FC Barcelona News: 24 September 2019

Photo credit should read MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images

PREVIEW: FC Barcelona vs Villarreal | FC Barcelona
Ousmane Dembélé is back in the squad after a month on the side-lines, following an injury in the first game of the season in Bilbao. Ivan Rakitic, Wague and Carles Pérez have been left out this time, but there is a return for Carles Aleñá, while youth team star Ansu Fati is once again part of the first team plans. Jordi Alba and Umtiti are still injured.

FC Barcelona squad to face Villarreal | FC Barcelona
Fourth game in 11 days for Ernesto Valverde and his team as La Liga returns to Camp Nou following the wins against Betis and Valencia. Barça play host to Villarreal in their sixth game of the league season and the coach announced his 18 man squad after training on Monday.

Valverde: Barca must respond to crisis with wins | ESPN
Barca have made their worst start to a league campaign in 25 years. They have lost two of their five games and are without an away win in four matches in all competitions since the campaign began. They’re eighth in La Liga with seven points.

Barça defender Pique at risk of suspension after just five Liga games | Sport
If Pique is booked on Tuesday in the game at Camp Nou against Villarreal, he will incur a one-game ban as he has already picked up four yellow cards this season. What catches the attention is that it’s taken just five games for him to receive those four cautions, especially when Ernesto Valverde’s side don’t commit many fouls in general.

Gil Manzano will referee Getafe v Barcelona | Sport
Gil Manzano refereed the Basque derby at San Mames between Athletic and Alaves at the weekend and is a FIFA referee, one of the best in Spain. He is the candidate to referee at Qatar 2022 from Spain.

Messi wins the ‘The Best’ award | FC Barcelona
We already knew that Leo Messi was the best player in the world, but tonight at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, it has been rubber-stamped. The Argentine has won FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award, after finishing ahead of the Juventus striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Liverpool centre-back, Virgil van Dijk.

‘It has been a long time’ - Messi delighted to win FIFA Best award, backs Barcelona recovery | Goal
Lionel Messi was happy to win the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, but the superstar’s focus is now on helping Barcelona respond to a slow start to the La Liga season. The Argentinian wizard claimed the prize, rebranded in 2016, for the first time, beating Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.

17 reasons why Messi is The Best | FC Barcelona
Messi scored 36 goals in 34 league appearances last season to lead Barça to their 26th La Liga championship, and earned a third straight and his sixth overall Pichichi Trophy as the league’s top scorer, tied with Telmo Zarra (Athletic Club, 1940-1955) for the most of all time.

Messi reveals he was wowed by Barcelona teen sensation Fati in first training session | Goal
Lionel Messi has revealed that he was hugely impressed by 16-year-old Ansu Fati’s first training session at the club but insists he doesn’t want to see to much pressure placed on his young shoulders. Fati burst onto the scene after making his debut for Barcelona last month, when he became the club’s youngest player since 1941 after coming off the bench in the league encounter with Real Betis.

Barcelona are in crisis. Here’s how Valverde can turn Messi, Suarez & Co. around | ESPN
So, there will be widespread glee about Barcelona’s sudden vulnerability, far further than among Madridistas, Espanyol fans and anyone of a Manchester United, Juventus or Arsenal persuasion who still resents either the manner or just the pain of those four Champions League final defeats since 2006.

The demolition of the Miniestadi will be done mechanically to help recycle 80% of the material | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will say goodbye to the Miniestadi on Tuesday 24 September with the ‘Gràcies, Mini!’ event and from the month of October the planned work will begin for the gradual demolition of the stadium that was opened in 1982 and has been the home ground for Barça B and for the Barça Women’s team and U19s during their European campaigns.

Barcelona estimate New Camp Nou completion in 2024 | Marca
Barcelona have marked 2024 down as the year that the renovation of the New Camp Nou will be completed. While work on the Espai Barca project is moving slowly, there is nevertheless a plan in process which will begin with the demolition of the Mini Estadi in October and will take six months.

Source: barcablaugranes.com