F.C. Barcelona - Regaining former glory!

[JulianBere]

F.C. Barcelona

CLUB INFO

CLUB FULL NAME: Fútbol Club Barcelona
NICKNAME(S): Blaugrana
FOUNDED: 29 November, 1899
OWNER/CHAIRMAN: Joan Laporta

LEAGUE INFO
LEAGUE: La Liga
PREVIOUS POSITION: 3rd (2007-2008)
# of TEAMS: 20

STAFF
MANAGER: Julian Berezovsky (Argentina)
ASSISTANT: George Junior (Brazil)
DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL: Robbie Cocker (Canada)
SCOUT: Hugo Gatti (Argentina)

RIVALS
Real Madrid
Espanyol

KITS

--- Home Kit ---









--- Away Kit ---









STADIUM












Stadium - CAMP NOU
UEFA - 5 Stars

LOCATION - Barcelona, Spain.
OPENED - September 24, 1957
CAPACITY - 98,772
__________________

Club History
(If you don't want to read all of it, look through the bolded parts which I took at least 30 minutes or so to go through, plus the hour or so of modifying all the writing)

1899-1908
December 22, 1899, Joan Gamper placed an advert in newspaper, Los Deportes. Foot-ball Club Barcelona was born. A positive response resulted in a meeting at the Gimnasio Solé on November 29. Eleven players attended: Walter Wild, Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terradas, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons and William Parsons.Foot-Ball Club Barcelona quickly emerged as one of the leading clubsCatalonia of both , and Spain, competing in both the Campeonato de Cataluña and the Copa del Rey. In 1902, the club won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya, and also played in the first Copa del Rey final, losing 2-1 to Club Vizcaya.


1908-1923
In 1908 Joan Gamper became club president for the first time. Gamper took over the presidency as the club was on the verge of folding. The club had not won anything since the Campeonato de Cataluña of 1905 and its finances suffered as a result.
On March 14, 1909, FC Barcelona moved into the Carrer Indústria, a stadium with a capacity of 8,000. Gamper also launched a campaign to recruit more club members and by 1922 the club had over 10,000. This led to the club moving again, this time to Las Cortes, which inaugurated in the same year. This stadium had an initial capacity of 22,000, later expanded to an impressive 60,000.
Gamper also recruited Paulino Alcántara, the club's all time top-scorer with 356 goals, and in 1917 appointed Jack Greenwell as manager. This saw the club's fortunes begin to improve on the field. During the Gamper era, FC Barcelona won eleven Campeonato de Cataluña, six Copa del Rey and four Coupe de Pyrenées and enjoyed its first "golden age." The Barça team under Greenwall also included Sagi-Barba, Ricardo Zamora, Josep Samitier, Félix Sesúmaga and Franz Platko.


1923-1939

In the middle of the glorious 1920s, Barça suffered from non-sporting conflicts which were to mark the following decade. On 14 June 1925, the crowd at a game in homage to the Orfeó Català jeered the Royal March, a spontaneous reaction against Primo de Rivera's dictatorship. As a reprisal the ground closed, while Gamper was forced to give up the presidency of the club. In 1928, the victory in the Spanish Cup against Real Sociedad was celebrated with a poem titled “Oda a Platko”, which was written by the important member of the Generation of 27, Rafael Alberti, inspired by the heroic performance of the Barça keeper.


On July 30, 1930, the club's founder, Joan Gamper, after a period of depression brought on by personal and money problems committed suicide.


Although they continued to have players of the standing of Josep Escolà, the club now entered a period of decline, in which political conflict overshadowed sport throughout society. Barça faced a crisis on three fronts: financial, social, with the number of members dropping constantly, and sporting, where although the team won the Campionat de Catalunya in 1930-34, 36' and 38', success at Spanish level (with the exception of the 1937 disputed title) evaded them.
A month after the civil war began, Barça's left-wing president Josep Sunyol was murdered by Francisco Franco's soldiers near to Guadalajara. In the summer of 1937, the squad was on a tour in Mexico and USA in which it was received as an ambassador of the fighting Second Spanish Republic. That travel proved to be the financial saving of the club and also resulted in half the team seeking exile in Mexico and France. On 16 March 1938, the fascists dropped a bomb on the club's social club and caused big damages. A few months later, Barcelona was under fascist occupation and as a symbol of the 'undisciplined' Catalanism. The club, now down to just 3,486 members, was facing a number of serious problems.


1939-1974
After the Spanish Civil War, the Catalan language and flag were banned and football clubs were prohibited from using non-Spanish names. These measures led to the club having its name forcibly changed to Club de Fútbol Barcelona and the removal of the Catalan flag from the club shield. During the Franco dictatorship one of the few places that Catalan could be spoken freely was within the club's stadium.
In 1943, at Les Corts, for the first leg of the semi-finals of the Copa del Generalísimo against Real Madrid, the result was a 3-0 win for Barça. Before the second leg, Barcelona's players had a changing room visitFranco's director of state security from. He 'reminded' them that they were only playing due to the 'generosity of the regime'. Madrid side won that game 11-1.
Despite the difficult political situation, CF Barcelona enjoyed considerable success during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945, with Josep Samitier as coach and players like César, Ramallets and Velasco, they won La Liga for first time since 1929. They added two more titles in 1948 and 1949. In 1949 they also won the first Copa Latina.
Coach Fernando Daucik and Ladislao Kubala, regarded by many as the club's best ever player, inspired the team to five different trophiesLa Liga including , the Copa del Generalísimo, the Copa Latina, the Copa Eva Duarte and the Copa Martini Rossi in 1952. In 1953 they helped the club win La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo again. The club also won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1957 and the Fairs Cup in 1958.
With Helenio Herrera as coach, a young Luis Suárez, the European Footballer of the Year in 1960, and two influential Hungarians recommended by Kubala, Sándor Kocsis and Zoltán Czibor, the team won another national double in 1959 and a La Liga/Fairs Cup double in 1960. In 1961 they became the first club to beat Real Madrid in a European Cup eliminatory, thus ending their monopoly of the competition. To little avail, anyway- they lost 3-2 to Benfica in the final.
The 1960s were less successful for the club, with Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid monopolising La Liga. The completion of the Camp Nou, finished in 1957, meant the club had little money to spend on new players. However the decade also saw the emergence of Josep Fusté and Carles Rexach and the club winning the Copa del Generalísimo in 1963 and the Fairs Cup in 1966. Barça restored some pride by beating Real Madrid 1-0 in the 1968 Copa del Generalísimo final at the Bernabéu. The club changed its official name back to Futbol Club Barcelona in 1974.


1974-1978
The 1973/74 season saw the arrival, as player, of a new Barça legend – Johan Cruyff. Already an established player with Ajax, Cruyff quickly won over the Barça fans when he told the European press he chose Barça over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Franco. He further endeared himself when he chose a Catalan name, Jordi, for his son. He helped the club win La Liga for the first time since 1960, along the way defeating Real Madrid 5-0 at the Bernabéu. He was also crowned European Footballer of the Year in his first year at the club.


1978-2000
Josep Lluís Núñez was elected president of FC Barcelona in 1978. His main objectives were to establish Barça as a world-class sports club and to give the club financial stability. Besides, in 1979 and 1982 the club won two of four European Cup Winners' Cups won in the Núñez era.
In June 1982 Diego Maradona was signed for a world record fee from Boca Juniors. In the following season, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona in an unforgettable final won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid. However Diego's time with Barça was short-lived and he soon left for Napoli. At the start of the 1984/85 season, Terry Venables was hired as manager and he won La Liga with stellar displays by German midfielder Bernd Schuster. The next season, he took the team to their second European Cup final, only to lose on penalties to Steaua Bucureşti during a dramatic evening in Seville.
After the 1986 World Cup, English top scorer Gary Lineker was signed along with goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta but the team could not achieve success while Schuster was excluded from the team. Terry Venables was subsequently fired at the beginning of the 1987/88 season and replaced with Luis Aragonés. That season finished with a rebellion of the players against president Núñez known as the Motín del Hesperia and the 1-0 victory at the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.
In 1988 Johan Cruyff returned to the club as manager and assembled the so-called Dream Team. He introduced players like Josep Guardiola, José Mari Bakero, Txiki Beguiristáin, Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, Gheorghe Hagi, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário and Hristo Stoichkov.
Under Cruyff's guidance, Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994. They beat Sampdoria in both the 1989 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1992 European Cup final. They also won a Copa del Rey in 1990, the European Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopa de España. With 11 trophies, Cruijff became the club's most successful manager to date. He also became the club's longest serving manager. However, in his final two seasons, he failed to win any trophies and fell out with president Núñez, resulting in Cruijff's departure.
Cruijff was briefly replaced by Bobby Robson who took charge of the club for a single season in 1996/97. He is quoted as saying, "Catalonia is a country and FC Barcelona is their army". He recruited Ronaldo from his previous club, PSV Eindhoven and delivered a cup treble winning the Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and the Supercopa de España. Despite his success, Robson was only ever seen as a short-term solution while the club waited for Louis van Gaal to become available.
Like Maradona, Ronaldo only stayed a short time and he left for Inter Milan. However, new heroes such as Luís Figo, Giovanni Silva de Oliveira, Luis Enrique Martínez and Rivaldo emerged and the team won a Copa del Rey/La Liga double in 1998. In 1999 the club celebrated its 'centenari' winning the Primera División title and Rivaldo became the fourth Barça player to be awarded European Footballer of the Year. Despite this domestic success, the failure to emulate Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League led to van Gaal and Núñez resigning in 2000.


2000-2003

The departures of Núñez and Van Gaal were nothing compared to that of Luís Figo. As well as club vice-captain, Figo had become a cult hero and was considered by Catalans to be one of their own. So the Barça fans were distraught by Figo’s decision to join arch-rivals Real Madrid and during subsequent visits to the Camp Nou Figo was given an extremely hostile reception, including one occasion when a piglet's head was thrown at him from the crowd. The next three years saw the club in decline and managers came and went. President Gaspart did not inspire confidence off the field either and in 2003 he and Van Gaal resigned.


2003-Present


After the disappointment of the Gaspart era, the combination of a new young president Joan Laporta and a young new manager, former Dutch and AC Milan star Frank Rijkaard, saw the club bounce back. On the field, an influx international players, including Ronaldinho, Deco, Samuel Eto'o, Rafael Márquez, Lionel Messi, combined with a nucleus of home grown and Spanish players such as Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Víctor Valdés led to the club's return to success.
Barça won La Liga and the Supercopa de España in 2004–05, and stars Ronaldinho and Eto'o were voted first and third in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
In 2005–06 Barcelona repeated their league and Supercup successes. The pinnacle of the league season arrived at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in a 3–0 victory over Real Madrid, Frank Rijkaard's second victory at the Bernabeu, making him the first Barça manager to win there twice. Ronaldinho's performance was so impressive that after his second, and Barça's third goal the Real Madrid fans felt compelled to applaud him. In the Champions' League Barça beat English club Arsenal 2–1 in the final.
Despite being the favourites and starting strongly, Barcelona finished the 2006-07 season trophyless. There was open feuding as Eto'o publicly criticized coach Frank Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho also admitted that lack of fitness affected his form. Barça advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, winning the first leg against Getafe 5-2, but then lost the second leg 4-0. They took part in the FIFA Club World Cup 2006, but were beaten in the final by a late goal against Internacional. In the Champions League Barça were knocked out of the competition in the last 16 by eventual runners-up Liverpool on away goals.
In the2007-08 season, Barcelona again struggled, and weren't even able to finish in the top two of the Primera División. The season was marred with injuries to key players such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Leo Messi, and Yaya Touré. Despite a lack of league form, the team fared well in the cup competitions. Benefitting from favourable draws in the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona ousted less-fancied teams such as Rangers FC, Celtic FC and Schalke 04, before losing to eventual champions Manchester United 1-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Barcelona also managed to get to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, where they once again lost to the eventual champions (Valencia CF).




It was announced that Julian Berezovsky would take over Frank Rijkaard's duties after June 30. It marked the end of an era for the club, and high-profile departures of key players were expected in the summer.


(The history was copied from Wikipedia, but heavily modified)

[JulianBere]

La Liga
2008-2009 season
Live League Table
Updated Regularly

Team - Points - Wins - Loses - Draws - Goal Difference

Athletic Bilbao - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +2
Real Betis - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +2
Sevilla - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +2
Valencia - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +2
Espanyol - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +1
Osasuna - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +1
Vallalolid - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - +1
Atletico Madrid - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Getafe - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Deportivo - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Sporting Gijon - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Real Madrid - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Villareal - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Recreativo - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - -1
Barcelona - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - -1
Mallorca - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - -1
Numancia - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - -2
Racing Santander - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - -2
Almeria - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - -2
Malaga - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0- -2

[JulianBere]

FC Barcelona - SQUAD

Updated Regularly





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Goalkeepers
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Victor Valdes
Overall 83
Age 27
Price $5,800,000



Story:
Víctor Valdés joined Barca as a youngster on 1st July 1992, from Peña Cinco Copas.
In September of the same year he moved with his family to Tenerife and didn't rejoin the club until three years later.
After quickly proving his worth with the youth teams and Barca B, the club coaches decided that the 2002-2003 season was to be Valdés time to form part of the first team squad. At first, he alternated appearances with Roberto Bonano but finished the season as regular first choice under Radomir Antic.
He consolidated his place as in the starting line-up in the 2003-04 season. He played most of Barca's matches that season and put in some excellent performances, helping the team to finish as runners-up.
In the 2005-06 season Valdés was one of the key players in Barça’s double of the League and the Champions League. Especially memorable are the crucial saves he made in the final in Paris as Barça won its second ever Champions League.
In the 2006-07 season Valdés remained a fixture in the Barça goal and played in all 38 League games. In the 2007-08 campaign he only stood down in the last three games to give José Manuel Pinto a chance to make his first team debut. All this time Valdés has been improving and is now one of the players who has played most games between the sticks for the club.

CHARACTERISTICS
One of the things that needed to be worked on after the first season, namely coming off his line, started to pick up in his second campaign with the first team. He is now a keeper of proven quality and has a great deal of experience in spite of his relative youth.


HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Individual Awards
2004/05 Spanish League Zamora

Club Situation:
It is believed that under new manager Julian Berezovsky, his first team future is not secure.

Jose Manuel Pinto
Overall 75
Age 33
Price $1,600,000



Story:
Born in Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) on November 15, 1975, Pinto start his professional career in Andalucia. After spending three seasons with Real Betis's B side, he moved up to the first team and made his debut for the club during the 1997/98 campaign. A year later he agreed to move to Celta Vigo, where would spend the next decade before leaving to go to Camp Nou.
After being replaced by Toni Prats at Betis, Pinto opted to join Celta and it was there that he found stability and was awarded the captain's armband. He went on to play 126 games in la Primera, 56 matches in la Segunda A as well as appearing in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup regularly with the club. As well as helping the side to qualify for the Champions League in 2003/04, Pinto won the Zamora Trophy as the best keeper in the league in 2005/06.
That year, Pinto conceded just 28 goals in 37 league matches (an average of 0.75 per game) and helped guide the team to sixth place in the top flight and into the UEFA Cup. The season before had seen Víctor Valdés win the Zamora.
When playing for Celta in the Second Division, FC Barcelona bought him in the January transfer window as cover for Albert Jorquera, sidelined with a long-term knee injury. He came on loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season, during which he made his League debut away at Deportivo and then played in two more matches.

PROFILE
Pinto is a strong goalkeeper, standing at 1.85m tall and weighing 82kg. His height and agility make him powerful in the air and he also has very quick reflexes to help him make a quick-reaction save when required. It is those reflexes that also make him a superb shot-stopper from close range, but he is not easy to beat from distance either.

HONOURS

Celta de Vigo
2001/02 Copa del Rey Runner-Up

Individual Awards
2005/06 Spanish League Zamora

Club Situation:
It is believed that under new manager Julian Berezovsky, his FC Barcelona future is murky.

Albert Jorquera
Overall 70
Age 29
Price $400,000





Story:
Jorquera joined the youth ranks of Barça on 2nd November 1994 from Vilobí CF. In the 96-97 and 97-98 seasons he played in the youth team and then moved on to Barca C (98-99) and Barca B (99-00).
He spent the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons on loan to second division B clubs AD Ceuta, and CE Mataró. He then returned to Barca B, also in second division B, as first choice keeper for the 2002-03 season.
He made the leap to the first team in the 2003-04 season as third choice goalkeeper behind Víctor Valdés and new signing Rüstü Recber, making a spectacular first team debut against Athletic Club Bilbao in the Nou Camp on 17th January 2004, where he put in a top performance. He then played four weeks later, also at home, this time to Atletico Madrid and was one of the stars in Barça's 3-1 win.
In the 2004-05 season, Jorquera had the chance to show his qualities in the last two games of the season, with Valdés being rested after securing the Zamora title for ending the season with the best goalkeeping record. The man from Bescanó has always performed well when called upon and has never complained about spending so much time on the bench.
In the 2005-06 season, Jorquera played 3 league, 1 Champions League and 4 Cup matches. In total, he let in 12 goals.
Jorquera didn’t play as much in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons. In the former he didn’t play in the League at all, though he did turn out in all the King’s Cup games (the team reached the semi-finals). The latter was marked by a serious ligament injury to his right knee sustained in the game between the Basque Country and Catalonia on 29 December 2007 which forced him to sit out the rest of the season.

CHARACTERISTICS
Jorquera has made excellent progress since joining the Barca academy. Thanks to his hard work and determination, he has developed great reflexes, anticipation and agility.
He stands out for his positive attitude and cheerful character. He's sober and the complete keeper. Consistency is one of his main defining characteristics.

HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

[chiboygeorge]

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Defenders
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Daniel Alves
Position RWB
Overall 86
Age 25
Price $13,000,000





Story:
Dani Alves is one of the strongest, most intense and athletic right sided players in the world. He arrived at FC Barcelona in the summer of 2008, aged 25 and after six seasons with Sevilla.
He was born on May 6, 1983 (Juazeiro, Brazil). Daniel Alves joined the Andalusian club in 2002 (signed from Bahía of Brazil), but it was in 2003/04 that he really came into his own. Alves played 29 games as he became the club’s first choice right back and helped his side to qualify for Europe.

Over time, Alves became one of the lynchpins of the Sevilla defence, but also contributed to the attack, and in 2005/06 won the UEFA Cup. He was named by UEFA as the player of the tournament in the 2005/06 season, and a few months later featured in the Sevilla side that beat FC Barcelona in Monaco to win the European Super Cup.

In the 2006/07 season, the Brazilian was once again a central part of the Sevilla team, and as well as the Spanish Super Cup, his side retained the UEFA Cup in Glasgow and also collected the Copa del Rey.

The year before signing for Barça the Brazilian won the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid and made his Champions League debut, with Sevilla surviving the group stages before going out to Turkish outfit Fenerbahçe. In the 2007/08 season, Alves played 33 league games, with only Navas making more appearances.

Alves has also made his mark on the Brazilian national side. In the summer of 2007 he played a major role in the Copa America winning team.

PROFILE
He may be 173 cm tall and weighs 64 kg but Alves is a physical presence on the pitch, and is able to bite anywhere on the pitch. He rarely tires, and like the typical Brazilian full back, patrols the whole right side of the pitch, participating as much in defence as attack. He has scored eight league goals for Sevilla during these trademark advances up the pitch, which have come as much with his left foot as with his right, and he is also lethal from dead ball situations.

HONOURS

Sevilla
2007/08 Spanish Super Cup
2006/07 Copa del Rey
2006/07 UEFA Cup
2006/07 European Super Cup
2005/06 UEFA Cup

Brazil National Side
2007 Copa America

Individual Titles
2005/06 best Player in UEFA Cup



Carles Puyol
Position CB
Overall 88
Age 30
Price $19,000,000




Story:
Carles Puyol began his footballing career in the local team of the small town where he was born, La Pobla de Segur. His talent soon attracted wider attention and, at the age of 17, he was signed up for the Barca academy at La Masía.

He rapidly became a fixture in Barca B and then progressed to make his debut with the first team on 2nd October 1999 against Valladolid at the orders of Louis Van Gaal. His appearances became more and more frequent until he made the right back position his own. Thanks to his determination to improve and a tremendous work rate, Carles Puyol adapted to the position of central defender.

In the 2003-2004 season, having been chosen as third captain, he played a vital role in the team's sensational run of form that led to the runners-up place in the league. Puyol made 27 appearances in the league and seven in the UEFA Cup.
However, Carles Puyol had to wait until the 2004-05 season to win his first medal with Barca. He was, by then, captain of the first team and an essential part of Frank Rijkaard's league championship winning side. At the end of the season, he finally saw his dream come true of lifting the league trophy in the Nou Camp.

During the 2005-06 season, he played as well as he had the previous year. The Barça captain had the honour of being presented with the league title trophy before the game against Espanyol, before lifting the UEFA Champions League in Paris after the monumental victory against Arsenal in the Saint-Denis Stadium. Puyol only missed five matches all season and none through injury. On three occasions he was rested by coach Frank Rijkaard and was then suspended for the other two games which he did not play in. He also scored one goal as he headed home during the 5-0 victory against Real Sociedad on October 30, 2005.

At the end of the following season in 2006/07 (in which he played in 35 of 38 League games), Carles Puyol suffered the worst injury of his career when the League was already over. He damaged ligaments in his knee in a friendly played in Pretoria on 20 June 2007 and this kept him out until 29 September. Despite missing the first months of the competition, the club captain finally played in 30 League games in the 2007/08 campaign.
Carles Puyol is also a fixture in the Spanish national side, with which he played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the European Championships in 2004 and 2008. In the latter he was key figure as Spain won the title in Vienna.

CHARACTERISTICS
Carles Puyol started off in the first team at right back but has since developed into a great central defender. He stands out for his tremendous fitness levels and his discipline on the pitch. He's a perfect example of a team player and he never over-complicates the job when he has to cut off an opposing attacking move.

He can also adapt to the left back position when circumstances dictate. Although he is not particularly tall (178 cm), his physical strength makes him very strong in the air and he is capable of man-marking opposing forwards who are taller than him. He also likes to get up in attack, especially for corners and free kicks.

More than anything else, Carles Puyol is a reference point for the rest of the squad due to his character and qualities of leadership and because of his pride in the Barca colours and his total identification with the Club.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship 2000 Silver medal. Sidney Olympic Games


Rafael Marquez
Position CB
Overall 83
Age 29
Price $6,900,000





Story:
Rafael Márquez is the first Mexican ever to play for Barça, having arrived in the 2003-2004 close season as one of the principal reinforcements in defence.
His youth and the progress he's enjoyed in the last few years have combined to make him one of the most promising defenders in Europe.

Beginning his career at Atlas Guadalajara (1996-99) he made his debut in the Mexican first division when he was just 17 years old. Three years later he signed for AS Monaco where he soon fit into the demands of the European game. In 2000 he won the French League title and was named as the league's top defender.

In 2003 his team won the French League Cup. Captain of the Mexican national team he played in the 1999 and 2001 Copas de America and the 2002 World Cup.
Márquez has gained the complete respect and trust of Frank Rijkaard and has become a regular in the Barcelona team. In his first season at the club he was one of the key figures as the side earned direct qualification for the Champions League.

In 2004-05, he demonstrated his versatility. The knee ligament injuries to Edmilson and Thiago Motta meant that Márquez was asked to step away from his usual role in the centre of the defence and play as a defensive midfielder, as he had done for both Monaco and Mexico in the past. He proved to be outstanding in front of the defence as he helped the side win the league title.

Márquez played in 34 League games and 6 Champions League fixtures, scoring 3 goals. In the 2005-06 season Márquez partnered Carles Puyol in the centre of the defence and together they become one of the best central defensive pairings in Europe. He was out for a month with a muscle strain in his right leg. In the year of the double, Márquez played in 25 League games and 8 Champions League encounters.

Injuries limited the Mexican’s contribution in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons. In total he played in 21 and 22 League games respectively. With the arrival of Touré Yaya, Márquez once again moved into the centre of the defence where he formed a fine pairing with Gaby Milito.

Captain of Mexico, and in addition to winning the Copa Confederaciones in 1999 and the Copa de Oro in 2003, he has also played under all the national team’s coaches in recent years. He played in the Copa América in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007, and in the World Cup in 2002. He was also a key player for Mexico in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

CHARACTERISTICS
Right footed and very skilful, he reads the game well and has a great ability to launch his team in counter attacks. In addition he's a great free kick taker and strong in the air.

Known as the "Kàiser of Michoacán" for his elegance on the ball, dependability and skill coming out of defence, Marquez can also do the business as a central midfielder and has been compared to Franz Beckenbauer.

In the defensive midfield role, Márquez can impose his strength in the air as well as helping to build the play from the back as well as breaking up opposition attacks with his tackling.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Monaco
2002/03 French League's Cup
1999/00 League

Mexican National Team
2003 Golden Cup
1999 Confederation Cup



Gabriel Milito
Position CB
Overall 85
Age 28
Price $12,000,000




Story:
Gabriel Milito is the twentieth Argentinian to wear the Barça shirt. He is a central defender who started out at Independiente in Avellaneda, and then spent four years at Zaragoza before coming to the Camp Nou.

Gabriel Milito was born in Bernal (Buenos Aires), on September 7, 1980. He came up through the youth ranks at Independiente, making his top flight debut aged 17 with the Avellaneda based club. 'El Mariscal', as he is known, led the side’s defence despite his young age, but his promising future was almost cut short by a serious injury. He tore cruciate ligaments in his right knee in 2001 and was out for nine months. And shortly after his return, he was injured for another four months, this time with a broken meniscus in his right foot.

Once he was back to full fitness, Gaby Milito was one of the main reasons for Independiente’s Opening Championship victory in 2002. He was named Argentinian Player of the Year and in the summer of 2004 made his move to Spain.

Milito was originally headed for Real Madrid. However, before signing his contract the club’s doctors concluded that he was not fully recovered from his knee injury and warned against signing the player. Milito went instead to Zaragoza, and that season won the Copa del Rey at Montjuïc, ironically beating Real Madrid. Later that year, Zaragoza also won the Spanish Super Cup and Milito was heralded as one of the finest defenders in the league. In four years at Zaragoza, he never failed to please.

In the 2005/06 and 2006/07 season, Gaby was joned by his older brother, Diego, at La Romareda. The Milito brothers were the stars of a side that won back to back UEFA Cups.
Gaby Milito has also found his way into the Argentina national team. He made his international debut in 2000 and played at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and in the 2007 Copa America, where he was a regular feature in Alfio Basile’s side, which reached the final.

In the 2007/008 season he became a fixture at the heart of Barça’s defence. He played in 27 League games, scoring a goal and consistently turning in fine performances. In the return leg of the Champions League semi-final in Manchester, Milito tore a ligament in his right knee which will keep him out of action for months.

PROFILE
The Argentinian international, known as 'el Mariscal', is a respected, authoritarian, imposing and well-positioned centre back. He also a skilful playmaker and can help in attack. Although he is not particularly tall (1.79 m.), Milito is good in the air and can be dangerous from dead ball situations. He also has a very strong personality, and is a natural leader.

HONOURS


Independiente Avellaneda
2002/03 Trofeo Apertura

Zaragoza
2004/05 Spanish Super Cup
2003/04 Spanish Cup


Argentinian national team
1999 South American Under-20 championship

Gerard Pique
Position CB
Overall 77
Age 21
Price $2,900,000





Story:
Gerard Piqué returned to FC Barcelona, the club where he started as a boy, in the summer of 2008, after three seasons with Manchester United and one with Real Zaragoza.
Gerard Piqué was born on 2 February 1987 and since that day he has been a club member of FC Barcelona. Since he was very young he has been involved with the club and when he was 10 years old he joined the youngest boys’ team at the club (Alevín B).

From then on he passed through the various under-age levels, picking up titles along the way and winning plaudits in all age categories (Alevín A, Infantil B and A, Cadete B and A and Juvenil B and A). When playing at Cadete B level Tito Vilanova was his manager, and he will meet up with Vilanova once again on his return to the first team. In all this time of development and learning, Gerard Piqué showed a great ability to adapt to different positions on the field and gained a reputation for goal scoring, despite his defensive position.

At the end of the 2003/04 season, Gerard Piqué took a break from his life as an azulgrana and left for Manchester United. He made his debut for the English side on 26 October, only three weeks after arriving, in a Carling Cup match against Crewe Alexandra. He was also with Alex Ferguson’s team for the 2005/06 season before being loaned out to Real Zaragoza for the 2006/07 season.

In his only season with the Aragon side, Piqué played quite a lot as a defensive midfielder in front of the back four. The catalan played 22 league games, eighteen of which he started, and scored to goals. During this time he played alongside Gabriel Milito, who he will also meet up with again on his return to Barça.

Season 2007/08 saw Piqué return to Manchester United and he was able to celebrate the double of Premiership and Champions League. He had a memorable season in the Champions League, especially in the initial league phase, scoring two goals.

With regard to his international experience, Piqué is a regular for the U-21 side, as he was with the younger under-age teams. He played in the 2007 U-20s World Cup in Canada, the 2006 U-19s European Championships in Poland (which Spain won) and the 2004 U-17s European Championships in France (which Spain finished as runners-up).

PROFILE
The Catalan is a big defender (1.92m tall and weighing 85 kg). His physical size and good technical ability make him strong in the air. He also knows how to put these qualities to use in attack, especially from dead ball situations. Apart from centre-half, Piqué can also play in front of the back four, as he showed during his time with Real Zaragoza.

HONOURS

Manchester United
2007/08 Premier League
2007/08 Champions League
2005/06 Carling Cup

Spain
2005/06 European Champion U-19
2003/04 European runner-up U-17



Martin Caceres
Position CB
Overall 81
Age 21
Price $5,500,000




Story:
José Martín Cáceres signed for Barça in the summer of 2008 after a good season with Recreativo Huelva. The young Uruguayan defender had had, until then, a short, but intense, sporting career.
Martín Cáceres (7 April, 1987) started his career in the junior ranks of Defensor Montevideo and made his debut in the Uruguayan first division for the club in 2006. He played seventeen games, scored four goals and was shown five yellow cards. In the following season he would only play nine games with Defensor because his professional career would take a big step forward in the summer of 2007.
First, he took part in the South America U-20s championships where he helped Uruguay to third place as well as being named the tournament’s best defender. Cáceres repeated his fine performances in the U-20s World Cup in Canada and so generated interest from some European clubs.
Villarreal signed him in August 2007 but loaned him out to Recreativo. Martín Cáceres played a huge role in keeping the Andalusian side in the first division. Wearing the number 4 shirt, he played 34 games, scoring two goals and receiving ten yellow cards.
His fine season in Huelva brought him some recognition. He was included in UEFA’s team of upcoming stars for the 2007/08 season, along with Bojan Krkic. He also became a permanent fixture in the Uruguayan national side. His progress attracted FC Barcelona, who signed him in the summer of 2008.

PROFILE

Martín Cáceres, who stands at 1.82m, is noted for his aerial power, speed, aggression and bravery. And as well as playing as a central defender he can also play at full back or in a holding midfield role. With both Defensor Montevideo and Recreativo, as well as the Uruguayan national side, he has shown great leadership skills in defence, despite his young age.



Eric Abidal
Position LB
Overall 84
Age 29
Price $7,900,000




Story:
Éric Abidal’s arrival in France will be the first experience of professional football outside of France for this player born in Lyon. He was signed as a replacement for Gio.

Before coming to Barça, Éric Abidal (Lyon, 11-7-1979) played for four French sides. His first professional club was Lyon-la-Duchère, in the French CFA2 division in the 1999-00 season. A year later he moved on to Monaco in the French Ligue 1, making his debut on September 16, 2000 against Toulouse. He stayed in the principality for two years, consolidating his role as an important member of the team.

In summer 2002 Éric Abidal was transferred to Lille, where he played for two seasons and almost doubled his number of league appearances, playing in 35 of Lille’s 38 league games in the 2003-04 season.

At the end of that season, the full back returned to his hometown to play for Olympique Lyon, where he would stay until signing for Barcelona. In 2004 Abidal also made his international debut for ‘Les Bleus’ on August 18 against Bosnia.

He played at the World Cup in 2006, playing 90 minutes of six of his country’s seven game, in which France finished runners-up. Abidal played for three very successful seasons in Lyon, last season competing in 31 games in yet another title-winning season for his club, while also playing in seven Champions league matches and 10 internationals during his final season in France, 2006-07.

Éric Abidal joined FC Barcelona in the summer of 2007. The Frenchman played 30 League games, 10 in the Champions League and 6 in the Cup, sharing left-back duties with Sylvinho although on more than one occasion Frank Rijkaard used him as a central defender. At the end of the season he played for France in Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

PROFILE

Éric Abidal is a natural left back, although given his size (186 cm, 75 kg) he can easily slot in at centre back too. He likes to make runs up the wing as far as the opposition’s area, supplying crosses to the forwards. He is a very skilful and tactically aware player, and is noted for his ability to position himself well on the pitch.

HONOURS

Olympique Lyon
2006/07 Ligue 1
2005/06 French cup of champions
2005/06 Ligue 1
2004/05 French cup of champions
2004/05 Ligue 1

French national team
2006 World Cup Runners Up

Sylvinho
Position LB
Overall 79
Price $2,300,000




Story:
Sylvio Mendes Campos 'Sylvinho', has tried his luck in three of the most important leagues in the world: the Brazilian, English and Spanish. He has always been successful.
His professional career started back in 1994 in Corinthians, one of the clubs of his home town, Sao Paulo. After shining at club level, Mario Zagallo called him up to the national team for his 1997 debut against Russia.

His quality and consistence opened the doors to European football and in 1999 he left Corinthians for the Premier League and Arsenal. Following two seasons at Arsenal, where he quickly became a crowd favourite, he moved to Celta Vigo for the 2001-02 season. There he became an integral part of the team that in the 2003-04 season qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Sylvinho arrived in Barcelona in the summer of 2004 and since then he has always given sterling performances. In the 2004-05 season, however, he was sidelined for a month with torn knee ligaments. Once he had recovered, Sylvinho played in 21 League games and 3 in the Champions League.

In the 2005-06 season Sylvinho was virtually a fixture in the League yet rarely appeared in the Champions League where he was on the pitch for just 21 minutes in the Chelsea v Barça game when Gio van Bronckhorst got injured. Curiously enough Sylvinho won the League and the Champions League against two of his former clubs, Celta and Arsenal.
In the 2006-07 campaign the Brazilian continued to share the left back slot with Gio Van Bronckhorst. When the Dutchman left and Éric Abidal arrived, Sylvinho continued to alternate in the position but this time with the Frenchman. He even played on the wing in the 2007-08 season, for instance in the Champions League fixture with Schalke 04.
Sylvinho’s effort and commitment was rewarded with a one-year extension to his contract up to 30 June 2009.

CHARACTERISTICS
All Brazilian players, almost by genetic default, are touched by magic and graced with an attacking flair. Sylvinho, despite playing at left-back, is no exception to this rule.

His attacking instincts have allowed him to get down the wing throughout his career and he has a culture left-foot when it comes to crossing for the forwards.
As well as his solid defensive ability, the Brazilian is capable of slotting into the midfield. Sylvinho is renowned for his quality, tactical awareness and his concentration levels in every game.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona

2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Corinthians
1998/99 Paulista League
1997/98 Brazilian League
1996/97 Paulista League
1994/95 Paulista League
1994/95 Brazilian Cup

[JulianBere]

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Midfielders
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Andres Iniesta
Position CM
Overall 86
Age 24
Price $16,000,000



Story:
Andrés Iniesta joined Barca as a twelve-year-old in 1996 after scouts had spotted him at the Brunette Tournament playing for Albacete.
From the start he progressed rapidly through the club's various youth teams and was promoted to the Barca B team for the 2000-01 season, where he almost immediately became the team's main playmaker under coach Josep Maria Gonzalvo.
Andrés' dream of making the first team finally came true in October 2002 when he was picked to play in the Champions League game against Bruges in Belgium. Van Gaal's Barca won that evening and Andrés made an excellent impression.
Now an recognised squad member, Iniesta has established a place for himself through hard work allied to his undoubted natural skills. In the shadow of some of the team's bigger names, Andres became a key piece of the League winning 2004-5 team, winding up as Rijkaard's most used player, figuring in 35 of the 38 league games. Iniesta also played 8 Champions League matches, scoring twice.
But he really established himself as a first team player in the 2005-06 season. Playing in central midfield in place of Xavi, who was sidelined for a long time with injury, Iniesta became one of the key players in the Barça side that won the League and the Champions League. He played in 33 League fixtures and 11 in the Champions League.
Iniesta continued to develop in the 2006-07 season and was one of the players most used by Frank Rijkaard in that campaign. He played in 37 out of 38 League games scoring 6 goals, his best return to date. In the 2007-08 season, and by now in the number 8 shirt, the midfielder continued to be an ever present in the side until the last few games when he picked up a knee injury.
Plus Andrés Iniesta is one of the key players in the Spanish national side, playing in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, when he was one of the players most used by Luis Aragonés as Spain lifted the trophy.


CHARACTERISTICS
Iniesta is fast, direct and reads the game superbly. He started playing in Barca B in a holding role in midfield but has gradually adopted a more attacking position in his first team appearances. Van Gaal began to use him in the hole behind the striker and Frank Rijkaard has, on occasions, given him a wider role on the right.
This demonstrates what is perhaps Iniesta's greatest strength his versatility and professional attitude towards whatever job the coach hands him. Andres is not a showy player, an attribute that matches his off the field persona, but gives a guarantee of practicality and elegance.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League
Spanish national team
2008 European Championship


Xavi Hernandez
Position CM
Overall 87
Age 29
Price $18,000,000



Story:
Xavi has spent all his footballing life at the Nou Camp, having joined Barcelona when he was only 11 years old. The progress he made was always very quick and in season 97-98 he moved up from youth team to Barca B.
In Barça B, he became the brains of Jordi Gonzalvo's team which won promotion to the second division.
Xavi's dream of making his official debut with the first team squad became true when he played in the Spanish Super Cup against Majorca in the summer of 1998. He was in the starting line up and scored: a better debut he could not have asked for. Xavi also played an important role in the league-winning season of 1998-99 with Van Gaal as manager, most notably with an important goal in the Nuevo Zorrilla, which turned round the team's fortunes.
Season 1999-2000 was a good one for Xavi as due to the injury to Guardiola he was the first choice number 4 for a large part of the season. After the legendry captain left for Italian football he became the playmaker of the team and has continued to demonstrate the full range of his talents in this position.
With Van Gaal, Reixach, Antic and Rijkaard in charge of the team, Xavi has always been a key member of the team - a fact made clear by the 300 official games he completed whilst still only 25 years old.
With Rijkaard, Xavi has shown that he can not only play at the heart of midfield, but is also more than able to cover any position in the center of the team, an ability reflected in the fact that he was the most used player in the League winning 2004-05 season, playing 36 games in all.
Xavi will never forget 2 December 2005. While training at La Masía, the midfielder tore the ligaments in his left knee. His recovery was swifter than expected and within five months he was playing again. On 29 April 2006 against Cadiz, Xavi once again “felt like a footballer ". He was back in time to celebrate the League and Champions League titles with his team-mates.
In the last two seasons with Frank Rijkaard in the dugout, Xavi was one of the players most used by the Dutch manager. Plus in the 2007-08 season he set a personal best of 7 League goals, almost doubling his previous highest of four in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.
In addition Xavi Hernández has also been a fixture in Spain’s national side. He played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the 2004 and 2006 European Championships, and in the latter was chosen as best player as Spain picked up the title.

CHARACTERISTICS
Xavi is the playmaker of the team in every game and shows no nerves whatsoever as he guides the team with an extraordinarily cool head. Since taking on the mantle of playmaker at Barca he has shown incredible vision on the pitch. He is another example of the good work being carried out in the youth teams of Barcelona, especially in the position referred to as number 4 and as he has matured he has shown an increasing ability to adapt himself to different positions in the midfield when his manager has called on him.
His passing to the forwards and his ability to take the pressure off and protect the ball better than almost any other player around, have turned him into one of the focal points on the pitch. He also stands out for his defensive capabilities and his capacity as a ball winner.
In addition he has shown himself more than able at dead ball situations, where his potent shot has brought a number of important goals.
Xavi will always remember December 2, 2005. During training in front of La Masia,the Terrassa-born midfielder suffered a bad injury to his left knee as he ruptured his ligaments. Within five months he was back in action. On April 29, 2006 he returned to play against Cádiz and stated "I feel like a football player again". He was able to celebrate winning the title and the Champions League with the rest of the squad.
The Barça playmaker was a regular in Luis Aragonés' Spain team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team progressed to the second round before being beaten by France.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League
1998/99 League

Spanish National Team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sydney Olympic Games
1999 Under 20 World Champion

Individual Awards
2008 Player of the Tournament: Euro 2008

Seydou Keyta
Position CM
Overall 81
Age 29
Price $6,900,000



Story:
Seydou Keita became FC Barcelona’s first signing of the 2007/2008 season. The Mali player arrived from Seville to strengthen the azulgrana centre of midfield.
Born in Bamako (Mali) in 1980, Seydou Keita began to make a name for himself in European football in the French league. He signed for Olympic Marseilles in 1999/2000 but only stayed for one year without having had much luck. He moved to Lorient where he spent two seasons and the French Cup. Then it was on to Lens where he played for five seasons between 2003/04 and 2006/07. His final season was spectacular and he scored eleven goals in 37 league games and was named Ligue 1’s second best player behind Florent Malouda.
After eight years in France, Keita signed for Seville in the summer of 2007 and was almost an ever-present during the 2007/08 season. He played in 31 of a possible 38 games, starting 29 of them. He scored four goals and these showed that, amongst other qualities, he packs a powerful shot from distance.
Seydou Keita has been a full international for Mali since 2004. With ‘the Eagles’ he played in the 2008 African Cup of Nations but Mali was eliminated in the first round.
However, his career with his national side began at a young age and with good results. In fact, Keita won the balon d’or as best player in the U-20 World Cup in Nigeria in 1999. Mali finished third in the competition, which was won by a Spain side that included Xavi Hernández.

PROFILE
The Mali midfielder is a player who perfectly combines physical strength with technical ability and tactical awareness. Despite not being a forward, Keita also possesses a great shot with his left foot, especially from distance, which makes him a real threat to goalkeepers; the fifteen goals he scored in the two years before joining Barça are testament to that. The Malian has a lot to offer in midfield: he can play in a holding role as well as behind the attackers and can also play on the left.

HONOURS

Lorient
2001/02 French Cup

Individual Awards
1999 Player of the Tournament U-20 World Cup



Yaya Toure
Position CM
Overall 81
Age 25
Price $4,600,000



Story:
Gnégnéri Touré Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for FC Barcelona and has brought with him immense international experience, having played in four different leagues across Europe during his career.
Touré Yaya (Sokoura Baouke, 13-05-1983) has had a remarkable route to Camp Nou. At 18 he began his time in European football in Belgium with Beveren, where he spent two-and-a-half years.
A transfer to Metalurg Donetsk in Ukraine followed in 2003, where he spent 18 months before opting to move on to Greece and join Olympiakos. During his year in the Piraeus-based club he played alongside former Blaugrana stars, Rivaldo, Haruna Babangida and Dani García as the team progressed in the Champions League.
Last summer, Touré was on the move once again as he signed for AS Monaco and went onto play 27 of the team's 34 league games during the 2006-07 campaign.
At international level, the 24-year-old is a regular in the Ivory Coast side and represented his country in their first ever appearance in the World Cup Finals last summer in Germany. He also appeared in the African Cup of Nations in the same year.

PROFILE
Touré Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for Barça and is renowned for combining his strength and physical power in front of the back four with great technique. He is usually employed as a defensive midfielder and is capable of pushing forward to support the attack if required, as well as being adept at passing the ball at speed to keep moves flowing.
Despite standing at 1.87m-tall (6ft 2in), most of his goals have not come from his head. During his year with Monaco he netted five times in the league and nearly all of them came as he attacked the ball from the second line or from long range efforts.


Victor Sanchez
Position CM
Overall 60
Age 21
Price $150,000



Story:
Víctor Sánchez was born in Terrassa and joined FC Barcelona in July 2005 from local neighbours Europa.
His ability to play in various positions made him a vital player for Barça B last season as he played almost everywhere except in goal.
Hard working and disciplined, he was instrumental in helping the B side gain promotion back to la Segunda B at the first time of asking as he made 29 appearances. He was unable to play in the Play-Offs because of injury. He made his debut for the first team in the Copa del Rey game against Alcoyano last season.

Sergi Busquets
Position CM
Overall 60
Age 20
Price $140,000



Story:
Born in Sabadell, he joined the Barça youth system in the summer of 2005 from Jabac. That season, playing for the Juvenil A side, he won three major trophies in a team that also included the likes of Bojan, Giovani, Jeffren and Marc Crosas.
In the 2006-07 season, Sergi Busquets continued with Juvenil A and was one of the core players in the side coached by Àlex Garcia. In his third year at the level, and despite still being a midfielder, Sergi scored 7 goals in 26 games.
The next season, Busquets was promoted to Barça B under Pep Guardiola. He didn’t play until the 12th game, but from then on he managed to hold down a regular place in the starting line-up, playing 23 games and scoring two goals.
After playing with the first team in the Copa Catalunya in the 2007-08 season.
Sergi Busquets is the son of Carles Busquets, who played in goal for FC Barcelona in the 1990s.

PROFILE
Sergi Busquets is a very complete midfielder renowned for his intelligence on the field. Born in Sabadell, he positions himself well and is a good reader of the game. Busquets adds security to the team because he rarely gives the ball away and is also solid in his defensive duties.
He is a versatile player and gets into goalscoring positions. His tactical awareness and height (almost 190 cm) mean that despite his natural position being in midfield, he can also play at centre back or centre forward.


Aleksander Hleb
Position RM
Overall 85
Age 27
Price $14,000,000



Story:
Alexander Hleb, the first Belarusian in club history has arrived at FC Barcelona as the fifth new signing of the summer of 2008, after demonstrating his qualities with both Stuttgart and Arsenal.
Born in Minsk (Belarus) on May 1, 1981, Alexander Hleb joined Barcelona on July 16, 2008. Signed from Premiership outfit Arsenal, where he played for three seasons, he was named the best player in his country in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 consecutively.
Alexander Hleb started out at FC Bate Borisov but at the tender age of 19, in the 2000/01 season he was off to the Bundesliga. It was there he started making himself known on the European stage with five seasons at Stuttgart from 2000/01 to 2004/05.
The Belarusian made an even bigger step forward in 2005 when he was picked up by London side Arsenal. He soon became a regular part of manager Arsène Wenger’s plans, as the Gunners qualified for a Champions League final losing to FC Barcelona in Paris), and it was there he spent two seasons alongside Thierry Henry, who he rejoins at FC Barcelona.

PROFILE
Renowned for being ambidextrous, Hleb is a player who creates plenty of tactical options due to his versatility and polyvalence. He is a midfielder but likes to help out in attack and makes dangerous penetrating runs through the middle.
He is used to pressure, is both athletic and quick, and able to play on either of the two wings, playing wide or more centrally, and is a frequent presence in the creation zone. He reads the game well and is an artful passer of the ball.

HONOURS

Bate Borisov
1998/99 Belarusian League

Individual titles
2002 Belarusian player of the year
2003 Belarusian player of the year
2005 Belarusian player of the year
2006 Belarusian player of the year
2007 Belarusian player of the year

Jeffren Suarez
Position CAM
Overall 63
Age 21
Price $370,000



Story:
Jeffren Suarez was born 20 January of 1988, in Venezuela. He made his debut with the first team against CF Badalona in Copa del Rey as a substitute for Javier Saviola in the 83 min.
He was part of the Spanish squad that won the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship playing 8 matches and scoring 3 goals.
He was called by former Venezuelan National team Richard Páez for the Copa América 2007, but Jeffrén declined expressing that it was too soon to choose whether to play with the Venezuelan squad or with the Spanish one.
During the 2007-08 season he played for the FC Barcelona Atlétic playing 21 matches and scoring 6 goals helping the team return from the Tercera División to the Segunda División B.
Josep Guardiola called Jeffrén for FC Barcelona's pre-season 2008/09 where he played all 7 matches and scoring 2 goals against ACF Fiorentina and Red Bull New York.

[JulianBere]

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Strikers
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Pedro

Position LF
Overall 66
Age 21
Price $360,000




Story:
The winger was born in Santa Cruz, Tenerife and did not move to FC Barcelona until August 2004 after starting his career with CD San Isidro.
Last season, Pedro enjoyed first team experience when he participated in the league games against Real Murcia in the 19th round of games and against Real Valladolid in the 29th round.
He was also a key player for the Barça B team that won promotion as he made 36 appearances and scored six goals. Pep Guardiola knows all about his ability and had no doubts when calling him up to join in pre-season with the first team. Despite mainly being left-footed, Pedro can strike the ball equally well with his right.

Lionel Messi
Position RW
Overall 91
Age 22
Price $64,000,000




Story:
This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s.
Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.
In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).
With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan.
At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.
His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.
The following season Messi moved up a gear and astounded the world with goals such as the one he scored against Getafe in the King’s Cup. In the 2006/07 season, and even though the team didn’t win any titles, the Argentine was second in the FIFA World Player awards and third in the Golden Ball. He continued to develop in the 2007/08 campaign, when he scored 16 goals and gave 10 assists in the 40 games he played in.
Messi also regularly plays for Argentina, appearing at the World Cup in 2006 and the Copa Amèrica in 2007. In the latter competition Argentina reached the final only to lose to Brazil.

CHARACTERISTICS
Messi is an unusual player. He is highly creative, and has the skills to take on defenders with ease. He is a versatile left-footed player who can play either in the middle or on either wing, or even as a centre forward.
Although he is quite short, he is so fast and physically strong that he can cope with larger opponents. He is incredibly powerful, and a specialist in such dead ball situations as corners, free kicks and penalties.
Leo Messi is cool-headed and able to assume several responsibilities in times of need. He is a player who is destined to have a very successful career in football.


HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Argentinian National Team
2004/05 World Cup Under-20
2008 Gold Medal Beijing 08'

Thierry Henry
Position ST
Overall 85
Age 31
Price $18,000,000




Story:
Thierry Henry is considered to be one of the best forwards in world football over the past decade. Elegance, ability and effectiveness are his main assets.
Born in Les Ulis (France) on August 17, 1977, he made his debut in top flight football with Monaco during the 1994-95 campaign, aged just 17. He began to show some of his ability on the right wing for the Principality-based outfit. After a brief spell at Juventus in 1998-99, Henry joined Arsenal, where he went on to show his true colours and become one of the best players in the history of the north London club.
Having moved into the centre of attack, Henry proved how lethal he was in front of goal at Arsenal even though he became known for drifting out to both flanks to pull his markers across the field. With him in the side, the label of 'Boring Arsenal' was forgotten as the Gunners became an attractive, attacking force in the Premiership and in Europe.
During his time in England he broke virtually every Arsenal club record. He became the Gunners' top goalscorer of all time with 214 goals and became the record scorer in the Premiership (since it was formed in 1992) with 164 goals as well as finishing as the scorer in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006).
His immense trophy haul includes a World Cup winners' medal as he was a member of the successful French squad in 1998. Two years after that he helped his country to win the European Championships in Belgium and Holland and then added the Confederations Cup to his collection in 2003. With over a hundred international caps, on 18 October 2007 he beat Michel Platini’s record of 41 goals for France.
At club level, Henry helped Arsenal win the Premiership twice (2002 and 2004) and the FA Cup on three occasions (2002, 2003 and 2005). On a personal note, he finished as Europe's top goalscorer and picked up the Golden Boot in 2004 and 2005.
He was Barça’s top scorer in the 2007/08 season, with 19 goals in the Champions League, League and King’s Cup. He is also one of the top suppliers of assists. Frank Rijkaard, who played him in 30 League games, regularly lined him up on the left wing.

PROFILE
Speed and technique are two of Henry's main characteristics, which he allies with efficiency and elegance. He is considered to be one of the most skilful players in the game with the ball at his feet as well as being an extremely intelligent footballer.
Despite having been moulded into a central striker under Arsène Wenger, Henry can play across the front line, which could well prove to be very useful as he vies for a place in the Barça team with Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi during the 2007-08 season.

HONOURS

Arsenal
2004/05 FA Cup
2004/05 Community Shield
2003/04 League
2002/03 FA Cup
2002/03 Community Shield
2001/02 FA Cup
2001/02 League

Monaco
1996/97 League

France
2006 World Cup runner-up
2003 Confederations Cup
2000 European Championship
1998 World Cup

Individual awards
2005/06 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Golden Boot
2003/04 Premiership top goalscorer
2003/04 Golden Boot
2001/02 Premiership top goalscorer


Eidur Gudjohnsen
Position ST
Overall 77
Age 30
Price $4,100,000




Story:
Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen is the first player to play for Barca from Iceland, a country perhaps better known in sporting circles for handball or cross country skiing than football.
Gudjohnsen began to make his mark as a footballer from a young age, perhaps inspired by his father, who was also an Icelandic full international. When he was just 16, Eidur made his debut in the Icelandic league and ended up with 7 goals in 17 games - a return that caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven for whom he played for the following two seasons.
Gudjohnsen returned to his native Iceland to play for KR Reykjavik in the 97-98 season before signing for the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers, where he played for two seasons before joining Chelsea. He left the London club to replace Larson at Barca with a record of 62 goals in 219 games in his 6 years at Stamford Bridge, am experienced player with an impressive cv at the highest level.
Gudjohnsen played as an out-and-out striker in his first season with Barça, scoring 5 goals in 25 League appearances. The Icelander played deeper in the 2007/08 season, in which he turned out in 23 games and found the net twice.


CHARACTERISTICS
Gudjohnsen has developed his style in the English game and a a Northern European he not surprisingly is a bustling centre forward particularly strong in the air and with both feet. But Gudjohnson also brings an excellent technique and clever ball skills and a versatility which allowed him to show his abilities both up front and in midfield for Chelsea. His skills in midfield helped to convert him into one of the leading assist providers in the English game.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup

Chelsea FC
2005/06 League
2004/05 League
2004/05 Carling Cup
2000/01 Charity Shield

PSV Eindhoven
1996/97 League
1996/97 Supercup
1995/96 Cup

Samuel Eto'o
Position ST
Overall 86
Age 27
Price $22,000,000




Story:
Samuel Eto'o Fils made an impact on the world of football while still a teenager. He has exceptional physical qualities and made the leap to European football at the tender age of just 16 when Real Madrid signed him up and loaned him out to Leganés.
At the age of 17 years and 3 months he became the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup in France and was the only player who had been born in the '80's.
After Leganés, he went on loan to RCD Espanyol (1998-1999) but played very little and subsequently retuned to Real Madrid (1999-2000). In the 1999-00 season, he played a few times for RCD Mallorca, eventually spending four seasons there (2000-04), with the Balearic Island club sharing his rights with Real Madrid.
During his time with Mallorca, he became the highest ever league goal scorer in the history of the club, with 54 goals. He signed for Barca in the summer of 2004 for a transfer fee of 24 million euros after a long series of three-way negotiations with RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, thus becoming the first Cameroonian player to defend the Barca colours. He made his debut for FC Barcelona in the first game of the season at Ràcing Santander, on August 29, 2004.
Since then, he has become a veritable goal machine, scoring 25 times in his first season and making a huge contribution to winning the championship. His goal against Levante clinched the league title. He has needed just 67 matches to reach the landmark figure of 50 goals, outstripping some of the great Barca legends of the past.
Since he joined the Club he has been chosen as African Player of the Year 2004, 2005 and 2006, and picked up third place in the FIFA World Player 2005. He is a full international and one of the outstanding players in the Cameroon team and has a huge popular following in his country.
In the 2005-06 season, he was the top scorer in the Spanish League with 26 goals. In the Champions League Final on May 17 in Paris, it was Eto'o who scored Barcelona's equaliser after the Blaugrana had gone a goal down to Arsenal.


CHARACTERISTICS
Fast, strong and direct, Samuel Eto'o, who is 1.80 tall and weighs 75 kilos, boasts considerable experience. He's a committed player, whose hunger for goals never gets in the way of his desire to do the best for his team.
Eto'o is fast footed and capable of leaving his markers flailing behind him, with a strong shot and is also an experienced penalty taker.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006-07 Spanish Supercup
2005-06 Champions League
2005-06 League
2005-06 Spanish Supercup
2004-05 League

Real Madrid
1997-98 Intercontinental Cup 1999-00 Champions League

Real Mallorca
2002-03 Spanish Cup

Cameroon
2008 African Cup runners up
2003 Confederation Cup runners up
2002 African Cup
2000 African Cup
2000 Gold medal Sidney Olympics

Individual Awards
2005-06 Spanish League top goalscorer
2004-05 Third place FIFA WORLD PLAYER
2004-05 African Player of the Year
2003-04 African Player of the Year
2002-03 African Player of the Year

Bojan Krkic
Position ST
Overall 79
Age 19
Price $5,700,000




Story:
Bojan Krkic joined the senior squad for the 2006-07 season at the tender age of 16. In just one year he has progressed from the youth side to Barça B and now the first team.
Bojan Krkic was born in Linyola (Catalonia) on 28th August 1990. In just one season, from 2006-07 to 2007-08, this promising young forward has made the leap from Juvenil A to the first team. Along the way he played the second part of the season with Barça B in Second Division B.
Bojan joined Barça in 1999 becoming part of the Benjamí A boys squad. His rise through the ranks of the Barça academy teams was meteoric: Aleví B (2000-01), Aleví A (2001-02), Infantil B (2002-03), Infantil A (2003-04) and Cadet B (2004-05). He started the 2005-06 season with the Cadet A team but was soon promoted up to Juvenil A. The pattern was repeated in the 2006-07 season, which he began with Juvenil A and finished with Barça B.
During his half season with Barça B, he scored 10 goals and became the team’s top scorer.
He really arrived on the scene in 2007. He played in the European Under-17 Championship with Spain, both winning the tournament and scoring the winner against England in the final (1-0); he made his debut with Barça’s first team in a friendly played in Egypt, scoring once; and finally he made his debut with Spain’s Under-21 side at the age of just 16. A year to remember to be sure.
Bojan began the 2007/08 preseason with the first team. However, he couldn’t go on the club’s Asia tour as he was called up for the World Under-17 Cup in South Korea, where he notched 5 goals and Spain finished as runners-up.
Back in Barcelona, he began to get time on the pitch with Rijkaard in both the League and the Champions League. He set new records as Barça’s youngest player in the Champions League (on 19 September 2007 against Olympique de Lyon, when aged 17 years and 22 days); Barça’s youngest goalscorer (against Villarreal on 20 October in the same year, aged 17 years, 1 month and 22 days); and the second youngest goalscorer in the Champions League (aged 17 years and 217 days when he scored against Schalke 04, just 22 days later than Oforiquaye, the youngest goalscorer in the Champions League).
Thus the 2007/08 season consolidated Bojan as one of the finest strikers in the League, in which he scored 10 goals and was in the starting line-up 14 times.

PROFILE
Bojan is fast and has the ability to go past his marker. Despite his youth, he is used to dealing with defenders that are stronger and more experienced than him. His bursts of speed and his skill with the ball at his feet are two of his virtues. However, his main strength is his killer instinct in front of goal.

HONOURS

Spain
2007 European under-17 Champion
2007 World Cup under-17 Runner-up

[JulianBere]

Dangit Chiboy,

[chiboygeorge]

Originally Posted by JulianBere

Dangit Chiboy, now I'm going to have to give you the info, and you edit ur post.

Sorry.

[JulianBere]

Ok can you get on MSN?

[Ahmer50]

great start Julian, kiu, consider me a follower

[Robalenko]

I shall point out that Julian asked me if he could make a long detailed Squad Profiles page

[JulianBere]

Originally Posted by Robbie8912Play

I shall point out that Julian asked me if he could make a long detailed Squad Profiles page

Which I am in the process of right now.

[Ahmer50]

wow perfection

[chiboygeorge]

Yea, brilliant posts!

[Ahmer50]

You must be up there with the best IF You Keep This Up!

[JulianBere]

Thank you guys.

I am very tired, and have been doing this for up to over an 1 hour and 45 minutes.

I leave you all to rejoice, and learn something you don't know in my updated squad pages.

Hope you like, I'll update soon!

[Mazzugi]

Holy sh*t this is marvelous!

[JulianBere]

Thanks.

Now goodbye world!, Or goodnight!

[Bayern]

good start, but i think u got the away kit wrong. Im pretty sure the away kit u have now is there 3rd kit.

[JulianBere]

Originally Posted by FcBayernMunich

good start, but i think u got the away kit wrong. Im pretty sure the away kit u have now is there 3rd kit.

Thanks, fixed.

The blue one was the old away kit,

The yellow is new.

[Bayern]

no prob mate, im a barca fan so if you need anymore help just ask. Ps your doing a FANTASTIC JOB, love the player bios and everything, cant wait for the season to start

KIU

[Kaka11|LFC]

holy **** mate this is awesome start!

[Robalenko]

Friggin A, I regret giving you permission. You said you were gonna do something similar, not blow me out of the ****ing water

[Kaka11|LFC]

[Everton08]

Omg...what a cracking start, will be following closey JUlian.