Second place Barcelona face a tough fixture tonight when they host third place Valencia at the
Nou Camp. The leagues top scorer Lionel Messi who has scored 19 goals so far will be up against
David Villa who is not to far off behind with 16 goals to his name. It will not only be a battle
for the all important 3 points, but also for league supremacy as a Barcelona win coupled with a
defeat or draw for Madrid at Valladolid will propel the Catalans back to the summit of La Liga.
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There are no easy games in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. However Pep Guardiola and
his staff had to be happy with how the draw turned out for Barcelona.
If the group stage was any indication this matchup may be harder than it appears. VfB Stuttgart
has won six of their last seven matches in the Bundesliga and are a very confident side at the
moment.
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The long wait is over and the Round of 16 of the Champions League is about to begin. Going into
the next two weeks of play, a few players will have to wait a little longer due to some recent
injuries.
Chelsea
Ashley Cole was given a blow as he suffered a fractured ankle in Chelsea's defeat against
Everton midweek.
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If Pep Guardiola needed more worries regarding his decimated backline, Éric Abidal was just piling
on. Leg pain during the Blaugrana training session and somewhere Stuttgart are starting to feel a
touch braver.
During a special training session at Reus, Abidal felt discomfort in his leg and was excused from
training.
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If Pep Guardiola needed more worries regarding his decimated backline, Éric Abidal was just piling
on. Leg pain during the Blaugrana training session and somewhere Stuttgart are starting to feel a
touch braver.
During a special training session at Reus, Abidal felt discomfort in his leg and was excused from
training.
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El
Barcelona se proclama campeón de invierno a falta de una jornada para
finalizar la primera vuelta del campeonato. El equipo azulgrana no ha perdido ningún partido de
Liga y eso le hace alzarse con este premio honorÃfico. Y qué bien que sabe después de superar
por 4-0 a nuestro verdugo en Copa del Rey, el Sevilla.
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It was a lot harder than many people expected, but Barcelona finally defeated Club Estudiantes
de La Plata 2-1 to win the FIFA Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi.
With a minute to go in regulation time Barcelona were trailing 1-0, and it took super sub Pedro
RodrÃguez to rescue Barca and send the game into overtime where the World's best plater Lionel
Messi scored the winner.
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SoccerLens 18 December @ 11:42 AM EDT
This might not be your first read on this topic but I just felt like giving an input on this
very badly. There are rumors of Manchester City to go after Carlos Puyol and Eric Abidal of
Barcelona. I don't see this happening clearly. In my view, Abidal is pretty settled in Barca and
Barca are pretty settled with Abidal.
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Footy Factor 09 December @ 12:17 PM EDT
2010 is on the horizon and it's safe to say that it's been a wonderful decade for football. We
here at Footy Factor have taken the opportunity to celebrate the greatest teams, players, and
matches of the past 10 years. Â Our next award is...
Team of the Decade
Winner:Â Barcelona 2008-09.
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While Lionel Messi captured the Ballon d'Or as expected, France Football also named its Ballon
d'Or Best XI, a collection of the best talent in the world and a team that would be a fun one to
watch.
Here is the team chosen as Europe's Best XI:
---------------------Samuel Eto'o-----------------------
Cristiano Ronaldo------------------------Lionel Messi
-----------Kaka------------------Steven Gerrard-------
----------------------Xavi------Iniesta--------------------
Nemanja Vidic--------John Terry----------------Maicon
-------------------------Iker Casillas----------------------
Obviously it isn't a practical lineup, what with no defensive midfielder and a set of defenders
that wouldn't quite work as a unit.
Click to continue reading...
While Lionel Messi captured the Ballon d'Or as expected, France Football also named its Ballon
d'Or Best XI, a collection of the best talent in the world and a team that would be a fun one to
watch.
Here is the team chosen as Europe's Best XI:
---------------------Samuel Eto'o-----------------------
Cristiano Ronaldo------------------------Lionel Messi
-----------Kaka------------------Steven Gerrard-------
----------------------Xavi------Iniesta--------------------
Nemanja Vidic--------John Terry----------------Maicon
-------------------------Iker Casillas----------------------
Obviously it isn't a practical lineup, what with no defensive midfielder and a set of defenders
that wouldn't quite work as a unit.
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Not to dwell on the play-off saga any longer, but I missed this story about
Domenech fighting with Bixente Lizarazu(former Bordeaux, Bayern,
Marseille and France defender) on the French National Radio minutes after beating Ireland. If you
can't understand the video, this article should help you understand what is going on.
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Barcaloco 27 November @ 03:35 AM EDT
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
On Wednesday FC Barcelona defender Eric Abidal signed a one year extension with the team.
Abidal's previous contract ended in 2011 with a buyout clause of 90 million euros. The buyout
clause on the French international will remain at 90 million with the next contract.
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Barcelista 26 November @ 07:04 PM EDT
- Signed: Eric Abidal's brand new contract with the club. His time on Barca has been extended till
2012 with a buy-out clause of ninety million - that's right, don't anybody even think of trying to
lure him away, he's all ours.
- Agreed: Yet-to-be-penned new deal for Andres Iniesta. He's pulling a Messi, looking to sign an
extension that goes all the way to 2015; and at two hundred million euros, his buy-out clause isn't
too far from Leo's either.
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Barcelona vs. Internazionale
If the beginning of this season has taught us anything it is that the Champions of Europe are
only human after all. In their last four matches, Barcelona have only one win and three draws, a
poor record for last year's treble winners.
It does not get any easier as they face Internazionale at the Camp Nou.
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Barcaloco 23 November @ 08:53 PM EDT
Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola announced today that the decision as to whether or not Lionel Messi will be
available for Tuesday's very important Champions League matchup against Inter Milan will be made
just before kickoff.
Messi suffered a leg injury in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao and was substituted
in the 75th minute of the match.
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Barcelista 21 November @ 01:03 PM EDT
Oh dear - Barca boys Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure have been diagnosed with H1N1, more commonly known
as swine flu. The club's medical staff are doing everything they can by way of treatment as well as
prevention for the other players; but other reports suggest that Rafael Marquez may have already
caught it.
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Barcaloco 21 November @ 11:31 AM EDT
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
The H1N1 virus is taking its toll on FC Barcelona with both Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure out of
commission after contracting the virus.
You can now add Rafa Marquez to that list, though test results have not yet been confirmed, but
the Mexican defender is displaying all the common symptoms.
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The congestion of international, domestic and cup competitions is beginning to show as the
injury lists grow longer. Several top stars will be missing from the Matchday 5 stage. Let's take a
look at how this might impact the results and standings.
Eric Abidal D Barcelona
The 30-year-old suffered a thigh injury on international duty with France and will miss games
against Athletic Club Bilbao at the weekend, Internazionale on Tuesday, and their massive derby
with Real Madrid five days later.
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Thierry Henry has backed calls for a replay of the Ireland-Italy World Cup playoff he helped
decide with his now infamous handball, even though FIFA has already rejected a request for a
replay.
"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who
definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.
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Thierry Henry has backed calls for a replay of the Ireland-Italy World Cup playoff he helped
decide with his now infamous handball, even though FIFA has already rejected a request for a
replay.
"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who
definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.
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Barcaloco 20 November @ 10:35 AM EDT
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images
Ahead of Barcelona's match against Athletic Club Bilbao the team was handed another blow going
into a very important week for the team. Eric Abidal was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus also known
as "swine flu" on top of already being sidelined for up to three weeks with a leg injury.
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First thing: If you're catching the game on delay on Setanta, DON'T read the comments. I broke
down and forked over my $19.99 to Setanta to watch the game live, so I will be leaving updates
there.
And if you have a working illicit stream, please leave that in the comments as well. It looks
like there will be multiple options.
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Looking for a miracle.
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Stuff/Features!
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni is unlikely to make any changes for
Wednesday's World Cup play-off second leg against France in Paris.
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Footy Factor 17 November @ 10:31 AM EDT
Saturday's demoralizing one-nil home loss to France in the first leg of their World
Cup play-off sees the Republic of Ireland facing an uphill task to reach next summer's
showpiece. As French fans start booking their flights to South Africa, the Irish faithful are left
praying for a miracle.
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Barcaloco 16 November @ 11:23 PM EDT
FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
Barcelona received the bad news that they were dreading today regarding defender Eric Abidal.
Team doctors confirmed the left leg injury that Abidal suffered in France's World Cup playoff match
against Ireland.
The injury comes at a very bad time with the matches coming up in the next week against Inter
Milan and Real Madrid.
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Â
A header goal from Haris Seferovic proved to be the difference as the Switzerland Under-17
national team defeated Nigeria, 1-0, in the Under-17 World Cup Final on Sunday in Nigeria.
The Swiss capped an undefeated tournament with it latest impressive victory, knocking off the
defending champions and heavily favored Nigerians in the final.
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Â
A header goal from Haris Seferovic proved to be the difference as the Switzerland Under-17
national team defeated Nigeria, 1-0, in the Under-17 World Cup Final on Sunday in Nigeria.
The Swiss capped an undefeated tournament with it latest impressive victory, knocking off the
defending champions and heavily favored Nigerians in the final.
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Let battle commence.
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Stuff/Features!
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has delayed finalising his team for
Saturday's World Cup play-off first leg against France at Croke Park.
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France's do-or-die match against Ireland is just around the corner, with the first match taking
place on November 14th in Ireland and the second taking place on the 18th at the Stade de France
(boo...). I don't know about you guys, but I'll be praying extra hard that France don't screw up
against a tough Irish team.
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Footy Factor 16 October @ 06:48 AM EDT
The January transfer season began in earnest this week with rumors flying that Manchester
City and Barcelona were working on a deal involving Robinho. But chalk it
up to pure speculation because this transfer doesn't make sense for either club. Here are three
reasons why:
Barcelona Can't Come Up with the Cash: Manchester
City would want to recoup their £32.
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Will his luck hold?
Second place it is then. After a long and winding qualifying campaign Giovanni Trappatoni and
his Irish team did what was expected of them and finished as runners up in Group Eight behind
Italy. Suddenly the dark days of the Staunton era seem like a lifetime ago. Although certain
notables are still absent from the international setup our wily Italian boss has done what was
asked of him by his paymasters at the FAI.
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Mark Hughes looks to balance attack heavy squad by bringing in experienced defenders in
potential swap deal.
Fulham Vs Manchester City Tickets Still Available!
The Manchester City hierarchy are holding talks in Abu Dhabi this week in a rare
face-to-face management meeting as the club hone their ambitious plans on and off the
pitch.
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This is it. For all the marbles. The group of players that will (absolutely positively will) get
us at least to the UEFA playoffs for a World Cup slot.
Only "nouveau" is Nicolas Douchez from Rennes. (And FOUR goalkeepers? Have
Lloris and Mandanda not impressed Domenech enough to guarantee their spots for next summer?
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Barcaloco 07 September @ 09:26 PM EDT
AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani
According to Sport.es the Los Angeles Galaxy are interested in finding a replacement
for David Beckham if he does what is expected and leaves the team for AC Milan. The Galaxy in their
quest to have a high profile player on their roster to attract fan support are looking at both FC
Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez and forward Thierry Henry.
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Barcelista 06 September @ 01:12 PM EDT
Hola Geri, what's the joke? We don't know what it is that's making Gerard Pique laugh like that
during training, but we'd be laughing too if we had just scored a goal like his last night. And
he's not the only Barca boy who scored for his NT...
- With all four Barca players who were called up to Spain (Pique, Puyol, Xavi, Busquets) starting
their country's match against Belgium, Gerard Pique scored the third goal as Spain went on to win
5-0.
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 France coach Raymond Domenech, selected his squad for two vital World Cup qualifiers against
Romania and Serbia. Â Goalkeepers: Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux) Hugo Lloris (Lyon) Steve Mandanda
(Marseille) Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona) Gael Clichy (Arsenal) Julien Escude (Sevilla FC)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United) Rod Fanni (Rennes) William Gallas (Arsenal) Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla FC) Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal) Alou Diarra (Bordeaux) Lassana
Diarra (Real Madrid) Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux) Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon) Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Frank [.
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Barcelona President Joan Laporta has resisted the urge to repeat his unfortunate comments from the
summer ‘06. And for good reason. After winning the double in the '05-06 campaign, Laporta boldly
predicted that Barça would go on to win six titles the following season. Instead, the Blaugrana
went on a 2-year title drought that effectively ended Frank Rijkaard's tenure at the Camp Nou.
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New! Shocking! Amazing! Unusual!
Except not really.
Clichy and Diaby are back from injury. Vieira is not called up. Remy merited a recall. Other
than that...
No new players on the list for the WC qualifiers against Romania and Serbia. Domenech is
obviously assuming that the old guard can get the new job done.
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FC Barcelona vs. Seattle Sounders FC August 05, 2009 Qwest Field, Seattle, WA Scoring Summary: FCB
Lionel Messi 1 (Xavi Hernandez 1, Eric Abidal 1) 21 FCB Lionel Messi 2 (Xavi Hernandez 1, Thierry
Henry 2) 41 FCB Jeffren Suarez 1 (Pedro Rodriguez ) 75 FCB Pedro Rodriguez 1 (unassisted) 89 FC
Barcelona Jose Manuel [.
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