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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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Liverpool are not expecting any fresh interest from Barcelona in Javier Mascherano in January.
Weekend reports suggested the midfielder's advisers had already negotiated personal terms with the Catalans in advance of a transfer fee being agreed with the Reds.
However, there has been no contact between the clubs since the summer when Barca were informed Mascherano was not for sale. Click to continue reading...

Javier Mascherano is set to leave Liverpool after his advisers agreed on personal terms with Barcelona to line up a move in January or the summer, according to a report.
The Argentinian midfielder is desperate to complete a switch to Camp Nou and now knows he can expect to earn around €120,000-a-week should he join the European champions, the Sunday Express states. Click to continue reading...

Lionel Messi continues to pick up awards left and right, as last night he recieved the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stefano, with Di Stefano himself along with Diego Maradonna presenting him with the award, to Leo's delight: "I'm prouder than ever to be beside Maradona and Di Stefano and very happy with what they have given me. Click to continue reading...

As he pauses a moment in the contemplation of why most of his goals are scored two at a time, Bojan wants everyone to excuse our lack of updates lately, and hopes that we can get things back on track during this international break! We'll have to do without the match report for Barca's 5-0 trumping of Cultural Leonesa, but here is the match-related aftermath. Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGE� We're not quite in the doldrums as far as Arsenal coverage goes ahead of the international weekend but we aren't far off, folks. But there are a few tales pertaining to the glorious Gunners to bring you not least of which is the Daily Mail's yarn that both Arsenal and Manchester United have both lodged an interest in signing Yaya Toure from Barcelona at the end of the season.

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AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

Pep Guardiola fielded a different looking lineup this evening at the Camp Nou against Cultural Leonesa in the second leg of the Copa del Rey. Barcelona was going into the match already up by two goals after routinely pushing aside Leonesa on their home pitch.

The starting front three of Pedro, Bojan and Jeffren put on display the teams younger talent.

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Unhappy midfielder could be interested in Barca exit.

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Manchester City captain Kolo Toure says he would like to see brother Yaya join him at Eastlands after admitting the Barcelona midfielder is unhappy at the Nou Camp.

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Spanish starlet Pedro's brace, Thierry Henry's first goal of the season and Lionel Messi's late penalty ensured FC Barcelona top spot in the Spanish La Liga for another week as they defeated Real Mallorca 4-2 at the Nou Camp on Saturday. Barca manager Pep Guardiola fielded a new look side following draws against Osasuna and Rubin [. Click to continue reading...

Look at that sweater. That is not a sweater that a sane man wears. Since taking over as manager at Barcelona, Pep has been something of a touchline fashion icon, but this...this is madness.

Look at it it's like he cut two different sweaters down the middle and sewed them together to form one headache-inducing schizophrenic bastardization of clashing designs.

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Russian champions Rubin Kazan ensured that they remain unbeaten against UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona over the two games played on opposite ends of the continent.

A goalless draw in overcast conditions in Central Stadium Kazan ensured that Rubin remain tied on points with the Catalans.

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Manchester United booked its passage to the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League in dramatic and somewhat embarrassing fashion. If a side like CSKA Moscow can come to Old Trafford and score goals in the manner they did, I don't think the Special One at Inter Milan or Barcelona's Pep Guardiola will be having sleepless nights worrying about United's threat to their title hopes.

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Siento la demora, pero entre tanta emoción por gritar 4 goles de Racing en un mismo partido, no me salían las palabras, además de sumar de a 3 luego de 10 partidos.
Y si, vine de España a visitar mi sobrino recien nacido y Racing ganó. La semana pasada le decía a los directivos de TM que me disculparan por mi ausencia sin aviso, lo que pasa que soy esos tipos cabuleros y bueno, sino que le pregunten al Coco o a Mostaza, ellos me entenderán seguro. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool star Javier Mascherano has denied suggestions his form has been affected by transfer rumours linking him with Barcelona.
Mascherano was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer with Pep Guardiola a big admirer of the defensive midfielder.
The Argentine international concedes he has not been at the top of his game so far this season, but he is adamant it has nothing to do with rumours over his future. Click to continue reading...

Argentine captain is focused on Anfield future.

Liverpool star Javier Mascherano has denied suggestions his form has been affected by transfer rumours linking him with Barcelona.

Mascherano was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer with Pep Guardiola a big admirer of the defensive midfielder.

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MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images

With a different looking lineup than Barcelona fans are accustomed to, Pep Guardiola and his men visited third divison side Cultural Leonesa. Today's lineup featured Bojan, Gai Assulin and Pedro upfront and early on the kids looked like they were going to have an easy time moving the ball around the Leonesa defense.

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Barca's defense of the Copa Del Rey title begins against third division club Cultural Leonesa. There's been talk that coach Pep Guardiola wouldn't be giving much importance to this competition in light of the tight match schedule, but Pep had something different to say at the pre-match press conference:
"We have the same motivation to win this competition as we had last year. Click to continue reading...

REUTERS/Felix Ordonez

It is expected that Thierry Henry will receive medical clearance this week and will be activated for Sundays league match up against Osasuna.

Henry has been sidelined for just over a month due to a hamstring injury but has been training with the team and looks to be close to match fitness.

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By Barca's high standards this year's CL performance has been shocking. A bare four points and tied with Dynamo Kyiv and Rubin Kazan at the half way mark in the group stage is not what Pep Guardiola and Xavi had in mind.

Xavi sounded a bit defensive, when he said that all the talk of an end of a cycle was nonsense and that the defeat against Rubin Kazan was unexpected.

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I know this is the hot topic at the water cooler, but I have to talk about this.� Barcelona lost a Champion's League match to an undermatched Rubin Kazan squad.� Now, it appears that Daniel Alves (their top-flite defender) will be out for as many as 3 weeks with some kind of thigh injury.

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REUTERS/Albert Gea

Late in the second half of yesterdays Champions League defeat against Rubin Kazan Dani Alves came up limp following a routine play. No contact was made with Alves but following a pass he hobbled and then went down. Guardiola immediately substituted Busquets in for the injured Alves.

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Big Story
Yesterday's stunning day of UEFA Champions League action is of course the focus of discussion today, with every game providing talking juicy points for the press.

The British press naturally focused on Liverpool after their home defeat to Lyon.

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Pep Guardiola cannot believe it either.

After a workmanlike 1-0 victory against Almería and a mediocre showing in their 0-0 draw at the Mestalla against Valencia CF on Saturday, FC Barcelona looked to reverse their form in the Champions League against a supposed weaker team in FK Rubin Kazan.

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Pep Guardiola downplays the defeat and says "it is hardly a clarion call."

Guardiola insisted his team played "well" and that Barça "had done everything to win", but stressed the accuracy of the Russians, a "home run in the opening minutes" and a counterattack, eventually gave victory to Rubin.

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Supongo que quizá si� habláramos� de una derrota del Barcelona� ante� el Real Madrid, el Sevilla o algún otro equipo, digamos, grande, no nos sorprenderíamos pese a lo bien que vienen jugando los blaugranas. Pero no; esta vez no fue así. El equipo de Catalunya perdió este martes en partido correspondiente a la Champions League con el Rubin Kazan de la Liga Rusa, y con esto perdió su chance de clasificarse esta fecha a octavos.

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[nanu bauzá]
Como pata femenina de LPND, va una visión hormonal y nada futbolística sobre estos hombres que juegan con el esférico. Si si, a mi me gusta el fútbol, me gusta verlo, comentarlo, analizarlo, pero ahora voy a dejar eso de lado.
Tengo que decir, primero, que como mujer futbolera no estoy mirando realmente a los tipos si son lindos o no cuando veo fútbol. Click to continue reading...

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan
Tuesday 20 October 2009, Camp Nou
UEFA Champions League
Kick-Off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Barcelona will be expected to take three points from this easy Champions League home game - while Valencia's performance would have given other teams in Spain hope that Barcelona can be beaten, Rubin Kazan aren't in the same class as Valencia and home advantage should nullify any hopes they might have had of causing an upset.

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En un fútbol como el que vivimos actualmente, tan mediático y comercializado, el efecto de los diferentes intereses inmiscuidos en el fútbol profesional puede llegar a influir hasta en donde menos podemos imaginar, en este caso en un jugador de élite como lo es Lionel Messi.

Una gran presión es la que está sufriendo actualmente el jugador argentino, por su desempeño con la selección de aquel país, aunque su desarrollo y formación profesional se dio en España.

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And we're back. Is it just me or did the internationals break feel a lot longer than two weeks? Anyway, club soccer was back in action this weekend, with several surprising results. How did that affect our rankings? Let's take a look:
1. Barcelona
Last ranking: 1
Record (wins-losses-ties, in all competition; two-leg match-ups count as one): 9-0-2
Results of note: Beat Shakhtar Donetsk (at the time ranked 14th) in overtime in the UEFA SuperCup, Aug. Click to continue reading...

REUTERS/Heino Kalis

The FIFA virus reared its ugly head on FC Barcelona in today's match against Valencia, with 11 of their players returning from international duty.

Pep Guardiola was without the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic today as he was on the bench but did not see his way into the match still recovering from injury.

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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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Ignoring the rumour and speculation that has been floating around this week, Mark Bowen has been discussing the return of Robinho and warned that he faces a fight for his place:

"He's a naturally-fit guy who doesn't carry a lot of weight, so once he's back training with the group it doesn't take him much time to be right.

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Let the speculation begin.

Fulham Vs Manchester City Tickets Still Available!

Manchester City forward Robinho has heard nothing official regarding Barcelona's latest reported interest in him but would relish the chance to play for the European champions.

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Ancora una stoccata alla ex squadra. L'ennesimo messaggio agrodolce, spedito dalla Spagna all'Inter, da Zlatan Ibrahimovic, è di qualche ora fa. E crediamo che non far� piacere a Mourinho, nè a patron Moratti che tanto ha dato (in denaro e in popolarit� ) alo svedese che, ora, è uno dei tanti nella squadra catalana di Pep Guardiola. Click to continue reading...

Morning Insiders, really slow news week this week. We have picked a few bits out of todays papers.

The Sun -� Barcelona eye move for Eboue� BARCELONA are said to be weighing up a January move for Arsenal full-back Emmanuel Eboue.

The Daily Mirror - Arsene Wenger on collision course over Theo Walcott� � Stuart Pearce is willing to risk the wrath of Arsene Wenger again by playing Theo Walcott in the England Under-21s tonight and then putting him on a plane to join the seniors in Ukraine.

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