Great news as Leo Messi has been named in the list for tomorrow night’s game with Racing. The full list is: Valdés, Pinto, Zambrotta, Oleguer, Puyol, Milito, Thuram, Márquez, Sylvinho, Abidal, Deco, Xavi, Iniesta, Gudjohnsen, Giovani, Bojan, Henry, Messi.  I’ll write a full preview later today. I am in a horrible hurry at the moment.

Jose Manuel Pinto has been officially presented as a Barça player this evening (Friday) at Camp Nou. Pinto passed his medical this morning and signed this afternoon. Frank Rijkaard said that Pinto “is here to play and not just to train.” Pinto will train with the first team tomorrow and almost definitely be on the list for Sunday’s game at home to Racing. He has been given the number thirteen shirt to wear. Keep reading →

It seems incredible but after the Liga Profesional De Futbol (LFP) announced earlier today that Barça would play Athletic Bilbao on Saturday 26th January, this afternoon the Real Federacion Española De Futbol (RFEF) have announced that the first leg of the Villarreal-Barça Copa Del Rey quarter final will take place on Thursday 24th January, kick off 10pm. Keep reading →

The Spanish League have been kind enough to announce that next weekend’s game against Athletic Bilbao will take place on Saturday 26th kick off 10pm local time. The game will be shown live in Spain on La Sexta, and on TV3 in Catalunya. So, you just have time to rearrange that party you were organizing. Still no news on kick off times for next week’s Copa Del Rey game at Villarreal. I’ll let you know as soon as I can.

Barça will face Villarreal in the quarter-final of the Copa Del Rey after Villarreal beat Recreativo 2-0 tonight to go through 2-1 on aggregate. There was a shock as Real Madrid went out after losing 0-1 to Mallorca (1-3 on aggregate). Mallorca’s goal was scored by Ibagaza. Athletic Bilbao beat Espanyol on penalties. Keep reading →

Barça and Celta have reached an agreement which will see 32-year-old goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto move to Barcelona on a loan deal until the end of the season. Barça will pay Celta €500,000 for the services of Pinto and have also secured an option to keep him until 2010 if they confirm this before May 31 this year. Keep reading →

There is a lot of speculation this morning in the English press about Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and a possible summer transfer to Barça. Drogba was quoted as desiring a move to Barça and he especially expressed a wish to partner Samuel Eto’o -  ”Any striker in my situation would be really happy to get the chance to play alongside Samuel Eto’o.” Keep reading →

Barça are through to the last eight of this season’s Copa Del Rey on the away goals rule after an intense 0-0 draw at Camp Nou with Sevilla. Thierry Henry’s goal in the 1-1 draw last Wednesday in the Sanchez Pizjuan now counts double and means the end of Sevilla’s fantastic run in cup competitions. This is the first cup tie they have lost in two years having won last season’s Spanish Cup and the Uefa Cup for the last two seasons. Keep reading →

Anderson Luis de Souza, better known as Deco, returns to the squad for tomorrow night’s second leg Copa Del Rey game with Sevilla (kick off 9pm local time). As usual for Cup games Frank Rijkaard has named a 16-man squad, so there is no place for Saturday’s debutante Pedrito. The players trained this evening and will spend the night at a hotel to prepare the game, as they usually do for important Champions League games. Keep reading →

The new year has not started well for Ronaldinho Gaucho. Struggling with a knee injury and criticised in the press, on Friday night he had to call for help from the firemen when a tree fell down at his house in Castelldefels. Keep reading →