bojan

The FC Barcelona forward will join the Premier League's Stoke City side this summer. After spending nearly his entire footballing life at FC Barcelona, Bojan Krkic says goodbye to his club. The Catalan forward, who was always one step ahead of his age in terms of skill and quality, leaves FC Barcelona with the distinction of being the all-time highest scorer in the Barça youth system. His tally from all his years at La Masia exceeds the 400-goal mark. He also performed well when he shared the senior side dressing room with some of the best forwards on the planet. First he vied for a starting spot with Eto’o, and then with Ibrahimovic and Leo Messi. During his four seasons on FC Barcelona's first team (2007-2011), he scored a total of 26 goals. He was then loaned out to Roma, Milan and Ajax.

Barça's first team have started the preseason with a series of examinations of their physical condition. Eleven first team players (Ter Stegen, Masip, Montoya, Bartra, Adriano, Sergi Roberto, Rafinha, Deulofeu, Afellay, Tello and Bojan) were joined by thirteen from the reserves (Patric, Ie, Bagnack, Diagne, Grimaldo, Samper, Halilovic, Munir, Sandro, Dani Nieto, Joan Roman, Dongou and Adama). . After initial analyses, they were then staggered into different groups for biomechanical tests, electrocardiograms, echographies, effort tests and densitometry examinations. On Saturday, Huelva will be the stage for the first preseason friendly for Barça 2014/15.

A draw in FC Barcelona’s first ever official visit to the Amsterdam Arena (20.45 CET) would be enough to secure the first place in the Champions League Group H. With qualification already secured, the Catalans need at least a draw to guarantee being seeded and playing the second leg at home in the first round of the knockout stages. Barça are missing several players, even though Xavi returns, with youngsters Adama, Dongou, Sergi Gómez and Patric all travelling to Holland. Ajax faces an essential game, as it needs to win in order to keep its options for making it into the last sixteen open.

Two first half goals from Leo Messi (2) and two more from David Villa and Jordi Alba cancelled out AC Milan’s two-goal head start. Things looked bleak after the 2-0 reverse at the San Siro, but AC Milan were simply no match for the Catalans on Tuesday. Barça thus gain spectacular revenge for the 4-0 defeat in the Athens final of 1994 and go into Friday’s Champions League quarter finals draw.

Barça will face the same team they met in the last season’s quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League. Winners of seven European Cups, the Italian giants are currently immersed in a generational changeover and not challenging for the Serie A title. Historic figures such as Seedorf, Gattuso, Nesta and Inzaghi all left this summer, and Thiago Silva and Ibrahimovic were sold to PSG. El Shaarawy is the main threat and Bojan the most familiar face for Barça fans.

This season, FC Barcelona’s first team will have eleven players that came up through the club’s youth system. Fifty per cent of the 2011/2012 team is from La Masia.

Sports director Andoni Zubizarreta has recognised that the negotiations to sign Alexis Sánchez and finalise Bojan Krkic's departure are almost complete. On Cesc, he insists that the negotiations have been clean.

FC Barcelona closed their league season with another away win, coming from behind to beat Malaga 1-3 with goals from Bojan (pen), Afellay and Bartra. Barça's squad was very young, with four players from the B team. The result and the performance will give added confidence ahead of the Champions League Wembley final.

The team gave their stricken team mate Eric Abidal, as well as their fans, a great present with the three points against Getafe that take them one more step towards the title. Alves and Bojan were Barça’s scorers.

Despite being clearly the better team, Barça had to settle for just a point in Seville tonight after a second half Navas goal neutralised Bojan’s first half strike. Messi had a goal disallowed and Barça also hit the woodwork twice.

FC Barcelona recorded their ninth consecutive victory as they eased past Real Sociedad on Sunday evening to go back to the top of the table thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi and one each from David Villa, Andrés Iniesta and Bojan Krkic.

FC Barcelona eased into the next round of the Copa del Rey with a 5-1 triumph over Ceuta in their second leg encounter on Wednesday evening thanks to goals from Nolito, Gaby Milito, Pedro, Bojan Krkic and Lionel Messi.