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Barcelona’s Summer 2012 Transfer Targets: Who’s coming in and who’s going out?

Depending upon the outcome of Copa del Rey Final on May 25th against Athletic Bilbao, FC Barcelona can finish the 2011/2012 campaign on a (relative) high. Winning the domestic Cup competition is nothing to sniff at but it pales to the accomplishments achieved in previous seasons. FC Barcelona finished the season with 91 points; in…

Pep Guardiola Over-Reliance On Lionel Messi Hurt Barcelona

What is there left to say, or write? Though I won’t be as harsh as Jose I will also refrain from championing Pep Guardiola the best in the business. He did exceptionally well but let me ask you a question: How is it possible to not win a title when you can call upon the…

Gracias Pep? Tactical Mistakes Meant Guardiola’s Exit Can Only Benefit Barcelona

Days have passed since FC Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League by Chelsea FC. In that time this writer has come full circle in his impression of a man whose tenure has also, come full circle at Barcelona. Pep Guardiola announced this past week that he will no longer be Barcelona’s manager in the…

Ferguson’s Replacement at United: Current Betting Odds

When Sir Alex Ferguson finally decides to close the curtains on his long and glorious career there will certainly be more than a few managers in line to replace him. Below are the Sky Bet current favourites: 1. Jose Mourinho 2/1 Will the special one end up at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson decides…

Pep Guardiola: Past, Present and his Future?

Pep Guardiola has sensationally called time on his Barcelona career following a difficult season in which the Catalans relinquished their grip on La Liga to rivals Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea. The 41-year-old, who was appointed in 2008 and has led the Catalan club to 13…

Viktoria Plzen v Barcelona: Catalans one step away from knockout stage

Group H sees Barcelona and AC Milan visit Viktoria Plzen and BATE Borisov respectively on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League. Both these fixtures will decide whether the giants confirm their spots in the Round of 16 or will the smaller clubs still have a chance.

Champions League Preview: Real and Barca the teams to beat

It seems that in almost every aspect of the game, two clubs dominate the footballing world. They are Spanish super heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona. Any team boasting multiple stars is said to echo Real’s Galactico era, while teams – from League Two to the K-League – are said to be a mini-Barcelona. Even the…

Barcelona have won more doubles than anyone in Europe

Barcelona rose from a very controversial semifinal against Real Madrid to a very fine performance in the final against Manchester United. A performance that has quietened the outcry of Mourinho-hopefuls against Barca’s theatrics in the Bernabeu – with a little help from FIFA again. And this is coming from a Barcelona fan… It’s just that…

Pep Guardiola’s achievements at Barcelona are far from complete

At 40 years of age Pep Guardiola has already implemented himself into one of the greatest coaches in modern history. 29 years his senior Sir Alex Ferguson, the man who sat in the opposite dugout at Wembley on Saturday night, conceded his Manchester United team were inferior to the young pretender’s Blaugrana who put on…

The Champions League Final: or how Manchester United gave Barcelona a helping hand

Stephen O’Sullivan points out that if you’re playing the best team in the world, it’s never a good idea to make it easy for them. The Manchester United players and staff queued up last night to hail Barcelona as, amongst other things, the best team they’d ever seen; Rio Ferdinand (“they were the deserving winners”), Nemanja Vidic…