Ramos Back To Work

Sergio Ramos is healthy again having recovered from a left Achilles tendon injury and finds his name on the third squad list of the season. Metzelder and Xabi Alonso were not called up due to injury, Garay stages a comeback after not traveling to Zurich, Van der Vaart was left off due to a coaching decision and Pepe is still serving his suspension.




By:Navas Laura

Arsenal whip Wigan and both Birmingham clubs claim three points

Arsenal dominated their Emirates clash with Wigan and ran out easy 4-0 winners.

Thomas Vermaelen hit a brace to take his tally for the season to three.

Eduardo made it three stroking home after his initial shot had hit the post before Cesc Fabregas completed the rout in the final minute.

Burnley claimed their third top flight success in as many attempts with a 3-1 defeat of a disappointing Sunderland.

Portsmouth remain pointless after a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa – a James Milner penalty then a Gabriel Agbonlahor solo effort had Martin O'Neill's side two goals to the good by half time, and that's how it remained.

For Pompey it looks like a long hard winter to avoid a drop into the Championship.

A turgid encounter at the Reebok Stadium saw Bolton and Stoke share the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Dave Kitson gave the visitor's an early second half lead with a goal totally out of keeping with the performance that had gone before.

The Wanderers had to thank Matthew Taylor for a last minute penalty to grab a point.

Hull and Birmingham both missed clear cut chances until Blues striker Garry O'Connor headed the only goal of the game away to the Tigers.

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As Hull pressed for a leveller the closest they came was when Ibrahima Sonko's late header came back off the woodwork.

By:John Steve

"I belong to Barca" Messi

Messi commits future to Barcelona

Lionel Messi has signed a two-year contract extension with FC Barcelona that ties the 22-year-old Argentina forward to the UEFA Champions League holders until 2016.

New deal
Included among the details of the reigning UEFA Club Footballer of the Year's deal is a release clause of €250m. Speaking after the 22-year-old attacker agreed new terms with the club, coach Josep Guardiola said: "This is immense news, just as it was when Víctor Valdés and Xavi Hernández signed their respective contract extensions. People go to watch football to see the best players and these are the best."

Martin Jane

Brown moves to Pompey

Portsmouth have signed veteran midfielder Michael Brown from Wigan Athletic for a nominal fee.

The 32-year-old was in the final year of his contract at the DW Stadium but has fallen down the pecking order under new manager Roberto Martinez.

Brown has signed a two-year deal at Fratton Park, where he spent a loan spell back in 1999 while under contract at Manchester City, with the option of a third year.

MANY YEARS

"Michael's a player who has shown he can perform at this level," Pompey manager Paul Hart said.

"He's very combative and someone who I've admired for many years.

"When he was playing at Sheffield United and I was at Nottingham Forest he was a player you didn't want to come up against.

"He'll add plenty of steel to our side."

By:Paul Hart

Vladimir Dasic"i'm fit to Play for Madrid"

Real Madrid's new basketball player, Vladimir Dasic, arrived at Sanitas-La Zarzuela Hospital to have his medical check-up at 8:20 am. He was accompanied by Ramon Gonzalez, assistant to the first team basketball players. Following blood and urine analysis, an electrocardiogram and several other tests, the player was deemed to be in perfect form. "The player is in perfect health and fit to play elite basketball," said Dr. Cerralto, "He is very young and has enviable athletic capabilities."

By:John Donells

Guardiola: “The hardest final”

Josep Guardiola had no doubt that tonight’s final was the most difficult Barça have played since he became manager, and praised the team on their effort, personality and character.

Guardiola’s side won the fifth major trophy since he took over as manager tonight, and their second of a season that has barely commenced. “The players have made a huge effort” he said. “They showed strength, personality and character. In other finals we were more into the match rhythm and in the middle of competition, but tonight caught us on the back of our holidays, but we didn’t lose our essence. That has a lot of merit”.

Tough game

Guardiola described the game as “terribly tough”, mentioning especially “the heat and humidity” in the Louis II in Monaco. He also suggested that there were “no positive adjectives” to describe the condition of the pitch.

Embarrassment

“The state of the pitch was an embarrassment” he said, and had harsh words for UEFA. “They talk about looking after the players, saying they should put on a show … and then they make us play on pitches like this. I think they need to look into this. They should have a think. If we had lost, I wouldn’t have said anything about it.”

Praise all round
Pedro, with his 115th minute goal, was the man of the night, but although Guardiola is to be commended for handing the youngster his chance, he said “I didn’t create anything. The players create it all themselves. In whatever case, I congratulate the people that discovered him and helped him grow. I am reaping the benefits”. On other players, he singled out one other. “Bojan did very well, but everybody made huge contributions”.

Asked about Messi, Guardiola was again full of praise. “Leo ended up carrying the team on his back. He is somebody different, special, unique, unrepeatable. He is the best player I have ever seen by some distance and Barça are lucky to have him. He is a fundamental part of the team”.

Equalling a legendary team

The Barça team of 1951-52 won five cups, and now Guardiola’s side has won five major trophies in a year. That parallel is something the coach defines as “an honour. Being able to actively participate with this group and win five titles in a row is great” he said. “I am really satisfied. I don’t know if the legend can get any bigger. All I know is that what we have to do now is get some rest. We have a tough year ahead, but such enthusiasm provides guarantees.”

Pedro makes the difference

On Mircea Lucescu’s complaints about the referee, Guardiola wished to point out that there was a possible penalty on Messi in the first half. “So, one each, and Pedro’s goal made the difference”.

By:Vanessa Forns

Squad aim for full fitness on Monday

Squad aim for full fitness on Monday

After Friday night’s European Super Cup victory, there was little time for celebration for the squad who were back in training at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper this lunchtime.

Barca kick off their defence of the Spanish League title this week and even though they’d just conquered the third European Super Cup in the club’s history, the squad were quick to turn their attention to the next job in hand – Sporting Gijon at the Nou Camp on Monday. The players went to train straight from the airport, with Leo Messi the only member missing, having been given permission by the club to fly to Argentina to join the national squad.






“Tough Game”
The squad arrived at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper at about 13.15 and the session was dedicated to warming down the players after Friday evening’s exertions, which had undoubtedly taken their toll. Guardiola himself reckoned the game had been: “terribly tough” and the high humidity and poor state of the pitch will certainly have left their mark on the players.

120 minutes
With the game also going into extra time, it’s not too surprising that Guardiola ordered a relatively light training session for his squad as he attempts to get them back up to their best for Monday’s game against Sporting.

By:David Suara