Barcelona player Lionel Messi won yesterday the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year prize at the UEFA Club Football Awards in Monaco. 
Barcelona player Lionel Messi has won the award of the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.
Messi also won the award of Club Forward of the Year while Xavi was elected Club Midfielder of the Year
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United FC)
UEFA Club Defender of the Year
John Terry (Chelsea FC)
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
UEFA Club Forward of the Year
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
UEFA has announced the nominees for the UEFA Club Football Awards to be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw on Thursday 27 August.
The voting procedure gives the coaches of the 16 teams that reached the knockout phase of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League the possibility to cast their votes for each position as well as to nominate the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2009 of their choice.
Based on the voting results, the list of nominees is as follows:
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year
Petr Čech (Chelsea FC)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United FC)
UEFA Club Defender of the Year
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
John Terry (Chelsea FC)
Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United FC)
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC)
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
UEFA Club Forward of the Year
Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC)
Argentinian national team coach Diego Maradona gave an interview to the official FIFA website.
Let's look back at your time in charge. Is it tougher than you expected?
It's tough for the reasons I've just mentioned. You're always on the phone, trying to find out how the players are. Every day I meet with the coaching staff to find out how Messi, Aguero, Maxi Rodriguez and everyone have been doing in training, to see if Jonas Gutierrez has been playing.
Is it true you wake up at night with ideas in your head and have to write them down?
Yes, it is. Free-kicks, corner kicks, etc. For example, I want the team to press a lot more up front, to compress the space between defence, midfield and attack. And when we lose the ball we need to be on top of the other team straightaway. There's one thing Argentina need to make the most of and that's the fact we're much better in possession than anyone. Maybe Brazil have got what we have, but Italy and Germany don't. Perhaps Spain have had it lately too, especially with Xavi, who can lose a couple of guys and put Villa or Torres through. There aren't many more though. If we press hard, there's no escape for opposing sides.
Have you been watching a lot of football?
All the time.
Who have you seen recently? Has anyone surprised you?
No one's surprised me really. Teams are the way they are. Milan are struggling, Inter have kept it together, Madrid are going to change a lot with Kaka. He's going to give them an extra dimension, though I don't understand why Gago's not been playing. They should play him but he's still one of my first-choice players all the same. I've also seen my friend Ciro Ferrara's Juventus side. They're doing well, playing a typically Italian game: really tight catenaccio at the back, then they give it to Del Piero and he spreads it about. As for our guys, Milito looks to me to be in great form and El Kun too.
And Messi?
I haven't seen him lately. I tried to call him but it's easier talking to Obama than Lio (laughs). I've heard he's having a good pre-season and that's great to know.
Are there any players who have surprised you recently?
Felipe Melo has been a great find for Brazil and Hulk of Porto has also made a big impact. I'm intrigued by Ronaldinho too. He's looking fit again but he's lost that explosive power he had. I'd love to see him do his feints again and get away from people. I hope he gets that back, but only after he plays us of course.
read the complete interview here
Read more:
1983: Maradona gets seriously injured
Messi: "I'm not going to change my style"
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
Catalan paper Sport reports that Barcelona internationals who enjoyed an extra week of vacation will soon rejoin the rest of the squad. Confederation Cup participants Carles Puyol (31), Xavi Hernandez (29), Gerard Pique (22), Sergi Busquets (21), Dani Alves (26) and Andres Iniesta (25), who is recovering from injury, are scheduled to carry out medical tests at 8:30 pm tonight at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi.
Pique would have already returned early and trained by himself at the Ciutat Esportiva for the past week.
Sport also claims that Guardiola is scheduled to train with this group for the first time tomorrow at 9:30 am. The group would only conduct training today and tomorrow before joining their teammates in the United States on Wednesday.
Read more:
First training of the season
Medical tests to start pre-season
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"
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.
The world cup for clubs will be something special?
We're looking forward to it, especially after having already played a final and having lost it. I'm very motivated to take part and to try winning it.
The loss in Japan in 2006 meant the start of the decline of the team. You think this could happen again?
It won't happen again. Most of us were there and have more experience now. We need to work, not lose our modesty, keep the same sacrifice and work-rate. If you don't work in the world of sports, others will get better than you.
Transfers are needed to keep the group motivated?
It would be good because they stimulate the competition within the group. Although things are going well, we're used to make two or three changes and I can imagine that it will be the same this year.
Would it be an uncomfortable situation that another pre-season would start with the future of Samuel Eto'o being uncertain?
We're lucky to have intelligent people at this club. Last year, we've solved this issue in a good way. If you talk to Samu face-to-face, there's no problem. We know what he's capable of. This year we've also won for him. He's a key player. I don't know what Txiki or Pep want to do. We don't know anything, although when it was only up to us, we all consider him to be the number one striker.
The best players in the world are playing for Barça?
Leo Messi is the best player in the world and that's not up for discussion. If you have the best player in the world, you can do anything. If you also have Iniesta, Henry, Eto'o... That's a luxury situation.
The worst thing for them for Madrid will be that Cristiano Ronaldo will bring the showbizz press and the paparazzi with him?
I wouldn't like that this would happen here. Players aren't part of the world of showbizz, we need to work, we're sportsmen. But it's something you cannot control.
You feel that this Barca can mark an era by, for example, winning two or three consecutive Champions League titles?
We have to go step by step. We had a great season, it was spectacular, maybe the best season in Barca's history. We would love to mark an era like that. We would sign for that right away, there's no lack of motivation. This group is very engaged and we will work hard to reach that goal. I believe in the philosophy of focusing on what comes first. We have two supercups, in December we travel to Abu Dhabi. It could be a very interesting season.
With the climax of the Champions League final at Santiago Bernabeu. That's a motivation...
We would be very excited to play that final, also because it is at the Bernabéu stadium. Winning the Champions League is the best thing, like we saw in Paris or Rome. But it's obvious that for all Barcelona fans it would of course be extra special to win it in the Bernabéu.
this was the second and last part of this interview, you can read the first part here:
Xavi: "I look forward to playing for six trophies"
Read more:
Pique: "Cesc will end up wearing a Barca shirt"
Henrique: "I feel ready for Barca"
Xavi: "The Liga will be the best in the world now"
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.
The Confederations Cup has finally ended and the next thing is the World Cup, that will have a clear blaugrana colour with you, Iniesta and Messi...
Barcelona is a standard. It's a privilege that the home-grown players are key players at the club and the national teams. To have a world cup with Andrés, Leo, Dani Alves, Puyol, Piqué or Busquets shows that Barça has done well.
They are the foundation of a team that seems destined to make history.
We know that Barça is in good shape and next year we'll have a great season. We're going to play for more trophies because we did well last season and we're looking forward to those three new competitions.
It all started with the European championships, what do you remember of that?
For us, there's a before and an after the trophy. The Spanish football players are far more valued because of it. We've lost our complexes. The team played with the talent they have within. Winning the title was good for our confidence and our state of mind.
Barcelona's national team players showed that confidence this season.
It's just that we saw that we could compete with whoever, with teams like Germany or Italy that have won several world cups. You see that you also can do it.
The Euro ends, you return to Barcelona and you meet with a certain Pep Guardiola who puts all his confidence in the former youth players. How do you see the contribution of the coach?
His arrival has been a total success. Carles and I knew him since we have been his team-mates. We knew what he was capable of and we were convinced that things would turn out fine... But not that fine! It couldn't have gone better. Pep is very detaillistic, enthusiastic, he gives everything for his ideas. For the philosophy of Barça, there's no better coach, with a way of playing, an attacking game plan to enjoy. I said at the start of the season that we were enjoying ourselves and he has ended up convincing us.
How were you able to hold that high level?
Because we really wanted to keep on winning. The group is mentally very strong. There's a good vibe, a good dressing-room. The little details are very well taken care of. It's not just Pep, also Tito Vilanova, the whole staff, the physical coaches, the doctors... Everything is being controlled and we should keep it this way.
A new treble is possible?
Why couldn't we dream about it? I already said it last season and we got it in the end. You can dream whatever you want, but it of course will be difficult. In the whole history of Spanish football, it has only happened once, although you also should be aware that we're playing for six trophies now.
this was the first part of this interview, you will be able to read the following parts in the coming days.
Read more:
Pique: "Cesc will end up wearing a Barca shirt"
Henrique: "I feel ready for Barca"
Xavi: "The Liga will be the best in the world now"
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Madrid sports tabloid As.
This year you were chosen as the best player in the two most important games of the year, the final of the Europeans championships and the final of the Champions League: you deserve the Ballon d'Or.
Well, thanks a lot. I won't lie: it would be great to get recognized by getting a trophy like that. But it's even more important to win titles with Barça or the national team. That's what keeps me going. I need my team-mates, I'm at my best as member of a team. In fact, my thing is help others wins than Ballon d'Or, rather than winning it myself.
Don't be so modest. People agree that you're the best player in the world at your position.
Individual trophies almost always are given to players who can decide a game with one single action, players like Messi, Cristiano or Fernando Torres. I can also do that now and then, but I'm better at assisting others. My thing is to connect with others and that's possibly why it's harder to win those prizes.
How is Iniesta doing?
His injury is going well and we miss him.
What is it about Iniesta?
He has everything. He makes a team play and he's also capable of doing what the others do that I've mentioned before. Andrés is also a candidate for the Ballon d'Or. He's my companion, I always look for him on the pitch and he's the one I most like to link up with.
What will Kaká and Cristiano add to the Liga?
With them and Barça, the Liga will be the best league in the world. It's a good thing for everyone. For us, we're going to have more competition now, for the fans, for the press. Next season will be exciting. I'm preferring Iniesta and Messi but Cristiano and Kaká aren't bad either...
Barça will go for another treble?
We'll try to again win trophies. We have three more titles we're competing for: the World cup for clubs, the Spanish super cup and the European super cup.
You would pay for Villa what has been paid for Kaká?
Without any doubt. David Villa bleeds goals and that's worth a lot. He should go where he will be happy although I would like it if he would end up at Barça.
How much is Xavi worth?
There's no price because Barça won't sell me and I don't want to leave. This is my home and my club.
Read more:
Xavi, Barcelona's pass master
Xavi: "I want to stay at the club of my life"
Xavi with his dog Tro, a four-month old labrador he bought two months ago.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta met last night in Barcelona with Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti. Although both presidents didn't want to confirm the issues discussed, it is believed that a possible transfer of Inter forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) was the main reason for the meeting.
Nothing is certain but putting all pieces together, this blog can at least offer you this attempt to reconstruct the events.
(sources:
el mundo deportivo, la gazzetta dello sport, rac 1, sport, reuters)
On Thursday morning, Moratti met in Milan with Inter manager José Mourinho. The Portuguese gave the green light for the transfer of Ibrahimovic under the condition that Inter would get in return Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (28) and a serious sum of cash, which would be used to sign Chelsea players Carvalho and Deco.
After the meeting with Mourinho, Moratti talked with Mino Raiola, the agent of Ibrahimovic, to explain him what had been decided in the meeting that had taken place. Raiola talked by phone with Ibrahimovic, who is preparing international games with Sweden, to inform him about the latest events.
Moratti decided to fly in the afternoon to Barcelona with his private jet. Barcelona president Joan Laporta cancelled a dinner in the Catalan town of Igualada, sixty kilometres to the east of Barcelona, and both presidents met at the Majestic hotel in the heart of Barcelona before heading to the Via Veneto restaurant where the two men arrived around 9.30-10 pm. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain possible joined them there.
Moratti would have opened discussions by putting his offer on the table: Eto'o plus 30 to 40 million euro° for Ibrahimovic. Laporta had to admit that the Cameroonian striker at this moment doesn't seem very willing to leave the club this summer and tried to come up with alternatives.
Barcelona offered to include Barcelona attacker Alexander Hleb (28), whom Inter tried to sign last summer, in the deal, but this was rejected. Barcelona offered 40 million euro° plus one player, but Moratti returned to his initial asking price of 70 million euro° cash.
Inter would only be willing to change their minds and lower the amount to be paid in cash if one of the following three players is offered in exchange: Eto'o, Barcelona attacking midfielder Xavi (28) or Barcelona defensive midfielder Yaya Touré (26). Somewhere down the line, Inter left back Maxwell also appeared upon the table (27).
When the two president left the restaurant after midnight, Laporta said it had only been a dinner between friends: "We didn't profoundly discuss any issue. We just had a first contact, nothing has been decided." Moratti confirmed this and added that a swap deal including Ibrahimovic and Eto'o probably won't go through: "I don't think that's possible. I like Ibrahimovic a lot and Laporta likes Eto'o a lot."
Moratti returned this morning to Milan, while Raiola closed the debates for now telling reporters today that Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona: "I only know that if the two clubs find an agreement we would not have trouble agreeing with Barcelona."
Read more:
1 Ibrahimovic - 2 Forlan - 3 Villa - 4 Benzema
Inter Milan interested in Hleb
Maxwell could be included in Eto'o deal
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Spanish sports weekly paper Don Balón.
How would you compare Manchester United and Chelsea?
They have a different philosophy. United maybe wants to have the ball more and their football is more similar to ours. They're an attacking team, they have very fast people up front. I think that one of the keys will be to have ball possession, to dominate the pitch. If we can achieve this, the victory will be closer.
You think the Englishmen will wait and play the counter-attack?
I suppose they will try to get the ball. They know what our philosophy is, that we feel most comfortale with the ball.
What about Henry and Iniesta?
I'm convinced they will play. I have been talking with them and they're very motivated.
They say that Manchester is even more favourite because of the absences of Alves, Abidal and Márquez...
Not at all. We don't want to look for excuses in any way. We want to win the final in Rome. We have to go out there, win it and that's it.
The Messi vs Cristiano Roaldo duel will be decisive?
It's clear that the team is the first thing and more important than anything. That's our philosophy: modesty and hard work have to lead us to victory. On the other hand, it's neverhtless logical that individual players can make the difference. Messi is better than any other player right now. People who don't want to see that don't like football.
There's some feeling of revenge because of the semi-final elimination last season?
No, that thought didn't cross my mind once. We just want to win because it's a final. We want to compete and at the end of the 90 or 120 minutes we want to lift the cup.
How do you see their midfield?
They have physical and technical qualities. Carrick is a very complete player, like is Scholes.
You'll meet Carrick a lot...
It's the player who gives balance to their team. He's good technically and in the built-up. He is somehow similar to Touré. Physically strong and a good header. I also want to point out Scholes. He's capable of anything. I like him a lot.
What does it mean to play a final with so many youth players?
It's something to be proud of and it's a reward for all those years of working at the academy, both for the players as for the coaches and all the other people involved.
Read more:
Pique: "I will score in Rome"
Keita: "We're convinced we can win the treble"
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.
You once before lived something like you're living this season?
The truth is I didn't. It's something great, I'm enjoying every moment of it. Something like this has never happened in the the history of the club. But we didn't win anything yet.
Yeah, but the league is very close now...
You should be careful with believing something is won because in football nothing is sure. It's clear that we dream about winning the three trophies, but step by step.
You have the feeling that only winning one title would seem little now?
I don't like to talk about hypotheses. It's clear that we're very close to making club history and that's even a bigger motivation for us. I sincerely think that you cannot ask for more.
How do you look back at the Chelsea tie?
With a good feeling. The one who played the best football won, the only team who went out to play.
What about the five penalty claims?
The only one that could have been given is the handball of Piqué. But we also should have had the Henry penalty at the Camp Nou and a red card for Ballack but then nobody said anything.
So, you didn't steal it...
Stealing? Football owed us one.
How come?
Last season in the semi-final against Manchester United we played a lot better than them but in the end they eliminated us.
You won't deny that Chelsea made things very difficult for you...
Yes, but they didn't come out of their area, they closed themselves with two lines of four players. We didn't really have a lot of trouble, the thing is that we didn't shoot. But in the end, with a bit of luck, the goal came.
The reactions of some Chelsea players after the game surprised you?
I stick with John Terry who came to our dressingroom just after the game to congratulate us one by one. It's nice to see there exist professionals like that.
You've heard that some people in Madrid, with the elections coming up, have proposed to forget about Crisitano Ronaldo and Kaká and to go after Iniesta and yourself?
Well, I'm sorry for them but that's impossible. I couldn't be happy playing for Real Madrid, although I'm thankful for the praise and even more when it's coming fom the big rival.
With two finals coming up, you don't feel that you're being more careful on the pitch, maybe unconsciously, so you don't get injured?
If you think about that, you probably will end up injured. If you don't put your foot strong, you're getting injured. Being more careful is rubbish.
You notice that the fans are proud of the team?
Of course! People stop me down the street to thank me. Something like that never happened to me before. It's crazy.
So this is the moment to return their support by winning titles, no?
Yes. We owe everything to the fans. It's true that when things are going bad, they are the first one to be more demanding, but when things are going good they lift you up towards success.
You would prefer to celebrate the Liga at the Camp Nou?
I want to celebrate the title and if it's at the Camp Nou and together with our fans, the better.
How things have changed in one year? You remember what you had to go through last season?
That's the strange logic of football. One year ago, we were nothing and now we're marvellous.
And all that thanks to Guardiola?
For a very high percentage, although without talent you cannot do anything either and in this team we're almost having too much talent.
Read more:
Xavi: "I pass and I move, I help you, I look for you"
Xavi, Barcelona's pass master
Xavi: "Give me a couch and a movie and I'm happy"
author: Simon Kuper
source: The Financial Times
date: 17 April 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com
Every December in Paris, some glamour boy is awarded the “Golden Ball” for European footballer of the year. There should be a parallel ceremony in a backroom, where Europe’s most under-appreciated footballer is given a scuffed plastic sippy cup.
The award would long have been hogged by Claude Makelele, a ballwinner so unobtrusive that Real Madrid flogged him to Chelsea in 2003 rather than give him a pay rise. Real have not reached the semi-finals of the Champions League since. Paul Scholes of Manchester United succeeded Makelele as Europe’s most under-appreciated footballer. However, he lost the sippy cup when every pundit on earth began pointing out how good he was.
Now, the sippy cup goes to Xavi Hernández Creus, who as central midfielder of Barcelona and Spain drives on both the world’s best football teams.
Xavi incarnates Barcelona's football
This is only partly because he is a local boy, who still used to ride the metro to the stadium when he made his debut for Barcelona a decade ago. More significantly, Xavi was raised practically from birth to be Barcelona’s version of a quarterback – or, as they call it in the Nou Camp stadium, a “number four”.
It is a role created by Johan Cruyff, the Dutchman who updated 1970s “total football” for Barcelona. Soon after Cruyff began managing Barça in 1988, he spotted a reedy kid named “Pep” Guardiola toiling unnoticed in the youth teams, and anointed him a “four”. Guardiola became legendary in that role and today he manages Barcelona.
One day in the late 1990s a tiny “four” named Xavi, too timid to speak, showed up at training and began passing like Guardiola. Boudewijn Zenden, then playing for Barça, told me: “We said, ‘It’s the same kind of player!’ It’s hard to say, but Xavi’s a more complete player than Guardiola.” Guardiola himself agreed, telling Xavi: “You’re going to push me out the door.” Though Xavi is undeniably more mobile than Guardiola, and has eyes in the back of his head, these are not judgments he easily accepts.
Xavi did not do the things that get footballers headlines, like squabbling or being transferred or scoring lots of goals. He never spoke much. At 5ft 7in tall, he was no superhero. All he did was hit passes, left to right, up and down, like someone filling in a crossword puzzle at top speed.
Xavi incarnates the pass
Cruyff had taught Barça a style straight out of a Graham Greene novel: everything hinged on finding the third man. Everyone had to be in motion so the man on the ball could always choose between two players to pass to. No wonder Barcelona kept producing “fours”. After Xavi came the even littler Andres Iniesta, and then Cesc Fabregas, currently in exile at Arsenal, who says with Xavian modesty, “Xavi is several classes better than me.”
At Euro 2008, Xavi, Iniesta and Cesc were all on the field weaving triangles together. In the final, they made the Germans chase the ball as if in a training exercise. Spain are now unbeaten in 31 games. They have been the best national team on earth for five years now.
Moreover, Barcelona is the most glorious club on earth. If Xavi is not careful, people will soon notice him. Luckily for him, Barça’s forwards get most of the credit, and as he always tells everyone, he is not half as good as Iniesta anyway.
read the full and original article here
Read more:
Who's the best player in the world?
Xavi: "I pass and I move, I help you, I look for you"
Xavi: "I want to stay at the club of my life"
Leadership lessons from a Catalan hero
An extensive survey by international sports talent and marketing agency IMG, quoted by Catalan sports paper Sport, has shown that Barcelona player Lionel Messi is the international (non-Spanish) football player who has the best image in Spain.
IMG interviewed sport fans in Madrid and Barcelona. Messi finishes clearly as number one, before David Beckham, Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Zinédine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
In the ranking of international athletes, Messi finishes second behind tennis player Roger Federer and ahead of David Beckham, former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and golfer Tiger Woods. Barcelona players Carles Puyol and Xavi are among the ten Spanish athletes with the best image, a list that is been headed by tennis player Rafael Nadal, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso and basketball player Pau Gasol.
Read more:
Messi and Eto'o best forwards in Europe
Messi second highest paid player in the world
Messi-Eto'o-Henry: Barcelona's Prolific Trident
source: FIFA.com
Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.
What a month of April Barça is facing.
We have one and half, two months of high-level competition left. All the good things are coming and we hope to continue at the same level. The team has a lot of motivation to win, we're having a great season but now the hour of the truth will arrive. We're alive in three competitions and hopefully we can win all three.
What do you feel now?
I hope to win trophies. We have a cup final, a league with Madrid at six points, we're in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so we're going to enjoy the moment and keep on working at the same level to win trophies.
Barça is the favourite against Bayern?
It's clear that Bayern proved in the tie against Sporting that they have great potential and besides that they have the little advantage of playing the second game at home. We might be favourites because of the moment we're in, for the game we're playing, for the goals... Everybody enjoys and praises Barça, but at this stage of the Champions League, you don't have a clear favourite. I don't want to believe that we're the favourites because I just don't see it that way.
Will it have a big influence that the return games in the quarter- and semi-finals are away from the Camp Nou?
You cannot know it, it depends. You have the chance to prevent the other team from scoring in the first game. You can go into the tie with a different set-up. It's not a very good thing, but the team is capable of winning against any opponent.
Talking about the semi-finals, Arbeloa already started to tease you a little.
Yes, he did (laughs). But I don't think they would be happy to see us coming, although Liverpool is an opponent nobody likes to play against. It's a very solid team, they play very good. A semi-final against them would no doubt be some kind of final.
You said that there's one and a half, two months left. Guardiola said something about this, he's getting you focused for the last part of the season?
Pep tells us to enjoy playing football, to give everything we have so our conscience will be clear. Starting from that, we get out on the pitch to win, to attack, to play an attractive football, to enjoy and until now things have turned out very well.
Do you feel the pressure they're trying to put on you from Madrid?
We always have pressure because we play at Barça. I think they have more pressure because they're behind and they cannot make a mistake. They're six points behind and at this moment they're only in one competition, so they have more pressure than us. I sure wouldn't want to change positions.
How do you look at the possible return of Florentino Pérez and the transfer rumours?
Well, if you follow the news, you here a lot of talk about Florentino and the star signings. We'll see what will happen but football isn't only about money. It's a team sport and money doesn't guarantee you trophies.
Talking about transfers, would you like Eto'o to renew and continue?
Of course, I've always said that I would like him to renew. Whenever we needed a goal, Samuel has always been there, he has an impressive record and for me he's the best striker in the world. I hope he can reach an agreement with the club for the good of us, the club and himself because I think he won't find another place like Barça.
You're going through a great moment yourself: best player of the European championships, you can win three trophies this season...
Yes, it's a great moment, I'm in the best situation. The World Cup that is coming next season... I'm delighted to be a football player, to be able to take part in those great competitions.
And Lothar Matthäus told us that you're the best midfielder in the world.
Yes, I read that and the truth is that it's a spectacular compliment coming from a person like him, whose for me a key player from the nineties.
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