The president of La Liga basement club Xerez, Carlos de Osma, has stepped down after threats were made against him and his family.

"I have resigned for personal reasons," De Osma said, "I have received threats, as have my wife and children.

"If people want to have a team in La Liga it depends on everyone, not just the players. Cutting down the criticisms would help."

Xerez lost 2-0 at home to champions Barcelona on Wednesday, and have managed only one win in their first top-flight campaign.

Unconfirmed sources claim that Barcelona would be interested in Sao Paulo attacking midfielder Lucas Piazon (15). He is considered one of the best player of his age group in Brazil and Barcelona would be keen to secure the youngsters services before other top clubs, including EPL giants like Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. Piazon has been compared to former Sao Paulo youth product Kaka, who nowadays is a fixed starter both in club and international football. They both started their careers at Sao Paulo and they play in the same position.

So goes the caption in a featured article on Barcelona attacking midfielder non pareil Andres Iniesta published by British newspaper The Times the day before the Catalans would meet up with old rivals Real Madrid for the first leg of their yearly encounter known as El Clasico.

San Andres, as Iniesta’s fans fondly call him, revealed in the Times’  interview that he loves the Rocky films of American actor Sylvester Stallone, a surprising choice for the mild mannered player portrayed as a shy, boyish, self effacing, slightly sleepy “gusiluz”, or glow in the dark persona in the Catalan television hit series “Crackovia”.

Iniesta, who  is reportedly amused with this portrayal, however insists that the shy and timid caricature is unlike the man in real life.  Speaking about his preparations for the Champions League final with Manchester United, the ace midfielder who had been injured and in doubt to play, reportedly said he pushed himself to the limit: “Leading up to the final, I was prepared to sacrifice everything to be there. Think of the film Rocky. That was me, only without the woolly hat and without landing punches into lumps of meat.”

He did play and excelled in Rome, and upon returning to Barcelona for the Camp Nou celebration, Iniesta said he dressed specially for the occasion: “I had a scarf around my head, like Rambo.”  He was  joking of course, but there is no denying he was Ramboesque the night he scored the winning goal in the decisive Champions League semi finals against Chelsea.

The gusiluz indeed glows best on the big nights, as he recently once again proved in Sunday’s El Clasico and days before in the Champions League group stage match against Italian side, Internazionale. Asked why his Inter squad had looked so inferior to Barça, defeated coach Jose Mourinho merely shot back with his own question: “How many Iniestas are there in the world?”

In the Xerez post-match press conference last night, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted to the tough nature of the match but is satisfied because the team had passed the test and had taken the three points. On the other hand, he was unhappy with the bad game image the team gave and felt that they have taken a step backwards with respect to the matches against Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

“We struggled throughout the match. In part, this is normal because we have just gone through a very intense week. I thought it would be good to put in players who are mentally and physically fresh, but that decision has also affected our game. It was a precarious game to the end. They ran us to the ground, we were not as fluid with the ball and we played too slow,” analysed the Blaugrana coach with some disappointment, “But then, I won’t reproach the team as I know that they have given their all on the pitch.”

In any case, he admitted that “the quality of the team was the deciding factor.”

Being his honest self, Pep Guardiola also showed his annoyance at the contrasting fortune his team has been having with away matches lately: “What happened to us in Osasuna was just a misfortune because if you play well you tend to kill games off. In that game, I was satisfied, but not now,” referring to team’s showing in Osasuna in spite of the last minute 1-1 draw.

Queried on his decision to bench Ibrahimovic, Messi and Iniesta, the Catalan coach said, “I have thought that out clearly. I was planning on using them depending on how the match developed.”

Touching on other players, Guardiola wanted to highlight Thierry Henry’s performance, not only for the goal but also because “he has done everything I have asked of him. He was by far our most unsettled player (confidence-wise). I hope matches like these will give him the confidence he needed,” while at the same time was sorry that Bojan Krkic failed to get on the score-sheet, something that could boost his: “It was just his bad luck that he had to play when the team was not in its best form. Nevertheless there is nothing to criticise about him.”

Pep hoped his team will regain their game form in their next game, saying, “We have five or six matches before Christmas, and that’s a lot. However, we just have to keep pushing ahead and it starts with this Saturday, as we are going to play against one of the best teams in the League.”

Guardiola concluded his press conference by saying “we won, but clearly not playing at our usual level. I will now have to wait for another match to see if this team still has the hunger to be champions again.”

His Xerez counterpart, Jose Angel Ziganda, meanwhile was more than satisfied with the performance of his men in putting “the best team in the world” under pressure on more than one occasion: “Barcelona has so much quality that any one of its twenty players can start in any Champions League match – referring to the Inter match. Therefore, I could not say that I breathed easy when it was announced that Ibra and Messi would not start. We have taken this match very seriously, never losing face to Barcelona, and tried to play a very organized defensive game.”

Sport
‘Barca scrapes through a difficult match’

“After three straight draws on the road, Barcelona finally got their victory away from the Camp Nou in a match where Guardiola’s men had to suffer to secure all three points. Xerez, la Liga’s basement team and their bad pitch failed to prevent Henry and Ibrahimovic from scoring two sensational goals” the Catalan sports paper Sport opens up.

“With a line-up more suited to a Copa match, Barcelona tried to take control of the match from the start as it tried to impose its playing style. Very soon however, it realised that the match would not exactly be a bed of roses. Without Messi and Iniesta in the starting line-up and with a slightly patched up defence, the Catalan side committed a lot mistakes and there was no player who can unsettle the smaller but extremely motivated side”.

“Guardiola had already warned that the match in Chapin was not going to be easy and it certainly was. Having played against Inter and Madrid at full intensity, it was difficult for the players to maintain that passion when playing against the bottom side club. Added to this is the bad state of the Municipal de Chapin’s pitch that is more like a ‘potato patch’, unworthy of the Premier Division”.

“Although Barcelona has a lot of possession in the first half there was not one memorable play. Xavi was not comfortable and could not find the space to disrupt the opponent’s defence. Guardiola’s face on the bench was of concern, full of despair in seeing his players failing to overcome a rival who has only managed to acquire just two points from a possible 21”.

“The second forty-five could not have started better for the Blaugrana as after just one minute Henry scored the 0-1. Keita put Maxwell through, who floated in a delightful measured cross for the Frenchman to head in. It was a goal to savour, but considering that it was against la Liga’s bottom club, it was unbelievable that the goal only came then”.

“Fortunately, towards the end of the match, Ibrahimovic still has something in his repertoire. It was an extraordinary goal that left the crowd in awe, to put the ‘icing’ on one of the most uncomfortable meetings for Barcelona this season”.

“The good news, although we failed to see a good game to which we are accustomed to, are the three points achieved; demonstrating that Barcelona still knows how to overcome any adversity. It was an important victory for the Catalan side, and a new notice for its pursuers”, concludes the paper.

El Mundo Deportivo
‘0-2: Barca overcomes Xerez with goals from Henry and Ibrahimovic’

The other Catalan sports paper starts off by saying “Having overcame the uncertainty experienced in a frenetic week with duels against Inter and Madrid, Barcelona had to play in a match that attracts very little spotlight and glamour, yet one that its players has to win despite the fatigue”.

“Guardiola warned that this match will be a test for the team to gauge whether they still have the hunger to be champions again”.

“Barcelona was the clearly dominating from the start, but there was an obvious lack of pace in the movements and passes”.

“But what did not happen in the first 45 minutes, occurred in minute 1 of the second. It was the moment that was the key to start the game, a psychological goal from Henry. Maxwell, who was finally a destabilising factor on the left flank, put in a perfect cross for the French striker to head into the back of the net (0-1, min. 46)”.

“Xerez had to change the script as it was not enough for them to defend then. Though they troubled Valdes little, the home side was dreaming of catching Barcelona unawares on the counter”.

“Pep Guardiola introduced Messi and Ibrahimovic to add more punch to his attack line-up, in search of the killer blow”.

“The ghost of San Mamés (Bilbao) or Reyno de Navarre (Osasuna) did appear in some moments of the match. More fear than reality though. It was not the moment to again drop a few hard won points. Messi crashed the ball onto the post and Iniesta can be excused for doing the inexcusable thing”.

“Finally Ibra said enough, found some space, look for the ball from Leo and beat out the desperate Xerez goalkeeper, Renan (0-2, min. 92′)”.

“It was an epilogue to a tired, slow and boring match that will not enter into the history books. Three points, nevertheless, goes to Barcelona and in the rear-view mirror of the leader can be seen a plus-5 (points ahead of Real Madrid)”, analysed the paper.

Marca
‘Barca did enough’

“Barcelona complied with the law laid down by Xerez. Guardiola’s men executed the script of a movie doing just enough. The basement club showed its brave face despite the predicted defeat and held out as long as it could. Only Ibrahimovic, with his wonderful goal in the last breath, finally denying the team a modest dream from the visit of the champions of Europe”, the Madrid based paper summarised.

“The Catalan side did enough to get the five points difference they will hold over Madrid before the next round of matches this weekend”.

The three key points of the match are:

No Surprises. “Barcelona won at Jerez as expected. Three points won and opened up a five points lead to Madrid”.

He’s an artist. “Ibrahimovic ended the match with a beautiful sublime goal. It was worth waiting until the end to see the trickery from the Swede”.

Absent-mindedness. “Xerez lost their concentration for a second and Barcelona took advantage to open the scoring. Henry is the scorer”.

AS

‘An indistinguishable Barca’

“Exhausted after the matches against Inter and Madrid, Barcelona won in Chapin walking (slow match pace) and playing with fire, as if it were not chastened by the ending in Pamplona and Bilbao, where the team dropped four points into the garbage. Barcelona once again lacked the killer instinct that made it so devastating last season. It seems their gluttony for titles, is one of the cardinal sins”, the ultra-Real sports paper said.

“Guardiola is tired of repeating, since the end of el Clasico, that it is in matches like Xerez that la Liga title are won, but this time his speech had not quite sink in well with his players or at least just enough. However, Barcelona knew exactly what to do to win”.

“The Plan B, which looked like a rehearsal for the Copa, turned out to be a fiasco. Pedro was not the same player that played against Inter and Bojan, is certain to carry on being benched, and yet, just a year and a half ago, he was a serious candidate for a Spanish national team call-up for the European Championship; which he declined by choice. He missed being a champion and now, he is not even being considered for a World Cup call-up”.

“Guardiola had already decided to play Messi and Ibrahimovic after the break but Henry helped delay the changes. A header from the Frenchman, who has always put the team’s interest ahead of his ego. He, however, was unable to kill the game off. But then, Ibrahimovic came to settle things towards the end, and it is no wonder Pep really wanted the Swede (during the summer)”, the article ends.

DELICIOUS

Ibra’s elegance wins the heart of anybody and his trick collection seems to be infinite

10 goals, 6 assists.

The four (catalan) cooking artists dedicate one of their creations to Ibrahimovic.

[Chef, "Restaurant" (place where is the restaurant). Dish.]

Ferran Adrià, “El Bulli” (Cala Montjoi). “Huevas de Kalix” (Kalix’ roes).

Josep Roca with his brothers Joan and Jordi, “El Celler de Can Roca” (Girona). “Orange chromatism”, which is a dessert.

Carme Ruscalleda, “Sant Pau” (Sant Pol de Mar). “Prawns and artichokes on their three textures”

Santi Santamaría, “El Racó de Can Fabes” (Sant Celoni). The ”pilota” (ball in catalan) of the typical catalan ”escudella”. (Escudella is a kind of soup made with many ingredients as meat, vegetables…which has a ball of meat called “pilota” as the most tasty ingredient)

IBRA PROVES GUARDIOLA WAS RIGHT (when he asked Barça for signing Ibra up)

Goal scorer: He’s scored 9 goals in the League so far

Decisive: Opened Barca’s scoreline 5 times

Adjusted (to live in Barcelona): He likes the city and identifies with it.

The best team to win Deportivo. The cracks will be starters again.

[Non Barça Related]

The religious “sect” which Kaká belongs to is being investigated in Brazil.

Spain will know today who will they play against in 2010 World Cup.

Despite calls of crises, complaints of poor transfers and cribbings about a small squad, this current FC Barcelona squad has actually gained the best league start ever in the illustrious 110 year old history of the club. Skeptics said that it would be impossible to repeat the feats of the treble winning team last season. They were right, because this team has, thus far, not repeated last year’s performance – they have bettered it.

Though the goals haven’t been as free-flowing as they were last year, points this year have been a little kinder. The previous best start to the season after round 13 was last year’s performance with 10 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. This year, Barca stands pretty at the top of the league with 33 points earned with 10 wins and 3 draws. Out of a maximum possible 39 points this is 85% of the maximum possible points.

Of course, this team has already won two trophies – the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

According to BBC African sports programme ‘Fast Track’, five players has been nominated this year’s ’BBC African Footballer of the Year’ award .

The nominees are:

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea)

Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea)

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, Inter Milan)

Tresor Mputu Mabi (DR Congo, TP Mazembe)

Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Barcelona)

The award is the only one of its kind to be decided ultimately by the fans, via online voting right up until today, with the winner announced in four days time.

Vote for your favourite here and see full profiles of all the nominees

The BBC canvassed football experts across Africa to compile the shortlist, and takes into account the performances of professional African-born players over the last twelve months.

Last year’s winner was Mohamed Aboutrika of Al Ahly and Egypt after he helped his country to retain the Africa Cup of Nations and then won the African Champions League with his club.

It has to be remembered that this award is given out exclusively by the British Broadcasting Corporation, and is not affiliated with the official Confederation of African Football (CAF) ‘African Footballer of the Year’. Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor of Arsenal is the current holder of the award.

ps: votam toti Yaya Toure