FC Barcelona Thread

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Vidal sidelined for 5 months

FC Barcelona right-back Aleix Vidal will miss the next 5 months after dislocating his ankle in Saturday's 6-0 win over Deportivo Alaves.

The 27-year-old collided with Alaves youngster Theo Hernandez towards the end of the match, with Barca in complete control and cruising to a 6-0 win - Luis Suarez's opening goal coming from a Vidal cross.

But Vidal came out of the collision visibly distressed as he noticed the extent of the damage to his ankle, needing several minutes of medical attention on the pitch before being carried away on a stretcher.

Barca confirmed shortly after the match that the former Sevilla star will spend the night in hospital and now they have revealed that his season is over.

The news comes as a bitter blow to both Vidal and the club, with the player recently battling his way into Luis Enrique's first-team reckoning.

He would also have been set to play in the Copa del Rey Final against Alaves in May after Sergi Roberto was sent off in the semi-finals against Atletico Madrid.

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Messi celebrates 400th win with Barca

Lionel Messi has won his 400th competitive match as a senior player for FC Barcelona.

The Argentina star scored the decisive 86th-minute goal to give his side victory against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon - a result that sends the champions temporarily top of La Liga.

It was the 277th time that Messi has been on the winning side in Spain's top flight and the 400th time in total.

The 29-year-old, who made his debut against Jose Mourinho's FC Porto in 2003, has made 566 appearances for Barca in all competitions.

He has managed 369 appearances in La Liga, 112 in the Champions League, 61 in the Copa del Rey, 15 in the Supercopa de Espana, 5 at the Club World Cup and 4 in the UEFA SuperCup.

Alongside 400 wins, he has been involved in 102 draws and 64 defeats.

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Rakitic agrees new deal with Barcelona

Ivan Rakitic has ended talk of a FC Barcelona exit by agreeing terms on a contract extension at Camp Nou that will set his new buyout clause set at €125 million.

The Croatian midfielder - who moved to Barca in 2014 - was heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City in January, will now remain with the Spanish champions until the end of the 2020-2021 season.

The club confirmed the deal on their website less than 24 hours after their stunning 6-1 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain, although the player will not officially sign the paperwork until Friday.

Rakitic joined FC Barcelona from domestic rivals FC Sevilla and won the Treble in his debut season, scoring the first goal in their 3-1 victory over Juventus in the 2014-2015 Champions League Final in Berlin.

He helped Luis Enrique's side retain their La Liga and Copa del Rey titles in the 2015-2016 campaign and is closing in on the personal milestone of 150 appearances for Barca.

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Rafinha out for the season

FC Barcelona midfielder Rafinha will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery, the Spanish champions have confirmed.

The Brazil international suffered meniscus damage in the 4-1 La Liga win over Granada on 2 April and was sent for further tests to determine the extent of the injury.

Barca champions announced on Friday that the 24-year-old will be out of action for 4 months while he recovers, meaning he will not return until the beginning of the 2017-2018 campaign.

Rafinha made 28 appearances for Barca in 2016-2017, scoring 7 goals. He missed the majority of last season after suffering a torn right anterior cruciate ligament during a Champions League match at AS Roma.

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Neymar suspended for EL Clasico

FC Barcelona forward Neymar will be unavailable for EL Clasico with La Liga leaders Real Madrid on 23 April due to a 3-match suspension from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Barca were trailing 1-0 in their meeting with Malaga on Saturday when Neymar was shown a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Diego Llorente.

The Brazilian would typically have received a one-match ban for the dismissal but due to his alleged sarcastic applause for the 4th official when he left the pitch he has been punished with an additional 2-game suspension.

Barca told the RFEF's Competition Committee that it could not be proved that Neymar had directed his reaction to the 4th official as he made his way from the field.

The Committee rejected this claim on the grounds that Barca provided no evidence to back up their version of events, meaning Neymar must sit out the matches against Real Sociedad, Madrid and Osasuna.

The 25-year-old will return for the derby match with Espanyol on 29 April.

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Barca confirm calf injury for Mascherano

Javier Mascherano suffered a calf injury during FC Barcelona's 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus, the La Liga club have confirmed.

Mascherano completed 90 minutes in midfield for Luis Enrique's side as his team-mates could find no answer to Paulo Dybala's first half brace and a second half header from Giorgio Chiellini.

Barcelona posted a brief statement on their official website saying the 32-year-old was experiencing soreness in his left calf and will be assessed, with no anticipated time of absence stated.

Mascherano has made 35 appearances for Barca across all competitions this season, predominantly at centre-back, while he played at right full-back during Saturday's 2-0 loss at Malaga.

Barca lie 3 points behind Real Madrid at La Liga's summit and travel to face their bitter rivals next weekend after hosting Real Sociedad on Saturday and the return with Juventus at Camp Nou next week.

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Iniesta out of Catalan derby

Andres Iniesta will miss FC Barcelona's derby at Espanyol on Saturday due to an abductor injury, the club have confirmed.

Iniesta was a doubt for the La Liga match after missing training on Friday and he has not been able to prove his fitness in time to make Luis Enrique's squad.

Rafinha, Aleix Vidal and Jeremy Mathieu are the other injury absentees for Barca, who have included 19-year-old Carles Alena in their matchday 18 and welcome back Neymar after the Brazilian served a 3-match ban.

Iniesta has started just 10 La Liga games in a stop-start season for the 32-year-old, with Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes the contenders to take his place in the Barca midfield.

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Barca confirm Digne hamstring injury

FC Barcelona left-back Lucas Digne suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's 4-1 win over Villarreal, the La Liga champions have confirmed.

The 23-year-old France international was substituted after 75 minutes at Camp Nou, with Jordi Alba coming on in his place.

A club statement released by Barcelona on Sunday stated Digne had suffered "an overload in the femoral biceps of his right leg".

Barca did not put a timeframe on Digne's recovery period as they enter the final 2 matches of the La Liga campaign level on points at the summit with Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique's men are above their rivals by virtue of a superior head-to-head record but Madrid still have a game in hand.

Digne has made 25 appearances across all competitions in his debut season for Barcelona after joining from Paris Saint-Germain last July, on the back of an impressive year on loan at AS Roma.

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mai e putin si se termina

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Valverde named new Barcelona coach

FC Barcelona have appointed Ernesto Valverde as their new head coach on a 2-year contract.

The Catalans were in the market for a new man in charge following Luis Enrique's decision to leave the club at the end of the 2016-2017 campaign and they have turned to the former Athletic Bilbao coach.

Valverde will be presented as Barca head coach at a media conference on Thursday.

Valverde represented FC Barcelona during his playing career, wearing the Blaugrana jersey between 1988 and 1990.

He moved into coaching at Bilbao's B side in 2002, before being promoted to head coach of their first team the following season.

He then enjoyed spells at Espanyol, Olympiacos, Villarreal and Valencia before eventually returning to Athletic in 2013.

The 53-year-old announced his decision to leave the Basque side after 4 years at the helm last week and will now continue his career at Camp Nou.

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Ter Stegen extends Barcelona contract

FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen over a new contract until June 2022.

The 25-year-old's previous deal was due to expire in 2019, but he is now set to sign a 3-year extension, with Ter Stegen scheduled to put ink to paper on Tuesday.

"FC Barcelona announces that is has entered into an agreement with Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the renewal of his contract until June 2022."

“His buyout clause is set at €180 million."

Ter Stegen joined FC Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014 and initially had to settle for a role as deputy to Claudio Bravo, although he was the Catalans' no. 1 in the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

He became Luis Enrique's first choice goalkeeper this term following the departure of Claudio Bravo to Manchester City and has now earned himself a new deal.

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Barca exercise Deulofeu buy-back clause

FC Barcelona have activated their buy-back clause to re-sign winger Gerard Deulofeu from Everton, in a move reportedly worth €12 million.

The 23-year-old impressed in the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, having initially left Barca for Everton in 2015.

Deulofeu has been linked with a return to Serie A, but is now back on Barca's books after Ernesto Valverde's club exercised their right to bring the winger back to Camp Nou.

Deulofeu played 17 times for AC Milan in Serie A after joining them on loan in January, scoring 4 times, and his strong performances earned a re-call to the senior Spain squad.

He is captaining his country's U21 side at the European Championship in Poland, with Spain in the Final against Germany later on Friday.

Prior to his permanent move to Everton, reportedly worth £4,2 million, he had spent a year on loan with at Goodison Park in 2013-2014 and spent the following season at FC Sevilla.

A Barcelona youth product, he has only made 6 first-team appearances for the club, 2 of them coming in La Liga.

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Messi agrees new Barca contract

Lionel Messi has agreed a new contract with FC Barcelona, tying him to the club until 2021.

The forward's previous deal was due to expire in 2018, with the 3-year extension ensuring he is contracted at Camp Nou for at least the next 4 years.

Formal signing of the contract is set to take place after Messi, currently on honeymoon after his wedding to Antonella Roccuzzo, has returned for pre-season training.

Barca hailed the Argentina international as they announced the deal, labelling him "the best player in history".

The exact value of his release clause has not been disclosed, but it is reported to be in the region of €300 million.

Messi, who turned 30-year-old last month, has spent his entire senior career with Barcelona and made his debut in 2004.

In an astonishing career, he has won La Liga 8 times and the Champions League on 4 occasions, among a total of 29 club trophies.

He has scored a record 507 goals for Barcelona and netted 54 times in 52 appearances last season.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or 5 times, although just one of those awards have come in the last 4 years, with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo expected to win again in 2017.

The Argentina international will turn 34 as this new contract reaches its conclusion.

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Barca seal deal for Semedo

FC Barcelona have announced the signing of Nelson Semedo from Benfica, subject to the player passing a medical.

The right-back is expected to sign a 5-year contract at Camp Nou after an initial fee of €30 million was agreed between the clubs.

The Catalans hope to have Semedo travel with the squad next Wednesday for their pre-season tour of the United States.

Barca reportedly turned to Semedo after being rebuffed by Arsenal in their pursuit of Hector Bellerin, with a new right-back having been designated one of their priorities for next season.

The 23-year-old Portugal international is new coach Ernesto Valverde's third signing of the transfer window, following the arrivals of Gerard Deulofeu and young centre-back Marlon.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu stated this week that they hope to complete "two or three" deals before the window closes next month.

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Barca confirm deal for Paulinho

FC Barcelona have struck a €40 million deal to sign Paulinho from Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao.

The Brazil international will finalise his move to the La Liga giants upon completing a medical and agreeing terms on a reported 4-year deal on Thursday.

The 29-year-old will be Ernesto Valverde's first signing since the world-record €222 million sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca have not confirmed the length of Paulinho's contract, but they have stated that it will include a €120 million buy-out clause.

It comes after weeks of speculation over his future and marks an impressive revival in Paulinho's career.

Having struggled to convince at Tottenham Hotspur following a move from Corinthians in 2013, he left to join Guangzhou 2 years later to link up with former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Paulinho helped the club to win 6 trophies, including 2 league titles and the AFC Champions League, and his performances earned him a recall to the national team.

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Iniesta to miss Supercopa decider

Andres Iniesta is to miss the second leg of Barcelona's Supercopa de Espana clash with Real Madrid due to a thigh injury.

Captain Iniesta did not train with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and has been omitted from the 19-man party named for the trip to Santiago Bernabeu.

The midfielder, whose issue is with his right leg, joins Rafinha (adductor) and Thomas Vermaelen (calf) in missing out through injury.

Iniesta played 68 minutes of the first leg as Barca fell to a 3-1 defeat, leaving them with a mountain to climb when they travel to the capital on Wednesday.

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Luis Suarez to miss 4 to 5 weeks with knee injury

FC Barcelona forward Luis Suarez will be out for 4 to 5 weeks with a knee injury, it has been confirmed.

The Uruguay international suffered the blow as Barcelona were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in the second leg of the Supercopa de Espana, Barca's arch-rivals winning the tie 5-1 on aggregate.

Suarez was able to finish Wednesday's contest at the Santiago Bernabeu but was visibly limping in the closing stages.

And the Uruguayan Football Association confirmed in a statement that Barca had communicated Suarez will need to 4 to 5 weeks of rehabilitation, meaning he will miss the start the new La Liga season as well as two key World Cup qualifiers for his country.

The former Liverpool forward will be on the sidelines for the La Liga opener with Real Betis and the games with Deportivo Alaves and city rivals Espanyol, as well as Barca's first Champions League group stages fixture.

He could also potentially miss the matches with Getafe and Eibar.

For Uruguay, Suarez will be unavailable to face Argentina and Paraguay in World Cup qualifying.

Barca have also confirmed Gerard Pique sustained a groin strain and is a doubt for the Betis game.

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MARŢI 12 SEPTEMBRIE
FC Barcelona - Juventus

MIERCURI 27 SEPTEMBRIE
Sporting Lisabona - FC Barcelona

MIERCURI 18 OCTOMBRIE
FC Barcelona - Olympiacos

MARŢI 31 OCTOMBRIE
Olympiacos - FC Barcelona

MIERCURI 22 NOIEMBRIE
Juventus - FC Barcelona

MARŢI 5 DECEMBRIE
FC Barcelona - Sporting Lisabona

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FC Barcelona agree deal to sign Dembele

Ousmane Dembele will join FC Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of €105 million, the France international agreeing a 5-year contract.

Barca lost Brazil superstar Neymar to Paris Saint-German in a world-record €222 million switch this month and Dembele is set to be tasked with filling that considerable void after sealing a move to Camp Nou that could reach up to €147 million.

The France international, who will take the number 11 shirt previously worn by Neymar, has a contract that runs until 2022 and contains a release clause of €400 million.

He is due to arrive in Catalonia on Sunday and undergo a medical a day later.

He joined BVB last year from Rennes for €15 million and won rave reviews for his performances, scoring 10 times in 49 matches across all competitions and providing 20 assists.

He was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and scooped the Man of the Match award after opening the scoring in Dortmund's 2-1 DFB Pokal Final triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Dembele out for up to 4 months

Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for up to 4 months in an injury blow that has rocked FC Barcelona.

Barca have confirmed that the 20-year-old did, as feared by head coach Ernesto Valverde, suffer a torn hamstring in Saturday's 2-1 victory away against Getafe, which was his full La Liga debut.

Dembele had to be withdrawn in the first half of his side's dramatic win, leaving the field after sustaining the problem while attempting a back-heel near the corner flag when the match was still goalless.

The problem, which is in Dembele's left leg, will see him miss the first half of the season in a huge blow to the Catalans after his initial €105 million move from Borussia Dortmund.

Barca, who have won all 4 of their La Liga matches to start the new season, have clashes against Eibar, Girona, Sporting Lisbon and Las Palmas before the next international break.

Dembele is also set to miss huge league fixtures against Atletico Madrid, FC Sevilla, Valencia and the rest of the Champions League group stages.

The France international is also in line to miss the first EL Clasico of the season against Real Madrid in December, with his return coming after the mid-season break.