FCBarcelona News

Five hundred match with FCBarcelona

Xavi Hernandez .. FCBarcelona and National Team midfielder, Became the second player in history to run 500 games with the Catalans, after his team beat Atlante 3-1 on Wednesday in the semi-finals of World Cup football in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Xavi (29 years) Became the second player to win the honor, following defender Miguel (548 games) between 1973 and 1989, after 11 years with European champions Spain and the present.

Xavi joined to the Academy of Barcelona in 1991 aged 11 years and started his career with the first team in 1998 against Real Mallorca in the Super Cup competition.

After 11 years, Xavi balanced  333 league games (second in order for the club’s players), 100 games in the Champions League (first place in the history of the club), scoring 49 goals with Barcelona.

Since its beginnings under the supervision of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, Xavi won the confidence of all the trainers who train Twalua Barcelona, and played an influential role in midfield.

Xavi has become one of the symbols of FCBarcelona, reflecting the philosophy of team based on the possession of the ball, review and attacking play.

After winning the Champions League twice, starring Spain 4 times, the Cup of Spain, the Spanish Super Cup and European Super Cup, the world championship for clubs the only missing treasury for the player,

On a personal level, Xavi in the list of final candidates for the best player in the world (FIFA) for the year 2008, and has been named the best midfielder in the Champions League 2009, the 3rd  in  Golden Globe Award in 2009, and one of the five candidates for best player in the world (FIFA) 2009.

Iniesta ruled out for two weeks

Andrés Iniesta will miss the final of the FIFA World Club Cup after it was revealed that his muscle injury would keep him out of action for at least two weeks.

FC Barcelona’s medical team released a statement in Abu Dhabi that read: “The tests carried out this afternoon confirm that the player has suffered a muscle tear in his left leg.”

The midfielder suffered the blow in the game against Atlante in midweek and had to be substituted for Bojan Krkic. At the end of the game it was felt that he may have a chance of recovering in time to appear in the final, but that has now been ruled out.

Best player.. Despite being unable to play in the game against Estudiantes, Iniesta will be able to attend the FIFA World Player of the Year gala in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday. He is one of the five nominations for the award.

Champions League draw on Friday 18,2009

FC Barcelona will discover who they are to play in the first knockout round of this season’s Champions League on Friday when the draw is made in Switzerland.