FC Barcelona 2009-10
Visca el Barça!
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Even for FC Barcelona, 2008-09 was . . .
. . . More Than A Season!
Playing trademark 4-3-3 football, the Catalan giants thrilled stadiums across Europe with their intelligent midfield possession game combined with
thrilling individual talent.
Pep Guardiola remains at the helm and will continue to put his trust in the same players, same system - there's no reason why Barça shouldn't repeat
their most successful season ever - Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League - in 2009-10.
The star performers of this extraordinary side are undoubtedly Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta.
Playing on the right of the attack but with freedom of movement, Messi's dazzling individual runs, dribbling, dummies and superb goal tally make
him
odds on favourite for European Golden Ball and FIFA World Player this season.
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Football Club Barcelona
1899
Camp Nou
C/ Arístides Maillol, s/n
08028 Barcelona
www.fcbarcelona.cat
City
Barcelona
Province
Barcelona Province
Region
Catalonia
Fixtures 2009-10
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FC Barcelona Squad
2009-10
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2008-09 was the season when Andrés Iniesta came of age.
Capable of playing on the left of the attack but even more dangerous in midfield, the young Manchegan
is not only a defender's nightmare but is also giving opposing goalkeepers bad dreams as well.
His 92nd minute scorcher in the Champions League
Semi-Final against Chelsea has already gone down in history.
After a difficult first season at the club, Thierry Henry is back at the top.
No longer a straight centre-forward, he now plays on the left of the attack and
without losing any of his consummate elegance, has become a much stronger team player.
With the transfer of top goalscorer Samuel Eto'o, Barça's killer in the area for 2009-10 will be Swedish international - Zlatan Ibrahimovic - it's unlikely that Ibracadabra will score as many as Eto'o but his stylish play should create more opportunities for the other forwards and attacking midfielders.
These three are supported by Bojan Krkic and Canary Islander Pedro Rodriguez - two very promising youngsters with still a lot left to learn.
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Coach: Josep Guardiola
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1.
Victor Valdés (Goalkeeper)
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2.
Dani Alves (Defender)
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3.
Gerard Piqué (Defender)
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4.
Rafael Márquez (Defender)
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5.
Carles Puyol (Cap. Defender)
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6.
Xavi Hernández (Midfield)
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8.
Andrés Iniesta (Midfield)
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9.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Forward)
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10.
Lionel Messi (Forward)
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11.
Bojan Krkic (Forward)
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13.
José M. Pinto (Goalkeeper)
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14.
Thierry Henry (Forward)
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15.
Seydou Keita (Midfield)
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16.
Sergio Busquets (Midfield)
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17.
Pedro (Forward)
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18.
Gabriel Milito (Defender)
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19.
Maxwell (Defender)
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21.
Chygrynskiy (Defender)
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22.
Eric Abidal (Defender)
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24.
Touré Yaya (Midfield)
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28.
Jonathan (Midfield)
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32.
Fontàs (Forward)
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33.
Muniesa (Defender)
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29.
Jeffren (Forward)
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The Real Maestro of the FC Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, though, is Xavi Hernández - The Professor.
Xavi's intelligence, precision and almost telepathic
ability to read a game earned him MVP at the Euro 2008.
The Xavi-Iniesta doubles partnership makes the Barça midfield the most clinically efficient in the world.
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The dynamic duo are ably supported by man-mountain Touré Yaya in the defensive midfield position with both the excellent Seydou Keita and young Sergio
Busquets capable of substituting any of the first team trio at a moment's notice.
Eric Adidal at right back might well have to fight for his first team place now that Maxwell has been signed from Inter.
The two central defender positions are covered by three mighty players.
The Great Captain Carles Puyol is the soul of Guardiola's Barça, and at 31 still has plenty of football left in him.
Mexican Rafa Márquez - whose latin-lover
good looks conceal a clinical hard man - is it the other veteran at the back.
Last season's revelation was young Gerard Piqué.
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Back in Barcelona via Manchester - at only 22 - Piquenbauer is already a Spain international and has a dazzling career
ahead of him.
The consensus is that he's got what it takes to follow in Guardiola and Puyol's footsteps and take on the Barça captaincy in a few years time.
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The Back Four is completed by samba-loving Dani Alves - the best Brazilian back since Roberto Carlos. His surging runs both serve to release Messi's genius
and his own imperious designs on the opposing team's area.
Victor Valdés is the FC Barcelona goalkeeper. Pinto - his substitute - is more than capable of holding the fort in minor competitions.
The last signing of 2009 was Ukraniania central defender Dmitro Chygrynskiy. Pep definitely had his heart set on him despite the fact that he won't be able to play in the Champions League games.
There's been a lot of concern that the squad is a little small.However, President Joan Laporta and Technical Secretary Txiki Begiristain have both stated that Guardiola has all the players he asked for.
I suspect that throughout the course of the season we'll see quite a few youngsters moving up to the first team - Muniesa, Jeffren, Jonathan and Fontàs have already been assigned first team squad numbers, so expect them to be household names before the season's out.
Pep Guardiola's Barça has already got everything it takes to make history for the second season on the trot.
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Jimmy Burns' Barça: A People's Passion is an excellent history of FC Barcelona taken from two perspectives.
Beginning with a Barça-Real Madrid Clásico from the fan's point of view, the main text traces the history of Football Club Barcelona from its founding
by a group of foreigners through the repression of the Franco regime right up to Cruyff's Dream Team and centenary year in 1999.
FC Barcelona is much more than a club - it's a political and social phenomenen.
Barça: A People's Passion is much more than a book about football - it's the story of one hundred years of obsessive national pride.
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