Sports

On Monday FC Barcelona’s pre-season begins with five friendly matches, or to be more accurate, in the words of Barça’s coach Gaurdiola, with five non-official matches. Pep Guardiola has shown that he wants to win every match.

Barça have a year ahead of them full of challenges - to become the first team to retain the Champions League trophy, match the 4 successive Spanish League titles of the Dream Team and try and equal the historic six trophies of two years ago.

The new Barça B manager, Eusebio Sacristán, has told at his presentation press conference that he is loaded with energy going into a job he feels privileged to take. Eusebio congratulated his predecessor Luis Enrique and says he intends to continue his work.

FC Barcelona has announced an agreement with Pedro Rodríguez to extend his present contract for one more season. The new contract will expire in June 30th 2016. His buy-out clause has been increased from 90 to 150 million euros. He has scored 45 goals in the last two seasons.

FC Barcelona announced that the Catalan Andreu Fontàs will be playing with the first team in the 2011/12 season. His buy-out clause will be automatically raised to 30 million euros. He is another player from Barça’s junior teams that reaches the club’s main squad.

FC Barcelona’s coaching directorate has always defended the need to prioritise home grown talent and give the youngsters a chance to shine. Last week, the old Masia building closed, as a new and larger one has been built in Barça’s Sporting City. Besides, the contract extension for Thiago Alcántara is the latest example of this policy.

Over the last few years, surfing has emerged as a major sporting activity in Catalonia. Currently, there are approximately 7,000 Catalan surfers and this number is set to rise in the near future. New technologies, affordable equipment and an increase in surfing courses offered in Catalonia are the keys to the surfing boom.

Thiago Alcantara has improved and extended his contract with FC Barcelona for two more seasons, until 30th June 2015. The buyout clause will be 90 million euros.

In three weeks time, Barça begin their pre-season with the prospect of more than 20,000 kilometres of travel ahead of them, including visits to Split, Munich, Washington, Miami and Dallas.

The Argentine striker has played 62 games this season for FC Barcelona and his country’s team, and still has the Copa America ahead of him, meaning he is most probably going to play even more than his personal record of 64 games in a season.

The president of Barça, Sandro Rosell has reiterated that the club's transfer policy this summer regarding players will have economic sustainability in mind. Rosell explains that last year FC Barcelona already made an offer for Cesc Fàbregas for 40 million euros, but “with amortizations he is worth less”.

This Friday is the third anniversary of Josep Guardiola’s presentation as Barça’s manager. On June 17, 2008, a project began that has gone on to make history.

Regal Barça have clinched the ACB League after winning game three of the final series at Bizkaia Bilbao Basket’s arena. Xavi Pascual’s team won a gripping game to win back the crown they lost last year.

This season, in addition to continuing to fill the cabinet with more trophies, has served to break down some barriers that until now had been insurmountable for this Barça team. Winning at grounds like Espanyol or Valencia are two examples.

Regal Barça got off to a winning start against Bilbao Basket in Spanish Basketball League play offs, the ACB final series. Lorbek (the top scorer with 24 points and 28 evaluation) and Perovic were especially outstanding.