Jonas happy with Barcelona link

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Newcastle United player and Argentine international Jonás Gutiérrez (26) has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that playing for Barcelona would be a dream:

"I've indeed heard some reports that Barcelona would be interested in signing me as right back defender.

The truth is that it's a great team. They proved it last year by winning everything. Being part of a great team, playing with great players, that's a dream for everyone. But it's something I don't want to think about right now. I'm focusing on the new season with Newcastle.

I can play both as right back and in midfield. One always tries to adapt to what the coach or the team needs. If I have to play as right back, I try to do that the best I can. I'm always trying to improve. I think the two positions aren't that different."

Read more:
Eight names on right-back short list

Pedro talks about Messi and the treble

Speaking to Catalan radio station COM Ràdio, Barcelona player Pedro (22) spoke of teammate Lionel Messi and the possibility of winning the treble again this season:

"Messi is the best player in the world, becoming like him is something impossible. No one else can do what he does, he's at a very high level. The truth is that all the players who came out of the cantera of Barcelona and have reached a high level because of their hard work and desire, and this is why I am confident I can make it.

The coming season will be very difficult because repeating the treble would take a lot. But I think we have an excellent team that will continue with a lot of desire and ambition. This is why we can repeat the treble. We have to go step by step, match by match, and we can get there again if we continue playing at this level."

Read More:
Pedro confirms renewal talks
Ten Things You Should Know About Pedro

Pedro confirms renewal talks

Asked about the renewal of his contract that expires at the end of this season (read more here), Barcelona player Pedro (22) has confirmed in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that talks are ongoing:

"My agent is talking with the club. I hope that everything will be solved soon because I'm very happy here and I would like to continue for many more years.

I hope to have more minutes this season. I know it will be difficult because there's a lot of competition, but I'm working, I'm calm and I hope to have more chances and grab them when I do. I need to keep on working to keep on getting better.

Guardiola has taught me a lot of things. Not only about the game, but also about how to position myself on the pitch. I have learned a lot from him. I appreciate him a lot, not only as a coach but also as a person. I think he's a brilliant coach - he has proven it - and I hope he will continue for many more years."

Read more:
Ten Things You Should Know About Pedro
Pedro to sign new contract in few days

Cesc father thinks transfer is unlikely

Asked about the rumours linking Arsenal midfielder and Spanish international Cesc Fàbregas (22) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's father Francesc Fàbregas has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that a transfer is unlikely at this moment:

"Cesc is Catalan and culé, and that's of course something he always carries with him. But Cesc has to give everything for the club he's currently playing for, independent of having this feeling.

I don't know anything about the rumoured interest of Barcelona. If that would become a reality one day, I will welcome that, but as a professional and out of respect for Arsenal, where they have always treated him very well, he cannot say anything about those rumours.

I sincerely think that this transfer to Barça won't go through. Of course, the world of football is a crazy world and you never know, but at this moment I think that he will stay with Arsenal. He's totally involved with the club and is very motivated to do something with the team. Cesc is 100 per cent an Arsenal player."

Read more:
Arsenal asking 45 millions for Cesc
Cesc Must Force His Arsenal Exit

Father Messi confident about renewal talks

Asked about the contract renewal negotiations of Barcelona right wing attacker and Argentinian international Lionel Messi (22) (read more here), the player's father and agent Jorge Messi has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Com Ràdio that he doesn't expect any problems:

"There's nothing new to tell you. We won't start talking before they return from the United States.

Barça is the club Leo feels he has to be with and that's it. Everything is fine, there's a good relationship and there won't be any problem. I know they value Lionel because they've already shown it. Leo is feeling very comfortable at the club and with his team-mates so I can't imagine him at another club. Madrid? I didn't hear anything from there.

He's enjoying the pre-season, he's very motivated to be well prepared for a year that will be complicated, with a lot of games. He might be close to the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World player but he's not obsessed by that. We think he can win it but those trophies depend on other people. It can depend on the mood of the moment of the voters. Every player wants to win them but for Leo, the most important thing is to win things with the team."

Read more:
Messi renewal negotiations to start this week
Barcelona's wage structure
Messi in space

Mata agent honoured by Barcelona link

Asked about the new rumours linking Valencia left wing attacker and Spanish international Juan Mata (21) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's father and agent Juan Manuel Mata has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that it's an honour to be linked with Barcelona:

"That a coach like Guardiola, who has won everything, likes the way of playing of Mata and thinks that he has the right profile for Barcelona, is of course an honour.

In any case, it was Valencia that gave him the chance to have already played 80 games in the Liga, to have scored a bunch of goals, to become international, European champion under-19 and best player of that tournament.

No one of Barcelona has talked with me so far but I think that's normal because the clubs should first reach an agreement. The president of Valencia already told me more than one month ago that Barcelona and Madrid have asked for Mata and that he had rejected.

The president is always very clear in his public statements and he was also clear to me: Mata is a very important player for the current project of Valencia. But I guess a situation can always change overnight. I want to stress that football wise, Mata cannot complain at Valencia although you cannot deny that Barcelona has been winning a lot of trophies.

But we sure want to renew his contract because it's still the same as when he arrived from Real Madrid B and they have been promising the whole year that he deserves a better contract, so we're waiting for that. We had a first contact and the proposal wasn't exactly very good. We'll have a new meeting at the end of this week."

Read more:
Barcelona moving again for Mata
Looking forward to the last transfer window month

Mascherano wants to join Barcelona

Asked about the rumours linking Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's brother and players' agent Sebastián Mascherano has repeated in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that the midfielder wants to join Barcelona:

"Javier wants to join Barça because it would be the best for him and his family, so he hopes the deal can go through. One of the reasons is that he wants to play alongside Messi. I'm sure that Messi and Javier have talked about this. Leo is one of those who have most insisted so that Javier could play at Barça.

I don't know what could happen but at this moment it looks like he will continue at Liverpool. If Barça really makes a good financial offer, I nevertheless think that Javier could in the end leave Liverpool. But if that interesting bid doesn't come, they probably won't let him go. Let's hope it will be possible. Negotiations can go really quick these days and you change clubs in one day."

Read more:
Mascherano is next transfer target
Pique could be an option in midfield
Mascherano agent invites Barcelona to bid

Chygrynskiy wants to join Barcelona

Asked about the rumours linking Shakhtar Donetsk central defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy (22) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that the player has asked to leave:

"If a team like Barça wants you, you cannot say no. I understand the player, why he badly wants to join Barça. Who wouldn't want that? Every football player in the world would want that. I also understand that the club might need to sell, I understand Barça...

It will be a great transfer for Barça. It's a very important player, the best defender in Europe, better than Vidic. He's tall, strong and technically good. He's used to win, to play with pressure, at the highest level. I don't see why he couldn't play at Barça. For me, it would be difficult to lose him, because we need to qualify for the Champions League, which is very important for us."

Read more:
Barcelona prepares new bid for Chygrynskiy
Barcelona keeps trying for Chygrynskiy

Atletico president repeats Forlan not for sale

Asked about the rumours linking with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's father Pablo Forlán has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Com Ràdio that he hopes a transfer will be posible:

"Third time lucky, they say. Barcelona already tried to sign him when he was playing at Manchester United and a second time a few years later, when he was at Villarreal. And now, it seems that they're again interested. I believe it could now finally become concrete.

He's very happy at Atlético because they've treated him marvellously, but every player in the world is without any doubt interested in playing for a great club like Barcelona. We cannot lie about that."

Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo meanwhile repeated in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that Forlán is not for sale: "I'm not worried about them paying the buyout clause. Everybody knows what our position is. We've already said that we don't want tot sell. No use to talk about it again. Laporta didn't talk to me about this. For me everything is clear. He's not for sale and that's it. It's a waste of time bringing this up."

Read more:
Guardiola gives green light for Forlan
Barça turns again to Forlan...

Agent Arshavin invites Barcelona to move

Asked about the new rumours linking Arsenal attacker and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's former agent Dennis Lachter has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Com Ràdio that Barcelona should take the initative:

"I think that Barcelona should first make Arsenal a formal offer. After that, we can sit down and talk with them."

Read more:
Arshavin possible left wing top target
Arsenal willing to sell Cesc
Arshavin could be alternative for Ribery

FCB Miami: Azkargorta to become sports director

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is negotiating with Xabier Azkargorta (55) to become the sports director of FCB Miami.

The deal has not yet been closed but the negotiations are very well-advanced. Azkargorta has received the offer a few weeks ago and there have been several positive meetings since then, the last one a week ago.

Azkargorta would be enthusiatic about the new project and would be backed by barcelona president Joan Laporta, who assisted one of the meetings with the Basque manager, and by Barcelona's MLS partner Marcelo Claure, who knows Azkargorta from his time as Bolivian national team coach.

Azkargorta has a large experince as coach and sports director. He was, among other things, manager of Espanyol and Sevilla, national team coach of Bolivia and Chile and director of Real Madrid's football academies outside Spain. Last summer he was for a few weeks sports director of Valencia.

An agreement will only be made public once FCB Miami has the authorization to take part in the Major League Soccer. The club is convinced that they will receive the green light next month.

Asked about the rumours, Azkargorta has confirmed the talks in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio: "I have a formal offer to become the director of the new club. It's true that it's because of my good contacts with Marcelona Claure and FC Barcelona that they have thought about me for this new project. But we need to stay cautious because at this moment the franchise hasn't yet been awarded and there's still nothing concrete."

Read more:
FCB Miami: Interview with Barcelona partner Claure
FCB Miami: A critical view on Barcelona's bid
Plans for new US tour confirmed

Atletico president rejects Aguero transfer

Asked about the renewed rumours linking Atlético Madrid forward and Argentinian international Sergio 'Kun' Agüero (20) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has insisted in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that the Argentinian striker will stay with his club:

"Kun Agüero will not join Barça. He's feeling good at Atlético and that's where he wants to keep on playing."



Read more:
Verbal agreements on Aguero transfer
Barcelona considers buying top striker
Transfer of Aguero is well underway

Busquets renewal deal could be close

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the contract renewal of Barcelona midfielder and Spanish youth international Sergio Busquets (20) is now very close and that the coming hours could be decisive.

With one or two meetings needed to finish the talks, the player's agent Josep Maria Orobitg could meet with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain today to close the renewal negotiations.

There would be a principal agreement on the main aspects, with only some details left to be agreed upon. The new contract would be a five-year deal, with Busquets staying officially a B-team player the first year. A low fixed salary will be compensated with high incentives, that can grow over the years which would make him earn from the fourth year on a wage that one can expect from a Barcelona player.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, that says that both parties already met three times, claims that a new meeting will be held at the end of this week. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that everything indicates that the meeting is scheduled for today.

Asked about the negotiations, Orobitg said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that the talks are going in the right direction: "Unless something bad happens, everything looks very good. We all want to close a deal now and have a happy end to this. I can't say it's 100 per cent sure that we'll reach an agreement soon, but the percentage sure is very high.

We have our own, very clear objectives. Busquets has in favour that he can leave for free next summer, that he's young and that he's going through a good moment. But on the other hand, we all know that the only thing he wants is to continue at Barcelona. He wants to be a Barcelona player and he's very satisfied working with the current coach."

Barcelona general director Joan Oliver has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Rac 1 that Barcelona isn't planning to offer him an exaggerated salary: "Both Busquets and the club want him to stay in the Camp Nou, but we'll pay him what we think is right for a rising player. Txiki and his staff have to come to a deal now."

Read more:
Last meeting to seal Busquets renewal coming up
Juventus and Arsenal monitor Busquets talks
Principal agreement on Busquets renewal

Arshavin agent invites Barcelona to move

Asked about the new rumours linking Zenit Saint Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Dennis Lachter has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that Barcelona hasn't yet called him:

"We have already several proposals on the table but no Barcelona official has contacted me until this day. Arshavin has already declared that he wants to leave Zenit. The team that wants him just has to make us an offer and then we can start negotiating.

At this moment Barcelona is playing great, so you should ask Guardiola, Txiki or Laporta if they're interested in Andrei. Tell Guardiola that he calls me or that they give me the number of Guardiola, Txiki or Laporta. Time will tell what can happen."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that, despite the club not planning any transfers this winter (read more here), Barcelona could consider to make a bid for Arshavin if Zenit would seriously drop the asking price. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, who likes the Russian player, has been following Arshavin closely over the last months.

Read more:

Di Maria and Arshavin will be monitored

Barcelona wanted Arshavin as a substitute

Barcelona could make a new move for Arshavin

Xavi renewal talks still going on

Barcelona sports paper Sport claims that the negotiations on the contract renewal of Barcelona attacking midfielder and Spanish international Xavi (28), whose current contract expires in 2010, are still going on (read more here).

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would already have met seven times with Iván Corretja, Xavi's agent. The last time was last Wednesday. While Barcelona had hoped to close a deal before the end of October, this doesn't seem to be possible at this stage.

Although the negotiation are well-advanced and the player could sign until 2014, there still would be serious differences about the salary. Xavi would want to be promoted to the second level of top earners, alongside for example Puyol.

Asked about a possible renewal, Joaquim Henrnández, the father of the player, has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Com Ràdio that his son plans to sign the renewal: "Every year, Xavi has received offers from other clubs but his mind is made up. As long as Barcelona wants him, he doesn't want to go nowhere.

It's normal that Barcelona now wants to offer him a long-term contract. Both parties have the same goal, so there won't be any problem. He will sign for three or four more years. He's happy to be here and his dream is to end his career with Barcelona. After that he would like to work with young players at the youth academy."

Catalan sports weekly Gol claims that Xavi, who has a buyout clause of 60 million euro°, has already confirmed to Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola that he would want to stay with the club.

Barcelona would offer Xavi a renewal until 2013 or 2014 and could offer him almost the double of his current salary. Several European top clubs are following the events, ready to make a move if things don't go like expected.

Read more:
Xavi could be offered contract for life
Xavi: "There's no bigger Barcelona fan than me"
Messi, Xavi and Eto'o candidates for Golden Ball

Busquets wants to renew despite Milan interest

Asked about the rumoured renewal of the contract of Barcelona defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets (20) (read more here), the player's agent Josep Maria Orobitg has said in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that he expects a deal can be found soon:

"I'm sure we'll reach an agreement because the player is happy in Barcelona and isn't thinking about an exit. I'm waiting for the Barcelona officials to return from Argentina so we can start talking. If everything develops normally, the renewal could be announced soon.

It's true that three or four clubs have asked for him. One of them is a European top club. But he'll only leave Barcelona if the financial difference between offer and demand is very, very big. I repeat that I'm convinced that he will stay, also because his whole family lives here. The interested clubs are aware that it won't be possible to sign him if everything goes like planned."

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Italian club AC Milan is one of the clubs that have asked the agent for the situation of Busquets, whose contract expires next summer. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would meet with Orobitg this week (read more here).

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Chelsea, Manchester United and AC Milan have contacted Busquets' agent to ask him about a possible transfer. Busquets nevertheless wishes to renew and the club will offer Busquets a contract extension until 2014, with his salary depending on his performances.

Asked about what would happen if Real Madrid would want to sign him, former Barcelona goalkeeper Carles Busquets, the father of the player, said in an interview with Madrid sports tabloid As that Barcelona is the first option of his son: "You can never say never but Segio is a true culé and his dream since he was a child has always been to play for Barcelona.

Although he's playing well for many years, I didn't see all this coming. I'm very proud, I hope he'll get rewarded for his work. If possible, I give him some advice, but not a lot. He has always been very mature and he has clear ideas about everything. He has worked hard to get there.

I never got the chance to see him as a goalkeeper because he always wanted to score goals! As a child, he was a striker, later on he moved to midfield. In the world of football, it's hard to predict if one will get far or not. He should be aware that he's just starting. He still has a long way to go, but if you work hard, everything is possible."

Read more:
Busquets wants to renew as soon as possible
First international call-up for Busquets
Busquets will be offered to renew until 2014

Formal offer for Arshavin

Asked about a possible summer transfer of Zenit Saint Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27), Zenit sports director Konstantin Sarsania has confirmed in an interview with Russian sports paper Sovietski Sport that Barcelona has launched a first bid:

"Barcelona has made a formal proposal to Zenit for the transfer of Arshavin. But we will only discuss it once Andrei returns to Zenit." The paper claims that Zenit would agree on letting Arshavin go for 15 million euro°.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo even claims that an agreement between all parties was already found back in April. The deal will be made public after the European championships. Barcelona would pay Zenit 15 million euro°.

Since Barcelona talked directly to the player, the only remaining problem could be that agents or intermediaries show up. Arshavin reconfirmed yesterday to the paper that he would like to join Barcelona and that the Liga is his favourite league.

Asked about the rumours linking Arsahavin with a summer move to Barcelona, Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano admitted in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona has been interested in the player for a while now:

"It's true that we are interested in Arshavin. But our interest hasn't started recently since we're already following the player for several months in a discrete way. We watched him against Bayer Leverkusen back in April and then we thought his best position was in the centre. But now it has been proven that he can play on the wing and that's exactly the profile we're looking for. But since all teams want him now, I don't think it will be easy to sign him."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that during a yesterday meeting of the so-called Comisión Delegada (a club committee consisting of the most important board members and the highest ranked management representatives) the transfer strategy for the next weeks has been established.

Arshavin is, together with Adebayor, the main objective but Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain won't move until Russia has been eliminated from the Euro. The club would nevertheless already have information about the transfer fee asked by Zenit and the salary asked by the player.

Barcelona would already have been following Arshavin for several months, namely since Zenit manager Dick Advocaat talked about the player with Barcelona assistant coach Johan Neeskens which lead Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard to ask the club for scouting reports on the Russian.

Dennis Lachter, the presumed agent of Arshavin, denied during an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that he has already talked with Barcelona: "It's very unlikely that Arshavin will continue with Zenit. At this moment we have received seven proposals and we'll see what will happen after the Euro. Despite everything that has been talked about in the last days, I didn't hear anything from Barcelona."

In an interview with Spanish television station La Sexta, Lachter said: "The time has come for the player to look for new challenges and this could be his big chance to leave Russia. And it doesn't only have to do with money or with great clubs. That's important but it's also important who his coach will be, how the coach wants him to play, where the coach will put him, which other players are there in the squad for his position. Andrei will take all of that into consideration.

Nobody has called me for now, not even Barcelona. And Zenit wants to hold on to the player since he's their most important man. They won't have any problem to offer him the same as the big clubs will do. A transfer to Barcelona will mainly depend on the interest of Barcelona and the will of the player to play there.
If he leaves, I think the transfer fee could be around 25 million euro°."

Russian player's agent Alexei Safonov gave his view in an interview with Russian radio station Business FM: "Zenit has received more than five proposals from England and France, but Arshavin wants to go to Spain cause the football there is suited for him. His transfer price is around 20 million euro°."

Both main Catalan sports papers meanwhile agree that it looks like the Barcelona attacking line could next season well look like (from right to left): Messi - Adebayor - Arshavin.

Read more:
Arshavin confirms that he is a Barcelona fan
Pavlyuchenko new name on striker list
How things stand: Wing attackers

Deal on Caceres

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has reached an agreement on the transfer of Villareal central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (21). The deal could be announced today.

Barcelona's first offer of 15 million euro° was last week rejected (read more here). Villareal held on to the buyout clause of 20 million euro°, an amount the club has to share with Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting de Montevideo, the former club who still holds 50% of the rights of the player (note: some sources are still claiming that it's actually his agent who holds that other half).

Barcelona refused to pay the buyout fee and was considering other options like paying a part of the sum in variables or convincing Defensor to accept a lower fee. Villareal bought half of Cacerés' transfer rights last summer, paying between 1,5 and 2 million euro°. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the final fee would be 17 million euro° plus 3 million euro° variables.

Villareal seems to assume for a while now that Cáceres will leave this summer and is already looking to replace him. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claimed last week that the club had contacted the agent of French defender Pascal Cygan, whose contract with Villareal expires this month and who had been told he could leave, to ask the player to postpone a decision on his future for ten days. If Cáceres leaves, Villareal in the end could offer Cygan a renewal.

Villareal chief executive José Manuel Llaneza told journalists yesterday that a deal on Cáceres was very close: "Every day that goes by, the situation is moving in the right direction and that makes one think that an agreement should be near, although I cannot yet confirm that we have a final deal."

Cáceres meanwhile didn't stop giving interviews (Spanish television station La Sexta, Spanish local television station Canal Nou, Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo twice, Madrid sports tabloid Marca, Catalan radio station COM Ràdio) basically repeating the same: he wouldn't mind staying in Villareal, but Barcelona is a great club which he couldn't say 'no' to and he hoped there would be an agreement soon.

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Cáceres, who is believed to have a personal agreement with Barcelona on a four-year contract earning 2 million euro plus incentives a year (read more here), said that he was close to joining Real Madrid two weeks ago: "Madrid wanted me and everything seemed to be agreed upon. I don't know why it didn't went through in the end."

After he spend days waiting at his house in Huelva, Cáceres yesterday flew off to Ururguay to join the national team. Daniel Fonseca, his agent, had asked the player to postpone the start of his holidays because a deal seemed close. And if an agreement on the transfer would be found, Cáceres could then immediately travel to Barcelona to undergo the medical tests and to sign the contract.

Read more:
Villareal rejects offer for Caceres
Deal with Caceres
How things stand: Central defenders

Ronnie's week --- 2. Ronaldinho - Barcelona

While last week a deal seemed close, this week's events, which this blog brings to you in three parts, lead to think that the transfer of Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28) to Milan will not be agreed upon between all parties shortly.

1. Milan - Ronaldinho
(this part was published yesterday, you can read it here)

2. Ronaldinho - Barcelona
After his time in Italy, Roberto de Assís, the brother and agent of Ronaldinho, arrived in Barcelona, where he met at his resquest with Barcelona officials on Wednesday afternoon to talk about the future of Ronaldinho and to inform the club about the negotiations with AC Milan.

The Spanish and Catalan media couldn't agree on the club persons he spoke with: president Joan Laporta, economic vice president Ferran Soriano, sports vice president Marc Ingla and sports director Txiki Begiristain were all mentioned as possible participants in the talks.

After the meeting, Roberto gave a short and vague comment to Catalan radio station COM Ràdio: "It has been a while since we saw each other, but everything is going well." Barcelona board member and spokesperson Alfons Godall didn't comment on the meeting and didn't even want to confirm that it actually took place.

The Catalan sports papers meanwhile report that one of the issues discussed and agreed upon during the meeting was that Ronaldinho will leave through the front door. There won't be mutual reproaches, that only could damage the image of the player and the club. And if the player recovers on time from his injury, Ronaldinho will be able to say goodbye to the fans wearing the blaugrana shirt.

It was supposedly Roberto who proposed the idea of a farewell match. Barcelona was open to the suggestion as they realize that Ronaldinho has been one of the greatest players in the history of Barcelona and the club doesn't want another star player to leave with a fight. The last home game of the season, on May 11th against Mallorca, could be the chosen day.

If Barcelona would qualify for the Champions League final in Moscow, Ronaldinho could play as a substitute. After the season the club will organize a last press conference where Ronaldinho would take his leave of the club, the fans and the city in the presence of president Joan Laporta, sports director Txiki Begiristain and manager Frank Rijkaard.

3. Barcelona - Milan
(this part will be published tomorrow)