FC Barcelona News: 12 August 2018

Valverde will take entire squad to Tangier | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde announced a full squad for the Spanish Super Cup trip, consisting of 25 first team players plus Barça B standouts Miranda and Riqui Puig. The list will be reduced to 18 players once the team arrive in Morocco.

Sevilla threaten action over rule change for Spanish Super Cup vs. Barcelona | ESPN
The two clubs are scheduled to play on Sunday night in Tangier, Morocco (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes), and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) announced one day before the game that the match would have no squad restrictions concerning the use of non-EU players.

Valverde: ‘A single game Super Cup is more open’ | FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde chatted to the media this Saturday in the lead-up to the Spanish Super Cup, which this year undergoes a change of format. “It being held over a single game brings added difficulty, but our idea idea is always to win. Both teams have the same possibilities,” he told the press, before commenting that those players absent from the U.S. tour are in good shape.

Piqué: ‘Now it’s time to keep winning trophies with Barça’ | FC Barcelona
Gerard Piqué was the player chosen to speak to the media this Saturday, ahead of the Spanish Super Cup game against Sevilla in Tangier. In his Q&A session, he insisted that Sunday’s opposition “are doing things very well and are very competitive.”

Pique confirms retirement from Spain national team to focus on Barcelona | Goal
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has confirmed that he is stepping down from international football following a disappointing World Cup for Spain. Pique has accumulated 102 caps for his national team, a record that coincides with the most successful period in Roja history.

Arthur succeeds Iniesta as Barcelona’s new No. 8 as Catalans reveal squad numbers | Goal
New Barcelona signing Arthur has been handed the No. 8 shirt synonymous with club great Andres Iniesta in his first season at Camp Nou. Iniesta graced Catalunya for more than 20 trophy-laden years before swapping Barcelona for Japan’s Vissel Kobe this summer.

Barcelona’s Ernesto Valverde can’t rule out Ousmane Dembele exit | ESPN
Ernesto Valverde doesn’t know if Ousmane Dembele has offers to leave Barcelona this summer but hopes the France forward will stay. Dembele, 21, was linked with a move to Arsenal before the transfer window shut in England on Thursday and is reportedly the subject of interest from Paris Saint-Germain as well.

Source: barcablaugranes.com