The Portuguese team set off on a bizarre "parade" all around Lisbon yesterday to mark their final training session before official preparations for the tournament begin. However, in the spotlight again is on our old friend, Cristiano Ronaldo, who apparently snubbed a group of waiting fans outside a restaurant after dinner on Wednesday.

As you all know the club ceremoniously unveiled the new Barca Jersey for the season 2012-13 in grand fashion some days earlier. Catalan based media, especially Sport.es went over board with the jersey claiming that "the blue and dark red bands don't have any limits ... like Messi's talent" in the cartoon corner.

Chelsea isn't known as a team that parks the bus. The prevailing images of the London side all involve swagger and aggression, with high energy in midfield and Didier Drogba bullying defenders. Many of the players in this year's side set the Premiership scoring record in their last championship-winning season.

FIN DE UNA ERA

"Ni nos drogamos, ni nos tiramos, ni compramos a los árbitros": Piqué.

Qué manera de tocar, de moverse, de marear al rival, de presionar, de recuperar, uno tras otro, es impresionante.

Da lo mismo si se enfrenta al más débil, al más odiado, al más grande o al campeón de la liga más poderosa del mundo.

Barcelona's hero on the pitch is undoubtedly Lionel Messi but former coach Josep Guardiola leaves behind a winning legacy punctuated by 14 titles in just four seasons. Guardiola's stint at the helm has witnessed a number of remarkable achievements, particularly winning the Champions League on two occasions.

By Chris Wright

Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 (both sets of fans Catalan and Basque booed the Spanish national anthem) to win the Copa Del Rey in Pep's final game in charge last night, with Lionel Messi scoring his 73rd goal of the season sandwiched between a brace from Pedro all inside the first 25 minutes.

By Chris Wright

Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 (both sets of fans Catalan and Basque booed the Spanish national anthem) to win the Copa Del Rey in Pep's final game in charge last night, with Lionel Messi scoring his 73rd goal of the season sandwiched between a brace from Pedro all inside the first 25 minutes.

Barcelona ended the 2011-12 season with a comfortable win over Athletic Bilbao to lift the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) trophy. The match was the last for Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who is leaving the position. It's likely Guardiola will manage again but probably in another league and not for several seasons.

So, it's time for the last part of my mammoth season review. Have a look round the site, and you'll find parts I, II, III, where I graded the defence, midfield and attack. Now it's time to grade the season as a whole.
***
I suppose this season was fundamentally one where we met lowered expectations.

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona 0-3 Highlights Copa del Rey 2012 Final Goals Pedro Messi Video Kings Cup Score is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona 0-3 Highlights Copa del Rey 2012 Final Goals Pedro Messi Video Kings Cup Score is a post from Soccer Blogger.

Siempre las presentaciones de los uniformes son polémicas, en este caso el Barcelona causa controversia con su segundo uniforme en esta ocasión es naranja ,anteriormente con colores muy llamativos y chillones esta ocasión no fue la excepción.
El FC Barcelona presentó el nuevo diseño de su uniforme, el cual utilizará para la temporada 2012-13.

By Chris Wright

Here we go folks, the new Barcelona strips for 2012/13 and it's no wonder Pep got out when he did, these things are not retina-friendly, with the home kit featuring that 'blaugrana colour fuse' detail that we saw in the early mock-ups and the away kit being a blazing orangey-yellow thing an homage to 'Barca's effervescent style of play' the 'city's mix of culture, architecture, style and art'.

By Chris Wright

Here we go folks, the new Barcelona strips for 2012/13 and it's no wonder Pep got out when he did, these things are not retina-friendly, with the home kit featuring that 'blaugrana colour fuse' detail that we saw in the early mock-ups and the away kit being a blazing orangey-yellow thing an homage to 'Barca's effervescent style of play' the 'city's mix of culture, architecture, style and art'.

FC Barcelona New Kits 2012/13- Nike Barca Jersey 2012-2013 Home & Away is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

FC Barcelona New Kits 2012/13- Nike Barca Jersey 2012-2013 Home & Away is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Spanish giants FC Barcelona have unveiled their new 2012/13 kits and kit makers Nike have gone for some radical changes in the new Barca jerseys.

Luis Suarez has reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool and rejected suggestions he has spoken to either Barcelona or Real Madrid regarding a summer transfer.
The 25-year-old was the club's top scorer last term, but the Reds' failure to qualify for Champions League football for a third season in succession has seen Suarez linked with a move away from Anfield.

******.

Anyway, Chelsea are victorious after dodging a thousand Barcelona and Bayern Munich shots and springing the odd random goal JUST when it was needed. Assuming that Roman Abramovich hasn't bought his way into God's great control booth in the sky, this is good old fashioned luck and good old fashioned defending.

******.

Anyway, Chelsea are victorious after dodging a thousand Barcelona and Bayern Munich shots and springing the odd random goal JUST when it was needed. Assuming that Roman Abramovich hasn't bought his way into God's great control booth in the sky, this is good old fashioned luck and good old fashioned defending.

Barcelona defender Dani Alves has broken his collarbone in training and will miss the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on May 25.

A statement on the Barcelona web site said:

During this Wednesday's training session, Dani Alves suffered a broken collarbone and after initial treatment it was decided by the Club's medical services that he will be operated on this evening at the Hospital de Barcelona by Doctor Carles Torrens.

Iker Casillas, Real's captain and MC took over centre stage as Sergio Ramos played his understudy. Pipita, CR7, Pepe, Marcelo, and Esteban Granero chipped in with their thoughts as Karim Benzema, Mesut Oezil, and the rest of the non-Spanish speaking contingent skulked around the corners.

All sorts of records were set in Real's title winning season.

Dear Ashley,

Wise words, my friend. You're right, so right, I shouldn't get worked up.

I paid proper attention to that comment in my last piece, because it was all getting out of hand, what with the tension of the last day of the season. I ate lunch during half-time of the Villa game and as the minutes passed, I felt like I'd be physically sick, such was my frustration at not scoring and fear that we would come away with nothing.

Pep Guardiola Over-Reliance On Lionel Messi Hurt Barcelona - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

What is there left to say, or write? Though I won't be as harsh as Jose I will also refrain from championing Pep Guardiola the best in the business. He did exceptionally well but let me ask you a question:

How is it possible to not win a title when you can call upon the talents of say Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi?

Barcelona's squad contains a number of talented individuals such as Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas as well as the world's best player in recent years Lionel Messi; however, this season the Spanish league title went to a deserving club: Real Madrid.

There are several reasons as to why Los Blancos triumphed in La Liga following Barca's recent domination on both the domestic and European fronts.

Lionel Messi scored all four goals in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Espanyol because, well, that's just what he does. His fourth goal marked his 50th La Liga goal of the season and 72nd in all competitions -- a new record, surpassing the 70 Archie Stark scored for Bethlehem Steel in 1924/25.

After putting away the penalty, Messi jogged over to outgoing manager Pep Guardiola to give him a hug, which quickly became a team embrace.

Maharashtra, India's second largest tabloid came oh-so-close to announcing the winners of La Liga correctly just two whole days after the title was sealed. They have the picture of Real Madrid's squad in there perfectly and, well, Barcelona did win the last three titles in a row. But, they didn't win this season, so the "Barca are La Liga Champs" headline is only wrong if you care about things like "what actually happened.

Last month, Johan Cruyff turned 65. As the famous saying goes: "you don't stop playing because you get old... You get old because you stop playing..." Well, "Jopie" is still playing. At Ajax, Barca and at Chivas. He's working with his Foundation, in his University and in the meantime shows [read more]

By Chris Wright

"Toss me, but don't tell the Elves!"

Mission accomplished: It's been pretty much done and dusted for a week or two now, but Real Madrid assured their 32nd La Liga title and their first in four years with a win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames last night.

A hat trick from Barca star Lionel Messi took the Argentine's tally for the season to 68 goals one more than Gerd Muller's all time record of 67 set in the 1972/1973 season while playing for Bayern Munich.

Having failed o score in the Clasico against some two weeks ago and in their Champions League defeat to Chelsea, Messi has scored 5 goals in his last two matches to re-write the history books.

That was as surreal as it was exceptional. A match of such class, such splendor, that many of us, including one Fernando Torres, were likely wondering who this team was that we were watching. As I asked via Twitter after 20 sensational first-half minutes had resulted in a trio of fine goals:

Is this real life?

STARTERS
ESPN will roll out ESPNFC this week to co-incide with their coverage of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. Read all about it right here.
dN
Has Thierry Henry's jet-set lifestyle caught up with him? He badly damaged a hamstring on Saturday just a few days after traveling to Europe and back earlier in the week, for the second time in a month.

Image via elpais.com.

When this man got within feet of Francesco Totti, he chose to scream in his face.

This was not the wackiest thing that happened across the European leagues this weekend, which tells you everything you need to know about this time of year.

EPL

A phenomenal display from Fernando yesterday.

By Chris Wright

Barca walloped Vallecano 0-7 in La Liga last night, but Captain Carles wasn't best pleased with the over-exuberant goal celebration that followed the fifth moving swiftly to break up Thiago and Dani Alves as they staged a dumb dance to celebrate the former's header.

Arsenal will miss out on snaring Pep Guardiola as a new manager because he will take over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. That is the belief of former Gunners midfielder Ray Parlour, who accepts that Guardiola's footballing philosophy he and Arsenal have been cited as a good fit by supporters and pundits alike makes him an ideal candidate for the position should Wenger leave or "move upstairs".

Real Madrid and Barcelona returned to their winning ways on Sunday after a torrid week which saw them both exist the Champions League. Real Madrid were 3-0 winners over Sevilla at the Bernabeu while Barca thrashed Rayo Vallecano 7-0 to keep their slim title hopes alive.

Madrid's win keeps them only one game away from their first League title in 5 years!

Barcelona' captain, Carles Puyol, can't really hide his disappointment with Pep Guardiola's decision not to continue coaching the Catalan next season, but the captain remain confident with his team's future without Guardiola because they have a trustworthy replacement.

Puyol revealed his utmost trust towards Barca's new tactician next season, Tito Vilanova, who the captain believes is the perfect man to continue the Blaurgrana's legacy.

foto por by Granit Selmani

"Apretaros el cinturón que nos la pasaremos bien" fueron parte de las primeras palabras que dio Josep Guardiola a la afición culé. Y no dijo ninguna mentira. Avivó el barcelonismo como nunca con esta generación de jugadores irrepetible, cómo el mismo la llama, que en cuatro años ha competido hasta el final en todos los torneos que ha disputado siendo títulos la mayoría o sub-campeonatos o semifinales los restantes, excepto uno donde quedaron en cuartos de final de la Copa del Rey.

Sometimes it is much easier to watch football when you have no stake in the game. With Manchester United exiting Europe this season in glorious mediocrity about 400 months ago, all the European matches since have been really good fun. And they have all built up quite beautifully indeed to semi-final week; so beautifully in fact that you worry if the finals themselves will be slightly anti-climactic compared to these games.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger understands Pep Guardiola's decision to step away from football after a highly successful four-year spell at Barcelona but has revealed that he wished for the 41-year old to stay put after the Catalan club's most difficult season during his reign.

Guardiola led Barca to three consecutive La Liga titles as well as two Champions League triumphs before falling short in both competitions this year.

Pep Guardiola leaving Barcelona- Catalans confirm Tito Vilanova as new Barca manager is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Pep Guardiola leaving Barcelona- Catalans confirm Tito Vilanova as new Barca manager is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will be leaving the Blaugrana at the end of the current 2011/2012 season.

Pep Guardiola is suffering a burn out

This has been a hard season for Barcelona when you think of how they have reshaped the sport. At the forefront of it all is their former number four who took the coaching reins in 2008. In four years, Pep Guardiola transformed this team into an unmistakable presence.

Just as it was predicted my many Spanish media, Pep Guardiola has officially confirmed his resignation from Barcelona which will be active by the end of this season, stating the reason was because of tiredness.

In place of the successful coach, Barca have also announced that Guardiola's current assistant, Tito Vilanova, will take the job next summer, ending several speculation from the media that linked the Catalan with Marcelo Bielsa and Andre Villas-Boas.