Barcelona goaltender Victor Valdes turns 28 today [14.01.2010] and caps off what surely must have been the most amazing year for him.



ps. sunati si felicitati cit nui tirziu))

Several of FC Barcelonas players, including Iniesta, Xavi, Pinto and Messi took part in the press conference, after the match against Sevilla. Iniesta was disappointed with the elimination from Copa del Rey, despite their performance in the second half:

“We knew that it would be very complicated, and we tried (to get the win) for the 90 minutes but it wasn’t to be. It makes you really angry and above all seeing the second half was so one-sided.”

Xavi

“We are very angry, because we deserved to win. We were much better than Sevilla throughout the tie. We found the first half difficult and we didn’t take the match by the scruff of the neck. We had three or four clear chances, and it seemed that the second goal had to come. We are knocked out, but with our heads held high. We have to go forward. There are two titles left and we will give 100% to win them.”

Messi:

“We are very upset. We did not expect this. It hurts to go out like this. In the second half we created enough chances to win the tie. We needed a bit of luck, but we must congratulate Sevilla.”

Pinto:

“Things do not always work out the way you want. The goal opened up the game. You can’t complain about the team. We’re disappointed because we had a lot of hope for this competition, but we just have to carry on. The whole of the Sevilla team played their part, but Palop did a lot to help his team go through. It is not the coach’s fault. In this team we all win or lose together.”

Pique

“We are fine but it hurts to lose. I congratulate Sevilla, they did a great job. When you lose you are always concerned especially if you are not used to losing. We are in good shape but cannot always win everything. People have to feel proud of the team. At Barca we are always obliged to win.”

Laporta

“Today I feel more proud of my team than ever. The players remained faithful to our style and we gave a very good image of ourselves. We need to congratulate Sevilla for their victory in the tie. We had our chances, but we wish the best for Sevilla. The tie was not decided today, it was lost over 180 minutes. We were superior here, but we lost at home.”

Del Nido (Sevilla President)

“We have eliminated the best team of all time. It was a great game, and we are delighted. It was an exciting tie, and we both had chances to progress. I am very proud of the team.”

Jimenez (Sevilla coach)

”It’s been a great day. We’ve got through against the best team in the world and that is a big deal, we need to enjoy it. We are very happy to have got through the tie. We have not managed to win today, but the objective was to get through and we have done that. The players ran a lot and worked very hard. They have contested everything, because there is no other way to beat this team (Barcelona), who are the best in the world and have not lost a knockout tie in 18 months.”

Speaking at a news conference following  last night’s Copa del Rey match with Sevilla, Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola did not hide his disappointment over his team’s elimination despite their 1-0 victory in Seville: “It is clear what I would have liked to happen, but things are as they are, we are out of the competition. It is not good news even if people say that we can now concentrate on La Liga and the Champions League. In sport, we are taught not to lose and this has affected us.”

Barcelona had lined up their strongest possible squad after Guardiola was heavily criticized for playing a weakened side last week in  Camp Nou  and, on several occasions during the match, came agonizingly close to going through to the next round. But in-form Sevilla captain and goalkeeper Andres Palop denied the Catalans in striking fashion, producing brilliant saves one after the other to ensure passage for his own team.

Guardiola , who blamed himself for the defeat , admitted that last night would have shown that the Catalan side is not invincible but he remains proud of his players and had nothing to reproach them for, adding that his players’ visible disappointment at the loss only shows that they remain hungry for success: “ With this squad and these players maybe I should have got more out of them in the Cup and not lost in the last 16 and I am sorry that I failed. I saw reactions in the dressing room that pleased me. This shows we still have the hunger to win. We went down staying faithful to our style of play and now we need to get ourselves together again for the future.”

Barcelona won the second leg of the last 16-tie, 1-0, courtesy of a stunning second-half goal by Xavi Hernandez, but were nonetheless knocked out  of the competition based on the away goals rule after last week’s  2-1 defeat to Sevilla. The Catalan team were last eliminated from a competition in April 2008 when they lost to Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Champion League. They again face Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday at the Camp Nou.

“My desire is not to go anywhere else, I want to retire at the Camp Nou.”

Gerard Pique, FC Barcelona

“Winning the Champions’ League at the Bernabeu against Madrid will feel like a superorgasmo.”

Mali and Ivory Coast could be eliminated from the African Nations Cup, if they fail to win their next matches, according to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.

Ivory Coast will play against Ghana today, and have to record a victory, in order to advance to the quarter finals.

Mali lost their last game 0 – 1 against Algeria, which has put them in a very bad position, at the bottom of their group. After two games, they have only recorded a single point, from their marvelous comeback match against Angola, which means they are forced to win against Malawi, on monday. However, this will not ensure their qualification, as they will have to hope that Angola beats Algeria, in order to see Mali through to the quarter finals. Both games will be played at the same time.

Ivory Coast is leveled with Burkina Faso, as they drew their first game, 1-1. Ivory Coast will have to record a victory against Ghana, if they are to send them selves towards further glory. Group 2, which Ivory Coast is in, only contains 3 teams, as Togo withdrew due to the terrorist attacks on their bus, which saw 3 people murdered. Ghana have yet to play a match in the tournament.

Full standings can be found here

PEP’S CONTRACT, OK

The contract is already drafted and and the committee could validate it today.

The offer includes a two years -lasting  contract (1+1) and a crack fee.

There’s an escape clause both for the club and the coach.

Puyol: “Now we will focus on la Liga and the Champions”

Two Barça players cried on Sánchez Pizjuán’s changing room

CONTRACT RENEWAL READY

Laporta will offer a proper contract to Guardiola

It will last two years and Guardiola will be at the economical level of the best coaches in the world.

They don’t want to interfere on the elections, so the new president will have to confirm the contract.

Puyol: “We are proud of the Mister”

The night when Messi cried like a kid.

Soriano, possible consensus candidate.