Just like Jonathan dos Santos (19) – who was praised by everyone for his performance on his debut on Saturday, there were also good remarks levelled at Thiago Alcantara (18) for his composed display on Tuesday despite the defeat.

The Brazilian-born player, in his first official match for the first team, started the match alongside Andres Iniesta and Rafael Marquez in midfield. Against Sevilla, one of the top teams in Spain, it was sort of a trial by fire for the young player. He played for 70 minutes before being replaced by the player he hopes to emulate, Xavi Hernandez.

A match that will always be remembered by him, Thiago reminisce about the moment, “I only found out that I would be in the starting eleven a few minutes before the match, and I was not expecting it.”

“I hope that this can continue.”

Demonstrating his maturity beyond his years, Thiago was not awestruck by the stage or the opponent, giving an impressive display all-round.

“It is the only way I know how to play,” was his reply, noting his gratitude to his seniors for their treatment and advice before the match, “They are a fantastic group of players,” the player said.

Denying that he has a strong character, Thiago said, “It is not my personality. I have a lot of respect for everyone, but sometimes, that is just how I am on the pitch.”

Asked what he thinks of the coach, the player said, “Even though Pep has a serious personality, I have never seen him mad.”

Finally, touching the team’s chances of in the Copa, Thiago thinks that they can still qualify even though it is “tough.”

Barça is already working on their 2010-11 objectives

RIBÉRY

The blaugrana club hasn’t resigned to sign the Frenchman, who is still the first option for Guardiola.

CESC

Fàbregas can only sign for Barça to perpetuate and style which must not be exported to Madrid.

Piqué 2015. Barça wants to extend his contract until 2015 and triple his buyout clause.

BLACK HAND AGAINST BARÇA

Madrid’s media pressure takes effect

Guardiola complains: “There’s a rumour in Spain about Barça being helped by the referees.”

Messi warns: “What’s the point about complaining if in Madrid it’s said that we’ve benefited from referees decisions?“

Márquez, resigned: “This year will be difficult and we’ll have to live with that.”

The squad protects Chygrynskiy. They ask the fans to support him as well.

[Non Barça Related]

Ribéry slipping away from Madrid. He talks about staying at Bayern.

Calcio. Beckham and Ronnie have scored many goals. They are together again in Milan.

Lionel Messi visiting “Hospital del Mar”, to distribute gifts among the children who are admitted into the hospital. Alongside Messi, Milito and Marquez was also visiting “Hospital del Mar”. Furthermore, Xavi, Iniesta and Bojan visited Sant Joan De Deu while Pique, Ibrahimovic and Guardiola could be found at Vall d’Hebron. There’s a slideshow awaiting at --->Sport.es<---, if you’re interested in the rest of the photographs.

Our Factfile series return after a brief hiatus and to kick off our new year edition, we thought  it an auspicious occasion to pay tribute to the Barcelona player who, eighty years ago, scored the club’s first ever league goal.

His name was Manuel Parera, one of two Parera brothers who played for Barcelona in the 1920’s, the other being defender, Ramon. Described as a younger winger of blistering pace, Parera claimed the honors of having scored the club’s first ever league goal.

It happened in February 1929 at the El Sardinero against Racing Santander, a fate which, in 2009, was embraced by Argentine international and Barcelona winger, Lionel Messi, who scored Barcelona’s 5,000th goal in the same pitch, against the same opponent. There were uncanny similarities in the two events: Parera, who was left footed just like Messi, was also 21 years old when he achieved his feat. He scored a brace against Racing as did Messi, and on the days these events would transpire, the El Sardinero was at its inhospitable best. Windy conditions hampered the matches and incessant rain, had turned the turf virtually unplayable. What differentiated the two events, was that in Lionel Messi’s Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Racing, Messi scored the two goals with his right foot.

From his much heralded debut in 2004, Messi went on to become the world’s best, garnering well deserved awards and accolades along the way. About one Manuel Parera, nobody wrote anything, not even for those couple of goals, perhaps a testament of how the game has changed with the times. This is our small tribute to the one who first wrote history: Manuel Parera was the man who worked as an electrician during the week, went to the movies on Saturday and on Sunday at Les Corts, he transformed into a goal scoring Barcelona winger, earning a monthly wage of 300 pesetas.

More than 7,000 people braved the cold to go to the Miniestadi for Thursday morning’s open doors training session. In the third year this has happened, this was the biggest turnout so far.

The first team left the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper for a day to train in the Miniestadi. And that was because Josep Guardiola and his players were training in front of anybody who wanted to be there. Plenty of people took this chance to came en masse to the stadium and see how the winners of six trophies train.

A thrill for the children

The doors to the Miniestadi opened at 9.30 and gradually the terraces filled, especially with children taking advantage of the fact that there was no school today. Lots of them came decked out in Barça clothing, scarves and other items or holding banners and enjoyed the excitement of this late Christmas gift from FC Barcelona.

Record attendance

Barcelona is cold and wet at the moment, but that didn’t prevent the Miniestadi from looking fantastic, with more than 7,000 people coming through the doors, manly children, a record for the event:

3-01-2008: 2,300 people
7-01-2009: 3,100 people
7-01-2010: 6,300 people

Lots of optimism


This was the first Barça session since home cup defeat to Sevilla, so it was especially morale boosting for there to be so many people there. Alves commented on that, saying "they have faith in our team and we wanted to make them happy.” The Brazilian, as well as all the other players, also signed autographs and posed for photos with the fans. This is the kind of day that Alves especially enjoys, and he said “these things make us greater and we love making the fans happy. They deserve all the effort we make ".

Enjoying the match

After the physical exercises, and after the players that started against Sevilla had withdrawn, the remaining players stayed to provide the people what they most wanted to see. On a downsized pitch, the squad played a match, and the fans especially enjoyed seeing the goals and admiring some saves from Valdés and Pinto.

Autograph session


Once it was over, the players thanked the fans by applauding them from the centre of the pitch. Then came the time for autographs and photos, with the players crowded by supporters seeking a memento of such a lovely occasion. The man they were particularly after was Leo Messi, who didn’t stop signing his name and smiling at the cameras.

“I would not whistle any players from my team, and much less because of how things have been going. I support my team-mates and I would ask the support of the fans toward all of the players.”

Sergio Busquets, FC Barcelona, on the fans who whistled at Chygrynskiy during the game against Sevilla.

The awards kept coming for FC Barcelona for the spectacular year that they have last year. Winning six titles – all the official cups that it competed in – the team, and its players and coach have been garnering recognitions after recognitions from every football and some other sports-related organizations, magazines and websites, almost every week since they won the UEFA Champions League in May.

And now, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), the Catalan club closed the year 2009 as the top ranking football club in the world with a clear advantage over second-placed Chelsea, and Manchester United, third – a ranking system that was started in 2001.

With 44 wins, 15 draws and only 5 losses in its 64 official matches, Barcelona was proclaimed by the Federation as its ‘2009 Best Team in the World’. The award ceremony will be held on 1 February in London.

The following is a list of the top ten teams with their scores, which takes into account league matches, cup and international competitions.

1. FC Barcelona (Spain) 4,341.0 points

2. Chelsea FC (England) 4,292.0

3. Manchester United FC (England) 4,291.0

4. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) 4,275.0

5. SV Werder Bremen (Germany) 4,272.0

6. Hamburg (Germany) 4,264.0

7. Arsenal (England) 4,260.0

8. Estudiantes de La Plata (Argentina) 4,243.0

9. Cruzeiro EC Belo Horizonte (Brazil) 4,235.0

10. Galatasaray (Turkey) 3,219.0


And according to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is ranked by the IFFHS as the best coach for the year 2009 – an award handed out by the Federation since 1996.

The award is decided by Federation members’ vote – from a number top club coaches selected by a special jury, not only based on trophies won, but also their abilities to influence their teams – taking into account their ability to leave an indelible stamp in the form of attractive, revolutionary or simply domineering football.

THE WORLD’S BEST TEAM

Barça, proclaimed the best 2009 team by IFFHS. Madrid is 23rd.

“GUARDIOLA, RENEW!”

People in the street wants Pep to renew his contract, who went to some hospitals to bring joy to sick childrens yesterday .

BLAUGRANA’S PASSION

7,000 brave fans, three times the number in Madrid, watched their idols’ training live.

RECORD OF EXCITEMENT

6,300 culés during the open training session.

Pep has everything under control. He told his players that he trusts them more than ever.

The team concentrating on their own campaigns. The players ignores the pressure coming from Madrid.

The fans support them. No one has any doubt about the players’ commitment.

Busquets speaks about the referees too. Two more referees viewed with suspicion by Barça.

Laporta, Godall and Ferrer will meet today.

[Non Barça Related]

Madrid: Florentino chooses the team. The galactic ones (Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Benzema) will always play because he says so.