Barça and Inter have met before

FC Barcelona and Inter meet on Wednesday after being drawn together for only the second time ever in the Champions League. On the last occasion the Blaugrana were 3-0 winners in Camp Nou before the second game ended goalless in Giuseppe Meazza.

In total Barça and the Nerrazzurri have met three times in Europe with the first two meetings being in the Inter-City Fairs Cup while the most recent came in the 2002/03 campaign. The balance of the six matches is three wins for the Blaugrana, two draws and one defeat. Overall, Barça and Inter have won one tie each while the Catalan outfit overcame the Italians in group stage of the Champions League.

Home victory
In the 2002/03 meetings, the teams were drawn together in the second phase of the groups. Radomir Antic led FC Barcelona to victory in Camp Nou as the hosts won 3-0 thanks to goals from Javier Saviola, Philip Cocu and Patrick Kluivert. That victory saw Barça make it eleven consecutive wins in the Champions League, a record that still stands in the competition.

Group progress

In the return leg, played on February 26, 2003, in Italy, there were no goals. It was a result that ended the run of victories and stood out for the tough battle that saw injuries to Cocu while Carles Puyol fractured his cheek after a collision with team-mate Frank de Boer. In that season Barça were knocked out by Juventus.


Out of the Fairs Cup

The previous meeting between the clubs came in the quarter finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969/70. On that occasion Inter proved to be too strong for Barça as the Italians won 1-2 in Camp Nou with Bonisegna, Fusté and Bertini all scoring in the game. FC Barcelona were knocked out of the event after drawing the second game 1-1 in Italy.


Comfortable wins

In 1958-60, the tournament being played over two years, was the first time that Barça and Inter met. In the first leg, the Blaugrana were dominant as they secured a 4-0 winning margin and took a step towards the semi finals. Five months later in the return game, Helenio Herrera's side were the best side yet again as they won 2-4 in Milan and the team went on to lift the trophy for the second time in their history.


--source www.fcbarcelona.cat

Mourinho's Inter first up for Barcelona in CL

Barcelona opens its Champions League title defense against a familiar face when it faces Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan at San Siro.

Assistant to Bobby Robson at Camp Nou in the late 1990s when Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was an influential midfielder, Mourinho has since won the Champions League with FC Porto, two English league titles with Chelsea and Serie A with Inter.

Now he comes face to face with Guardiola, who last season guided Barca to the domestic league and cup titles as well as the Champions League. Although this is the first round of the long group stage of matches, Mourinho will want to make a mark by guiding Inter to a victory.

Wednesday's game could also see Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Inter's Samuel Eto'o facing each other a season after they played for each other's clubs. The two stars swapped teams in the offseason and Mourinho, who once described Ibrahimovic as the best striker in the world, said he would not dwell on the Swede's departure.

"A player that gave me as much as Ibra will always be in my heart, but I'm someone who forgets quickly and I'm focusing on my current players now," Mourinho said on Sunday. "We'll exchange a big hug before the game but, during the match, I don't even want to know who he is. He did a lot for Inter and Inter did a lot for him."

Eto'o, who scored Inter's first goal in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Parma, said Inter ought not overestimate the game against his former club.

"Now that the game against Parma is over we can think about Barcelona," he said. "We won't have any problems. We've just got to prepare ourselves well and approach this game in the best manner possible.

"Inter-Barcelona will be an important game for Inter, because it's the first in the Champions League, but I think all the games are important."

Barcelona and Inter are the strong favorites to qualify for the last 16-team knockout stage from their group and leave Dynamo Kiev and Russian champion Rubin behind. They meet Wednesday in Ukraine.

--source http://www.newsnow.co.uk

[Video] Barcelona - Getafe

Samuel Eto'o: I Am Looking Forward To Playing Barcelona

Samuel Eto'o has admitted that he is now relishing the prospect of playing against Barcelona in midweek, but does not think that it will be the biggest game of Inter's season.

The Cameroonian striker has been given an early chance to prove to the Blaugrana that they were wrong to swap him for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

After helping Barca to become the European champions last term, Eto'o is now aiming to put them out at the first opportunity by ensuring they gain no points from Inter.

"The game against Barcelona motivates me, obviously," he told Sky Italia. "But it also motivates the rest of the team too.

"Up until now I had not thought about playing them, but now I am and that is what I am focussing on.

"I really want to play in the game, but I do not think it will be the most important game of the season because I want to play in many important games, not just this one."

Jose Mourinho stated that Eto'o is the best striker that he has ever worked with, and that has gone down well with the former Real Mallorca star.

"I want to thank him for his words, but I will not compare him to [Barca coach Pep] Guardiola," he continued.

"All I want is to continue to work hard and repay the confidence and affection that Inter have shown me since I came here."


--source www.goal.com

Coming week dominated by Champions League

Barca face two demanding commitments this week, with the Champions League kicking off next Wednesday at Inter Milan, then Atletico Madrid at home on Saturday.

After returning from the Getafe game on Saturday night, the squad is already focussed the Inter Milan tie, and they trained behind closed doors on Sunday morning at the Ciudad Deportiva. The next training session will be on Monday morning in the same place, but this time the press will be allowed in during the first minutes.

Off to Milan

The squad will travel to Milan on Tuesday after breakfast at Camp Nou, and they will be training the same day at 19:00 in the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. The game itself against Inter Milan takes place on Wednesday at 19:45, and so Barca’s 2009/10 campaign to defend the Champions’ League begins



Visit from Atletico Madrid

As soon as they return from Milan, Guardiola’s squad will be straight back to training both on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning in readiness for the visit of one of the top teams in La Liga; Atletico Madrid. The game itself is at 22:00 on Saturday at Camp Nou.
Coming week dominated by Champions League
Sunday off
The Barca squad won’t be able to rest till Sunday, then back training again the following Monday in preparation for the mid-week game against Racing Santander and then Malaga the following weekend.


--source www.fcbarcelona.cat

Carles Puyol Must Decide His Barcelona Future - Txiki Begiristain

Barcelona director of football Txiki Begiristain has said that the future of club captain Carles Puyol is in his own hands.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, Begiristain suggested that the player may not be happy with a role whereby he will gradually play less at the club.

"Puyol must decide his own future at Barcelona," said Begiristain.

Puyol played at right-back in the 2-0 triumph over Getafe on Saturday, and now faces stiff competition for a central defensive berth alongside Gerard Pique, given the signing of Dmytro Chygrynskiy and the return to fitness of Rafael Marquez. Argentinian Gabriel Milito is also expected back before the end of 2009.

He continued, "Gradually playing less doesn't seem to convince the captain."

He also said that the contracts of coach Pep Guardiola and his assistant Tito Villanova would wait until Guardiola is ready, but he remains hopeful that they will both sign soon.

"We are waiting for Pep because he said it [the contract renewal] is not a priority. They have an offer which we hope is accepted."


Barcelona director of football Txiki Begiristain has said that the future of club captain Carles Puyol is in his own hands.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, Begiristain suggested that the player may not be happy with a role whereby he will gradually play less at the club.

"Puyol must decide his own future at Barcelona," said Begiristain.

Puyol played at right-back in the 2-0 triumph over Getafe on Saturday, and now faces stiff competition for a central defensive berth alongside Gerard Pique, given the signing of Dmytro Chygrynskiy and the return to fitness of Rafael Marquez. Argentinian Gabriel Milito is also expected back before the end of 2009.

He continued, "Gradually playing less doesn't seem to convince the captain."

He also said that the contracts of coach Pep Guardiola and his assistant Tito Villanova would wait until Guardiola is ready, but he remains hopeful that they will both sign soon.

"We are waiting for Pep because he said it [the contract renewal] is not a priority. They have an offer which we hope is accepted."


source
www.goal.com

Welcome

Hi ,



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So from me : Thanks Pep for everything.
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