pep guardiola

The FC Barcelona first team was back at training on Monday, 51 days after the final at Wembley. There were 15 players involved in the first session of the season.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Barça gave a footballing lesson against Machester United at the home of football, the Wembley Stadium. Guardiola’s team claimed the title back with an exhibition of football never seen before in the final.

Barça had their official Champions League final training session today at Wembley. The players were able to train perfectly normally. Manager Pep Guardiola has asked Barça to show their identity in the Wembley final against Manchester United. He added that he has already picked his eleven and that Barça need to be more intense than they were in Rome.

Barça’s coach, Pep Guardiola reckons that his team’s hunger for success will be key on Saturday at the Champions League final against Manchester United: “I want them to be conscious of what we are playing for”, he told reporters at the Camp Nou this evening. FC Barcelona travels on Tuesday night to London, due to the volcanic ash cloud.

FC Barcelona have won their 21st Spanish League title, and it’s now three-out-of-three for manager Josep Guardiola, who has produced a winning style that has amazed the footballing world.

The most desired point (1-1). Barça are the Spanish League champions after drawing away to Llevant. Keita scored the goal that eventually secured the third consecutive title, in Guardiola’s third year as coach. There are still two matches to play, but it is mathematically impossible being overtaken Real Madrid. And now, Barça faces its next challenge: the Champions League final against Manchester United.

FC Barcelona need just one point to mathematically win the Spanish League title, but Guardiola says “we need to be well prepared mentally because you have to win points, they don’t give them away”. However, if Real Madrid does not win all the 9 points still to be decided, Barça will become this year’s champion.

FC Barcelona and Manchester United will meet in the 2011 Champions League Final on May 28th at Wembley Stadium – the 11th time the two teams have met in Europe and the 8th game between them in the Champions League. This year final repeats the Champions League final of 2009, when Barça won United by 2-0.