ceuta

11 MEPs from different parties, amongst them Catalan liberal party CDC MEP Ramon Tremosa, have sent a parliamentary question to the EC’s vice president, Federica Mogherini, regarding the repeated use of the Spanish port of Ceuta by Russian military ships. According to Ceuta’s local press, this port, located in North Africa, was used by Russia’s fleet at least 57 times between 2011 and 2015 along the ships’ route towards the Black Sea. The fleet included frigates, destroyers and attack submarines. The use of this port by Russian ships coincided with the European fines against Moscow due to its participation through third parties in the civil conflict in Ukraine. Thus, MEPs have asked Mogherini to clarify whether this support from the Spanish authorities contravened ­­­­the European fines and why.

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.

FC Barcelona tonight welcome Ceuta (at 22.00) where they will need to make the most of the 2-0 win in the away leg and qualify for the next round of the cup. The squad contains 12 first team players and five from the B.

Pep Guardiola is not treating Ceuta as a done deal despite winning the away leg, but instead intends to give the match all the attention it deserves.

Messi missed the trip to Ceuta in midweek and he stressed the importance of a week of training at the Ciutat Esportiva for a number of the senior players: “it’s been a good week for working out and recovering our physical fitness”, he explained to the Barça TV programme” El Marcador”, after the game against Seville.

FC Barcelona took a giant stride towards qualifying for the next round of the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) with a 0-2 victory in the first leg of their tie with Ceuta on Tuesday evening thanks to goals from Maxwell and Pedro.

Pep Guardiola is not taking anything for granted ahead of Tuesday’s cup game against third division Ceuta and insisted today: “it may not be the most important game of the season, but it is the most dangerous”.