It’s barely been 24 hours since Puyol could lift the trophy, which cemented the fact that FC Barcelona is the best club in the world. This was the sixth trophy in year, which has brought immense joy to Pep Guardiola, players and fans alike. One could easily be fooled into believing, that this was their last outing of the year, but one would be wrong then. The squad has just touched down in the airport of Kuwait City, ahead of their friendly fixture against Kazma Sporting Club. Kick-off is tomorrow (monday), at 17.15 Barcelona time.

Until then, we have collected a series of pictures, ranging from the magnificent support they encountered in the airport, and the following press conference.

Sport

‘An honour for Barcelona, the champions’

“Not for the first time a scandalously bad and shameful refereeing could keep Barcelona from ending their year in a historic fashion; by becoming another Cup champion,” is how the Catalan paper described the outcome of last night’s final.

“Barcelona had a very bad first half, the worst we’ve seen since Pep Guardiola took over as coach. The players appeared nervous and stiff, as if the significance of the match overwhelmed them; a lot of uncertainties, errors and very little good moves to point out. Xavi was particularly lost; with Iniesta sidelined, he was not able to stamp his authority in midfield. Good balls were not reaching the forwards and a disaster was written all over the match for them. One fact says it all, in the first 45 minutes not a single shot on goal.”

“And as if that was not bad enough, the officiating of Mexican referee Benito Archundia was simply shameful. Even though the 0-1 score line at the break was beyond reproach for him, it was just outrageous that a character like him could be allowed to oversee a Club World Cup final. Unless of course, that was what FIFA was hoping for…”

“The 0-1 came in the 37th minute, when Diaz made a perfect cross for Boselli to head, beating Valdes. It was practically Estudiantes only attack, but it was better than what Barcelona could muster. In those first 45 minutes, the Catalan side neither had the ball nor made any good combination moves. And of course, when no moves are created, it’s hard to win anything…”

“After the break, Pep Guardiola ushered in Pedro in place of Keita. The Canary-born player took over the right wing and Messi assumed the role of the attacking midfielder.”

“Barcelona was a very different side from the one playing in the first half. Estudiantes practically no longer existed. Its sole purpose was to challenge for the ball and to defend its lead tooth and nail.”

“The match was on its last death throes and still the goal did not come. But if at Stamford Bridge San (Saint) Andres Iniesta appeared, in the Zayed Stadium, it was San Pedro. With two minutes left, the player headed in the equaliser beyond the reach of Estudiante’s goalkeeper Albil, off an overhead cross from Pique.”

“The goal was justice for the effort the players put in the second 45, and the extra-time was their deserved reward.”

“In extra-time, Barcelona was the calmer side. They knew they have 30 minutes to score a goal, and the Estudiantes players were already tired and were emotionally affected by Pedro’s goal.”

“Barcelona spent virtually the entire first 15 minutes of extra-time in Estudiantes’ half of the pitch but was unable to find the goal.”

“In the next half, both teams were already very tired. But it is in these moments that great players usually came to the fore. Messi was the first to react to a Dani Alves searching long ball, chesting it into the back of the net. It was 1-2 to Barcelona.”

“They had managed to overcome a bad first half, and one of the most biased refereeing they have had to face in recent years to prove that they are the best; with their game, character, pride and in everything.”

“Congratulations, champions!”

El Mundo Deportivo

‘1-2: Barcelona, Champion of the World by defeating Estudiantes’

“Barcelona was proclaimed the Champion of the Club World Cup by defeating Estudiantes (1-2) in the final. It suffered and was a minute away from not being able accomplish the feat. In part it was because of their nervousness in the first half, and partly because of the disastrous performance of the Mexican referee Armando Archuna, first by denying Xavi the clearest of penalty and immediately afterwards permitted Boselli’s goal to stand when he was clearly in an offside position (1-0, min.36),” El Mundo Deportivo complains at the start of its article.

“Barcelona, the only club in the world capable of winning all of the official titles they competed in a year. The ‘Six-Cups Barca’ had completed the best year for the club since football clubs existed. Nobody, neither Arrigo Sacchi’s AC Milan, nor Alfredo di Stefano’s Real Madrid had accomplished what Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona has done.”

“Iniesta, whose strike at the Stamford Bridge opened the way for this final, was missing. But after the break, there was Pedro, the great Blaugrana hero, who already had his name engraved in gold in the history books for becoming the only football player to have managed to score in six different competitions in the same year.”

“This Saturday, the 19th of December of 2009, Pedro did it again. Coming in for Keita in the second half, into a Barcelona team that never stops believing, with a stellar Ibrahimovic, a tireless Alves, a trust-worthy Piqué, and with Pep Guardiola making an unprecedented move by playing Jeffren, in for Henry – a spectacular move, with an excellent Xavi, and Pedrito, now Don Pedro, whose header in the final minute overcame Albil to break once and for all the jinx with this trophy, that has already escaped them twice (1-1, min. 89).”

“In extra-time, Barcelona kept pummelling Estudiantes, unable to compete with the Champion of Europe physically and mentally. And the killer blow came from Messi, with the Ballon d’Or connecting with an Alves’ cross (1-2, min. 120).”

“Messi had given Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona an incredible year to be hailed not only as the best team in the World but also in the history of club football. And the titles back that up (Copa del Rey, la Liga, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup), apart from the results they achieved on their way to those titles (Madrid 2-6 Barca, Barca 4-0 Bayern, Barca 5-2 Lyons  …) to prove it. They completed the perfect year that nobody will be able to overcome simply because Barcelona has won everything.”

“Visca Barca! and Viva la Vida!”

Marca

‘All-conquering Barca deserves to go down in history’

“History surrenders to Barcelona. The Blaugrana team, brand new World Champion and holder of the title of ‘The best team ever’ clinched its sixth title of the year in an epic final that is full of drama. Estudiantes made the most of its opportunity in the first half through Boselli that lasted until the final minute when an opportunistic Pedro appeared to ensure the match goes into extra-time. It was then that Barcelona, full of heart, symbolised by the resilient Messi, who made it 2-1, and sent Pep’s team to the top of the World; the only one managing to accomplish an exploit of such calibre. This Barca team is already legendary, unique in the history of this great sport,” summarised the Madrid based paper.

“Guardiola was spot on when he shed a tear after the match. December 19, 2009; remember this date. The day in which Barcelona was proclaimed the Champion of the World; a day in which ‘Pep’s Team’ will go down the annals of history as the only team capable of winning six titles that it competed in, a feat that will be very difficult to match. That’s why this team and this year can never be replicated again.”

“How can anyone ever repeat this? This Barcelona team won on its merit, with its own style of football and with heart. To look at the significance of this victory; it was a final where they had to suffer, full of excitement and drama because, among other things, they nearly failed to win the title.”

“’Pep’s Team’ now has the World at its feet, and the best team in the world had already clinched their recognition.”

AS

‘Messi completes Barcelona’s perfect circle’

“Barcelona already had the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup of old that was missing from their resume, after a dramatic final in which it was left for dead and resuscitated by none other than Pedro, again,” AS starts its article.

“The Canary-born Player scored in regulation time and in extra-time, Barcelona pressed Estudiantes and their rival crumbled. Messi secured the victory, scoring by chesting the ball, that concluded a more than perfect year 2009.”

“They will go down in history as the perfect team, the year the Blaugrana team won six out of six titles possible. It will be the history of the hunger they have, of their style – elegant yet deadly – the marriage between art and obsessive effort.”

“And this is what Barcelona had demonstrated; the immense effort they put in to overcome their last obstacle, Estudiantes de La Plata, to win its first Club World Cup – the Intercontinental Cup version 2.0. The only blemish in its résumé erased the moment it ended a year that is like a dream for the Catalan club.”

“Guardiola had gone further because he walked in the footsteps of his great predecessors. His Barcelona, this triumphant team, brought together a respect for a tradition and a non-negotiable philosophy; Michels, Cruyff, Rijkaard … a road-map of Dutch footballing philosophy in all its dimensions that the Santpedor-born coach spent 25 of his 38 years of his life with.”

“La Masia, the club’s footballing school is the engine room that drives this team. La Masia’s, through its graduates, like it was in Rome and Monaco, again raised its flag in Abu Dhabi, this time with Pedro’s heroics – much more than a lucky player, and Messi – living up to more than his current status as the new Ballon d’Or.”

“Barcelona came back from almost being buried, to win their sixth title and to continue their non-losing streak in all competitions, except that is, for a handful of minor battles.”

“It was a year with numerous matches, a lot of finals, and so many appointments where they cannot fail against indistinguishable rivals.”

“With yesterday’s final already sealed, the team has finally completed a perfect circle that began 219 days ago at the final of the Copa del Rey.  Since then they have won every title they competed in; la Liga, Champions League, Spain’s Super Cup, European Super Cup… and the Club World Cup.”

“Guardiola confessed that to replicate this again in the future is bleak. But what is of no doubt is that the present, framed in this magical year 2009, is more than perfect,” the paper concludes.

Lukas Podolski (24), German international forward, has never hidden his fondness for Barcelona as can be seen in the picture accompanying this article, taken some years ago. The player, just like countless others that have confessed to have a liking for the title-winning Catalan club, said he would not hesitate to move to the Primera Liga club if given the opportunity.

In an interview published by German newspaper ‘Bild’ on Sunday, the Polish-born player openly said, “my dream is to one day play for Barcelona,” even though he acknowledged that he will still play for Cologne next season.

Podolski nevertheless said he will never totally abandon the German club, as was proven when he returned after a three year stint with Bayern Munich and would “make the same decision again without having second thoughts”.

“Cologne is my club, and my city. This team is like a woman who is not pretty but possesses an inner beauty, which is much more important,” Podolski said.

Currently the striker is not having a good season with the club, scoring just one goal after 16 rounds of Bundesliga matches, with Cologne itself languishing in 16th place in the 18-teams league. Even so, before his move to Bayern, Lukas Podolski managed to register 46 goals to his name in 81 appearances for the club from 2003 to 2006, and 15 in 72 matches for the Munich club (2006-09).