Cesc Fabregas and Xavi guide Barcelona to their 12th Copa Del Rey final. Leo Messi had a hand in both goals. Gol TV's inimitable Ray Hudson, "Messi, like a gazelle through the cheetahs" couldn't have said it better. They meet Athletic Bilbao in the final most likely on 25th May.

Tello scores goal in victory over Real Sociedad (Photo: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Lionel Messi scored one and assisted another as Barcelona successfully fought off their San Sebastian rivals in a freezing, sub-zero encounter at the Camp Nou.

Pep Guardiola rolled out the reserves for this one, choosing to rest key starters ahead of his team's Copa del Rey semi final clash with Valencia on Wednesday.

Welcome to a slightly late edition of La Liga Lunes (La Liga Monday!) Over the weekend, the Women's FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Homare Sawa met up with Barcelona maestro Xavi at the club's training ground. Her team, INAC Kobe from the Japanese Women's league, played a friendly against Barcelona's female squad (highlights below).

Valencia served a reminder of its proud heritage as a football team holding Barca and then denied Leo Messi a PK goal in the Copa Del Rey semi-finals first leg.

Jonas gave the home side the lead at the Mestalla but Carles Puyol who seems to have made a career scoring very important headers equalized for the Blaugrana.

Messi shows frustration in draw against Villarreal (Photo: REUTERS/Heino Kalis)

Barcelona saw their La Liga title aspirations take a serious hit after suffering a goalless draw against Villarreal at El Madrigal on Saturday night.

Another road game, another setback.

It has been the same story all year long; with Barca now having dropped 13 points in league play away from the Camp Nou this season.

Es la primera vez que un jugador de fútbol aparece en solitario en la portada de esta revista, de las mas importantes del mundo el TIME, ya han aparecido deportistas como Tiger Woods, Muhammad Alí, Bjön Borg o la super estrella Michael Jordan.

La revista estadounidense TIME ha elegido al jugador argentino del FC Barcelona Leo Messi como protagonista de su próxima portada.

Es la primera vez que un jugador de fútbol aparece en solitario en la portada de esta revista, de las mas importantes del mundo el TIME, ya han aparecido deportistas como Tiger Woods, Muhammad Alí, Bjön Borg o la super estrella Michael Jordan.

La revista estadounidense TIME ha elegido al jugador argentino del FC Barcelona Leo Messi como protagonista de su próxima portada.

If you're heading to the bookstore this weekend, look out for Leo Messi on the cover of the latest 'TIME' magazine (International Edition). When your face graces the cover of TIME, you f**king MADE IT! Unfortunately, the lovely Yanks don't seem to think a Messi cover is worthy of the USA edition.

Pedro celebrates goal that moves Barcelona through to next round of Copa (Photo: REUTERS/Albert Gea)

In a battle of titans, Barcelona held on to defeat Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate and eliminate the defending Champions from the Copa del Rey.

It was everything a clasico should be: a high-octane encounter of offensive brilliance and heart-stopping tension.

Welcome to the Friday Crackovia Club your weekly special on the best comedy sketch show from Spain! This week, watch as Mourinho instructs Pepe on how to make a correct 'Live TV' apology. It's a little stab at last week's Leo Messi hand-stepping saga which was followed by an emotionless apology from the defender.

26.01.2012 - Leo Messi llegó a la portada de la revista Time (edición Asia, no USA). En una bajada polémica y (por las dudas antimaradoneana) la editorial dice: "Es el mejor jugador del mundo y posiblemente de todos los tiempos. Entonces ¿por qué no lo quieren en la Argentina?

Two women. Two crucial football matches. One widescreen TV. One slightly dodgy internet feed. Copious amounts of white wine & fruit juice.

Ain't no party like a liver failure party and a liver failure party don't stop.

We thought that supplying the Kellys with all the equipment they demanded might compel them to produce full match reports of the Copa Del Rey quarter-final and the Carling Cup semi-final.

Today, Real Madrid played as it should have in the first leg. The first half began so brightly for Real with Gonzalo Higuain the main culprit for not finishing those chances. Gerard Pique was caught napping and the Argentinian striker should have done much, much better. Minutes later, Pinto was barely able to foil Higuain whose timing was less than impeccable.

Leo Messi scores his hat trick over the weekend. But this is not so much about his skills as sublime as they are but Ray Hudson's orgasmic Gol TV commentary that accompanies those goals. "Nothing less than the equivalent of a footballing bird of paradise. He is like Dr Spock, out off his Vulcan mind" .

El futbol como deporte de equipo siempre tendrá sus complicaciones al elegir al mejor jugador del mundo, de un equipo o hasta de un partido. El que tiene que lograr un resultado es el conjunto de futbolistas y no uno solo. Aunque por supuesto que en cada época hay uno que manda, que destaca por encima del resto por sus virtudes individuales para lograr que su equipo tenga los mayores éxitos.

Real Madrid defender Pepe has given a distinctly half-arsed apology to Barcelona's Lionel Messi for blatantly stamping on his hand during Wednesday night's El Clasico. The Portugal international said: "I wish to say yesterday's incident with Leo Messi was unintentional, but I nevertheless want to apologise to him if he was offended because all I [.

By Chris Wright

Hallelujah! Saint Pepe has apologised for crushing Lionel Messi's fingers on Wednesday night and guess what? He didn't mean it, honest guv...

Here it is again in good ol' fashioned 'written down' format for posterity's sake using the PA's translation:

"I wish to say yesterday's incident with Leo Messi was unintentional, but I nevertheless want to apologise to him if he was offended because all I do is defend my team and this institution.

Condemnation has been flying all over the media and internet for the acts of thuggery committed by Madrid players, especially their iconic defender Pepe. Pepe recently released a so called apology via Real Madrid official site. This is his official statement "I wish to say yesterday's incident with Leo Messi was unintentional, but I nevertheless want to apologise to him if he was offended because all I do is defend my team and this institution.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Facing media scrutiny and the possibility of disciplinary action, Pepe has issued an apology to Leo Messi.

Well, sort of.

A day after what appeared to be a deliberate step on Messi's hand in Real Madrid's 2-1 loss to Barcelona, Pepe told Real Madrid's website that it was an involuntary act.

Pep has issued an apology to Lionel Messi for stamping on his hand in last night's Copa del Rey tie.

"I wish to say yesterday's incident with Leo Messi was unintentional, but I neverteheless want to apologise to him if he was offended because all I do is defend my team and this institution.

Jose Mourinho's intentions were perfectly telegraphed as he consigned Mesut Oezil and Esteban Granero to anonymity. He started three holding midfielders with Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso, and Pepe in a deliberate park the bus tactics. The last mentioned was relocated to midfield from his usual centre back position with Sergio Ramos partnering Ricardo Carvalho.

I don't think they come lower than Pepe. Even animals have a sense of fair play. This man if you can call him that should be banned from the sport for life. Leo Messi goes down after colliding with Callejon and while he's down, Pepe strolls casually over and deliberately plants his studs on Messi's hand.

Cristiano Ronaldo put Real up in the 11th minute as he took advantage of the gaping hole between Jose Pinto's legs to swing the ball through after Karim Benzema sprang him free from midfield. That was it for Real's endeavours. Barca momentarily stunned took over the match keeping Iker Casillas busy.

Would anyone be opposed to a dawn execution for Pepe?

The first leg of the Copa del Rey saw Barcelona win (with goals by Puyol and Abidal, as expected) and Jose Mourinho likely lose the services of his molester-moustachioed defender through suspension, with Pepe seeing no card for what appears to be last segment a purposeful stamp on the hand of Leo Messi.

Yes, you're looking at the sticky note belonging to Jose Mourinho from Saturday's match between Real Madrid and Mallorca. Granted, his handwriting looks a little like your 7-year-old sister's when she's penning a poem about Prince Charming in a pink cape, but who cares?

Having celebrated Leo Messi's third consecutive Ballon d'Or Player of the Year award with short film, Adidas have now commissioned a stunning pair of Gold/White/Black F50 adiZero MiCoach football boots to mark the occasion.

Leo Messi's place at the pinnacle of world football was confirmed by his third consecutive Ballon d'Or, but he didn't do it alone. To celebrate his win, Leo has thanked everyone who has supported him in his career, from his ...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.epltalk.com to read the entire article

Lionel Messi won his third Ballon D'Or this week. To celebrate he will be donning a very special pair of boots for Barcelona's match against Real Betis this weekend. The customised adizero F50 boots have been produced in a celebratory gold colourway and feature the flag of Argentina, the years of Leo's Ballon d'Or successes [.

El argentino entro al olimpo de los Dioses del fútbol mundial, tres balones de oro en forma consecutiva.
En este vídeo agradece a sus fans con estas palabras:

Ganar el FIFA World Player es sin duda un gran honor.
Y lo más grande de recibir un premio así
es compartirlo con todos ustedes.

Welcome to Offbeat Wednesday, where it's all about the Football Gossip! Today, read about the Persies' short trip to Dubai, the ladies at the Ballon D'or, Irina Shayk's Birthday celebration and Sthefany Brito's latest ad campaign!

To kick things off, here's a delightful photo of Robin van Persie's family posing with the legend.

At this point only World Cup success eludes him. But Leo Messi has done enough to earn himself a place in the pantheon of the greats. He was awarded the trophy by O Fenomeno looking none the worse for wear for someone recently recovering from dengue fever.

Messi beat out Cristiano Ronaldo, the Liga's top scorer last season, and his Barca team mate Xavi.

Las clasificaciones siempre van a dar de que hablar, generan polemica, hasta las que hace la FIFA.
Por eso aquí están los 11 mejores jugadores del año según el máximo mandato en el futbol mundial. Fueron anunciados en la gala del dia de hoy.
Los futbolistas del Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso e Iker Casillas, no viajaron a Zúrich porque mañana enfrentan al Málaga por la Copa del Rey.

When it comes to flying first class in casual clothes, there were three distinct themes that a few Barcelona 'ballers and their WAGs abided by during the all important procession in front of the paps this morning.

Options for you to pick from are below, with the question being: which of these couples' looks best describes your own airport arrival style?

It's no surprise that Santos' Neymar voted for himself in the recent FIFPro Starting XI ballot form. He ranks up there with Edin Dzeko in terms of neat handwriting, but that's not really the point here, is it?! Neymar wants to play alongside both Ronaldo and Messi so even if he told Pep Guardiola to "take me to Barcelona" recently (sounds like a dramatic soap opera conjured up by the Spanish press, really) it could go either way.

Lionel Messi es el mejor jugador de la actualidad, ademas de que anota goles de todo tipo con el Barcelona tambien da asistencias para gol, esta temporada tiene 14 y aqui estan en solo 90 segundo de acción futbolera. Disfruta el futbol puro.

Los medios de comunicación se empeñan en confrontarlos, se empeñan en decirnos que son los mejores del mundo, no son los únicos, pero los mas espectaculares de nuestro tiempos,por eso aqui les damos esta nueva comparativa.
Los dos son delanteros, y juegan en los equipos con mayor rivalidad en el mundo, ¿Cuantos goles tendrán?

FC Barcelona World Champions (Photo: Getty Images)

Another scintillating performance by Leo Messi saw Barcelona dismantle Brazil's Santos 4-0 to claim the FIFA Club World Cup Championship.

Barca enter the record books as the only club to ever win the tournament twice, giving Pep Guardiola his 13th trophy since taking over at the helm in 2008.

By Chris Wright

The first two of our Christmas gift ideas were, admittedly, a little bit on the shonky side. Who in their right mind would want a Hannover 96 toaster for Christ's sake? Okay, I would but that's by the by.

This Yuletide pointer carries with it a smidge more prestige than our previous efforts, in so far as they're actually presents that the football fan in your life would most likely be cock-a-hoop at receiving on Jesus' big day.

szólj hozzá: Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona

There are fewer joys in the world than the spectacle of seeing Barca coming to the Santiago Bernabeu and beat the crap out of Jose Mourinho's brownshirts. Which they proceeded to do summarily in the first edition of this year's El Clasico.

Real is considered favorites to win La Liga and the Champions League this season but they need to solve the riddle that Barca poses them.

The current possession era of soccer, with goalscoring wingers and almost invisible false nine forwards, has placed a premium on passing stats and yawn yawn yawn. Okay, I wrote a soccer-based Cristiano and Leo comparison several months ago. Most of it still rings true. However, I decided to do some real detective work because I noticed an odd occurrence I've rarely seen Cristiano and Messi play at the exact same time.