athletic

The midfielder announces he's leaving Barça at the end of the season, after 17 years with the first team. "I'd like to announce that I'm leaving Barça after this season. The decision is definitive yet difficult. I think now is the time to leave, that's the way I feel.” Thus, with those words and raw emotion, Xavi Hernández, the greatest midfielder in FC Barcelona history, made his farewell to the club of his life.He continued: "It was the right decision to stay this year. I still feel important [to the team], but I think it's time. I need a change of scenery. I signed a contract with Al-Sadd [in Qatar] for two seasons and I have a very exciting project at the Aspire Academy. It's the ideal place to continue training."

Barça played with the Catalan flag shirt, as a way to commemorate Catalonia's National Day, which took place on Thursday.It was a special tribute, in the middle of the self-determination debate and in the 300th anniversary of the year Catalonia lost its sovereignty. Two goals in five minutes late on from Neymar gave Barça a deserved win in an exciting game against Bilbao at the Camp Nou on Saturday afternoon. The Brazilian came on for Munir, who again gave a solid performance, just after the hour mark and his skill, speed and understanding with Messi tipped the scales FC Barcelona’s way against the determined and lively Basques. So that’s three games and three wins for Luis Enrique’s Barça at the Spanish League, with six goals scored and none yet conceded. Next up is the opening game of the Champions League against Apoel on Wednesday night.

FC Barcelona are alive in La Liga. The Catalans ended a three-match losing streak this Sunday thanks to a 2-1 win over Athletic Club, who had taken the lead through Aduriz in the 50 minute. Barça missed a number of clear chances to equalise before Pedro pounced on a scuffed shot from Alexis to score from close range in the 71. Just minutes later Messi scored a second from a free kick to seal the win and keep Barça in the hunt for the Spanish League title.

Barça are looking to keep up the good work and consolidate top spot in the Spanish League in their game against Villareal this Saturday evening (20:00 CET). FC Barcelona could become the first club to ever lead la Liga for 54 consecutive weeks. Barça seem to have corrected their errors in Amsterdam and Bilbao with convincing wins against Cartagena in the Copa del Rey and Celtic in the Champions League, playing precisely the kind of football that has already brought the club one trophy this season, the Supercup, and put them in top spot in both the domestic championship and their Champions League group. However, following the setback at San Mamés, Barça’s lead has been cut down to mere goal difference, and an exciting weekend of football awaits.

A 70^th minute goal from Muniain condemns Barça to their first defeat of the current Spanish League season. Four days after going down to Ajax in the Champions League, Gerardo Martino got another taste of defeat as a solitary goal from Iker Muniain split the sides in the 70^th minute of a game that could have panned out very differently had Barça made better use of their several chances in the first half hour. Despite the defeat, FC Barcelona stay top of the league table, although now only on goal difference.

A last minute equaliser from Ander Herrera means FC Barcelona could not be mathematically proclaimed champions on Saturday evening. Barça’s last ever game in San Mames will be remembered as a real epic battle, played in the rain at a typically high tempo and with plenty of goals and chances. Susaeta opened the scoring in the first half and nearly got the second with a shot that rattled the woodwork. Barça turned the score around after the break when Messi came off the bench and in a three minute flurry the Argentinean and Alexis made it 1-2 and seemed to have ensured the points until Ander’s last minute effort.

FC Barcelona have won their 26th Copa del Rey title after beating Athletic Club, the team with the second most Cup titles in the competition, by 0-3. This was Pep Guardiola’s 12th final on the Barça bench, he leaves the team after winning 11 of those finals and only losing one.

Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona will appear in a remake of that unforgettable final of 2009, this time at the Vicente Calderón stadium in Madrid, in what will be Pep Guardiola’s last ever match on Barça’s bench. Without Alves, Puyol, Villa, Abidal or Fontàs, Barça have problems at the back.

Esperanza Aguirre, one of the main representative from Spanish Nationalism, has asked to postpone the game or playing it in an empty stadium in order to avoid supporters whistling and booing the Spanish National anthem and Prince Felipe, as was the case in 2009. This season’s Spanish Cup Final will be decided in Madrid between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club of Bilbao, a Catalan and a Basque team. Catalan politicians have criticised Aguirre for mixing football and politics. CiU and the PSC have coincided in pointing out that Aguirre is ready to talk about the Cup Final but not about Madrid’s public deficit deviation. Besides, an extreme-right demonstration in Madrid organised on the same day has been authorised.

An injury time equaliser from Keita saved a point for Barça, who had gone ahead in the first half through Sergio Busquets, before losing Alves to a second yellow just after the break. With this match, FC Barcelona end the Spanish League season in the second place, on 91 points and having scored 114 goals. Valdes is the League’s best keeper and Messi, the best scorer. Next step: the Spanish Cup Final with Bilbao’s Athletic Club.

The current FC Barcelona Manager, Pep Guardiola, will be sitting on the Camp Nou bench for the very last time on Saturday, but believes the derby with Espanyol is far more important than his farewell.

A goal from Puyol and a hat trick from Leo Messi, which served to take him past Gerd Muller’s previous record strikes in a European season, gave Guardiola, cheered all night by the crowd, another win at the Camp Nou. Two hours later, Real Madrid was winning the Spanish League title in San Mamés.

In the press conference before FC Barcelona vs Malaga, Barça’s Manager, Pep Guardiola, praised the way the Catalan club is handling the transition of managers. He also said that Tito Vilanova is “very enthusiastic about the upcoming challenge”. The current manager explained that Barça’s last three Spanish League matches will serve as preparation for the Spanish Cup final against Athletic Club from Bilbao.

Barça have beaten Athletic Bilbao in an intense, lively game in which both sides played some exquisite football. But the home side enjoyed most of the possession and also the chances, and eventually won through thanks to goals from Iniesta and Messi (penalty).

FC Barcelona Manager, Pep Guardiola, foresees an intense Spanish League match against Athletic Bilbao, a team that he qualified as the “Sensation of Europe”. Guardiola recognises that all teams need days of recovery between matches, but he believes that Bielsa’s squad will give their all on Saturday at the Camp Nou, despite having played on Thursday.