FC Barcelona arrives at Milan

The 22 players picked by Martino have arrived at Milan, where they will train this evening.

FC Barcelona is in Milan. The squad left Camp Nou at 9.30 for a transfer to El Prat Airport to catch their flight to Italy. It was the first away trip on which the players have worn the new Replay suits.

On Monday evening at 18.15, manager Gerado Martino and striker Alexis Sánchez will be giving the traditional pre-match press conference ahead of the meeting with AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday night. The conference will be broadcast live on Barça TV as well as being streamed via the club website. 

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Another training session without the internationals

The Barça players trained for the second time this week on Tuesday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva. With a large part of the squad still away on international duty, the session involved the same players as on Monday.

Pinto, Oier, Montoya, Puyol, Mascherano, Bartra, Adriano, Dos Santos, Tello, Cuenca and Messi.  Puyol, Mascherano, Cuenca and Messi are all still recovering from injury.

The senior players were joined by rising youth star Adama Traoré who enjoyed a fine performance on Sunday for the reserves against Deportivo.

The next training session will be on Wednesday afternoon when the players will continue their preparations for Saturday’s visit to Osasuna.

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UAE residents get chance to see FC Barcelona matches live in Spain

UAE residents recently won a lifetime opportunity to meet and watch some of the greatest legends of football at close quarters, thanks to an initiative launched by United Arab Bank (UAB) and FC Barcelona.

For the next three years, UAB will be flying winners on all-expenses-paid trips to Barcelona, where they can watch FC Barcelona play live at the famed Camp Nou stadium.

In the first trip, nine out of the 14 lucky winners, whose names were selected from a raffle draw, were flown to Barcelona to experience football action featuring some of the biggest names in football history, including Lionel Messi, Neymar Da Silva, Sergio Busquets and Marc Bartra.

In addition to VIP treatment throughout the trip and a chance to meet FCB officials, the winners were also treated to an exciting face-off between two of the biggest European clubs – FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad, at Camp Nou stadium.

The match saw FCB maintaining their consecutive successful streak in their La Liga campaign as they clashed with UEFA Champions League qualifiers Real Sociedad. FCB eventually won the thriller 4-1.

"This has to be one of the most exciting moments of my life,” said UAE resident  Lee Copland, whose dream to watch FCB’s star striker Lionel Messi in action came true. “It is a different experience to be able to watch the match at home and to watch them play at close quarters in Camp Nou’s lively atmosphere, especially when Messi scored the second goal of the match. I am grateful for the rare opportunity that UAB gave me. It has been a wonderful experience.”

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The partnership between United Arab Bank and FC Barcelona will continue for a period of three years, ending July 2016. During the three-year partnership, United Arab Bank will reward more than 1,000 customers with tickets to watch the club play live in their home camp, Camp Nou.

FC Barcelona’s star, Lionel Messi, posts a video of his baby son Thiago

Lionel Messi has officially found his way to the social media buzz surrounding celebrities and footballers everywhere. 

The FC Barcelona star has recently created an Instagram account and is now posting photos from his private life as well as his life as a footballer.

One of his most recent posts featured his son Thiago as well as Messi's partner Antonella Roccuzzo playing in the couple's yard as well as another post of Messi playing with his son.

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Marc Bartra, FC Barcelona's newest signing

At a very young age, Marc Bartra made his debut for FC Barcelona under Joseph Guardiola, but he couldn't break in with the likes of Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, and Mascerano holding the center defense.

Two years later at the age of 22, FC Barcelona now has a new, more professional, matured Bartra who has the full ability to play alongside Gerard Pique.

It seemed Bartra would leave FC Barcelona to join Arsenal in the Premier League, but against Celtic, and now Valladolid, Bartra showed that he can start for a great team life in FC Barcelona.

The game against Valladolid was the best game he ever played for the senior team. Bartra protected Valdes and Barcelona from a shot on goal. The momentous moment came when Alves left the ball to be crossed down in the middle of the box, leaving Guerra to dribble towards goal, when Bartra took him out in the most perfect tackle seen by the youngster.

What made him more special was that he had the professionalism to point and shrug of Pique and Alves for the mistake they made. Bartra showed that at 22 he is no longer a youngster, he considers himself to be a senior player.

With Puyol, Maschernao returning in the next week, Bartra will still hold the defense with Pique till the El Classico. Bartra may not be used against the attacking Madrid side, but Martino seems to trust the youngster.

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