“We have set a very high standard and now we are like slaves to that … but we have to overcome such difficulties … we have to charge our batteries and liven up. If we don’t go full out, we won’t win”.

Daniel Alves, FC Barcelona right back, at a press conference.

To stir the conscience.  That is the first objective of the blood donation company with which FC Barcelona is collaborating, and under the theme ‘Barcelona has blood’ they have proposed to convince as many people as possible to donate blood during the coming year in order to save lives.

Catalán sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reported that many of the players from the first squad, such as Puyol, Messi, Valdés, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedro, Bojan, Iniesta, Márquez and Keita, are the protagonists of a commercial that was recorded on February 3, 2010, in which the players solicit the help of people during the minute-long segment.

The commercial has to do with another of FC Barcelona’s social initiatives, which goes along with that of Andrés Iniesta, who recently supported the campaign  Día Mundial de las Enfermedades Raras (World Day for Rare Illnesses).  Along these lines, the Foundation and medical services of FC Barcelona have actively taken on this campaign, and to promote it, on this coming Sunday, March 14, when they play against Valencia, there will be a truck on the esplanade of Camp Nou so that the fans and society members who wish to participate can donate blood. The players have already been the first to donate.

The coach of the Argentinian National Team, Diego Maradona, is in Europe and will meet with FC Barcelona forward and Argentina international Lionel Messi (22) and his family. The idea is to motivate him so that he will perform in the World Cup at the same level he performs with Barcelona.

According to the Argentinian news website Clarín, as reported on their Misión Mundial page, Diego Maradona has been spending time in Madrid, following the successful friendly against Germany, his time divided between his family and scouting Madrid- based players as he considers his World Cup squad.

In the coming days, though, he will travel to Barcelona. According to Clarín, a close friend of Maradona told them that the coach is going to “eat the head of Messi, like he did with Bilardo. He wants to get him to realize that with him [Messi], there are many chances to have a great World Cup.” The friend of Maradona said that the coach would stay in Barcelona for whatever time is needed. He intends to share a lot of time with the 10, to be near his family, and he also plans to maintain talks with FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

Maradona’s intentions are clear: he wants to put the pressure on, so that the Messi of the Albicelestes will be the same Messi that stands out more than anyone else in Europe.

In recent days there has not been communication between them, except for the time spent preparing for the friendly in Germany.  The friend revealed that “Diego doesn’t want to talk on the phone or have anything to do with emails. In addition, it is impossible to find Leo through these means. Because of this, Diego wants to meet him face-to-face.”

The meeting with Messi does not yet have a definite date. It could be next week, or Maradona could leave it for the end of an extended excursion he plans to take through England, Italy and Germany.

Barcelona defender and Spain international Gerard Pique (23), will publish his first autobiography on 8th April. It is reported that the book will cover his life, sports career, and experiences as a footballer. It is aptly titled “Viatge d’anada i tornado”  which can be translated literally as “Round Trip” because it will contain 140 pages of his past experiences, from childhood, then a move to Manchester United, until a fortuitous transfer back to FC Barcelona where he exceeded expectations and won a total of six trophies already. Proceeds from the autobiography will benefit Unicef and the Foundation Talita.

The book, whose publication in Castilian is scheduled for later, will be full with Pique’s own anecdotes over his footballing career, whether it’s from his match interviews, training situations, or other player environment.

“Viatge d’anada i tornado” will go on sale April 8, with a price tag of 16.95 euros. While there is no confirmed date for its official launch, Pique is expected to sign some copies during the St. Jordi’s Day (April 23), where it’s such a great day, not just to give and get gifts, but also where authors will come and sign their books (as shown in picture below) in the beautiful city of Barcelona.

FC Barcelona forward and Argentine International Lionel Messi (22) took a moment during the press conference for his announcement as UNICEF Ambassador to answer a question that was put to him concerning the elimination of Real Madrid. His response were wise words from such a young player.

Catalán sports paper Sport reports that when he was asked about the sixth consecutive elimination of Real Madrid in the Champions League knock out round, Leo had this to say:

    “What happened to Madrid serves as a warning to us. The Champions League is very complicated and no team is the favorite, all the encounters are like a final.  We approach all of the games with a lot of humility because we know that although we won all titles last season, this year we began from zero like all the rest of the teams. You have to have your feet on the ground.”

The azulgrana forward made these declaration while celebrating his nomination as Ambassador of Good Will for UNICEF this Thursday in the Paris room of Camp Nou.  He was accompanied by various directors, including President Laporta, as well as teammate Xavi Hernández and coach Pep Guardiola.

The Liga Comité de Apelación upheld yesterday the one match suspensions given to FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic during last week’s game against Almeria, according to reports in all major Spanish sports dailies.

Barcelona had sought to overturn the bans, initially handed out on Tuesday by the Comité de Competición. The decision rules both men definitively out of Sunday’s Camp Nou clash with Valencia, as the club will not pursue further appeals. This is the third time in two seasons that the team will play without Guardiola on the bench; he was suspended last year during the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich, and domestically in the penultimate game of the season against Osasuna.

Officials, journalists and fans alike have questioned the legitimacy of both red cards. You can review the play that led to Ibrahimovic’s sanction here:

FC Barcelona are mai multe obiective de transferuri comune cu Real Madrid si este de asteptat ca Florentino Perez sa dinamizeze din nou piata

La doua zile distanta dupa eliminarea Realului de catre Olympique Lyon in optimile de finala ale Ligii Campionilor, presa sportiva internationala continua sa aloce spatii importante subiectului, facand acum referire la un nou val de transferuri spre si dinspre Santiago Bernabeu ce ar putea dinamiza din nou intreaga piata a transferurilor, dupa ce prima etapa a planului salvator al lui Florentino Perez pare sa fi esuat. Legatura dintre Barcelona si acest subiect este Franck Ribery, cel care anuntase ca pana la finalul acestei luni va lua o decizie privind viitorul sau si despre care englezii scriu ca in acest moment are sanse mai mari sa ajunga la Chelsea sau Barcelona decat la Real Madrid dupa ce a vazut cum galaxia lui Perez se scufunda.

Un alt jucator dorit din nou de cei doi giganti ai fotbalului spaniol este David Villa, despre care se spune ca a reintrat in forta pe lista de transferuri a lui Real Madrid, astfel ca Barcelona se poate astepta la un adevarat razboi in cazul in care zvonurile privind venirea pe Camp Nou se adeveresc. La fel ca in cazul lui Ribery, in urma cu un an s-a scris enorm despre transferul asturianului atat la Barcelona cat si la Real Madrid si este de asteptat ca situatia sa se repete si in urmatoarele luni, insa cu alt final (anul trecut Villa a ramas in cele din urma la Valencia).

Pe lista celor doua cluburi figureaza si tanarul brazilian Dodo (pe numele complet José Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro), in varsta de 18 ani, care a jucat doar patru meciuri in echipa mare a lui Corinthians dar a atras deja atentia a numeroase cluburi din Europa. Se pare ca Manchester United are prima optiune pentru transferul sau pana in 2013.

Cadena Ser anunta ca un jucator de atac care intereseaza conducerea Barcelonei este Luis Suarez de la Ajax Amsterdam, cel care gratie celor 26 de goluri marcate in acest sezon in campionatul olandez ocupa pozitia a doua in clasamentul pentru Gheata de Aur. Uruguayanul ar putea veni ca urmare a plecarii lui Thierry Henry, dar ar putea ocupa si locul de atacant central in locul lui Zlatan Ibrahimovic daca suedezul va trece si in sezonul urmatorul printr-o eclipsa de forma cum s-a intamplat in actuala stagiune.

Fara raspuns in ceea ce priveste prelungirea contractului lui Jose Manuel Pinto, conducerea Barcelonei va trebui sa rezolve cat mai curand cu putinta situatia portarului de rezerva pentru sezonul urmator, fie ca va apela la un transfer (Bravo, Asenjo), fie ca va recurge la propria pepiniera unde Rubio si Oier isi asteapta randul la promovare.

Fara legatura directa cu prezentul echipei FC Barcelona dar totusi de mentionat este si posibila despartire a lui Samuel Eto’o de Internazionale Milano. Dupa un debut reusit de sezon, fostul “9″ de pe Camp Nou are o serie de sase meciuri in care nu a gasit poarta adversa si si-a pierdut locul de titular la nerazzuri in favoarea lui Pandev, astfel ca presa italiana ia in calcul plecarea sa de pe Giusseppe Meazza, o posibila destinatie fiind Bayer Munchen.