Ex-Barça: RIP Sir Bobby Robson (1933-2009)

Former Barcelona manager and sports director Sir Bobby Robson passed away today at the age of 76.

A statement issued on behalf of his family reads: "It is with great sadness that it has been announced today that Sir Bobby Robson has lost his long and courageous battle with cancer. He died very peacefully this morning at his home in County Durham with his wife and family beside him.

Sir Bobby's funeral will be private and for family members only. A thanksgiving service in celebration of Sir Bobby's life will be held at a later date for his many friends and colleagues. Lady Robson and the family would very much appreciate it if their privacy could be respected at this difficult time."

Robson joined Barcelona in the summer of 1996, arriving from Portuguese club Porto. After one year as head coach, he was replaced by Louis van Gaal and became sports director. In 1998, he left Barcelona for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. As manager of Barcelona, Sir Bobby Robson won the Spanish super cup in 1996, the Spanish cup in 1997 and the European Cup Winner's cup in 1997.

May he rest in peace.

Barcelona interested in PSV player Afellay

Barcelona sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is interested in PSV Eindhoven midfielder and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay (23).

The Moroccan born player is reportedly on a target list of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain. Barcelona would have excellent scouting reports on Afellay, drawn up by former Barcelona players Ronald Koeman and Marc Overmars.

Read more:
PSV's Afellay is on the list


Watch a video of Afellay here:

Transfer history: Guus Hiddink (PSV Eindhoven)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said at a press conference that Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink (52) was one of the candidates to become the new Barcelona head coach in the summer of 2003:

"I've always liked Guus Hiddink for his attitude and his way of being. I remember that, when he was the manager of Valencia, he ordered to withdraw a nazi flag with a swastika sign from the stands.

It's a coach of the Dutch school and a lover of total football. We've always liked him. When we were negotiating with Rijkaard, Hiddink was coaching the national team of South Corea (note: this is not correct, he was the manager of PSV Eindhoven in 2003) and he was one of our options if Rijkaard would have said no."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that Hiddink was actually the preferred option of the new board that came to power after the elections of 2003. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and then Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell would have met twice with Hiddink but the Dutchman asked a too high salary. And with Ajax asking a fee to let Ronald Koeman go, it was in the end Frank Rijkaard who was appointed as new Barcelona manager.

Hiddink, who had joined PSV in 2002, stayed with the Dutch club until the summer of 2006, combining the job during his last season with coaching the Australian national team. After the World Cup in Germany, Hiddink became the coach of the Russian national team.

Read more:
Transfer history: Ferguson (Manchester United)
Chelsea will try to sign Alves this summer
Transfer history: Cristian Karembeu (Sampdoria)

Gudjohnsen has no intention to leave

Asked about the continuous rumours over the past years linking him with an exit, Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (30), whose contract expires in 2010, has said in an interview with football site Goal that at this moment he has no intention to leave the club:

"I am a lot more confident this season and I am playing more games. Last summer I spoke to Guardiola and he told me that he wanted me to stay and that gave me confidence, and now I am playing better this year. I do not officially know if I have played more games, but I am enjoying my time this season a lot more.

I really like the city and being here so I am happy. I know that every year things are said, but I have not wanted to leave Barcelona. I think it is normal in football for there to be stories, but with Guardiola coming in and telling me he wanted me that was a big thing.

I would nevertheless love to play at PSV Eindhoven again. I think it is a really good club and I was treated very well during my time there. Maybe I do not have the best memories, given that I was injured a lot, but I learned a lot at the club. But I do not want to go back now of course, because I am playing for Barcelona and I want to stay here and win things."

Read more:
PSV interested in Gudjohnsen
Barcelona plans few changes in the summer
Everton interested in Gudjohnsen

Ex-Barça: Ronaldo without a club

Because Italian club AC Milan decided not to renew his contract and the centre forward still didn't find another club, former Barcelona player Ronaldo (31) is at this moment still available on a free transfer.

Ronaldo, who is nowadays recovering from a knee injury in Brazil, has been linked to several interested clubs in the past weeks but no deal has been closed.

Arriving from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1996, Ronaldo played one season for Barcelona. After renewal negotiations failed, the Brazilian striker left in 1997 for Italian club Inter Milan.

With Barcelona, Ronaldo won one Spanish super cup in 1996, one Spanish cup in 1997 and one European cup winner's cup in 1997

Read more:

Ex-Barça: Rivaldo to Bunyodkor

Ex-Barça: Gerard without a club

Ex-Barça: Patrick Kluivert to AZ Alkmaar

PSV interested in Gudjohnsen

Dutch sports weekly paper Sportweek claims that PSV Eindhoven is interested in Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (29).

The Dutch champions are still looking for a centre forward and Gudhohnsen would be one of the four candidates on the list.

Although it is believed that Gudjohnsen can leave Barcelona if a good offer comes in, it doesn't seem likely that PSV can satisfy the financial demands of both Barcelona and the player.

Gudjohnsen, whose contract with barcelona expires in 2010, played already for PSV Eindhoven from 1995 to 1997.

Read more:

Gudjohnsen will probably stay

Portsmouth favourites to sign Gudjohnsen

Paris Saint-Germain not interested in Gudjohnsen

PSV's Afellay is on the list

Catalan sportspaper Sport claims that Barcelona is following PSV Eindhoven midfielder and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay (22).

The Dutch player of Moroccan descent, who plays for the senior team of PSV since he was 17 years old, is another candidate to strengthen Barcelona's midfield next season.

Read more:
Gomes offered to Barcelona
Ben Arfa could be left wing back-up
Ex-Barça: Phillip Cocu

Looking for a goal keeper

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is looking to bring in a goal keeper who should put pressure on current first choice goal keeper Víctor Valdés (26) (read more here).

With substitute goal keeper Albert Jorquera (29) not expected to return before July, with the loan deal of Celta Vigo loan out José Manuel Pinto (32) not being made permanent and with a qualification round for the Champions League coming up, Barcelona doesn't want to take any risk.

Barcelona would have good scouting reports on a number of goal keepers amongst which Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04 - 22), Hugo Lloris (Nice - 21), Dudu Aouate (Deportivo La Coruña - 30) and Diego Alves (Almería - 22). Heurelho Gomes (PSV Eindhoven - 27) and Sébastien Frey (Fiorentina - 28) would have been offered.

Nicolás Lozano, journalist of Mexican sports site Medio Tiempo, claims that Club América goal keeper Guillermo Ochoa (22 - picture) could come to Barcelona because Rafael Márquez and Giovani dos Santos will leave: "And Barcelona needs a Mexican player in the squad because of marketing purposes."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that nothing will change: Valdés stays the number one with Jorquera as his back-up, Pinto will return to Celta and no new goal keeper will be brought in.

Read more:

Villareal's Diego Lopez to rival Valdes

How things stand: Goal keeper

Pinto wants to stay

Ex-Barça: Romario retires

He has don it before, but this time it could be for real. At the presentation earlier this week of a dvd compilation with almost all the goals he scored during his career, former Barcelona forward Romário de Souza Faria (42) announced the end of his career as a professional football player:

"It's officially over. My time is up. I don't have the physical condition anymore. Now it's up to the others. I've done everthing that I wanted in football. I'm happy with all the things I've done, with the shirts I have worn and the trophies I have won."

Romário played his last game last year with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. During his career, the striker played for clubs in Brazil (Vasco da Gama, Flamengo and Fluminense), the Netherlands (PSV Eindhoven), Spain (Barcelona and Valencia), Qatar (Al-Sadd), the United States (Miami) and Australia (Adelaide).

In 1994, Romário won the World Cup in the United States with the Brazilian national team and was awarded the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball. At the end of that year, he was chosen FIFA World Player of the Year.

Arriving from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1993, Romário played one and a half season for Barcelona. Due to disciplinary problems, "O Baixinho" (the little one) left for Flamengo in January of the year 1995. Romário won the Spanish league title with Barcelona in 1994, becoming that same season the top goalscorer in the Liga with 30 goals. In the same year, he won the Spanish Super Cup with the team.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Ronald de Boer
Ex-Barça: Llorenç Serra Ferrer
Ex-Barça: Phillip Cocu

Read all ex-Barça stories here.

Ex-Barça: Phillip Cocu to Dutch national team

The Dutch football association KNVB has officially announced today that former Barcelona player Philipp Cocu (37) will act for the next two years as assistant to future Dutch national team coach Bert Van Marwijk, who will succeed current manager Marco Van Basten after the Euro 2008 and will have to qualify the team for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Cocu is currently playing his last months as an active player with United Arab Emirates club Al-Jazira. Cocu will combine his new job with coaching a PSV Eindhoven youth team.

Philipp Cocu came to Barcelona from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup in France in 1998. In his first season he won the Spanish league title. Cocu played six seasons for Barcelona, mainly as centre midfielder or central defender. The Dutchman was all that time a regular and even made it to the captaincy. In the summer of 2004, Cocu did not accept a contract renewal offer by Barcelona and decided to return to PSV. Philipp Cocu holds the record of appearances for FC Barcelona as foreign player.

(read more ex-Barça stories here)