-> FC Barcelona thread

[*Limbo*]

Today in Barcelona!


lol Dinho looks like a rapper here

haha thats jokes
he looks like hes havin fun lol
might be a good rapper u never know lol

[cristianofan4eva_]

[robinho_#1]

hahaha i love ronaldhino  he makes me laugh, his sunglasses in the fifth picture   

[*Limbo*]

yeah lol!!
I would love to hear him rap but he might be more of a samba guy

exactly
but i love the way he dances
it just makes me wanna get up as well lol

[Lucky*7*]

Messi said hes hopeful he will play in the final but doctors are saying otherwise

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aww man im so upset i want him to play in the final but i dint want him to risk it
is he gonna be able to play in the wc

[cristianofan4eva_]

Larsson and Bergkamp say goodbye
   
The Champions Leagu Final will be the final match for the duo. It is a title neither have won and their first final. For Larsson it would be his first European medal, while Bergkamp already has enjoyed success in the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup. 
 
 
 
  Henrik Larsson and Dennis Bergkamp will both say goodbye to their current clubs when they appear in the Champions League Final next week. While the Barça striker is returning to Sweden, the Arsenal forward has decided to retire.


The duo have been stars of the game for many years and the names Larsson and Bergkamp conjure up images of glorious European nights and superb goals as both players have been shining examples to players everywhere. The two stars have enjoyed incredible careers and playing the final in Paris is a fitting send-off, but they both have one target in mind; lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time.

Bowing out

Larsson, a striker that Barça fans were all keen to see join the club in 2004, has announced his decision to leave FC Barcelona this summer and return to his native Sweden at the age of 35 to play the final eayrs of his career with his first club, Helsingborgs. Celebrating his 37th birthday on Wednesday, Bergkamp will play in his final match for Arsenal in the final after spending 11 season at Highbury.

Larsson: The goal machine

The Sweden international is a player that has always had an eye for goal and has scored wherever he has played. With Feyenoord, Celtic (where he netted 176 goals in 222 games) and with FC Barcelona. This Larsson has made 39 appearance for the Blaugrana (27 in the league, nine in the Champions League and three in the Copa del Rey) and scored 15 goals.

Fear of flying

A legendary figure in Holland and at Highbury, Bergkamp is second top goalscorer for the Dutch national team with 37 goals in 79 appearances. Patrick Kluivert is the top scorer. At the age of 12 he began in the Ajax youth system and worked his way up before making his debut for the first team aged 17. He then joined Inter in 1995, but it has been at Arsenal where he has played his best football.

Like Larsson, Bergkamp is famous for being cool in front of goal and also for his fear of flying. After the World Cup in the United States in 1994, he chose never to fly again. It has affected his playing in career in some way, but he will drive to Paris to ensure that he does not miss the final.

Trophy haul

Between them, Larsson and Bergkamp have won 21 titles. Larsson has won six league championships (four with Celtic and two with Barça) and four national cups (two with Feyenoord and two with Celtic) and the Spanish Supercup with Barça. Bergkamp has won three league titles (all with Arsenal), three FA Cups (all with Arsenal), the Community Shield (with Arsenal), the European Cup Winners' Cup (with Ajax) and the UEFA Cup twice (once with Ajax and once with Inter).
 

[*Limbo*]

ah man i dont want larsson to leave hes been so good for the club itll be sad to see him go
but i hope he wins it so that he can have a wikked last game

[Brennie]

2 players i respect alot!!!

[Brennie]

Rijkaard has Paris on his mind

With the league title decided, even Frank Rijkaard accepts that this Saturday's match is not enormously important. Barcelona inevitably have Paris more on their minds than Seville.


Even Frank Rijkaard, who has always maintained that "the next game is the most important" has changed his tune this week. The Dutchman admits that all he is really wants to do in Seville is "present a good image of ourselves. Inevitably we are thinking more about the final in Paris." That is obviously why his squad does not include several regular first teamers and features four reserve team players.

Rijkaard also considers that it will be a great moment to "offer Sevilla a guard of honour for recently winning the UEFA Cup".

Consented decision

Rijkaard explains that he has missed Samuel Eto'o out of the squad by "mutual agreement. He asked me what I thought about it, and I said I would rather avoid risks and save him for Paris, and he agreed and respected my decision". The Cameroonian will therefore miss out on a valuable opportunity to consolidate his lead in the hunt for the leading goalscorer trophy.

For the same reason, he has missed out Ludovic Giuly, who "was injured in game just before the Champions League final when he played for Monaco. But just because he is staying in Barcelona does not mean he will be starting against Arsenal".

Getting ready for the final

Frank claims to be "99 per cent sure what team I will start with in the final, but there are no special plans going into the game. As ever, we will start getting ready two or three days before using the information we get from our analysts. The most important thing is for the group to work hard, and cope with the increasingly greater tension as the day of the final gets closer".

But despite insisting that the team needs to remain focused, Rijkaard has no objection to the players going to the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. "They are free to do what they like in their free time" he says. "As long as they use their common sense".

As for Leo Messi, who is still not over his injury, the coach has commented that although he is not counting out the chances of him appearing in the Paris final, that it is looking very unlikely at the moment.

He will rest: Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Deco, Puyol, Márquez, Edmílson, Gio and Giuly. Good decision! but I will miss them today  =/

[Brennie]

So far:
2-2 Sevilla - FC Barcelona!

Great goal by Sylvinho!

[Lucky*7*]

SEVILLA SEE OFF CHAMPS
Sevilla's hopes of playing Champions League football next season are very much alive as they made it a successful week on both domestic and European fronts with a victory over champions Barcelona.

The Andalucians, fresh from their midweek 4-0 mauling of Middlesbrough in the final of the UEFA Cup, drew level on points with fourth-placed Osasuna as Kepa Blanco's second-half goal proved the difference between the two sides.

Sevilla had forged into a two-goal lead thanks to goals by Daniel Alves and Carrion Aitor Ocio, the latter coming from the penalty spot.

But Barca, who were reduced to 10 men in injury time because of Gabri's sending-off, restored parity before the break when Santiago Ezquerro and Sylvinho scored in the space of a minute.

Kepa's 76th-minute header ended up settling the contest although Sevilla are still behind Osasuna as a result of the latter's better head-to-head record.

The fourth and final Champions League place will be decided on Tuesday, when Osasuna play Valencia and Sevilla clash with Real Madrid.

Both teams fielded shadow sides for the game, Sevilla as a result of their midweek exertions, Barca in readiness for their Champions League final against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Barca created a number of chances in the early stages but first Ezquerro volleyed over the bar in the fifth minute following an exquisite ball from Thiago Motta and six minutes later, Maxi Lopez shot straight at Andres Palop having exchanged a perfect one-two with Henrik Larsson.

Ezquerro dribbled an effort wide in the 19th minute before Sevilla came back into the contest and scored twice in the space of two minutes.

Alves, who has been linked with a possible summer move to the Nou Camp, broke the deadlock after 22 minutes when he looped a dipping 25-yard effort over stand-in goalkeeper Albert Jorquera.

The lead was doubled in the 25th minute in controversial fashion.

Juliano Belletti was adjudged to have tripped Antonio Puerta in the area even though the Brazilian seemed to have executed a perfect tackle.

Sevilla were not complaining though and Ocio crashed home the resulting penalty with some style high down the middle.

Barca fought back manfully and were level by the time they went into the interval.

Ezquerro was picked out by a cross from Belletti in the 41st minute and the former Atletico Madrid player turned his header into the right-hand corner of the net to halve his side's deficit.

And the visitors were level 60 seconds later although that goal was also open to debate.

Left-back Sylvinho's outrageous shot from way out on the left wing looked to have been clawed away at the near post by Palop, but the referee - with the help of his assistant - adjudged the ball to have crossed the line before it rebounded out off the post.

The second half was a tight affair and there were few clear-cut opportunities created.

Lopez made the most of a series of lucky ricochets in the 51st minute to pounce on a free ball but his attempted exquisite back-flick did not come off as it dribbled into the hands of Palop.

Kepa thought he had put Sevilla back in front five minutes later when he volleyed home Renato's cross from the right but the Brazilian supplier was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up.

Kepa was not to be denied and he scored the winner by heading home a right-wing corner from substitute Jose Luis Marti from the central edge of the six-yard box.

Fredi Kanoute headed wide in the 87th minute as Sevilla threatened to extend their cushion before the night ended on a sour note for Barca when Gabri was red-carded for dissent.

[Lucky*7*]

I saw my Beloved MR Laporta today. He looks even more of a slime ball in real life.

[Emma7]

I saw my Beloved MR Laporta today. He looks even more of a slime ball in real life.

joan laporta? where you see him?

[Lucky*7*]

I saw my Beloved MR Laporta today. He looks even more of a slime ball in real life.

joan laporta? where you see him?

I went to the Catalunya grand prix to see Fernando Alonso and he was there. Being as slimey as ever. Fernando blanked him when he tried to shake his hand in the car.