“Nobody can kick me out of Barcelona” Iniesta warns Coutinho

Andreas Iniesta insists that club record sign, Philippe Coutinho is not at the club to displace him.

Barcelona acquired the Brazilian international midfielder, smashing their summer transfer for the acqisition of Dembele.

And there have been talks that Coutinho was bought to replace Iniesta.

But Iniesta has dismiss such talks, he said to Ondo Cero: “I’m a player for this club and I always said that only the best can play for this club,” Upon Coutinho’s arrival to Barcelona.

“That makes Coutinho one of the best. He is young and has an innate talent, while Barcelona are a club where he can keep growing.

“There can never be a player that will make me retire or kick me out of here. At 33 years of age, that’s not an issue. Coutinho has come here to improve.

“I’m happy he’s one of the best players in his position. He has the things that we like.

“He’s a quick and skillful player. He links up very well, uses both feet very well, creates goals and scores them.

“He will find a very good environment here to grow well. The money we paid for him is another thing.

“The price of the market decides what a player is worth. Beyond the madness, we must be happy that he’s our.”

Barcelona ace Busquets reveals Campbell made him break down into tears

Busquets recently made his Barcelona debut, featuring in the club’s Copa del Rey battering of Real Murcia.

The 18-year-old is a lifelong fan of the Catalan giants, meaning he was seven when Barcelona met Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final.

Oriol Busquests says he was brought to tears when Sol Campbell scored the opening goal in the 2006 champions league final for Arsenal

Campbell scored the opener that night in Paris, but Barcelona rallied through Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti to win Europe’s biggest club competition.

And Busquets has revealed he broke down into tears when Campbell put Arsenal in front.

“That game [the 2006 final] is my first Barca memory,” the teenager said.

“I cried after Arsenal’s goal.”

Sol Campbell celebrates his goal for Arsenal against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final

Barcelona had some stunning players back in the day.

Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Beletti all turned out alongside the likes of Xavi, Deco and Andres Iniesta.

And Busquets has revealed he was a huge admirer of Deco.

But he also insisted he now bases his game on Sergio Busquets, who he has no relationship to.

“Back then I used to watch Deco a lot but right now Sergio Busquets is my role model,” he added.

“I am a powerful central midfielder, I help to bring the ball out from the back and I have great stamina.”

Busquets could feature when Barcelona face Sporting Lisbon tomorrow (7.45pm).

Mascherano: Barcelona’s era of success almost over

Javier Mascherano has told El Grafico that he believes Barcelona’s current cycle of success will come to an end in the not too distant future.

Barca have dominated Spanish football and enjoyed great success in Europe during the last decade under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, and new coach Ernesto Valverde has them five points clear in La Liga and safely through to the Champions League knockout rounds.

But Mascherano says all good things must come to an end.

“This Barca era [of success] is still not over, but it’s getting closer. I’m clear on that,” he said.

“I believe that all eras have to come to an end in life and Barca’s is close to its end — I think I know when, but I’m not going to say!”

Mascherano’s own spell with the club is coming to a more imminent end, with the Argentina defender telling ESPN last week that his time at Camp Nou was reaching its conclusion.

Over the weekend, Catalunya Radio reported that he is already informed the club that he does not plan to stay beyond the end of the current season, despite having a contract until 2019.

Mundo Deportivo has even suggested, with the World Cup next summer, he would be open to leaving in January in order to play regular football before Russia.

But the injury to Samuel Umtiti, who will be out for the next two months with a torn hamstring, may force him to change his plans.

Mascherano is currently sidelined with an injury, too, but should return in the coming weeks.

Once back, he will be needed in the middle of the back four, where Valverde currently only has Gerard Pique and Thomas Vermaelen available.

Barca have tough away games against Villarreal and Real Madrid before the end of the year and could have as many as eight games in January if they continue to progress in the Copa del Rey.

Javier Mascherano admits time at Barcelona is almost up

Javier Mascherano believes his career at Barcelona is coming to an end, seven years after joining the Catalan club from Liverpool.

The 33-year-old has seen his influence on the pitch restricted this season and is keen to leave the club on a high.

The Argentine has hinted that he may look to move on next season despite his current contract running out in 2019.

Javier Mascherano admits he’s time at Barcelona is coming to an end 

Speaking to ESPN, Mascherano reflected on the glittering career he has had at the Nou Camp, which includes two Champions League winners medals and four La Liga titles.

He said: “I think that my stage here is ending.

“It makes sense that after such a long time there’s not much more I can do in this club.

“I’m not saying it with a heavy heart. I’ve had the best years of my career in this club. I’ll never forget it.”

The utility defender has played in just six of Barcelona’s 13 league matches this term and has made just two appearances in the Champions League.

Mascherano revealed he has learnt from experience and does not want to replicate the way he left Anfield in 2010.

He added: “I’m one of those people that thinks that you have to know when is the right time to end a stage.

Javier Mascherano regrets the way he left Liverpool and doesn’t want a repeat of that same episode when he decides to leave Barcelona

“I would like to close mine (at Barcelona) on the right time but it doesn’t really depend on me.

“I am predisposed to close it on time because when I left Liverpool it wasn’t good for me, and I didn’t like it.

“I didn’t like having the feeling that I could go back to Liverpool and there was still something toxic there.

“And I don’t want the same thing to happen to me at Barcelona.”

Lionel Messi ripped into Ernesto Valverde over Valencia ghost goal

Barcelona were held to a draw at the Mestalla with Jordi Alba cancelling out Rodrigo’s early strike.

However, the game was marred by a controversial incident involving Messi, with the Argentina international seeing a goal wrongly disallowed with the officials failing to notice his ball had considerably crossed the line.

Valverde refused to be too critical after the game, praising Barcelona for the grit and determination showed against their fellow title rivals.

But Spanish outlet Diario Gol say Valverde’s decision not to force the issue has rankled with Messi.

And Messi supposedly feels Barcelona purposely were cost a vital three points against Valencia.

Diario Gol say Messi made his feelings clear to Valverde after the game.
He supposedly berated the manager, believing him not be interested in defending the interests of the club.

Jordi Alba earned a point for Barcelona

Other heavyweights – though unnamed – reportedly got involved.

However, Valverde has since upped the ante by criticising the decision, labelling it as “absurd”

“What is absurd is that people in the top row of the stadium can see that the ball is in and those below them can’t,” he said in a news conference.

“From the assistant’s view, he couldn’t see it,” he said before tonight’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Murcia.

“I couldn’t, either. But from the moment I saw what happened, I knew it was in because of how Leo celebrated, how the goalkeeper had his head down… [Martin] Montoya went to get the ball to take it back to the middle of the pitch.

“It’s crazy that in such an important game, and at an important moment, the referee doesn’t see it when there are 40,000 people that knew it was a goal.

“Every year there’s an episode like this. Last season it happened to Barca at Real Betis.”

Barca appeal Pique and Suarez bans

Barcelona have announced they will appeal the yellow cards shown to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Leganes.

Pique was booked in the first half for a slight pull on Nordin Amrabat, with Barca boss Ernesto Valverde describing the yellow card as “excessive”.

Barcelona will appeal the impending ban on Pique and Suarez

Unless his appeal is successful, Pique will miss next Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at Valencia.

“FC Barcelona informs that it has decided to appeal to the competition committee for the yellow cards shown to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez during the course of Leganes-FC Barcelona,” Barca said in a statement.

Suarez ended his goal drought against Leganes with a brace

Without the Spain international centre-back, Valverde is likely to be forced into handing Thomas Vermaelen his first La Liga appearance of the season at the Mestalla, with Javier Mascherano out for a month due to a hamstring injury.

Suarez was booked for impeding Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar as he cleared the ball early in the second half, but the Uruguayan striker gained his revenge by celebrating in front of Cuellar after netting his second goal of a game in which he ended a five-match goal drought.

 

‘Lionel Messi is the reason Barcelona aren’t playing spectacular football’

The Catalan giants have had a sensational start to the campaign, winning nine of their ten La Liga matches so far this season.

Barcelona already hold an eight-point lead over rivals Real Madrid.

However, despite their strong start, Ernesto Valverde’s men haven’t been offering the usual standard of high-quality football for fans at the Camp Nou.

And Balague believes this is down to Lionel Messi.

Messi has 18 goals and 4 assists from 17 appearances in all competitions so far

“Barcelona have been very impressive defensively. Everybody is working very hard without the ball and they have only shipped three goals so far,” he told Sky Sports.

“But their football is not spectacular and there’s a couple of reasons why.

“They are playing without wingers, which tightens everything up in the central areas. With little space to work, their play becomes more industrial and Luis Suarez suffers.

“Now that Lionel Messi is working more through the middle, Suarez has to move wider.

Luis Suarez is suffering as a result of Messi’s new role

“That’s not his natural habitat.”

However, as Valverde is preparing to take his table-topping side to former club Olympiakos in the Champions League, Balague admits everyone is happy with his work.

“These factors mean Barcelona’s football has shifted but everyone is happy with Ernesto Valverde and especially with his results.”

Barca can all but confirm their place in the next stage of the Champions League with a win this evening (7.45pm kick-off).

Valverde: Suarez is priceless for Barcelona

Valverde continues to back Luis Suarez despite the Uruguayan strikers struggles to start this season.

Luis Suarez has been one of the best strikers in the world over the last few years. He has scored some of Barcelona’s most important goals in their recent history. He scored the winner in the 2015 Champions League final against Juventus to clinch a treble for the Blaugrana. Suarez has been in the news for the wrong reasons before. However, since the infamous bite at the 2014 World Cup, he has done well in staying out of the news for bad reasons.

Despite that, it seems that El Pistolero hasn’t found his footing to start the 2017-18 season. He has been limited to only 3 league goals in 6 appearances for Barca so far. 3 goals in 6 games isn’t a bad return, but a player of Suarez’s caliber has to score a lot more to produce success for the team. Fans are wondering why El Pistolero isn’t producing like he did in previous seasons.

At times, Luis Suarez is adjusting to playing in a new system with a new manager. However, he is being put in great positions to score. There have been a lot of missed opportunities from El Pistolero that could prove costly as the season progresses. He needs to get back to playing at his very best for the Blaugrana to be successful.

Despite his struggles, he is still getting support from his teammates and the manager, Ernesto Valverde. While Barca are achieving the results they seek, Valverde is trying to get Suarez back into the flow of the attack. Valverde continues to back his disgruntled striker while finding a way for him to adjust to his tactics. After the match this past weekend, Valverde talked about El Pistolero.

“[Suarez] looks good to me. It’s the third game he has played in six days. He had a great game against Atletico and he was tireless against Olympiakos, but he always gets chances. That aggressiveness he plays with guarantees he will always be in there. The more chances he misses, the better, because [it means] he’s there. He is priceless for us.”

Overall, Luis Suarez needs some confidence. Scoring a goal against Atletico to salvage an away point seemed like the start of the road back. However, this past weekend against Malaga looked like the Luis Suarez we’ve seen all season. Consistency and a bit of confidence will help the Uruguayan striker find his footing this season.