Barça B: Pre-season starts

Catalan paper Sport reports that Barcelona Atlètic's season is underway after beginning pre-season training yesterday. The pre-season started a week later than planned after a training camp in Ireland (read more here) was canceled due to lack of players. Several Barça B players had been included in the first team's England tour. (read more here)

The team of 18 players took part in medical and physical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper before participating in the season's first training session. Of the 18 players, only 7 were returning Barça Atlètic players from last season's squad.

For the next part of the pre-season manager Luis Enrique is expected to have back Barça Atlètic players who were a part of the first team's English tour. Espasandin, Rochina, Gai Assulin, Fontas, Montoya, Rueda, Dalmau, Muniesa & Jonathan dos Santos are expected to rejoin Barça Atlètic. While others like Jeffren may continue with the first team in the upcoming U.S. tour.

The only other absences were Thiago Alcantara and Romeu, who are still with the Spanish U19 team at the U19 European Championships. (read more here)

Read more:
The new faces
Barça B - Official: Jaume Sobregrau (Huesca)
Barça B - Official: Ivan Benitez (Las Palmas B)

Barça B: Luis Enrique enjoys coaching

In an interview with Asturias regional newspaper La Nueva España, Barcelona Athletic manager Luis Enrique (38) has talked about his first month as a coach.






How are things going in your new job?
Good, I'm again fully enjoying football. I have a good team and players with a great future.

You feel comfortable on the bench?
I actually didn't think I would like it this much. I would like to continue coaching, but a coach only depends on the results and he will be judged based upon that.

How does your team play?
We're following the tactics of the first team and the tradition that has been in this club for many years. We play a 4-3-3 system with wingers and trying to always play in a nice and dominant way. The idea is to balance defense and attack and to get a lot stronger by finding the right balance.

You also had an offer from the Spanish football federation (read more here). Why did you choose for Barcelona?
I'm very grateful to the federation and especially to their sports director Fernando Hierro for the confidence, but Barcelona gave me the chance to train at a daily basis and to return to a club I also consider to be my home.

What is the objective of Barça B this season?
We want to try and win every game, in the beginning mainly to really see after ten games what our possibilities are. I don't exclude anything and our performances will show if we have been doing our job properly.

Guardiola sometimes takes away some of your key players.
For me, it's an honour that he promotes a few of my players every week. That's actually the reason why the first team squad is that short. I also have a very short squad so the Juvenil players have options to join us every now and then.

How is Joni López doing?
Good, motivated to get better and adding his experience to the team. He's performing at a good level.

How are you looking forward to the game against Sporting this weekend?
My heart is divided. Sporting has always been my team and Barcelona is my favourite teams amongst the top clubs.

You replaced Guardiola and we suppose you're talking with him about your teams. How is the situation of the first team?
It's a very well-organised and hard-working team with endless attacking possibilities. I'm sure they will play for the trophies this season. The doubtful start will only serve as an extra stimulation.

Read more:
Luis Enrique presented as Barcelona B coach
Barça B - Official: Joni
Luis Enrique to coach Barcelona B

Luis Enrique presented as Barcelona B coach

Former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (38) has today been officially presented as the new coach of Barcelona B, that will be renamed Barcelona Atlètic next season. At a press conference Luis Enrique, who will be assisted by Joan Barberá, said that he feels ready for the job:

"I'm coming home. Here I retired as a player, here I will start as a coach. I'm very motivated. Since I'm starting, of course I don't have any experience but I spent a lot of time in dressing-rooms together with great players. I can guarantee hard work and total dedication. I choose for a culture of attacking football based upon possession of the ball. Depending on the circumstances we will play 4-3-3 or 3-4-3.

I thank the president and the other people who have put their trust in me. I congratulate the players and my predecessor for the promotion, I'll try to do the same next year. I also had an offer from the Spanish football association but here I will be able to enjoy football every day as a coach."

Read more:
Luis Enrique to coach Barcelona B
Guardiola's staff
Mourinho's eleven

Mourinho's eleven

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo has today a report on how Barcelona would have looked like if new Inter Milan managerJosé Mourinho would have taken over.

During a meeting with Barcelona officials earlier this year (read more here), Mourinho asked for the total control over the technical organization, the medical staff and the transfers. The Portuguese didn't think many transfers were needed and wanted to focus on changing structural things like the preparation.

Former Barcelona player and probabe future Barcelona B manager Luis Enrique (38) would have been his assistant. Both would already had met to discuss the project (read more here).

Mourinho counted on Messi and Eto'o, wanted to have a talk with Deco and Ronaldinho and would have tried to sell Henry. He didn't like Abidal, Touré, Giovani and Pinto and knew little on Bojan.

Mourinho agreed with the transfer of Alves and would have brought in a decent back-up for Valdés, a left back defender and a left winger. From his former club Chelsea, he wouldn't have tried to bring Drogba, but was interested in Carvalho, Lampard and Essien. Keita was the alternative for Essien.

This could have been the Barcelona XI under Mourinho:

Valdés

Alves - Puyol - Milito - Maicon

Essien (or Deco) - Iniesta - Lampard

Messi - Eto'o - Ribéry

Read more:

Next season's eleven

Next season's squad

Meeting with Mourinho

Guardiola's staff

While it is believed that a deal has been reached earlier this week with future Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola (37) (read more here), it is also generally excepted that Barcelona B assistant coach Tito Vilanova will continue to be Guardiola's right hand next season (read more here).

The main lines of Vilanova's contract were also agreed upon this week. Josep Maria Orobitg, the agent of Guardiola, informed Vilanova on the talks on Wednesday evening and the assistant will most probably give his agreement shortly.

The composition of the rest of the coaching staff is not yet clear. Bulgarian newspaper Meridian Mach claimed last weekend that former Barcelona forward Hristo Stoichkov (42) had accepted an offer to become an assistant of Guardiola. This news was not confirmed and Stoichkov would now be negotiating with Red Star Belgrade to become head coach.

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Guardiola has suggested the appointment of Real Sociedad manager Juan Manuel Lillo (42) (picture), who has a very close relationship with Guardiola, as assistant but that this was vetoed by the Barcelona board (read more here).

The club thinks that Lillo has a poor track record. But most of all, during the election process of 2003, both Guardiola and Lillo were part of the candidacy of Lluís Bassat, then the main rival of Laporta. Letting the duo Guardiola-Lillo take charge of the team would be like admitting that the Bassat project was in fact the right one.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims nevertheless that Lillo could be added to the coaching staff when the competition in Segunda División ends next month. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that there simply won't be a second assistant coach next season.

Sport says that current goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué (41) would be willing to continue, although he could also accept an offer by another club to become head coach. Barcelona B goalkeeping coach Carles Busquets (40) is a valid alternative for Guardiola.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Guardiola has rejected the continuation of Unzué, despite attempts of Barcelona officials to convince the new manager. Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Guardiola wants to take Busquets with him and doesn't want to give in to the pressure from the club to keep Unzué on board.

In the physical department it is expected there will be some serious changes, but all of this is yet to be confirmed.

Although no official announcement has yet been made, it is generally believed that former Barcelona player Luis Enrique will replace Guardiola as manager of Barcelona B (read more here). This week, Luis Enrique has been following some training sessions of the team.

Fernando Hierro, sports director of the Spanish football association, confirmed earlier this week that Luis Enrique will not accept his offer (read more here) because he has chosen to coach Barcelona B next season: "After a few meetings, Luis Enrique has in the end taken the decision to accept the offer of Barcelona. His motivation and the possibility to stay with his family in Barcelona have been decisive."

Read more:
Who will assist Guardiola?
Deal with Guardiola
Luis Enrique to coach Barcelona B

Luis Enrique to coach Barcelona B

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (38) has accepted the offer to succeed future Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola as head coach of Barcelona B.

Luis Enrique therefore rejected an offer from Fernando Hierro, the sports director of the Spanish football association to become the head coach of the U-19 and the assistant coach of the U-21 (read more here). It was Guardiola who personally asked for Luis Enrique as his successor, being able that way to work together with a person he fully trusts. Luis Enrique was before also rumoured to become the assistant of Guardiola (read more here).

Although no official statement has been made yet, Catalan sports paper Sport thinks that Luis Enrique suggests on his blog that he indeed has found a deal with Barcelona by saying: "To all those who are concerned about my future, I can assure them that there is nothing to worry about: I will be at home, that’s crystal clear." Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain admitted on Monday that Barcelona made the former Barcelona captain an offer (read more here).

Luis Enrique obtained his coaching degree in 2006, doing his internship at the Barcelona youth academy. Since he retired as an active player in 2004, the former Barcelona right wing attacker has mainly been involved in participating in marathons and triathlons. Like Guardiola, he will have no experience as manager when taking charge of Barcelona's second team. It is expected Luis Enrique will sign a two-year deal.

Read more:

Barcelona B job offered to Luis Enrique

Who will assist Guardiola?

Luis Enrique ready for assistant job

Barcelona B job offered to Luis Enrique

New Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola (37) met yesterday afternoon with former Barcelona right winger Luis Enrique (38) in a restaurant near the Barcelona port. Both main Catalan sports papers claim that Luis Enrique, who was before rumoured to be a candidate to assist Guardiola (read more here), has been offered to succeed who was his team-mate between 1996 and 2001 as Barcelona B manager.

Luis Enrique, who retired as an active player in 2004, has also an offer from the Spanish football association to become the assistant of the U-21 and to coordinate several youth selections. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Luis Enrique will make a decision in the coming week.

Read more:

Who will assist Guardiola?

Luis Enrique ready for assistant job

Who will assist Guardiola?

Together with Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45), his assistants Johan Neeskens (56) and Eusebio Sacristán (44) will have to leave at the end of the season. The situation of Barcelona goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué (41) is unclear: it is not yet decided if he will stay or if Barcelona B goalkeeping coach Carles Busquets (40) will take over.

Rijkaard's successor Guardiola is expected to take a part of the Barcelona B technical staff with him to the first team. His currect assistant Tito Vilanova (picture, at the left) will most probably continue to act as Guardiola's right hand next season.

Former Barcelona captain Luis Enrique (38) was mentioned as a possible candidate to return to Barcelona as assistant coach, both in case that Guardiola or Mourinho would become the next Barcelona manager, and felt ready for the job (read more here).

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo nevertheless claims that Luis Enrique has received some offers in the meantime and would be close to accept an offer from the Spanish football association to work with several youth teams. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Guardiola has urged Barcelona to sign his former team-mate as Barcelona B manager.

Juan Manuel Lillo (42) is being put forward as another possible assistant. Lillo was Guardiola's coach when the latter ended his career playing for the Mexican club Dorados and has in the past been coaching Salamanca, Oviedo, Tenerife and Zaragoza when they played in the Spanish Liga.

Since a few months he is the coach of second division team Real Sociedad, who he still can lead to the Primera División. Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona, Lillo, whose contract with Sociedad expires in June, said at a press conference that he's now totally focusing on his club and will not pronounce on his future before the season ends mid-June.

Read more:

Official: Rijkaard out, Guardiola in

Luis Enrique ready for assistant job

Guardiola takes Mourinho's pole

Guardiola backed by board but not by fans

Although Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain said yesterday in an interview with the official club television channel Barça TV that Rijkaard has done "an extraordinary job" in the last five seasons and that he is "a man of the club", it seems almost certain that current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) will leave the club at the end of the season after the Chamions League elimination on Wednesday. This has been confirmed today by Jil van Eyle, a personal assistant of Rijkaard, on his Teaming blog. Which means that the final discussion on his successor is breaking loose.

All media seem to agree that Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37) is being backed by the majority of the Barcelona board. Guardiola knows the club inside out and stands for an attacking, dominant way of playing. The former Barcelona captain has the strong support of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

Madrid sports tabloid As even claims that Guardiola is already planning for next season under the supervision of Begiristain and is composing the new squad together with former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (37) and José Ramón Alexanko (51), the head of the Barcelona youth academy, who would act as his assistants.

The board is nevertheless divided on the issue and it is expected that the debate could be reopened in the coming days. Some board members believe that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) is the best candidate to replace Rijkaard because he would bring organization and a strong hand to the team. They would now try to put the name of the Portuguese back on the table during a board meeting on Thursday, one day after the match against Real Madrid.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that a third candidate is Villareal manager Manuel Pellegrini (54) cause of his experience, his handling of the Riquelme case and his choice for quality play. The paper estimates that the chances of Guardiola to become the next Barcelona manager are 50 per cent, the chances of Mourinho 30 and those of Pellegrini 20.

An opinion poll by Catalan television channel TV3 meanwhile indicates that around 80 per cent of the Barcelona fans would not support the choice of Guardiola. Catalan sports paper Sport says that the club itself is monitoring all kinds of polls to know the opinion of the fans. Mourinho is generally having a wide lead on all other candidates. Former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach supports Guardiola but thinks that the board has put his name out there to know the opinion of the fans and the press before they make a final decision.

As claims that the results of several polls have made Guardiola doubt if he should accept the job or not. El Mundo Deportivo says that Guardiola would have preferred another season with little pressure but that he could not say ‘no’ if the formal offer comes. Francesc Aguilar, sub director of El Mundo Deportivo, relaunched today the idea of making Guardiola the assistant of Mourinho.

Read more:
The race to the bench
Board member leaked Guardiola preference
Principal agreement with Mourinho

Principal agreement with Mourinho

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Barcelona is still in permanent contact with former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) and that the club even could already have signed a principal agreement with the coach three weeks ago. The deal will not be announced before the end of Barcelona's Champions League campaign. Former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (37) would become the assistant of the Portuguese (read more here).

In recent months, the Mourinho option has been strongly pushed by Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano and Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla, who came back very impressed after a meeting with Mourinho in Portugal in late January, where the Portuguese explained his way of working. Both vice presidents are convinced that there is no better candidate to replace current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) as of next season.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta would be ready to surrender and sign Mourinho (read more here), knowing he cannot make any more mistakes if he wants to leave on a high in 2010 and helped by the declarations of Mourinho that his way of playing is flexible and that the system can be adapted to the tradition of a club like Barcelona.


Read more:
Mourinho preparing to take over
The board vote goes to Mourinho
Guardiola takes Mourinho's pole

Luis Enrique ready for assistant job

Asked about the rumours linking him with a job as assistant coach of Josep Guardiola (read more here) or José Mourinho (read more here), if one of those two would become the next Barcelona manager, former Barcelona player Luis Enrique said last week in an interview with Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia that those are at this moment nothing more than rumours.

Luis Enrique nevertheless made clear that he wants to start his career as manager next season, and if he could do that with Barcelona, the better: "I would like to return to Barcelona, not simply to pose but to really add something to the team. But until they don't offer me something, I don't want to think about it too much."

Although he lacks experience, the Spaniard doesn't think he is not ready for the job: "It wouldn't scare me at all to make my début in the Primera División. I think I'm capable for the job and I want to start as soon as possible. Of course I don't yet have experience as coach, but I know the dressing room inside out."

The former Barcelona right winger thinks he would make a good duo with his ex-team mate Josep Guardiola: "He's a friend with whom I have shared a lot of time and many tough games."

Luis Enrique also repeated (read more here) that he would like to work with José Mourinho, who he knows from his time in Barcelona: "Name me one coach in the world who wouldn't like to work with José Mourinho, even without knowing him. And I do know him and have a good understanding with him."


Read more:
Luis Enrique would like to return
Mourinho preparing to take over
Luis Enrique did not send his cv

Luis Enrique would like to return

Asked about a possible return to Barcelona, former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (37), who has been rumoured to be a candidate to become an assistant coach if José Mourinho or Josep Guariola becomes the next Barcelona manager, told in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that he would love to be back one day: "Football is the sport I like the most, I'm in love with it. I was lucky to be a professional player and after that I have been out for a while, trying not to bother anyone. Lately I'm pronouncing more on football issues and my dream is to return to Barcelona one day."

Luis Enrique nevertheles doesn't want to push anything: "It should happen in a natural way. Things will happen when they have to happen. Time will tell, I'm not in a hurry. And if it doesn't happen, I'll just stay a Barcelona fan like I have been until now and enjoy watching the team play."

Read more:
Luis Enrique did not send his cv
Mourinho preparing to take over
Luis Enrique waiting for a call

Mourinho preparing to take over

Catalan radio station Ràdio Kanal Barcelona claims that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) has met yesterday with former Barcelona player Luis Enrique (37) in a restaurant in Madrid. The two would have talked about the current situation of the Barcelona team. Mourinho explained his view on the way the team should play and possible incoming and outward transfers were discussed. The radio station says that Luis Enrique will act as assistant to Mourinho next season (read more here).

pep's opinion:
cut the crap, sign them now

Luis Enrique did not send his cv

Asked about the rumours linking him with a possible return to Barcelona as an assistant to the possible next Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola (read more here), former Barcelona right winger Luis Enrique (37) said earlier this week in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE that he didn't want to act opportunistic and denied any contacts: "I'm just a spectator at this moment. And what I'm certainly not going to do is to offer myself or to apply for the job."

Luis Enrique, who has been a qualified coach for several years now, added that he hopes current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard will stay on for many more years to come and wins a lot of trophies.

The race to the bench: Guardiola takes Mourinho's pole (1)

This week there was a sudden and quite drastic turn-around in the race to next season's Barcelona bench. While former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) has been the top candidate since the beginning of this year, Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37) seems now to to have taken over his position.

Everything began after last Saturday's defeat against Betis Sevilla and the subsequent rumours about an early exit of current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45), with Guardiola then coming forward as the only possible emergency solution to replace Rijkaard until the end of the season (read more here and here). This scenario seems nevertheless history after the away win against Schalke 04 in the quarter finals of the Champions League.

But on Wednesday Guardiola turned from a possible temporary solution into a possible definitive solution when Catalan television station TV3 claimed that the Barcelona board would have decided not to go on with Rijkaard and that Barcelona president Joan Laporta had approved the proposal of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain to appoint Josep Guardiola as his successor. Guardiola would be assisted by his current assistent Tito Vilanova and by former Barcelona player Luis Enrique.

Only a few hours later, Barcelona took the very unusual initiative to release an official statement denying the rumour: "FC Barcelona denies categorically that the club would have decided to replace manager Frank Rijkaard next season. The Dutch coach has a contract until the year 2009 and the board of directors has total confidence in him."

What is very clear for most Barcelona insiders is that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is still holding on to Rijkaard. The president would like to finish his term with the manager he started with back in 2003 (read more here). If Barcelona would win the Champions League (or who knows, the Liga), there would be no doubt and Rijkaard would start in the summer his sixth season as Barcelona head coach.

(this is the first part of this contribution, the second part will be published tomorrow, the third part on Monday)

Luis Enrique waiting for a call

Asked about the rumour that he could become an assistant coach if José Mourinho (45) would become the next Barcelona manager (read more here), former Barcelona right winger Luis Enrique (37) told in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he hasn’t heard anything about the issue yet but that he certainly would consider such an offer: “To be able to return to Barcelona as assistant of José Mourinho would be something fantastic.”

Luis Enrique, who was playing for Barcelona when the former Chelsea manager was part of the technical staff between 1996 and 2000, had words of appraisal for the Portuguese: “You really have to make the difference between the Mourinho the fans got to know and the one I have known in the dressing room, where he was a great guy who contributed a lot to the mental strength of the team.”

Meeting with Mourinho (report)

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that last month there was a first face to face meeting between Barcelona representatives and former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (read more here). The Barcelona board would have agreed that, if the team doesn't win a major trophy this year, the Portuguese will replace coach Frank Rijkaard.

During the meeting that took place last January, Mourinho explained the main lines of his football project. He even handed Barcelona vice president Marc Ingla and sports director Txiki Begiristain a dvd that contained a more complete analysis and his view on the team and the players.

The issue of his assistant was also discussed. Barcelona thinks the first asistant should be someone who connects well with the squad. They prefer it would be someone who already knows the club. Mourinho agreed with that point of view. The three names that came on the table were Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola, former Barcelona player Luis Enrique and Eusebio Sacristán, who is now Rijkaard's second assistant.

Despite all the above, Mourinho will only join Barcelona if the team doesn't win the Champions League or the Liga this season. That may mean Mourinho will have to wait some months to know more about his future. The Portuguese accepted to take that risk, but nevertheless made clear that he wouldn't let an offer pass that would be on the same level as the Barcelona one. Mourinho already rejected offers from -amongst others- the English Football Federation, Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich and Valencia. He would now also be on the Liverpool list, although the biggest threat would be Inter Milan, who could push for Mourinho if they would be eliminated from the Champions League next week.