The tears of a historic manager

It all got so emotional for Josep Guardiola in Abu Dhabi that he was unable to hold back his tears of joy. He had every right to cry. He has made history.

December 19, 2009 is a day this man will never forget. He was the manager who won everything. Humble, prudent, respectful and with an unconditional love for his club, Guardiola’s amazing year has been culminated by being crowned the best team in the world. And although he would never claim it himself, he was probably the one person more than any other that made that happen.

Team spirit all the way

2009-12-16_PARTIDO_088.JPGThe image of tears pouring out of the eyes of a very proud Guardiola already forms part of the club’s history. And he was joined in this moment of glory by such illustrious companions as Alves, Henry and Ibrahimovic, and even Manel Estiarte, who went straight over to show his affection for this incredible person. This was the moment when Barcelona could celebrate one of the most remarkable feats in footballing history – winning six trophies in the same calendar year.

“The merit was down to the players”

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Guardiola said his tears were “things that happen from time to time”, and then insisted that it was not him, but his players, that everybody should be thanking. “It was very difficult to achieve what we achieved” he said. “It was something very hard to do. But as I always have done, today I want to thank the players for all the months they have given us. They have played very well at times, doing what people enjoy. I will never forget that it was them who have made me great.”

He also wanted to make sure that it was not just the players that are in the team now that they should remember. “I want to remind you all of the players that were with us last season too, because they also played their part in this.”

“I didn’t think I’d be strong enough”

Guardiola added that “winning six titles in a row was unthinkable; I didn’t think I’d be strong enough to do that. There have been a lot of factors involved: very few injuries, a group of players that play because they enjoy it, mental strength ... we all have the right to feel happy, and I congratulate the institution and all the people that love Barça. This was for them.”

More work to do

There was one inevitable question. “And now what?” The manager’s answer was that “we have to carry on working. We have a very nice squad and can continue competing. What will keep us among the elite is hard work, because the talent is already there. But now we can afford to simply enjoy this over the holidays, we have won a Gran Slam this year. After that, we just have to carry on.”

Pedro and Jeffren

Pedro once again came on in the second half and proved fundamental, scoring the equalising goal. “Pedro is a very hard worker. He gave us the width we needed in the second half. And a goal.” As for home-grown talent Jeffren, the manager said “he was extraordinary. I know him well; he’s very fast and plays well on the wings. He plays with humility and a lot of effort.”

The ninth Ballon d'Or for Barça

The fact that FC Barcelona is one of the best football teams in the world is amply illustrated by the roll call of legendary footballers who have graced the team during the Club’s 110 year history.

Many of these great players have received the ultimate individual accolade - the Golden Ball award. This year the award came to Leo Messi – the ninth time a Barça player has won the Golden Ball but only the eighth individual to do so as Johann Cruyff won it twice.

Suárez and Cruyff

The first Barça player to take the award was Luis Suárez, in 1960, the first and only Spanish player to receive the award. In the 70’s, Johan Cruyff won the golden Ball in 1971, 1973 and 1974, the last two while playing for Barça. He shares the distinction of winning the Golden Ball three times with Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten.

The 90’s belong to Barça

In 1994, the Golden Ball was won by Barça’s Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoitchkov and just three years later it went to an unstoppable Brazilian called Ronaldo (he actually received the award after he’d moved to Inter). In 2002, he won again but this time as a Real Madrid player.

Finally, in 1999, Rivaldo became the second Brazilian in the Club’s history to win.

Figo and Ronaldinho

In 2000, Luis Figo won the award but by that time had already moved to Real Madrid. Then in 2005, an overwhelming majority choose Ronaldinho.

Now, four years later, France Football has chosen Leo Messi.

Barça’s champions

1960 Luis Suárez (Barça)
1973 Johan Cruyff (Ajax/Barça)
1974 Johan Cruyff (Barça)
1994 Hristo Stoitchkov (Barça)
1997 Ronaldo (Barça/Inter)
1999 Rivaldo (Barça)
2000 Luis Figo (Barça/Madrid)
2005 Ronaldinho (Barça)
2009 Leo Messi (Barça)

Messi the number one

The European correspondents of France Football have voted Leo Messi the best player of 2009 with 473 votes. He’s the first Argentinean to receive the award.

Anybody who has seen him in action already knew – but now it’s official. According to the December edition of France Football, Leo Messi is the best player in the world.

473 votes

Messi came top of the vote by a clear margin. He received 473 votes, well ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (233 votes) and Xavi (170 votes). He is the ninth Barça player to take the award and the first since Ronaldinho in 2005.

Since the French magazine opened up the award to cover all domestic leagues three years ago, no player has recieved such an overwhelming majority of the votes as Leo Messi. The Argentine has become the first player from the Barça youth system to win the coverted prize.  In 2007 Kaká won with a total of 444 votes and last year Cristiano Ronaldo did so with a total of 446.

Third in 2007, second in 2008

He has made steady progress, finishing third in 2007 behind Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo and then second in 2008 behind Cristiano. And now he has taken that final step to finish first in 2009.

The first Argentinean

It’s hard to believe but Leo Messi is the first Argentinean player to lift the Ballon d'Or. However, until 1995 the award was only open to European players, which excluded players of the stature of Diego Maradona.






1. Lionel Messi (473)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (233)
3. Xavi Hernández (170)
4. Andrés Iniesta (149)
5. Samuel Eto'o (75)
6. Kaká (58)
7. Ibrahimovic (50)
8. Wayne Rooney (35)
9. Didier Drogba (33)
10. Steven Gerrard (32)

A fantastic Cup record

The Barça first team have really taken to the Cup under manager Pep Guardiola. They’ve won five ties and a final and are unbeaten in the competition.

The 5-0 defeat of Cultural Leonesa was Barça’s ninth Cup win under Pep Guardiola . Of the eleven games played, FC Barcelona has won nine and drawn two, with 24 goals in favour and 5 against. An almost perfect record.

The first title

The Spanish Cup was the first title of the treble –winning season. In Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, Barça completed a great Cup run - in which they beat Benidorm, Atletico Madrid, Espanyol and Mallorca – with a fine performance against Athletic Club Bilbao. Nine matches, seven wins, two draws, 17 goals scored and 4 conceded.

More of the same

The players needed to maintain their concentration against Cultural – as is always the case when playing teams from the lower divisions. The Cup is a competition that doesn’t pardon mistakes and once again the Barça players stayed focussed and achieved a well-deserved 7-0 aggregate victory.

League table

Teams			Total						Home						Away
Position	Teams	Pts	P	W	D	L	SG	CG	P	W	D	L	SG	CG	P	W	D	L	SG	CG
1	FC Barcelona	19	7	6	1	0	17	3	3	3	0	0	9	2	4	3	1	0	8	1
2	Real Madrid	18	7	6	0	1	21	6	4	4	0	0	15	4	3	2	0	1	6	2
3	Sevilla FC	15	7	5	0	2	14	5	3	3	0	0	8	2	4	2	0	2	6	3
4	Deportivo	15	7	5	0	2	11	6	4	3	0	1	5	3	3	2	0	1	6	3
5	Valencia CF	12	7	3	3	1	12	9	4	1	3	0	6	4	3	2	0	1	6	5
6	RCD Mallorca	10	6	3	1	2	11	7	3	3	0	0	9	0	3	0	1	2	2	7
7	Athletic Club	10	6	3	1	2	7	9	3	2	0	1	4	6	3	1	1	1	3	3
8	Getafe CF	9	6	3	0	3	9	9	3	2	0	1	5	4	3	1	0	2	4	5
9	Sporting Gijón	8	6	2	2	2	8	8	3	2	1	0	6	2	3	0	1	2	2	6
10	RCD Espanyol	8	6	2	2	2	5	7	3	1	1	1	2	4	3	1	1	1	3	3
11	Zaragoza	7	6	2	1	3	8	9	3	2	0	1	5	2	3	0	1	2	3	7
12	Osasuna	7	6	2	1	3	6	8	3	1	1	1	2	3	3	1	0	2	4	5
13	UD Almería	6	6	1	3	2	5	6	3	1	2	0	3	2	3	0	1	2	2	4
14	At.Madrid	6	6	1	3	2	9	14	3	1	2	0	5	4	3	0	1	2	4	10
15	CD Tenerife	6	6	2	0	4	3	10	3	2	0	1	3	2	3	0	0	3	0	8
16	Racing	5	6	1	2	3	7	13	3	0	0	3	2	9	3	1	2	0	5	4
17	R. Valladolid	5	7	1	2	4	9	16	3	0	1	2	5	8	4	1	1	2	4	8
18	Málaga CF	4	6	1	1	4	6	8	3	1	0	2	4	4	3	0	1	2	2	4
19	Villarreal CF	3	6	0	3	3	4	8	3	0	2	1	1	3	3	0	1	2	3	5
20	Xerez C.D.	2	6	0	2	4	1	12	3	0	1	2	1	5	3	0	1	2	0

HISTÒRIA FC BARCELONA

El 29 de novembre del 1899, Hans Gamper va fundar el Futbol Club Barcelona, juntament amb onze entusiastes practicants del que en aquell moment era un desconegut esport anomenat 'foot-ball'.

Llavors ningú no es podia imaginar l'enorme magnitud que aquella iniciativa acabaria assolint amb el pas del temps. Al llarg dels més de cent anys de vida, el Barça ha experimentat un creixement espectacular en tots els àmbits i s'ha convertit en quelcom més que una entitat esportiva, fent realitat el lema que el Barça és 'més que un club'.
El Barça ha esdevingut, per a milions de persones d'arreu del món, un símbol d'identitat no tan sols esportiu, sinó també social, polític i cultural. En els moments més difícils ha estat la bandera de Catalunya representant els anhels de llibertat del poble català, una simbologia que continua fortament arrelada a la idiosincràsia del club i entre la seva massa social. Dins del context espanyol el Barça és vist com un club obert i democràtic. I arreu del món, el Barça s’identifica amb causes solidàries, molt específicament amb la infància, a través del seu acord de patrocini de l'Unicef.
Durant tot un segle, el barcelonisme ha viscut moments de glòria i d'infortuni, èpoques brillants i d'altres no tan exitoses, triomfs èpics i importants derrotes. I cadascun d'aquests instants ha contribuït a definir la personalitat d'un club que, per les seves peculiars característiques, és únic al món.
Una història més que centenària necessàriament passa per etapes molt diverses, tant des del punt de vista social com des de l'òptica esportiva. Els primers anys (1899-1922) , des de la fundació fins a la construcció de l’estadi de Les Corts, el Barça era un club de futbol que va haver de singularitzar-se entre els altres equips barcelonins, fins a esdevenir el club de referència de la ciutat. El Barça va esdevenir el club líder a Catalunya, i a més va apostar per aproximar-se a una sensibilitat catalanista que cada cop anava guanyant més força.

De Les Corts al Camp Nou (1922-1957) , l’entitat va viure situacions contraposades. D’una banda, el creixement associatiu, quan va superar per primer cop els 10.000 socis, i la decidida orientació cap al futbol de masses i professional, una etapa en què sobresurten jugadors com Alcántara i Samitier. De l’altra, les dificultats materials i polítiques que va suposar la Guerra Civil espanyola i la postguerra, quan el club va haver de sobreviure en un clima molt advers, amb l’assassinat del president Josep Sunyol el 1936, precisament la persona que havia propagat el lema 'esport i ciutadania'. Tanmateix, l’entitat va sobreviure i va iniciar una recuperació social i esportiva que es va materialitzar amb la construcció del Camp Nou, sota el decisiu influx del jugador Ladislau Kubala.

De la construcció del Camp Nou al 75è aniversari (1957-1974) , el Barça va viure una etapa de mediocres resultats esportius, però d’afermament com a entitat, amb un constant creixement social, i amb una lenta però constant recuperació, tot i les circumstàncies adverses, dels seus signes d’identitat. Una sensació ben clara, que per primer cop es va concretar en el lema 'El Barça, més que un club', pronunciat pel president Narcís de Carreras. L’empenta de la junta presidida per Agustí Montal va portar a Barcelona un futbolista que ha marcat la història del club, Johan Cruyff.
Del 75è aniversari a la primera Copa d’Europa (1974-1992) la vida del club està marcada per l’arribada de la democràcia als clubs de futbol, l’inici del llarg mandat de Josep Lluís Núñez, l’ampliació del Camp Nou amb motiu del campionat del món de 1982 i la conquesta de la Recopa (1979) a Basilea, gran èxit esportiu però també social, amb una enorme i exemplar expedició barcelonista que va mostrar a tot Europa la fusió de les banderes blaugrana i catalana. El retorn de Cruyff, ara com a entrenador del que es va conèixer com a 'Dream Team' (1990-1994), va tenir el seu colofó en la conquesta de la Copa d’Europa a l’estadi de Wembley (1992), amb el famós gol de Koeman.

De Wembley a Roma (1992-2009) marca l’evolució més recent del club, emmarcat entre tres fites esportives fonamentals, les tres copes d’Europa. Aquests anys estan marcats per la fi de l'etapa presidencial de Josep Lluís Núñez i la celebració del Centenari del club (1999), que va mostrar tot el potencial social de l’entitat. Després de la presidència de Joan Gaspart (2000-2003), les eleccions de juny de 2003 van portar a la presidència Joan Laporta, que ha iniciat una nova etapa de creixement social, amb 163.763 socis, i èxits esportius, amb les tres Lligues i la Copes d’Europa assolides a París i Roma.
El curs 2008-09, amb l’arribada de Josep Guardiola a la banqueta del primer equip la plantilla va prendre noves energies i va aconseguir la temporada més exitosa de tota la història del club, amb un triplet que ha quedat gravat a la memoria de tots els barcelonistes. Uns èxits esportius han reforçat enormement la projecció social i mediàtica del club.
La grandesa del Futbol Club Barcelona s'explica, entre molts d'altres factors, pel seu impressionant palmarès, que el converteix en un dels equips amb més títols del món. A excepció feta de la Copa Intercontinental, les vitrines del museu barcelonista acullen tots els trofeus possibles encapçalats per les Copes d'Europa aconseguides en les finals de Wembley (1992), París (2006) i Roma (2009).
A part d'aquest màxim guardó continental, el Barça s'ha guanyat un prestigi inqüestionable a Europa essent l'únic equip del continent que ha estat present de forma ininterrompuda a les competicions europees des de la seva creació el 1955. Entre les múltiples fites assolides a Europa cal destacar la condició de 'rei de la Recopa' que ostenta l'equip blaugrana amb quatre guardons.
A més, els barcelonistes acumulen tres títols corresponents a la Copa de Fires (actualment Copa de la UEFA) dels anys 1958, 1960 i 1966. També es van adjudicar l'any 1971 aquest trofeu en propietat en una final especial que enfrontava el primer guanyador d'aquesta competició, el FC Barcelona, i l'últim vencedor, el Leeds United.
El Barça, però, no només regna a Europa, sinó que també ho fa a la competició espanyola, concretament a la Copa del Rei, torneig que lidera en solitari amb 25 títols.
Pel que fa a la Lliga, una de les competicions que històricament han estat més difícils per als blaugranes, l'eclosió viscuda al llarg de la dècada dels 90 amb la consecució de sis títols, i els èxits de les tres darreres temporades han permès al Futbol Club Barcelona arribar a la xifra de 19 títols de Lliga.

Lionel Andrés Messi

Leo Messi is the best player in the world. Lethal in the one on one, this modest Argentinian has speed, dribbling and shooting skills. But despite so many individual virtues, he is also a remarkable team player.

This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s.

Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.
In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).
With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan.
At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.
His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.

The following season Messi moved up a gear and astounded the world with goals such as the one he scored against Getafe in the King’s Cup. In the 2006/07 season, and even though the team didn’t win any titles, the Argentine was second in the FIFA World Player awards and third in the Golden Ball. He continued to develop in the 2007/08 campaign, when he scored 16 goals and gave 10 assists in the 40 games he played in. In 2008, Leo Messi was runner up in the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD for the second season in a row.

In the 2008/09 season, and now without Ronaldinho alongside him, Messi continued to be the main star of the Barça line up. He managed to stay injury free all season, and played 51 games, scoring 38 goals. The Argentinian was also fundamental in the two finals, scoring Barça’s second goals in both.

Messi also consolidated his place in the national side, now having played at a World Cup (2006) and Copa America (2007) for Argentina. In 2008 he also went to the Olympic Games in Beijing, where his country won gold.

PROFILE
Messi is an excellent, sensational, unique player. He is astoundingly creative, has amazing individual skill and is able to constantly put his rivals at unease. A natural left footer, he is stunningly versatile, and can play either in the middle or on whichever of the wings required, although it is out on the right that he feels most comfortable.

He may not be very tall, but his speed and physique enable him to cope with even the toughest of defenders. He is surprisingly strong, and can hold on to the ball in style, as if it were stuck to his feet. There is simply nobody like him anywhere else in the game. He is also a specialist at all dead ball situations, especially free kicks and penalties.

His cold blood and ability to take on responsibilities are other virtues that make Leo Messi simply the best footballer on the planet.

HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League 
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Super Cup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Super Cup
2004/05 Liga

Argentinian National Team
2004/05 World Cup Under-20 
2008 Gold Medal Beijing'08

Individual awards
2008 2nd best FIFA WORLD PLAYER
2007 2nd best FIFA WORLD PLAYER

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

‘Ibra’ joins Barça in the summer of 2009 from Inter Milan to replace the man who had worn the number 9 shirt for the previous five seasons, Samuel Eto’o, who moves in the other direction to Inter Milan.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born in Malmö (Sweden) of a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother on 3rd October 1981. He joins Barça at the height of his career and is recognized as one of the most lethal strikers in European football. He is one of that rare breed of total footballers: he’s deadly in the air, fast, effective in front of goal and mesmerizing with the ball at his feet. His style of football makes his team-mates play better.

Ibrahimovic started his career with Malmö before moving on to Ajax in 2001, where he joined up with Barça team-mate Maxwell. Here he started to get noticed on a bigger footballing stage and gave indications of becoming a world class star despite his youth. For part of his time at Ajax his manager was former Barça star Ronald Koeman.

After three seasons in Holland, where he won two league titles, the Cup and two Dutch Super Cups, Ibrahimovic signed to Italian giants Juventus, managed by Fabio Capello, staying there for two seasons from 2004 to 2006. Juve finished top of the league in both seasons but were stripped of the title and relegated to the second division as a result of the “Moggigate” scandal, leading to his transfer to Inter Milan.

Ibrahimovic won three league titles and two Italian Super Cups with Inter Milan and was an essential part of the starting line-up under both Mancini and Mourinho.

His presentation as a Barça player on 27th July 2009 attracted 60,000 fans, a record in the history of the Club.

Ibrahimovic is also a key member of the Sweden international team and has been voted his country’s best player on three occasions (2005, 2007and 2008).

PROFILE

Ibrahimovic has always stood out as a skilful player, scoring some amazing goals and displaying tremendous creativity. That’s why he’s known in Italy as ‘Ibracadabra’.

He stands 1.92 metres tall and combines great technique with a powerful physique, making him particularly feared by defenders in the air, as well as making it difficult to take the ball away from him.

In short, the Swedish international is the perfect modern centre forward and goal scorer. Last season he scored 25 goals in the Italian league with Inter Milan. 

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup 
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup

Inter Milan
2008/09 Serie A
2007/08 Serie A
2007/08 Italian Super Cup
2006/07 Serie A
2005/06 Italian Super Cup

Ajax
2003/04 Eredivisie
2002/03 Dutch Super Cup
2001/02 Dutch Cup
2001/02 Eredivisie

Individual honours
2009 Top scorer Italian league
2008 Best player Italian league
2008 Best foreign player Italian league
2008 Best Swedish player
2007 Best Swedish sportsman
2007 Swedish athlete of the year
2006 Best foreign player Italian league
2005 Best Swedish player

Jeffren Suárez Bermúdez

The striker, born in Venezuela, joined the Barça youth set-up in 2004. From Juvenil B to the first team, Jeffren has come up through the ranks to the point that Guardiola has handed him a regular first team place.

He was just a year old when his family left Venezuela for Tenerife. Jeffren was a prodigious and skilful footballer from a very young age.

The Barça talent scouts spotted him and from the 2004/05 he had left CD Tenerife and was among the Catalan club’s youth teams. His first coach at FCB was Guillermo Hoyos, who played him in midfield, but as the years went by it became clear that he was better used out on the wings.

He coincided with Guardiola in the 2007/08 season at Barça B and played a major role in the promotion gained to Division 2B. He made his official first team debut under Rijkaard against Badalona in the Copa del Rey in the 2006/07 season.

His league debut came at the end of the 2008/09 season away to Mallorca. The Venezuelan of Canary origin has also played internationally for Spain at youth level.

PROFILE

A left footer but who can also play with his right, Jeffren Suárez is a winger than can unsettle defenders with his combination of speed and skill. He has an excellent cross and generally scored plenty of goals a season.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup

Touré Yaya

Touré Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for FC Barcelona and has brought with him immense international experience, having played in four different leagues across Europe during his career.

Touré Yaya (Sokoura Baouke, 13-05-1983) had a remarkable route to Camp Nou, picking up experience in all kinds of places before coming to the Camp Nou.

Touré Yaya started as a professional aged 17 at ASEC Mimosas Abidjan, the capital of his home country, where he won the League. Belgium has traditionally been a country that has imported young Africans, and in 2001 he signbed for first division Beveren.

After two and a half years in Beveren, where he played 70 games and scored three goals, in the winter transfer window of 2003/04 he left for Metalursk Donetsk in the Ukraine, where in the first half season he appeared in 11 games and got one goals, and in his second he played 26 games, including some in the UEFA Cup, and scored three times.

From Donetsk he moved on to Greece to join Olympiakos. During his year in the Piraeus-based club he played alongside former Blaugrana stars, Rivaldo, Haruna Babangida and Dani García as the team progressed in the Champions League. In Greece he won a League and a Cup and his great European performances attracted the attention of some big name clubs.

Surprisingly it was Monaco that snapped up the player in the summer of 2006. His first manager in the Principality, Lazlo Boloni, made little use of him, but all that changed under Laurent Banide, who took over in October. Monaco climbed from 19th to 9th in the table, and the Ivorian played as an attacking midfielder, scoring five goals and supplying five assists in his 27 league outings.

Touré had little time to establish himself at Monaco, because by the end of the season he was signed by Barça. He was presented on June 26, 2007 and impressed from the start, although he was generally used in a more defensive role than the one he was used to.

Frank Rijkaard played him in 38 games in his first season (26 in the league, three in the cup and nine in the Champions League), and he scored two goals.

Pep Guardiola made even more use of the Ivorian, and even played him at centre back when needed. He played 43 games in the treble winning season (25 in the League, six in the Cup and 12 in the Champions League). He scored three goals, including an unforgettably spectacular equaliser in the cup final against Athletic Club Bilbao.

In the summer of 2009, his contract was extended to 2012.

At international level, the 24-year-old is a regular in the Ivory Coast side and represented the Elephants in their first ever appearance in the World Cup Finals last summer in Germany, where he was one his country’s stars along with Didier Drogba. He also appeared in the African Cup of Nations in the same year.

Touré Yaya has two footballing brothers, Kolo Touré (defender at Manchester City) and Ibrahim Touré, who plays in the Syrian League.

PROFILE

Touré Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for Barça and is renowned for combining his strength and physical power in front of the back four with great technique. He is usually employed as a defensive midfielder and is capable of pushing forward to support the attack if required, as well as being adept at passing the ball at speed to keep moves flowing. He has also responded well called upon to fill at centre back, which has happened on numerous occasions.

Despite standing at 1.87m-tall (6ft 2in), most of his goals have not come from his head. During his year with Monaco he netted five times in the league and nearly all of them came as he attacked the ball from the second line or from long range efforts.


HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League 
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
Olympiakos
2005/06 League
2005/06 Cupa
ASEC Mimosas Abidjan
2001 League

Individual awards 
2009 Best ivorian player
2008 Best ivorian player

Éric Abidal

Eric Abidal joined Barça in the 2007/08 season to replace Dutch international Giovanni van Bronckhorst. This was his first taste of domestic football away from France.

Born in Lyon (11-9-1979) in the heart of an immigrant family, Abidal started his footballing career with Lyon-la-Duchère in the French CFA 2 Division, where he played as a left sided midfielder. In the summer of 2000, he signed a professional deal with Monaco, making his debut in Ligue 1 on 16th September 2000 against Toulouse. In his first season he alternated appearances with the reserves and the first team, with whom he appeared in 8 league matches and once in the Champions League. In the 2001/02 season, Abidal made a further 14 appearances in the Monaco defence, either at full back or using his strength as a centre back.

At the end of the season, Abidal asked to go out on loan to get some more first team football. He moved to Lille, managed by the man who gave him his Ligue 1 debut with Monaco, Claude Puel. He spent 2 seasons there and gained a reputation as one of the best defenders in the country.

In the summer of 2004, he returned to his hometown when he was signed by the league champions of the previous three seasons, Olympique Lyon. He earned a place in the starting line-up from the very beginning and made his international debut for ‘Les Bleus’ on August 18th 2004 against Bosnia.

Abidal helped Lyon win three league titles and three more Super Cups, forming part of a team that enthralled the whole of Europe with their great football. In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he played six of France’s seven games and won a runners-up medal, after which he had a great season with Lyon for the third consecutive year, with 31 starts in Ligue 1. He also figured in seven Champions League matches in the starting line-up and played 10 times for France in the 2006-07 season.

Eric Abidal joined FC Barcelona in the summer of 2007. The Frenchman played 30 League games, 10 in the Champions League and 6 in the Cup, sharing left-back duties with Sylvinho, although on more than one occasion Frank Rijkaard used him as a central defender. At the end of the season he played for France in Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

In the 2008/09 season he won the treble with Barça, but it was also a year of misfortune for Abidal. First he was injured against Espanyol and missed eight weeks of football, and on his return he was sent off in the semi finals of both the Champions League and Spanish Cup and so was suspended for both finals in Rome and Valencia. He played 31 games in all three competitions.

PROFILE

Eric Abidal is a natural left back, although given his size (186 cm, 75 kg) he can easily slot in at centre back. He likes to make runs up the wing as far as the opposing area and supply crosses to the forwards. He is a very skilful and tactically aware player, and is noted for his ability to position himself well on the pitch. He is a powerful defender who has no difficulty in running up and down the length of the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Olympique Lyon
2006/07 Ligue 1
2007 Super Cup
2005/06 Ligue 1
2006 Super Cup
2004/05 Ligue 1
2005 Super Cup 

French national team
2006 World Cup Runners Up

Dmytro Chygrynskiy

Dmytro Chygrynskiy is the first ever Ukrainian to play for Barça. The young centre half guarantees an aerial presence and strong defensive skills but is also good with the ball at his feet.

Born on 7th November 1986 in Iziaslav (Ukraine) Chygrynskiy is a young centre half and was a key member of the Shakhtar side that made history last season by winning the UEFA Cup, the first international trophy in the club’s history.

He started playing football in the youth ranks of Karpati Lviv, a small team from Ukraine’s First Division. When he was 14 he was spotted and recruited by scouts from Shakhtar.

Chygrynskiy made his Shakhtar debut in the 2003/04 season at the age of just 17, playing one league match. He already stood out for his good positioning sense and his ability to play the ball out of defence. Curiously enough, he made his European debut on 7th December 2004 against Barça, a match the Ukrainians won 2-0. However, he played just a few minutes in injury time.

Despite his youth, he was already a regular in the Ukraine under-21s, helping them to qualify for the final stage of the European Cup.

In the 2005/06 season Chygrynskiy went out on loan to PFK Metalurg Zaporizhia in order to get more experience, playing 15 matches and doing enough to convince the Shakhtar coaching staff to reincorporate him. He impressed with his determination, pace and ball skills.

He returned to Shakhtar before the winter break and went on to play 11 matches (3 goals) in the second half of the season, in the process winning the league title, his first trophy.

At the end of the season Chygrynskiy played in the under-21s European Cup, leading Ukraine to the final where they were beaten by Holland. He was voted into the team of the tournament.

National team manager Oleg Blokhin named him in the senior squad for the 2006 World Cup however, injury problems that he had suffered with the under-21s kept him on the bench throughout the five matches played by the Ukraine.

At the age of 20, in the 2006/07 season, Chygrynskiy captained Shakhtar to a second place finish in the league and to the Cup final, which they lost 2-1 against Dynamo Kiev. The following season he led the team to a league and Cup double and was voted best player in the Cup final. By now he was a fixture in the national team. Last season he made history by captaining Shakhtar to the UEFA Cup.

PROFILE

Chygrynskiy is a powerful defender with great prowess in teh air as he uses his 1.90cm frame to good effect at set pieces and when defending high balls. His speed is also a huge asset as he makes up ground on opposition forwards very quickly and that allied with his positional sense makes him a highly-respected centre-back. Since he was very young, the Ukrainian international has been tipped for the big time and his dedication and professionalism has always shone through and earned him plaudits.

HONOURS

Shakhtar Donetsk
2008/09 UEFA Cup
2007/08 Ukranian Supercup
2007/08 Ukranian Cup
2007/08 Ukranian Premier
2005/06 Ukranian Premier

Scherrer Cabelino Maxwell Andrade

Left back Maxwell came to Barça. The Brazilian defender, signed from Inter Milan, has plenty of experience of European football, having also played for Ajax Amsterdam.

Born in Cachoeiro de Itapermirim (Brazil), on August 27, 1981, Maxwell first played top flight football for Cruzeiro, and impressed so much that he was soon on his way to Europe and Ajax Amsterdam in 2001.

Maxwell was only 20 when he came to Europe, but age was no obstacle to him earning a regular place in the Ajax starting line up, and in that 2001/2002 season was considered one of the biggest rising talents in the game. His time in Holland reached its peak in 2004, when he was named player of the season in the Dutch Eredivisie. With Ajax he collected two League, one Cup and one Super Cup medals.

In April 2005 Maxwell he was sidelined for eight months with a serious knee injury. But once he was fit again, plenty of major clubs came knocking on the door. After three and half years in Holland, in January 2006 he was finally snapped up by Inter Milan, although at first he was loaned out to another Italian club, Empoli, in order for him to be able to adapt to 'calcio' in time for the following season.

The next summer Maxwell joined the Inter first team, where he would stay for three seasons from 2006/07 to 2008/09, winning the Serie A title each year, as well as two Italian Super Cups. He played a central role in all of those campaigns, although in his final year, under José Mourinho, he was given somewhat fewer opportunities.

He is an under 23 international for Brazil.

PROFILE

Maxwell is the typical Brazilian left back, in that enjoys getting forward. But following his time in Italy, he has improved defensively. Much of his game is based on his physical strength and powerful runs up the wing. Although his natural position in on the left of defence, Maxwell is a versatile player and can play further upfield if called upon. He also has a powerful left-footed shot.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup

Inter Milan
2008/2009 Serie A
2008/2009 Italian Super Cup
2007/2008 Serie A 
2006/2007 Italian Super Cup
2006/2007 Serie A 

Ajax Amsterdam
2005/2006 Dutch Super Cup
2003/2004 Eredivisie
2002/2003 Dutch Super Cup
2001/2002 Dutch Cup
2001/2002 Eredivisie

Gabriel Alejandro Milito

Gabriel Milito is the twentieth Argentinian to wear the Barça shirt. He is a central defender who started out at Independiente in Avellaneda, and then spent four years at Zaragoza before coming to the Camp Nou.

Gabriel Milito was born in Bernal (Buenos Aires), on September 7, 1980. He came up through the youth ranks at Independiente, making his top flight debut aged 17 with the Avellaneda based club. 'El Mariscal', as he is known, led the side’s defence despite his young age, but his promising future was almost cut short by a serious injury. He tore cruciate ligaments in his right knee in 2001 and was out for nine months. And shortly after his return, he was injured for another four months, this time with a broken meniscus in his right foot.

Once he was back to full fitness, Gaby Milito was one of the main reasons for Independiente’s Opening Championship victory in 2002. He was named Argentinian Player of the Year and in the summer of 2004 made his move to Spain.

Milito was originally headed for Real Madrid. However, before signing his contract the club’s doctors concluded that he was not fully recovered from his knee injury and warned against signing the player. Milito went instead to Zaragoza, and that season won the Copa del Rey at Montjuïc, ironically beating Real Madrid. Later that year, Zaragoza also won the Spanish Super Cup and Milito was heralded as one of the finest defenders in the league. In four years at Zaragoza, he never failed to please.

In the 2005/06 and 2006/07 season, Gaby was joined by his older brother, Diego, at La Romareda. The Milito brothers were the stars of a side that won back to back UEFA Cups.

In the 2007/008 season he became a fixture at the heart of Barça’s defence. He played in 27 League games, scoring a goal and consistently turning in fine performances. After the second leg of the semi final of the Champions League in Manchester, Milito damaged cruciate ligaments in his right knee, and therefore missed the entire 2008/09 season.

Gaby Milito has also found his way into the Argentina national team. He made his international debut in 2000 and played at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and in the 2007 Copa America, where he was a regular feature in Alfio Basile’s side, which reached the final.

PROFILE

The Argentinian international, known as 'el Mariscal', is a respected, authoritarian, imposing and well-positioned centre back. He also a skilful playmaker and can help in attack. Although he is not particularly tall (1.79 m.), Milito is good in the air and can be dangerous from dead ball situations. He also has a very strong personality, and is a natural leader.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup 
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Zaragoza
2004/05 Spanish Super Cup
2003/04 Spanish Cup

Independiente Avellaneda
2002/03 Trofeo Apertura

Argentinian national team
1999 South American Under-20 championship

Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma

This winger, born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, joined the Barça youth structure in August 2004 to play for the Juvenil A side after previously representing CD San Isidro.

After three years in the reserve teams, Pedro got his first taste of the first team during the 2007/08 season. Both these games were at the Camp Nou, against Murcia in game 19 and Valladolid in game 29. But he still spent most of the season with Barça B, helping them to promotion to Division 2B. He scored six goals in 36 outings.

Guardiola, now manager of the first team, kept a close eye on his former charge. In fact, Pedro was one of the players he made the most use of in the 2008/09 preseason. As the season progressed, Pedro started playing a role in all three competitions, and even enjoyed some pitch time in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals. In total, he appeared in 14 games in the 2008/09 season, but didn’t score any goals.

On August 20, 2009 Pedro signed a contract as a first team player after being one of the highest scorers in the preseason matches.

PROFILE

Although he usually plays the ball with his left foot, Pedro is actually right handed. This ambidextrous nature of his game means he can play on either side of the pitch, or even fit in as a target man. He is excellent at finding the right position and has a powerful shot, most notably from long range.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 League
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Sergio Busquets Burgos

Born in Sabadell, he joined the Barça youth system in the summer of 2005 from Jabac. That season, playing for the Juvenil A side, he won three major trophies in a team that also included the likes of Bojan, Giovani, Jeffren and Marc Crosas.

In the 2006-07 season, Sergi Busquets continued with Juvenil A and was one of the core players in the side coached by Àlex Garcia. In his third year at the level, and despite still being a midfielder, Sergio scored 7 goals in 26 games.

The following season, Busquets moved up to Barça B under Pep Guardiola. It was not until the twelfth match that Sergio started a game, but he immediately impressed, and was picked 23 more times that season. He scored twice and made a major contribution to the promotion to Division 2B.

He got to play with the first team in the Copa Catalunya matches of 2007-08 and 2008-09, and then Sergio made his League debut on September 13, 2008 against Racing (1-1). He came on from the start and stayed out the full 90 minutes. Busquets would get more and more chances as the season drew on, and was very much involved in the famous treble win. He started the Cup final and the Champions League final, thus ending an incredible twelve months in which he progressed from the third division to being a European champion!

His fine form for Barça has won him international recognition. He played his first game for Spain on April 1, 2009, at the Ali Sami Yen, against Turkey (1-2). He also travelled to the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Sergi Busquets is the son of Carles Busquets, who played in goal for FC Barcelona in the 1990s.

PROFILE

Sergio Busquets is a very complete midfielder renowned for his intelligence on the field. Born in Sabadell, he positions himself well and is a good reader of the game. Busquets adds security to the team because he rarely gives the ball away and is also solid in his defensive duties.

He is a versatile player and gets into goalscoring positions. His tactical awareness and height (almost 190 cm) mean that despite his natural position being in midfield, he can also play at centre back or centre forward.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Seydou Keita

Seydou Keita became FC Barcelona’s first signing of the 2007/2008 season. The Mali international arrived from Seville to strengthen the centre of the Barça midfield.

Born in Bamako (Mali) on 16th January 1980, Seydou Keita comes from a footballing family. His uncle, Kalif Keita, is considered to be one of the best players in the history of Mali, winning the African Golden Ball in 1970, while his cousin Mahmadou Sissoko is also a well known footballer.

Keita started his career with Centro Kalif Keita of the Mali First Division (a training club for promising youngsters set up by his uncle) where he was spotted by Olympique Marseille. At 17 years old he followed in his uncle’s footsteps and signed for the French club.

Seydou Keita spent three years in the Marseille reserves before making his first team debut against Troies on 19th September 1999 in place of former Barça star Cristophe Dugarry. He also played his first games in the Champions League. A few months earlier, in April, Keita had been voted best player in the under-20s World Cup in Nigeria, ahead of players of the quality of Ronaldinho and Lampard. Mali were eliminated in the semi-finals by a Spain side led by Xavi and finished in 3rd place.

At the end of the season, Marseille coach Abel Braga decided to loan him out to Second Division Lorient to gain more experience. Keita played all 38 league matches and helped the team win promotion to Ligue 1. In the 2001/02 season, Keita spent time away with the Mali squad for the African Cup of Nations in Nigeria and Lorient went back down to the Second Division. The midfielder finished in 4th place with Mali, played in 21 league matches and helped Lorient win the French Cup 2002 and reach the final of the League Cup.

Lens, who had finished second in Ligue 1 and wanted to strengthen the team ahead of the Champions League, managed to obtain his services on loan for the 2002/03 season. He played a total of 38 matches in all competitions and scored 3 goals. His performances persuaded Lens to sign him and he spent the next 4 seasons at the club. His excellent performances led to his being voted second best player in Ligue 1 2006/07, behind Florent Malouda.

Now an established star, Keita moved to Sevilla in the summer of 2007, having spent 8 years in France. He played 31 of the Andalus club’s 38 league matches, 29 of them in the starting line-up. He scored 4 goals and demonstrated his ability to shoot from distance.

After a year with Sevilla, he became Josep Guardiola’s first signing in the summer of 2008. After an initial period of adjustment to the fast one-touch style of play in the Barça midfield, Keita started to become more important in the coach’s line-ups. He played 46 matches and scored 6 goals, some of them quite spectacular, such as the goal against Bayern Munich (1-1) in the Allianz Arena. The Mali international proved to be a reliable addition to the Barça midfield.

He is a regular for Mali and is one of the stars of the national team. He played in the African Cup in 2002, 2004 and 2008.

PROFILE

The Mali midfielder is a player who perfectly combines physical strength with technical ability and tactical awareness. Despite not being a forward, Keita also possesses a great shot with his left foot, especially from distance, which makes him a real threat to goalkeepers; the fifteen goals he scored in the two years before joining Barça are testament to that. The Malian has a lot to offer in midfield: he can play in a holding role as well as behind the attackers and can also play on the left. His height makes him effective in the air, either in defence or in the opposing penalty area.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup 
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Lorient
2001/02 Cup  

Individual Awards 
1999 Player of the Tournament U-20 World Cup

Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry is considered to be one of the best forwards in world football over the past decade. Elegance, ability and effectiveness are his main assets.

Born in Les Ulis (France) on August 17, 1977, Henry grew up in a poor immigrant district on the outskirts of Paris (his father is from Guadalupe and his mother from Martinique, two overseas French territories). He started playing football locally at the age of six, later moving on to US Palaiseau at the age of 12 and finally Viry-Chatillon, aged 13. He was already catching outside attention, especially when he scored all six of his team’s goals in a 6-0 win.

There were Monaco talent spotters at that game, and then manager Arsène Wegner introduced Henry to the French Federation’s famous Clairefontaine Academy.

He was 13 years old at the time, and there he met fellow future internationals like Trezeguet, Anelka, Gallas and Rothen. After a year in the academy, Henry spent as season at Versailles before signing definitively for Monaco in 1993. Arsène Wegner, aware of the player’s talents, did not take long to hand him his debut in Ligue 1, shortly after his 17th birthday. In his first season, Henry played 8 games and scored 3 goals. In 1995/96, he scored three goals in 18 games, and gained his first European experience.

In 1996, Henry really started making the grade. First in the European Under 18 Championship where his goal beat Spain 1-0 in the final. Moths later his was named Best Young Talent in French Football. He also won his first major honour as Monaco won Ligue 1 in 1996/97, he himself playing 36 games and scoring nine goals. In the UEFA Cup, his reached the semi finals, Henry playing 9 games, scoring once and supplying four assists.

Several European clubs started showing an interest in the player, and in the 1997/98 season, he played 30 games and scored 4 goals in the League and 9 played 9 games and scored 7 goals in Europe, Monaco reaching the Champions League semi finals. In October 1997 he made his international debut in a friendly with South Africa. He was good enough to be included in the France team that won the World Cup in 1998, and he was his country’s highest scorer with three goals.

He only played half of the next season for his club. In the 1998/99 transfer window, Henry left Monaco for Juventus, having played 141 games, scored 28 goals and supplied 37 assists in the Principality.

But Henry struggled to adept to calcio and Turin, and after just 20 games and three goals he returned his old friend Arsène Wenger, now manager of Arsenal in London.

In the English capital, Henry really became a global superstar. His speed and physique, coupled with exquisite skills fitted in perfectly with the Arsenal way, where Henry became the star striker in a team that gained worldwide recognition for its style of football and excellent results.

At Arsenal, the Frenchman broke almost every record in the book. He is the highest goalscorer ever for the club with 226 goals, and also holds the record for the new-look Premier League with 174. Thierry Henry was top scorer in the Premier League four times (2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006), a competition his side won in 2002 and 2004, as well as three FA Cups. His goals at Arsenal were enough to win him the Golden Boot for being the highest goalscorer in Europe in 2004 and 2005.

There was just one major title Henry missed out on as a ‘gunner’: the Champions League, which he lost the final of in 2006 against Paris against Barça. Now a living legend at Arsenal, in 2007 he decided he needed a fresh challenge, and signed for Barça.

In his first season in Catalonia, he was the club’s top scorer with 19 goals in all three major competitions. He made 30 league appearances under Frank Rijkaard, usually playing in a less familiar position out wide on the left of attsck.

In 2008/09 Josep Guardiola became the new manager. He wanted experience in the side and made Henry a regular component of the treble winning squad. Still playing in a more left-sided role, he scored 26 goals in 42 games. In Rome, and in the Champions League final, he finally managed to win the one major club title he still did not have in his honours list.

Profile

Speed and technique are two of Henry's main characteristics, which he allies with efficiency and elegance. He is considered to be one of the most skilful players in the game with the ball at his feet as well as being an extremely intelligent footballer.

Despite having been moulded into a central striker under Arsène Wenger, Henry can play across the front line, thanks to his sublime pace. He is a free kick specialist, generally taking them with the top of his foot to add his trademark swerve that goalkeepers find so hard to deal with.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup 
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga 
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Arsenal
2004/05 FA Cup
2004/05 Community Shield
2003/04 League
2002/03 FA Cup
2002/03 Community Shield
2001/02 FA Cup
2001/02 League

Monaco
1996/97 League
1997 Super Cup

France
2006 World Cup runner-up
2003 Confederations Cup
2000 European Championship
1998 World Cup

Individual awards
2005/06 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Golden Boot
2003/04 Premiership top goalscorer
2003/04 Golden Boot
2001/02 Premiership top goalscorer

José Manuel Pinto Colorado

José Manuel Pinto joined Barça on 18 January 2008 from Celta, the club he had played for during the previous ten seasons. He came on loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Born in Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) on November 8, 1975, Pinto start his professional career in Andalucia. After spending three seasons with Real Betis's B side, he moved up to the first team and made his debut for the club during the 1997/98 campaign. A year later he agreed to move to Celta Vigo, where would spend the next decade before leaving to go to Camp Nou.

After being replaced by Toni Prats at Betis, Pinto opted to join Celta and it was there that he found stability and was awarded the captain's armband. He went on to play 126 games in la Primera, 56 matches in la Segunda A as well as appearing in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup regularly with the club. As well as helping the side to qualify for the Champions League in 2003/04, Pinto won the Zamora Trophy as the best keeper in the league in 2005/06.

That year, Pinto conceded just 28 goals in 37 league matches (an average of 0.75 per game) and helped guide the team to sixth place in the top flight and into the UEFA Cup. The season before had seen Víctor Valdés win the Zamora.

When playing for Celta in the Second Division, FC Barcelona bought him in the January transfer window as cover for Albert Jorquera, sidelined with a long-term knee injury. He came on loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season, during which he made his League debut away at Deportivo and then played in two more matches.

In the 2008/09 season, Guardiola made Pinto his first choice stopper in the cup. The Andalusian played every game in the competition and performed especially well in the semi final, saving a penalty from Mallorca’s Martí, which could have complicated Barcelona’s qualification. He also played the last games of the league campaign, thus ensuring Valdés won the Zamora Trophy.

PROFILE

Pinto is a strong goalkeeper, standing at 1.85m tall and weighing 82kg. His height and agility make him powerful in the air and he also has very quick reflexes to help him make a quick-reaction save when required. It is those reflexes that also make him a superb shot-stopper from close range, but he is not easy to beat from distance either.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Celta de Vigo
2001/02 Copa del Rey Runner-Up

Individual Awards
2005/06 Spanish League Zamora

Bojan Krkic Pérez

Bojan Krkic joins the senior squad for the 2006-07 season at the tender age of 16. In just one year he has progressed from the youth side to Barça B and now the first team.

Bojan Krkic was born in Linyola (Catalonia) on 28th August 1990. In just one season, from 2006-07 to 2007-08, this promising young forward has made the leap from Juvenil A to the first team. Along the way he played the second part of the season with Barça B in Second Division B.

Bojan joined Barça in 1999 becoming part of the Benjamí A boys squad. His rise through the ranks of the Barça academy teams was meteoric: Aleví B (2000-01), Aleví A (2001-02), Infantil B (2002-03), Infantil A (2003-04) and Cadet B (2004-05). He started the 2005-06 season with the Cadet A team but was soon promoted up to Juvenil A. The pattern was repeated in the 2006-07 season, which he began with Juvenil A and finished with Barça B.

During his half season with Barça B, he scored 10 goals and became the team’s top scorer. 

He really arrived on the scene in 2007. He played in the European Under-17 Championship with Spain, both winning the tournament and scoring the winner against England in the final (1-0); he made his debut with Barça’s first team in a friendly played in Egypt, scoring once; and finally he made his debut with Spain’s Under-21 side at the age of just 16. A year to remember to be sure.

Bojan began the 2007/08 preseason with the first team. However, he couldn’t go on the club’s Asia tour as he was called up for the World Under-17 Cup in South Korea, where he notched 5 goals and Spain finished as runners-up.

Back in Barcelona, he began to get time on the pitch with Rijkaard in both the League and the Champions League. He set new records as Barça’s youngest player in the Champions League (on 19 September 2007 against Olympique de Lyon, when aged 17 years and 22 days); Barça’s youngest goalscorer (against Villarreal on 20 October in the same year, aged 17 years, 1 month and 22 days); and the second youngest goalscorer in the Champions League (aged 17 years and 217 days when he scored against Schalke 04, just 22 days later than Oforiquaye, the youngest goalscorer in the Champions League).

Thus the 2007/08 season consolidated Bojan as one of the finest strikers in the League, in which he scored 10 goals and was in the starting line-up 14 times.

In the 2008/09 season, Bojan scored two League goals, but contributed more to the 25th cup title in club history. Guardiola used him in both the cup and league as a player that could come on as sub and change the course of matches.

PROFILE

Bojan is fast and has the ability to go past his marker. Despite his youth, he is used to dealing with defenders that are stronger and more experienced than him. His bursts of speed and his skill with the ball at his feet are two of his virtues. However, his main strength is his killer instinct in front of goal.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup 
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Spain
2007 European under-17 Champion
2007 World Cup under-17 Runner-up

Andrés Iniesta Lujan

Andrés Iniesta joined Barca as a twelve-year-old in 1996 after scouts had spotted him at the Brunette Tournament playing for Albacete.

From the start he progressed rapidly through the club's various youth teams and was promoted to the Barca B team for the 2000-01 season, where he almost immediately became the team's main playmaker under coach Josep Maria Gonzalvo.
Andrés' dream of making the first team finally came true in October 2002 when he was picked to play in the Champions League game against Bruges in Belgium. Van Gaal's Barca won that evening and Andrés made an excellent impression.
Now an recognised squad member, Iniesta has established a place for himself through hard work allied to his undoubted natural skills. In the shadow of some of the team's bigger names, Andres became a key piece of the League winning 2004-5 team, winding up as Rijkaard's most used player, figuring in 35 of the 38 league games. Iniesta also played 8 Champions League matches, scoring twice.
But he really established himself as a first team player in the 2005-06 season. Playing in central midfield in place of Xavi, who was sidelined for a long time with injury, Iniesta became one of the key players in the Barça side that won the League and the Champions League. He played in 33 League fixtures and 11 in the Champions League.

Iniesta continued to develop in the 2006-07 season and was one of the players most used by Frank Rijkaard in that campaign. He played in 37 out of 38 League games scoring 6 goals, his best return to date. In the 2007-08 season, and by now in the number 8 shirt, the midfielder continued to be an ever present in the side until the last few games when he picked up a knee injury.

In the 2008/09 season, Iniesta had an even better season than ever. Playing in a central or wide role he delighted the whole world with his amazing dribbling skills. He grew into one of the essential components of the Barça engine, and took the team to the Champions League final with an injury time goal at Stamford Bridge.

Plus Andrés Iniesta is one of the key players in the Spanish national side, playing in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, when he was one of the players most used by Luis Aragonés as Spain lifted the trophy.
PROFILE
Intuitive, vertical, fast and intelligent, Andrés Iniesta is a man of many virtues. The midfielder started out in defence for Barça B and before that the club’s youth teams. But as he gained in first team experience, he was also moved into a more attacking role. He is now a full-on striker, and is also able to play as a midfielder or on either of the flanks of the Barça forward line.

Iniesta is not only versatile, but also a true professional, being talented yet modest. Especially talented. The player from Fuentealbilla has set standards for other attacking midfielders to follow. Practical and intelligent, he reads the game to perfection and is a constant threat to opposing defences.

The Barça number eight is getting better with every year. Always learning, his shooting has come on in leaps and bounds, and he can use either foot, as he showed us so dramatically with his last-gasp winner at Stamford Bridge.

HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League 
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Super Cup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Super Cup
2004/05 Liga

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship

Xavier Hernandez Creus

Xavi has spent all his footballing life at the Nou Camp, having joined Barcelona when he was only 11 years old. The progress he made was always very quick and in season 97-98 he moved up from youth team to Barca B.

In Barça B, he became the brains of Jordi Gonzalvo's team which won promotion to the second division.
Xavi's dream of making his official debut with the first team squad became true when he played in the Spanish Super Cup against Majorca in the summer of 1998. He was in the starting line up and scored: a better debut he could not have asked for. Xavi also played an important role in the league-winning season of 1998-99 with Van Gaal as manager, most notably with an important goal in the Nuevo Zorrilla, which turned round the team's fortunes.
Season 1999-2000 was a good one for Xavi as due to the injury to Guardiola he was the first choice number 4 for a large part of the season. After the legendry captain left for Italian football he became the playmaker of the team and has continued to demonstrate the full range of his talents in this position.
With Van Gaal, Rexach, Antic, Rijkaard and Guardiola in charge of the team, Xavi has always been a key member of the team - a fact made clear by the 300 official games he completed whilst still only 25 years old.
With Rijkaard, Xavi has shown that he can not only play at the heart of midfield, but is also more than able to cover any position in the center of the team, an ability reflected in the fact that he was the most used player in the League winning 2004-05 season, playing 36 games in all.
Xavi will never forget 2 December 2005. While training at La Masía, the midfielder tore the ligaments in his left knee. His recovery was swifter than expected and within five months he was playing again. On 29 April 2006 against Cadiz, Xavi once again “felt like a footballer ". He was back in time to celebrate the League and Champions League titles with his team-mates.

In the last two seasons with Frank Rijkaard in the dugout, Xavi was one of the players most used by the Dutch manager. Plus in the 2007-08 season he set a personal best of 7 League goals, almost doubling his previous highest of four in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.

In Guardiola’s first year, Xavi Hernández extended his goalscoring record. He beat his personal best, getting 10 in 54 games. Along with Iniesta, he formed part of the central playmaking duo that contributed so much to the treble winning season.

In addition Xavi Hernández has also been a fixture in Spain’s national side. He played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the 2004 and 2008 European Championships, and in the latter was chosen as best player as Spain picked up the title.

PROFILE
Xavi is the playmaker of the team in every game and shows no nerves whatsoever as he guides the team with an extraordinarily cool head. Since taking on the mantle of playmaker at Barca he has shown incredible vision on the pitch. He is another example of the good work being carried out in the youth teams of Barcelona, especially in the position referred to as number 4 and as he has matured he has shown an increasing ability to adapt himself to different positions in the midfield when his manager has called on him.
His passing to the forwards and his ability to take the pressure off and protect the ball better than almost any other player around, have turned him into one of the focal points on the pitch. He also stands out for his defensive capabilities and his capacity as a ball winner.
In addition he has shown himself more than able at dead ball situations, where his potent shot has brought a number of important goals.
Xavi will always remember December 2, 2005. During training in front of La Masia,the Terrassa-born midfielder suffered a bad injury to his left knee as he ruptured his ligaments. Within five months he was back in action. On April 29, 2006 he returned to play against Cádiz and stated "I feel like a football player again". He was able to celebrate winning the title and the Champions League with the rest of the squad.  The midfielder from Terrassa was one of the final candidates for the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD 2008, finally finishing in fifth place.
The Barça playmaker was a regular in Luis Aragonés' Spain team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team progressed to the second round before being beaten by France.
HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Super Cup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Super Cup
2004/05 Liga
1998/99 Liga

Spanish National Team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sydney Olympic Games
1999 Under 20 World Champion

Individual Awards 
2008 Player of the Tournament: Euro 2008