Pedro was delighted to lead the line for Barcelona in last night's victory over
Inter Milan.

The young striker shone in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic as Barca won 2-0 in
their Champions League tie.

"It was a very important game for us. We had to stay focused and in the first
half we made many chances," said Pedro.

"At the individual level, it was a good game and I have been able to score early
in the match.

"I'm happy with my form and also the goal, but it is all thanks to the work of
my teammates and they deserve the congratulations."

Gerard Pique says Barcelona were happy to get their victory over Inter Milan out
of the way last night.

The Barca defender scored in the 2-0 Champions League win,but admits they have
little time to reflect on their performance with Real Madrid looming this
weekend.

Pique said:"It was a very important game for us and we'll think about it
later.We had a very good start,we went ahead and we kept their attack at a
distance.

"Now I think only of playing in the game against Real Madrid."

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has explained his pleasure at signing a new deal
with the Blaugrana.

"I'm doing really well here in Barcelona," he enthused.

"This club is the best in the world and the longer I'm here, the better."

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta was equally happy with the positive outcome
from the talks.He praised the defender's attitude off the pitch as well as his
quality on it.

"It's an honour to have a player like Abidal at Barca,"Laporta explained.

"We are a club who have players with an excellent human quality."

Abidal has recently overcome the H1N1 virus and is expected to take his place in
Barcelona's starting XI when they take on Real Madrid in el Clasico on Sunday.

Barcelona's trip to Xerez will be played two weeks in advance of its original
scheduled date,according to the Spanish football league (LFP).

The LFP announced via their official website that the Blaugrana's commitments in
the FIFA Club World Cup clashes with the matchday 15 clash, which was originally
due to be played on the weekend of December 19-20.

Since the Club World Cup runs from December 9-19 in Abu Dhabi,the LFP have
decided to reschedule the game for Wednesday,December 2 at 22:00 CET.

Before they are able to consider the trip to Andalucia,Pep Guardiola's men have
a game to negotiate with Real Madrid.

El Clasico takes place on Sunday at the Camp Nou,and the Blaugrana will be in
high spirits after confidently dispatching Inter in their Champions League tie
on Tuesday.

Barcelona comfortably saw off the challenge of Inter at the Camp Nou on Tuesday
night,and their 2-0 victory moved them to the top of their Champions League
group.

It was a night that could,theoretically,have seen the European champions
eliminated from the competition altogether,and Johan Cruyff is enamoured by the
way in which Pep Guardiola's side approached such a crucial match.

"There isn't the money in the world to pay for or to buy style. [Barcelona]
played how they knew,in their distinctive style, regardless of the
opposition,"he revealed in his column in El Periodico de Catalunya,in which he
analysed the difference in play between the two teams.

For Cruyff, one of the key problems for the Nerazzurri was that they allowed the
Blaugrana to have too much possession.

"When you keep letting [Andres] Iniesta,Xavi and [Sergio] Busquets touch the
ball,control the ball,the possession keeps getting away from you,you become sick
of running and get tired."

Cruyff added that once Barcelona take the advantage,they begin "to play with
you" and believes that the midfield trio have never enjoyed "such a pleasant
game" as against Inter.

"It wasn't just any victory.It was a victory that rewarded everything that has
been done,thought and prepared."

In short,he believes that it was a victory that should serve "as a lesson for
everyone."

Congrats to barca they deserve the best alaways..
They will never ever fall..and Eto'o showed all the respect to his old team.. He
will never be forgetten..
Barca is not depending on messi or Ibra only..every player is a star and they
can do the best.. We are waiting for the war in the classico..
Go Ahead Barca..




________________________________
From: hage5 <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
To: onlyfcbarcelonafans@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, November 24, 2009 9:33:19 PM
Subject: [ONLY FC BARCELONA FANS] Barcelona beats Inter in Champions League

 
Barcelona revived its chances of holding onto the Champions League title with a
2-0 victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, while

In danger of getting knocked out, Barcelona (2-1-2) beat visiting Inter (1-1-3)
on goals by Gerard Pique in the 10th minute and Pedro Rodriguez in the 26th to
move from third place into first in Group F.

Barcelona won without injured forwards Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Thierry Henry spearheaded the offense.

"To win titles you need everybody, the whole team to be involved," coach Pep
Guardiola said.







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Barcelona outplayed Inter from start to finish in their Group F Champions League
clash at Camp Nou, running out 2-0 winners thanks to first half goals from
Gerard Pique and Pedro.

The Blaugrana are now on the verge of qualification to the knockout stages after
a dominant performance where the Nerazzurri rarely threatened.

In undoubtedly the biggest game of the competition so far, all eyes were on
Catalonia as the respective coaches Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho locked
horns.

Yaya Toure was omitted for Barcelona after picking up the H1N1 virus, while
Dmytro Chygrynskiy was ineligible. The unfit Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
sat on the bench meaning a forward trident of Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry and
Pedro.

Inter, who could have qualified with a win, were without Davide Santon and
Wesley Sneijder, the latter who failed a late fitness test before kick-off. They
were otherwise at full strength as Samuel Eto'o partnered Diego Milito up-front.

Barcelona attacked right from the start, and Inter barely managed to get out of
their own half in the opening stages as the home side launched wave after wave.

A goal was inevitable, and it arrived on 10 minutes as a corner from the left
was flicked on for Gerard Pique to fire home at the back post.

Barca continued to attack. Iniesta got in behind enemy lines, but perhaps too
unselfishly decided to cross the ball. Henry's ferocious drive was beaten away
by Julio Cesar, although the Frenchman was offside.

The second Barcelona goal arrived on 27 minutes following a brilliant team move.
One touch passes were exchanged before Dani Alves lifted the ball up to the back
post for Pedro to volley into the far corner.

It took until the 35th minute for Inter to register their first shot as a
mistake from Victor Valdes ended in an attempted lob by Dejan Stankovic, but his
effort was well over.

Some of Barcelona's one-touch passing was a delight to watch, and there were
long stretches where Inter could get nowhere near the ball, as the likes of
Iniesta and Xavi ran the show.
Inter made one change at half-time as Sulley Muntari replaced Esteban Cambiasso.

The Nerazzurri had the first chance of the second half as Maicon released
Milito. The Argentine opted to square the ball to Eto'o, who was shouldered off
the ball by Dani Alves. Eto'o asked for a penalty, but the referee didn't want
to know.

It should have been 3-0 on 53 minutes as Dani Alves crossed to Xavi, but the
Spaniard's header was somehow clawed out of the bottom corner by Julio Cesar. It
was a miraculous stop.

Julio Cesar continued to excel, and he got down well to turn a Xavi free kick
around the post.

Eto'o managed to escape his man, but sliced the ball horribly off target, before
Mario Balotelli was thrown on in the last 20 minutes in a 4-3-3.

Henry blazed over from distance, while Thiago Motta headed wide down the other
end as Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners.

For those of you who are familiar with the Senegalese-American R&B artist Akon,
you will be well aware that every song he makes always sounds the same. Watching
Barcelona and Inter over the last few years has been like listening to a new
Akon song, only that in the case of the Spaniards it is nearly always a
pleasurable experience.

It was no different tonight at Camp Nou, as Inter managed to remind everyone why
modern R&B as championed by Akon is such a horrible genre, and Barcelona showed
us what real music sounds like.

The Nerazzurri were outplayed from start to finish by a Barcelona team missing
their two biggest names in Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Blaugrana
enjoyed 60 per cent of the possession, racked up 10 shots to Inter's five and
six corners to three, and played more than two thirds of the game in their
opponents half.

These statistics, and perhaps the scoreline, would have looked far worse for
Inter had Barcelona not taken their foot off the gas in the second half in
preparation for this weekend's Clasico against Real Madrid.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho didn't hide his disappointment following tonight's 2-0
defeat to Barcelona at Camp Nou.

"The first half they did much better, but in the second half we did better," he
said to Sky.


"There was a clear penalty for us which could have given us confidence, when
there was still a lot of time left. But what can I say, we are far behind in
terms of individual quality, they play better.

"They did well without [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and [Lionel] Messi, but it's as if
they were there. For them it's not a problem, they have a clear playing
organization. We missed [Wesley] Sneijder much more than they missed those two
players."

The Nerazzurri struggled for large portions of the match and failed to put any
significant pressure on the Blaugrana.

"I expected a team with more desire to play, with less fear. The team struggled
under Barcelona's pressure," the former Chelsea boss concluded.


Now Inter need a win in their last match at home against Rubin Kazan to make
sure they qualify for the next round.

He says he'd play against Real Madrid even with a broken leg.

Barcelona defender Daniel Alves said his side "never fail" in these situations
after their 2-0 win over Inter in the UEFA Champions League tie at Camp Nou.

The game against the Nerazzurri was a must win tie for the Blaugrana to ensure
their progress in this seasons competition and first half goal from Gerard Pique
and Pedro secured a straight forward win for the Catalan outfit.

Alves also said that the Barca squad has sufficient quality to lessen the blow
felt by the absence of star strikers Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"We had no doubts because this team are champions. On these occasions the team
never fails," he said as quoted by AS.

"We have shown that those who come in bring different things to the team. We
will always miss them [Messi and Ibrahimovic] but we have enough quality to
lessen the loss."

Alves picked up a knock during the game but insists he will play against Real
Madrid on Sunday even if he "had a broken leg".

Barcelona revived its chances of holding onto the Champions League title with a
2-0 victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, while

In danger of getting knocked out, Barcelona (2-1-2) beat visiting Inter (1-1-3)
on goals by Gerard Pique in the 10th minute and Pedro Rodriguez in the 26th to
move from third place into first in Group F.

Barcelona won without injured forwards Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Thierry Henry spearheaded the offense.

"To win titles you need everybody, the whole team to be involved," coach Pep
Guardiola said.

Goals by pique and Pedro

Johan Cruyff has warned Barcelona they risk Champions League defeat at home to
Inter Milan tonight.

The Barca legend has concerns over the number of individual errors the players
have been making this season.

Writing in his weekly column for El Periodico,Cruyff said:"The question is not
whether Messi will play or not.Nor whether Ibrahimovic will play or not. If one
of them plays,then that's good. If both of them play, then that's perfect.

"If they play or not,the issue is still the same; the result depends on us, with
or without Messi,with or without Ibra.

"We can do things better than in Kazan,Pamplona and Bilbao. In each of those
games the opponents were similar as were the errors committed before them.

"The scenarios in which Barcelona ended up drawing were all similar. They were
big mistakes.For example,allowing your goalkeeper to kick long.Is there anyone
shorter at Barca than Pedro,Messi and Iniesta? The little ones are at their best
with the ball at their feet not fighting for it up there."

A decision on whether Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is available to face Inter
in their crucial UEFA Champions League clash at Camp Nou will not be made until
the last minute,according to Sport.

It is understood that Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also a doubt but is
more likely to start the game against his former club than his Argentine strike
partner.

Messi spent Monday working with club physiotherapist Juanjo Brau in a bid to be
ready for this vital game,and it is understood that coach Pep Guardiola will
wait until the last possible minute to decide on whether to play his star
forward.

A win is a must for Barcelona tonight but they also face Real Madrid on Sunday
in the Primera Liga and any further injury to Messi or Ibrahimovic could have
disastrous consequences for the rest season.

Among the many permutations in Group F,should Barca lose to the Nerazzurri and
Russian champions Rubin Kazan defeat Dynamo Kiev, the champions will be out of
the Champions League so Guardiola must decide if the risk is worth the reward.

Barcelona's Champions League future hangs in the balance,and Andres Iniesta
knows the importance of their match against Inter.

With that in mind,he has called on the club's fans to be the team's 12th man at
the Camp Nou tomorrow night.

"In the times that we have needed them, the fans have always been at our
side,"he explained to the club's official website.

"I understand that the team has generated some doubt in our qualification in the
Champions League but I'm convinced that they will give their maximum support and
that will be key to getting a positive result.Playing in a packed Camp Nou
worries the opposition."

Iniesta added that the European champions are ready to face the challenge of
Inter,whether Lionel Messi is available for the clash or not.

"We are totally mentally prepared to confront this game.We know that if we win,
we will have made a definitive step towards the knockout round and a win against
Inter would give us the confidence to take on the forthcoming challenges.

"Only winning matters.If Messi plays, perfect,but if he doesn't recover in time
then there are other players who will also give their all to win the game - we
don't have any other option."

Thank God! I don't want him back! I just wish Laporta would give up on it
already. it's becoming pathetic!

--- In onlyfcbarcelonafans@yahoogroups.com, "Shakalero" <munozjd@...> wrote:
>
> Cesc Fabregas has hinted he would be happy to spend the remainder of his
career with Arsenal.
>
>
> Fabregas, who left Barcelona's youth system to join Arsenal at the age of 16
in 2003, has been linked with a return to the Catalan club, but the Arsenal
skipper is ignoring the speculation.
>
> "It does not affect me at all,'' Fabregas said. "This [speculation] has been
going for years. I don't mind really if it happens, it happens - but it will not
change the way I think. I do not think about it because I do not want to and I
do not think I should.
>
> "I am at a great club, with a great team and am happy. We have a long season
in front of us, and the last thing I want to do is get disconnected from what I
have to do playing for Arsenal, who are the club which pays me. I am really
looking forward to a great season with Arsenal.''
>
> Asked whether he could envisage staying at Arsenal for the whole of his
career, Fabregas said: "Why not? I have never really thought about it, staying
here all my life, because I am only 22 and you never know what your career will
bring - but why not? It is my seventh season now, I am really happy, better than
ever, so you never know."
>

Cesc Fabregas has hinted he would be happy to spend the remainder of his career
with Arsenal.


Fabregas, who left Barcelona's youth system to join Arsenal at the age of 16 in
2003, has been linked with a return to the Catalan club, but the Arsenal skipper
is ignoring the speculation.

"It does not affect me at all,'' Fabregas said. "This [speculation] has been
going for years. I don't mind really if it happens, it happens - but it will not
change the way I think. I do not think about it because I do not want to and I
do not think I should.

"I am at a great club, with a great team and am happy. We have a long season in
front of us, and the last thing I want to do is get disconnected from what I
have to do playing for Arsenal, who are the club which pays me. I am really
looking forward to a great season with Arsenal.''

Asked whether he could envisage staying at Arsenal for the whole of his career,
Fabregas said: "Why not? I have never really thought about it, staying here all
my life, because I am only 22 and you never know what your career will bring -
but why not? It is my seventh season now, I am really happy, better than ever,
so you never know."

Thierry Henry has admitted that he contemplated retiring from international
football after being overwhelmed by the furore over last week's handball
controversy.


The Frenchman dominated the headlines last week after he handled the ball before
laying on for William Gallas to equalise against Ireland, a result which saw
France progress to South Africa 2-1 on aggregate.

The FAI called on FIFA to replay the game and Henry echoed Irish sentiments and
now the Barcelona says he contemplated quitting in the wake of the criticism.

"Oh yes," he L'Equipe when quizzed on whether retiring from international
football had crossed his mind.

"Friday, when it all went too far, I was very worked up.

"It's not the first time (that I thought about retiring). After the 2006 World
Cup, I thought about it, but it was too early. After Euro 2008, too, but it
wasn't the right moment. There was a generation that needed me.

"Despite everything that has just happened and the fact that I felt let down, I
will not let my country down.

France's record goalscorer also said he regretted the way he had celebrated the
decisive goal.

"I shouldn't have done that but, frankly, it was uncontrollable, after all we
had been through," he said.

"Indeed, I regret that. That is why after the game I went to shake hands with
each Irish player. Then, we didn't celebrate, even in the changing-room. People
can't say anything.

"After the game, I went to the press conference to say I did a handball. I could
have missed it and not say a word. But I didn't escape my responsibilities."

Henry admits to feeling let down by the French Football Federation having been
contacted by them only after he issued a statement to the press.

"The day after the match, and the day after that, I felt alone, really alone,"
he added.

"It was only after I issued my statement that the people from the French
Federation got in touch.

"We worked on my statement with my lawyer without knowing Fifa would make one
the same day. I didn't know it."

Dunne acceptance
At the end of the game the former Arsenal striker was seen consoling Richard
Dunne, a player he encountered frequently during his time in England.

"After playing more than six years against Richard Dunne in England, I thought
it was logical to go and say to him I was sorry," added Henry.

"I lost a cup final in the same circumstances (against Liverpool), so I knew
what he felt. That day, a Liverpool player (Stephane Henchoz) did a handball on
the goal line but the referee didn't see it.

"A lot of our players were disappointed about it, but no one did anything
against the player. The least I could do was apologize. He accepted it."

Barcelona management are refusing to write-off Lionel Messi's chances of facing
Inter Milan in the Champions League.

After breaking down in their 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, it was
expected Messi would be out of both the clash with Inter, plus the massive Real
Madrid game this weekend.

However, after club docs examined Messi back at HQ on Sunday,the seriousness of
the leg injury was downgraded.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola wants Messi to play against Inter,though he's been
warned by the club's former medical chief Josep Borrell.

Borrell told local radio last night:"If he plays tomorrow and is injured,he
could be out for a month."

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol insists there's no panic ahead of tomorrow's huge
Champions League game against Inter Milan.

The defending European champs are yet not guaranteed progress to the knockout
round and cannot afford defeat to Samuel Eto'o's Inter.

Puyol said:"We have no doubts.We know what we need to do,ie,what led us to win
it all last season.We'll come with the same desire and ambition. The results
sometimes do not always arrive,but we know that Barca-Inter is a final and will
face it as such."

Asked about the potential absence of Lionel Messi due to injury,Puyol added:
"Look,with or without Leo,there can be no doubts about this team."

On signing his new contract last month,Puyol admitted:"Yes,I thought about
leaving.At the beginning of the season I asked for time to get things
clear.After that time I concluded that there is nowhere else like here."

Barcelona hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently suffering from an injury and
could miss the club's key games against Inter and Real Madrid.

However,he told FIFA.com that,regardless of his own participation, he is
confident of success against his former club when the sides meet on Tuesday.

"Inter are a very good team and this is a vital match in which we have no margin
for error.If we win then we'll take charge of the group.So far we've had a lot
of bad luck in our Champions League games.It's a very big game for me and I'm in
an optimistic mood, I believe that it will turn out the way I want."

Ibrahimovic also believes that the Blaugrana will come out on top in el Clasico
when Real Madrid visit the Camp Nou at the weekend, although he played down the
idea that Pep Guardiola's side could replicate last year's 6-2 victory.

"I don't know if it'll be so one-sided,I don't even think about how many goals
we'll score.But Barcelona have a very attacking mentality and I'm sure that
we'll win and score plenty of goals.It's a very important game.Not just for
us,but for the club, the supporters, even for the neutrals and the world at
large. Nobody is indifferent to this match.We're playing at home and I'm sure
we're going to win."

Despite their recent wobble in the league and their substandard performance in
the Champions League group,the Swede declared that Barcelona could emulate last
year's team and win the treble again.In addition,he maintained that victory in
next month's Club World Cup is one of the team's goals for the season.

"I want to win everything, whichever club I play for.That said, repeating the
treble will be a tall order.That would need the team to play at its very peak
for two seasons in a row and I think that's very difficult.On the other
hand,we're very strong mentally and we've got last year's experience under our
belts,so why not?

"The Club World Cup is something that so many players want to win, while
remaining a competition in which relatively few take part. Barcelona have that
opportunity now and we're really fired up for it. Particularly because it's a
trophy we haven't won yet.It's one of the main objectives for the club,players
and fans this season."

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says that Thierry Henry's handball is a great
example of why there should be video replays brought into soccer, while
Ireland's Robbie Keane thanked Henry for saying that a replay of the match would
be fair and agreed that the match should be redone.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has insisted that his team can beat Inter with or
without him being in the team. The two sides meet at Camp Nou on Tuesday night
with the Blaugrana possibly needing a victory to keep their defense of their
UEFA Champions League title alive.

The Argentinian has not been ruled out of the game after scans on the groin
injury suffered in the draw with Athletic Bilbao showed that it was not as
serious as first feared.

The medical report said that he has suffered a Grade 1 strain of his left groin
and may be available to play in the crucial Group F game. Coach Pep Guardiola
has a big decision on his hands now with the important league tie against Real
Madrid following this crucial Champions League game, but Messi believes they can
succeed in his absence.

"We will move forward, it is unfortunate that this happens now because I always
dream of playing these big games, if I do not, nothing happens because we are a
winning team and we will succeed as is," Messi told El Mundo Deportivo.

"Whoever we have on the pitch we must not forget that we are Barca and we have a
great team."

Rafael Marquez has been told that he does not have the H1N1 flu virus, according
to Barcelona's official website.

The Mexican defender reported for training on Friday with a fever and it was
reported that he could have contracted swine flu.

While Barca team-mates Yaya Toure and Eric Abidal do have the illness and have
been instructed to rest, Marquez has been told that he just picked up a bug.

It is good news for Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola as he prepares his side for
the crunch Champions League encounter with Inter in midweek.

Dmytro Chygrynskiy is ineligible to play, Abidal and Toure will be unavailable,
while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi are both doubtful with injuries.

Marquez should be given the green light to be included in the squad after he
undergoes a further examination on Monday evening to determine if he will be
fit.

Barcelona ace Lionel Messi has urged Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas to come and
join him at the Camp Nou and become the "greatest midfield player in the world."

The Gunner has long been linked with a move back to the Catalan club and,
speaking to the Sunday People, Messi has now joined the debate by telling the
young Spaniard to head back to his homeland.

"Everybody at Barcelona knows about Cesc Fabregas," he admitted.

"He is one of the greatest midfield players in the world and the sort of player
who would suit the Barcelona style of football.

"If he chooses to leave Arsenal I am sure it would be for Barcelona. And, if
there is any doubt, I would like to say to him this is the best football club in
the world - and if he came here I am sure he would become the greatest midfield
player in the world within three years.

"If he came now he could learn off players like Andres and Xavi, who are the
best central midfield pairing in the world.

"At Arsenal he is the main guy, but he knows how much he can learn from Andres
and Xavi, and I know that they would both love to have him.

"If he does decide to leave this summer, I think it is time for him to finally
come home."

Despite the near-constant speculation Fabregas has always insisted he is happy
in north London but Messi warned that the midfielder needed to be winning
trophies and that may mean finally leaving the Emirates.

He added: "I understand that Arsenal means a lot to Cesc.

"But there comes a point in your life when you have to think about winning the
biggest prizes in football, and I think it has got to that point for him.

"He has given Arsenal great service, but he should be winning league titles and
European Cups.

"I played with him for the youth team at Barcelona and you could tell he was a
special player - he had great vision and passing range even then."

Messi has a 1st degree injury in the adductor of his left thigh.But he may still
be fit to play on Tuesday.

Extensive examinations were made of the player this morning, including various
echographies and magnetic resonance. There are still further evaluations to be
made before making a decision as to his availability for the game against
Inter,as announced today by the Club Medical Services.

Ibrahimovic improving

An echography on the player has shown that his recovery from an ischiotibial
injury is progressing well.Further evaluations will be made of the player over
the next two days,and there is a strong possibility that he could even be ready
in time for the match with Inter.

Touré,almost certainly out

The Medical Services have revealed that the player is still feeling very ill and
is highly unlikely to be able to play on Tuesday.

After an examination on Sunday it has been discerned that the Mexican does not
have Influenza A,and depending on his progress,he may be able to play on
Tuesday.

Abidal and Touré do indeed have Influenza,but the suggestion that Rafa Márquez
has also caught the illness has been cast aside as a false alarm. The FC
Barcelona Medical Services will be studying the player's progress,and he may he
fine to play against Inter.It will be a busy time for them,for they are also
closely monitoring the progress of Leo Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Important for defence

If Rafa Márquez is indeed able to play on Tuesday,that will be comforting news
for Josep Guardiola,as he already has three players, Abidal and Touré (flu) and
Chygrynskiy (cup tied) that he cannot pick.

Barcelona fans face a nervous wait to find out whether Lionel Messi will be fit
for the game against Real Madrid, as he has already been ruled out for the clash
against Inter Milan.

According to Marca,Messi was substituted during the match against Athletic
Bilbao because of an injury to the abductor muscle in his left leg.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Argentine would undergo medical
tests on Sunday,before saying,"The early signs are not good."

With Eric Abidal,Rafael Marquez and Yaya Toure stricken by the H1N1 virus,and
Zlatan Ibrahimovic under an injury cloud,this knock to Messi further complicates
Barca's problems heading into two very important games.

The way the club treated him was just shameless! and I for my part am really
sorry for that. but I'm sure he knows we fans will always appreciate all the
good years and great games he played for us! Thanks again Samu!

--- In onlyfcbarcelonafans@yahoogroups.com, billy1_sam1 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Samuel Eto'o admits he does miss life at Barcelona.He has scored six goals in
11 appearances for the Nerazzurri in Serie A,but some pundits were expecting
more, especially in Europe where he has yet to open his account.
>
> Speaking to RAC 1,Eto'o said:"I miss the Camp Nou.I do not know if there will
be a tribute.It is I who must be very grateful for wearing this shirt.
>
> "I cannot take revenge because I just left friends here.I left Barcelona with
a clear conscience and I have no grudge against them."
>

Don't we have doctors on the team?? that's 3 now! the players do almost
everything together! If this keeps on, soon enough they will all be sick!

--- In onlyfcbarcelonafans@yahoogroups.com, billy1_sam1 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Barcelona confirmed on Friday that Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure are suffering
from swine flu,and reports suggest that Rafael Marquez is the third player at
the club to succumb to the virus.
>
> According to Marca,the defender woke up on Saturday morning with a fever and
is set to undergo a series of tests to determine whether he has become infected
with the H1N1 virus.
>
> Though the club have not yet confirmed the reports,the Mexican has been ruled
out of Saturday night's game at San Mames against Athletic Bilbao.
>
> Andreu Fontas,a youth team player,will take Marquez's place in the squad for
tonight's match.The canterano made his debut for the club this season against
Sporting Gijon,when he replaced Gerard Pique in the dying minutes.
>