The story of Iniesta's award

The Barça midfielder edged out Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award that distinguishes him as the best player in Europe

Andrés Iniesta is the winner of the 2012 UEFA Best Player Award. The FC Barcelona midfielder was selected by a jury of 53 sports journalists from all of UEFA’s participant football federations.

It’s worth noting that the three finalists for this year's award were selected by the same jury. Last year, Leo Messi won the award with 39 of the 53 overall votes.

Andrés Iniesta is the winner of the 2012 UEFA Best Player Award. The FC Barcelona midfielder was selected by a jury of 53 sports journalists from all of UEFA’s participant football federations.

It’s worth noting that the three finalists for this year's award were selected by the same jury. Last year, Leo Messi won the award with 39 of the 53 overall votes.

Messi and Iniesta's journey to Monaco

R.Madrid – FCB: Tito eyes first title with FC Barcelona

Barça will face off against Real Madrid this evening as the Azulgranas look to claim their first title under Tito Vilanova. Barça come into the match against Real Madrid with a 3-2 advantage from the away leg of the Super Cup

Leo happy 25th birthday

June 24th is Leo's birthday. Yesterday he celebrated its 25th birthday after а fantastic season in which he break all kind of scoring records. All fans all over the world can sand their best wishes through social networks to the best player of the world who has three Champions League winners medals and three Ballons d'Or. 

For his 25th birthday these are his gift for this year, three Ballons d'Or on the run and with Barca he's taken three Champions Leagues, five Spanish League titles, two Spanish Cups and two World Club Cups, among others.

Now after a number of games with Argentina, Messi is on a holiday, withs he has used to take part in a charity match in Bogota. 2012 Amazing season for Messi, having beaten records left, right and centre with 73 official goals. With his 50 League goals he earned his second Pichichi and his second Golden Shoe, and Champions League leading scorer for the fourth year on the run. With his third Ballon d'or he broke Cesar's record as the all-time Barca leading scorer in official games. Messi scored in all competitions this year, same racord set two years ago by Pedro. 

Now he is enjoying in the summer time waiting for the challenges coming  up next.

Guardiola admitted: I stopped to enjoy winning with Barca

Тhe former coach of Barcelona, ​​Pep Guardiola explained the reason that forced him to leave the Catalans, he didn't enjoyed in the game of his team. 41 year old strategist end his four-year career spent at Camp Nou and in those 4 years he has brought 14 titles for the club after which he decided to take a break from coaching profession.

"I didn't enjoyed any more in the victories with Barcelona in the Champions League and La Liga. It was very difficult to coach Barca, it requires too much energy."
Guardiola still does not deny that one day may return to Camp Nou. 
"I have not decided anything yet, we'll see what I am going to do. Maybe one day I will return to Barcelona, maybe not. But I will always have Barca in my heart. "

At the moment he is resting in Dubrovnik. Yesterday afternoon he landed by private jet in Croatia and immediately used the opportunity to walk around Dubrovnik, which could not have 'escape' of the local journalists. According to unofficial information, Guardiola in Dubrovnik should stay until middle of next week. There is accompanied by his wife Cristina Serra Guardiola, and their friends.

 

Messi broke all records this season!

Messi recorded one of his best ever seasons and breaking all possible records.Game by game he was better and better and he achieved to be written his name in the history of the game, breaking every scoring record he could. This season he complete with winning the Spanish Cup against Athletic Bilbao. Setting a new Club record, 35 league goals.This time he has beaten the Club record of 34 league goals in a season held by Brazilian striker Ronaldo since the 1996/97 season. The Argentine was officially named the highest scorer of the competition with 14 goals in 11 matches (1.27 goals per game). Mario Gómez finished second.

Messi equals Altafini.Messi’s 14 Champions League goals has equaled José Altafini’s goalscoring record in the competition set in the 1962/63 season. 49 years had to pass for someone to equal the AC Milan striker’s accomplishment. Messi is the first player to have scored 14 goals since the competition was renamed the Champions League. These 14 goals were scored against: BATE Borisov (2), Viktoria Plzen (3), AC Milan (3) and Bayer Leverkusen (5). His performance in the return leg of the quarter-finals, against the Germans, was especially stellar after netting a five-goal haul.
It’s worth noting that Messi was the highest scorer of the competition in the last three editions of the Champions League: 9 goals in the 2008/09 season, 8 goals in the 2009/10 season and 12 in the 2010/11 season.

Messi leads Ronaldo in the Pichichi race by five goals. Messi continues to raise the bar for most goals scored in a single La Liga season, which was previously set at 41 by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2010/2011 season. The Argentine currently leads the Portuguese by five goals in the Pichichi race thanks to the four goals he scored against Espanyol this evening.

The Argentine genius took his La Liga goal tally to 50 goals, which sees him clear of Georgescu’s (47) record, as he fired 4 past the visiting team’s keeper. The Argentine goal-scoring machine, who smashed the record set in 1976 by the Dynamo Bucharest striker of most goals scored in a single season in a European league, has one more game to increase his La Liga goal tally.

Barselona ALL-time Top scorers list:
1.Lionel Messi (Argentina) 2005-               = 234 goals
2.Cesar Rodriguez (Spain) 1942-55            = 232 goals
3.Ladislao Kubala (Hungary) 1951-61         = 194 goals
4.Josep Samitie (Spain) 1919-32                = 178 goals
5.Josep Escola (Spain) 1934-49                 = 167 goals
6. Paulino Alcantara (Philippines) 1912-27   = 137 goals
7.Angel Arocha (Spain)  1926-33                = 134 goals
8.Samue Eto'o (Camerun) 2004-09             = 130 goals
9.Rivaldo (Brazil) 1997-02                         = 130 goals
10.Mariano Martin (Spain) 1940-48            = 124 goals

Abidal: Thank you Barcelona from the bottom of my heart

After his recent release from hospital, Eric Abidal took the time to say thanks via his official Facebook page to all the messages of support he has received. Eric Abidal is at home recovering from his liver transplant of 10th April after he was discharged from hospital on Monday and he used his official Facebook page to thank everyone for all the messages of support that both he and his cousin received whilst he was hospitalized. Abidal has special words of thanks for “all the staff at the Hospital Clinic” as well as the fellow patients he met while he was in hospital, who he told: “I wish all of you and your families the courage you need”.

Thanks to the Club, media and family!
The French defender also showed his gratitude for the support he received from the Club – from President Sandro Rosell to all of his teammates, the coaching staff, administrative personnel and doctors, as well as thanking the media for their: “understanding and discretion”, which had been very important for him.
Finally, Abidal made special mention of his wife: “who has been by my side every hour and every day”, as well as his family and his in-laws, before explaining that: “now is the time to rest and get my strength back” and that “I will continue to keep in touch with you all and let you know my news”.
source: www.fcbarcelona.com