Jérémy Mathieu, new Barça signing

Jérémy Mathieu made his first statements to Barça TV and fcbarcelona.cat as a Barça player just minutes after landing at El Prat Airport. 

The French player has just become Barça’s latest signing, following the agreement between València CF and FC Barcelona. On his arrival in the City, Mathieu confirmed that he was very proud to come to Barcelona.

The French defender, who can play in central defence or at left-back, will be presented as a Barça player in the next days.  

On his arrival in Barcelona, Mathieu confessed: “The Club knows how I play and I’m just coming to do my very best”. Moreover, he added the following about the Club: “Barça is the best Club in the World, and coming here is a great opportunity for me”.

This week,  Jérémy Mathieu will pose for the traditional photo in front of the Barça crest at the Club offices and he will have a very heavy day developing tasks such as undergoing  his medical tests, signing  his contract, going  onto the Camp Nou pitch and, finally, he will be presented at a press conference.

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FC Barcelona, winner of the Colombino Trophy

The Colombino Trophy, won by Barça for beating Recreativo Huelva 1-0 last Saturday night, recently arrived in Barcelona. 

This is the first time Barça have won the traditional summer tournament held by the oldest club in Spanish football since it was first contested in 1965.

This was FC Barcelona’s third attempt to win the prize. In 1981, they lost against Athletic Bilbao and in 1986, under Terry Venables, they finished third. Normally the Colombino is a four-team contest, but this year for just the second time ever, it was played as a single match. 

Not surprisingly, Recreativo Huelva have the most wins, 12, while Atlético Madrid have won it six times and Betis and Sevilla have four titles each. The last non-Spanish winner was Parma in 2007.

The Colombino has been added to the list of other historic Spanish trophies that Barça have won over the years. These include five victories at the Teresa Herrera Trophy, organised by Deportivo la Coruña since 1946, three Ramón de Carranza Trophies, hosted by Cadiz since 1955 and one Naranja Trophy, started by Valencia in 1959.

It is worth saying that Barça have won the most times its own Joan Gamper Trophy, which the hosts have collected 36 times since first holding the event in 1966.

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Luis Enrique reveals plans for FC Barcelona

Luis Enrique gave a media conference recently in the company of director of sport, Andoni Zubizarreta, his first appearance since starting work with his players. 

Asked what kind of team he is putting together, he replied that “I want a team that is faithful to everything that has won it so much before, a team that scores goals, that defends well, that has playing resources, that plays the same at home and away. I don’t just want results but also to win playing nice football”.

He also stated: “We’ll be using all the resources we can, and one of those is being unpredictable. This team has been put together to play well and carry the weight of matches. I like having players that can offer you different playing options and that are able to surprise opponents”.

There have been plenty of changes to the Barça squad this summer, including the departure of two of the captains, but when asked who’ll be leading the team this year, Luis Enrique replied that “leaders are not imposed, they have to appear, they appear spontaneously and we’re already starting to see that. I am a born leader myself, and I lead this team. The challenge is to ensure that this has an impact on the team”.

He ended by explaining that “rather than being about individuals, our chances of success next season depend on everybody’s efforts combining in the right way.”

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FC Barcelona 2014/15 begins with medical and fitness tests

Luis Enrique, FC Barcelona’s manager, started the preseason on the morning of Monday 14 July. As usual, things started with the traditional medical tests and analyses. 

Eleven members of Barça  were joined by thirteen from the reserves.

This took place at Ciutat Esportiva, where the squad came at first time in the morning. After initial analyses, they were then staggered into different groups for biomechanical tests, electrocardiograms, echographies, effort tests and densitometry examinations.

The players that have been involved in the Brazil 2014 World Cup will be returning at different stages over the next few weeks.

Luis Enrique has scheduled double training sessions at 9.30 AM and 6.30 PM each day, the times specially chosen to avoid the scorching midday heat in the Catalan capital at the moment.

On Saturday, Huelva will be the stage for the first preseason friendly for Barça 2014/15.

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Pedro has been ten years at FC Barcelona

Ten years ago, FC Barcelona signed Pedro Rodriguez. The current Barça number 7 came to Barcelona from his hometown, Tenerife. He left CD San Isidro to join the Barça U18 A team at the age of 17, and soon made a name for himself in the youth ranks of the club.

After playing for the U18’s A team and Barça C, Pedro consolidated his place in the Barça B team. In the 2007/08 season, he achieved promotion to the Second Division B under the leadership of Pep Guardiola. 

That year he also debuted with FC Barcelona; Frank Rijkaard picked him to play in two league games at the Camp Nou. The following season, with Guardiola now in charge of Barça, Pedro began to play matches, taking part in a total of 14 games. Finally, in the summer of 2009, Pedro signed his first contract as a FC Barcelona player.

So, in just five years, Pedro went from playing for San Isidro, in Tenerife, to the Barça. That first season, Pedro also made history: he became the first footballer to score in six different official competitions, la Liga, Spanish Cup, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, and World Club Championship. He was, in fact, the revelation of that particular season.

Since then, Pedro’s career has just kept on flourishing. He became fully consolidated in FC Barcelona and became one of Barça’s main strikers. 

Between 2009 and 2014, Pedro has scored 87 official goals for Barça in a total of 253 games. In his ten years at the Club, he’s won every title possible: 4 League titles, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 Spanish Cups, two European Super Cups, four Spanish Super Cups and two World Club Championship trophies.

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Claudio Bravo arrives in Barcelona

Claudio Bravo, the new goalkeeper, arrived in Barcelona last Sunday and was taken straight to the Camp Nou. At 8.00 PM, he posed for photographs outside the club offices, where he was greeted by the media and a considerable crowd of fans.

Yesterday he had a busy schedule. At 9.00 AM, he had a medical examination at the Ciutat Esportiva, and then at 11.15 AM,  he’ll sign his contract. At around 12.00 PM, he’ll be appearing on the field wearing his new jersey and after that, he’ll be presented at a press conference.

The 31 year old player will sign for FC Barcelona for four seasons. Claudio Bravo is the third new arrival after Ter Stegen and Rakitic, in addition to Deulofeu, Rafinha and Masip, who has been promoted from the reserves.

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The Camp Nou Lounge has expanded its service

The Camp Nou Lounge, the area offering great quality cuisine with exclusive views of the Stadium, is expanding its offer to open on Friday and Saturday night, from 4th of July until the 9th of August. 

The Club has decided to expand the service in light of the great success it’s had until now. Since opening in late May, already over 10,500 people have visited the area as part the Camp Nou Experience tour.

The new night-time offer, which is not included in the Camp Nou Experience tour, is open to everyone, and you only have to fill in a form to book your table.

Subsequently, the customer who has made the booking will receive relevant confirmation via email. Bookings can be for a minimum of two people and a maximum of twenty. In addition, members will benefit from a 10% discount on all products, just by showing their membership card. The visitors, who will also have access to free parking, entering through Access 14, will be able to enjoy this area for cocktails or dinner, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.

The Camp Nou Lounge at night, which will create a special atmosphere with lighting and music, has a capacity for 100 people for dinner, in two sittings, the firsts at 8 p.m. and the second at 10 p.m. The entrance to Camp Nou Lounge will be via Gate 15.

The cuisine will be similar to that during the day, with a selection of vermouths, hot tapas, grilled dishes, desserts, and a variety of Damm special beers. There is also a special tasting menu with a variety of beers, which is very popular among the public.

It’s worth remembering that the Camp Nou Lounge, located on the first tier of the Grandstand at the Stadium, is part of the new facilities that FC Barcelona has prepared.

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