Championship League Draw, Italy And Spain Ties

Barcelona the European champions will face Samuel Eto’o their past striker.  As they begin their defense of the title in Milan in the Champions League opening match next month.  The draw also matches AC Milan and Real Madrid, the nine time European champions in another Spanish against Italian clash with Kaka facing his previous club.  Eto’o moved out of Barca in the close season due to a swap deal of 66 million euros. 

The Cameroon forward got a score for Barcelona in the 2006 finals of the Champions League and only last May winning his third trophy and like his Swedish counter part, will try to put one against his previous team mates.  Joan Laportam Barcelona’s president told Italian Sky television that it will be very emotional to have Samuel Eto’o at the camp and Ibrahimovic at the Siro.  It is destiny.  The group is very complicated and we are proud of last year but now we have to dream and work hard.

A Change for Barcelona says Guardiola

Pep Guardiola the coach of Barcelona is offloading striker Sammuel Eto’o despite his last season showing of getting three major trophies. This is due to his feeling of change for the team. Eto’o was part of the team that won in Champions League and Copa del Rey last season. Barcelona is trying to swap with Inter Milan for the exchange of Cameroon striker and Alksander Hleb a midfielder to Italy for Zlatan Ibrahimovic a striker. Pep says, it’s just his feeling. They needed some things to change. It may be a mistake but he will have to take responsibility of the decision.

The season ended with Eto’o scoring 34 goals for Barcelona and included a Champions League final. Overall he got two champions League title and eight trophies for the team in five years. Guardiola is enthusiastic his team will move on after the last season, this was his first coaching year. He said, the second year is harder than the first. He has complete faith with the team and motivation should be the key for them to keep winning.

FC Barcelona Caps Perfect Season

The 2008 to 2009 season for the FC Barcelona has been a fairy tale season. The club now has the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League titles for the season. With the superb play of the team lead by Lionel Messi, now acclaimed as one of the finest players of the world, has been the catalyst for the success of the club this year. 

The La Liga title was all in hand by the latter quarter of the season. The Copa del Rey was also a runaway win for the FC Barcelona squad. The last one of the three titles was one filled with drama. The final protagonists had come neck and neck until the last game of the season, with FC Barcelona being able to catch up to the lead built by Manchester United. The game though was anticlimactic as the Spanish club had controlled the game all throughout, leaving the old guard of the Red Devils ending their season with a second place finish and game reels of the FC Barcelona team being awarded the Champions League Cup for 2008.

MLS Expansion for Barcelona at Miami to Be Nixed

FC Barcelona had earlier intended to be a major player in the emerging MLS market by putting up a team for Miami. Of all the bids that were submitted, the Barcelona-Miami bid was considered to be the most fiscally sound of all the expansion plans.

But the recent financial crisis has made such a move financially risky and with this Barcelona Director General Joan Olive has made moves to divest its interests in the planned expansion. Despite the desire to be part of the MLS, the current economic downturn has made the risks greater than the expected rewards thus forcing the hand of Bolivian American magnate Marcelo Claure to reassess his bid for the team. But the door to the expansion club side has not been entirely closed and if there is a change in the economy then another round of reviews would be in order.

FC Barcelona retains a thirty percent stake in the new organization which translates not to dollars and cents but actually the branding and sporting requirements of the team. This includes personnel, the coach and the players. The decision to award the franchise is still a long ways off and many say that this move is seen as a way to leverage the stiff $40 million fee for the expansion rights.

Manchester City Eyeing Eto’o

With its pockets lined with petroeuros, Manchester City is still in the hunt to land a big name to lead its team out of its doldrums. They had previously made offers to Kaka, Ronaldinho and David Villa and now they have set their sights on FC Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o with a price purchase of £20 million.

The Cameroonian now has the option to stay with his current club at reasonable rates with the makings of becoming a football dynasty not only in the Primera Liga but in other European club championships. This promises of great medals and championship runs, but then the other option is be in Manchester City and be whipping boys but with lots of dough.

But these are but rumours spun as the transfer window is closing soon and Manchester City is losing time and patience to land their star player. The clock is ticking and with players already refusing their offers to come to the Manchester City club, there is no sign of the let up in the club’s thirst for superstardom.

Barcelona Paves The Way In Spanish League

Barcelona paves the way in Spanish League with the trio to play trumps over Numancia 4-1 Saturday.
Messi scored with in the first 49 minutes of the game leaving Eto’o and Henry to each score in the game.
Real Madrid and Sevilla is not down on the table for the Spanish league as Barcelona takes a fifth teen point lead.
Sunday Madrid is looking to tighten up the lead to Barcelona against Deportivo La Coruna only giving a 12 point lead.
Even with the joy of winning and taking the lead Barcelona was sadden when high wind pick up destroying an sports center where four children died. Players of the game took a moment out before the game to pay respect for the loss.

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