►★ FC BARCELONA THREAD ★✿◄ Club with the Most Fifa Acknowledged Titiles ★◄

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Fabregas: I am no Lionel Messi

Barcelona new signing Cesc Fabregas insists he is no 'Lionel Messi and has much to improve on at the Nou Camp.

The 24-year-old completed his long-awaited move back to the Catalan giants from Arsenal this summer and has already made two appearances for his side.

Looking ahead to his new career, the former Arsenal captain believes he has much to prove at the Nou Camp but has warned the fans he is not Messi.

"From Monday to Monday I have lived spectacular memories that I will remember all my life. If people trust me, I still want to get better because I have a lot to prove," he is reported to have said to Sport.

"I need to adapt to it all, I am not [Lionel] Messi. Everything here is more disciplined than playing for Arsenal. I have learned the new defensive side, I will work hard to get the ball back, but slowly I will take the guidelines and learn a lot," he continued.

Fabregas scored his first goal for Barcelona on Monday in the 5-0 drubbing of Napoli in a friendly.

And the Spain international has expressed his delight in opening his account.

"I'm enjoying being in the team and very happy to have scored my first goal in the Barca shirt, the last time I did that was with the youth team.

"The team is doing very well and we're getting better physically. I think this will make us more united, unity is strength and that shows on the field of play," he concluded.

Barcelona take on Porto in the UEFA Super Cup on Friday, with Fabregas in contention to play.

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FC Barcelona 2 FC Porto 0

Europe continues to reverberate to the patter of tiny feet. Fine goals from Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas brought Barcelona a deserved, often thrilling Uefa Super Cup victory over nine-man Porto. Fabregas has now won two trophies in 10 days, a contrast to his barren, six-year run at Arsenal.

The Europa League champions lost their shape, resilience and discipline late on but Barcelona were again magnificent.

Messi’s first was sumptuous and Fabregas’ second was expertly taken, and brilliantly made by Messi.

The DJ played “Mr Brightside” at the break and it must have been in tribute to Messi, who changed his boots on Stade Louis II’s poor pitch and was soon seizing on Fredy Guarin’s nightmare backpass.

Messi ran straight at Helton, seemingly turning the Porto keeper to stone as he dropped a shoulder and swept the ball effortlessly around him.

Messi’s finish was typically accurate, the ball stroked at an angle in to the net.

Barcelona’s fans loved another reminder of their No 10’s brilliance, celebrating wildly, some lighting flares, others waving their shirts manically above their heads.

They had enjoyed other first-half moments as their idols racked up 70 per cent possession, notably a wonderful dribble by Andres Iniesta when he seemed to use Porto players as cones in a training session.

English interest in proceedings strayed further than the sight of Fabregas starting on the bench. Joao Moutinho’s involvement did not cup-tie Porto’s attacking midfielder as Uefa designate the Uefa Cup a “free match”, effectively a friendly. This may surprise Paul Scholes, who was sent off in this fixture and served his suspension in the Champions League.

Moutinho would be eligible for the Champions League if Chelsea decided to quicken their interest this week. Moutinho certainly impressed in the opening stages, one curling shot bringing a fine save from Victor Valdes.

Chelsea are also pursuing Alvaro Pereira, Porto’s talented left-back, who was rested here.

Fabregas eventually arrived with 11 minutes remaining, and was promptly felled by Guarin. The former Arsenal midfielder was again used in a more attacking role, pushing on to support Messi and Alexis Sanchez.

Porto cynically tried to stop Barcelona, and Rolando departed for two yellows, both fouls on Messi.

Before Guarin also departed, for a straight-red offence on Javier Mascherano, Barcelona had added a second, a thrilling moment for Fabregas. When Messi crossed from the right, Fabregas chested the ball down and belted it right-footed into the net.

[vishnu vardhan]

so five trophies so far.........................

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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf1HgKJIUuk&feature=player_detailpage][NEW] Barcelona vs Real Madrid 3-2 Spanish Super Cup 2011 All Goals Highlights - YouTube[/ame]

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Adriano out for league opener



Test carried out on Barça’s Brazilian full back Adriano have confirmed the muscle strain he picked up on Friday night in Monaco and Club doctors have ruled him out of Monday’s league opener against Villarreal.



Adriano was taken off as a precaution in the 62nd minute of the win over Porto and the tests carried out this evening confirmed the initial diagnosis.

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72 years without home debut defeat

David R. Jover


The players strike which meant that last week’s scheduled opening game at Malaga was cancelled means that Barça open their league campaign at home (on Monday against Villarreal) for only the second time in the last10 years.



The last time the Club lost an opening day fixture at home was way back on December 3rd 1939 against Espanyol at Les Corts, when Mora, Rosalench, Sospedra, Herrerita and Emilín’s Barça went down 0-1. The first time that Barça opened a season at home was 10 years earlier when they beat Real Sociedad 3-0.

Good scoring record

The team have great scoring record in the first games of the season, both at Les Corts and at the Camp Nou, with an average of just less than 3 goals a game in the 32 wins, 4 draws and just that one defeat, with less than a goal a game conceded.

Real Sociedad opened season 8 times

Real Sociedad were not just the first team Barça beat on an opening day at Les Corts, they are also the club who have featured most times in the fixture, with Barça opening their league campaigns against the Basques on eight occasions. In the 50/51 opener, with Ferdinand Daucik in charge, Barça ran out 8-2 winners, thanks to 4 goals from César, 2 by Basora and one each from Aloy and Szegedi for what remains the highest opening day score.

Recent games

The last time the team began the league at home was two seasons ago when goals from Bojan, Keita and Ibrahimovic saw them brush aside Sporting Gijon. Before that, in 2003, Victor Valdes made his league debut in the opener against Atletico Madrid which ended in a draw.

[hitman87]

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Barcelona make offer for Ruiz

Saprissa's teenage striker John Jairo Ruiz is the latest young Costa Rican to attract interest from Europe as his agent claims Barcelona have made an offer for him.

Ruiz, 17, starred at the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia and now looks set to join Arsenal's Joel Campbell in moving to the continent following his performances in the tournament.

"Barcelona have tabled a good offer for John. It's now up to Saprissa to decide whether it's good enough for them," agent Ricardo Cabanas was quoted as saying by La Nacion.

"We were obviously very happy when we heard about this. Joining Barcelona is a dream for any player, so we are very excited. It is important that John gets good advice on this matter."