

What did he say?
I do not know how to explain it, it was about personal things, but he surprised me, and showed me that he had a lot of confidence in me, more than I thought. I had scored three goals and I said to myself that I had to do much more, but the coach was already very happy with what I had done. Perhaps people want every player at Barca to be like Messi for example, but that is not possible (smiles). As a team, everybody does their job, and if he does it well then the coach will be happy.

Guardiola knows how to convey confidence thanks to his words, his attitude and his past...
Yes, and he says what he thinks, he will never talk for the sake of talking. When things are not going well he tells you because he is not happy. This happened with me once, and I think it is a good way to act. You have to comment on things that are done well and also on the things that are done badly in order to correct what is not working. Also, we do plenty of video sessions. The coach leaves nothing to chance.

Lets talk about your time at Sevilla. You were there for one season. What is your best memory?
From Sevilla I have good memories, but there I also felt a lot of sadness. Not on a sporting level, but what happened to our teammate Antonio Puerta. When you arrive at a club, and within weeks something happens like what happened, you may end up having a good season but you know you do not feel happy. Antonio was a kid who was always happy, full of life, and everything happened on the pitch, in front of us. It was very hard. You can lose friends, but to see it with your own eyes is very difficult. Later, the coach left, and things were very complicated. But despite everything, the team struggled and made a great season, sportingly speaking. But as I say, it was not easy.

Who do you maintain a relationship with from the staff at Sevilla?
I maintain in contact mainly with my friend Frederic Kanoute and with the physiotherapists. Sevilla is part of my past and is a club I love very much.

What luck that Alves came with you to Barca, right?
Yes. It is always better to change clubs at the same time as a teammate.

Tell me a secret: what does Alves eat to be up and down the pitch from the first minute until the ninetieth without getting tired?
That is how Dani plays. And he did the same in Seville, it was always like that.

To conclude, have you felt yourself the racism in football?
If you want me to tell you the truth, not many people are behaving in a racist manner, and those who do, do not understand anything at all. They don’t see that we are all equal, and that when they defend the colours of a club, it doesn’t matter which one is white, black or yellow. What counts is the shirt, this is most important. Then, those who behave like racists in general have not understood anything, I didn't choose to be black, you didn't choose to be white, we breathe the same air, we eat the same things, there is nothing to distinguish us, just skin colour. But in my opinion, everyone thinks what they want, frankly.

You're very religious. How do you explain the importance of religion in your daily life?
It is true, religion is very important to me. I was born into a Muslim family, and as we said, coming into the world in one place or another is not something one chooses. But above all, with time I learned to know what it is to be Muslim. Professing my religion, I don’t have any problems with anyone, I am calm and healthy, but is difficult to explain this to people because, as a result of certain things that have happened, people now associate the ideas of muslims with violence. But inwardly, I feel great and I have no problem with any other belief. Everybody is free to do what they want.

Do you follow the ramadan? Would you be willing to leave a club if they prevented you from following it?
I do not see why they would put obstacles in my way when the ramadan lasts a month and the season is lengthened to nine months. Football is our job and we must do things so they do not pose difficulties for our work, and compensate later in the evening or even during the week, so I have no problem. I do celebrate the ramadan, but with the competitions, it is impossible to comply every single day of the month. It would not be normal to say that I did not train or play during the entire month of the ramadan, I have to do my job. And God gives you options. God does not impose things on people if you do not have the ability to do them.

Translated by: Andrew


This was the third and last part of this interview. You can read the previous parts here:
Keita: "I have to get better to contribute something"
Keita: "Piqué lives in his own crazy world"

Agent Keita denies Marseille talks

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona midfielder and Mali international Seydou Keita (28) with asummer move to Marseille (read more here), the player's agent Pascal Boisseau has denied in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien that the midfielder considers an exit:

"The whole story is totally false. I have indeed been in contact with Marseille about some players regarding the winter transfer period, but Seydou wasn't discussed. And I don't see a reason for him to change anyway: he's playing with Barcelona, the best club of the planet! Bluntly speaking, it would just be ridiculous if we would be looking for a transfer at this moment."

Keita is also quoted by the French paper as rejecting the chance of going back to France: "Olympique Marseille already was interested in me when I played my last season at Lens, but now I don't want to return to France."

Read more:
Marseille goalkeeper Mandanda followed
Already pre-agreement with Keita in December
Marseille wants to sign Keita next summer

Marseille wants to sign Keita next summer

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that French club Marseille is interested in Barcelona midfielder and Mali international Seydou Keita (28).

Marseille wants to return to the top of European football and the transfer of Keita next summer would in that perspective be one of the priorities.

The Malian midfielder, who played for Marseille in the 1999-2000 season, should become one of the key players and leaders of the new project.

The French club would be willing to pay a considerable transfer fee and wants to make Keita, whose signed for Barcelona last summer and whose contract expires in 2012, an offer he could difficultly refuse.

Read more:
Already pre-agreement with Keita in December
Keita: "Every player should feel important"
Eto'o wants to end career at Marseille and Mallorca

Keita: "One hour before we know who will play"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





How do you deal with not being a fixed stater?
I was one of the last players who has arrived here so I still have to go through the adaptation process. Although I think no Barcelona player can consider himself a regular, we're all able to add something.

Not even Messi?
It's a different player, very important for the team, but it's clear that not even he can play every game.

Puyol and Touré don't travel to Lisbon.
That's what I'm saying. There's a lot of quality in the squad and we all have to be ready because we will have opportunities.

Without Touré, there's a big chance you'll play as defensive midfielder against Sporting...
Sergio Busquets is also there. And I can play higher on the left. The coach has a lot of options and until one hour before the game, we don't know who will play.

This uncertainty until the last moment doesn't have a bad effect?
The opposite. I think it's a good thing because it keeps all the players focused and you're avoiding that those who won't play let themselves go.

We knew that you could play several position in midfield, but it was a surprise to see you play the last twenty minutes against Getafe as left back defender.
Well, for me it was a surprise too. It was the first time in my career that I played as full back. When Gudjohnsen came on for Sylvinho, I was the only left-footed player left on the pitch. We hadn't prepared it though.

So you never practised as left back defender with Guardiola?
No. Every game is different and on Sunday it was necessary that I played there. The coach explained it to me and that's it. I suppose that this won't happen in a normal game, it was an experience for me but I don't think it will be repeated a lot.

You sure gave some of the best crosses of the game...
I tried to give my best, but as left back you have tasks that I'm not used to do. It's not easy.

Getting that first spot in the Champions League group is crucial for the next round opponent. You can't fail in Lisbon.
In Lisbon or anywhere else. When you play at Barcelona, you have to go out trying to win every game. We'll try to secure that first place.

You prefer 'Keite' or 'Keita'?
Puyol calls me 'Keite', in Catalan. It's more like a joken, because they do it in a televison program. I saw it once. I don't mind.

It's an example of the good atmosphere there is in the squad?
When I was going to sign for Barcelona, people told me that the atmosphere wouldn't be easy in such a big club, but it hasn't been complicated. There's a great atmosphere, with a lot of joking. After only three months, Puyol is a great friend, but I'm getting along very well with everybody.


This was the second and last part of this interview. Read the first part here:
Keita: "I hope to get better than last year"

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here

Keita: "I hope to get better than last year"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





You watched Koeman score the Champions League winning goal back in 1992. You could imagine back then that you would one day wear the same shirt as Koeman?
I remember that goal. It was a great shot. I was 12 years old and I was just a kid in Africa. I already knew that Barça was a big club but that was all far away for me.

When you were little, you followed some Barcelona player?
I liked Romario and Stoichkov a lot, like the majority of my friends. And alo Guardiola, for how he distributed thr game. And later there was Ronaldo.

Those are almost all strikers. Is there a goalscorer hidden inside you?
No, for me it's very clear which role I have in the team. I work for my team-mates, I help in the defensive organization and I try to help out in attack. I'm not Eto'o or Henry. They have other qualities. But if I can, of course I like to score.

Well, you scored two in two games now and the last one prevented a defeat.
You always have to have some luck when you score. I had it, but I think it's important that we're all focused on trying to score because every goal, no matter who scores it, can decide a game.

You proved that. The weekend before, you scored against Recreativo and you said you were focusing on scoring more goals, participating more in attack. And now you score again.
That's a coincidence but it's true that, when you play for Barcelona, you have to think about going forward while at the same time not forgetting other tasks. Little by little I'm starting to get better at it.

What did you feel when you heard the crowd exploding?
It's an undescribable feeling, an immense happiness.

What about kissing the pitch?
It's a normal thing to do for a muslim like myself. Ithers make a cross, I'm celebrating that way. I dedicated the goal to my wife and my son, who is now six months old.

Is it really hard to adapt to the 4-3-3?
It's an attacking system that is used by few clubs. It forces you to be very concentrated and to focus on your positioning. I needed some time to adapt because it's a new club, a new city, new team-mates... But I'm getting more and more confident and I hope to get better than I was last year in Sevilla.

Also regarding the number of goals?
I hope so. Last season I think I scored seven goals in the Liga and the Champions League. I would like to do better this season.

When will we see one of those powerfull shots from outside the box?
Yes, it's true I haven't launched a lot of those. It's not always possible because every game has its own circumstances. But I'm ready for it.


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part here tomorrow with Keita talking -among other things- about the rotations and why he played left back defender on Sunday.

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here

Keita (2): "Every player should feel important"

In an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport, Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita talked about his first months at the club.


(you can read the first part of the interview here)


You feel comfortable with how Guardiola sees the game?
I do. Barcelona plays always good. All the players are very talented and technically they are very good. It's very easy to play together with them. Besides that, we now also have the winning mentality. It's not easy to talk about my coach because there can be misinterpretations. It's logic that I'm saying good things, but I'm being sincere when I say that we're working very good. He talks with every player and although there are a lot of great players, everyone should feel important. You cannot play a season with 11 or 12 players. Every player should feel important.

You're refering to the rotations?
Let's see. To play at Barcelona you need to have some talent. So everyone here can play and add something to the team. If we're all important, that will sure benefit the club.

You also feel the need, like Abidal said, to go out with your team-mates?
Every three days, there's a game. You arrive at 10 in the morning, you train, you eat here, so you don't have a lot spare time. The time we have is for the family. It can be important to go out together but for me a group needs to have the same objective: winning trophies. You should work for that and, if possible, go out one day. But that's not a problem. Abidal was talking more about the mentality of the group than about going out together. Personally I like to spend time at home, with my family, listening to african music and watching television.

Alves says you don't need to be friends with every team-mate, as long as you play well together on the pitch.
I agree. He has a winning mentality. If you want to win, you won't be able to do that if you don't talk with your team-mates. We're all coming alone very well, both on and off the pitch.

Football is the same everywhere?
I think so, yes. It's the same everywhere. In France, England, Spain...

Also at a passion level?
In Sevilla people live football very intense, like here. There are clubs that are more calm and that don't have the atmosphere you have here before the games, with a lot of people in the streets. Every club has its own fans.

You think Europeans have a correct view of African football?
No. African football wasn't that good before but now you have a lot of African players who play with European top clubs and the level has increased.

What's the difference between African and other players?
I don't know. Africans are physically strong and technically good. But I don't hink there are real differences. Every player is different. Before African players maybe weren't as good tactically becuase you didn't have the youth academies. But now Africa also has them and you see the difference.

You already feel like a European player?
A little.

But you're missing Bamako?
Yes, Bamako is my city, that's where my friends live, my family, my brothers and sisters, my mother. Everybody lives there. Bamako is the most important city in my life. I have everything there. Every time I can, I go and visit everybody. It makes me happy.

You're a muslim.
It's a way to have some guidance in life. Thanks to my beliefs, I don't have problems with anybody because that's the way to act. Being a muslim is not that easy these days. We have generally a bad image, but a muslim is a person who is very calm and has respect for everything, someone who doesn't want to hurt anybody.


This was the second and last part of this interview.

Read the first part here:

Keita (1): "I will bring more in the future"

Barcelona involved in five summer top transfers

Football site Goal has put together a list of the twenty top transfers of the past summer taking into account the form over the last twelve months, the potential, and the transfer fee involved.

With the move of Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg to Real Madrid on top of the list, Barcelona is involved in five of the twenty transfers:



3. Aliaksandr Hleb (Arsenal to Barcelona)
A very shrewd buy, and what could very well turn out to be a stroke of genius from Barcelona. With Lionel Messi expected to run the show, what they needed was not a Ronaldinho, but a tireless, no-nosense attacking midfielder to offer support from the other flank - without hogging possession or the limelight. And they got him on the cheap too. A true critics' player in that while fans rave about others, he runs away with the technical plaudits.

5. Ronaldinho (Barcelona to Milan)
A gamble? Yes. But given the chance, would you sign one of the all time greats of football for a third of his market price last summer? You bet you would. At 28, he is far from over. Some diet planning and some tough training, and he will give at least three or four good years to the Rossoneri. A gamble nonetheless, or he would definitely have been number one. Number four for the Gaucho.

10. Daniel Alves (Sevilla to Barcelona)
Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United – these are just some of the clubs that have queued up for him over the last 18 months or so. However, it is Barcelona who land him after some difficult negotiations with Sevilla. Perhaps a touch overpriced at 30 million euros (he would have been number one on this list at 20m), but then again, he is the best attacking full-back this world has seen since Roberto Carlos.

16. Deco (Barcelona to Chelsea)
On the wrong side of 30, a first look suggests that he is past it, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is a fire that burns in him as we saw during Euro 2008, and he has a lot more to give to football. He is not what Frank Lampard is, as he will never score as many goals. But then, he is also everything Lampard is not. Superb creativity, a great eye for the game, and an ability to run the show that has seen him win the Champions League with two different clubs. Finally, Chelsea have a player who can orchestrate the pleasing football their owner wants. With Ballack and Essien set to play around him, it will be an ominous midfield.

18. Seydou Keita (Sevilla to Barcelona)
At the time of his arrival he was the best signing Barcelona had made this season, particularly in light of the way their soft underbelly was exposed on the road last year. With him partnering Yaya Touré in the middle, it will ensure that the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi do not get bullied, and also get the full license to thrill. 15 million euros worth their value.