Asked if Chelsea are the only team who can stop FC Barcelona winning the Champions league:

“No, for me the best team is Barcelona, because they have won six titles and they’re still playing well. It’s difficult (to predict a winner of the Champions League) because, look, Liverpool were knocked out,  and we too, and there are teams who have changed considerably so, today I would say my favorite is Barcelona.”

OH LA LA!

France 0 – 2 Spain

Spanish national team did excellently in Saint Denis and won a match in France after 42 years.

Ribéry. Decisive meeting for his future after the Fiorentina – Bayern match.

Inter wants the Milito brothers, so they will try to buy Gabi.

Basket Barça: The azulgranas, qualified for the quarter finals.

VILLA WAS BETTER THAN HENRY

Spain humiliates France

The Asturian scored the first goal after an Iniesta’s assist and the French was jeered

The blaugranas shined in their return to Saint Denis.

France 0 – 2 Spain

Pic: Villa, who is being tracked by Barça, proved again his scoring ability and his connection with the  players.

Messi confirmed that Argentinean national team is not like Barça. Victory with Higuaín’s goal. Germany 0 – 1 Argentina.

According to English newspaper The Telegraph, Cesc Fabregas will not join FC Barcelona this summer, if one is to believe Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

Gazidis touched on the subject of the Presidential elections at FC Barcelona and Real Madrid by saying:

“There is a presidential electoral cycle that happens at FC Barcelona and  Real Madrid, and every time they go through the cycle, there are a group of players that end up filling the column inches.”

Meanwhile Francis Cagigao, the man who discovered Cesc from Barcelona’s La Masia, had the following to add on the subject:  “All the fuss about Barcelona and Fabregas is simply an invention of the press, to engage in this type of speculation is absurd. Even when he was 15, I was captivated by his intelligence. He was mature, which is hard to find in young players. It seems he has GPS in his head.”

Finally Cagigao talked about the similarities between the managers of the two clubs:

“I think the philosophies of Wenger and Guardiola are similar in shaping what they want on the field.”

Cesc Fabregas has been linked with FC Barcelona numerous times over the years, but  Arsenal insist that he will stay with Arsenal after this season.

Vicente del Bosque, Spain national team coach, has according to Marca, hinted that FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola would be an ideal candidate to replace him,when he ends his reign as Spain manager.

When asked about Guardiola’s ability to coach Spain in the future, the coach had the following to say:

“Guardiola as Spain coach? There have been other ex-Barcelona bosses who have taken charge of La Seleccion before. He would do well, yes.”

Del Bosque then said that Barcelona will recover after some disappointing performances: “Barcelona have the power of recovery, as they have good habits that can take them where they want to go.”

According to Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has again missed training today as he continues his recovery from what appears to be a back strain.

The forward, who was also absent from training on Monday, was given another day off by coach Pep Guardiola, who is hoping to get the Swede back in time for Barca’s match against Almeria at the weekend. Ibra is currently receiving specialist treatment for his back problem, including intensive massaging on the affected area. It is thought that if all goes well, he should train lightly with the squad tomorrow afternoon before attempting normal duties on Friday.

“Guardiola was already a coach when he was playing – he’s never stopped being a coach and he’ll never stop being a player. His way of understanding football is very close to that which Johan Cruyff believed in and he’s putting that into practice now.”

Juan Manuel Lillo (44), former coach of Dorados Sinaloa – the Mexican team Guardiola played for, current coach of Almeria.

Catalan news site Sport recently published several articles about FC Barcelona goalkeeper Víctor Valdés (28), examining why he will not be called up by Spanish national team coach Vicente del Bosque for the World Cup in Africa.

This is despite the fact that, according to a study published by Prime Time Sport, Valdes is indisputably one of the best goalkeepers in the big European leagues, based on his statistics. When compared with the other goalkeepers across Europe, the numbers show that Víctor Valdés is second only to the keeper for Benfica, Quim; unlike Valdés, however, Quim has not played all of the games for his team.

And while it might be argued by some that Valdés should not replace Iker Casillas, despite his better record, the same cannot be said for del Bosque’s other two choices, Pepe Reina and Diego López. It is a fact that Valdés has won the Zamora Trophy twice and leads the Spanish league currently with a goals-against coefficent of .58.  The coefficient for López is 1.54.  In the Premiership, Pepe Reina ranks fifth in that league, behind Brad Friedel (Aston Villa/USA), Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham/Brazil), Van der Sar (Manchester United/Holland) and Petr Cech (Chelsea/Czech Republic).

Valdés is the only goalkeeper who leads his league with the best statistics, yet has not been capped by his country. In Paris for the World Cup warm-up game of Spain vs. France, Vicente del Bosque commented on this strange situation:

    (Valdés) is having an excellent season.  He’s doing a fine job and we appreciate it greatly. This does not hide that I can understand the frustration that he feels about not being called up.  In the case of Valdés, it is due exclusively to the fact that a great competition exists for the position of goalkeeper.  That is my only excuse. All of the lists are contestable, and, unfortunately, someone remains outside and it might be that we are not correct.  From some parts of Spain they always want those from their land to come (to the national team).

Spain’s number one goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, also commented on the situation of Víctor Valdés, saying,

    In this moment there are so many and such good goalkeepers that this position could be covered by any of them.  Right now it is Pepe, Diego, and I, and it is a great pleasure and honor.  We understand Víctor Valdés, as well as César, Palop, Asenjo, De Gea, who could also be here.  With this competition,  we Spaniards win, because there is more competitiveness in the goalkeeper position.

Italian sports tabloid Tuttosport report that Inter Milan are preparing a bid for Barcelona defender and Argentine international Gabriel Milito (29).

The tabloid suggests that Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is looking to reinforce his defence and has singled out Milito, who has been at the Nou Camp since 2007. Milito, who has been restricted to just five appearances so far this season, would apparently welcome a move to guarantee more first team football.  According to Tuttosport, president Massimo Moratti has authorized a bid estimated to be between 7-10 million Euros.

A move to the San Siro would allow Milito to link up with his older brother, Argentinian international striker Diego Milito (30). Diego has scored 15 goals in 27 appearances for Inter this season, having moved from Genoa last summer.  The Milito brothers previously played together in Spain at Real Zaragoza.

PEREZ - “IF ONLY I’D SUGGESTED TO PELLEGRINI TO SHOW A VIDEO TO MOTIVATE THE PLAYERS”
PELLEGRINI - “TODAY WE WILL SEE THE MONEY PIT*“

*THE MONEY PIT IS A ROMANTIC COMEDY STARRING TOM HANKS AND SHELLEY LONG FROM 1986. IT SEES THE COUPLE MOVE INTO A NEW HOME ONLY FOR REFURBISHMENTS TO TAKE FOREVER AND DISASTER TO STRIKE.