An Fear Rua - FC Barcelona 2012/13...

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 05:55

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the world's greatest football club must be deserving of having there fortune's followed here for the season ..
ive seen 4 full la liga games this w/end and overall its been good to watch , valencia getting draw at RM was excellent , 1st half of both the majorca and seville games were good and all of barca game was a pleasure.
villa getting a comeback goal was the iceing on a perfect beginning to the reign of tito and fingers crossed le blaugrana will regain both the title and of course the champions league.
roll on another great season of football ..visca el barca !

This message has been edited - 21-aug-2012 @ 21:17

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 06:09

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patrick o connell is not that well known but his life story is worth checking out , colourfull guy !

He captained Manchester United and managed Barcelona – yet lies in a pauper’s grave.
His life story was one of fame, controversy, war, success and, ultimately, tragedy.

Born in Dublin in March 1887, he was one of nine children and had a tough upbringing.
An uncompromising centre-back, his talent was obvious and led to him signing for Belfast Celtic where he starred for the Irish League team’s defence.

At just 21, his girlfriend Ellen was pregnant with their child, Patrick Junior.

His appearances for Belfast Celtic meant he was soon spotted by English scouts and he signed for Sheffield Wednesday in 1909, with team-mate Peter Warren, for a combined fee of £50.

Patrick found it difficult to break into the Wednesday team – but did make his international debut in 1912 – before signing for Hull, where he established himself in the first team.

After two seasons there, Manchester United came calling and in 1914 – aged 27 – he moved for the grand fee of £1,000.

An instant hit, he scored on his debut against Oldham and became the first-ever Irish captain of the club.

International success followed, and Patrick was a member of the Irish team that won the British Home Nations Championship in 1914.

But – as ever in his life – drama was not far away.
In March 1915, he became embroiled in an infamous betting scandal that saw relegation-threatened United defeat Liverpool.

Patrick missed a penalty in the game, and it later emerged that a small group of players from both clubs had fixed for the score to finish 2-0.

Seven players were banned for life, and although Patrick was never implicated, his name remains indelibly linked to the shameful episode.

“Patrick may have known what was going on, but he decided he didn’t want to know about it and didn’t get involved,” says Sue O'Connell, wife of his grandson Mick, who has spent years researching Patrick’s life.“We know he ended up as a supervisor at Boland’s Mill in Dublin before football came calling.”

The outbreak of the First World War meant that the Football League was soon suspended, and Patrick guested part-time for other clubs while working in a munitions factory.

The league did not resume until 1919–20 - by which stage Patrick had signed for Dumbarton in Scotland.

After a season there, he moved on to Ashington in the north-east of England - where he eventually became player-coach and started to hone the skills that would serve him so well in management.

But his personal life was not going quite so smoothly, as his marriage to Ellen began to dissolve.

So, in 1922, he took the chance to leave his family and take up the role as manager of Racing Santander in northern Spain.
He managed the club for seven years, guiding them to five regional titles. In 1928, they became founding members of the Spanish top division, La Liga.

His reputation soared in Spain, where he became known as Don Patricio and was admired by fans all around the country.

He went on to manage Real Oviedo for two years and then spent three seasons at Real Betis - where his legendary status became guaranteed.

He lead Betis to the La Liga title in 1935 - it remains their only top-division success and he is still a hero to the club’s fans.

Soon, Barcelona were in touch and a move to Catalonia followed. He guided the club to the Spanish Cup Final in his first year in charge - only to lose 2-1 to bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Then, for the second time in Patrick’s life, the outbreak of war impacted on his football career.

La Liga was suspended when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936-37, but clubs in the Republican regions of Spain competed in their own ‘Mediterranean League’ and Barcelona triumphed there.

The Civil War ultimately meant falling finances - but then, out of the blue, an unusual business opportunity was offered to Barcelona.

Manuel Mas Soriano, a Mexican former basketball player, asked the club to tour his homeland and the USA for a guaranteed fee of $15,000 - a huge amount in 1937.

They travelled for two months, and won eight of their 10 games - as well as an army of global fans that exists to this day.
Patrick was very proud to be in charge of the team when they went from Mexico to New York,” says Sue.

“That trip earned them a lot of money, which essentially saved the club from financial ruin.”

Patrick remained as Barca manager until 1940, then moved back to Betis for two years before taking over Sevilla.

He finished his management career in Spain, where it all started - back with Racing Santander from 1947-1949.

He was briefly reunited with his son Daniel during his last years, but the two discovered they had little in common and he never fully reconnected with any of his children before he died at age 71 in February 1959.

Revered as the man who helped save Barcelona, there remains a bust of him in the club museum and he is remembered on their website.

His death certificate records he was killed by pneumonia, and he was buried alongside his sister Christina in a graveyard in Kilburn, north-west London.

“It is very sad to think that he lies in an unmarked grave,” says Sue.

Now, Mick and Sue intend to approach United and Barcelona and ask both clubs if they are prepared to contribute to a proper memorial to be placed at his grave.
“We hope they will agree,” says Sue. “Given the remarkable role he has in football history, he deserves a lot more.”

amazing guy ...

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 07:02

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David Villa scored in his first competitive appearance of the year and Lionel Messi netted a brace as Barcelona claimed a convincing 5-1 victory over Real Sociedad in new coach Tito Vilanova's Primera Division debut in the Nou Camp hotseat.

Villa, who missed the second half of last season and Euro 2012 after breaking his leg in December, netted after appearing as a late substitute to complete the win as Barca showed it was business as usual despite this summer's departure of record-breaking coach Pep Guardiola.

Earlier, during a frenetic start which saw four goals scored in the opening 16 minutes, Barca charged into a 3-1 lead with Carles Puyol - who also missed Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 campaign through injury - notching the first.

Sociedad briefly drew level when Gonzalo Castro netted but Messi then struck twice in five minutes to put the home side two goals clear.

Pedro Rodriguez then added a fourth before the break before Villa climbed off the bench to also get his name on the scoresheet as Vilanova's men made an impressive start to their Primera Division campaign.

Perhaps boosted by Real Madrid's 1-1 home draw with Valencia earlier in the evening, Barca - who saw their three-year reign as Spanish champions ended by Jose Mourinho's side last season - came flying out of the blocks and needed just four minutes to take the lead when Puyol powerfully headed home Xavi's corner.

That was the ideal start for Barca but they were lucky to still be ahead 60 seconds later as Sociedad forward Antoine Griezmann narrowly missed turning in a cross at full stretch.

However, Barca failed to heed that warning as five minutes later the visitors drew level as Castro latched onto a Asier Illarramendi through-ball before beating Victor Valdes with a rising shot at his near post.

Any chance of a Sociedad upset was banished within seven minutes, though, as Barca star Messi worked his magic.

The Argentina ace, who scored an astonishing 73 goals last season, put the hosts back in front with a shot from inside the area and he made it 3-1 with a close-range finish after his initial effort had been deflected out to Cristian Tello on the left, with the winger bundling a cross back into the danger area.

Messi was denied a hat-trick by the feet of visiting goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the 36th minute before Griezmann tried his luck with an audacious long-range lob that the back-peddling Valdes tipped over.

If that had gone in it could have put a different complexion on the match, but the contest was put to bed four minutes later when Pedro made it 4-1 with a half-volley at the far post following another Tello cross.

There was just one more goal after the break, but it was a notable one as Villa's name finally appeared on the scoresheet after an absence of eight months.

Spain's record goalscorer replaced Pedro in the 75th minute for his first competitive appearance since suffering his injury, and within nine minutes of his arrival he found the back of the net with a perfect left-footed finish from Andres Iniesta's cut-back.

faldo

(3,494 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 08:31

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Barca were class last night..Jesus the way they pass the ball around..one touch passes..one twos..splitting the defence wide open.they remind me a little of everton!!!

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 09:23

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well faldo lets hope everton get a similar result tonight ,that would be sweet :) barca were good without been brillent last night , the defence looks more dodgy than ever , i guess they might be planing to play song as a c/half ? cant see where else he can play and for 19m he is expensice squad player !
anyway roll on the w/end and the 1st clash of the season with RM , that sould be fun !

faldo

(3,494 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 09:27

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Is that game on Thursday night?
Barca and real are all about attack.they did look poorish at the back alright.will song start cb?

corcaighabu92

(1,149 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 11:45

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When are Barca and Madrid playing?? I will be shouting for Madrid but I have a feeling Barca will be out for revenge and way too strong.

guigsy

(7 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 13:27

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Think you might be right re. Song. I'm not sure they need a defensive midfielder, the role he undertook with Arsenal, so he might slot in next to Puyol as Mascherano did. What amazes me about Barca is why they don't just spend money on a quality left sided centre half, Vermaelen would fit into the team perfectly, instead of buying holding midfielders like Mascherano and Song and attempting to mould them into defenders. 19M seems a huge price for Song and after watching Arsenal at the weekend, his signings, Cazorla in particular, prove that Arsene's ability to do sound business should never be underestimated.
It will be interesting to see how Tito gets on, handles the undoubted pressure attached to managing Barca, handles Mourinho and above all handles a squad full of multiple trophy/award winners. As much as everyone says you can't live in the past or compare new coaches to old coaches, Pep is revered in the city and comparisons are bound to be made. I hope he does well.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 20-Aug-2012 15:14

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the super cup game is live on sky sports 1 on thurs night @9.30pm .
as regards the c/half im surprised they didnt sign javi martinez from bilbao , but it seems he may be on his way to bayern , great player and would have been perfect for barca..
another point to consider is the lack of money in spain , most clubs in la liga are broke !
this summer la liga is 7th on the list of league spenders across europe , i think the 'championship' has only spend around 10m less in 8th place , times are hard in spain. barca and RM are not immune to this tho they have clear advantage over other clubs there due to unfair tv deals and greater pulling power .
tonight barca play sampdoria in the annual joan gamper trophy , its been going since 1966 and is played to honour the man who founded, played and was also presedent of barca .. he was from basel in switz and chose there colours when deciding the barca colours..
the reason its sampdoria tonight is because its 20 years since the famous night in wembley when barca won the european cup for the 1st time with that koeman free kick in the 111 min ..

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 21-Aug-2012 14:01

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Sampdoria wins FC Barcelona’s Joan Gamper Trophy (0-1)

Barcelona (FCB).- The 47th edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy was won by Genovese outfit Sampdoria against a Barça side containing a large number of reserves. In extremely hot conditions, Barça dominated for most of the 90 minutes, but failed to find a response to the Italian club’s early opener. Sampdoria thus gained belated revenge for their defeat, twenty years earlier, in the historic European Cup final at Wembley.

Sampdoria take early lead

With an unusual starting eleven lacking any of the players that had beaten Real Sociedad just 24 hours earlier, Barça were stunned by a Soriano header in the very first move of the match. Not that changed the home team’s system, led by Sergi Roberto in a man of the match winning performance, with passes from him and Espinosa producing the perfect service to strikers Villa, Afellay and Deulofeu.

Control creates few chances

Where Barça were lacking was in the final metres. Almost all of the play was in the Italian half, but Sampdoria were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure while looking for chances on the counter attack. The visitors came close to extending their lead, but Maxi López’s goal was disallowed for offside and in the 35th minute, the former Barça man was again denied, this time by a truly tremendous save from Pinto.

At the other end, Sergi Roberto came close to heading home a cross, Afellay almost found the net as well, and there were also a couple of opportunities for Deulofeu, but Barça were still trailing by the solitary goal at the break.

Feeling the heat

Tito Vilanova made no changes during the interval. The action had barely restarted when Deulofeu came close to converting a Roberto assist, but visiting goalkeeper Romero did well. Barça spent almost the entire second half hovering around the Sampdoria area, but clearly lacking playing rhythm and also affected by the stifling heat, the chances were few and far between and most of the action was in the terraces, where the adverse scoreline didn’t seem to be having any effect on the enthusiasm among the spectators.

Desire against officiousness

Pozzi almost sentenced the match in a one on one with Pinto, but his 65th minute effort struck the post. Shortly after, Villa was calling for a penalty in his final intervention before being substituted by Román. That meant that the only first team squad members left on the field were Montoya, Bartra, Dos Santos and Afellay, the latter serving as captain. But no matter how much the Catalans tried, the Italians were able to deal with everything thanks to some admirably officious defending. It ended 1-0, and the Gamper Trophy is off to Genoa.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 22-Aug-2012 15:11

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Real Madrid and Barcelona renew their Spanish Super Cup rivalry on Thursday when Tito Vilanova faces Jose Mourinho at the Camp Nou stadium, where the two coaches famously clashed last year.

Last August's match at Barcelona ended with both teams brawling on the field and Madrid coach Mourinho poking Vilanova in the eye with his finger. Barcelona won the Super Cup 5-4 on aggregate.

Mourinho apologized this summer, aiming to calm tensions before his first meeting with Vilanova as a fellow head coach.

"This isn't about Pep (Guardiola) or Tito, this is about (playing) Barca and that's how we're approaching it," Mourinho said Wednesday. "I think it's a game that will have little effect and if I could choose, I'd choose what happened last year where we lost the Super Cup and won the league. If losing is a motivation for winning the league, I'd sign off on it now."

The match Thursday is the first of two legs. Madrid hosts the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sept. 30.

Vilanova, who was an assistant to Guardiola last season, has had a better start to the league after Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 5-1, while Madrid drew 1-1 with Valencia.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to shake off a forgettable opening game and show his Ballon d'Or credentials against three-time defending world player of the year Lionel Messi, who followed his record 50-goal season with a pair of goals in the La Liga opener.

Barcelona's new signings will get their first taste of the "clasico," the name given to the matchup between Spain's top rivals.

"The last few times we've gone to Barcelona, we've always played well and the result always goes down to the wire," said Mourinho, who was originally banned from both legs of this year's Super Cup only for the federation to lift his suspension and Vilanova's one-match ban for a retaliatory slap.

It is the 12th meeting between Madrid and Barcelona since Mourinho's arrival in 2010. Barcelona has won five and lost twice, including 2-1 in their last matchup at the Camp Nou in April. That victory wrapped up Madrid's first league title since 2008.

Barcelona went on to beat Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final to close out Guardiola's last season with a trophy and return to the Super Cup, which pits league winner against cup champion. The competition is scheduled to be played in China next summer.

Madrid defender Pepe will miss the match as he recovers from concussion, leaving Raul Albiol to partner Sergio Ramos at center back. Barcelona striker David Villa should be available after scoring on his return from injury, while midfielder Alex Song could feature after joining from Arsenal.

faldo

(3,494 Posts)

Posted: 22-Aug-2012 15:47

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Was over in barca last week and took the tour of the stadium.its impressive but I've been to a few in my time and you couldn't really feel a since of atmosphere.i know it must be serious on match day tho!
Some set up there and a very impressive trophy collection

Mike Baldwin

(26 Posts)

Posted: 22-Aug-2012 16:56

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Originally posted by faldo:
Was over in barca last week and took the tour of the stadium.its impressive but I've been to a few in my time and you couldn't really feel a since of atmosphere.i know it must be serious on match day tho!
Some set up there and a very impressive trophy collection

didn't think much of the stadium tour myself

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 24-Aug-2012 00:08

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good 1st half, great 2nd half , barca should have at least a 2 goal lead for 2nd leg but so be it , great to watch , visca el barca !

Real Madrid have two away goals and a chance to turn around this result in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup, but Barcelona will be heading into Wednesday's match as favorites to lift the trophy. Los Blancos jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but Barca stormed back to go ahead 3-1. They appeared to be coasting to a two-goal victory before Victor Valdes gifted Madrid a goal, and the visitors will be heading back to the Santiago Bernabeu feeling like they have an excellent chance to win the cup after their 3-2 loss at Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi had a very solid game, but was not at his best. He had two poor misses in a first half which was reminiscent of the second half of the last season, when Barcelona regularly dominated but inexplicably failed to score. Messi's great chances came in the 18th and 29th minutes, and he pulled both shots wide when he had a clear shooting lane.

The end of the second half featured a penalty shout for Alexis Sanchez, though no one made very much of it. Sergio Ramos appeared to make contact with Sanchez on the edge of the box, but Sanchez appeared to embellish the contact and no penalty was given. Eventually, Ramos' errors would catch up with him and Madrid.

Raul Albiol, Madrid's replacement in defense for the injured Pepe, had an absolutely terrible first half filled with aggressive fouls. Incredibly, he did not see his first yellow card until the 51st minute, then toned down his aggression significantly. It was about that time that Barcelona started playing much better and looking much more comfortable with their attacking movement.

However, for all of Barcelona's pretty play and domination of possession, they couldn't produce a goal in the early going. Madrid did very little going forward throughout the match, but they got on the board first with a great set piece routine, finished off by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 55th minute. Mesut Özil provided the assist with a chipped cross into the box after the corner, and Ronaldo rose above the Barcelona defense to head the ball past Valdes.

They weren't able to celebrate their lead for very long. It took less than two minutes for Barcelona to find the equalizer, opening up the match considerably. With an uncharacteristic pinpoint long ball, Javier Mascherano set up the Blaugrana's first goal, hitting a perfect pass. Pedro picked it up and created a shot for himself with a perfect first touch, then placed the ball by Iker Casillas to tie up the score at 1-1.

For the next 13 minutes, the match was wide open with half-chances on both sides, but Ramos managed to end any chance of his side taking a win back to Madrid. In the 69th minute, he hauled down Andres Iniesta in the box and the referee correctly pointed to the spot. Messi stepped up and buried the penalty, putting Barcelona ahead.

The Blaugrana extended their lead in the 78th minute on a very typical Barcelona passing move, with Iniesta setting up Xavi for the goal. Iniesta timed his pass perfectly and somehow snuck a pass through two Madrid defenders, finding Xavi who barely stayed onside on his run. He finished calmly, extending Barcelona's lead

With a two-goal lead, the Blaugrana would have gone into Wednesday's second leg as heavy favorites to win the Super Cup, but Valdes gave Madrid a way back into the tie. He inexplicably gave the ball away to Angel Di Maria while dwelling on the ball in his own penalty area, and after Valdes failed multiple times to win the ball back, Di Maria scored from inside the six-yard box.

Barcelona can be pleased with their performance, but they've left themselves more work in the second leg than they should have had. If it wasn't for Valdes' error, this tie would be close to wrapped up. Instead, Barcelona are only very slight favorites.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 25-Aug-2012 22:45

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6pm on sunday -sky sports , last season was a great game but bad result , looking forward to it ..

Barça have played a total of 34 La Liga matches at El Sadar. The Azulgrana record away to Osasuna stands at 12 victories, 11 draws and 11 defeats

The last time the Catalans played away to Osasuna was on February 11, the team lost 3-2

A month previous to the defeat in La Liga, Barça clinched a spot in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey by beating Osasuna 1-2 in Pamplona
El Sadar is one of the most feared stadiums for any FC Barcelona fan. The matches between Osasuna and Barça in Pamplona are almost always marked by vibrant and intense exchanges that demand the most of FC Barcelona’s players. Barça’s largest margin of victory at the Navarre grounds in its 34 visits is only 0-3 (2010/11 and 1998/99).

12 victories, 11 draws and 11 defeats

Despite Osasuna’s strength at home, Barça have come away with 12 victories and 11 draws. The Navarre side claimed the three points against the Azulgranas on 11 occasions.

The most recent battle between the two sides conjures up painful memories for almost every Culé. Last season, the team managed by Pep Guardiola were deprived of victory when Osasuna claimed a 3-2 victory at El Sadar. The blow proved crippling as much of the team’s title hopes hinged on winning the three points that evening. Barça’s defeat came on February 11, it was the last game the team lost away from the Camp Nou that season.

Cup victory

At the start of the year, on January 11, Barça visited El Sadar for the first time in the 2011/12 season. The Azulgranas clinched a spot in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey by beating Osasuna by 1-2 (goals from Alexis and Sergio Roberto). The victory, however, had a bitter aftertaste: Andreu Fonàs tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was sidelined for the rest of the season.

This Sunday, Tito Vilanova’s Barça return to Pamplona with the goal of beating a team that grows in ferocity when urged on by the hostile and packed stands of El Sadar.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 03:07

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Formed: 1899
European Cup/Champions League: 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1978-79, 1981-82, 1988-89, 1996-97
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (Europa): 1955-58, 1958-60, 1965-66
La Liga: 21
Copa Del Rey: 25
Copa de La Liga: 2
Supercopa de Espana: 9

Barcelona pride themselves on being, as their motto says, "more than a club". They are owned and run by supporters, and are determined to represent the community of Catalonia with nobility and integrity. They have won 20 league titles and 10 major European trophies.
The club was founded in 1899 when Joan Gamper placed a newspaper advert stating that he planned to form a football club. Eleven players attended - included Walter Wild, who would become the club's first president. Barcelona took part in the first ever Copa del Rey in 1902, losing 2-1 to Club Vizcaya in the final, and went on to win the tournament seven times between 1910 and 1928 - most of those with the considerable aid of the Filipino striker Paulino Alcantara, whose 357 goals are still a club record. The following season they won their first championship, their last trophy before the war.
It was in the Fifties that Barcelona started to establish themselves as one of Europe's premier sides. They won three La Ligas and five Copa del Reys; they built a new stadium, the famous Nou Camp; and they were the first winners of the Fairs Cup, the forerunner to the Europa League. The tournament ran for from 1955 to 1958, and Barcelona hammered a London XI 8-2 on aggregate in the final.
In 1961 Barcelona became the first team ever to beat Real Madrid in the European Cup, only to then lose to Benfica in the final. It was the start of a miserable decade, in which they failed to win La Liga or the Euroepan Cup. Two more Fairs Cups and four Copa del Reys were only partial consolation.
The arrival of Johan Cruyff in 1973 led immediately to an overdue title - in a season which included a 5-0 win away to Real Madrid - but that was Barcelona's only La Liga triumph between 1960 and 1985. They won the Cup Winners' Cup for the first time in 1978, repeating the feat in 1982. Yet despite the world-record signing of Diego Maradona in 1982, it was not until the appointment of Terry Venables in 1984 that they returned to the summit of Spanish football.
With Maradona sold to Napoli, Venables' side won La Liga in 1984-85 and then reached the European Cup final a year later, losing on penalties to Steaua Bucharest after missing all four of their spot-kicks. Real Madrid won five titles in a row between 1985 and 1990, but in 1988 Cruyff returned as manager and carefully compiled his 'Dream Team', which included the likes of Ronald Koeman, Romario and Hristo Stoichkov.
They won four titles in a row from 1991 to 1994 - even though, incredibly, they were in second place going into the final day on the last three occasions - and in the midst of that domestic hegemony came nirvana when, in 1992, Ronald Koeman's scorching free-kick gave Barcelona victory over Sampdoria and, with it, their first-ever European Cup.
Bobby Robson claimed the Cup Winners' Cup and the Copa del Rey in his only season, 1996-97, and Louis van Gaal won La Liga for the next two years, but Barcelona were a frequent mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous around the turn of the century. Never was that better reflected than in 2000-01: after a woeful domestic season, Barcelona had to beat Valencia at home on the final day to finish in the top four and gain a Champions League place. They did so, just, thanks to an astonishing hat-trick from Rivaldo, including a last-minute winner that went straight into folklore.
For a time Barcelona seemed frumpy in comparison to Real's galacticos, not least when Real stole Luis Figo from them in 2000, but their faith in youth (Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Carlos Puyol) was rewarded when a brilliant side - augmented by the occasional star signing such as Ronaldinho - emerged under Frank Rijkaard. They won the Champions League in 2006, and also consecutive titles, but then began to lose their way.
In the summer of 2008, Rijkaard was replaced by the former midfield schemer Pep Guardiola, whose first season was astonishingly successful: Barcelona became the first Spanish side to do the Treble of league, cup and European Cup. En route they slaughtered Real Madrid 6-2 in the Bernabeu. They completed a miraculous 2009 when they won the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the Club World Championship to complete an unprecedented sextuple.
Barcelona retained the title in 2010, setting a new record for a 38-game Spanish season by amassing 99 points, and also supplied seven of the starting XI when Spain beat Holland in the World Cup final. The following season, the glory continued as they wrapped up another league title and beat Manchester United 3-1 in London to get their hands back on the Champions League trophy. And they continued to play a style of football whose purity was almost without compare. Never mind Catalonia: at times, Barcelona were from another planet.
After such success, a lull had to come and they could only add the 2012 Copa del Rey to their impressive list. At the end of the season, Guardiola decided to take a break and left the future of the club in the hands of his assistant Tito Vilanova.

pongo

(25 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 13:52

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Are you the same caidman who 2 years ago was calling the current crop of Barca players despicable and a disgrace to the game? If I'm right you were cheering strongly for Real Madrid against Barca in their champions league semi-final tie at that time!!

Not sure how to suss out the old search function on this site, maybe somebody could find these statements from this hardcore Barca 'fan'?

Mes que un club :-)

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:04

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2nd half on sky sports now ,they didnt show 1st half but by all accounts barca not playing well, h/t team osasuna lead 1-0 , hopefully things will improve and ive just backed barca to win 1-3 ..

faldo

(3,494 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:17

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It was on the red button

murraymarmalade

(2,008 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:21

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Thats a mad kit Barca have got.

theface2010

(3,490 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:23

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Originally posted by murraymarmalade:
Thats a mad kit Barca have got.

It's 'orrible murray.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:40

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good comeback , 1-2 now , hopeing for a third !!
faldo - i dont have the red button ..
murray - i have that jersey , think its quite fetching !

Arkle

(1,357 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:44

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That away kit is putrid. T'would almost give you a seizure looking at it.

caidman

(1,541 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 19:55

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1-2 win for barca , made hard work of it, lucky to win , and for sure not at there best , messi scores 2 to save the day , next up the 2nd leg of the super cup in midweek, 3 wins from 3 is a nice start to season..

murraymarmalade

(2,008 Posts)

Posted: 26-Aug-2012 20:24

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Originally posted by caidman:
2nd half on sky sports now ,they didnt show 1st half but by all accounts barca not playing well, h/t team osasuna lead 1-0 , hopefully things will improve and ive just backed barca to win 1-3 ..

Unlucky with your bet caidman, I thought they might get a third at the end.
And that kit, its a bit like a Carlow jersey.

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