FC Barcelona News: 4 January 2018; 18 Players Make Celta Vigo Trip, Victor Valdes Retires

COPA DEL REY PREVIEW: Celta Vigo v FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
Ousmane Dembélé was named in the squad a day after being declared fully fit after a 108-day battle to recover from injury. The rest of the squad is as follows: Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Semedo, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio, Denis Suárez, Mascherano, Paulinho, Jordi Alba, Digne, Sergi Roberto, André Gomes, Aleix Vidal and Vermaelen, while there is also room for Carles Aleñá (26) and Jose Arnaiz (37) of Barça B.

Barça squad touch down in Vigo | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona arrived in Vigo on Thursday morning, ahead of their Copa del Rey Round of 32 first leg against Celta (7pm CET). Ernesto Valverde’s squad departed from Barcelona’s El Prat airport at 9:45am, landing in Galicia at 11:15am. Joining the expedition were directors Silvio Elías, Enric Tombas and Emili Rousaud, CEO Òscar Grau, and Guillermo Amor, the club’s head of Institutional and Sporting Relations.

Dembélé back in squad after 108 days of recovery | FC Barcelona
Great news to start the year! 108 days after going down injured at Getafe and a day after being declared fully recovered, Ousmane Dembélé is back in the squad. And it’s official. Ernesto Valverde has included the French striker in his side that travels to Vigo to take on Celta in the Copa del Rey on Thursday at 7.00pm CET.

Valverde expects another tough test against Celta | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are about to get 2018 fully under way with the first game of the year – the Copa del Rey first leg at Celta Vigo. Naturally, that also brings Ernesto Valverde’s first press conference of the year, and here’s a collection of quotes from the first team boss.

A blaugrana from La Madeleine | FC Barcelona
They were difficult days on the streets of Madeleine, the same streets where Ousmane Dembélé began kicking a ball. His mother, Fatimata, of Mauritanian blood, had settled in the area with Barça’s new player and his siblings: another boy and two girls. “Growing up in a neighbourhood like that, it’s hard. You need character and it forces you to win respect,” Mikael Silvestre confirmed to L’Équipe, the former player influential in taking Dembélé to Rennes.

Coutinho to Barca ‘in excess of €150m’ | Football Espana
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho will join Barcelona in January for a deal ‘in excess of €150m’, according to reports. Amid suggestions the Brazilian international has told the English club he has no intention of continuing to play for the club should he not be granted a move, Goal.com’s Melissa Reddy states a deal is close.

Barcelona edge Real Madrid on TV income | Eurosport
The 20 clubs in Spain’s top flight took in 1.247 billion euros, rising from 1.237 billion from the previous year, with Barca earning an extra 6.2 million than the year before. The income is distributed according to results in the last five years, explaining why Barca, champions in 2013, 2015 and 2016, earned more than Real, who won the title last season for the first time since 2012.

Former Barcelona and Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes retires | ESPN
Former Barcelona and Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes has retired from football and deleted his social media accounts. Valdes, 35, has been without a club since leaving Middlesbrough last summer following their relegation to the Championship.

Source: Bostjan Cernensek http://ift.tt/2EVeHOs