Just Barcelona News

After surviving a real scare in the Champions League, the Barcelona players are looking forward to having the coach Tito Vilanova back in charge for the quarter-final stage. There has been speculation that the team have missed the coach and his absence was part of the reason for the poor recent form.

It was bound to have an effect, and the players are relieved as much as happy that they were able to produce a fantastic comeback against AC Milan. In La Liga, Tito’s absence has not really been a big factor, because the players know their opposition well and have been like a runaway train, but the European games are different, as are Clasico encounters with Real Madrid.   .....Read more here.......

Barcelona are already 16 points ahead of their great rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Primera Liga. Even with 12 games left after tomorrow’s Clasico, there is very little chance of Barcelona losing the Spanish title this season. Jordi Roura and his players will be desperate for a good result at the Bernabeu, though, to banish the painful memories of the recent defeats by Madrid and AC Milan.   .....Read more here.......

Games between Barcelona and Real Madrid are always highly charged affairs, and tonight’s encounter at the Camp Nou is likely to be no different. With a place in the final of the Spanish cup at stake, and the tie precariously balanced at 1-1 from the Bernabeu, the outcome is hugely important. The referee will have a tough job tonight, and his performance could have a big impact on the outcome, but the stand in coach of Barca, Jordi Roura, is not convinced that the man selected is up to the job.   .....Read more here.......

Eric Abidal has not played for Barcelona since early last year, and for a while it looked like he never would again. The French international had already recovered from surgery to remove a tumour on his liver and he came back to help his team win the Champions league against Manchester United. When the cancer returned and he had to have a liver transplant, donated by his cousin, many people thought he would be lucky to live a vaguely normal life, nevermind play football at the top level.   .....Read more here.......

I know it seems like Lionel Messi has broken every goal scoring record that there is, but he still has a few to get. When Barcelona travel to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid tomorrow, for the first leg of the Copa Del Rey Clasico semi-final, the little magician will be looking to put his name to at least two more records tomorrow.

One of those records is purely personal, and that will soon be the only records available to the Argentinean forward. As it stands, the Bernabeu and the Vicente Calderon stadium of Athletico Madrid are equal top for Messi in away goals, he has scored eight in each of them. Obviously, if he hits the net tomorrow, the ground of Real Madrid will be his favourite, especially if we win.   .....Read more here.......

Tito Vilanova is facing big decisions as coach of FC Barcelona at the moment. He has got an away game against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday followed by the home game in the Champions league against Glasgow Celtic. With numerous injuries, late returns from international duty and a champions league suspension for Busquets, Vilanova is having to do some juggling to cope.

Busquets is fit and can play against Deportivo on Saturday, which is just as well because Alex Song has been delayed in Cameroon due to his documents being stolen, apparently. He is likely to cover Busquets in the midfield against Celtic on Tuesday, as long as he is in Spain.   .....Read more here.......

It is easy to forget that Jose Mourinho spent the formative years of his football career as a manager at FC Barcelona. He worked under Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal before going to Benfica for his first managerial post. The Special One, however, does not seem to have any special feelings for the club and has definitely not adopted the philosophy of the club, according to Spanish international midfielder Xavi.

“Mourinho wants to win at all costs, and demands respect but he will never work at Barcelona.

“I remember him at Barcelona and he did not understand our game.”   .....Read more here.......

Can Pepe really believe what he says? Is he so delusional that he thinks that he thinks that Iniesta, Messi and the other Barcelona players are what he calls “theatre people” and that him and his Real Madrid team mates are hard done to.

He was referring to the clash during Sunday’s Clasico where it looked like Pepe stood on the foot of Iniesta for a penalty which was not given. Replays showed it was just inches outside the box, but it was still a foul. It is not the first time that Pepe has got away with fouls, some of them bordering on assault, against Barcelona.   .....Read more here.......